mjt328

Exactly. We lose on the salary cap this year, but it helps us out tremendously for next year. This team is clearly rebuilding and we've already seen over the last 3-4 years exactly what Fitz is capable of. It's not good enough.

Actually, I think it's a pretty good argument. The main reason people are saying NOT to draft Smith, is because they claim he is a "poor prospect" compared to other draft classes. They keep saying "wait until next year and we can draft somebody better." But that's a load of bull. As a quarterback prospect, we aren't going to have a better player fall into our laps, UNLESS we bottom out and end up with the #1 pick during the right season (like the Colts last year) or trade our whole franchise to move up (like the Skins last year). In my opinion, this is the PERFECT year to draft a quarterback high - because we really aren't missing out on any elite prospects at other positions by doing so. Patterson isn't in the same ballpark as AJ Green, Julio Jones or even Justin Blackmon. If we pass on him, we can probably still get a player like Justin Hunter, De'Andre Hopkins, Da'Rick Rogers or Robert Woods in the second. Your argument about Geno Smith "making the team a contender almost by himself" is laughable. Do you feel like Patterson, Lane Johnson, Warmack or one of the other prospects getting thrown around here - would be able to make the team contenders by themselves? Obviously not. There are only a few players in the league like that (Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees) and they are ALL quarterbacks.

Why does everyone think it's a good thing for us to get the HC, OC and QB all from the same college squad?

All of the quarterbacks are not equally bad. Geno Smith would be a Top 10 pick in most years. > Last year he would have gone after RGIII, but likely before Tannehill > In 2011, he would have probably gone after Cam Newton, but before Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert or Christian Ponder > In 2010, he would have gone after Sam Bradford, but before Tim Tebow or Jimmy Clausen > In 2009, he would have gone after Stafford and probably would have pushed Sanchez for the next QB off the board. > In 2008, he probably would be taken after Matt Ryan, but before Joe Flacco. Unless we completely bottom out (less than 3 wins) or trade up one of these years, drafting a quarterback rated as high as Geno Smith is the best we can EVER hope for.

The crazy numbers slot receivers are currently putting up is a relatively new phenomenon in the NFL. In my opinion, players like Welker, Amendola and Cruz are not worth anywhere near the money they are going to be asking for. Statistically speaking, Cruz may be the number one receiver on the Giants. But the real difference maker is Hakeem Nicks. He draws the double coverage downfield, while Cruz takes advantage of mismatches (against linebackers and safeties) underneath. We would be better off spending big money on a top outside receiver - maybe Greg Jennings or Dwayne Bowe.

This is what I keep saying. Just because this year's group doesn't have a "can't miss" prospect (like Luck or RGIII), doesn't mean that we can't get a very good quarterback that sets this franchise on the right path. Recent first round draftees like Cam Newton, Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco had big question marks coming out of college. There were lots of experts that felt those guys shouldn't be Top 10 picks. But they have all worked out pretty good. Guys like Luck and RGIII come around every 10-15 years. And the chances of being in the position to draft one - that's almost like winning the lottery. We can't keep waiting around for the right QB to fall in our lap.

Studies on the NFL draft have proven that scouts and media experts actually do a pretty good job of identifying talent. Of course, we always hear stories about guys like Tom Brady, Arian Foster and James Harrison (players who were bypassed and became big stars) - but those guys are very rare. Make a list of the all-stars and impact players of the league. The vast majority of them were taken in the top half of the first round. I read that something like 75-80 percent of NFL starters are drafted before the 5th Round.

I doubt very highly that Buffalo will be able to re-sign Levitre. The franchise tag is going to Byrd and we don't have the cap room to pay a lot for a guard. So... Don't be surprised if we grab a mid-level guy in free agency or draft somebody in the mid-rounds to take his place.

This is a dumb post. Since free agency/draft haven't EVEN STARTED yet - there is no way to determine what our roster will look like in September.

I agree completely. Based on physical talent, I think Randy Moss had the potential to be THE greatest receiver that ever played - and yes - that includes Jerry Rice. I don't think there has ever been an NFL player with that combination of speed, hands, height and jumping ability. It's a real shame that he was such a selfish and lazy player on the field. He was always known for taking plays off (and when in Oakland and Tennessee, full seasons off) and pouting when he didn't get the ball. He was also a wuss going over the middle and could be taken out of games by hitting him early. Imagine what he could have accomplished with a better attitude...

Don't forget the two Washington Redskins at the top of that list. Chris Samuels was a 6-time Pro Bowler, and LaVar Arrington was one of the best linebackers in football (until injuries ruined his career of course). Corey Simon was a pretty solid tackle for the Eagles, and Thomas Jones was an effective starter for quite a few years in the NFL.

