sllib olaffub

...unless he was the next Jerry Rice. I have to say, Jerry Rice wouldn't have had the career he had, wouldn't be the Jerry Rice we now know, if he were drafted to the Bills with the roster we have now. He was the right guy in the right place at the right time. Talent is always good to have, no matter where, but look how Arizona's offense was this year without a good QB - as opposed to the Warner days. Sure, A.J. Green might be great for our future threesome on offense - with Spiller as the R.B., and, who knows, maybe we snag the right QB in the second or third, and our offense begins tearing it up this year. If we took him and our offense ended up lighting it up this year, then no one would complain - we could still fix the defense next year. Let's face it - although our offense looked markedly better than our defense, both were statistically bad. I think we all, mostly, want defensive players taken in an attempt to fix it - to make it our strong unit, and then we can finish polishing the offense next year, since it is capable of keeping us in games as is, as long as we don't need to score 30+ points a game. But, if we could fix our offense for good this year, then fine - I believe we're only 4 players on defense away from being legit. The thing is, though, with a pick this high - and this has been brought up already - the player should be of the type that can't get had on the free agency block: QB's, D-Linemen, superior LT's. That, I think, is really the key point. If we're using the 3 pick, we should get the guy we can build a unit around. That, to me, looks like one of the big 4 defensive players - Bowers, Fairley, Quinn, or Dareus, or, the right QB - if he is good enough to solve our problems at QB, and to be "our guy" for the next decade.

I was just thinking, if we were interested in bringing in another D-coordinator, and Wanny took a job elsewhere, who else might be a really drastic upgrage, and would be out there for hire? Any of these names sound appealing/probable? Rob Ryan/Eric Mangini (Mangini having, perhaps, the best know-how on how to beat Bellicheck, and Rob Ryan maybe better able to handle the Jets than a lot of others...), John Fox - should he wish to become a coordinator again, Mike Singletary? Tom Cable... I mean, there's really no connection there, but the point is, there are guys out there who could bring credibility to our Defense, if that is what our staff would like to add, and Wannstedt isn't the only option... but, he'd sure be a nice fit.

What would we demand in a trade from 3 to 9? I'd take it, if we could get the right compensation - what would that be, though? Another 2nd round and 3rd round pick? Would that be enough? I would think we'd have to get, for our #3 pick, Dallas's #9, their 2nd rounder, 3rd rounder... and a pick next year, too? Maybe a 3rd rounder? Would he be nuts enough for that? He would have to assume he could reload in F.A., and that CB is one of his only weak links. For us, I mean, we could probably land one of: Gabbert, Locker, Dareus, Quinn, or Von Miller at 9. So, I would think it would be a no brainer for us. A deal like that could, with proper handling of the picks, re-tool our roster in the right positions and set us up for a real run. We already have our 1, and our 2 is almost a late 1, and a 3 and two 4's. A Dallas trade would give us #9, then our nice 2, their 2, two 3's, two 4's. Wow. We could re-load with that many selections.

I had made the association before Christmas, and was hoping we'd talk to him. Only, I didn't realize the interest he'd get from other teams. Yeah, I'd be thrilled if we canned Edwards and took Wannstedt on as our D-coordinator, even if you had to throw assistant H.C. in there, too. Our present D-personnel looks better suited for the 4-3, in my opinion, and shouldn't at all suffer for the transition; and, we could still run occasional 3-4 looks. I can see Carrington, Fairley, K.Williams, and Edwards as our D-line, with Merriman, Poz, and Moats as our linebacking corps, with Batten, Coleman, and Maybin - who could be thrown back in as OLB/DE candidate in certain situations... I think Coleman and Moats and Batten are all small enough/quick enough to be 4-3 linebackers. Yeah, I like this idea. Plus, we could have Byrd back to a position he thrived in, re-sign G. Wilson and keep Scott around - and our secondary would be back, too... and, Troupe would be great rotation in the middle with K.Williams, or just our starter there if we went after, say, Bowers... I'd love to see Bowers, Troupe, Williams, Carrington as a D-line - imagine the pressure we'd get consistently on QB's with just that four man front. I mean, they're all pretty good at bringing the heat, except Troupe who'd serve to sure up the run defense. Yeah, I like the sounds of it. I just hope Gailey and Nix realize the opportunity, to get a guy they're all familiar with, even Whaley... and to legitimize our entire staff.

