GA BILLS FAN

I agree 100% with your thought process --- a franchise QB is by far the most impactful position in the NFL and you could argue any position in any team sport --- the only thing I can think of that comes close is a dominant center in the old NBA --- I wished for one thing this season regarding Manuel --- obviously I wanted him to be "the guy" -- but as important, I wanted the Bills to know one way or another --- right now, I don't know --- I've seen good and I've seen bad --- not enough of either to say for sure --- I believe the Bills will error on the side that they've seen enough good to stick with EJ --- my issue, is that the Bills selected their franchise QB in a WEAK QB draft --- the 2014 draft will be a STRONG QB draft --- even if Bills pick in the 10-15 range, their will be QB's with higher grades coming out than EJ --- again, I want EJ to succeed and be the guy --- hopefully he'll prove that the last 5 --- or last 7 depending on the truth to the rumor

I said after they added Flynn that I thought he'd return for Atlanta, after the bye and play final 5 --- if the Bills Dr's were more optimistic, I think the Bills would have stuck with Lewis/Tuel and Dixon on PS --- with a longer timeline, they added another arm --- it's a shame, because Manuel's development has been haulted and the Bills FO evaluation of him as a franchise QB has been delayed and clouded --- to me, it's more about the future and whether EJ's the guy than it is on whether we win a few more this year and go 8-8 or 9-7 vs. 6-10 or 7-9

See Ball, Get Ball !! Better to be slow OFF the field and fast ON it

Correct -- those guys can't return -- Anyone know what his injury was ? -- I saw him at training camp walking around the field both days I was there --- he was walking very gingerly --- maybe he had some type of surgery in offseason

Hairston is on season ending IR --- Meeks is on IR-designated to return, but it's still early for him -- I'm guessing they plan to promote Streeter since they signed another WR to PS --- Goodwin is probably out a week or two and Stevie, well, Stevie is Stevie -- always some nagging injury ---

Any Dr. and any moron with eyes could see that there was no way RG3 was ready to play last year during that playoff game and most everybody feels he was rushed back --- let me qualify my statement -- "Assuming Manuel is medically cleared by a competent Dr., he should play"

If he's medically cleared, PLAY HIM ! . . . . he needs to continue to develop and the only way to do that is by playing --- and the organization needs to see continued progress to be sure he's the guy --- he's only played 4 1/2 regular season games --- I wouldn't risk an injury, but if he's healthy he needs to play --- think about it, even if we have an eye on the future, next year or year after -- these games are critical to his development, to ensure we have a good QB to make playoff push in 2014 ---

Really ? . . . of all the topics, you pick on the defense ? You can see a difference in the play of specific players, i.e. McKelvin, Mario, Dareus, Aaron Williams -- they played several games with 3, sometimes 4 backups in the secondary --- I would say the defense is on the verge of being very good -- i.e. Top 10 --- check out advanced stats, they rank them 6th --- in reality, I'd put them in the middle, somewhere between 15-20 --- with the injuries --- in addition, the offense constantly puts them into tough situations --- Besides the Cincy and Jets game, I think they've been the far superior unit and the one that has produced the 3 wins we have --- Look somewhere else on the team to complain --- I'll suggest a few more pressing areas; Hackett, QB play, O Line, Brandon, no #1 WR --- chew on that before you take on the defense ---

Since this is a forum I didn't think I had to add "in my opinion" after every post, suffice it to say -- all of my posts and most of every other post is "in my opinion" --- Let's assume for the sake of this debate that Whaley turns out to be a good GM (we all want that) --- and we won't know for a few years --- as I've said in a couple previous posts, Nix would deserve credit for not only mentoring Whaley, but for being comfortable having his heir apparent, "in the building" for 2+ years -- not all GM's would As for who hand picked Whaley, I think the record says it was probably Brandon with Nix's endorsement as the two (Brandon-Whaley) knew each other previously --- again, not the main point, but a fact check "In my opinion" they did exactly that, they allowed Nix to "run the draft" from the draft room and allowed the final decisions to be made by Whaley -- The Kiko pick illustrates a lot --- Kiko had off field issues, he was not what anyone would consider a Nix guy --- he was west coast, Nix had a southeast bias -- do I know this for certain, of course not, just like every other person on these boards doesn't know it to be untrue --- I believe I have logic on my side in this argument --- I've been in a few situations similar to this in business at corporations and I have yet to see the person that was "on his way out" exert decision making powers ---- YES, influence -- YES, "in the room", YES, involved --- ultimate decision making -- NO WAY

First, no way did Nix draft Kiko, no way -- it's inconsistent with Nix's approach and BTW, west coast to boot -- that proves my point more than anything -- Lame duck, it's timing, hiring your successor doesn't make you a lame duck --- agreeing that successor will assume the GM role in the next few months, DOES --- happens all the time in key executive roles in corporations, this is no different --- Bills started that transition in late 2012 and made it official internally in January --- There is nothing insane about Nix being GM during the draft and letting Whaley make the final decisions, in fact, it's completely logical given their roles and their futures at that time -- out of difference to Nix, Whaley and Brandon waited to make it official --- no way is that insane, happens all the time in the real world --- Nix was the advisor and Whaley the decision maker --- very normal -- not at all dysfunctional --- I do agree with you on the QB, I do hope that WHALEY got that one right :-)

