ganesh

Blah..Blah...Every year, we have come very close to beating them in the first game of the season only to falter due to stupid coaching mistakes like Jaurons 4th down call or stupidity by players such as McKelvin on fumbling the KR instead of taking a Knee. The second game of the season is of course a completely different matter!

This is the best signing since we lured Takeo Spikes....Takeo was outstanding in his first year here...I hope Merriman can reproduce that magic......Seeing Brady on his back on the RWS turf with Spikes, Adams and Milloy all over him was a feast...something we are yet to see since then....

And how does Namaan Roosvelt get in over Nelson. This staff is pretty high on Nelson and his ability to make clutch catches....What has Roosevelt done other than being a local guy.

Completely agree...The Red ones are just so fabulous.

Don't let that Knee hit the hard surface of RWS...Seriously....this is the 4th pre season game...The scrubs are going to be playing 4 qtrs for their spot in the 53 man roster or the 8-man PS.

Bill, Agreed...Also, don't underestimate the role Barnett is going to have in stopping the run or covering the TE and the Bills have quite a few in the AFC East to contend in the TE department. I am excited about the possibilities with this defense...The question is: Is Edwards up to the task of running a good defense with this improved group of talent ? I still have my doubts on him...May be Mustache will be able to guide him to run a better defense. On the OL, I agree that if we can hire a RT even for a year, who can provide some calm and balance to that line, it will be wonderful. But it has to be at one of the tackle position. I think Gailey should stop the experiment with the interior OL and move forward. I think the key may be Max Starks..He is better than what we got both at the LT and RT and has the experience...The question is: Will he sign for a one year contract?

agreed...One of the most physical WR in the NFL, Hines Ward is less than 6'....and he can put out the Safety or LB (Rivers) on their backs.

John, Who is this Johnston fella

Welcome to the Parity driven NFL.....

or if Easley can even get on the field...something that has been an issue since he was drafted!

He already lost there last year. Though we competed with them well, our Gailey run offense could do nothing on that day.... Let us not get carried away...The Bills didn't deserve to win that game...They couldn't stop their Running game...and eventually the smallish defense gave up in OT. Our offense did nothing the whole day.

:wallbash:

And Winfield too.... Winfield has been very good for the Vikes, unlike Clements who was cut by the 49ers recently. Imagine having Pat William anchor that line and Dick LeBeau running that 3-4 defense with London Fletcher playing the middle...that was a playoff caliber defense. And as luck would have it, for the Bills, it will become like the Jauron situation....These players will shine the first 6 weeks forcing the Bills to pay them and then will end up as Duds rest of the season as the weather and the AFC East catches up with us :-) I would like to see extensions for Steve, Fitz, Fred. McKelvin if he really has an outstanding year then can negotiate at the end of the year. However, I think Fred's extension will be purely based on how Spiller is going to perform. If Spiller is a Dud, then the leverage is with Fred....However, if SPiller performs well (unlikely scenario with the horrible OL and lack of instincts/patience in Spiller), the leverage is going to be with the Bills. Freddy is really in a tough spot.

We could have got our Brees if we had drafted Ryan Mallet in the 3rd round!

Add Troupe and Donald Jones to the list.

Florence has been with the Bills for two seasons...So he should have been aware of as to who was making the decisions and yet chose to re-sign back with the Bills. If it was so bad, why did he re-sign here. The Bills are frustrated that nothing went right in their 2nd preaseason game. The Bills couldn't pass or stop the opponent from scoring. Adding fuel to the fire has been the decisions by Gailey to move Levitre around, play SPiller as the starter without informing Jackson and so on. There is just frustration all over there. I hope Gailey doesn't lose this team.

That might have been true 25 years ago...when the likes of Parcells, Levy and Walsh kept excellent players on bench and did not play them much during their rookie years. However, in today's NFL there is no such thing as sitting and watching and learning...It is all about how much can you help contribute to the team, especially if you are picked in the 1st three rounds.

eball, My point was that for a franchise picking in the top 10, and hopes the draft as its way to success, needs to hit on its draft picks and have them contribute in their rookie season. Spiller, Troupe and Carrington hardly saw the field and that too on a lousy 4-12 team that started 0-8. I believe that just does not cut it for the draft success. And in their second season, none of these guys are likely to be starters on opening day @ their positions. The good teams get good value from their top picks and not have them as bench warmers.

Bill, I really doubt it. Chan was pretty upfront before last years draft of having to have a scat-back...and Spiller has so far fitted that bill, except that the scat behind this OL has been pathetic. I don't think they were pressured by someone like Brandon...The whole draft has been so weak so far....your top 3 choices can't crack the starting line up.

When you have made up your mind that the draft is the only way to build the franchise (For Buddy and Chan), they better get their drafting right...Your players from 1st - 3rd round need to be solid contributors, not bench warmers...Spiller, Troupe and Carrington were huge disappointments in that regard...They couldn't beat out the players ahead of them in the depth chart. That does not help in your building the franchise. I hope this year will be different, but I do not have high hopes. Marcel will be a day 1 starter..no doubt about that...However, not sure if Williams or Sheppard will be able to see the field early on....And then will Troupe, Carrington make any big difference this year? If not then last years draft is wasted...

With Pryor going to Oakland, does it mean Trent Edwards gets the axe?

Travis Henry was the best RB we have had since Thurman Thomas. He could do it all, except keep the things between his legs right. Jackson comes only after him. One of the biggest problem with Jackson has been his ability to score TDs in the redzone. He has been pretty pedestrian in the Redzone. Of course that could all be due to the lousy OL that we have. I do agree that Chan should have handled this better, firstly by talking to Jackson and also letting him know that Spiller will start all pre-season games. There is so much lack of communication between this staff and the players...and that is not a good thing.... First Evans, then it was Levitre...and now Jackson....

That is not a good argument....Rothelisberger and Rodgers are light years better than Fitz. They can mask some of the OL problems with their ability to make plays...not throw floating ducks...Plus both teams have an outstanding defense and HOF caliber Defensive Coordinators....Something those teams can lean on when the offense does not show. The Bills are not anywhere in their league in any of the above aspects....

Great post. I have been worried about Fitz, especially with the big drop off in the 2nd half of the season even though we went 4-4 during that stretch and were a couple of plays from beating Baltimore, Kansas City and Pittsburgh.. Folks cannot keep on pounding on the OL...The OL is what it is....very average and poor tackles. IT is up to the QB/WR/RBs to elevate their plays to mask our weak OL. That is what good teams do. That is what good coaches game plan. I wish Gailey realizes that and puts his best blocking TE on the field as an additional tackle and have Fitz throw off short and quick drops.

I trust that Ralph has accountants who are better at crunching these kind of things better than majority of the folks on this board. Those folks do this for a living...