Jesus told his followers to tell everyone about him and God's plan for salvation. A Christian that keeps their faith "personal" is basically ignoring this command. Tebow and Lewis are simply following one of the basic principles of the Christian faith. On a side note.... as a Christian myself, I know how God has changed my life for the better. I can't help but look around at the world and not be reminded of how awesome he is, and how much he did for me. When a person comes to that realization, they can't help but get excited and passionate about God. I mean, we all get excited when the Bills score a touchdown - and they've never a done thing for me except steal my time and money. With that said... anybody who believes God decides the winner and loser of football games is nuts.

If I recall correctly, most Bills fans were very disappointed with the Chan Gailey hire. I know that I was. Especially with all the talk about Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan and Mary Schottenheimer, and Buffalo going all out on $$$$$ for a coach. I think expectations were a lot more realistic this time around. I mean, the biggest complaints are currently coming from people who wanted Lovie Smith instead. The only time I was truly upset and just KNEW the coach was going to fail, was when he hired Dick Jauron. He had already gotten quite some time to prove himself in the NFL and was a proven failure. His biggest supporters could only point to ONE successful season during his stint with the Lions. Gregg Williams and Mike Mularkey were up-and-coming coordinators who were likely to get a chance with someone.

Going into the 2012 season, I was convinced our personnel was a better fit for the 4-3. However in retrospect: > Mario Williams was having his best season in 2011 as a 3-4 OLB before injury. > Marcel Dareus played MUCH better as a rookie in 2011 in the 3-4. This year he digressed. > Kyle Williams had his best year in 2010 - as the nose tackle in our 3-4. As far as the linebackers, they all played TERRIBLE this season in the 4-3. On top of that, both Nick Barnett and Kelvin Sheppard are typical as 3-4 linebackers, and were really playing out of position this year.

Doug Marrone When I first heard him announced as coach, I'll admit that I was a little disappointed. But then again, I'm not exactly familiar with Syracuse's football program... so it's really not fair to criticize. As the days have gone by, I've gotten more excited about the hire. Marrone was a top candidate for most of the teams searching for a head coach. He's got glowing recommendations from his former co-workers, bosses and players. On top of that, his style is just what I would look for in a coach. He's aggressive and apparently a tireless worker. He pays attention to details and is willing to delegate responsiblity to his staff. He's inexperienced, but so what? Our choices were either hiring someone who hadn't been a head coach before, or hiring someone that failed and was fired from his previous HC job. Nathanial Hackett This one concerns me. With a first time head coach on the sidelines, I was really hoping for some experience at the coordinator positions - especially in his first year. I'm even more worried that Hackett comes from Syracuse too - and that people are now talking about us taking Ryan Nassib in the draft. What happens when an NFL defense throws something at us that they didn't see in the Big East? There is nobody to consult. Getting a college coach from Syracuse to work out is one thing. But expecting (basically) the entire Syracuse offense to be successful in the NFL... that's quite another. If they liked Hackett that much, I think they should have nabbed him as a position coach and groomed him to take over the job from someone with more experience. Mike Pettine Wow. You can't get a much better resume than this. Over the last decade, he's been a defensive coach for the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets. Very few people doubt the talent and potential of our defense. Mario Williams, Marcel Dareus, Kyle Williams, Stephon Gilmore, Jairus Byrd. We all know that Wannstedt wasted that potential with his laid back scheme, which exposed our weakness at linebacker. Pettine has recent success and should have no problem getting the most out of our defensive players with his aggressive blitzing.

Exactly. Guys like Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck are mobile and extremely dangerous on the ground, but they are smart enough to get out of bounds or slide instead of fighting for yards. I hope Griffin wisens up, because if he doesn't - he may jeopardize a promising future.

Every time another team's quarterback plays bad on network television, we have to hear how that quarterback is no better than Fitz. Dalton is far more accurate and makes way less mistakes than Fitzpatrick. And being only in his 2nd year, he's clearly got a bright future. We've already seen the ceiling for Fitz.

I have no problem hiring a retread (somebody that was fired by another team), as long as they haven't already proven to be a failure as an NFL Head Coach. Otherwise I want to give somebody new a shot. For example: > Ken Whisenhunt has been a head coach 6 years. His overall record is 45-51 and the best regular season his team had was 10-6. He's had plenty of time to assert himself as a good coach and those results just aren't good enough. People point out that he brought Arizona to the Super Bowl, but (like Jauron's one good season with the Bears) that seems to be more of an abberation. > Lovie Smith has been a head coach for 9 years. His overall record is 81-63. Playing in a much tougher division, the Bears have been in double digit wins 4 times during his run there. And outside of his first year with Chicago, he's never dropped below 7 wins. Smith isn't in ideal choice, but he's clearly a better option than Whisenhunt.

