BillsPhan

As I read these posts about veterans who have been cut from other teams, that could help the Bills, I have to laugh. How many expensive veteran free agents does Wilson/Brandon/Nix have to ignore or get out-bidded for, before you people accept the reality of Ralph Wilson's "Cash to Cap" budget? Number one: please forget about any good vets with years of starting football in front of them getting signed by Buffalo over the next few days to few months. If they were let go because of their salaries and their being younger good less expensive players ready to take their places, why on earth do you think Wilson would pay them what they are still worth today?? Good example: The Steelers starting center that was cut. Oh sure, Nix might start a rumor the Bills are interested, and in fact they may even bring him in for a visit. But we all know he'll pick another team that will of course offer him more money. Or more realistically, Nix won't mention a word about bringing him in at all, despite the fact Hangartner is a goodt back up center, but average at best, starting center in the NFL. So sure, the Bills might bring in some guys cut from other teams, but I for one will be shocked if any of them have more then one - two years tops - of NFL experience at their respective positions. Sorry, but in my humble opinion, those are the marching orders for as long as Wilson lives - keep the team at the exact "cash to cap" budget, whatever that is.

1) I predicted and hoped Fitz would be cut, and Levi would be the 3rd QB. I never thought Brohm would be cut, though, and I hope Levi makes it back to the practice squad - I like his size and arm strength. 2) I mocked the posters who predicted Mitchell, Kelsay and Lynch would be cut. I replied to those posts and told them they were crazy. 3) I absolutely wanted Hardy to make the team, and I think Gailey is nuts to keep Donald Jones and cut Hardy. I'm predicting Hardy will have a good if not great NFL career with some team. 4) I cannot believe that Gailey cut three offensive lineman that were not bad players. Didn't he watch film of the Bills last year, and count the number of OL's that went down with injuries?? Wouldn't it have been smarter to keep 11 OL and 9 DB's, instead of the other way around??? 5) I hope Joicque Bell makes it back to the practice squad - that kid ran like a maniac every time he touched the football.

Although T.O. may be hanging on a few years too many, he is a big strong tall receiver himself, and Revis is only the best cover CB in the NFL today. I recall watching Owens out run every defender on the field to catch a 95 yard bomb from Fitzy on the road last season, so he still has some gas left in his tank. But you are right about Hardy. This "vet" as you call him, is only beginning his third year in the NFL, and unlucky injuries along with stupid coaching have left him under-utilized and frustrated. Imagine Gailey with this offense being here last season, when Hardy was finally ready to play, being on the field with Owens and Evans. It seems to me Chan would have figured out creative ways to use this kid, unlike the village idiots who ran the Bills offense during Hardy's first two seasons. Even with the unbelievable number of injuries to the Bills O-Line remaining the same, Gailey would have most likely used Hardy and his height to allow Edwards/Fitzy a fast 3 step outlet over the middle for some important 3rd down and medium plays. I used to wonder how in the hell DJ, Turk and Van Pelt could not collectively figure out how to teach Hardy to line up in the slot, at the snap run 2 yards, turn around and catch the ball over the middle for an easy 4 to 8 yard gain. At 6'6, the kid didn't have to run the freakin' 2 yard route "perfectly", all he had to do was turn around and catch the damn ball over the out stretched hands of any safety or CB or even LB he was taller then, and bail the Bills out on all of those 2nd and 3rd and 5 or 6's they failed to convert. I think Gailey and Nix would be crazy to cut Hardy now.

At one point I yelled to to Tasker out loud: "Would you stop calling him Travis freakin' Brown already?" But the funniest Tasker-ism was one most young fans watching would not have even gotten. He and Bentley were babbling on about the possibility of an on-sides kick towards the end of the game, and Tasker mentioned how Bud Wilkinson of the Vikings would try them in the preseason all the time. That's funny, I always thought Wilkinson was a great college coach from Oklahoma, and Bud Grant was the long-time Vikings coach? But all those "Bud's" looked alike anyway, right?

