[Stevie Johnson should be dealt addition by subtraction]

From Tim Graham. Thank God. Now hopefully we can finally finish the work we started by drafting Woods and Goodwin, and get this offense built up like it should be.

I am in total agreement. Stevie Johnson is overrated.. I would move him for a third round pick in a heartbeat. He brings zero leadership to the team. Is always nicked up. And his play does not overcome his childish selfish antics.. (He is NOT TO or Ocho Cinco in their prime) We haven't won with him, so lets move him if at all possible.

[My take after some research on Byrd]

Of course the Bills want to keep Byrd. But you don't break the bank on any safety in today's game. He is not Ronnie Lott. They will make him a very good settlement offer. But it will not set new standards for safety's, nor should it. He will decide whether to take it. if he doesn't the Bills will tag him. Or trade him if some teams wants to over pay. Bottom line, we have never won many games w Jairus Byrd. Nor have we won many games with anyone on this roster. We need much better QB play. When we get that, we will win a lot more games whoever is playing safety for us. Seriously, do you think the best teams in the NFL overpay for safety's? No, it is not a gamechanging position. There hasn't been one since Ed Reed in his prime 5-7 years ago. So lets get over the Byrd is our savior talk. Because he is not. He is a good player.

[Can Thad Lewis be our Russell Wilson?]

Why does everyone think our line is atrocious? They have only had about 3 really bad games this season. Out of the 43 sacks you mention, 8 of them came in the first Jets game and another 7 came in the Tampa Bay game. If you take those 15 sacks out of the equation then they have only given 28 sacks in all the other games. Every offensive line is gonna have a couple bad games a season.

Our O line is garbage. Against any solid Dline they get dominated. This is the most glaring weakness on the team. They do not play w a mean streak and a lot of attitude. I expect new talent for sure at LG and RT next season, and strong competition for Urbik at RG as well. Everything on Offense starts with a solid O line. Once we have that, and add a few more pieces throughout the team, we will be a strong playoff contender.

 

As for Thad Lewis, he is not overly polished at this point, but he plays w confidence and poise, and brings an energy to the team. I am looking forward to watching what he can do against the Fish and possibly the Pats.

[2014 Draft Defensive Line]

Moats and Bradham are terrible. Neither of them is NFL material. They don't have the athleticism or instincts to make an impact. Kiko has had a good year, but he looks much better in space when running players down, than filling holes near the line because he lacks bulk. Adding another stout LB and bulking Kiko up some are very important for our D this offseason. As for the D line, at times it is solid against the run, but has had far too many breakdowns. I would like to see some more bulk in the middle. Dareus and K Williams still get pushed around at times. Stopping the run has to become a top priority for this team moving forward.

[RG III benched]

Redskins to start Kirk Cousins. shut down RG III for rest of year.

 

http://espn.go.com/n...ert-griffin-iii

 

 

the shanahan/snyder faceoff begins (shanahan hoping to get fired)

 

hoping redskins win next 3 games....lol

Shanahan is a garbage coach at this point. He should have been fired after the Chiefs game. You lose by 35 at home, you have lost your team..

[Kelly 86 vs. Manuel 13]

If you compare Jim Kelly's rookie season vs. EJ Manuel, here is where it stacks up so far....

 

Kelly 1986: 16 games

 

Winning Pct: .250

Pass Yds/Gm: 224

Completion %: 59.4

Y/A: 7.49

TD/Int Ratio: 1.29

QB Rating: 83.3

Games in which offense scored 20 pts or more: 5 of 16

% of games with more interceptions than TD's: 31%

 

Manuel 2013 9 games thus far

 

Winning Pct: .333

Pass Yds/Gm: 198

Completion %: 57.8

Y/A: 6.31

TD/Int Ratio: 1.12

QB Rating: 75.4

Games in which offense scored 20 pts or more: 7 of 9

% of games with more interceptions than TD's: 22%

 

In Jim Kelly's 8th game of his rookie campaign he was 13-26 for 166, 0 TD/ 2 INT in a 23-3 loss vs. Patriots. I'm sure there were people on talk shows then asking for the Bills to cut Kelly an draft Vinny Testaverde, the number 1 overall pick in 1987 from the same school that Kelly attended. Imagine had that happened????