I was thinking about starting a thread on the same topic. It's very interesting. Years ago, college style offenses would have never worked in the NFL. Today, you have the spread having huge success with most of the league's high powered offenses. This year, the read-option started taking off with Washington and Seattle. Even the wild cat seems to be sticking around. Players without much experience under center or in traditional pro-style offenses - Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, RGIII, Russell Wilson - are having quick transitions to the NFL and are proving to be successful. It definitely makes me more optimistic about the idea of landing someone like Chip Kelly. In the past it would have been a terrible idea to consider someone without ANY experience on an NFL sideline. With the changes mentioned above, this might actually put Buffalo at the forefront of a new movement in the NFL.

I'm talking about Cam Newton two years ago as a draft prospect... not Cam Newton in retrospect after a couple successful years in the NFL. Newton was widely considered a 2nd-3rd round prospect for the majority of his senior season. He didn't even jump into first round consideration until Andrew Luck decided to stay in school and after the National Championship. While there was no doubting Cam's athletic ability and impressive size, there were MAJOR questions about Cam's ability to run a pro offense (he had only run the spread in college) and his tendancy to run before pass. At the time, he was also a one-year wonder. Cam had the edge over Geno in size and overall athletic ability. However, Geno is a more polished passer, has more experience under center and three years as a productive starter. Coming out of college, I think both players would have been ranked very close - with Geno as the safer pick and Cam with more upside. My point is... people keep talking like this is a weak draft class for quarterbacks. But it's at least on par with 2011 and a lot deeper than 2010. Actually, outside of last year (Luck, RGIII) and 2004 (Manning, Rivers, Roethlisberger) - I think this class rates well against most of the quarterback classes over the last decade.

Pretty much disagree with everything. Overall, the Broncos offense was bad with Tebow. They couldn't move the ball through the air, and they didn't put up a lot of points. People act like McCoy was able to get a lot out of a bad quarterback. He didn't. They were ranked 23rd in total offense, 31st in passing and 25th in points in 2011. McCoy wasn't a miracle-maker. He relied on his strong running game, and the defense to keep games low scoring. Switching the offense to fit Peyton Manning wasn't some huge accomplishment either. Manning is basically his own offensive coordinator and has been running the same offense for 15+ years. Alex Smith and Michael Vick are marginal upgrades - if not downgrades - from Fitz. It's now clear that Vick's brief resurgance in 2010 was a fluke. He no longer has the athletic ability to makeup for his poor decision making and problems reading a defense. If we cut Fitz for some reason, I wouldn't Smith as a veteran backup. But we need to be developing and evaluating a top prospect from Day One. I'm also getting tired of people bashing the 2013 QB rookie class. Despite what people are saying, this is not a bad group of prospects. It's about average. Last year (with Andrew Luck and RGIII) was exceptional because of those two players. Throughout the year, the top two prospects have been Geno Smith and Matt Barkley. Compared to some of the last prospects: > In 2012, both Smith and Barkley would likely have been chosen before Tannehill (who was a Top 10 pick). > Smith is a better passer and more polished than Cam Newton was coming out of college. If it was 2011, he probably would have gone before Newton. I think Barkley would have gone before Locker, Ponder or Gabbert. > Both probably would have been selected after Sam Bradford in 2010, but they would have certainly gone before Tebow.

I hear what you are saying. But what if they secured an interview with somebody like John Gruden, but he wasn't available until next week? And at the same time, the guys on the Arizona coaching staff (along with Chip Kelly) were available Tuesday and Wednesday? Just saying.

Whisenhunt would be a slight upgrade over Gailey. Lovie Smith would be a slight upgrade over Whisenhunt.

Larry Fitzgerald - 69 receptions, 785 yards, 4 touchdowns after 15 games. And he's on the same talent level as Calvin Johnson. Arizona has the worst quarterback situation I've seen in a long time, and that's really saying something.

Bad idea. That team has been interchanging parts (with the exception of Brady) for the last 10+ years, and has very little dropoff. I personally think Wes Welker is tremendously overrated. You could plug pretty much any fast slot receiver into his position and get roughly the same results. Somebody is going to pay the guy a ton of money, and they are going to be very disappointed. I really would have liked to see us take a shot at Mallet two years ago, but I would hate to send draft picks to New England - especially higher picks than what we could have had him at two years ago.