CosmicBills

I agree with you. And that's my point. That line of thinking is flat wrong. And if they're trying to mold the team with that plan in mind, it's going to take another rebuilding phase and a new GM to come in and right the ship before this team can become a serious championship contender.

BUMP -- with the Troup situation settled ...

Nope. I can't. I'm not a draftnik. But then again, it's not my business or my job to do that. It's the people in the front office's job to do that. When Nix was hired I was willing to cast aside the fact that he was an old man in a young man's job. I was willing to forget the fact that the organization made a move from within rather than going with an outside hire. I was willing to trust in their judgment because he said all the right things when he was hired. The best part of heading into the draft this past year was that the Bills have so many holes there was NO way they could screw up their first pick ... unless they took a RB or DB. This team has used 4 first round picks on RBs over the past decade. FOUR. They've used FIVE high picks if you include the second round selection of Travis Henry. From Smith to Lynch it's been a revolving door position. Smith was supposed to be the RB of the future for the Bills and he had some great years. Then, while he was still in his prime they bring in Travis. The next Thurman Thomas. We ran him out of town despite his warrior heart and production in favor of Willis who was on one leg. Still, Willis was supposed to be a stud super star. And he was good. Then run out of town in favor of Lynch -- who was usurped by a talent from NFL Europe. And now, he's being run out by the next shiny new toy. RBs are over valued. It's a passing league now. You can't win a championship without a marque, franchise QB. You just can't. And a franchise QB needs at least an adequate line in front of him ... the Bills have neither. But what's done is done. Season is here so I'm done complaining about it. I just have very little faith that Nix being in charge is any different. This team is still in dire need of direction. And Nix isn't the one to provide it.

In almost any other situation I'd agree. But when it's a RB, I have to disagree. RBs are the most overvalued position in the NFL.

Well you're making the assumption that Nix's vision or plan is something to actually follow. But see, for me, the mere fact that he took a RB at 9 shows me that either it's just more of the same from this inept front office (with Ralph actually pulling the trigger), the same front office that has wasted 4 first round picks on RBs over the past decade -- a playoffless decade. Put it this way, do you honestly believe that there will be no pro-bowl or even (gasp) hall of fame players to come out of this draft that were taken AFTER pick number 9? Don't you think that it's highly likely that there will be at least a handful of players who will become impact players at the OT, LB, QB, WR and DL positions? And if that's true, don't you think the Bills would have benefited from trading back, getting more picks and picking one of those impact players at a position of desperate need rather than using a very high pick on perhaps the only position on the roster that DOESN'T have a hole? That's my point ...

Not true. Nix said they didn't field any offers because they wanted Spiller. They made the pick in less than 2 minutes. There were teams who would have traded up for Spiller. It was widely reported during and after the draft.

You're leaving out the better option: trade back, get more picks and thus more players to plug the enormous holes on the roster ...

Yup. That's why he's unemployed ...

I think his point was the team has so many holes no matter what impact CJ has, it won't amount to more wins. It may amount to more highlights, but not more wins.

Since camp starts today ... just a little bump back to the first page.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! You obviously don't understand this brilliant plan designed by this stellar front office. You don't need blockers when you have not one, not two, but THREE running backs! Especially when one is fast. Barry Sanders never had blockers and look at how well his teams did! Get with the times, man!

I'm with you there. Agree 1000%

But it's sports. Sports ARE just entertainment. Think about it. What's the difference between tailgating in team colors and jerseys and the folks who go to Star Wars conventions dressed in Storm Trooper gear? Besides the amount of wedgies given, there's no difference. We are sports nerds/junkies ... which is no different from someone being a comic book nerd/junkie or a movie nerd/junkie. Sports have as much relevance as a movie, tv show or book. They provide hours of entertainment for their audiences but at the end of the day don't have any meaningful impact on the world. Sure there are exceptions and great moments like the crossing of the color line, the patriotic zeal that the Olympics can create etc. But at the end of the day they're just games played by grown men who are making a ton of bank amusing the rest of us. What do you honestly expect from sports "reporting"? The media as a whole has become nothing more than a shouting match. You never see moderates on TV or on talk radio (in politics OR sports) because moderates don't sell. If you put two moderates on TV, there's no conflict. And the number one rule in entertainment is you need conflict or it's BORING. And boredom = death in this business. So on TV, radio and even print, they find the loudest, most divisive people to shout (not write or speak) their views from the rooftops just to get a reaction from us. So of course ESPN is going to focus on the biggest markets, the biggest stories, and -- if all else fails -- find ways to INVENT stories to make the product more entertaining. Sports is no different. It's all entertainment. Sports reporters are nothing more than movie critics with a different beat.

