Dan

I agree. Even with all the wasted late round picks (just my opinion, of course), I loved our draft. We selected what should be 3 solid starting linemen (Maybin, Wood, Levitre) within a couple of years. Is it a coincidence that Nix was hired just a few months prior to the draft? Maybe. But, if I were to guess, I'd say Russ sees some of these long standing problems and is slowly but surely taking steps to correct them. Hiring Nix and getting some early linemen is my only source though. I know some here very much dislike Russ and his lack of experience. But, most would have to admit, he's certainly made some decent moves in the last 2 years. Will they pan out? Who knows.

On one level, I completely agree with your post. However, it goes back to the "there's many ways to build a team" argument. If they're drafting linemen every year, then they'd be signing average CBs and getting urned for long touch downs, repeatedly. So, it 6 in one hand, half a dozen in the other for me. My concern is that they keep bringing in bad players. If the FA linemen actually worked out, then we wouldn't be having this discussion at all. So who's job is it to scout these FA players?

"Can we win with our number two QB?" When Hamdan is named number 2, yes, we can.

I must say, by and large, a great thread (although a little pissy here in the end). I hadn't read this thinking it would be full of moaning about Felser but glad I finally got bored enough to read it. Now, if I may add a few thoughts... There are certainly many ways to build a contending team. The conclusion that the Bills are doing it wrong is an obvious one, due to their lack of success over the past decade. However, I'd offer the Bills' biggest problem isn't in the drafting or re-signing of DBs/linemen. It's in Head Coaching and QBs. Very few, very few teams go far without a good HC and good QB. And the Bills have failed miserably in these departments. If you watch some of the old highlights surfacing around here of the Kelly teams, ya know the ones with great O-lines. What's the one thing you should notice? Kelly got rid of the ball quick! Rarely do you see him drop back, pat the ball, and look around. If we had a QB that could read a defense that quickly, take 3 steps and fire the ball out without hesitation... the line suddenly looks very good. Do that and the team starts winning. And winning teams are teams that young players are more likely to re-sign with. So, in my opinion, get a good QB and we suddenly jump from the ranks of the mediocre. Of course, I'll say that goes hand in hand with coaching. Good coaches put their players in a position to do well and inspire them to be better than they are. When was the last time we had a coach at any of the 3 key positions (HC, OC, DC) that we could honestly say was good. I'll add that the one thing that has been consistent on this team through all of the recent mediocrity - the talent evaluators. Why do they still have jobs if they routinely fail to find quality players? Many like to say we haven't really addressed the lines. To that I say, look it up, each year we bring in new guys. The problem is... each year these guys are average at best. So, why can't our scouts and personnel department find above average linemen? And more importantly, why do they still have jobs if none of their signings pan out? If there's any glimmer of hope for this team, it's that Trent has shown flashes of being a good QB and that Russ hired Buddy Nix. As I've stated before, I have little hope for this team this upcoming year. But maybe, just maybe, those are the first inklings of a franchise that's starting to turn itself around. I'm not at all convinced we have the coaching to get the job done, but I guess time will tell.

Nope. There's at least 2.

Don't get me wrong... I love Moorman. But, am I the only one that wishes we didn't always seem to have a punter represent our team?

As a former Memphian, Interstate makes some great BBQ, as suggested. Blues city cafe is good. Rendezvous is rockin. They specialize in dry rub ribs, so its a little different than most people are used to, but it's the best. There's a great BBQ across the road from Graceland if you get out that way. I can't' think of the name, but worth trying to find. Of course, there's any number of other places to try. Just walk into the raggiest dump you can find and you'll be amazed at the food. If you try Corky's, find the original joint in Overton Square.

When Lucy holds the ball for Hamdan to kick, she doesn't pull it away at the last minute. She picks it up and punts the ball herself, so that the Chroise can rest his leg.

So, in other words... my bad? (Great thread BTW. It's got it all, intelligence, stupidity, crayonsian logic. Gotta love it.)

That's precisely as I see it. Yeah, you need to work on your precision. But, you also need to some experience in the elements. What was it Trent said at one point last off season? Something about a bad night practice and he commented how it was kinda tough because all the lights were on and fans were loud so it was kind of a tough practice. Something to that effect. He obviously needs to get outside more. I know that sounds facetious, but its not. We have a team of young guys, very few have played much in the Buffalo weather, cold, snow, wind. Why not get them some experience? When your receiver is afraid of snow and your QB is wears a glove one week and not the next because he's seeing which feels better.. well that tells me they need to get outside more. So, yes, indoors is great. But, so is gaining experience outside. I sort of liken it to flying a plane on a simulator - sooner or later you gotta get out and fly the real thing.

He wants to win. But its tough to win with fans. Ya know. The Fieldhouse looked good on Friday when they were there. It's just tough. But that's not to say he doesn't try. But the fans are trying to. But you do have to appreciate the effort.

Ask Coughlin where being the tough ass, disciplinarian gets you. Yeah, it can lead to some guys playing harder. But, it wears thin pretty quickly. Had Coughlin not changed his style in NY, he'd be out of coaching by now. There has to be a balance. I would suggest that the better coaches are better at striking that balance between being a hard ass and being the nice guy.

I think it means our punter's production dropped of considerably. Cut him and get someone that can punt more.

Hamdan knows the last two digits of Pi.

Hamdan doesn't throw passes into the endzone. The endzone moves to wherever his pass goes. Hamdan was blitzed once. The blizter was smited and has never played again. Hamdan left NFL Europe. The league folded. Coincidence, I think not.

Exactly. And if Whitner was ranked #1 in the league, that would mean that there were no good safeties in the league. Gotta love it. I knew this thread wouldn't let me down for some humor.

Exactly. And if Whitner was ranked #1 in the league, that would mean that there were no good safeties in the league. Gotta love it. I knew this thread wouldn't let me down for some humor.

Precisely. I would say that the one trait Trent needs to acquire more than any other is confidence in receivers. Its not so much just throwing the ball down field all the time as it it recognizing which receiver (Evans or Owens) has the single coverage and throwing it up and allowing them to make a play on it. All the good QBs do that to some extent. Sure in some blitz situations you should cut your routes off and get the ball out quick, because the defense is literally sending more guys than any line can block. But, there are plenty of opportunities when he'll have 1 on 1 coverage and he needs to just toss the ball and let his receivers make a play. Sure, he'll throw a few interceptions doing that - all QBs do. But, with good receives - and I think we have that - more often they'll either catch the ball or it'll go incomplete. That's called dictating to the defense, if you check down with every blitz, you're playing right into the defenses hands. Trent's biggest problem last season seemed to be waiting for his receiver to be open before he threw it. In the NFL you can do that. He's got to anticipate the route and have confidence in his receivers to bail him out a few times. Throw the damn ball down the field. You've got the receivers that can go get it. Now just put it up there for them.

Fear not. The Chroisen One forgives all no matter how much they're missing right now. Upon taking the field, the record books shall part and the Chroise shall live forever.

There can be no competition with the Chroise. There can only be passes that he allows you to throw. I fully expect Hamdan to be #2 by September.

You come here, peddling this so called "information" without anything to back it up. No description of the car you drive. Not even the number of bathrooms in your house. And you expect people to just buy it and think you're somehow knowledgeable. Well, I'm sorry sir. I, for one, am not buying it. For all I know you could be the janitor on a bus.

agreed.

Maybe Montana and and Young were HOF QBs because they were throwing to Rice?

Hamdan Rocks!

Bingo. I suspected as much the first time I heard they're retiring to keep their pensions, but being hired as special consultants. It happens in government all the time.