I would not put my real name on this board despite the fact I am nobody, no way would I tell people my name if I played for the Bills 6 years!! Wow, '67 thru '72? It's funny you have Lou's picture as your avatar - he left the year before you started with the Bills, and was only back one year - for your last season, 1972 - into his second go-'round. Plus, you missed the Electric Companies' Turning On The Murdering Felon-Juice and his amazing 2,003 yard season by one lousy year. In fact, your 6 seasons with the Bills, 1967 thru 1972, were 6 of the worst years in Bills history. Of course I'm not saying you were that bad of a player, but more that you played during a lousy time in Bills' history - sort of like the players who have been toiling on the Bills since 2005 thru today - zero winning seasons, same as you experienced! That had to be tough on you and the entire team. However, playing for those teams, in the old Rock Pile, in front of those frustrated fans who had recently experienced AFL Championships to cheer for, should have at least given you a thicker skin then you are exhibiting these 50 years later! Players of your day had to take the wrath of the fans, and made peanuts compared to what the players of today earn. It seems to me you of all ex-NFL players should be able to laugh at whatever stupidity we sarcastic and frustrated Bills fans rant about out here!!

My first thought is: why on earth spend all that money for a retractable roof, and then have "an understanding" it stays open for all Bills' games?? Bill Polian won a SB recently with the Indy Colts, and they certainly don't have "an understanding" that their retractable roof stays open for all Colts games in their state of the art palace they call Lucas Oil Stadium. So Indianapolis, a "dome team" since they stole the real Colts from Baltimore back in 1984, now has a SB victory with their Colts, one more then our beloved open air forever stadium Bills have. In addition to that, Indy also has their own new dome with retractable roof, which we Bills fans can only dream about on blogs like this one. What would you say to Colts' fans, that they are wimps, and that watching Peyton Manning break Favre's records some day in perfect conditions his entire career, was "bogus" because he never had to throw into 50 MPH wind and blizzards?? Sorry, but if your stadium was built on the foot of the great Niagara, and it had a roof that opened and closed, as a Bills fan I would demand that thing be closed for any bad weather games! My next thought is: the only way any new stadium gets built anywhere in WNY for the Buffalo Bills, is if some wealthy group purchases the team after Ralph dies by out bidding any and every other group from out of town. Anybody want to lay odds on that actually happening, despite Jim Kelly's best intentions??

Keep Fitz as a vet and teacher? That's funny, I thought the Bills need a back up quarterback, not Obi Won Kanobe. In my humble opinion, Fitz should be cut by tomorrow and allowed to catch on with another team. Brohm and Brown are fine as back ups / #3's. They are both young and have more upside then Fitzy, who by the way is only about 26 or 27 himself, but has zero upside beyond what he is, a career number two. Because things are so damned tentative with Edwards being the starter, Fitzy is simply not good enough to "take over as a number one" half way through the season. Brohm should absolutely be the back up this season, because Fitz had his chance to be the starter on a pretty damn good offense in Cinti a couple years ago when Palmer went down, and he sucked. Brohm deserves a chance to be a second string one play away from starter, to see how he does. And Levi? Who knows, but the kid is just a 7th round rookie.

I'll say Gruden slammed us. What did he mean by saying their just not as good as "these other teams in the league"?? Is that his nice way of saying he thinks the Bills are the very worst team....#32....this season? If he thinks that, he's an idiot. But realistically, the Bills have zero chance of being one of the top 6 teams in the AFC this season, too, in my humble opinion. Best case, 7-9-0 to 9-7-0. Worst case, 6-10-0 to 4-12-0. In any case, they won't be the very worst team in the NFL.

