The Senator

Well then I guess you've seen all there is to see, and know all there is to know! You saw him play in one regular season game, with a banged-up supporting cast, after being with the Bills just over one month. No OTAs, no training camp, no preseason, no working with the #1 unit for a few months (barely a week, actually) - lame-duck head coach, lame-duck offensive coordimator, and he probably had his teammates' names written down on his wristband, in addition to a very limited set of offensive plays. As for the 2 preseason games you saw, again - no #1 unit time, and you saw a very limited # of snaps rather than an entire game (and limited play selections too, btw, as the regular season offensive playbook is not used, the regular season offense not 'installed' and there is absolutely no game-planning for your opponent at all in preseason). There used to be a QB on the roster by the name of Trent Edwards; apparently, his performance in the preseason was drastically different than the regular season. I know this, you see, because I actually saw Trent Edwards play in quite a few regular season games with the Bills starting O-line, receivers, and backfield. Now, how many games was it you said you saw Brohm play under those same conditions?

No, what he's saying is that Brohm was released outright - and Edwards is still on the roster.

You found it 'subtle'???

Yeah he did, only his name wasn't Marlin Briscoe - it was... James Harris (first 'African-American' to actually be named starting QB at the beginning of the season, anyway) Harris was drafted in the eighth round of the Common Draft by the American Football League's Buffalo Bills, and would soon join fellow rookie O.J. Simpson in the starting backfield. Continuing the American Football League's more liberal (than the NFL's) personnel policies, the Bills made Harris the first black player to start a season at quarterback and the second black player in the modern era to start in any game as quarterback for a Professional Football team. Marlin Briscoe, of the AFL's Denver Broncos had been the first in 1968, and a few of Harris's completions in 1969 went to Briscoe, who, by that time, had been traded to the Bills and converted to a receiver. Briscoe was apparently eighth ( ) on the Broncos QB depth chart when Denver head coach Lou Saban summoned him off the bench to replace Bronco's backup Joe DiVito, who was in for the injured Steve Tensi. But you're right, technically - Briscoe was first, then Harris.

fixed (and, btw, Brohm hasn't failed - because he hasn't played yet! )

Yeah, it's a tough spot to be in - if we 'lose out' or close to it, Nix & Gailey suck for not finishing at least as well as last season. OTOH, if we go so far as to 'win out' and finish 11-5, Nix & Gailey still suck - for blowing the opportunity to draft Andrew Luck! Don't waste your time trying to figure this place out.

Well now you've given me a project to consider, TB, though someone like Ken Crippen (KRC) is certainly better suited to the task! Couple of interesting tidbits about Lou (besides being a distant relative of 'bama coach Nick Saban) - apparently he played a key role in recruiting Jim Kelly to 'The U' before quitting Miami... Lou Saban - Head Coaching Jobs Case Institute of Technology (1950–1952) Northwestern (1955) Western Illinois (1957–1959) Boston Patriots (1960–1961) Buffalo Bills (1962–1965) Maryland (1966) Denver Broncos (1967–1971) Buffalo Bills (1972–1976) Miami (1977–1978) Army (1979) Central Florida (1983–1984) Peru State (1991) SUNY Canton (1995–2000) Chowan (2001–2002) And that's leaving out his stint as President of the New York Yankees (1981-1982), coming out of retirement in 1989 to coach high school football (Georgetown, SC), semi-pro team Middle Georgia Heat Wave (1990), Arena Football League's Milwaukee Mustangs (1994), and starting a football program at Alfred State - then quitting before ever coaching a game there! Lou Saban's coaching tree includes: Marty Schottenheimer (played LB for Bills under Saban) Joel Collier Cam Cameron Bill Cowher* (under Schottenheimer at Cleveland & KC) Herm Edwards Tony Dungy* Marvin Lewis Ken Whisenhunt Lovie Smith Rod Marinelli Mike Tomlin* and... Chan Gailey (Pittsburgh OC under Bill Cowher) (*won a Superbowl as head coach) With that in mind, can a Superbowl win be 'in the cards' for current Bills HC and Lou Saban 'descendant' Chan Gailey???? GO BILLSSS!!!! Reverse the curse!!!!!