Yup. Grant it, I've never gone into a Bills' season with as little optimism as I have right now. I have a huge sense of dread for this coming season because I subscribe to the belief that you can't win the NFL without a legit, franchise QB. And the Bills just don't have one of those. I'd be more hopeful if they had more talent, then they could still compete and push for a playoff birth even without the QB. But since they have neither the QB nor a decent option at LT, RT, WR, LB and DE ... color me less than cheery. Factor in the very realistic thought that there will be no football in 2011, and I'm even more depressed. Because it means it'll be that much longer for our team to really turn the corner on this whole rebuilding process. And that's the key word. Rebuilding. That's what this team is doing. I'm not being a doom and gloomer here, but this team is being rebuilt in Nix and Gailey's image. And that takes time. We shouldn't expect miracles here, but we should reserve the right to be pleasantly surprised. Still, the absolute worst thing this team can do in 2010 is win 5 to 8 games. Winning 8 games won't get you into the playoffs and winning 5 games won't net you one of the premier talents in this years (seemingly) deep QB class. This team NEEDS a franchise QB in order to be a relevant NFL franchise again, and baring a miracle trade, that just won't happen unless this team gets a top 5 pick. Sure they could hit the lotto with a Tom Brady type gem, but that's more of a crapshoot than a first round QB. Of course, my whole argument will be null and void if either Trent or Brian step up and prove to be that franchise type QB. But if I'm being honest here, I think there's more of a chance that I'll own the Bills one day ... and I'm broke.

Agreed with the above poster. Look at the roster and (honestly) compare it to the rest of the AFC. Hell, even the AFC East. The Bills have arguably the worst offensive line in the division, if not the conference (not having either a starting caliber right or left tackle tends to do that). The interior is fine, but Green is a step down from Walker and Butler. Meredith and Bell are unproven. Either could surprise, but that's asking a lot from two guys who were taken from the scrap heap. The Bills have a completely untested receiving corps. Evans is underrated -- but besides Lee is there anyone on the roster that has quality experience as a playmaker? Roscoe? ... yeah. That's about it. Sure, Hardy is a 2nd round pick that has oodles of talent but he's still an unknown after losing a year to injury and poor coaching. Steve showed signs the past few seasons, but that was in mop up duty. The Bills have no franchise QB on the roster. None. You just can't win in today's NFL without one of those. Sure Brian might develop into one, but that's asking a lot. Ditto with Trent. Fitzpatrick is just plain terrible. Either way, unless Trent or Brian take a huge, monumental step forward this year, the Bills are in a lot of trouble at this position. The Bills are extraordinarily deep at RB. Jackson and Lynch is a great 1-2 combo. Spiller adds some speed and match up problems, but alas, in today's game you need to be able to pass to set up the run. With no OTs on the roster, no QB to keep defenses honest and no playmakers besides Lee at the WR spot teams are going to load up against the run just as they have done the past few years. The Bills should be able to move the ball on the ground between the 20s. But look for another very low scoring output from this offense which is insanely unbalanced. On defense the Bills have a totally untested front 7. Not only do the Bills STILL have the worst LB corps in the league (sorry, it's true), they are switching schemes and have guys playing out of position, some for the first time in their careers. That's going to create a steep learning curve at best and an utter disaster in year 1 at worst. Seriously, look at the front 7 -- the only way it's going to be successful in '10 is if the Bills get HUGE production from their rookies AND Kelsey, Maybin, Marcus and co. all make the transition to their new positions flawlessly. Again, that's asking a lot. The Bills' secondary is perhaps the strongest unit on the club besides maybe RB. I think this is a unit that can make plays and will. However, with a shaky front 7, no elite pass rushers to put pressure on opposing QBs, they're going to end up hung out to dry over the course of a game. They're good, maybe even great, but they aren't superheroes. Now is it possible that the Bills get career performances from one of the QBs, TWO Offensive tackles, two or three unknown WRs, their second round NT, Kelsey, Maybin, Stroud, Poz and Mitchell? Sure. It's possible. Is it likely? No. But sadly, that's what it's going to take for the Bills to be legit playoff contenders in '10. Face it. This team is rebuilding. It's year 1 of what seems to be a 3 year plan. From top to bottom this IS one of the least talented rosters in the NFL (at least at the premium positions). And you just can't win without talent.

