TigerJ

Absolutely it was cheap shot! The arrogance never ends in NE. It's be a great day when the Bills finally start kicking Patriot putt again. Unfortunately it's not likely to be this season.

The over under is a reasonably fair figure. I'm figuring the Bills to win 7-8 games, not far from the over under figure. Noyer, however sacrifices intelligent analysis for the sake of hyperbole. I'm sure he's go the ages right. He accuses Levy of "rust" which translated means stupidity in the failure to sign a star WR to replace Moulds. The thing Noyer seems not to realize is that Buffalo had so many changes to make with relatively modest cap room that with would have been sheer stupidity to Levy to blow the wad on one player. Besides, beyond Terrell Owens, whom no one in their right minds would expect Levy to bring to Buffalo, how many big star WRs were available in free agency. His remark about Mularkey knowing all about the Bills smacks of idiocy too. Yes, there is a fair amoung of personnel carry over, but Buffalo has a new offensive system, and new defensive system. The defensive system is in particular is radically different from the Jerry Gray days. Mularkey's old playbooks are going to be totally useless helping the Dolphins prepare for the Bills. Dick Jauron has not been known for imaginitive offenses in the past, but everything I perceive about the Bills staff suggests Jauron has basically handed the offensive show to Fairchild. Fairchild has a broad offensive background, both with the power running game and air Martz. He is not going to run a Jauron offence. The Bills are going to run a Fairchild offence. This is going to be a rebuilding process for the Bills. They are not going to win the division this year. An incredible number of things would have to go right for them to be a wild card team. But Levy has to his credit established a personality and a direction to the team. They may surprise a few people, including idiots like Stephen Noyer.

Marco Martin in the 7th.

Maybe I am a homer, but I really don't think Buffalo is a last place team. I think observers outside of Buffalo saw Buffalo jettison name players: Sam Adams, Mike Williams, Eric Moulds, and Lawyer Milloy, and figured "Oh they got rid of their stars. They are rebuilding with a new coaching staff and they are going to suck." The trouble is not one of those so-called stars were producing what their reputations suggested they should be producing. Thus, the Bills lost little or no production when the cut them loose. The Bills' coaching staff last season lost the respect of the players on both sides of the ball, leading to that dismal 5-11 record. It is a new coaching staff, but the all come to the Bills with strong credentials. Jauron has been questioned to be sure because his record as a head coach was not that good, but there were extenuating circumstances, and he too appears to be a solid guy. I can't see this coaching staff having a negative effect on the team's performance in comparison to last year's coaching staff. The Bills have added speed and character in the present offseason. Given all these factors, I don't think it is unreasonable to expect a 7-9/8-8 record in the coming season. No, that's no playoffs, and I'd love to see something a lot better, but 7-9 is only two wins better than last season. To me that is not a stretch and it's not homerism. It's just saying maybe the Bills did a couple things right in the present offseason.

How can anyone vote in a poll like that? Evans and Price An outside shot of Evans and Davis. Reed will get quite a few reps in a possession/utility role and Parrish will be the slot guy.

Some of ewe are being two picky about yore choice of wyrds. Wee awl knead to chill.

I don't know.

I expect all but Whitner to sign over the next couple weeks. It may be intio training camp before Whitner is signed, though I'm not expecting a long holdout or anything. That's just the way things work.

Parrish is quite a bit smaller than Price or any of the other receivers, smaller and lighter. That's mainly a problem close to the line of scrimmage if the DBs are playing tight coverage. The DBs are allowed contact in the first 5 yards from the LOS and some are very good at tangling a WR up enough to throw his route running way of, screwing up the timing of the whole play. Parrish has to learn to use his quickness, if he hasn't already to avoid the jam at the LOS, just like Lee Evans had to do early on. Once in the open I think all the top Buffalo receivers (Evans, Price, and Parrish, not to mention Andre Davis) have the speed and quickness to create ample separation. Reed has to use cratiness since h e has neither great size nor great speed. Aiken and Nance (Nance especially) while they may not have great quickness, have the size to outmuscle most CBs. If Price's vision is OK (I think there's been some question about his eyesight - right?) he may have just needed a chance to get back in a comfort zone. He was a fool to want to leave Buffalo in the first place, but he's traveled a bit and had a dose of reality, so maybe he really can put the last few years behind him and recover the magic he had his last season in Buffalo. Like most areas of the team, there are a lot of "what ifs" on the receiving corps but if some of the answers come back positive, they could gel into a really explosive unit.

I agree that expectations are low from just about everybody, from national media types to Bills fans alike. It's just about impossible to escape the low expectations because there is so little positive from last season on which we can base optimism. There is just not enough to build realistic expectations for success in the coming season. That said, there is potential for upside surprise in a lot of areas on the team, from QB to RB, WR OL and DL etc.. In order to translate into overall success the Bills are going to need those upside surprises to happen in most of those areas. I will continue to be cautious as we approach this coming season, but I'm very open to some pleasant surprises happening.

I expect I will always eat meat, but I welcome a news repport out today that says the largest producer of soy protein in the world has developed a new process that enables producers of vegetarian products to make a soy product that will mimic the taste and texture of meat far better than anything to this point. It can also mixed with ground beef to make a healthier product. Soy protein products before now always tasted like soy protein products. It's expected to be on the market by the end of the year. My interest is strictly for health reasons. Less fat, more fiber, lowers LDL Cholesterol raises HDL cholesterol and lowers blood pressure. The older you get the more you have to think about those things. If Levy wasn't smart and taking care of himself, he wouldn't be fit to work as GM of the Bills at 80. That's for sure.