 

Sunday was Manuel's 9th game.

 

I'm not calling Manuel the next Jim Kelly. However this does put Manuel's start in perspective. I don't feel it's nearly as bad as a majority on this board is making it out to be. Mind you, this was a Jim Kelly that was older than Manuel, and actually had pro experience playing in the USFL prior to joining the Bills.

 

I believe these stats clearly state the obvious, that half way through a players "rookie" season in the NFL is not enough time to make a judgement on how a player's career will end up, or whether they have the skillset or ability to lead the Bills to great things. No matter how horrible you make his performance out to be, it's too early to tell.

 

In the following year 1987, Kelly's completion percentage was STILL below 60%, including the final two games in which his QB rating was in the 40s and the Bills were held to 7 points in both games, which were losses. Those two losses led the Bills to ANOTHER losing record.

 

It's rare that champions are built overnight, especially teams that are starting from scratch as the Bills did this past year.

 

Patience is required in situations such as ours. I said week one that it's going to take atleast a season and a half to get a feel for Manuel's growth, and I still believe that. I want to see him after an off season, where things slow down for him, he gets a full preseason and enters the year with his rookie season in the past. Thats when an honest assessment can be made about his progress.

 

So, for now, history is just about repeating itself. Whether that continues or not, now is not the time to say.

 

I like Manuel's attitude, his competitiveness, his humility, and his maturity. He's done some great things. He just needs to be more consistent.

 

I'm thinking positive on this one, and I have history on my side.

What GREAT things r u r talking about that Manuel has done? I haven't seen any greatness... I think he plays the game w absolutely no emotion. And who wants humility from their QB? I want a cockiness that spreads throughout the team.. This is football, not student government. The problem w EJ besides his horrible accuracy and total lack of feel for the position is that he HAS NO ATTITUDE! That the team did not see this when scouting him is absolutely astounding. Bring on Johnny Football!!

[Interested to see what happens in the offseason]

Or, show off what he learned in Buffalo. Only time will tell.

 

 

 

The QB position should be no different than any other position. You always try to get better at a position to make your team stronger.

 

 

 

#1 we don't know a franchise QB on our roster. #2 With today's rookie pay scale, you can draft a 1st round QB without dumping EJ. You leave EJ as the starter and let the rookie sit the bench and learn. If EJ miraculously develops, great! If not, you move on the year after.

We do not have an NFL starting QB on this roster right now. Whaley knows it, Marrone knows it. We have to bring in competition at QB, otherwise Marrone will be out of a job. Because EJ is not starter material..I think Thad Lewis has way more moxie to play the position, and has more upside than EJ. This season has turned into a big black cloud. Marrone has to get the team to show up the next 3 weeks, else his credibility will shrink tremendously. And it certainly isn't high right now. This team looks completely unprofessional in the way they execute in all three phases. They look confused undisciplined disinterested passionless and seriously overmatched. I thought Marrone would bring better than this..

[cut EJ loose]

You guys can talk all you want about his dropback and short and tall WR's.. But the bottom line is this, EJ Manuel is not very good. This guy came out of FSU for godsakes.. That is a football factory. He should be playing like he owns the world, if not the football field. Instead, he plays incredible small, almost timid for a man of his physical stature. He looks completely unsure of himself whenever he goes back to pass and can't throw it immediately to his first read. And even when he does throw aggresively to his first read it is rarely on target.

 

I think it is shocking that we drafted EJ with the 16th pick. I just don't see any 1st round kind of talent even in the remotetess sense. The guy has pretty much sucked for us. Seriously is he any better than JP Losman was? When Marrone looks at the film of EJ at season's end and can make a true thought out assessment, he will have to come to the same conclusion that we all should have already, that this guy is not an NFL QB. Watch Matt McGloin for the Raiders. Not a stud. But you can see he belongs and can make NFL throws. What throws can EJ make consistently?