Check your facts, then come back and try again. If you're over 40 and a fan since 1970, you should already know the answers to a couple of your own questions: 1) What did RW do with Lou Saban? Nothing. Lou quit on RW twice - in 1965 and again in 1976. (Lou quit on a lot of different organizations, some before even lasting a full season - which is why, even though I think he's deserving, to this day Saban is not on the Bills ' Wall of Fame ' despite the 2 AFL championships.) 2) What did he do with Chuck Knox? Again, nothing. Knox left when his contract expired (after a 4-5 season) to run the Seahawks, who were offering a bundle of $$$$. New opportunity, bigger challenge, more money. It happens in every profession. 3) He got lucky finding Bill Polian, and he fired him during the superbowl years. Who fires a GM that builds a superbowl team while they are still winning? I'll tell you who..Ralph Wilson. As Johnny Carson might have said, 'Wrong again, bison-breath!' Bill Polian was promoted up thru the ranks - just like Buddy Nix - and got fired only because he publicly humiliated RW's late daughter, calling her one of the most vile names you can use to refer to a woman (think 'c-word'). Polian's temper and foul mouth were legendary - as Marv Levy has stated more than once - and still Wilson recanted after Polian's outrageous outburst and allowed him to finish out the season so that his son would not have to transfer out of high school (St. Francis) in his senior year. 4) Looking at the Ralph Wilson record since 1970, i can only guess that he got very lucky in 1964 and 1965. But if you want to credit Mr Wilson with those teams, then be my guest..as long as you give him credit for the mediocrity we now have. Lets all hug and give each other high fives for that great championship team of 36 years ago. Give me a break!! Um, it was 46 years ago. Ralph must have gotten very lucky in 1963 - the Bills 3rd season of existence - too, since they took the AFL East and went to the playoffs. He got pretty lucky in 1966 as well, when the Bills finished 9-4-1, went to the playoffs for the 4th consecutive season, and missed playing in the first Superbowl ever against Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers by one game. He got lucky again in the mid '70s, early 80's, and thru the 'dynasty era' that really began with the 1988 season and lasted thru 1993. So hey, I guess the Bills had pretty decent times in 4 of their 5 decades of existence. Don't give Ralph any credit for that, though. You want to blame him for the current (or previous) temporary mediocrity? Fine, I'm sure he accepts the blame. Just be sure you also throw an occasional bone to the guy who brought 2 AFL championships, 4 AFC championships, 10 division titles, and 17 playoff appearances to the football fans of Buffalo.

You've been here since January, so you should know that I'm one of the staunchest defenders of 'the geriatric set' - including Buddy, Marv, and Ralph himself. In fact, my comment was meant as a direct shot at the a-holes who condemn Nix, Levy, & RW simply because of their age. With age comes experience and (hopefully) wisdom. And, btw, I fully expect to remain a productive member of the work force when I reach my 70's. Methinks maybe you misinterpreted my meaning - possibly even over-reacted?

Had to vote no. Considering that some knuckleheads are already mocking Nix (70) for being old and 'over the hill', do you think that an old fart like Polian (68) could still be successful here well into his 70's? (Maybe his 38-year-old son - and St. Francis of Athol Springs alum - Chris Polian, Colts VP & GM, could survive the TSW age test better.) Also, it looks like the 'Polian-magic' may be fading... A long-standing joke amongst Colts' fans is that Polian gets all of his first round picks right, but his 3rd round picks rarely pan out. Some notable failures include Gilbert Gardner 2004, Vincent "Sweet Pea" Burns in 2005, and Quinn Pitcock in 2007. To date, he has not "missed" on a 1st round pick with the Colts, however, his three most recent first round picks, Anthony Gonzalez (2007), Donald Brown (2009), and Jerry Hughes (2010) are all non-contributors at this time.* *from Wiki Sounds vaguely familiar. I'll cast my lot with Buddy Nix - in 3 years (or sooner) the Bills will be back on top of the NFL and everyone's gonna be in love with "Ol' Buddy".

fixed.