TKO

I try to be realistic, as much as possible at least. Buffalo needs much better play from the QB spot than they got last season. Reports from OTAs and minicamp are encouraging, but that doesn't prove we'll get better play. Willis McGahee did not have a great season last year. Part of that was offensive line. Part was defenses cheating toward the line because they did not respect Buffalo's passing game. Part of it may even have been his attitude. Better QB play will result in a better running game, but it has to happen. The receivers are fast but undersized and unproven except for Evans, and he doesn't have a lot of proof under his belt. Aiken and Nance have good size, but expect only one of them to make the team, and the survivor is going to have to light it up in preseason to get much playing time. Anderson was a MAJOR disappoinment on the offensive line, and replacing him almost has to be an upgrade. I don't know how much of an upgrade Fowler will be over Teague if at all. A healthy Villarial should be an upgrade over whover was trying to sub for him last season (Preston most of the time I think). Preston should be much improved over his rookie season too, but there are still a lot of ifs here. On defense, or on the defensive line at least, a lot of the team's success is going to be determined by how much better a system change can make the players who were here last season. Tripplett is new, and there are two rookie DTs. McCargo and Williiams will play in a rotation, but ton't expect them to be saviors. I'm really talking about Aaron Schobel, Tim Anderson and Chris Kelsay. Schobel will be fine. I think Anderson is going to be OK too, based mostly on the fact that he improved greatly in the last several games of the season. I wonder if Kelsay will be helped by a system change. If not, this defense is going to struggle. They need to get pressure from both ends. I'm assuming Takeo Spikes will start in September, and while he may not be his old self for a while, I think he'll be OK. By the second half of the season, he should be an elite linebacker again. Fletcher-Baker is a good fit for this offence and will be fine. Crowell is going to push Posey and I don't think Fewell will hesitate to make the switch if Posey can't produce. Clements (playing for a big contract in free agency) should have a comeback season and McGee is fine. Vincent will probably be better in this offence than in the former offensive system though I suspect he's slipping fast and could lose his starting position to Simpson by midseason. Whittner will start at SS and I think he's going to be fine. uffalo has really good secondary depth.

I'd love to try out some year. I probably wouldn't win. Competition is pretty stiff, but I'd have a ball anyway.

I don't want the Bills to get rid of McGahee. I think he has loads of talent. He could become my favorite player if he gains 1500 yards, even with the "I'm better than everybody else" attitude. At least there would be more hard evidence to back it up.

I don't know about missed tackles. He has great football sense. He makes lots of plays. I think he and London Fletcher-Baker (or is it Baker-Fletcher?) are similar except London is faster. Maybe Thomas is a little smarter. I keep waiting for Thomas to hit the proverbial wall. He'll be 33 for most of the upcoming season. Maybe this is the season.

In recent years, I think Moulds become more of a possession receiver than a gamebreaker, despite his occassion bouts of dropsy. He still could be a guy a QB and go to and feel pretty comfortable. If he were willing to accept the pay he's worth and be a team guy, I would love to have kept him. I didn't want him at the level of compensaion he would have gotten, and his attitude was often a trial for the Bills to deal with.

I am not privy to any inside info. I have an opinion, to which I am entitled, and which I am free to express. That opinion is due to a combination of things which are general knowledge and have already been expressed including his habit of ignoring OTAs, quotations in which he expresses no loyalty whatsoever to the Bills, and a general impression that when he's not happy he doesn't try very hard.

I will not make any games until the league starts scheduling the Bills for late home games, Sunday or Saturday night games, or Monday Night games at home.

While the Patriots have some great players like Brady and Seymour, the real secret to their consistent excellence year in and year out over the last 4 years at least has not been talent. It's been their ability to execute consistently and not make mistakes. They end up capitalizing on the greater number of mistakes made by their opponents. I don't like Belilchek, but I have to respect him.

I am absolutely fine with Lindell. I never thought the Bills would completely abandon the pass. I think they want to run more effectively this year, but Steve Fairchild was Mike Martz's offensive coorcinator for heaven's sake. Dick Joauron would not have hired him if he wanted to run 40 plays a game. Look for some balance this year. Willis is a "me guy" through and through, and may not be here after the 2006 season, but I think he will be fine this year, if the offensive line gels and shows some improvement. I think the Bills have some depth at RB, but unless someone really surprises there is no one who has the raw talent of Willis McGahee. I loved Jerry Sullivan's editorial on Losman, but he still has to show it on the field. I hope he is the starter and is much improved, but I'll take things as they come. I don't wast my time worrying about Jerry Sullivan and John Murphy and whether or not they are competent, homers, or whatever. The game is the product, not the media.

I think Schobel will be fine. Kelsay and Denney are question marks at this point. I'd rather have someone who was dominant at the position, but we have who we have. Who knows, they might be fine.

I'm here for 11 more years, until I retire. Then I'm gone.

Not that I really know what I'm talking about, but the Tampa 2 system that Jauron and Fewell want to run is a one gap system on the defensive line. At least what I understand about the system is that rather than taking on offensive linemen head on, the tackles line up on the gaps between the offensive linemen. Then they try to penetrate the gap befor the offensive linemen have a chance to react. That's why quickness is at much more of a premium than brute strength. In a two gap system the tackles are more likely to line up directly across from an interior offensive lineman, then it becomes a contest to fine out which player canout-wrestle the other one. Strength and size are more important. I just read an article that suggested Tim Anderson really came on in the last two games of the season last year. Maybe he's going to be OK along with Tripplett and the rookies.

That's what I think.