[This team makes me sick]

This team is soft.

 

On paper, they have talent. Probably enough to be a playoff team. But when crunch time hits (4th quarter, big games), EVERY SINGLE ONE of them folds. There wasn't a player on the Buffalo Bills that has any reason to be proud of himself today. Not one player on this team can say he played 4 quarters of great football today. Teams like New England climb out of 10-20 point holes like nothing every single week. They've got no-name scrubs coming out of nowhere to make big plays when it counts.

 

You can blame the refs, fumbles, Toronto... Whatever. It's a bunch of BS.

 

They played against a 2-9 team today. They played against a squad that was experimenting with 3rd and 4th stringers. They played with the knowledge that a loss would end their season. Yet they get up 14-0 and have the nerve to go into cruise control. It's absolutely sickening. This team is undisciplined, unfocused, inconsistent and (somehow at 4-8) TREMENDOUSLY OVERRATED.

 

 

I'm absolutely disgusted to be a Bills fan.

I think you summed it up about as well as anyone on here. We had EVERYTHING to play for today, and came up small against a team that has been beat up on almost every single week. The offense contains itself w little imagination, and a very conservative game plan every week. And the Defense while having a very strong pass rush at times, has an awful secondary, one LB w potential.. (I put Hughes and Lawson w the Dline) and D lineman that still look disinterested a lot of the time in stopping the run, and play w little meanness. Combine that w a culture of losing that is second to none in the NFL over the past 14 years, and we constantly get finishes like the tire fire we saw last nite. To get this turned around, the mindset of this franchise is going to have to dramatically change. And unfortunately, that means getting rid of a lot of the guys who have contributed to one losing season after another. No player on this roster (short of Dan Carpenter, Cordy Glenn and Fred Jackson) is untouchable in my estimation.

[A Few Thoughts About The Game, in no particular order.....]

I think our coaching staff is holding EJ back. The last two drives he was spot on. He was leading us to the winning score on both those drives. The conservative play calling is ridiculous at times. This is an offensive league.. And running delayed dive plays up the middle from the shotgun for most of the season is retarding EJ's growth. Whether he will be a franchise QB remains to be seen. But the playcalling w EJ at the helm is way too conservative until the game hinges in the balance in the 4th qtr.

 

As for the rest of the team, Fred is still the best player on the roster. He is a winner, a tough guy, and makes the most of every play he is involved in. Stevie chokes week in and week out. He is not strong enuf to play the NFL game. The ball should never be punched out by a DB. Same w Chandler.. He is not powerful at the point of contact. These guys need to bulk up in the weight room. A fumble after the catch should only come from a knockout hit to the head... When do you see any other TE fumble? Whitten, Gates, Heath Miller, Gonzalez, Graham, Pettigrew, Gronk. They steamroll people out of their way.

 

As for Gilmore, the guy suks!! In fact our secondary as a whole is TERRIBLE!! I believe we lead the NFL in sacks. How is it that we are 4-8?? That stat really bothers me... Anyone care to comment on that anomaly? Marrone has some serious work cut out for him going forward.. Go Bills.

[Gilmore has been picked on by oppossing teams his entire career]

This year, he's struggled. You can put a lot of that on the injury. Late last year, Gilmore was really playing good ball. Noticeably on the field, and also statistically. Giving up on Gilmore is foolish.

The injury wasn't to his legs, it was to his wrist. Gilmore has struggled since he came in the league. He gets picked on every week because he is terrible. He is not athletic enuf to play corner. He gets called for holding or pass interference every single game. There is no way he should be starting for us. This is one of the many reasons we are a bad football team year after year. We draft guys like Stefan Gilmore w the 11th pick, and he looks absolutely lost playing the NFL game. McKelvin isn't great, but he is a much better athlete than Gilmore, and competes 10 times harder on every play. Gilmore looks worse now than the first time he suited up for us last year.

