2003Contenders

He was called for pass interference on a play that was much less flagrant than the deflection/interception at the start of the game.

Trust me, the other teams in the league are very interested in what happens with these negotiations -- and even more so with the Crabtree negotiaions. If either team caves and pays the player more than their slotted value, it could have a rippling effect. If the 49ers cave -- but the Bills remain steadfast and insist that Crabtree's situation bears no relevance to Maybin's situation (which is probably what they are telling Maybin's camp NOW), then Ralph will be lauded as a hero around the league. Al Davis is the one who really messed all this up by reaching for -- and then overpaying Heyward-Bey. Still, Crabtree needs to understand that he was drafted 10th for a reason -- and part of it may have to do with the reputation of his agent. If they can just split the difference between the 9th pick and the 12th pick, Maybin still comes out ahead as his value will be closer to the higher drafted position than the lower drafted position (from a slotting standpoint).

I find this whole thing to be really bizarre. Maybin was a borderline reach at 11 and should be EXCITED that he has the opportunity to get paid whatever the Bills are offering. I know, I know. It is business. But maybe while he and his greedy buddy Lavar continue this holdout, the light may suddenly comes on for Chris Ellis that makes Maybin expendable after all... Of course, I am overreacting. Th reality is that he will sign on the dotted line soon. I mean he has to, right? What possible advantage does he have to sitting out this year? If he re-enters the draft in 2010, he's probably not even a Day 1 pick. The Bills hold all the cards, and they know that. Hence, they can afford to be rigid, especially if Maybin is as raw as some reports suggest, meaning that he is unlikely to make a big impact this year anyway.

Some valid points there. Certainly mitigating circumstances abound with some of those losing seasons but 9 losing season out of 10 is what it is.

I've said it before. I actually agree that these Bills overachieved in 2006 and 2007. I give Jauron major props for dealing with an undermanned roster led by an uncoachable tool at QB and managing not only to get to a 7-9 record -- but to keep the team very close in the games they lost. In 2007 especially with the rash of injuries, the 7-9 record was exceptional. Last year after the team jumped out to a 5-1 record, I was very disappointed that the wheels came off in the manner that they did. Certainly Jauron deserves some criticism for what transpired -- but, again the team was hit with some unfortunate injuries and I now suspect that Trent was playing more hurt than we realized. Still, DJ made his share of questionable calls, so he does deserve to be on the hot seat -- but not as vilified as many on this board would suggest. Looking back, that 5-1 start was probably a mirage, given the horrible teams that we played: Seattle picked 4th in the April draft, Jacksonville 8th, Oakland 7th, ad the Rams 2nd -- and we caught the Chargers at the perfect time after the Bills bye and while they were traveling cross the globe. Also, the Bills were winless in any game in which Losman appeared. So I am not even sure that 7-9 was evidence of underachieving. I tend to believe that the team has drafted pretty well the last 2-3 years, and we should start reaping some rewards this season. However, given the tough schedule, 7-9 this year would probably be more impressive than 7-9 last year.

A bit harsh, but in essence you are right. That has been the team's mantra for sometime now: if you have more than one starting QB on the roster you don't have any. They really do not believe in QB competition, as they believe that it generates controversy. Even the Flutie/Johnson thing turned out to be an accident because I do not believe anyone in the coaching staff/front office honestly thought Flutie would ever challenge RJ, let alone seize the starting job. Of course, it took an injury to RJ to get Flutie on the field. Now, as far as Fitzpatrick goes... I want to play wait-and-see. He's a smart guy that knows his role. That translates into being a good teammate, and an effective clipboard holder. With questions about the coaching, that can't be a bad thing. If Trent can stay healthy, I suspect that Fitz will make for a fine backup QB. The question is: based on past performance, there is certainly a decent chance that Fitz will have to step on the field at some point. I've read the reports of his weak arm strength, but who knows? Last year he managed to eke out some victories with a pretty bad Cinci team. Maybe he is a gamer, so who knows? The Bills have won plenty of games with QBs with less-than-desirable arm strength (Reich, AVP, Holcomb, and yes Flutie). What good did JP Losman's elite arm strength do him last year when he came in off the bench? I would feel better, though, if we had someone better than Hamden at #3.