I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of this punkish dark blue on dark blue look the Bills have been wearing at home the past few years. I think they should just go back to wearing the uniforms the way they were designed to be worn way back when Bledsoe and Fletcher led the Bills out of the locker rooms in 2003 during a mini camp. Below is a quick look at how they were supposed to be worn, and how I think they should go back to being worn, until they scrap these ugly things completely and go back to a more traditional red white and blue scheme - or even go back to the throwbacks full time! http://www.ssur.org/research/CK_NFLUniforms/images/bufbills2002.jpg

Gee, I thought with all the italics, bolds and funny faces, most readers out here would detect the obvious sarcasm. But yes, for my sake, and the sake of every reader, I was being extremely sarcastic. Not about those 11 things that all have to happen this season, but about the chances of them actually happening.

I hope you are drunk, at least that would give you an excuse for those "thoughts." Allow me to remind you of one small minor fact as you talk about how awesome Flynn looked: it is the pre-season. How much more proof do you need that the pre-season means nothing and tells you nothing about players' real talents, then when the Lions went 4-0-0 during one memorable pre-season a couple years ago and then followed that up with a slick 0-16-0 regular season?? Sure Matt Flynn beat out Brian Brohm two straight pre-seasons to win the back up job behind Rogers. Good for him. But please don't point to a meaningless game against Colts back ups or starters with zero game planning for a few series, as to "how good a QB you think he is." Let's see Flynn go 2-2-0 as the starter over a 4 game period that Rogers is out with an injury, to keep the Packers playoff hopes alive, in the middle of a regular season, and then I'll believe the kid might make it as a starter someday. Until then, he can be Joe Montana / John Elway / Tom Brady / Peyton Manning all rolled up into one in fake games played in the month of August, year in and year out. It means nothing to me. If Brohm gets cut, losing out to Fitz as back-up this season, then he just plain sucks. But if he beats out Fitz, we will most likely get to see how he performs in real time, when Trenty goes down a few games this season.

Sure the Bills will make the playoffs this season. They are close! In my humble opinion, all that has to happen for them to win the AFC East or at least 10 games to get in the tournament as a Wild Card is the following: 1) Edwards has to throw for over 60% completions, at least 20 TD's with only about 10 Int's, and he HAS to throw for over 3,000 yards. (Yes that's 3,000, not the usual 2,400 Bills' QB allotment) 2) Jackson/Spiller/Lynch must combine for over 1,600 yards rushing, and combine for at least 10 TD's rushing or pass catching. 3) Lee Evans must become the elite #1 receiver, finally. He has to make at least 80 catches for at least 1,200 yards and 10 TD's. 4) For all of the above to happen, naturally the offensive line MUST stay virtually injury free, so the starting 5 of Bell, Levitre, Hangartner, Wood and Green are able to develop chemistry and cohesion for an entire season. 5) Kelsay and whoever ends up starting opposite him must have an impact as pass rushing and cover DE's. That's the main reason you play a 3-4 isn't it? Because you have 4 EXCELLENT linebackers to fill the gaps, blitz the passer and cover the flats?? 6) Byrd must continue intercepting passes. 7) Donte Whitner has to become an elite SS - finally. He must have the same season on defense that Lee Evans must have on offense. It's time to shut down those tight ends, Donte! 8) Stroud, Edwards and Williams along with breathers from big Troup and Carrington must keep those OL's off the linebackers. 9) Poz must stay healthy all season, and make more of his 100 tackles within a yard or two from the line of scrimmage, instead of 4 to 8 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. 10) Andra Davis or Kawika Mitchell must be right up there with Poz in total tackles this season. 11) The special teams and defensive backs must continue their excellence with no drop offs from last season, or serious injuries. So.....other then those 11 minor things, it should be a breeze for the Bills to make the playoffs. After all, the Pats this, the Jets that and the Dolphins the other thing, right??

