BuffBill

Born and raised in Salamanca, joined the Navy in 1982. Lived in Japan, Hawaii, Philadelphia and transferred to Chesapeake, Virginia in 1993 and have been here every since. Retired from the Navy in 2002, and have been wearing my Bills gear proudly since the day I left almost 30 years ago. Still go home every year, in fact last year was the first time I didn't make it up for training camp since they moved to St. John Fisher. Seems like there are as many people on this post that live in Hampton Roads as there are that still live in WNY?

When you are in the position to have one of the best 2 or 3 QBs in the league, you make the mold fit him like the Colts did with Manning for a decade and a half and won 12 games almost every year.

Not arguing whether he should be on the list or not, but Kelly actually missed a fair amount of games with injuries and the Bills would have been up you know what river without a paddle without Reich. I remember in 1989, I took leave from Hawaii to see 3 straight games at home, wanting to see Kelly play, and Riech played all 3 because of an injury to Kelly. The Bills won all 3, including a monday night against the Rams, who were the last unbeaten team in the NFL at the time, and won in another comeback in a downpour.

Very true, while I like what Nix has done this off-season, his first couple here were mediocre at best. Polian seems like he has been around forever, yet he is still younger then Nix who just finally got his big break? This topic is all speculation spurred on by boredom, because I don't think the Bills would ask him to come back and even if they did I don't think he would come and work for Ralph again.

Were you in on the discussions? It is all hearsay, I heard he wanted 21, so I guess it depends what gossip station you listen to. Doesn't matter, he is a top 3 QB in the NFL and should be paid like it.

Why is Brees a selfish ass? He is without doubt a top 3 QB in the NFL, and has turned maybe the worst franchise in NFL history around and won a Super Bowl, something nobody ever visioned happening for the Saints. He is one of the classiest players in the league and should be compensated for his great play in the 5or 6 years he has been in the Big Easy. With the disastrous off season the Saints have had you would think they would want at least a little good news to pass on to their fans with the signing of the best player the franchise has ever had. Not to mention, what he has done for the city of New Orleans after Katrina went through. He could have went to sunny Miami and enjoyed life there but chose New Orleans because of what he thought he could bring to the community down there in that desperate time. Me personally would take him over any other QB in the NFL with the only exception being Aaron Rodgers,and that is only because of the age difference.

I'll tell you, all the dumb things the NFL has done with labor relations and other things, the smartest thing they have done in years is the rookie salary cap. Makes these contracts for the most part routine and almost eliminates holdouts. Go Bills!

Nix appears to be doing a good job after a year or so of head scratching, but us fans will never know what constraints were put on him by ownership. To call Polian lucky is crazy. Did he have the first overall pick? Sure he did, and he didn't mess it up like so many are nowadays, not to mention he had to fight the owner and just about everyone else in the organization who wanted to draft Doug Flutie. The thing that made Polian so great was his finds in the lower rounds, the Andre Reeds, Don Beebe, Reichs, etc. A GM who can turn two terrible organizations around and put an expansion team in the conference championship in just the second or third year doesn't need any luck. He had the first overall pick in Indy also, and people all around were screaming to take Ryan Leaf, but he took maybe the greatest QB ever. No luck with him.

Not sure how much control Buddy had in S.D., as I believe he was always, at most, second in control behind John Butler and A.J. Smith. The down side is, over the past decade plus, San Diego might just be the most underachieving team in the NFL, with some seasons, maybe having the most talent in the NFL, and no rings to show for it, not even much post season success at all.

Kinda makes you wonder if there is something going on, as Ralph is, like someone else has said, trying to correct a majority of his weaknesses in one off-season. First he spends like he never has, now he puts aside his personal differences and puts Polian on the Wall of Fame. It could be said that he should have put his differences aside with the late Lou Saban first, but hopefully that day comes real soon.

I have to agree unless VY totally has lost it, which we will find out in camp. Isn't Thigpen making like 3 or 4 million this year? That might be too much for a competent backup.

Guess it is better then Thigpen, but might be pushing it with the team chemistry here. The dude needs a brain tranplant. If someone could fix his mental issues, then he is unquestionably a better QB then Fitz is, but the odds of that happening are slim to none, it might be a risk with more downside then upside. Fitz is never going to be a great QB, so he is going to have bad stretches even in a good year, and my worry is now alot of people are going to be screaming for VY to take over for him. Seems like they have made a concerted effort to get rid of the head cases, then bring a player in who has reportedly attempted suicide and quit on his team? But since I have zero faith in Thigpen, I guess it is worth the risk?

Totally agree, nobody wished anything bad on anyone. I think it was a valid, off-season, bored, wonder what would happen type of question. I mean the guy is in his 90's, and I am sure nobody on here wants it to happen, but it certainly is a possibility. I hope Ralph is here for another 90 years, but I also hope to win the lottery this weekend.

I totally agree. Bills fans have the right to be optimistic about the team after this off season, but it is still going to take a little time. Knowing Bills fans for 4+ decades like I have, they automatically get over optimistic and then are disappointed. If this team wins 9 or 10 games and competes for a Wild Card, I would be 100% satisfied after what the past decade has brought.

I like Eric Wood and he is a beast when on the field, but the NFL is a business. If you owned a business where you had an excellent worker but only made it to work 60-70% of the time, do you jump up and give him a raise? It isn't personal, but I would make him prove he can make it to work every day before I invest more in him.

Carson Palmer? He has been mediocre at best since he tore his knee up in the playoff game against Pittsburgh. I am one who thinks Fitz might be one of the weak spots on this team now, but I still take him over Carson Palmer? Did you watch Palmer last year? Not sure I would take Weeden for him either, but if I was trying to win "Now" I might take Hasselbeck over Fitz.

Nothing would happen instantaneously, kinda like when Al Davis passed last season. There has to be some sort of succession plan in place, even if just a temporary one. Not wishing anything, but Ralph isn't young and the OP cannot be the first person to think of this possibility.

I don't think there is a doubt that if he can finish 2012 healthy they will resign him because when he is on the field he is excellent, but obviously he has health issues. If he keeps getting hurt, who knows. I agree, Levitre is who they need to be concerned with now.

I agree with some of the posters, until the Bills play on the field they are the last place team in the division. I don't think they are up to the Patriots level yet, but they certainly should be considered as a possible Wild Card contender. Anything can happen though, it is way too early. A key injury to Brady, or even to Fitz could propel the Bills up the ladder or down the ladder. I am still worred about our QB depth, I don't think I would trust Thigpen against a High School team.

This guy has a chance to be a Special Teams Beast.