ny33

At this point, it is obvious that you are either a troll or someone who fails at sarcasm. Please post constructively.

I noticed Duke Williams missing quite a few tackles on special teams and on defense this year. He may not be an NFL-caliber starter. It's funny that despite bringing in mediocre Syracuse assistants, Marrone passed on Shamarko Thomas, a Syracuse safety taken a few picks after Williams. Thomas has been a good safety for the Steelers this year, and passing on him speaks volumes about Marrone.

That doesn't mean they're not worth a shot over Moorman. All, except for Wing, are long-term vets. Kluwe may have been "blacklisted" for his writing.

Perhaps Hilliard criticized Marrone for having Hackett serve as O.C. and Q.B. coach, asking Marrone if, perhaps, the lack of a Q.B. coach led to E.J.'s injury (not knowing how to slide) and lack of mechanical improvement. Perhaps Hilliard was then released for insolence, or "philosophical differences."

Do you not think it would have been a good idea to cut Moorman in, say, week 14, and give the following free agent punters a shot 1) Brad Wing 2) Chris Kluwe 3) Zoltan Mesko 4) Nick Harris Why on earth would you not evaluate a punter for next year when it was clear that Moorman doesn't have it in him anymore?

A franchise that prioritized having the best possible players on the roster would have cut Moorman weeks ago and given various free agent punters a shot (unless the first signing succeeded). We did not cut Moorman for one of the following reasons: 1) A reluctance to cut a player twice in the season who had, in the past, been a quality, long-term player for the Bills 2) A lack of information/scouting reports on free agent punters 3) Simple laziness in deciding to keep the current, inept punter and not giving others a shot Moorman cost us field position. This was key in several games. The defense can only do so much when the offense cannot sustain drives, and a competent punter is critical for teams like the Bills/Eagles that run hurry-up offenses, and even more critical for the Bills due to the team's relative offense ineptitude.

I will laugh if Crossman is fired and replaced by Marrone's buddy Anselmo. Perhaps Marrone and Brandon can pass it off to the casual fanbase as a good move.

Sorry, but while this may seem like a small thing to you, it is exemplary of the small things the Bills do that keep them from being a franchise fully committed to winning. Keeping Moorman out of deference to his past success and loyalty, despite his being finished as a competent NFL punter, is the type of cronyism that keeps this team out of the playoffs. Obviously a successful Q.B. is the most important thing, but all the small things add up to at least one or two losses a year. 1) The Toronto game, a loss in a dome against a dome team 2) Marrone's insistence that the special teams were fine, and that Crossman was not necessarily to blame; plus, firing Hilliard before the rest of the staff gets reviewed; plus, the continued employment of the assistant S.T. coach who is a former Syracuse assistant to Marrone 3) The lack of a Q.B. coach for E.J. Manuel, who is being coached by a rookie O.C. 4) Claiming that the team had started an analytics department, only to announce months later that a head of the department had been hired. To date, we have not heard any detailed information about this supposed "department" All of these things are obvious missteps to fans. I'm not claiming to be a better evaluator of talent than the scouts or G.M.; it is sad that simple, clear hindrances to winning like the above are noticeable to fans but not acted upon by management. To me, that is the mark of an organization that does not prioritize winning above everything else, which you have to in 2013's N.F.L.

Tons of punters succeed off of the "street." We should have cut Moorman weeks ago and given a punter, or punters, a chance to show what they can do.

I still don't understand why, after being eliminated from playoff contention, we didn't give a guy like Brad Wing a shot.

He was one of the three or four worst punters in the league by virtually any metric. Shawn Powell (who could cost the Bengals a playoff game, and has been awful in Cincy) is one of the few who have been worse. He's also old and his leg strength will only decline. If he gets any guaranteed money, I will lose a lot of faith in Whaley.

per Whaley. This is ridiculous.

It won't happen, but I would love the Bills to hire an independent consultant/consultancy to evaluate the coaching staff after the season.

The team could probably trade down twice and still pick up Yankey at 23 or so. Unless there is a player the team loves at 9, which there should be, it would be awesome to trade down to, say, 16, and then again to 23, picking up two extra second-round picks in the process. Given our needs- offensive linemen, a tight end, and an I.L.B.- such a strategy could mean we still pick up quality players at those positions, and we'd have four early shots.

We can tag him and trade him.

