BillsPhan

So the Bills O-Line was ranked number 28 out of 32 teams, and so many posters on this board get so upset and sensitive when we realists mock out the OL, or mention crazy negative things like wondering how this OL will be able to block for Spiller or pass block for the mystery starting QB regardless of wonderful Gailey's new offense will be. 28th out of 32 teams last year, and yet Buddy Nix still did not feel like he needed to address that horrible OL with a good free agent or first or second round draft choice.

What a perfect misspelling. I know you meant to type "look" and I'm not posting this just to call that out. But the Bills line could absolutely use a lot of LUCK this season too! For one thing, wouldn't it be lucky and fantastic, if NONE of the starters that line up against the Dolphins in September are either already replacing injured starters, or end up going out on IR for all 16 games?? Yes I know I'm asking for miracles here. But other NFL teams' offensive lines do manage to play together all 16 games, and those are usually the ones in the playoffs. And good point about Salsbury. Maybe he's on vacation due to the fact that this is the 30 day nothing period in the NFL where most NFL players and coaches and executives take some time off too. I do love watching Salsbury mock the hell out of nerdy Clayton though.

Great point! Brohm was a second round pick and was highly thought of coming out of Louisville. I am really rooting for the kid to beat out Trent and Fitzy and start this whole season. Drew Brees was a second round pick, and he has turned out pretty well, don't you think??

Maybinot? I don't think its fair to call Maybin Maybinot after just one rookie season in which his coaches never gave him more then perhaps one or two consecutive reps in any one game. I'm not thrilled with George Edwards being plucked by Chan from Chan's past buddies he coached with before, despite the fact Edwards had never been a DC. But that is always the way the game works, so I'll have to give Edwards his due chance. Even the great Belicheck was never a DC before Parcells first gave him the chance with the Giants. So I can only hope that George is smart enough to play the hell out of Maybin all through training camp and give the kid a real shot at starting this season.

Kelsay is not a physically talented guy. He is a strong hard working player with no natural talent. He tries, and has a "high motor" as they say but talent is where he is truly lacking.

I say "learning" - as in learning to play NFL up-tempo football, and you call it "proving that they can play NFL football." We are saying the same thing using different words. The Bills need more talented NFL football players. Period. Here's my example of an NFL veteran who does not have real talent and should not be starting for the Bills: Chris Kelsay. Here's my example of a young veteran who needs to learn the up-tempo style before his natural talents blossom - Aaron Maybin. My point is, if Maybin breaks out this season with 8 or 9 sacks and start the entire year, then the Bills will have found a talented NFL football player. Obviously, nobody would have called him that last year as a rookie. I don't care where the talented NFL football players are found. Discovered after learning or proving they can understand NFL up-tempo football already on this team, or through free agency or the draft next season. At this point, they are not "here" yet, even if they are on the roster.

Now there's a thought huh? If McCoy progresses he might be an option for Cleveland next year. I'll tell you what, if McCoy progresses to the point where he's a viable option as their QB of the future as soon as next year, that will suck. It will suck because Nix could have drafted McCoy well before Cleveland ended up drafting him. And it will suck because I don't believe the Bills will be amoung the 10 worst teams in the NFL heading into next year's draft. I like the new attitude Chan Gailey and his staff has brought into One Bills Drive, the attitude that it's time to go back to work. Despite the fact the Bills sorely lack in Pro Bowl caliber talent across the board, they still won't suck enough to qualify to draft Jake Locker. They will once again finish around the 6-10 to 9-7 mark, and their games will be more competitive then they were last year, unless they need to put 23 guys on IR again. So you guys can forget about your dreams of drafting this kid, in my opinion.

There might be free agents that have played strong side OLB out there, but don't expect Buddy to bring any more in. I think this season is for the current players to fit into the new schemes, and unless that injury bug hits again, Kelsay is your man. By the way, surely you knew that Chris Kelsay was penciled in as the starting OLB before now, didn't you? I am still surprised that this entire thread is all about how thin this position is for the Bills. Look at your entire Bills roster, most positions are pretty thin regarding quality talent.

I said one thing about your post; "You've got to be kidding, right?"....and then I went on to prove how much the Bills are average at most positions, not just OLB YOU then came back and called me a jackass for voicing that opinion. Was I supposed to just accept being called a jackass? I don't remember calling you a jackass, and now here you are calling be an obsessed d-bag and a serious jackass. Tell you what, I'll end it here by just saying you're too freakin' sensitive to be on this board. I say "you've got to be kidding" and you say "you're a jackass." You have defensive issues my friend, but I will absolutely not reply to any more of your posts, that's for sure.

