bigK14094

Byrd has skills and gets results to a substantial extent. But, he is slow afoot......observed by me being run down from behind by none other than Nigel Bradham. (actually passed him chasing a rb against Tampa) that makes Byrd slow, not a coverage guy for a burner at all. Certainly not in the Aaron Williams category. that makes him a less than perfect safety. A good one for sure, but, remember Jim Leonard also got 4 picks playing that postion this past year. So, not sure Byrds results in that category make him unique.

The lack of disclosure on this matter is the Bills keeping the faith with the NFL players contract. Non football matters are personal, and will not be the subject of a bills announcement/disclosure. He will either be there or he will not be there. Get used to that, as I suspect that is all we are getting terms of info.

There has been a lot of loose talk about other alternatives on the current Bills roster. I afraid I don't buy any of it. Moeki was signed after a number of injuries made him expendible in KC.....just what we need...a brittle TE. Gragg....well, he is a tweener...just like Dorin Dickerson. Not big enough to block for the run in the NFL...and, his receiv\ing skills are also suspect. He droped several when he had a chance this past year when games were in doubt. He did catch a few after the games were out of hand....if they play off, he can catch. Bottom line...Gragg isn't much of a player, except for straight ahead speed. Smith is a capable blocker, and will catch a dozen balls a year for 5 yards each....Bottom line.....short of another solution like a FA or a high draft pick....we need Chandler back at a reasonable price. He is a respectible TE, not a great TE. Lots of bigger holes to fill...starting in the OL, and LB

Sam Gash was a vicious hitter. The bills players had a "Sam Gash" award they used to give for the best hit of the game. The practice lasted several years after Sam left the team

No reflection on Rob Moores capabilities, but the continued hiring of Marrone "buddies" is troubling. It is certainly legit to hire people that are qualified, and those in which you already have a relationship. It fosters a hit the ground running situation. bypasses the get to know each other phase. But, our young guys could use some help and I always wonder if the good old boy network is better than best coach available. Lots of old NFL receivers around.....we need a good coach. Anyhow, Marrone's show here, Moore is his man. So be it, Marrone will succeed or fail with the team of coaches he fields. Chan Gailey failed, partially, because of the coaches he picked. (thinking on the D side) Marrone at the same risk here.

An interesting question. A former #1 pick of the colts, he still has one year left on his rookie deal, I think. So, under contract for 2014, at least. He did much better than anticipated in the 2013 version of the bills D.....likely why he was brought over from the Colts. the question of whether he will prosper in the Schwartz defense is legitimate...as Hughes success might have been partially scheme driven. Sooooo, Marrone and Schwartz have to decide what to do here.....I am guessing that if a best trade value was researched....and I don't know the Browns personnel...that Pettine/Browns might be the best partner. A #2 would be tempting for sure. But, he is a good player, maybe not quite #1 material, but he has been around, and has had a good year with the Bills. Nobody on this board smart enough to make this call, but Schwartz will be reviewing tons of tape and will know at some point what he will recommend to Marrone and Whatley. Of course, every player will be reviewed in this way on both sides prior to draft to see what is on the roster....so thats nothing different in this case. My guess, he stays. 10 sacks nothing to get rid of in my view.

Yes, really poor choice. Gailey's downfall in Buffalo was his poor choices for Defensive Coordinators. If you don't get good people on your staff who are competant, then you fail as a manager. you not only have to field the best players, you have to field the organization (coaches) that also are winners.

Bills have Jerry Hughes, don't need another DE. Better to resign Hughes....10 sack DE's/lbs don't grow on trees. (Jerry Huges in what Maybin should have been, but wasn't)