Pretty comprehensive - nice research. I'd be ecstatic with that draft. I, too, was impressed with the other Auburn D-linemen. Let's hope our Staff are as visionary as you are.

Well, Fairley looked by far the better prospect. And, now I've seen bowl games with Bowers and Fairley, and Fairley looks like the best college D-line prospect this year. I'd guess he'll be gone by our pick. But, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Darius also looks great, and might be a better fit for our system - which, does matter when the two players compared are close in talent but one fits the need more than the other. I wouldn't be surprised with Darius, or Groves, or Fairley if he's there. And, as of right now, I'd be thrilled with any of the top four D-lineman - they all look like they'd help us out. But, as far as Newton is concerned - I don't think I would be very excited about seeing him picked at three. I think I'd be happier with Locker or Gabbert, if we're picking a QB. Or, perhaps better still, one of the beast D-linemen in the first, and one of the group of promising QB's projected to go in the 2-4 rounds, like Dalton, or Kaepernick, or Ponder, or McElroy. Whoever our staff thinks has the "it" down. It looks like there will be 3 or 4 QB's taken in the first this year, and another 4 or 5 taken up to round 5 - so, maybe close to ten QB's taken by round 5 this year. I'd bet, looking at this years crop, that two or so of the later bunch end up being good, and two or so of the first bunch do, too; that there will be similar success ratio between the first tier and the second... so, if our staff can spot the diamond, then all the better.

Well, I agree that whoever is responsible for the terrible drafting should hand in their resignation. Didn't Whaley manage that aspect of operations in Pittsburgh? I thought he was either the college or the nfl evaluator... maybe he and Nix should either take over or find someone they trust to do that job. Someone will take the ax if we have another lousy draft, I'd think. This is Nix and Gailey's life, here, not to mention Whaley's future. These guys aren't going to let one guy ruin their team.

I see how great these guys are in highlight reels, but I've seen Fairley and Bowers disappear at times, too - and against college level talent. I haven't watched Darius play much, but my point here is that they all look temendous at times, and of the four, two will probably be pro-bowlers - who knows, maybe all will end up so, but, this is where I just hope our scouts know more than the armchair scouts that we all are - I mean, as a profession, they should be able to see the little things that are gives. My guess is the safest pick would be Darius. He just looks the most consistent, albeit the least flashy. He'd probably anchor our line for 10 years very reliably, and would match up nicely with K. Williams. Quinn would be my guess on who Nix would prefer - simply because he has more of a history of producing, whereas Fairley and Bowers are more one year wonders. Like I said, they all look great. Fairley looks like the fiercest, but he also looks like he simply bowls over guys and that probably won't work in the NFL. There was another guy who was suspended with Quinn - a DT. He also has been getting a lot of respect. I'd love to be able to nabb him in the second, if we get a QB with our first.

I am glad you made this post, because it give me a chance to suggest this: I am most critical of this team in a few ways - one, their apparent poor handling of personnel, and two, their almost complete failure to bring in good, highly regarded, coaches. Now, I like some of what this team is doing, and I feel if they draft good, and are serious in bringing in good F.A.'s, then we might stand a chance. But, this second part needs to happen, too. I've said it a few times over the last year and a half. Teams have shown that you can bring in a new D.C. and install a new scheme, and even if the team, at that point, isn't suited to the new scheme, there are defensive coordinators who've made it work. Green Bay, Denver and Miami both come to mind. So, I cannot stand using Edward's lack of NFL experience and our team's misfitted players as excuses for being bad. If Edwards wasn't projected as being potentially an elite coordinator, why did they bring him in in the first place? And, if the personnel wans't right, why didn't they pursue better replacements in the offseason? Now, Houston Texans ran a similar defense as we did with Jauron. With Wade Phillips - a respected D.C. - going in and taking over, we can see with a very similar set-up what fans should expect a defense to look like in year one of a similar rebuild. I'm guessing he does a heck of a lot better of a job than Edwards did with our team this year. Still, we have a new season approaching. I don't know how highly regarded Edwards was - I hope he's a genius waiting to turn into the next highly coveted D.C. But, if our defense is poor again next year, or even merely average - I will be ever closer to giving up on this franchise as one with serious aspirations for being elite. I mean, it seems, so often, that our owner merely wants to keep making a buck, and that he has this "we're inferior, we cannot compete" mentality about not being serious about bringing in a championship caliber staff and players. I hope he proves me wrong soon. Anyway, I think we got shorted with Edwards, and Green Bay and Denver were enough for me to think so, but I'm betting the Texans prove it yet again. We should have someone better running the show.