[Marrone defends EJ]

So far EJ looks like a guy that should have been picked in the third round.

Now EJ also has the potential to be a guy that could be the next franchise QB. EJ has all the ability and the presence to be that guy.

I have got to wonder at what point does the fact Hackett is maybe not a good QB coach and OC come into play here?

Don't be an apologist. So far EJ looks like a guy who should not have been drafted...period. What potential have you seen? He has played scared in every game. Doesn't want to throw the ball down the field at all. Doesn't look like he has any confidence in his ability. And what presence have you seen? I have seen ZERO emotion from the guy other than when he threw the winner to Stevie against Carolina. Usually he is sitting on the bench looking at pics of the D and the playbook, and never engaging w his receivers.

 

The aura that Thad brought to the field in all his starts was 180 degrees different than EJ. He at least carries himself like an NFL QB.. At this point, I see more upside from Thad than EJ. Now that doen't mean he is our savior. But he has shown a lot more game than EJ. If you disagree, you have not been watching the Bills this year.

[Re: Optimisticly sure that we are out of the playoffs]

It sounds crazy considering no playoffs since 1999, but the goal isn't to make the playoffs, it's to win the Super Bowl. If the Bills had been lucky with regard to injuries, they might have had a chance a a wildcard berth, but once Kolb/Manuel/Lewis got hurt, along with Byrd and Gilmore being out, and Carrington going out, it was over.

 

I'm OK with that, because Marrone's NOT OK with that. I've been a Bills fan a lot longer than Marrone's been their coach (longer than he's been alive) so I've seen this movie. But there is a rising sense on the team that things are changing, and Marrone's attitude and Whaley's drafting are two big reasons. This year's draft is the first one with multiple impact players in many many years. Look at the drafts over the past 10 years, prior to 2012, and you'll see immediately why the Bills have floundered. I agree Whaley is invested in Manuel and will not want to pick someone else (unless Manuel has a devastating injury), and that's OK too. The Bills need a lot of help at linebacker and cornerback, and need upgrades at both guard positions and at DE (yes, even with the guys we have). I think an impact player on defense, either LB or DE, in round 1, and a guard in round 2, are coming.

 

I am sick and tired of watching teams that can't run the ball get healthy playing the Bills. How many times do we have to see a delay run over the defense's right side, form up and then break out for 8 yards or more. Are the DTs getting buried? Isn't there supposed to be a LB over there somewhere? Maybe it's a scheme problem. Whatever the cause, that has to be fixed.

I agree w you that we need some more impact players on D. The run D is still pretty poor a lot of the time. And our corners are marginal at best. Gilmore's poor play is very surprising. He really needs to step his game up, otherwise that's another hole to fill.

 

But w/o a solid QB we are going nowhere... So far EJ looks woefully inadequate. Sure he is a rookie. But he has shown next to nothing to lead any of us to believe he is anything more than a scrub. I want to see solid strides over the next six games. If his lackluster play continues, we have to give him solid competition next season. Marrone and Whaley know that. Another season like this, and Marrone will not be here. It is all about wins and losses, and nothing more.

[A contrarian view]

While we have a better Defensive staff, we still are weak at LB and need another stud there. Our CB's are suspect.

Woods looks like a nice WR and Goodwin is a good looking speed guy. We have a serious lack of size at WR and need a playmaker there. Our TE"s fall short in this area as well. There are thinks to build on, but maybe too many expected too much too soon. Our LG and RT are suspect and get beat a lot.