Actually, in classification, the Dc and other asst coaches are all on the same level. Technically not a promotion. And, Green Bay played that card in the alex Van Pelt situation. the Bills did not in this case, and I think that Swatrz wanted to bring in Cunningham all along. Now, slaming the door on the others beside ONeil is OK.....let Pettine hire them when their contracts are up. Now, keeping the others is a mixed bag...if Swartz can live with them, and work with tem, its pretty clear that Henderson did a great job in the secondary, with Williams, McKelvin...and we need more of the same kind of coaching. Finally, continuity in coaching personnel is always good, as it will foster growth, not learning from the beginning every year. The Bills would have been better served with no change or little change on a much improved D....and with a better O, might have made the playoffs this coming year. Now, the D in addition to the O will once again be a question mark. anyhow, Marrone has to slam the door on Pettine for the other guys.....and, trust me, Buffalo is a great job to have...no trouble getting coaches in the future. In the corporate environment I lived in for 35 years, I had to make those release to interview decisions all the time, and we only refused a promotion interview if we in fact were also going to make that promotion within 1 year. And, we lived up to those refusals (made the promotion within one year) The NFL and the Bills are indeed just another corporate environment...its just that their business is entertainment via a sport. I am sure Brandon Watley Marrone are doing this all with their eyes wide open.

Anybody who knows the Wade Phillips history knows that he is never coming back to the Bills as long as Mr wilson lives. the whole ronnie white (?) thing is it. Wilson insisted Wade fire the inept special teams coach that was Wade's Gumba. Wade refused...so Wade was fired. Then, the Bills, insisting that Wade did not follow direction, tried to not pay him for the remainder of his contract. (separated for cause) Wade took the Bills to court, and finally the NFL stepped in to force Wilson to pay Phillips. I actually think Wilson had a case.....but whatever. Wade is NEVER coming back to work for Wilson, end of story. The moneybags guy will know the whole story. (Overdorf)

Need help at LB...a run plugger, then the D will be ready. Need a plan to keep all the talent that emerged this year (finally) on the D. Not sure that includes byrd, drafting a mid round safety makes sense imo. On the offensive side of the ball, need to keep Chandler, and get another TE, unless Moeki is that one. Smith, Gragg are not the answer. A #1 wideout is also needed....an Watkins would bench or get rid of pretenders on the roster (Hogan) And, with the potential loss of both Spiller and Jackson after next season, need to draft a RB to be a successor to one of them. Yes, a tackle makes sense....one that can play LT also. (see Michael Oher who playled RT for the first year or two) Finally, not to be repetitive, but the QB position is the most undermanned position on the roster. But, I don't think this administration has the stones to draft another this year....they have to defend the Manual selection...and provide an environment for his success. I don't think another QB on the roster who is a starter potential hurts the starter (see Kirk Cousins) Lewis is serviceable, and has a skill set not so different than EJ....and that is our likely status for 2014.

Byrd is good, not great. I would point out that his performance this year was good, he got the same number of ints that Leonard, Williams and Alonso got. He missed, say 5 games. I don't really see that he was a difference maker out there. He was solid, so were the others safeties. Now, I am not a believer in Meeks or the Duke, so I don't advocate they are equal replacements. Byrd's biggest shortcoming is his speed. I have posted this on other threads, but again here it is. The Bills are in TB, and the TB rb rips off an 80 td run. Byrd is in pursuit.....he doen't catch the rb, but thats OK....what is not OK, is that Bradham ran Byrd down from behind and passed him in pursuit of the same guy. Folks, he can't outrun the olb...not even close. Now, maybe its his feet, I don't know...but the Byrd we saw this year is getting by on instinct and skill, but is not top tier physically like other safeties in the league. My take here, franchise him.....one more year to see if he is sound physically...might not want to pay top dollar for multiyears for a guy who is slowing down permanently. Also, can he play 16 games with the right attitude.....not so sure on that one. Finally, there was a great article about the free agent class of 2015, and the Bills have got to be ready to spend a bunch of money on those guys. (Spiller, Darius, others) And, if they trade a franchasied Byrd for a #2, well, so be it. It is bothersome that the Bills have been a farm team for DB's going all the way back to Thomas Smith.....Winfield, Clements, come to mind....but passing on some of those was right also. those guys were all B+ players.....Byrd is another B+. We can use him on the team, but not at any price, and the $ may be needed elsewhere. and, I am not priviledged to the big picture at OBD,

Since the Toronto City laws preclude tailgating, you really change the game experience. Now, my crew are not drinkers to speak of, but we do have a bottle of beer or a glass of wine with our theme based lunches. (Cuban sandwiches when the Phins come to town, ribs for the KC game etc) Anyhow, all that is gone with the Toronto experience. Even Canadian Bills fans who come to the Ralph do not go to the Toronto game. So, the game experience is totally different, can't expect the same fan base to support that totally different experience. I might add, that other venues in the league have different experiences as well...attended a game in Baltimore (early Losman era) a few years ago, and the outside stadium experience was PGA tournament like, different than Buffalo. We arrived by train...station at the stadium, and walked right in past all those hospitality tents. Like I said, different experience in Toronto (and elsewhere)

