buffaloaggie

To build a franchise's value, you have to know how to run a football team and build a winner. You have to be passionate about your business. If you are not, you get passed by (by all NFL teams). What is so silly about that? The Bills value dropped 12% thanks to a bumbling front office (avg was loss of 2%, so you can't solely blame the economy). As far as football is concerned, he is being a bad businessman right now, because the value of his franchise is plummeting. He could sell to Kelly's group at fair market value, but instead, he drives this team into the ground over a decade. Ralph Wilson has no passion, he only has greed. Bills value - Aug 2010

Kellen Moore is only a junior, so I don't know if he'd come out this year. I am very curious about his pro potential. Relatively short QB (like Brees), but he gets the job done and is very accurate.

You're right in that the right of ownership is the ultimate power. This is only a question of legacy and integrity. If the Bills do leave, the betrayal to Buffalo will be on par with LeBron leaving Cleveland. Cleveland ownership treated him well and catered to his every need from what I have read, yet he exercised the right to betray the loyal Cavs fans and ownership because it was his right. There was nothing Cleveland could do, and there's nothing Bills fans can do other than hope that Jim Kelly can pull through on his ownership plans. There is nothing more frustrating than watching your favorite team continue to suffer loss after loss with incompetent leadership and no guarantees of staying from an aging owner. Ralph could cement himself as a savior in Buffalo, but his legacy will only be cemented if the Bills stay. How much money do you need to leave your family? $799 million less taxes. It stinks that the fate of the Bills depends on the advice of accountants more so than football minds. Ralph has perfected getting blood from a stone. He has milked Rogers Communications. He has used the Bills to get plenty of concessions from the local and state government. The government knows the value of having an NFL team, especially concerning an economy as hurting as Buffalo's is. BTW, I think I heard plenty of fans thanking Ralph at his HOF induction when I was there. He thanks fans for supporting a sub-par franchise (and letting him earn a profit) and thanks them by firing any competent front office personnel that he's ever had. He is a great businessman, but he has no clue how to build a winning franchise. That knowledge is now in Indianapolis.

Does the power rest with us? Support whatever they put on the field or the city of Buffalo loses the franchise. Ralph is holding the city for ransom with the Bills. And what's sad is we have no guarantees Buffalo keeps the Bills after he passes on, even after we support this poorly run team. He has the deed, but this team truly does belong to Buffalo.

Archie was more of a sandlot QB, kind of like Flutie. Manning was always running for his life, so he would get rid of the ball overhand, underhand, whatever way he could. He did force a lot of passes, resulting in many INTs. He never was that great of a pure passer, more of a dual threat QB. Fitzpatrick is not as fast, but is a much more composed QB, willing to stay in the pocket much more than Archie did. Very fair comparison.

London Fletcher, Jabari Greer, thought we should have kept Winfield (solid run support and a good pass defender). Clements was overpriced. Fletcher, to me, was the biggest mistake in losing behind Pat Williams. They even screwed up with Dockery by not getting paperwork in to complete a trade to the Lions. Dockery was OK, just way too expensive. Walker should never have been moved to left tackle.

This is the Bills best remaining chance at winning, especially with Stafford out. Our Defense only gave up 105 yards rushing to the Bears and Cutler accounted for much of that total. Drew Stanton passing does not worry me, but his running ability does, especially when Kelsay goes running by the QB all day without any containment. If Fitzpatrick doesn't throw more than one interception and doesn't get killed by the Lions pass rush, the Bills win.

The Toronto move was a great move by the front office. It served to line Ralph's pockets with more money at the expense of Bills fans losing a home game and Canadian fans getting a sub-par NFL experience at a high cost. The focus is Ralph's bankroll and not the fan's satisfaction, certainly not winning. Can anyone point to a move made in the past few years that was all about winning? The T.O. signing and no other free agent signings, the release of Edwards and Langston Walker and trading of Lynch, the not re-signing of countless good veteran performers over the years, the drafting of a RB when that position was arguably our best talent? It's all about trying to make a marketing splash and cost savings with this front office. That's why this team is 0-8.

Maybe we can build our whole coaching staff around Cowboy castoffs...Dave Campo, Barry Switzer, Mr Extenze? At least Wade is proven in how to run a 3-4. He would be a good addition as DC.

Yes, I'm sure Goodell was on the rag the day he handed down Ben's punishment and there was no justifiable reason why he was suspended. Use some common sense in seeing that Ben had a defined pattern of behavior with two well publicized incidents. The NFL stepped in with what you can call an intervention. They know what happened, and they are trying to stop Ben from totally destroying his life by repeating his actions for a third time. As far as Merriman goes, he is guilty of using roids. You're making something out of nothing, just like this whole dumb thread. Tila Tequila is a wannabe star as she tries to get whatever publicity she can and she blew something out of proportion. Her credibility is next to nothing. That is why police dropped the charges against Merriman and why the NFL did nothing. People do joke around on here. You kind of need to lighten up and change your Tila Tequila screensaver while you're at it.