There is a way to beat Brady. The Giants revealed the best strategy for that during their win in the Super Bowl. The Bills, during the Schobel years, had games where we really got to Brady and you can disrupt that team by getting after him and messing with the timing of the offense - playing really physical with him and the recievers. Offensively, you want a good running game. We can beat them, and we can be good again. It takes vision, willingness on the part of our ownership to get the guys they need, and the intelligence and planning to know who they need and where before they play the season out - because - and I don't want to see this as a trend - Gailey and Nix have shown that they take a while in assessing player talent. They need to do better at figuring out where the weaknesses are, which players will blossom, and finally, how to fill the holes with the best available options. Other than the draft, we should add two or three key F.A.'s this year, because, it'll be one of the best years for Free Agency - after all the holdover from last year. In F.A. alone we could fix our O-line, grab a T.E., and get our ILB - leaving the draft for QB, DE/NT, OLB and whoever else. Let's see some action this year! And, I hope, by the end of next season we'll have an identity on Defense.

Bob, you and I are on the same page. The Bills really boggle my mind more often than not. Every year - and already I'm doing it again - I say, this year will be different. I am giving Buddy and Gailey this offseason to fix this team and make it competitive before I judge their efforts overall. But, back to the confusing stuff. For the money they paid Green and Kelsay, they could affort one of the best players in the league, salary wise, or a couple very good positional players. They should be able to afford to pay Boss's salary twice with what they're paying Kelsay - and see who benefits the team more. It's not that they aren't paying people. They just need to stop paying for garbage, save that money and place it on a few less, but slightly more expensive, F.A.'s. As the team improves we'll be able to attract better players. Let's hope they were saving their best for this year, and that last year was really just a "let's see what we've got" year.

I can see different situations working out. I mean, it depends how they view Bowers and Fairley, or Groves... if they (I mean our F.O.) think that one of those guys is capable of being a real force, then I'd love to have another stud on our D-line - which I think is really the wisest move, because, rather than try to strike gold on a bunch of different positions, we should maximize the players who we know are really good already - K. Williams, by bringing in a star to team up with him. By the way, Carrington will look better as is, next year, so by getting a stud D-lineman, all the guys around him get better, and he can be more effective, too. There's that scenario. Then, there is the trade down and pick up extra picks. When you do that, though, you usually end up picking best player on board, as there are always the guys who drop a bit more than anyone expected... so that might end up being a mixed group, as opposed to isolating on the front seven. Still, I think that 2001 draft that was mentioned was our best in two decades. We aren't that far off from having a really nice defensive roster, only two good linebackers and a D-lineman, and maybe another stud in the secondary. 4 guys could be added in one offseason.

I'd love to see us grab Quinn. We have K. Williams. I like Carrington. I like Moats. Batten could be good - as yet we don't know, but he was rated about as high as Moats. Poz, if he comes back is o.k. A few more playmakers - and a guy like Quinn, who could be pro-bowl material, will not only allow the other good players abilities to shine, but he could help make them all better. I'd love to see that pick, or Bowers or Fairley. Bring in another guy, too, for our front seven - maybe sneak that other DT who was also suspended - or some NT who could really dominate, and you add a healthy Merriman (we hope) and you never know - our defense could go from chumps to champs in no time. I really like our team's heart. With some more talent on Defense, I can see our guys rallying and having a real Identity as a young, tough group.

