1B4IDie

You give me Ahman Green and Brett Favre, Javon Walker (Pre-Injury), & Donald Driver and I'll give you some offense. But yeah he is a good OC. Don't be too surprised if he sticks with Matt Moore after some OTA. (Can you still do OTAs with new CBA) QB wasn't the problem in MIami in my opinion. I don't think a rookie Tannenhill at #9 helps the Dolphins get better, quickly; or is much better than Matt Moore. With some development Tannenhill could be great or could be John Beck. So I hope they screw it up.

Exactly. What picks were really wasted on the 3-4? Its really not that big of a transition as the Bills never really made it to a 3-4 in the 2 years it kinda tried. Maybe Troup Maybe Carrington Although Carrington is big enough to maybe spell Dareus and Kyle Williams in the Middle of the 4-3 line. He'll be used in jumbo sets and because they already stand him on some plays at strong side LB, he could still be a strong side LB on running downs. So the Maybe is less with Carrington imo. Troup is a wasted pick mostly because he is not a good football player and can't stay healthy so it doesn't really matter what scheme we play. Shepp is another pick that has some ??? but only because of the lock-out, Who knew Barnett would sign with the Bills and be a freaking beast. Barnett is more of MLB than an OLB in a 3-4. So thats really the only area that we need to see how it will play out. I think Barnett may be able to play weakside OLB. I really don't know. If we had signed Barnett before the draft like we would have in a non-lockout year we could have drafted a Rusher like Justin Houston in the 3rd instead of Shepp. I keep looking at the 2011 draft and it was loaded with pass rushers from 1st round to 4th. Someone like Justin Houston would probably be a 2nd rounder in 2012 just because there are not as many pass rushers in the 2012 draft. And like usually, the Bills will have to reach in the 2nd or 3rd if they're going to fill out their DEs. The good thing is this year like most, we'll know if we signed any FAs before the draft. Which they're going to have to be major players in the DE and WR FA market if they want to improve in 2012. If they sit on their hand in the FAgency and take a nap at midnight then we'll know that we're in for another 7-9 season. It is that simple in my opinion.

Simple doesn't meam no wrinkles. Simple means a play is practicied (it could be the most exotic blitz the world) a play is called and the play is run. Simple means there are no longer 4 different pre snap reads and 10 different check with mes based on allignment. Now obviously you can't simplify it to the level I describied but you can simplify the amount of reads and audibles that happen on a play. That's the major compenent of simplify. You can still have wrinkly allignments and wrinkly blitzes.

A Bills' fan's wet dream. When they wake up though they'll have Donald Jones and Marcus Easely out wide with Dwan Edwards at DE.

I'm counting Shepp, as he showed some promise, but definitely has a learning curve. (Although Mason Foster or Justin Houston were better picks but lets not go there)

This is to a Buffalo rumblings article. Does anyone have a link to the whole press conference. I can only find bits and pieces on bb.com

Sure can, Bills have 1.5 LBs so it does not matter what front or alignment we're in. However whatever scheme we use in 2012 will steer the type of players (DEs\LBs) we need to add to the defense. Scheme does matter. (Who cares about alignment?)

Let's guess at some Q & As before the conference. Q: "Any word on plans to sign Stevie Johnson?" A: "I'll let Buddy work through that with his agent. We like Stevie we think he brings a lot to the table. He is a hard worker. We'd rather not create a whole we need to fill." Q: "Do you think Fred Jackson deserved to go to the Pro Bowl?" A: "Fred is a great player; one of the best at the position. He works hard. We love Fred and like to see him get all the honors he deserves." Q: "Are you planning to bring Demetrius Bell back next year" A" "We like Demetrius he had some tough breaks with injuries. We think he can be a player if he stays healthy."

