Dawgg

Got it. So nothing has changed. The same football personnel department that has drafted terribly over a 3-year period will remain in charge of this franchise going forward. Doug Whaley was responsible for setting the draft board (the same draft board that indicated Russell Wilson is not worthy of a 3rd round pick). With Russ Brandon -- who is already the CEO of the franchise now charge -- things are supposed to change? What an utter joke. Whereas franchises like Jacksonville, Arizona, Cleveland and Indianapolis have cleaned house in an effort to bring in new front office talent, the Bills continue to accept abysmal performance as part of their DNA. Terrible product, but one that you undoubtedly endorse.

Nix is NOT stepping down. It's the same idiotic personnel department in charge. Enjoy our season tickets.

What has changed? Where is the fresh perspective in the front office? Why has the same personnel department -- replete with botched drafts, ill-advised roster decisions and poor signings -- been retained? If this qualifies as change for you, I have some snake oil to sell you.

This franchise is nothing more than an utter joke. This news is an insult to fans, who should know better, but will probably "buy the hope" as usual. Pathetic. New ownership is the only cure for this moribund, irrelevant franchise.

He has missed more than a few.

Perhaps. But Whitner and his representatives would not have taken "bargain money" to stay with the Bills, the very franchise that valued him as a top-10 selection 5 years earlier. The more egregious error IMO (and this falls on Marv, not Nix) was his selection at #8 in the first place! Especially with Cutler and Ngata available and begging to be taken

A pick at the top of the second round is close enough to the first round that it had better be a hit. Period. And Nix whiffed bigtime on that pick. Try defending the following dubious personnel decisions: - Selecting Torrell Troup when Buffalo native Rob Gronkowski was on the board (went to the Pats with the very next pick) - Selecting Maruc Easley when Aaron Hernandez was on the board (went to the Pats 6 picks later) - Selecting a "kickoff specialist" John Potter in the 7th around rather than take a flyer on a high quality free agent like Vontaze Burfict, when LB was the weakest position on the team. Burfict is playing very well for the playoff-bound Bengals. - Failing to take a developmental QB, passing on Andy Dalton, Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins, Brock Osweiler to name a few. - Trading for Travaris Jackson and not activating him for a single game, all the while paying him $3M+ to sit. - Making a waiver claim on Shawne Merriman, whom the Chargers deemed expendable, signing him to an extension, and ignoring the LB position in subsequent drafts. - Having a big, physical 6-5 220 point receiver Danario Alexander in for a tryout after the David Nelson injury only to determine that the team was better off with a scrub like Ruvell Martin. Alexander went onto catch 7TDs in 10 games for the Chargers. Talent evaluation is a major weakness and has been for quite some time. Nix should be retained as a scout, but he should definitely not be retained as a general manager.

Love it Phenomenal analogy.

... but alas, you are a fan message board moderator

Yes, a $50M backup. That makes a lot of sense. On second thought, it would certainly be a typical Buffalo Bills move to pay a guy $10M a serve as a backup.

GG - I have to say, my friend, I am loving your posts of late, exposing the utter rose-colored stupidity that has permeated this board and fan base throughout this past decade of futility for this moribund, once-relevant franchise. Glad to see that you have seen the light.

In asserting that TD clearly didn't try hard enough, your logic is flawed. It's awfully easy to say that now, but judging by what transpired in that draft, one could reasonably surmise the following: - Donahoe viewed Big Ben as a starting caliber QB and worthy of a trade up. - Donahoe viewed JP Losman as a starting caliber QB and one worthy of a first round pick. - Donahoe didn't see an enormous talent gap between Big Ben and JP Losman. If he had, then he may have offered more to move up and get Big Ben. - When he couldn't consumate a trade for Big Ben with a team picking before Pittsburgh, he had a backup plan, which was to go after JP at the end of the first round. To say TD didn't "try hard enough" is simply not true. After all, the man gave up a 2004 2nd, 2004 5th and 2005 1st round pick to get a QB. Clearly, he tried hard to fill the QB void. The bottom line for this moribund franchise is this: talent evaluation is suspect. Had the Bills scouting staff realized that Losman was not an NFL-caliber staring QB, that draft would have turned out a lot differently. But alas, the front office was and continues to be among the worst in the NFL. With that being said, I'd take Donahoe back today, any day of the week. Contrary to what you allege, Donahoe "tried" to bring a winner to Buffalo. The same certainly cannot be said about those who have since succeeded him.

