CosmicBills

Thanks for posting this. When Nix was hired I was willing to trust him. Trust in the front office and give them time to prove that trust misplaced. I wasn't a huge fan of the Chan hiring, but again, I was willing to give them faith. Of course for me, the Spiller pick was a huge red flag that these guys are going to be just more of the same. As most know I was on a ranting and raving tirade after that pick -- not so much because I'm anti-Spiller. I'm not. I'm anti-taking a first round RB (again) and what that philosphy tells us about the new regime. That once again we are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to front office moves. Then, watching this interview, and I know it's a fluff piece, but it makes me like Chan. And it restores a little bit of that hope and optimism I had before the draft (and will undoubtedly have moments before every kickoff this season). So thanks.

Not sure if someone posted this ... but it's pretty hilarious.

Come on, it worked for Wyld Stallyns! If Bill and Ted can bring peace and tranquility to the universe, then JJ and Damon can too!

Might want to double check those facts.

Or "Yet another first round RB".

Everything said in that clip is true. Buffalo did virtually nothing this off season in comparison to the rest of the already powerful AFC East. However, keeping Perry wouldn't have helped. So I'm not sure why you're hung up on that.

Might want to check your BAC before you post, Darth. The Spiller pick was all about selling tickets. 100000000%. Spiller was the most exciting pick the Bills could have made in the draft besides taking Tebow -- and they weren't going to take Tebow at 9 because not even the Bills are that fukking crazy. Not saying Spiller isn't good. He clearly is. But when you pick a one or two down RB at 9 when you already have 2 1,000 yard rushers on the team and a roster full of holes, you're hoping to add some excitement on Sundays to sell tickets rather than worrying about just winning and losing.

100% true and correct. Totally disagree here. I didn't mean to imply that the fan culture had anything to do with what actually happens at OBD. It doesn't of course. But there absolutely is a culture amungst fans. And it manifests itself in the type of posts you see on this board. There is a culture to TSW. You know this to be true. It may not impact how the Bills perform on the field, but it certainly impacts the level of discourse seen on this wonderful site.

I'm not one to beat a dead horse just to beat one (um ... see my thoughts on Spiller lol). But the problem with the Bills as I see it is a cultural one. They have a losing culture on the team that has filtered down to the fans. The fans (myself included) are like the abused girlfriend, constantly getting hit in the mouth and yet as soon as the team does something nice like get a shiny new toy, new coach, new GM we all forgive it unconditionally. And on the board here, which we all love, people react the same way. They forgive in the off season when hope springs eternal. And then get totally flustered, angry and upset when the team craps the bed yet again. I'm all for hope and optomisim. I have loads of it. Yet, the biggest reason why this team keeps losing and missing the playoffs is because they have continually failed to address the one position that makes or breaks an NFL team. The QB. This team has not had a franchise QB since Kelly. Bledsoe was close but had too many miles on him. He just wasn't the same after that hit nearly killed him (and understandably so). A franchise QB not only gives you the opportunity to win every game you play, but also changes the culture in a locker room. A team like the Lions, who have lost more than the Bills, were energized by Stafford's play last year. Even though he wasn't the best QB in the league (not even close) his talent at the most important position on the field, sparked belief in the players, coaches and fans. That's what Buffalo is lacking. And while the jury is out on Brohm and Brown, I don't think Edwards has it. And I know Fitz doesn't. And until the Bills get that guy on the team, this team will continue to tred water. Winning just enough to avoid hitting rock bottom, but not winning enough to be relevant. That being the case, there are still SCORES of fans on this site who believe the Bills are set at QB. And while I respect other people's opinions and their right to disagree, the hope is that the front office doesn't believe that to be the case. Because if they do, this team will never change its losing culture. And THAT'S why it's constantly debated on the board and WILL be debated until a QB comes in and proves he can win every Sunday.

I hope that you are correct. I could easily see that being their template.

I agree with you ... but what if the QB and OL are just good enough to eek out 6 or 7 wins. That would be disasterous for this franchise, I honestly believe that. It would not only put the Bills out of position to get one of the top 4 QB prospects (assumming they all hold up -- which is a crap shoot), but ir would also give people reason to think that they already have a good enough QB to win if they just get the rest of the pieces right. That to me is what is scary. Of course, this argument only really applies if it's Trent leading teh team (which is what I think will happen) or Fitz. If Brohm or Brown lead the team to 6 or 7 wins then they'd have a point.