Which is incorrect. We don't have players for a 3-4, a 4-3 or 4-6. So it doesn't matter if Wanny changes the base scheme because we don't have the players to play either scheme today. He mentions we're 2 years in a rebuild of a transition to a 3-4 but I argue we haven't transitioned anything in LB core. Barnett is really the only LB you would want to keep. Shepp has shown some flashes but he plays the same position as Barnett and Kelsay is much better as a DE than a stand up backer. He uses Merriman as an example in the first article but if you're going to base your system on Merriman than that's even more a bone-headed idea than saying that the scheme doesn't matter. If Merriman plays, its a nice to have, but you can't build a system where Merriman is a dependency again We saw that in 2011. The core concept of a 3-4 if you have 3 down line man and send a forth rusher from any LB spot. Generally the "Jack" player will be the 4th rusher but that player has to also be able to drop back and cover when you send pressure from a different LB spot. Something a 4-3 DE would only do in an exotic blitz package. So the scheme does matter no matter where the players line up pre-snap. Chris Kelsay should be the prime example of why scheme matters. He is a horrible OLB. Like liability on the field at OLB. But actually is a very good, better than average 4-3 DE. Scheme does matter. Or It does matter because we lack skilled players and can "transition" quickly to any base system in 2012.

The premise of this articles is that players line up in similar areas of the field in both systems therefore the scheme doesn't matter. This is a stupid premise. It doesn't matter where the players line up pre snap it matters what their responsibilities are during the play. Which vary based on the scheme. Guess what the scheme does matter but its not the only thing that matters when drafting a player

They don't sign Stevie or any Free Agents WR goes to #1 with a bullet. With no movement on the SJ front it's likely to happen.

Before the Senior Bowl I was calling Weeden "Plug-n-Play" and saying he would be the perfect pick for a team that needs a week 1 starter QB. (Not a god pick for the Bills) After the Senior Bowl "analysts" are agreeing. Don't be surprised if Weeden is the 3rd QB taken and a possible Top 10 pick. Even though he will be 29 on Week1. Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/feed/2011-10/nfl-mock-draft/story/brandon-weeden-solidifies-draft-status#ixzz1kftmskiR

He is more like this year's Christian Ponder. A good prospect that was taken very early. Gaine Blabbert was crap before and after the draft. Blabbert was more just draft-boy hype than substance. The Jags aren't known as great talent evaluators. I'm just glad the Bills were smart enough to stay away from that turd. Tannehill is a different story, there is something raw there like Ponder with a higher ceiling.

Seriously!

I heard a crazy stat from Shanahan recently and I couldn't find a link, it was on the local DC news. He said X number of players from the 2011 Senior Bowl were drafted and 100% of them made the 53 Man roster. If that is true that shows the talent in this game. Emmanuel Acho is a 3rd\4th round guy I'm keeping an eye. So far not too impressive. I liked his brother last year, Sam, for the Bills in the 4th, and Emmanuel may be better. He could be a situational pass rusher. His brother Sam got to the QB in the NFL this year in limited snaps. Keep an eye out.

This is complete poppy-rooster. Kyle Williams was making bad decisions in the 2nd QTR. His concussion history has nothing to do with him not understanding the role of a punt returner. He dove for a fair catch in the first half with 3 giant defenders around that was nothing but foreshadowing for a big time turnover. I blame the special team coach for not sitting down with him at half time and explaining that's its OK to let the giants down a ball. After the first turnover off the knee that was two strikes and the special team coach should have had someone else back there catching punts. Not to mention that on the fumbled punt return, it appeared that the 9ers had called for a full punt block, meaning Williams had no one in front of him blocking, so even if he got past the first wave of Giants there were more unblocked Giants on the way, if the coach didn't instruct Kyle Williams to fair catch a punt when there was a full punt block called then the special teams coach should be fired. That is just nonsense NJ Giants big talk. They don't get credit for "targeting" Kyle Williams. He was the punt returner what were they supposed to do, two hand touch him? BS, this is just the Giants trying to take credit for being lucky.