Just recalling Buddy's advice on OL. "Always draft tackles, you can play them at guard if you want" (implying you cannot reverse the order) That said, we won't be drafting a guard, we might draft a tackle and play him at guard.....really, a good OL can play a number of positions...it was one the the reasons Levitre was so valuable. He could fill in at LT....center (not so much) Levitre was a round 2 pick, and if we could get a similiar talent at #2, that would be a good fill for the Bills. Now, the guys on the squad that they picked up off practice squads.....I recall, that is how reinhart and urbik got onto the bills, and they were both more than serviceable. So, I think the coaching staff opinion of those three (?) guys will impact how much OK talent they draft. In terms of Pears, I can say that they missed him when he was hurt a couple of years ago, but I also am afraid of the wear and tear situation with him (as posted by another here) Still, having vertrans play is good if you can afford them. Finally, I was struck watching the post season of how many ex bills were playing. Choice for Colts, Brad Smith for Eagles doing the same things he did for the Bills. DaRick for the Colts......I think there was another ex Bill on the Eagles as well......

Yep, this is just another 3 laps around the same old track I am thinking.

Evans has a meltdown at the bowl game....not ready mentally to be a pro. I don't favor taking that guy!

I was watching as Byrd chased the TB running back go on his 80- yard scamper for a TD. It was OK that Byrd could not catch him.....what was not OK was that Bradham ran down and passed Byrd chasing the rb. That tells me something....although Byrd is instinctual and a solid safety, he is relatively slow if a lb could pass him like that. So, top money is out, and a more moderate pay structure makes sense. I don't mind franchise and trade if that the best the Bills can do.

Chandler was coming off knee surgery, and was not totally himself early in the season. I think he is a tp 20 tight end, and will get a deal elsewhere if the Bills don't retain his service. IMHO

Now that Marrone has nominated EJ as starter next year, look for Thad to sign elsewhere. thad wants to be a starter, and if anybody offers him the opportunity to compete for that, he will go there. Marrone put his foot in his mouth if they wanted to keep Thad, a free agent now. (and, thad thanks the Bills for 5 NFL starts to move his career along!)

Well, I think Willaims is OK< and probablily Seacy as well. Don't really have an opionion on Meeks...he hasn't played this year, but I am skeptical about the Duke, as he looked lost in space when I saw him this year. Probabily need to draft a safety, but not that high. And, old and slow Jim Leonard did OK in the job as well. He had 4 pciks, just like Byrd. And, I am not for paying top dollar for byrd....as he is slow....not as slow a Leonard, but slow. I saw Bradham run him down and pass him in pursuit of a rb against TB. And, if you lb can run down your safety, thats not good man.

wrt the TJ Graham chatter.....he has improved some...I have to admit. So, they will look at him hard next preseason, and make up their mind. He is certainly better than Hogan, who I cannot figure out on the team. He plays Special teams, and does get some tackles, but he looks slow as a receiver, and I don't think he has a long term role here. Haven't seen the Tasker like big plays from him that it takes to stick as a special teams specialist. Anyhow, I do see improvement in Graham, and he has physical tools. His drop at the end of the game.......well, should have got that, wet ball and all, he was all alone, and the throw was not that bad...yes behind him, but, Pro's make that catch.

Yep, Kiko is a finese guy, can tackle, but can't go inside and beat a guard to get to the runner for a stop....needs to stunt to do that. At 238, he is a lightweight for a middle lb. Now, he could bulk up some, and thats up to him (based on what his coaches counsel him), but he looks more like an outside backer to me. I say draft the next Spielman at MLB so they have somebody they can't beat so easily. Kiko is getting beat by the OL.......when they run.

San Diego game planned their offense around moving away from Mack...and modified their schemes to double him always. It was to be expected that his impact was limited. (same reason that teams in the NFL don't throw at Revis)

We lost to three teams with worse records.......

Lots of parallels here, Marrone hired his gumba......not the best qualified man....who might have been the guy we had, Bruce DeHaven.