Bill from NYC

"Bills President and CEO Russ Brandon, an East Syracuse native, serves on the Syracuse University Sports Management Advisory Board, and has a measure of familiarity with Marrone." http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Bills-meet-Syracuse-head-coach-Doug-Marrone/a52d984f-8c4f-4aac-afc3-7d95b2e98331 So, was this a marketing move, or one of cronyism? I don't know, but as a Bills Fan I will rally behind him and hope that he is up to the task. GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, THAT was funny!!! The thing is, I don't really agree. The QB I would use for the sake of this discussion is Matt Schaub. I would call him a perfect example of a QB who is GOOD. He will never be as great as Elway, Brady, P. Manning, etc. But he is clearly good enough to lead a good team to the playoffs, perhaps even a superbowl. When a team has a QB as good (again, not great) as Schaub, you can use draft picks on players such as Watt, etc. instead of chasing qbs. In fact, I am hoping that if there really is a lack of star qbs in this class (which appears to be the case), we can find one who will at some point play at the level of Schaub. So imo, the difference between Dalton and Fitz is that Dalton has a good shot at being about as good as Schaub. He isn't quite as accurate, but seems more mobile. Fitz otoh looks as if he will not reach this higher plateau. And I am being kind. In summary, are the Bills worse off for not drafting Dalton? Yes, I believe they are. Jmo.

Not to speak for John, but the rule changes have made the league resemble Arena Football. Receivers now own the middle instead of assasin safeties, and HUGE fines are imposed for late hits on the QB. Also, the new CBA makes it easier to take a chance on a qb with an early draft selection. Teams will not be destroyed for years for a blunder such as Jamarcus Russell. In short, if you like a quarterback, you have to grab him if he is there. PS: I don't necessarily like the new game more than the old one but to compete, the need fo a qb has never been more pronounced.

Again, I agree. It's as if Nix kept his eye on how a college player was rated, rather than concentrate on building a winning team. I know that this sounds nuts, but while Spiller and Gimore were rated high, and are in fact good players, it didn't translate into wins. I suppose it's the same wrt Dareus, but I was ok with this pick because it made a weak team bigger and stronger. And btw, I continue to credit Nix with building this OL. He simply should have made a move at a qb. I have no idea what held him back. Actually, I have seen a lot of Wilson. While he lacks the tools of Mallett (who doesn't?), I think that he might be good. I also think that he will need some time, given his situation. And btw, I still hope that the Bills offer Saban 6 years/60 million.

Good post as usual, from top to bottom. Yes, Gilmore probably will be good some day, but the impact factor does have to be weighed. And I agree with you wrt Gailey. He has what I consider a very good offensive mind, but little can be accomplished sans a quarterback. As for the "glimmer of hope" I will wait until after the draft. Call me crazy, but I expect them to draft Dee Milner at #8.

When we talk about great units like this you are correct, it comes down to opinion. I was very young, but the best I remember were the old Chiefs, with Bobby Bell, Willie Lanier (both in HOF) and Jim Lynch. Also, the Steelers trio of Ham, Lambert and Russell wasn't too shabby.

Thank you for a well thought post. The only thing I will do wrt your list is agree with the poster who cited the weather, and question 2 of the 3 negatives. The wr corps needs more than depth. After SJ, they are pedestrian at best. An injury to #13 would make them perhaps the worst in the NFL. The LB corps, although I haven't seen them all, probably IS the worst in the NFL. Coming into the season, Barnett was good. Now, no LB is. They are all terrible. A coach/GM would have to fill these 2 gaping holes, AND get us a qb. This would seem to be a daunting task. Long time fans like you and I know what to look for. If Goodell strolls up to the podium and announces that the Bills select Dee Milner at #8, all is lost for many more seasons. We need to fill the above holes, and most of all field a good quarterback to play this new brand of football. Jmo.

Yes. I am not sure how many qbs in this class can step right in. Also, things have changed with the new CBA. Early draft picks cost less these days. It wouldn't be unreasonable at all to keep Fitz for a year to help break a kid in. Besides, Fitz will probably be an OC down the road, and might be a willing mentor.

I am sorry Bro. I thought you were kidding. Imo, Marv is WAY too old, and he failed miserably at GM. Nice man, but we need something more. If we want to go back in time, we should hand the keys to Polian imo. Have a great New Year.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hear what you are saying. For me, it was a pressure free game. I can't prove it, but I had zero doubt that the Bills would win. It enabled me to watch the game with a sense of calm. The score didn't reflect the actual game either imo. Aside from Spiller, SJ, and Brad Smith not too many players had exceptional games. Looking at the stats, it would seem as if the LBs played well. They really did not. Barnett is done. What do you think of this QB class? I like Glennon, but imo it will take him some time. I see him as possibly rising to the level of Schaub. Smith confuses me. I wasn't impressed by him at the bowl game, but he is almost certainly better than this. I liked Jones until I watched him this season. Maybe he is hurt, but he seems to have fallen way off. I am also going to look at LBs in this class, but I hope we can get some in free agency. Guards too, because I will be shocked if Levitre stays. Shocked and thrilled, because he might be the most under rated player in the NFL. PS: We need a safety. Happy New Year my friend!!!