Well you can't say it's not warranted bitching. Fitz is awful. As he showed time and time again. If he's the starter then goodnight. Edwards has potential still, but he's made of glass and hasn't proven he can make it through a full season without missing time -- kind of an important factor when looking for a franchise QB. No one knows about Brohm yet, so he's an unknown. Same with Brown.

Spiller can block. Don't worry.

Amen. Still, when the game starts I can't root for a loss. Even if, in this case, it may be the absolute best thing that could happen for the franchise. They need a franchise QB and unless you get insanely lucky and find a gem like Brady late in the draft, it's very tough to find one when you're picking outside of the top 4 or 5. Ask the Colts if they would have traded one or two more wins in 98 for Manning.

Wow, hold a grudge much? What did he do? Bang your girlfriend? The anti-Willis sentiment on this board is crazy at times. The dude always played hard when the whistle blew. He's only guilty of saying Buffalo is a small city. Which it is. He didn't trash the city contrary to how people spin it.

This team is too proud and fights too hard to finish last in the NFL. Yes, they have the worst OL in the league by far. Yes they have an unsettled QB situation, a young defensive front 7 and new schemes on both sides of the ball, but the heart on this team alone will win 3 to 4 games. I think their talent will win 2. So I see them winning anywhere between 5 to 6 ... which will once again put them on the outside looking in at the top QB prospects of the draft.

Wow, I've never used the ignore function before now. You should feel proud. In the ocean of stupidty that spews from this board from time to time, you have taken the cake and been placed on ignore.

You're assumming I'm a douchebag who's just trying to prove he's right. I'm not. I don't care about being right or wrong, I care about the Bills winning the Super Bowl. Pride is for suckers. And, I can't give you a name because, as I've said, I'm not a draft guru. But I would hope that the people being paid to scout for the Bills WOULD BE. And that, my friend, is my point. If I were the douchebag looking to point back in two years and say "I wanted XYZ all along" I wouldn't advertise my ignorance when it comes to scouting NFL prospects. Would I? But I do know football. And I know the NFL. Because of that I know that there will be countless probowl players that come from this draft who were drafted well past number 8. And many of them will play OT, LB, WR, and DL. It's not my job to identify them, it's the front office's job. My point is that when you have this many holes you don't help your team win by adding to a position where you already have two impact players -- one of whom was the number 11 pick not more than 2 years ago. Trading back was an option. There were plenty of teams that coveted Spiller because he is a dynamic player. The Bills didn't explore the option (based on how quickly they got their pick in and how giddy they were over getting Spiller post pick). Of course that's just my opinion, but I haven't read or seen anything that leads me to believe otherwise. Nix wanted Spiller. He got who he wanted. I just think his philosophy is almost prehistoric -- just like the past three regimes.

All the more reason NOT to take a RB now. CJ is 22 years old, will be 23 before his first NFL snap. Rookie Running Backs have the quickest turnaround from college to pro. Where WRs and OL tend to have a 3 year learning curve (and QBs just as long but for the exceptional ones), RBs can normally hit the ground ... uh-hum ... running from their first year. And they all seem to hit a giant, invisible wall at 30 where their production bottoms out. So if we say the Bills are a franchise QB, LT, RT, 1 or 2 WRs away from having a legit offense, and this front office is going to build through the draft as they've said, then you're looking at 2 more drafts to fill those needs. At best. That means we have all the pieces together 3 years from now. Spiller will be 26 by then. It will take another 2 or 3 years for those guys to gel (worst case scenario), and Spiller will be 29-30 ... right at the mythical point where RBs fall off the face of the earth from wear and tear. Awesome. So look at what Spiller really does. He sells tickets. That's what this pick really did. If you need proof, look around this board. People are thrilled with this pick because he brings some long overdue excitement to the franchise. But that doesn't mean it was the right pick. Of course, this discounts the possibility of bringing in veteran players to man those spots ... and it's also discounting the possibility that there will be a lockout next year which will rob Spiller of one of his most productive years. Again, if the Bills WERE one or two players away, then by all means take a gamble on Spiller. But they're not.

We'll see, but it's rare to have a RB of his size be able to endure the pounding he will take with 350+ carries a season if he's the every down back. There have been very few NFL RBs who have endured that who are under 200 pounds like he is. It has nothing to do with being a pounding back or a speed back, in the NFL you're going to take hits. And they add up over the course of a season. Which is why teams use 2 RBs. And now we have 3. I'll stick to my percentages. He will only see 60% or less of the offensive snaps in 2010 unless Marshawn is dealt.

I've answered that quesiton 100 times. Twice in this thread alone. If they didn't think anyone was worth taking at 9 at any of their numerous positions of need, they should have traded back, gotten an extra pick or two and taken any number of the numerous players left. I'm sure there are plenty of future probowl OL, LB, WR, DL who were picked after number 8 from this draft.