You said, "You cannot call a GM a lame duck in the offseason" ? -- that makes absolutely no sense, the spring is the "INseason" for GM's -- that's the draft and free agency and the time most teams are built ---- and Ralph ? . . . do you really think Ralph was involved with this team in any material way the past year ? ---- as for Marrone knowing, that's the point I've made several times --- when Marrone was interviewed he knew Buddy was on his way out, that was in JANUARY --- that is the entire reason I used the term LAME DUCK --- and, as for knowing what the term lame duck means, suffice it to say I do, and it accurately describes Buddy Nix in March of 2013 since he had been told in January that he would no longer be the GM after the draft --- as for evidence --- your telling me you are sticking to the argument that Buddy had the GM title on draft day, and he was "on the phone" on t.v. so, he was calling the shots ?? --- come on, OPEN YOUR EYES --- there is no way that Buddy was making decisions on the next franchise QB knowing full well he was leaving the organization a couple weeks later --- if I;m wrong, this FO is even more dysfunctional than I could fathom --- even I don't believe that

In most cases HC has decision, however, I believe GM is heavily involved -- not casting all the blame on Buddy for Edwards and Wanny, but he gets a portion --- as for state of Bills roster when Buddy arrived -- I said it was a "D" --- afterall, that roster did include Stevie, Byrd, Wood, Levitre, F Jax, McKelvin, Lynch and Kyle Williams --- I realize their were holes, but the W/L of the team in the 3 years prior to Nix were 7-9, 7-9 and 6-10 --- so, while the roster was bad -- it did contain some talent --- to be competitive --- One last point, I think Buddy was a very good scout, but in over his head as a GM -- I think he knew talent and could be trusted, I don't think he was the guy to turn around a failing franchise -- let's agree that he stopped the bleeding and the downward spiral, but stopped short of actually turning the this team and franchise around into a consistent winner

Jax -- you have to want more than for a team to be "in games with some talented teams" -- I'm sorry, but being competitive vs. winning is a huge difference ---- we as fans deserve more and should expect more ---- Marrone agrees and says it in his motto "Don't confuse effort with results" ---

I agree (as I stated a D to a C) that Buddy improved the roster, the question is did he do as much as he should have in the 3 years he was GM --- I would say NO --- while the record would say F for failure, I acknowledge he added talent --- just not enough --- you have to remember, the Bills picked in the upper third of every round of every one of those 3 drafts --- not to mention, he wiffed on HC, or, at a minimum on 2 DC's --- like I said in last post, I'd be open to revising his grade if "his guys" continue to show improvement under the new coaching staff ---- I actually liked Buddy, I thought he was colorful and definitely a "football guy" -- I think he has eye for talent -- I credit him for believing in Glenn as a LT and as other picks show improvement under this coaching staff (Carrington, Easley, A Williams and Dareus) -- that reflects well on him --- unfortunately, at this point it's not enough -- in the end, the W/L record is the W/L record

Not at all --- I've said all along, Nix deserves credit for bringing the talent to Buffalo that he drafted or signed, like Spiller, Dareus, Pears, Mario, Aaron Williams, Brooks, Easley, Chandler and others -- he started with a roster that was probably a D and left it a C --- some progress, but in my opinion, not enough for 3 years as GM ---- what happened after January is on Whaley --- the draft, not resigning Levitre, tagging Byrd and all the UDFA's and the few FA's --- I'm just trying to draw a line of responsibility and ownership so it's clear who we hold accountable ---- Woods, Kiko and Manuel are on Whaley's watch letting Levitre walk and tagging Byrd, again Whaley's watch --- the good and the bad --- ---- one other point, and to be fair -- if Whaley turns out to be the next Bill Polian, Buddy deserves some credit for helping mentor him and show him the GM ropes and having the confidence to operate as a GM knowing your replacement was sitting in the room with you --- I take nothing away from Nix and I am trying to be fair to him, but his record speaks for itself and nothing can change that ---- now, if Aaron Williams, Gilmore, Spiller and Darues get into Canton and Carrington, Pears, Chandler become All-Pro's --- his legacy will certainly change ---

I can live with the Gailey decision, I too remember how caustic the situation was in Buffalo when Buddy was elevated to GM -- and, BTW, having Nix as GM didn't breed confidence in the Bills as an organization around the league back then -- maybe it was a chicken and the egg type deal -- i.e. couldn't get a top notch GM, so you couldn't get a top notch HC --- anyway, the biggest mistake Buddy made was not drafting a QB (there were several he passed on and more that he didn't move up for, most notably was Graham instead of Russell Wilson) --- and to make matters worse, he extended Fitzpatrick and had too much blind faith in Fitz and Gailey --- so, under the category of QB, he gets an F --- and, in the end, I'm still not buying that EJ was Buddy's pick --- I'm not trying to take anything away from Buddy or place blame where none is deserved, but it is not logical that Buddy would sit there and make the decision knowing his successor in waiting would be saddled with that decision ----

No, Spiller was Buddy's pick --- Buddy was named GM before the Spiller draft --- I don't get you guys, you really think the Bills were going to let Buddy make the decisions when they had already decided to replace him with Whaley 2 months before the draft, they only hadn't announced it publicly ?? --- the naïvete on these boards is amazing -- lame ducks don't make decisions, they contribute, which I'm sure Buddy did during the process -- but no way he made the decisions on draft day --- I don't care if he was on the phone when the cameras were rolling --- he was probably talking to his realtor

I hate to burst your bubble, Dorothy, but look behind the curtain, that person behind the curtain making the decisions during the 2013 draft is Doug Whaley !

Love seeing the passion

Which is probably the role he should have stayed in --

Weird that Bud Adams dies a couple days after Bum Phillips ---

Agreed x 2

Aaron Williams said it best about the defensive philosophy attack the man, grab the ball ---

I don't think Marrone would have thrown Freeman into the fire like Frazier did --- Frazier should be fired

Changing culture is HARD --- very HARD --- even though a lot of the players are different, the media, the fans and the administration drag the team backwards --- between Marrone, Pettine and Hackett that IS their biggest challenge --- creating a culture of winning --- it would help if Brandon wasn't around, but it is what it is