Poz has not proven to me he is a good NFL linebacker yet. I don't know enough about Davis, but I do know he has not sniffed a Pro Bowl in his career yet. I really like Dawan Edwards, but am worried about the fact he failed 2 other team physicals during his free agency tour. I love big Marcus, and hope he adjusts to his new position. Here is my point. The Bills are coming in with a new DC and defensive staff, new defense, some new players, with most of the new and current players not having played the 3-4 defense in the NFL yet. And, I like these new coaches, because they have made it clear that nobody's starting position is set in stone, which will (or at least should) bring out the best of all our players on defense. That means that those 4 guys you think are such obvious starters, may not even beat out the other players on their own team, to start by the home opener, much less stand out around the NFL this year! But now compare that situation to let's say, the NY Jets, shall we? Just one of the 3 teams the Bills have to pass in the standings this year to win the division. They have the same coaches, most of the same starters and the same system they played last season in leading the entire NFL in team defense. Can't you see how painfully behind the Bills are heading into this season? This season, you don't have to worry about team strengths, because we don't know what they are yet, if in fact they even have any.

If you are going to bet on the Bills winning the SB this season, whatever the odds, take that money and instead donate it to the homeless shelter of the city you live in. You'll feel much better that way. Or, simply take the money and throw it out your window at 65 MPH. That will give the same feeling as betting the Bills will, EMPTY.

Very good!

There isn't anyone out here who "can't live with the fact that someone else might not share their everything sucks point of view." Here's what's out here. (1) Eternal optimisits, who also tend to be extremely sensitive when realists disagree with their unfounded posts about how great coaches and Bills players are, despite the fact those same coaches and players have not coached or played great in their Bills' careers together yet. (2) Realists. Some more negative then others, and some who may even be pessimists. But their common ground is that they look at the Bills from a much more pragmatic, rational point of view, in comparison with other football teams in the NFL, not just from a "we love our beloved Buffalo Bills" point of view. We are all Bills fans - in fact we are all Bills fanatics. But some of us (me included) are just plain sick and tired of the Bills not making the playoffs year after year, and until they improve on the field, we will be more cynical then most.

If my post was silly, then please rate all the Bills' positions yourself for me. But as you do, try to remember that there are very few positions on the entire team where anyone really knows who the starters will be, and that those starters may very well be rookies or very inexperienced young vets. Fans out here might think that's just great for team speed or strength or competitivness in training camp. However, I tend to be realistic, and think that it will just make the Bills end up being the least talented and least experienced team in the AFC East again, only with new coaches and a lot of new players.

Yeah I'm a jackass for wondering how you didn't already know how !@#$ed at OLB, right? Again I must ask you, what football team are you following day in and day out while we wait for training camp to start? Do you really think that Chan Gailey is a combination of Lombardi and Belicheck, while his hand picked nobody of a DC, George Edwards is really a combination of Buddy and Rex Ryan? You must, if you don't realize how un-talented these players on the roster really are. I'm not saying they will go 2-14 or 3-13 this season. But why do some fans act so shocked when it sinks in just how average most of the starters will be on September 12th. Like I said, maybe 7-9-0, maybe 8-8-0, if everything goes great, maybe even 9-7-0, because it looks like these average players will at least play with more work ethic and discipline anyway.

Actually, you can say the Bills have two 1,000 yards RB's plus the most dynamic RB from this years draft, if you like. But their grade in my opinion is still GOOD, because they will have to run behind a BAD OL this season. Byrd is the only reason I added "to good" to OK. Please name the starting SS right now. Oops, you can't do it, because Donte Whitner has not played anywhere near a number 8 pick in the first round should be playing 4 years into his career. He has to actually win the starting position in training camp over Wilson and Scott first.

I'm an ignoramous. Fine. Please name the starting two inside linebackers, and the starting two DE's for the Bills....right now, name these 4 guys who make up "some of our strongest positions." Oh what's wrong, you don't freakin' know who the starters will be, right? Because the Bills new coaches have installed new systems and brought in and drafted new players to join the current players, most of which all need to play new positions....right?? And exactly what about that situation makes ILB and DE two of the strongest positions on the team??