No Look at the numbers. You are turning success into relative dollars. Having 14 extra million dollars may be a competetuve advantage if the majority of NFL spent up to the cap and over but that isn't the case. 21 teams have an extra 5 million dollars to spend and can compete evenly for most free agents with that money. 12 teams have over 10 million extra dollars to spend and can compete evenly with the Bills for most big money free agents with that money. NFL teams, the Bills included do not have a cap problem. IN 2011 they're not close to spending up to the cap. So in relative dollars its not much of an advantage when most everyone has extra dollars to spend. Not to mention if you learn anything from Dan Snyder big money free agents is not the way to win championships.

If the player and team knows what down it is based on the scoreboard. Then the team and players are morons and deserve to lose. There is a big number right on top of the chains 1-4, so like um, there is no freaking excuse. They should have called a timout anyway. There was no reason to rush. That was doubly stupid.

Courtney Upshaw is NOT a PASS RUSHING specialist. He is an every down baker. There is a difference. He is not likely a 10+ sack guy in the NFL. You do not draft Upshaw with the hopes of him being your sack guy. The Bills have ZERO decent OLBs on the roster. If you draft Upshaw you draft him to be your new Daryl Talley and hope he becomes your new Biscuit. (Who by the way never got double digit sacks)

If the Bills win a Super Bowl in my lifetime I will be there. I don't care if I have to sell a Kidney, I will be there. Its better I lose the kidney before I get there anyways as I'm probably going to ruin my liver and kidneys while I'm there anyway. Money comes and goes but the Bills winning a Super Bowl may only be a once in a lifetime event, amd maybe not even once.

The Patriots are the Boston team with the longest Championship drought. So maybe it's not so old hat after all. I'm sure there will be a butt in every seat. I'm not worried for a moment. Even though its NAPaNAPolis as in ZZZZZZZZZZ.

Don't mistaken your loathing of Kelsay as a 3-4 OLB for his performance as a 4-3 LDE. He is actually better than most LDE in a 4-3. He is pretty good with hand on the ground against the run and can help collapse the pocket and does occasionally get to the QB. He ha 5 sacks last year. So if you're transitioning to a full time 4 man front in makes 0 sense to cut Kelsay. However I like your SJ13 contrat idea. If something doesn't get done in the next 40 days. My guess is he'll be playing for the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. They nee WR help.

You're right. One minor correction was Leach was wide open between the 10 and 5, and Flacco forced it, to the end zone instead of hitting the wide open man, that would have had the probable touchdown. Allthough I'm guessing the CB is way faster than Leach so the TD wasn't guaranteed. Decisions like that reflect poorly on the QB, but are more understandable than stepping into the pocket on 3rd and 1. Having a huge hole with no one in front of you and you only need 1 yard, plus you have a TO in your pocket and everyone is covered. Freaking Dan Marino in 1997 would have scrambled for the first down with his lawnmower engine, powered leg braces in that situation.

I think that is coming from a place where Lee Evans is on the roster in 2013. I'm assuming he won't be. So if the 4th round pick is on the roster in 2013 than you have something more than just payroll savings. You have a possible contributor as opposed to an empty roster spot. So there is a good argument that the Bills may have traded Evans too Early but in my mind, Lee Evans was going one way or another in 2013. Plus he has proven that he isn't a good fit for the current Bills offense. Plus Buddy Nix has an apparent history of finding sizable WRs. V-Jax, Legadu Nanne, Malcom Floyd, David Nelson, an others . . . So you might as well get something for him in return when you can. A bird in hand is better than a dozen in the bush and all . . .

If you place Lee Evans in the lineup in place of Donald Jones, the likelihood of connecting on some of those ill-fated forced deep paces goes up. Donald Jones looked completely overwhelmed in that role and doesn't appear to be able to catch a ball that well. At the same time from a business perspective Lee Evans clearly wasn't a long term fit in Buffalo. Fitz has trouble connecting on the long ball, and Lee Evans is really just a speedster specialist, He has questionable skills when it comes to running anything else than a deep pattern. For better or worse Chan has built this offense around short patterns. You can blame that on Fitz or Chan or whomever you like. Either way those or the facts. So when do you get rid of Lee Evans and still get something in return? The real question is would Lee Evans turn a few of losses on that 7 game loosing streak into wins? I highly doubt it.