I agree w your analysis. The Defense has improved from atrocious last year to mediocre this year.. (Having a horrendous offense puts way too much pressure on the D, and they wear down by the end of games) I like our D line this year, but Mario still plays way too inconsistently. He is not a high motor guy that just wears down opposing tackles play after play. But overall he is better than last year. We most def need another stud at LB. Motes and Bradham bring nothing to the table, and will be out of the league shortly. Both should be replaced. Our corners are also marginal at best. Gilmore has regressed and does not have the quickness or instincts to be a shutdown corner. Leodis has his moments, and has way more athleticsm than Gilmore, but just does not have the skill set to be a #1 corner. I would move Gilmore to safety, and play him w Byrd and Aaron Williams next season. I would spend big money on a starting corner, and draft one as well. You can not win in the NFL consistently with players like Gilmore covering on the outside. He just doesn't have it. On offense we HAVE TO GET a big WR and a TE who can run. That is the big problem. The O line needs a right tackle. Pears is a backup. I think Legursky can play. Reminds me of Jim Ritcher. The problem is with no passing game, teams are crowding the line and there is no place to run. I actually think the O line has been serviceable and can be excellent w a new RT and some depth in the middle. But the big issue is QB. I think we can argue that overall we have had possibly the WORST QB play in the league this year. Manuel looks lost. His mechanics are horrific. And worse than all that is he looks scared.. And he plays with absolutely no passion or emotion. What we saw to draft him in any round is beyond me. The Offense looked catatonic w him under center. They look much more stimulated w Thad and even w Tuel. Something is seriously amiss there. I will be shocked if he has even a decent game against the Jets. I very much doubt he is the starter next season. Even w a guy like Mike Glennon you see potential to make plays. I seriously have not seen that from EJ at all. He looks like he just doesn't want to be out there. The next six games are important for the team to get confidence that Marrone can lead them from the abyss. But this offseason will be huge if this team is going to take the next step with Marrone and Whaley. The QB position will have to be addressed. Right now, the guy with the most upside is Thad Lewis in my humble opinion.

[What Are the Missing Pieces?]

The O line w Legursky is adequate. But Pears at rt tackle is the weak link... I would upgrade there, give Pears some real competition, and bring in another interior guy to challenge Legursky and Urbik.. And that would also provide some much needed depth at both guard and tackle. The days of the Sam Young dumpster diving festivals for talented O lineman need to finally end. Not every big man stalking this earth can play O line in the NFL. We need another stud LB who can move to complement Kiko and Lawson. (Bradham sitll has no clue where to go, and plays stiff. And Moats is a step slow and can only play the run...They will never be starting material) We also need another playmaking corner. We are barely getting by w Gilmore, Mckelvin, Robey-who I love in the slot and Brooks. No, Gilmore is NOT on his way to stardom.. He played scared w no confidence against Bowe. He should have been benched.

 

But the biggest deficiency which I have said numerous times is that we need a big WR and a big time TE. This is a PASSING LEAGUE!!! To compete you need big receivers who can move. Lets get a BIG stud wideout and TE next season in the draft and/or free agency and combine w Woods, Stevie and Goodwin. Maybe even a second receiving TE as well (there is no law about having more than one who can catch and run) because it is painful to watch Chandler and his lack of athleticsm, and a second solid big receiver, and this team will be MUCH stronger w EJ or Thad at the helm..

[What to do with TJ Graham?]

A combination of Tuel and the entire receiving corps lost this game they were awful except for our speed guy. Scott Chandler had critical drops. Graham had the obvious fumble for -6 . Johnson didn't do enough Easley blew his chance with a horrific drop. Woods had chances to make great plays but fell short. It's a shame because the game plan was solid on offense and defense. Spiller and Jackson were terrific in spite of injuries. The offensive line was outstanding and the Defense didn't give up a TD. The bad news is that we are falling behind the AFC East in spite of some great efforts. I think Tuel has the potential to make a living in this league his arm needs to get stronger. Tuel might want to go to the Canadian league for a couple of years and then come back down. Pro football needs a minor league for a guy like Tuel.