Maybe Luck doesn't like the idea of being tied to Carolina for 4-6 years, on a team that looks to be the worst team in the NFL, whose one nationally recognizable star - Steve Smith - is aging and doesn't have a lot of years left. So, if Luck has two passions in life - football and Architecture - then finishing his degree will ensure that he can do either if he chooses, and maybe next year he'll like the looks of the team that is likely to choose him - and, if Harbaugh takes a job with a team in the NFL and does poorly his first year, or can manage to trade into the spot where Luck could be drafted, maybe he holds out hope of some future like that? As for how this will effect us: there are more than 2 star football players in this draft. All we have to do is be sure that we land a really talented, difference maker with our 1st pick. If it is an all pr OLB, DE, DT, OL, or QB - it doesn't matter, really, so long as the guy is a stud and will help us. If we can trade down a little and still get a contributor, then great, too. There will probably be Quinn, Bowers, Fairley, Von Miller to choose from as far as pass rushers - so, either of those guys would probably help us, and I don't think anyone can say, for sure, who will end up being the best of the bunch of top prospects. All in all, this Luck decision shouldn't really hurt us.

Who knows. Surely Gailey and Nix couldn't have liked how their defense played this year. The frustrating part, though, is not knowing what Nix and Gailey are thinking. Are they saying to themselves, "we knew we weren't going to be able to afford to get so and so, so we're going to have to bring in more players and hope he gets them more prepared this year." Or, are they saying, "Edwards didn't have the right players, but he had the right system in place, coached it properly, was prepared, was not out-coached - the problem is players - and we can fix that." We want this Defense to be great (at least, I do). We don't want our coach to be saying or thinking, "we aren't going to be the best, but at least we should be average, or a little better". Wanting this team to be the best, we want to believe that Nix and Gailey thought about all the kinds of defenses, and the experienced coaches, and then decided, Edwards knows his stuff, and he is up and coming, and he'll be the best defensive coordinator this league has seen yet. I think that is really the question here - do they believe he will be the best, and bring this unit to the top, or are they merely settling? Because, as much as talent is a factor, there were a lot of times this season when, during games, our guys looked out of place and caught totally off guard. If a coach is scheming right, and preparing the players right - shouldn't they look like they are doing everything right and they are just falling a little short because they aren't fast enough, or strong enough? But our guys looked totally off out there at times. As much as talent does have a factor in things, these guys are all still pro's, and they should, with the right coaching and scheme, be able to look better than they did this year. I don't understand it - I hope if he's still our coordinator next year that the players looked more prepared, because we are going up against a real master coach in New England, and I'm sick of him looking two steps ahead of us every year. And the Jets aren't going to outsmart us - they're just going to run it down our throats until we can stop 'em.

Yes, I didn't mean Incognito at the expense of another - I meant, considering the state of our O-line, they let a guy like Incognito walk - who is better than, say, Green - and on the flip side, they sign Kelsay to that ridiculous contract. Nix needs to learn to manage the players better - and the other poster is right, to keep the guys we draft who have promise, and to let go of the guys who aren't going to help us in the long run. We just need to see him manage the roster better - and let's hope it starts this offseason.

Here is a little quote from Profootballtalk.com: Once again, Packers G.M. Ted Thompson has re-signed one of his developing young players for the long haul. This time, it came at a very team-friendly price. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop, 26, has agreed to a four-year, $19 million extension with the team. That’s nice coin for a former sixth-round pick, but it’s a steal considering Bishop’s versatile play this year. Now, compare that to our Kelsay signing this year. How in ___'s name should we ever have paid Kelsay that kind of money, without having seen him perform high enough to merit it? That president set should be an anomaly. We have to be able to cut ties with guys that aren't good enough, and we need to give the money to guys that are. How did Kelsay merit sticking around over, say, Incognito? Where will he fit, alongside Moats, Merriman, and whoever we draft, not to mention Batten? I don't want to think about Kelsay being out there over Moats, or a high round rookie - and it's ridiculous to see 6 million a year as a reserve. Here's to hoping the Bills start dealing with players a little more wisely. That Nix move was too much character and not enough talent driven.