You are kidding me, right? Look around at every position of the Bills heading into training camp. Punter - Great. Kicker - Good. RB - Good. CB - Good. Safety - OK to Good. Special Teams - Always good, with UNBELIEVABLE at Kick Returns. Now onto reality: QB - !@#$ed WR - !@#$ed OL - !@#$ed TE - !@#$ed DL - !@#$ed ILB - !@#$ed OLB -!@#$ed What football team do you think we are cheering for here, the Pats or Colts, who have maybe one or two positions that are as !@#$ed?? If the Bills are not hit with their annual rash of 15 to 20 IR's, they could hang around .500 all season, maybe making a run at the final wildcard spot right up to the last couple of weeks, based on the apparent emphasis of Gailey's staff regarding training and working harder then the previous coaching staff. But the Bills still need to become more talented, either by the young guys having a great learning season this year and blossoming, or in next years' free agency / draft. (If they play next year, that is!)

Either Brian Brohm or Levi Brown. I want Edwards gone, and Fitz can be the back up.

Nice mock draft PDaDy, especially calling Ed Wang - you must know your college players.

Wow, the LB's got a B? I think that was extremely kind. Everything else seems about right. Sorry folks, but it is not pessimism abound for the Bills this coming season, it is realism abound.

Thank you nucci, I was beginning to think I was the only Bills fan left on this board who actually watched every single play Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Andree Reed ran in their Hall of Fame careers with the Buffalo Bills together! (at least I hope Reed gets voted in soon)! Two other reasons the K-Gun were special: the great offensive line, plus Jim Kelly's play calling at the line of scrimmage. Now the K-Gun was not always the best offense to run, especially in those SB's where the Bills defense had trouble stopping the Giants', Redskins' and Cowboys' offenses. For those 4 games, the Bills should have slowed it down and tried to use more clock and protect the ball better. But compared to what we fans are trying to be "optimistic" about these days, complaining about the game plans of four consecutive SB appearances does seem pretty stupid, doesn' it?? So hey, I'm hoping Gailey and his creative ballsy offensive play calling and schemes will take advantage of Spiller and Evans and Jackson/Lynch and Stevie-J and Roscoe and Nelson and anybody else lining up in the skill positions for the Bills O this coming season. But please stop making these idiotic comparisons to Bills great coaches, players and offenses of the past, at least until we see if the "Air Gailey" Bills can score maybe, possibly two offensive touchdowns against the Dolphins this coming September?? Please?? Because after last year, two touchdowns by the Bills' offense in one game will be a great improvement for me!

Did you know that there are more ways for an NFL team to win a Super Bowl then to draft the best QB with a top 5 pick? Take this past years' SB winners for example. I did a little drafting research nine years back to 2001, the Bills first draft held by Tom Donahoe. From 2001 thru 2009, the Bills picked before the Saints 5 times, and after them only 4 times. During those 9 years, the Saints did have 3 top 10 picks, while the Bills only had 1, which lends some credibility to your point, but the Saints never picked a QB with any of their 3 top 10 picks. Of course we all know Donahoe busted out with Mike Williams at number 4 in 2002. Here's the worst part: During those 9 years, the Bills averaged the number 12.88 pick in round one, while the 2009-2010 SB winning New Orleans Saints averaged the number 13.67 pick in round one. Yes, the Bills averaged a higher first round pick per season then the Saints, over the past 9 seasons, which is more then enough drafts to build yourself from a door mat to a SB champion. And neither team drafted the best QB available at any of their number one picks, from 2001 thru 2009.

Lou Saban is still the only Bills coach to lead them to league championships (AFL) - 1964 and 1965. That was 7 years before he came back and built his new Bills team around murderer Simpson. So please tell my how this great Bills coach reminds you of Chan Gailey, when Gailey still has not coached his first preseason game for the Buffalo Bills?? Gailey has not won any championships at any level of his coaching career, unless he won high school championships early in his career or something. He won with the Cowboys but not in the playoffs, and did not do enough to convince Jerry Jones to keep him around after his 3 years were up. That was back in the mid 90's, and no other NFL team thought enough of his "no nonsense fundamentals" to hire him as their head coach since then, until Buddy and Ralph brought him in this year. He certainly was not much better then average during his years as head coach at Georgia Tech, and his teams never beat state rival Georgia during his tenure there. Yet here you are starting a thread telling us you think he = Lou Saban. Are there any fans left on this board who remember the great Bills teams of Saban (that's stretching it a bit, I know), or more realistically the great Bills teams of Chuck Knox and Marv Levy? Those 3 best coaches in Bills history were great, don't get me wrong. But they also had great players to make their coaching work. Please stop thinking that Chan Gailey has the ability to win as Bills head coach, even if you think he is the second coming of Lou, until Buddy fins him better players.

I'm optimistic that the overall performance of the Bills will improve over last season. But that's as much optimism as I get squeeze out considering the lack of talent the Bills still put on the field compared to the rest of their division. Sorry, but reality wins out over optimism, every time.