I know, I know...it's ludicrous - kind of like saying we'll have a "Black" President, or Governor, or Mayor, or School Superintendent, or Police Chief, or Fire Commissioner - or that a "Black" would be among the best golfers, female tennis players, or Formula One drivers (all "White" man's sports). A lot of youngsters on this board, apparently - and, unfortunately, a lot of ignorance too... James Harris Harris was drafted in the eighth round of the Common Draft by the American Football League's Buffalo Bills, and would soon join fellow rookie O.J. Simpson in the starting backfield. Continuing the American Football League's more liberal (than the NFL's) personnel policies, the Bills made Harris the first black player to start a season at quarterback and the second black player in the modern era to start in any game as quarterback for a Professional Football team. Marlin Briscoe, of the AFL's Denver Broncos had been the first in 1968, and a few of Harris's completions in 1969 went to Briscoe, who, by that time, had been traded to the Bills and converted to a receiver. Consider yourself 'enlightened' - now, can we please leave race out of the discussion? Nix, Gailey, and the entire Bills organization will draft and put on the field whatever players they feel give the team the best chance to win, regardless of race.

One? Now that's certainly a statistically significant sample

So you're pretty sure we're not going 15-5?

Well I have no idea what the Bills first round draft position will be but if it's #1 overall, then they should - and will - pick Ryan Mallett. If, OTOH, they don't draft a QB 'til rounds 3 or 4, they MIGHT pick Jake Locker (but shouldn't).

So then Ralph would also be the reason the Bills won back-to-back league championships in 1964 & 1965, were one game away from playing Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers in Superbowl I the following season, and won an unprecedented (and probably never-to-be duplicated) four consecutive AFC titles from 1990 to 1993, yes? (Just to make sure you're going to be consistent in passing out blame.)

Well yeah - that's certainly possible - but Brohm's still here, while Edwards is gone. That should tell you that the Bills brain-trust, at least, likes Brohm better than Edwards. So, IOW, on a scale of 1-to-5 - 5 being the best - you'd give Fitz about 3.5 ???

And moving to LA would be such a fantastic idea, since the Rams and Raiders already failed there. The Bills will be here in the WNY area long after you and I are worm-food... "Given the fact that Ralph Wilson is in the Hall of Fame, and built a legacy on voting against relocation, and the fact that I know the NFL wants a market in this region - and I'm speaking to the Toronto/Buffalo corridor - I can't foresee a team moving out of this region just because it's so valuable as far as its proximity goes," Wawrow said. "I think the history is also there with the number of people from the Bills organization who are in Canton." Link - Wawrow Speculates On Possible Bills Succession Plan (John Wawrow)

Well, we don't have a Jim Kelly - at least I'm pretty sure we don't - but we might at least have a Frank Reich, if we ever get a chance to see Brohm start a few games! We also might have a Kent Hull in Eric Wood... After redshirting his initial year at Louisville, Eric Wood started all 12 games at center for the Cardinals in 2005. He earned Freshman All-American honors by Rivals.com, Sporting News and College Football News. Also an excellent student, earned Academic All-Big East accolades as well. Wood remained Louisville's starting center in his sophomore and junior seasons, starting all 13 and 12 games, respectively. Led by quarterback Brian Brohm, the 2007 Cardinals offense ranked sixth nationally with an average of 488.0 yards per game. Wood earned All-Big East honors in both years, and again in his senior season. He finished his career with 49 consecutive starts at center, the second-longest streak in school history behind Travis Leffew (51, 2002-05). Alongside Alex Mack, Wood was considered one of the best centers available in the 2009 NFL Draft. He has been compared to Brad Meester by The Sporting News, but his instincts and "nastiness" on the field had scouts comparing him to the NFL's old time centers like Mike Webster of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tim Grunhard of the Kansas City Chiefs.* As for the rest of 'em, Fred Jackson's a solid player, and Spiller will be a star. Maybe we get lucky in April and find the next Jim Kelly & Will Wolford in the form of Ryan Mallett & Gabe Carimi. Andre Reed was a 4th round pick in 1985 out of Kutztown U. who made his first Pro Bowl in '88 - let's see what this Marcus Easley guy can do. Likewise with Troup, Carrington, Wang, and Moats - let's watch how they develop. One thing's for sure - we're much better off with Buddy Nix in charge of drafting future players than we've been since Polian & Butler... Nix left Buffalo with John Butler and A. J. Smith after the 2000 season. He was initially the Director of Pro Player Personnel (2000–2001), but after Butler died, Smith was promoted to General Manager, and Nix to Assistant General Manager. Nix's job with the Chargers was to oversee both pro and college scouting and to be one of the main decision makers in each NFL draft, and was a major reason the Chargers turned around from a losing football team to a rebuilt, winning team. In 2004, three players Nix drafted were selected to the 2005 Pro Bowl. In 2005, six players Nix drafted were selected to the 2006 Pro Bowl. In 2006, eleven players Nix drafted were selected to the 2007 Pro Bowl. In 2007, eight players Nix drafted were selected to the 2008 Pro Bowl. The Chargers won four out of the last five AFC West titles with Nix as Assistant GM and Director of Player Personnel, in charge of college scouting and instrumental to the decision making process of their NFL drafts.* We can't affect the present or the past - all we can really do, as fans, is enjoy watching young players develop and look forward to the future. (Or, we can whine incessantly about 'The Hank Bullough era returns to Buffalo') GO BILLSSS!!!! 15 and 5 baby!!!!! *non-copyrighted material excerpted from Wikipedia