I'm not saying we neglect the offense for the defense's sake. I'm saying, if we can't draft Luck (or Gabbert) with our first rounder, why not just fix our defense this year, and then next year go after our QB, and fix whatever is left wrong with the offense then? I mean, when I say fix our defense this year with the draft, I don't mean not draft a really highly rated player that has slipped to us if he happens to be on the offense side. I just mean do what you have to do to fix the defense now - without putting any position of need off until next year, and then go about the offense next year with that same resolve. If our coaches would take that approach to both sides in one offseason, going hard after key free agents, and really draft wisely, then I'd be for that. As for the QB driven league, and offense wins - I get it, but if we can't get the top guy(s), then why waste a second or third on a QB who will likely not be starter/franchise material, when you can much easier find high end level linebackers or D-lineman in the second round. Just one approach of many possible ones - I think it is just that I want to believe our team has a strategy, that they envision and are working towards having a really great team, not just filling seats and being competitive, or smart, or patient...

Are you guys kidding me? New England has 2 First Round Picks - AND THE TOP SECOND ROUND PICK? - AGGGHHHHH!!!!! I haven't looked up the facts - but they probably have another second rounder, maybe a third or two... if they keep up like this, they'll be younger than the Bills in another couple of years, and still right on top. We've got to start building a team to win in this division.

Things have changed a little over the last few days, and will change again, and again if Luck opts to stay in school - which I doubt, all things considered (his coach probably leaving, the upcoming rookie salary cap, Locker's situation, etc.). But, Blaine Gabbert has entered the 2011 draft. Still, Luck is the concensus top QB, but with Gabbert, Newton, and Locker, not to mention the Ponder and Kaepernick and other 2nd tier QB's, this QB crop might go down as one of the best in the last few decades. Between Manning Jr., Rivers, and Roethlisberger, I don't think San Diego or Pittsburg would want to trade for each other's QB - which, I hope, could equate to the same type situation with a Luck and a Gabbert - two QB's, one much like Payton Manning, one like Phillip Rivers - each good enough to build a franchise around. Now it's not as if the Bills have to go for broke for Luck if they want a true franchise QB prospect. And, that isn't even considering whether or not most of the NFL considers Cam Newton a top 10 prospect, either - not to mention Mallet and Locker. All of a sudden, with Bowers, Fairley, Peterson, Von Miller, Luck, Gabbert, Mallet - there will be choices for Buffalo Without Having To Move Up!!! And, we could even move down a few spots, pick up extra 2nd and 3rd, maybe, if a team a few spots below us want to be sure to get, say, Peterson or Bowers or Fairley - and we have our sights on a guy that should be there a few picks later. Of course, now if we do go other than QB with our 1st round pick, there is even better chance we'll see one of the fringe players there in the second round - which makes our losing the last two games of the season a Huge difference - because if a guy like Locker or Mallet falls out of the first round, there will be a huge difference between being 3rd in the second round and, say, 7th or 8th. This draft looks to be one of the best for a Bills fan in years.

I, too, am of the opinion that fixing the defense is the right way to approach the offseason. I know the typical approach to building teams is draft a little of this, a little of that, and year by year erect a decent offense and defense. But - and, I've said this before - when we add a little to each unit, by the time we have guys developed, others are on their way out, and we never seem to see a real, total unit evolve - at least, not since the early 90's. So, why not just spend one offseason fixing one unit - and, in this case, the defense. I mean, as bad as we were this year, we only really need 3 to 4 really good starters to fix it. A DE, 2 linebackers, and a NT or maybe a corner... anyway, we have some talent on D already - in Moats, Carrington, K. Williams, Merriman (if he gets healthy) and our secondary is adequate if we could stop the run and pressure the QB. Batten could be decent, Coleman was o.k., Poz is o.k. Just throw the draft at the problem of defense - if that is what it takes - and then we can let it play together and be good for the next four years, and guys like K. Williams can see their prime years not wasted. Then, next year, we finish off the offense. Doing it this way we allow the units to grow together, and after two years we need only maintain the whole, adding a replacement player or two per year. I think this is the best approach for us. If we could put together a great Defense going into next year, our offense, just carrying over this year's squad, would be good enough to win us 10 - 12 games, if our D could manage to limit the opposition to under, say, 16 points. Also, with this approach, you look to create a unit in a certain mold - instead of trying this part and that, tinker fashion, year in and out. I want to see a really nasty, mean, hard as a brick wall defense, champions, not just o.k, or good, but great.