Our receiving corp is marginal at best. We lost today because our receivers and QB played well below par. Tuel started out well and than started lobbing the ball all over the field. He does not have an NFL arm. We were in the red zone 3 times and came away w two field goals and a pick six the other way. That being said our receivers did nothing to help Tuel out. Chandler was horrible and is the slowest most unathletic starting TE in the league. Goodwin had the nice deep catch, but was invisible the rest of the game. Graham's fumble was critical. He Woods and Goodwin did not make any of the tough jump ball type catches. And Stevie was his typical average self. When was the last time any of our receivers made a tough catch? I can't think of one this year...seriously. None of them ever come down w the 50/50 type balls. This is not a receiving corp that presents matchup problems for the defense, except Goodwin on the occasional fly. We have to find two big wideouts (one can be a TE) going forward to create matchup problems for the opposition. That is how teams win in today's NFL. To rush for well over 200 yards in score ONLY 13 pts is unacceptable. The passing game has to be totally revamped.. This is what is holding back the team at this point. I don't care who is playing QB, it is not up to NFL standards.

[FIRE Danny Crossman; NOW!]

After seeing the New England player that got the penalty on the last play of the Jets game blatantly lie to protect the coaches I have to wonder if Carpenter is lying.

 

The New England guy said he decided out of the blue to push the other guy up the middle to disrupt the kick and wasn't coached to do that? BS! You could tell that was a play they practiced many times and thought they were getting away with it on a technicality because the rule states that a 2nd line player can't push someone up the middle but the NE coaches were counting on the refs not calling it because it was another lineman doing the pushing.

 

With Carpenter's kick watch the tape. It looks like he takes something off it and tries to kick it high and short. He didn't drive it like he usually does. I bet they wanted it returned to run some time off the clock and it backfired

Our kickoff coverage has been awesome all season. A high shorter kick around the goal line, and Easley gets down there and nails Thigpen inside the 15 is what they were probably trying to do. And it would run some clock. Instead the coverage on one side did not stay in their lanes and gave him the outside. Made for a very stressful ending. That being said, Carpenter is light years better than Lindell was. He could be here for a long time. A GREAT pickup by the Bills.

[Is Stephon Gilmore an above average CB???]

I hope this thread is a joke. Stephon Gilmore was already a top 5 corner in the entire NFL by the end of last season. We would be having a very surprising season if he had been healthy all year rather than having Justin Rogers cover top WRs. If there is ANY PROBLEMS on this team Stephon Gilmore would NEVER be considered one of them. With that being said he is playing with one arm. That speaks to how good he is. He is better with one arm than anyone else we have with two arms. Obviously he isnt going to be flawless with one available arm to him. This guy is an absolute star.

Are u his agent? That is an absolutely ridiculous statement. He is a star of nothing. I agree w the original poster of this thread. He has been average at best in his year plus in the league. His technique and instincts are lousy. Playing CB is not a wrestling match. You have to cover not mug. Until he learns how to mirror the receiver, he will be average at best. Robey is ahead of him at this pt in their careers. And for all those who bash Leodis, his play has been excellent.

[This Marrone fella, he's gonna be a good one]

I'm speaking to Marrones body of work to date.

 

Overrated.

Dude, that is harsh. We have been in every game this year, losing to the Pats and Bengals on the final play, and to the Browns because we had no one to play backup QB. But more than that, have you looked at the talent level of our roster compared to most in the NFL?? It is easily still in the bottom third of the league. Not much at WR and TE. Weak on the Oline almost across the board. And playing w backups all throughout the secondary due to injury. And how many studs do we really have in the front seven? I see one in Alonso w Lawson being a very solid player. The D line is average at best across the board. And that includes Mario, K Williams and Dareus. Seriously, how many top end players are on the roster that Marrone inherited? Not many my friend. Marrone has done an excellent job w the roster he was given. When Leodis McKelvin is one of your best defenders, the talent level is not good. But he has the team scratching, clawing and fighting in every game. We may not win more than we did last year. But give the team an offseason to stock up at several positions, and get more experience at the QB position between EJ, Lewis and Flynn, and next year we will be smokin. (Tuel should have been cut yesterday) This offseason will tell a whole lot about where this Bills team is headed. But Marrone is NOT overrated!!

