Mikie2times

I feel sick

He will pepper you with his......

Why would we do that, JP Losman is the next Ken Stabler

Are you basing that off anything in particular or is it that just you just think he's to talented to last? The reason I ask is because this appears to be a very unique draft class, one in which many of the best players on the board also fill huge needs for the teams ahead of us. When you look at it now we know Houston will be in for a PR nightmare if they pass on Bush, and the Saints have already showed interest in Leinhart. D'Brick would be a good option for the Titans, but the best player available is probably Vince Young, and it also serves a need for them (They also have expressed interest already).Outside of that the rest of the teams are in pretty solid shape at LT, and other elite prospects will still be on the board. I really do believe it will come down to whether or not the Jets take him, and as of now I would say that's about 50-50. Still that's a lot better odds then I thought it would be a month ago.

While things can change Houston has all but selected Reggie Bush, and it appears like New Orleans and Tennessee will go with Leinhart and Young. After that the only other team standing in our way is the New York Jets. After the Jets pick the rest of the teams don't have enough need at LT to draft the dancing bear. GB has Clifton entrenched, Oakland has Barry Simms with Robert Gallery as his likely successor, and the 49ers just signed JJ. As for the Jets I do think they will give D'Brick a look, it's hard not to, but when you look at the needs on that team their stands a good chance they could look at RB or trading up. Mario Williams might also get a look by them as Abraham is a free agent. What a steal it would be if we could land D'Brick. If we did I would even see if Mike will restructure, he isn't 4th pick good but he is our best run blocker. If he won't Peters showed he could play, and would also make a great future tandem with Ferguson.

Looking at some of these responses I think I could have been a little more clear in my original post. While I do suggest we look to Jon Kitna, that doesn't mean I want to give up on Losman, in fact I feel the complete opposite. If JP stood a great chance at not only starting next year, but staying in even if things aren't going well then that's what I would like to do. That said it's my contention that a series of decisions by management and coaching this year made that happening unlikely, and if it did happen I'm convinced JP won't have the support of the team in the process. When Buffalo released Drew Bledsoe some of the veteran players might have disagreed with the move. I never disagreed with JP being the starter this season, but I feel like the first mistake Buffalo made was immediately naming him the starter following Drew's release. Some of the players might not have been complelty on board at that point, and it was critical for JP to WIN the job and win them over. Instead he got handed the job without the roster even being set, and when Holcomb was added some players probably wondered why JP was more qualified then Kelly was. Still the Bills named JP their guy, and appeared set on doing the right thing. We started off rocky, and Mularkey only complicated things more by giving Holcomb more action. In the meantime in big D, the guy that was supposed to be worse then JP was lighting it up. Soon players began to openly call for Holcomb, and coaches and management decided to take on the logic that a playoff contender should start the player that gives them the best chance to win. They called it a spark but essentially that’s what they sold. The problem I have with this is the Bills took the position that they were a playoff contender in August, when Kelly was clearly outplaying JP. At that point had the coaches felt we were contenders, which they obviously did, and that Kelly was outplaying JP, why would JP start? Why would the players feel like that is in their best interests? When it became clear this team had glaring holes it was time for the Bills to be strong and stick with JP, not panic a bench him. We were getting killed in the run game, and the offensive line was getting blown up. I'm all for winning, but even with Kelly's improved play this was clearly a 6-10 type season, and a perfect year to get your young QB some experience. Now every last shred of confidence this team had in Losman is gone, and Mularkey has also given them the impression that they can influence who is the starting QB.

Who said JP was the problem? I think he's playing like a normal QB that has had 8 starts. The point of this thread is how is how will Mularkey implement him after the nightmare he created this year? All year he's been stating with his actions that Kelly is the better QB to win, and it seems the players not only backed that move, but in some cases persuaded MM to do it. Now JP must win the job outright to win over the support of his teammates, and I'm not sure he has the experience do that yet. If he doesn't win it outright, or he wins a tilted competition then how will next year be any different they this year? Will Mularkey somehow be able to convince his players to back Losman when he couldn't this season? I just don't have the faith that he can do that, especially not when 70,000 plus are screaming for his head each Sunday.

The very first preseason game against Denver he played well, but outside of that he was bad. The 05 preseason left many people hitting the panic button with JP before the season even started. If it was an open QB competition with Kelly this year he would have lost, which is what I believe was part of the problem all together. JP was anointed starter after proving nothing, and it happened after the cutting of Drew Bledsoe, a player that might have still had the support of many teammates. Then Kelly is brought in, and isn't it likely a veteran with that many starts under his belt would outplay JP at least a little, if not a lot? That's what happened, and with Drew lighting it up in Dallas I suspect many of the Veterans began questioning the coaching and management. Then JP started really stinking it up, and players started to voice their opinions more frequently, and more publicly. With the added expectations management created Mularkey finally caved in and started Holcomb, and that's when I feel the mistake was made.