Coach Chan Gailey has been a breath of fresh air for we fans who have suffered listening to Gregg Williams, Mike Mularkey and DJ these past 10 years. His enthusiasm, work ethic and straight talk have been fun to watch during his first training camp. But recently he let his guard down and voiced some frustration. "We've worked hard, but we haven't always worked smart."; said Gailey when asked of his assessment after the team broke camp. My assessment on his assessment is that Gailey is a little pissed off at his overall lack of talent, and using their lack of "focus" or lack of "smarts" as his convenient excuse to the media. And we've all heard that one before the last 10 years, too. I wish I had a buck for every time Perry Fewell told the media that he "had the players in the correct defenses, but they just failed to execute." And that trickled right down to the players themselves, such as after giving up over 200 yards rushing to the Jets last season, every single one of them chimed in by telling us "they were in the right calls, they just didn't make the plays." What?? Even the players were admitting they sucked. Talk about kissing up to your coaches. If things go bad most of the games for Gailey, I don't think he will need to revert to defending his own coaching or his staffs coaching or calls they make. We all know the real reason why his team may lose more then their share of games this season: Ralph Wilson's "Cash to the Cap" self imposed budget. In fact, all Gailey should say in a post lost-game presser, is something like "Cash to the Cap, Boys"...and then walk away from the podium. Say what you will about Wilson over-paying guys like Evans, Kelsay and Stroud (and of course Schobel before he quit the Bills but then did end up retiring), the fact remains true....Wilson would not allow Nix to sign one single high paid free agent this past year, and there were a few good ones out there that could have made a real difference this season. There weren't a lot of good free agents, but there were some good ones, and Nix went after none of them. And any team can rise out of the ashes over any off season in today's NFL, but it takes smart SPENDING by the teams' ownership and management. Anybody on this board want to dispute that this past season's prize free agent, Julius Peppers, could not have helped the Bills' defense this year? The Bears certainly thought so. Anyway, Gailey's players will get "smarter" as soon as he brings some "better" players into camp over the next couple of years. In the mean time, the players on the team had better keep working on their focus and intelligence, right??

Come on now, if anybody on this site is expecting Buddy Nix to make any kind of major moves between now and the opening game, they are living in Fantasy Island waiting for the Wild West show to begin. Per marching orders from the financial offices at OBD and Detroit, Nix has been on a mission to "rebuild" mostly through the draft and extremely frugally in free agency. I don't care if Shannahan cuts Haynesworth Nix won't be putting in a waiver claim for his salary. Filling in for any more serious injuries will be the only reason Buddy actually signs any of the waivered players over the next two weeks, and believe me, they won't be experienced players that can challange for a starting position, that's for sure!

My problem with Moats is not that the Bills drafted this kid. I cannot for the life of me understand why they did not just let him play OUTSIDE LB??? What, we have too much "depth" at that position or something? Here's the most productive defensive player in Division 2, from a 4-3 type of defense, ripping up the competition as a DE. Hard enough for him to make the transition to NFL football from that level, the coaches decide to make him an INSIDE LB, and make him re-learn EVERY key, every pass coverage, and how to shed blocks from centers and guards all day long when he never even did that in Division 2.

Hey good for Chan. Looks like he's going to have himself all defensive about "his" team this season. That's great. At least he'll be more colorful during his losing press conferences then Jauron was. I would feel better about him "sticking up" for his players, if the hecklers didn't have anything to heckle about.

Of course the Bills would be better off with Wood at center. That is is his natural position, and he is tough, strong and smart emough to call the plays to his fellow lineman. Unfortunately, Nix won't bring in NFL starting caliber lineman to join Wood, Levitre and Bell. So Hangartner is the lesser of two evils, evil one being allowing Wood to man the center position, and then having a bartender off the street start at Guard in Wood's place.

Yeah, that....and the minor fact that the Bills lost two tight ends in their last preseason football game to injury, really makes Stupar "belong" so far. I will say that Shawn Nelson, that high character tight end with all the potential, sucking so far in his young career, has also helped Stupar look suupar in camp so far.

It is outstanding. Skoobydum certainly likes it, anybody else have any threads they'd like to share?