[Did the Bills make a gaffe choosing Manuel over Smith?]

The Jets offense is way more sophisticated than ours with multiple formations, personnel groupings,motion, misdirection, and high percentage pass plays that keep the defense off balance and guessing which increases their probability for success. It has more to do with the design of the offense then the QB.

Great analysis of the Jets. I was at the Falcons-Jets game last nite, and the Jets had receivers wide open all over the field. When Geno has time he is very accurate. When he is rushed he hesitates and is not overly elusive and goes down easily. The Jets offense is constantly substituting 3 players on almost every play. #87 Cumberland is a player. He is big and fast and can get down the seam. (The Falcons pass defense down the middle of the field is atrocious btw) The Bills passing scheme is lousy. Watch the replay on a lot of plays and noone is running a route more than 10 yards down the field. Stevie Johnson is running 4-5 yard crosses and turn ins. What other team has their best WR doing that? There is no verticality to the passing game. That being said EJ looks raw. He has potential, but the jury is out. His accuracy is not what it should be in an NFL starting QB. Will he get better-that remains to be seen. Lets hope so. But some better receivers would sure help. This teams biggest need, more than a corner or a LG is a big receiver w speed, and a TE w speed. With our aggressive D, a team like Denver would never lose..

[Rookie OC & It Shows]

I agree 100% with the initial OP regarding Tuel. Expecting him to come through under those conditions in THAT environment was a tall order. I also feel that Hackett is completely out of his depth as an NFL OC. As far as mismatches go, I maintain, and will always maintain that Hackett cut the roster too deep. Brandon Kaufmann, and Dorin Dickerson are matchup headaches for coaches who can perceive that kid of thing. -For whatever reason, Nathaniel Hackett simply CAN'T.

 

Bottom line: There are not enough useable, or reliable weapons on this roster to keep opposing defenses honest, and motivate our young QB's -WE NEED GUYS. We don't know what to expect from Goodwin when he comes back, and Marrone continues to IGNORE Marcus Easley's playmaking ability. We need more talent worked into this offensive scheme.

Disagree w ur statement of Tuel. He was terrible. Has no swagger and could not look more overmatched. I can't believe he was a D1 starting QB at WSU. Seriously he had NOTHING!! But I agree wholeheartedly that we are lacking big time weapons w our offense. Today's NFL is all about big time playmakers. Just watch the Saints Broncos Packers, just about every team. We are lacking that in the passing game. NO downfield TE threat, and a bunch of smallish possession receivers. No intimidation in the passing game. It is a passing league. All our stud players are on Defense. Its a start, but we need at least two more studs on offense to be a very competitive team.

[Colin Brown Sucks]

I agree that Levitre was way overpaid (good for him) by Tenny and that the Bills would not match that salary; but who in this &*^%##% orgnization made the decision that f&*%$# Colin the tunstile Brown was a quality starting NFL left guard ????? That has been and continues to be a problem with the GM and Pro personell men in identifing talent. Starting talent and back-up talent have sucked for over 13 years because this amateur organization has been rotting from the head down

The roster looks like an expansion team's roster. Talent is lacking in every unit on the team. Colin Brown and Justin Rogers are not NFL talented players. Rogers is just as bad at his position as Brown is at his. He can't cover anyone in the NFL. He was bad in the nickel last year, and is worse on the outside this year. That we went into a season w absolutely no depth at CB is deplorable. After Gilmore and McKelvin, who do we have that would be a CB corner on any other roster? We have an undrafted 5'7" rookie playing nickel corner. That just can't happen.

 

And what about TJ Graham. Why is he on the roster? He does not have a clue how to run a route. In 19 games he has not caught one deep pass. He has no business being on an NFL roster, let alone starting. The front office has so handicapped Marrone it is sickening. I think the Jauron/Levy teams had more talent than this group.