Gotta figure that the Byrd signing is (or at least should be) imminent given the close proximity of the contracts before him and after him.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Just ask William Jefferson Clinton.

I think the impact of that play on Trent Edwards' psyche (or whatever you want to call it) has been horrendously overplayed. Remember that in his very next game after that concussion, he actually had arguably the best performance of his career against the SD Chargers. My suspicion last year was that Edwards' quality performances early on came against teams that not only ran 4-3 base fronts but also had never played against the second-year signal caller. The Jets, Dolphins, Patriots, and Browns had all played against Edwards the prior year and had a jump-start on his tendencies. Is it a coincidence that the Bills went 0-7 in those games? Let's hope that TE can make some major adjustments as he enters year 3.

Actually, I have the opposite feeling. I was annoyed (but not especially surprised) that they decided to keep him on. However, since that disappointment I have come to grips with it. Note also that for the first time since he's been the Bills' head coach, he is operating under scrutiny from upstairs. The players like him and play hard for him, so maybe that will give them extra incentive to prevent Russ and Ralph from bringing in a hard-ass.

The interesting thing to me was the myth that Peters came in, struggled early due to having been out of shape from missing training camp -- and the then managed to get it together 3-4 games into the season. Recall that the coaching staff tried to ease him back in: he skipped all of the first game and played part-time against the Jags in Week 2. However, remember that the team payed well during this supposed catch-up spell for Peters and was 5-1 after the first 7 weeks of the season (counting bye week). His horrible performances against the AFC East teams (and Joey Porter and the Dolphins in particular) can hardly be blamed for his not having been in game shape. Peters is an enigma. He has the natural talent to be an elite LT. Like him or not, he has the God-given freakish size/athleticism to dominate at the position if he so chooses. The question is whether or not he has the desire to do this on every play. I certainly believe that he let his teammates down for leaving them high and dry in training camp -- and then showing up and playing with a less than 100% effort attitude. From a physical standpoint, the position has undeniably been downgraded -- but from a commitment standpoint I believe that it is has most certainly been upgraded. The sad thing is that Reid and his staff seem to be able to get more out of their players than Jauron and company, so I suspect that Peters will play well for the Eagles next season. The question we will never know the answer to (assuming that I am correct) is: Was this due to a better situation in Philly (i.e. supporting cast and coaching) or due to the fact that the Eagles paid him and made him a happy/motivated man? The media will certainly insist on the latter.

Under normal circumstances, I would want to see the team defer so that they potentially have a chance to have the ball two possessions in a row. Also, the first possession of the 2nd half may be the most underrated possession of the game, since it allows the offense to take the field immediately after 2nd half adjustments. The flaw to this logic as it relates to the Bills is: 1. Jauron gets WAY to conservative with the final possession of the first half. How many times have we seen the offense take a knee when there is still nearly two minutes and even timeouts still available? 2. The coaching staff hasn't consistently shown that they are capable of making quality adjustments during halftime.

I enjoy these lists that the NFL Network does, but sometimes they just TRY to be contrary to create a buzz. For example, they decided to include the 1987 49ers team that did NOT make it to the Super Bowl as opposed to that 1994 juggernaut or one of those 1988 or 1989 back-to-back teams? Reminds me of a couple of weeks ago when they had their Top 10 All Time Cowboys with Michael Irvin at #3 -- ahead of Emmit Smith!

This is one personnel move that I do NOT blame on Donahoe. In fact, he pretty much forced Gregg to hire LeBeau as an "advisor". Not to defend Gray, but the defense was pretty good in 2004 too, the year LeBeau went to Pittsburgh. It's funny how a roster that includes the likes of a healthy TKO, Fletcher in his prime, a productive Schobel, Sam Adams, Big Pat, Nate Clements, etc. can make a DC look pretty good, huh? Swap Ellison out with the 2003/2004 version of TKO and replace Kyle Williams with Pat Williams, and how good do you think the 2009 defense could be?

I think it is a two-way street, McNabb said he didn't want to sign a new deal without assurance from the team that they would help with the supporting cast. I guess trading for Peters and drafting Maclin in the first was evidence enough for him.