Schefter is going after some longshots - Cleveland over NE? Cowboys over GB at Lambeau???

Does anyone have a trident that I can throw at this guy?

Ben was SUSPENDED by the NFL for his actions, in spite of charges not being filed. He was not completely exonerated for his actions. Merriman's incident with Tila Tequila...NOTHING happened to him, and he was completely exonerated when the charges were dropped. Why did the NFL not go after Merriman? Maybe because there was no credibility behind the charges?

A slow day results in a thread rehashing what is now a non-issue.

Which talent are we talking about? I thought the Boz was great in "Stone Cold".

Makes sense since Britt is out a while.

Thinking Lovie Smith is way ahead of you...read the spin under Matt Forte's stats in the link below: Forte

I'd say Polian is much better than average in the draft. Again, when he has a top 10/15 selection, HE DOES NOT MISS (Manning, James, Freeney vs. Williams, Whitner, Maybin). Most of his first round picks have been late in the first round, like it was for the Bills in the 90s. When you have a top 10 pick, you can't reach again and again. Yes, the draft is a way to mange the salary cap. You let overpriced vets with their best years behind them go and replace them with quality draft picks. The continued poor drafts only exacerbate the Bills problems. The problems started when they let go of Marcellus Wiley, then Ted Washington, Pat Williams, Antoine Winfield, Nate Clements and London Fletcher for nothing in return. They have made piss poor free agent moves to try to plug holes in the O-Line. The Bills have let vets go with good years still in front of them, panicked after depleting their roster, then made desparate free agent signings. They have not have demonstrated the ability to recognize a good draft prospect, resulting in whiff after whiff in the draft, all in all, a recipe for a winless team. Add to that, Ralph's unwillingness to invest in a quality coaching staff and front office and you easily can see why the Bills are in the state that they are in. I think we agree on most points, but you are way wrong on Polian and his drafting ability.

On paper, the Bears look great. So did the Ravens and Chiefs chances against the Bills. I think many people are seeing this week as a great opportunity. But it is, as someone pointed out earlier, all about getting pressure on Cutler. Let him get in a rhythm and we'll be in trouble. I hate that they had their bye week right before playing the Bills.

A weak offensive line? They've allowed the LEAST number of sacks in the NFL. NFL Passing Stats A slew of early round misses? I think many folks have pointed out that Polian's drafts, from top to bottom, are pretty solid. Apparently nothing sinks in to your thick head. Oft-injured defense...ah, we can point to Bob Sanders. Yes, he has had major injury problems. Injuries do happen in the NFL. That is totally Polian's fault and a direct result of his poor drafting. Undersized defense...that is by design with the Tampa-2 defense. I do not like the defense, but I look at Dungy's influence for that. Polian drafted to fit Dungy's needs and continues with the Tampa influence with Larry Coyer. BTW, there are other ways of acquiring players besides the draft, through free agency, by signing UDFAs, trades...Polian manages a roster built around a franchise QB who occupies quite a bit of space under the salary cap. He does this very effectively. He had an easy choice between Manning and Leaf, he had a more difficult choice between James and Ricky Williams, and made the right choice in both of those circumstances. He drafted Freeney, another great pick who also happens to tie up a lot of cap space. He still manages to win year after year. Eight straight years of double digit wins. He found his franchise DE, franchise QB, a solid O-Line and rotates players around them (similar to Kelly, Bruce, Kent Hull and co.). Sounds like he has a good formula for winning. Much better than anything that the Bills have had since letting him and Butler go.

He's drafting at the bottom of the 1st round almost all the time, both with the Bills and Colts. It tends to be a little hit or miss compared to a top ten pick. His highest picks, #1, #4 and #11, he knocked out of the park.

Why limit it to the top of the draft? Polian has drafted Pat Angerer, Austin Collie, Jacob Tamme, Pierre Garcon, Mike Hart and Clint Session in the past four years also. Donald Brown is just coming back from injury. He has not been supplanted on the depth chart. Polian knows where he needs to draft a player, that's why he gets value late in the draft.

Like the Ralph has been a big advantage for the Bills this season? Bills have played their best AT New England, AT Baltimore and AT KC. Playing in Toronto shouldn't matter...hopefully

According to Schefter, is Luck the only franchise QB? I believe Luck is. Schefter really isn't providing much additional insight. Schefter is going from reporter to wannabe NFL GM? Welcome to the club Schefter, we got plenty here on TBD for sure!

Love the wishful thinking, but I think the Bills will have to wait another week or two for the first win. Chiefs will run all over the Bills. Charles and Jones will top 100 yards. Sincerely, Stevie Wonder