It's truly amazing - given the amount of knowledge available within a few keystrokes - how retarded some posters can still be... Buddy Nix had a successful college football coaching career with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, which included the recruitment of Terrell Owens. From 1984 – 1992, Nix was the head coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Prior to his nine seasons at UTC, Nix’s collegiate career included assistant positions at Louisiana State University (1981 – 1983), Auburn (1976 – 1980), Southern Mississippi (1972 – 1975), Livingston University (1970 – 1971) and Carson Newman (1969). In 1971, Livingston won the Division II National Championship while Nix was the Defensive Coordinator. Nix’s coaching career began in 1961 as a graduate assistant at the University of Alabama, the same year the Crimson Tide finished 11-0 and defeated Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl en route to a National Championship. Nix’s first tenure with the Bills was as a Southeast region college scout from 1993 – 2000, where he first worked with former Bills GM John Butler before joining San Diego. Nix left Buffalo with John Butler and A. J. Smith after the 2000 season. He was initially the Director of Pro Player Personnel (2000–2001), but after Butler died, Smith was promoted to General Manager, and Nix to Assistant General Manager. The Chargers won four out of the last five AFC West titles with Nix as Assistant GM and Director of Player Personnel. Can't you troll someplace else?

Jimmy Clausen. Colt McCoy. Locker will be still be there in the 3rd round.

Yeah, you were. Idiot.

You disappoint me, JSP - why don't you just move to Jersey and root for the Jets?

Well three years is what is took for Levy to take the Bills from 2-14 to 12-4 and the AFC East division title, so Ralph has precedent on his said when he says that's how long it'll take. Despite what some TSW GMs think, the O-line project IS progressing - I think we're all surprised at how the D and special teams have regressed. Unless Brohm gets a fair shot to start at QB and shocks the hell out of everyone, I hope the Bills will be in a position to pick Ryan Mallett - maybe pick up Gabe Carimi too, if he slips to the second round or we can trade back into the first.

I stand corrected - it's a free country, and you have every right to speak like a total idiot. Second place Heisman vote-getter and NFL HOFer Steve Young sucked too, right? He must have, because 3 head coaches (Perkins, Walsh, and Seifert) kept him off the field too. Perkins went so far as to deem Young a total bust, draft Testaverde, and trade Young to the 49ers. Busts are busts, yes, but idiots are idiots. Most TSW posters (and most rational minds) know that 'if you torture the numbers long enough, they'll confess to anything', which is what you keep attempting ad nauseum with one ridiculous statement after another - get the historical data to support your own predisposition that Brohm sucks, without ever seen having him play in a legitimate starting situation. PS - Scouting QBs is Nix's job, and I'm sure he's just thrilled that 92-year-old Ralph put out on the AP wire what the Bills' intentions are in the next draft.