There are certainly many things to criticize Jauron for: game day management, not always surrounding himself with the best available coaches, etc. However, no one can claim that his players don't play hard for him. I have no problem with his rewarding them in this fashion.

This dude who calls himself HogBoy told me he saw Marshawn sitting at the bar with Thurman Thomas puffing away on cigarettes.

Everett (knee), Roscoe (wrist), Bowman (knee)...

Time will tell about which pick was better. However, the Bills' primary goal was to improve their pass rush, and the felt that Maybin was a better choice for that to happen. Also, the Redskins' Vinnie Cerrato said that he knew that the Bills were not going to take Orakpo because of their bad look with players from the University of Texas. Moreover, there was a prevailing that Orakpo may be a great athlete -- but not a great football player.

There was a time when Felser was indeed the most informed and best writer in town. Alas, since he more or less retired several years ago, he no long has the cred he did when he was a real practicing journalist. I like that he writes these columns for the Buffalo News for old times sake, but it is more about the nostalgia for those who grew up reading his columns that actually trying to get his take on the team's present situation. Unfortunately, this column reads too much like the ill-informed national bits we get from ESPN and their ilk. In all honesty, I think the team has done a pretty good job over the years of keeping who they should and waving goodbye to those they shouldn't. Pat Williams is the most notable exception -- and maybe the absolute biggest mistake that Donahoe made in his tenure as GM. The problem with both Winfield and Clements is that they wanted ridiculous paydays -- and got them. I NEVER faulted the Bills for not signing them to the kind of lucrative contracts that they found in Minny and SF. The Parrish thing is something entirely different. My great fear with him is that he winds up in the hands of a team with a quality coaching staff (Like NE) that knows how to make the best use f his unique skills.

This was Pisa trying to shed the possible light on the fcat that he had to sign such a minimal contract -- and is currently playing with the 2nd team. I think it confirms what many of us suspected all along: the Bills were not THAT interested in him.

It is true that, like Sam Wyche, Jaws did like JP very much when he entered the league. His combination of arm strength and mobility was very enticing. However, I think it became obvious to even casual observers that JP was simply not ever going to get any better. He just didn't get "it". The hope is that TE will continue to get better the more he plays.

I find these stats to be very noteworthy. Why? Because it shows something about Jauron -- and what he does with the talent on hand. Over an 8 year stretch Belichick only managed to win 5 more games than Jauron. Those 8 years included a couple of playoff seasons (including a Super Bowl run). Taken over the longer haul, it reveals that when BB's teams have been good, they have been VERY good, but when bad, VERY bad. So what am I saying? I guess that Jauron may be better at dealing with a sorry roster than is BB but less able to win when he has all (or most) of the pieces in place. I think Jauron's conservative style actually does well for him when saddled with inferior talent: the philosophy is basically to keep it close and hope to pull it out in the 4th quarter. That's why I actually give him high marks in 2006-2007 for getting this seriously undermanned team to a 7-9 record, when the team probably wasn't even that good. My fear is that he is more of a damage control sort of coach rather than the guy to lead you to the Promised Land. We certainly saw glimpses of that last year when the team seriously underachieved after their 5-1 start.

I have a feeling that the Bills would have still taken Wood at 21 -- which would have led to outbursts on this board about how could they have passed up Oher and Mack!

Assuming for a moment that the Bills did indeed make it back to the other 3 Super Bowls, I honestly do believe that they would have won at least one of them. Let's throw out SB XXVII because of the manner in which they lost that game and the fact that team was easily the most undeserving of the 4. As for SB XXVI, it is really hard to say. I do believe that the Redskins were the better team, but the Bills certainly had their opportunities and squandered them. The offense came out so jacked up that they didn't settle down until the second half -- when they were already behind by 3 scores. If they come in as defending champs rather than desperate underdogs, maybe the tempo is different? I will, however, believe until my dying day that if they had won that first one, they would have won the last one, where they were up by a TD at half time and moving the ball with conviction in the first series of the second half. If they score there, they are up by 2 scores -- and the Cowboys likely have to rely on the concussed Aikman to air it out. When Thurman fumbled that ball, you could just sense the air come out and the "Here we go again" mentality settle in.