[Bills trade Kelvin Shephard]

In my opinion, to say or imply that Kelvin Sheppard is a capable/decent MLB is to basically say "I really never focused on him." With a lot of NFL work now on tape, the guy has made almost no plays of significance.

 

Last sunday, I watched the replay of the Bills-Vikes tilt. In just a few plays, I came away quite impressed with what I saw out of Arthur Moats, who was filling in for Kiko. He took on and shed blockers, he sniffed out and disrupted a screen play, and looked quick flowing to the plays that went toward the sideline.

 

So low and behold, Sunday Night Football brought us the Colts visiting the Giants. And for a time, I keyed in on #52 Sheppard, who saw some early snaps with the 1's. He was as plodding and as invisible as he ever looked for the 1.5 years he started for our beloved Bills. One play in particular sums him up ... a sweep to the defense's right, Sheppard, playing basically LILB, flows over unblocked, and is able to meet the RB Wilson about three yards upfield, but does not wrap/bring him down, and Wilson squirts loose for about five more yards.

 

Remember when Poz took the money and went down to play in Jax, and lots of people rationalized his loss by saying "aah, he made the majority of his tackes after ~7 yard gains anyways"? Well, I think it is fair to say that Paul Poszluzny was/is fifty times the NFL linebacker that Sheppard has proven to be.

 

If #52 starts for the Colts for any length of time, I will be shocked, but I doubt he will produce much. And if he gets Maybin-ed on cut-down day, I will not be very surprised at all. And regardless of what he does for Indy, any play that Jerry Hughes makes for Buffalo in 2013 will be a bonus, because getting Shepp off our roster is a perfect example of addition by subtraction. The move really gave me hope that Marrone and Pettine might actually know what the hell they are doing.

My friend ur observations on Sheppard and the trade show you understand the game of football quite well. I was ecstatic when we got rid of Sheppard. He does not have the explosiveness, athleticism or instincts to play linebacker in the NFL. Anyone who says otherwise was not paying attention to his game the past two seasons. Hughes will be a stud for us like he was at TCU.

[Rogers after two practice games]

If you're the Bills and you keep 6 receivers (which I think is the upper limit they'll carry) and you've already got SJ, Woods, Graham and Goodwin, that leaves at the most room for two more. You will pick from a group that includes Brad Smith, Hogan, Kaufman, Rogers, Sampson and Easley. Keeping in mind that these guys will have to contribute on special teams as well, how do you rate these 6 receivers? If you genuinely think Rogers is in the top two, then keep him. If not, cut him, and if you think he has potential, try to sign him to PS. But at this point, to take him over, say, Hogan or Easley, you'd be choosing based on potential. You want to gamble on him possibly living up to that? Or do you keep one of the guys who've been reliable as all hell throughout the off season, training camp and exhibition games? I would choose to go with who can play right now and let some other team gamble on potential.

 

FWIW, I think every single receiver we cut is going to be grabbed by another team. This is an amazingly talented group this year. So I'm preparing myself for how I'll feel when I see them helping another team. But we can't keep 'em all.

I don't think TJ Graham is a lock to make the team by any stretch. SJ Woods Goodwin most definitely. Right now I would than keep Sampson and Easley making 5. And you still have Kaufman Rogers Smith and Hogan. I like them all right now more than Graham. He is small, and where is the upside? Every receiver we have on the roster right now has NFL potential. The talent level on this roster in general is way higher than what we have had for years. If Graham doesn't show a lot against the Redskins, I think he gets cut.

[Looking at Kolb's passes vs Vikings]

Kolb is Fitzy w a stronger arm, and a little Texas twang. He is far from great, but the offense that Marrone and Hackett are putting together is very QB friendly, and will allow Kolb to be reasonably successful when and if he is called upon. Tuel should also be successful in this offense. Things are a changing for the better at One Bills drive folks!!