He's not Dan Marino, but don't assess his arm strength from this one game. Pittsburgh blitzes everybody like that, that's why they call it blitzburgh, and it’s not exactly like he was put into an easy situation today. He entered off the bench in the playoffs, which means he had very little (if any) work with the first string, against a very good aggressive defense. Kitna had a monster year when he started in 03, and unlike Holcomb it wasn't a statistical mirage. He nearly made the pro bowl that year, and went downfield often. Chad Johnson amassed nearly 1,400 yards in 03, and his average per catch was among the best in the AFC. Peter Warrick also experienced his finest year as a pro, averaging over 10 yards per catch, with 819 yards and 7 TD's. Kitna is a player and would be huge upgrade over what we have right now at QB.

What I'm pretty sure about right now is Kelly Holcomb is a good back up, and nothing more and JP Losman hasn't been on the field long enough for us to get an accurate long term read. The question becomes at what price should the Bills be willing to pay to get JP the experience he needs for us to make a long term decision? We were supposed to come out of this season with those answers, and if we couldn't do it this year what makes people believe we can do it next year? Buffalo made it clear Kelly Holcomb gave them the best chance to win this year; effectively sucking the team’s confidence in JP Losman right threw the drain. Are we supposed to expect Mularkey to handle the team much differently next season? What happens when Kelly outplays JP in camp, or the preseason, and many of the same players from this year wonder why Mularkey isn't starting the best QB? Even if Mularkey holds firm which is what he did not do in 2005, does he have enough respect from the players for them to back his decision? The problem is not in Kelly and JP's relationship, but in Kelly and JP's play together. Kelly is not a very good QB, but he still will be good enough to beat out JP Losman in camp next year. That would be typical of an average veteran as compared to an inexperienced but talented QB, and as we saw in 2005 was certainly the case with JP and Kelly. But much like 2005 if Kelly is outplaying JP in 2006 I just don't think Mularkey will be able to get the players to back the move to go with JP, not after what happened this year, and that will leave us with many of the same problems we had in 2005 in 2006. In order to fix the situation I would like to see the Bills release Kelly Holcomb, and focus on landing a better QB in Jon Kitna. We can then offer the job to JP Losman if and when he is able to beat out Kitna. Kitna brings many of the same veteran qualities Kelly has, but he protects the ball better, and can go down field. At least this way we won't have to settle for a mediocre QB play from Holcomb, or let a player with 8 career starts hijack the franchise. In hindsight I'm sure Mularkey and Co. wish they handled the situation differently, but they created the monster and must fix it for next season.

Skins Pats Giants Bengals

Avant in the 3rd would be a great addition. He reminds me of a poor mans Anquan Bolden, all the tools to be a great WR but lacks the jets to be a picked in the 1st.

Marv has always been a team player, and even though he is old he is still a very intelligent man. He's also been around football longer then most of us have been alive, and has stayed in touch with today's game since his retirement. It's not like his responsibilities will be like TD's, Ralph just wanted an unbiased observer he could trust, that could also provide leadership to the rest of the assistants, and give Buffalo a PR upgrade. That's exactly what Marv Levy will bring. If you’re worried about his role in Free Agency or the draft, Marv said himself that his decisions will be heavily influenced by his assistants. This is not a man that will create a power struggle with Ralph, MM, or Modrak. Levy is a team guy that will trust Modrak and others to advise him on the roster, and take a logical direction with it.

I'm not shocked to see him get some interviews, but I would be surprised to see a team make the move this early. If he's truly that hot of a commodity right now then he might not be available to the Bills, but I still think a DC job, internship with Vermeil and inside track to being his replacement is a pretty sweet deal if he doesn't make HC.

Dick LeBeau was an "assistant HC" with us, and he saw DC as an upgrade, so who knows how Singletary feels about it. OC/DC are two major paths to HC in this league, and right now Singletary doesn't have any DC/HC experience with any NFL or college team. It's not often that we see guys without that experience propelled to the ranks of NFL head coach, so I think it would be premature to assume he wouldn't accept an offer. The reason I choose Vermeil is because he's not somebody we would expect to be around for a long time, but he is the most qualified candidate we could hire. I think he would make a great tutor for Singletary, and stands the best chance at turning this team around in a hurry.

I would have to agree with most of what you said, but I think a huge role in this outcome was motivation. If the media wasn't labeling USC the greatest team of all time, and giving Texas absolutely no chance in this game then USC wins this game more times then not. But that adage of 110% is used for a reason. USC still gave great effort but this Texas team was on a mission, and I hardly believe it was because of Mack Brown. That motivation can only be attained by the entire nation giving you no chance not only these last few weeks, but all season. Congrats to Texas for bringing that type of effort, and that type of talent, because that was the only combination that could dethrone the Trojans this year.