I like Pettine as a D.C., but I think it is evident that some N.F.L. coaches are excellent coordinators (running a single unit), but lack the ability to be a leader of an entire team. There are additional skills required that Pettine may or may not have. I am on board with hiring a college coach who is actually a proven winner and innovator. Marrone was neither. Malzahn may be that guy. I'd also be very happy with Rex Ryan as the H.C., though I don't think Coughlin, at his age, would want to coach here.

That makes him a perfect fit for a team that doesn't have questions at quarterback. The Seahawks can work him in without worrying about their offense flowing, though they may take a guard in the first. Best-case scenario: they add an A.J. Green-type to an already-deadly offense. In the worst case, they still have a very talented offense that can sustain drives. In the case of a team like Buffalo, getting a player like Benjamin to develop while your Q.B. needs serious developmental help (not a knock on E.J., whom I like, but the reality) can be very difficult and lead to a wasted pick/career.

I think Benjamin will be snagged by a smart playoff team at the end of the first; I can see the Chiefs, Saints, or Seahawks drafting him.

Commas and colons are not interchangeable.

A 4 T.E. set? No. What positions do you skimp on to have 6 T.E.s on the roster? Most of them would have to be competent special teams players.

You're correct, but no one pressed them for non-b.s. answers. It is the responsibility of the media to try to elicit an honest response instead of the b.s. defense given of Crossman and the Toronto series. Lay out the failures in a question: i.e., ask in response to Marrone's answer regarding Crossman, "Explain why Crossman deserves to keep his job despite the numerous failures on special teams this year and Crossman's consistently poor units. What has he done well with the special teams unit that merits keeping the job?" As for the Toronto series, I would expect the media to ask, in detail, how the Toronto game could be justified when we played a dome team at "home," a considerable factor in the loss. Ask the Bills if they honestly believe there is no competitive advantage lost by playing in Buffalo, and if a team can really say it wants to win if they voluntarily give up a home game. That's why I respect the tri-state media. They are relentless and won't take b.s. answers. Is it hard on the coaches? Sure, but this practice leads to more accountability. Buffalo media needs to improve on this. There is no excuse for Crossman's having a job. I agree 100%. If the media wants to be taken seriously, press Brandon/Marrone after they give copout/b.s. answers like this. The team has talent, but we fail at the small things that winning franchises do (hold bad coaches accountable, do not tolerate cronyism if a coach/staff member is incompetent, etc.).

What was the response to the Crossman question? I'd love a transcript of the conference if you happen to have one. Look, if I'm an N.F.L. owner who wants to win, assuming a serious poison pill is not built in, I buyout the Toronto deal in light of the fact that it has cost us wins. As for E.J., I think he needs to be given more weapons and help, such as a Q.B. coach, for next year. If he doesn't succeed after a full year next year, he may not be the guy, but I do have some faith in him still.

Norv Turner is proof that some people are great coordinators but not cut out to be head coaches. It's amazing that N.F.L. teams continue to hire guys who are great at leading a unit but lack the leadership, organizational, and high-level thinking abilities required of a quality head coach.

I'm not a band-wagoner, so I am still a fan of the Buffalo Bills. Why did no one ask about Crossman's status on the coaching staff, given the fact that he has never been a good special teams coach? Why is there still a Toronto game, when we lost to a team that plays in a dome and clearly would have had a competitive advantage if it were a real home game? How can Brandon say that the team's priority is winning when the Bills give up a home game every year?

If Slauson comes at a reasonable price, I'd sign him. He's an average starter, which is about what you can expect from a mid-priced free agent starter. I'd also take a serious look at Hakeem Nicks, who might be the big receiver we need. If that's the case, I'd want to draft Eric Ebron, giving us a T.E. who can slot out wide, or trade down a few picks and pick up Amaro/Austin Sefarian-Jenkins. With the second round pick, I'd draft a L.B. like A.J. Johnson. Alternatively, I would take Mack/Mosley at 9 and pick up a right tackle/guard, assuming none of the three tight ends have slipped, in the second. If there's a stud R.B. in the third/fourth, take him. If Byrd gets tagged and traded for a second, I can live with that. I get the sense that he doesn't want to be here, which unfortunately may drive down his trade value. Of course, if there's a QB that the scouting team really likes, you have to take him. Competition will only drive E.J. to be better.