Doc, You're not much of an optimist are you? Lest you forget, we are a species that landed on the moon a mere 66 years after the Wright Brother's took to the air for the first time. 66 years!!! From a paper and wooden plane to sophisticated rockets and space travel. Technological advances are exponential. In fact, technology is advancing so quickly that it's difficult to keep up. Just look at the last 50 years and what's been developed and how quickly it's changed the world. From the internet to the iPad -- things are only going to continue to advance at an even quicker rate. In another 50 years there will be new tech that will make the iPad look like a dinosaur. There's absolutely no doubt that technology WILL keep advancing to a point where interstellar travel is not only possible, but common. Your point about whether or not the human race will survive long enough to reach that point is a far more valid and compelling argument. Because yes, there's a chance we kill ourselves or this planet long before we reach that. But, to say that it's impossible for humans to develop the capabilities to travel across vast distances is just plain false and shows a complete ignorance of how far we've come as a species in a very, very short period of time.

Of course they're not holdouts yet. That's why there's an option for 0 ... meaning they won't hold out. But experience shows that the likelyhood of the number 9 pick being in camp on time is pretty slim. Not impossible, but slim. So, come Thursday he becomes a "hold out". Personally I don't think missing even a week of camp is a huge deal. Maybe more for Troup than Spiller. RBs have the shortest learning curve. I was just curious what everyone else thinks. Hence the poll.

In the weeks leading up to camp I've read a lot of posters on here saying how proactive this new regime has been about getting their players signed and to camp faster than ever before. Obviously, that's not entirely true. These things always take time as they're dependent upon the whole slotting system. Still, as we close in on camp, how confident are you that CJ and Troup will be signed in a quick fashion?

In order to run the ball effectively these days you need an above average passing attack (or better) to do the job. The best teams these days pass to set up the run, rather than run to set up the pass. Since Buffalo has no offensive tackles, no experienced WRs other than Lee, an utter abortion at the QB position, I think the Bills will have a hard time running the ball even with the talent in their backfield. ... at least they'll have a hard time running the ball when it counts. As far as stopping the run? This team still has arguably the worst LB corps in the NFL (though, the new DE/OLB hybrids in the 3-4 could surprise I guess) and has a very unproven front 3 in this particular scheme. Add in the learning curve of a new system and I think you're looking at a long year for the front 7 of this team.

Biggest Surprise: Edwards. (Note: This could be the biggest positive surprise or the biggest "holy s*&t he's awful"! surprise") Biggest Disappointment: Spiller

I agree with you for the most part -- though I liked Begins. I think what's happening is that Nolan is an adult director of popcorn movies. He's not soulless like Michael Bay and he's not as poppy as Spielberg. Nolan slides in and fills a huge void in the mainstream Hollywood system. And I'm all for that. However, because he's the only one doing it (or at least the only one doing it with 100 million plus budgets), people revere him as a new genius of the medium. Audiences are just thirsty for more of his brand of entertainment -- even if in reality he's pretty dull and, as you said, overrated. Everything is hype and marketing these days. And Nolan is on the right side of that coin. I have a sneaking suspicion that the next film he does will have the Funny People effect (i.e. the town falling head over heels for Nolan and letting him have total and absolute control as they did with Apatow's last film. That will result in the film being far too indulgent, messy and missing its mark emotionally and creatively -- like Funny People did) ... but I could be wrong.

Am I the only one who finds Nolan to be ... how should I put this ... BORING. The Dark Knight and Inception, while both were beautiful films, were so dull visually. He has some neat tricks, but there's no heart. No risks. I'm a huge fan of Memento, Batman Begins and even the Following (haven't seen the Prestige yet). I went in wanting to love Inception because I've heard nothing but rave reviews. And I enjoyed it. I highly recommend it to people. But, like Dark Knight, I think it's vastly over rated. On every level. The best part of the movie was JGL. That dude is a star waiting to happen. Leo needs to do a comedy STAT. He's played the same exact role for the past 12 films (and arguably Shutter Island and Inception are actually the same f'ing movie ... plot wise at least). He's arguably the best working actor in the business right now, but he takes himself far too seriously and it's starting to wear thin. He needs a change before he gets stuck in that rut. end:/rant

The Bills won't contend for the playoffs, nor will they finish with a top 5 draft pick.

I just saw the episode last night and the first thing I thought was, "they better not bring Buffalo into this show".