Again, here's the big difference between my logic and yours. It's a philisophical one. My whole argument, my whole case in fact, rests on the fact that the NFL is no longer a league ruled by RBs. It's a passing league. It used to be that you needed good to great RBs to win games. The game was slower. It was a grind it out, chew 'em up game where running backs could cover up all manner of sins on your team. Joe Montana needed Roger Craig, Elway needed Davis, Kelly needed Thurman. A great QB like Marino (sorry, I hate him too) couldn't win because the Dolphins had no reliable RB. But the game has changed. It's no longer a RB's league. The NFL changed the very rules of the game to open up the passing game and increase scoring. Coaches adapted, creating more spread packages, 4 WR sets, short bubble screens designed to get playmakers the ball in space and let their QBs rule. Over the past decade no team has won the Super Bowl who didn't have an elite, franchise QB and the passing game to match. Where you used to run the ball to set up the pass, now you pass the ball to set up the run. The game has changed. Very, very quickly. And in that time, Buffalo has not been to the playoffs. I'm not pinning all their problems on the RB position, but look at how many high draft picks they've spent on RBs over the past decade and change. Antwain Smith (a very good back) was shown the door in favor of Travis Henry (a high second round pick), who was shown the door for Willis (first round) who was shown the door for Lynch, who was only given one and three quarters of a season before the new regime essentially showed him the door by taking Spiller. Meanwhile, the core positions of need in the new NFL have been left woefully behind. Namely, the QB position (though, not for lack of trying), WR corps (again, they tried with TO and Hardy who I haven't given up on yet), OL, LB, DL. With so many holes it makes no sense to spend another valuable pick and even more cap dollars on a position that is becoming less and less important thanks to the rule changes in the modern NFL. RBs are important, as is the running game, but as the winning teams of the past decade have shown, it's more prudent to build your running game through committee. Using cheaper, tandum RB duos to wear out your opponent rather than risking a huge portion of your cap and scheme on a single player who's career shelflife is less than 8 years. Again, you're not alone in thinking that my philosophy is wrong. Your philosophy is the way the NFL has worked for decades prior to the rule changes. But I was hoping that our new front office would realize that the game has changed and build accordingly. By taking Spiller, to me, they proved the opposite. And THAT's what alarms me. So, according to my philosophy, which I believe is the winning philosophy of the rest of the league, you CAN pass on a super star running back. In fact you SHOULD pass on one because you can get equal production from 2 cheaper players.

I'm not as extreme as Bill. In fact, had the Bills taken a WR in the first round, I would have been okay with that because it was a huge need. Dez Bryant will be explosive in the NFL. Might even have a better career than Spiller (but I'm not rooting for that). So yeah, that would have been a splashy pick that would have helped the team. But the fact that this team has huge holes at nearly every position outside of DB and RB is because this team has spent an inordinate amount of high draft picks on RBs and DBs over the past few years. DBs I get -- it's a passing league now and maybe the most important position on the field other than QB is CB because you need 3 or 4 quality guys to combat the spread schemes. But RB? Not worth the cap dollars to invest in a first round pick unless your team is a player or two away from a serious Super Bowl run. Their shelf lives are too short, their impact on the game too minimal to justify tying up that much of your cap space on one position. For a small market team like Buffalo who plays with their own, lower cap space than the rest of the league, having TWO first round round RBs (two TOP 12 RBs) on the same roster while boasting possibly the worst OL in the league, a laughable LB corps, a suspect DL, weak WR corps and no franchise QB on the roster is downright criminal. But people are blinded by the "flash" Spiller brings. He's fast. He's shifty. He scored a lot of TDs in college. And don't get me wrong, I will root for him hard. And I hope he is everything everyone on here is hoping he is. I want nothing more than to see the Bills win a super bowl. But after watching this team burn high draft picks on RBs over the past, playoff-less decade with no results, it pains me to see this new regime of which I had such high hopes for, do the same thing once again. Grant it, it could be Ralph making these calls. It wouldn't surprise me. But taking a RB at 9, when you have 2 already on the roster who are well above average for this passing league, is foolish. Even if he rushes for 2,000 yards like Chris Johnson did last year, the Bills still won't be a playoff team. Just like Tennessee last year.

You keep every player on the Pats the same over the past decade and take away Brady, the Pats don't have one ring, let alone 3. Ditto with the Colts and Saints.

No worries. I'm firing off too many posts and not self editing I've always enjoyed your posts.