+1. Marv single-handedly set this franchise back 5 years with that draft. To follow up the Whitner debacle, the Bills traded back into the first round for the right to draft (not Mangold) but perennial bench-warner-now-out-of-a-job John McCargo. What a disaster. Donte sucks, BTW. Overrated.

Thank you, I stand corrected. That is incorrect, I believe. The playoff drought is at 13 years. The last time the Bills made the playoffs was the 1998-1999 season. A rudimentary count from the season after indicates that the drought has reached an NFL-record 13 years. Absolutely not. I think the Redskins gave up an awful lot to move up in that draft. I wouldn't advocate the Bills doing the same. However, I am tired of the Bills' systemic failure in assigning proper value to their draft choices and missing on starting-caliber talent in favor of below-average talent. If you want to point out a reason for the drought, that's your primary reason.

Every year, exciting and dynamic franchise-changing players come into the league. Every year, the Bills underwhelm on draft day. Every year, the Bills miss the playoffs. This year, the Bills will extend that drought to an NFL record 14 years.

Or it was the take of a person who simply doesn't expect much from a franchise that is about to extend its playoff draught to an impressive 14 consecutive years in a parity-driven league. Viewing abysmal results through rose-colored glasses is hardly my definition of a "good perspective," but as you correctly suggest, to each his own.

PTR is the #1 cheerleader of the pathetic enterprise that is the Buffalo Bills, currently holding the dubious distinction of the longest playoff draught in the NFL at 13 years. In second place are the Browns and Raiders at 10 years. At least this is one area in which the Bills hold a comfortable lead

Great post. Ineptitude has pervaded this front office throughout this franchise's streak of futility.

A classic illustration of the loser mentality that has afflicted Buffalo Bills nation after suffering through a decade-plus of ineptitude, losses and dysfunction.

Thanks for the feedback! What's amateur is the Bills' talent evaluation skills. Bills select Torrell Troupe in the 2nd. Very Next pick: Gronkowski. Bills select Marcus Easley. Merely a few picks later: Aaron Hernandez. Now THAT is what I call amateur!

A nice looking player. Glad the Bills cut him.

This game can be played all day with Buffalo Bills drafts. - Whitner over Ngata and Jay Cutler. How'd that one work out? - When Marcus Easley was drafted in the 4th round, Aaron Hernandez was available and atop Mel Kiper's board. Good thing the Bills have Easley! LOL - In that same draft, Torrell Troup picked in the 2nd round. Just one pick later the Patriots selected Rob Gronkowski. - Jon McCargo over Nick Mangold when center was a huge area of need - James Hardy drafted in the 2nd round when Desean Jackson was available. This front office is a total joke and until a new owner comes in and cleans house from top to bottom, it will continue to be a joke. Cue the "hindsight is 20/20" lemmings.

I have spoken to Wade himself. And yes, that wasn't his choice.

Yawn. $3M is a far cry from $10M. The guy got re-injured on his first ever play in practice, made zero impact on the field and they had plenty of time to make that assessment. And let's be honest -- if he truly had anything left, AJ Smith wouldn't have cut him. It's one thing to pick him up off waivers in a low-risk move. It's quite another to then hand him a lucrative extension when he's shown nothing on the field during a season where Freddy J is busting his tail playing with an under-market deal. This was a case of Buddy making a mistake -- he had a special place in his heart for Merriman, given that he drafted the guy. Plain and simple. Overall Buddy has done a tremendous job building this team and I'm sure he wishes he could have this one back. He'd probably tell you that himself

John Butler was a pretty good GM in his own right. Nix has the best job in the world. Following the footsteps of Russ Brandon and Marv Levy, there's nowhere to go but up!