GM: Marv Levy- We already know Marv will fill this role, but I did want to comment on the criticism I’m seeing. Finding an experienced candidate who has had success wouldn’t exactly be easy, and still look what happened when we thought we had that with TD. This is just as much a crap shoot as finding a head coach can be and how is a person like Marv Levy not a great pick for what was available? If nothing else we all know the man is an extremely bright, tireless worker, who not only has decades of NFL experience but has had a lot of it with the Bills. I know losing has sucked but give the man a chance before we JP Losman him. HC: Dick Vermeil- This guy has had success everywhere he’s gone, and has always had great pass blocking lines. He’s is also a great motivator, with playoff experience and a Super Bowl win. For those that think it’s far fetched Vermeil still seems on the edge of wanting to come back so a strong offer might do it. I also think Vermeil, Levy, and Ralph would be able to get on the same page, and have a good working relationship. People would certainly make fun of the combined age of the three, but nobody can doubt their would be an awful lot of football knowledge in that room. Sign him to a 2-3 year deal while we groom his replacement. OC: Norv Turner- Some guys just aren’t very good head coaches, and for whatever reason Turner looks like that type of guy. The polar opposite can be said for when he serves as offensive coordinator. The guy has had great success at nearly every stop he’s made. But what I like the most is he’s shown the ability to adapt to the players he has. Sometimes it’s tough to see the great coordinator in the bad head coach, but like Gregg Williams these guys exist, and can be very valuable additions. DC: Mike Singletary- Singletary is my dark horse so to speak. He has yet to serve as DC, but has already spent time as Baltimore’s LB coach, and spent this year as an assistant head coach with the 49ers. In his day Singletary was one of the most intense football players to ever put on a uniform, and when you hear this guy now you know his coaching is no different. I think he will excel as a defensive coordinator in this league, and under Vermeil’s tutelage would make a fine long term solution at HC one day.

Looks like I spoke to soon about Browns call to kick the FG.

It's pretty obvious Bush's game is heavily affected by the speed of the defenses he faces. That doesn't mean he won't be a great pro, but he is predominantly an outside runner, and just like the NFL it's difficult to run outside against fast defenses. Put him against defenses with a little less speed and he looks like one of the best runners in NCAA History.

I would take White over Willis hands down, the guy is going to be a great NFL back. I have also bee impressed with Byrd and Huff.

Great coaching by Brown. They have a chance to score and get the two pointer to tie and they settle for the FG. Meanwhile the USC offense which had been rolling over Texas in the second half adds another 7 putting it at 2 scores with under 7 minutes. Mac Brown = John Cooper

1. Houston-----------Reggie Bush-USC 2. New Orleans------Matt Leinart-USC 3. Tennessee---------D'Brick Ferguson-Virginia 4. N.Y. Jets-----------Mario Williams- N.C. State 5. Green Bay--------DeAngelo Williams- Memphis 6. Oakland-----------AJ Hawk- Ohio State 7. San Francisco----Jimmy Williams- Virginia Tech 8. Buffalo? My Top Two Choices Mathias Kiwanuka DE- Boston College- IMO has the best chance at becoming a star of the players still on the board. He's known not only for his skill as a pass rusher, but also as a run stuffer, where he's led BC to one of the best run defenses in the nation. My main concern is he projects more as a speed rushing RE at 255, then a LE that could play opposite a small Aaron Schobel. If we get a little more size in the interior with a player like Grady Jackson, Kiwanuka would come more of a possibility, but in no way could we afford to draft him and stay undersized in the middle. Haloti Ngata DT- Oregon- We need help at DT, especially in the ground game, and that’s exactly what Ngata will bring. Many people jumped off the wagon after watching his uninspired bowl game, but he still demanded double and triple teams all night, and held his positioning in the interior. I see Ngata as an immensely talented player that could help us, but somebody who doesn't have the motivation to reach his potential. Other getting consideration Michael Huff SS-Texas- Physical ball hawking safety that is climbing up the draft boards quickly. Chad Greenway OLB-Iowa- Great size and athleticism, and equally versed at the run and pass. Would have top 5 potential in many draft classes. Vernon Davis TE- Maryland- Workout warrior, who is a freak of an athlete. He will put up numbers that exceed Ben Watson combine outputs.

That is correct Some years it would be beneficial to not be in the top 5 with the high salaries and all, but I don't see it being that type of year for us. We should still be able to land a solid player at 8, but at 3 we might have had a choice between D'Brickshaw Ferguson, or Mario Williams .

Loser, who can't figure out SOS in this day and age.

The problem is that method doesn't factor in how all the opponents of the Bills and Rams did in week 17. Not only do the Bills and Rams get the week 17 opponents record tacked on (Jets 3-13, Dallas either 9-7 or 10-6), but every other team they faced this season can either win or lose this week also. So our SOS is still being influenced by HOU, while the rest of the 5-11 teams SOS is still being influenced if team's on their schedule have yet to play week 17.