I don't know... I saw the press conference with Gailey and I didn't interpret what he said about the defense as meaning that we'd not see any changes. He said he and Nix would evaluate and go from there - that he likes the staff in place - but, (I hope) that doesn't mean someone else couldn't step in and help make the necessary changes - someone with experience and success.

I think people are overreacting to this loss. Our coaches couldn't throw the game publicly, but I'm sure they wanted to secure the draft pick - because we really weren't playing for anything. But, there is a real difference in quality between #3 and #7 or 8 in draft order. I mean, just between last year's 2 and 3 we see a big difference. So, let's just wait and see what we have after next offseason, before we give up on Nix and Gailey. Sure, New England is good and still has a draft, as do the Jets, but the New England team that went to the first Super Bowl didn't have a lot of recognizable names on the roster - and they often get it done with guys that have been cast off of other people's rosters. We don't need a team full of superstars. We need a team that is well coached, disciplined, with heart, and sure, we need better talent on D and at QB, but let's just wait and see how we look next summer - because, I think this staff will turn it around the next couple of years, and I would be really surprised if we aren't playing meaningful football next december.

The season is over. We didn't expect to be in the playoffs, and despite the lack of enthusiasm many people had for Nix and Gailey, I think they have shown us that the team is moving toward respectability. I really wanted us to have the lowest draft pick possible - I mean, I wanted us to lose today. It wouldn't have done any good to beat the Jets 2nd stringers, and had Brohm done good it wouldn't have done him any good either, because there would've been an asterisk next to all of it. This team needs some real playmakers, and we now will be guaranteed a chance at Fairley, Bowers, Cam Newton, Luck (if he comes out), Peterson, Mallet - I mean, there are going to be a number of guys available to us that will be major upgrades. And, our second round pick will be high enough to be an immediate starter, too. Our third should be. I would expect our F.O. to go out and select safe, big guys to keep adding, slowly, to this roster. I'm thinking we will see heavy D-line, Linebacker, and O-line additions, perhaps unspectacular (except, I think, we can get a spectacular DE/DT in the first, if we want) positions - not flashy RB/WR playmaker types, but I think we'll be moving slowly towards putting together two solid units. I see us adding 2 linebackers, 1 D-lineman, 2 O-linemen, a TE and a QB. I, too, have enjoyed the offseason on this site more over the last few years than the regular season. There is still hope of all the potential great combination of moves we could make to put together the great team - and this offseason will hopefully be no different. Let's hope we have football in 2011.

Nix isn't an idiot. But, he has wasted 2-3 million on guys like Merriman and Green last year. He's willing to spend money to get results. I like that about him. I only hope he keeps bringing in players who can make plays. As far as the Merriman resigning goes, the Bills will surely have set the contract at a minimum of a few million for the first year, with more the following, so that if he gets hurt or doesn't play well they can cut him and he's only going to cost them I'd guess between 2-4 million (factoring in this season's pay he collected). That is a gamble - but Buddy is at least trying to bring in good talent here. I still think we're going to bring in a few more promising linebackers this year, through draft and F.A.. The way this team loaded up on players last year, they set the team up with lower to mid level talent. Now they know where the holes are... lets hope they bring in the guys to fill them. So, considering Merriman is healthy, he will play LOLB? Moats would be ROLB? I would think he'd be out there over Kelsay. So what does that make Kelsay? A six million dollar a year backup? Oh boy... I just read my post, and that Kelsay and that Green signing and contract value makes Buddy look like an idiot. Lets hope he doesn't keep spending this kind of dough on players other teams in our division wouldn't even pay vet minimum for.