Sure, we're all annoyed. Losing a regular season home game to Toronto is pathetic. But as far as what the elitist media from elitist Toronto think about the Buffalo Bills, that's the last thing I care about. Hey, Rogers Group paid Wilson $78 Million dollars, so those Toronto media clowns have only him (and his group, now that he's gone) to blame.

And the fact that the Bills charge about $15.00 below the average ticket price in the NFL to watch the games helps the fans' resiliency, don't you think? Here's what I would rather see. Ralph Wilson raising ticket prices all the way up to the exact average price in the NFL, and using that extra revenue to improve his team on the field.

There will be a draft in April 2011, in my humble opinion. Unless they come to a labor agreement before hand, the owners will not announce a "lock out" until after UFA period in March, and after the draft. I think they will want to string the players along right up until OTA's are scheduled to start the week after the draft, or perhaps even after that, until just before training camp is scheduled to start. That will allow more time to negotiate, and still leave enough time for the owners to shut down before any "reporting bonuses" are due to be paid around training camp time.

Thank you for answering for Promo Yoda, but your answer does not address my point about Revis at all. Revis is not just another player with a "name and a reputation." He is, in just about everyone's opinion around the NFL, the best shut down CB in football in the very prime of his career. Of course he deserves to be paid at least among the top 5 corners in football, and it is not his fault he is holding out under a contract. Athletes have only been doing that in every sport for about 30 years now. So your point about throwing good money at bad players makes no sense at all regarding Revis. And then please take a look at the money Peppers got paid from Chicago, and yet Peppers is thought to be worth every cent, unless he tanks like Haynesworth has. My point was in agreement with your original thread. You are 100% right that Wilson has decided to stop spending enough money on UFA's, as a policy, to compete overall in today's NFL. That might have changed if Shannahan would have accepted Wilson's offer to take over the Bills. Or, perhaps Shannahan refused the offer because Wilson told him about his "internal budget". Who knows?

"I get the feeling some people around here would be pleased with just being 9-7 and having a winning record again. Well, where do you want me to pick the seven losses? And why even bother to play those games? That's not what we are going to be about."; says Gailey in that article. Oh really? As it looks right about now, there will be closer to 12 to 14 games that "they should not even bother playing". As far as what his Bills are "going to be about", it is more of the same losing football unless Wilson/Brandon/Nix finally decide to bring in some quality UFA's next year, and every year after that, even if it is only one or two per season, until they mesh with the supposed better drafted rookies Nix will be bringing in! Cornell Green and Dwan Edwards are not anyone's opinion of quality free agent signings! Nor is Andra Davis or Reggie Torbor, for that matter.

This in today from the Bills' modern day philosopher, 6'5 240 Lb back up tight end (who runs a 4.5-40 yard sprint), Shawn Nelson, on his take on what his position coach thinks of his work so far in camp: "His big thing is just coaching technique," Nelson said of tight ends coach Bob Bicknell. "If that's my only weakness, my only problem, then that's a good thing for me. [it's good] if it's not running the correct route or making a correct block. It's just technique, that's just a small thing you can work on. You can always get better. It's just simple things like taking your first steps with the left foot or right foot, small things like that. It's nothing big." Linky: http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nf...ticle104217.ece So according to our second year 4th round pick with a football world of upside, the only thing keeping him from starting ahead of undrafted Stupar, who cannot run as fast as Nelson and is not as tall as Nelson, is that Nelson can't figure out what foot to lead with out of his stance from play to play. Once again, we are fed a line of complete crap from both the coaches and players, all because the Buffalo Bills refused to sign starting caliber quality UFA offensive lineman to blend in with and help out our promising draft picks Wood and Levitre from last year. Even if Bell ever does play again this season the kid is a 7th round draft pick who only started about 6 games last year for his entire career, and Hangartner could be every team's quality back up center, but certainly not any teams' starting center. And so the propaganda spits out daily. "Stupar is better all around." B.S.! Nelson should play every down at TE for the next 10 years for the Bills, period. But the line can't block well enough to be able to take advantage of his "stretch the field" skills. What else is new?