Nope. He's outta here based on that comment. And he deserves it too. As much as I have praised what Nix has done for the OL, it was more of the same in terms of the draft.

Is this really where you want to go? Are you accusing those who are unimpressed by the kid of racism, let alone people that you do not know? Is so, that is lame and shallow.If not I'm sorry, and ask you to explain what you are saying.

I realize that the conditions are bad. But, I am totally unimpressed with Smith. His out patterns lacked zip, and his shoulders seem quite narrow. I was hoping that he would have a great game today to make sure he was the first player selected. My wish is that the Bills do not draft him. We need a QB, and I would, at this point, be fine with Glennon or perhaps even Nassib. The last player I want the Bills to draft high is Geno Smith. PS: My record wrt qbs is sketchy. I was right about Losman being awful, but I thought Rob Johnson was going to be a superstar.

Dave, logic precludes Bills Fans from high expectations at this point. Sad but true. Saban has won titles sans a stellar qb, but we both know that college is different. The only thing that could possibly bring him to NY (imo) is money. I make the case that if he came here, he would get this team to the playoffs in a very short time period. I also admit that I am dreaming.

I only have only one man in mind who can do it all for our team. Like him or hate him, Nick Saban. He is a complete, total winner. Nobody, perhaps in the history of college football, is a better recruiter. The man knows who has talent. He has trained numerous great assistants. And, there is a family history. Mr. Wilson, as we all know, is not young. He should offer Saban a 5 year/50 million dollar contract and give him complete authority. Mr. Wilson is a billionaire. This would not hurt his estate. It might actually strengthen it. Coach Saban would bring to the table a winning program. Great assistants would, and have already bought into his system. It would not take him long to win wherever he goes. Winning is what he does. And I think that he almost certainly has learned lessons from his first time around with Miami. The man is NO joke, and is about to win another national championship. I am not necessarily correct, but I am unable to see anyone else in his class. Jmo.

Most Important: 1) Levitre, but it ain't looking good 2) Byrd: Franchising him is no big deal 3) Rinehart: Important depth player 4) Colin Brown: Pretty good player, and Wood is not reliable in terms of health. And, we ae going after a qb so Barrett Jones will be selected by another team. We could keep him for pocket change. Jmo.

The fact that he is a free agent after this season, and would be risking injury before a new contract is something consider, wouldn't you say? I am in the crowd that thinks he is finished as a Buffalo Bill. No great loss either. Just another dumb Jauron draft selection that helped destroy this football team.

I would like to see him fired for the smoking ban.

I cannot. A 3rd round pick? If he would have bombed, so be it. How is Aaron Williams looking with the second pick of round 2? John, his potential is unlimited. Nick Saban said that only a couple of people on earth could ever throw a ball like him, and he was in college. I saw him throw a flat footed, 50 yard post pattern that was never 20 feet high, or so it seemed. This btw is all but impossible. He threw 40 yard out patterns with more zip than Fitz has on a 20 yard passes over the middle to Jones. I know.....other teams also passed. But lots of them already had qbs. And he went to the right place. Bellichick would fire him in 2 seconds if he screws ip. He has Brady. But I will go out on another limb and predict that if Brady gets hurt, Mallett will advance that football team in the playoffs.

There were drug rumors about Mallett, and he had a drunk/disorderly arrest if I recall. He was a risk for sure, but if arm strength is your thing, he was the one to watch. I will go out on a limb and say that his arm is as strong as Cam Newton's.

I would like your posts on this issue SOOO much more if you would include Mallett!!!

MaGahee wasn't the best player because he wasn't "avaliable." He sat injured for 20 games before he took the field, no? They desperately needed a guard, and Steinbach was there. Running back was far less of an issue at the time. As far as DBs, the Bills were taking them before the rule changes and haven't stopped. No change at all. Their drafts have been pretty bad for many years. Levy/Jauron were the icing on the putrid cake. And yes, in all the biggest failure was to not bring in a franchise qb. TD did try with Losman. It's a shame that he was bad beyond description.

I would take him in a second. The man has a system, and probably has plenty of assistants all over the country who would buy right into it. He prepares better than anyone I have ever seen, and is an absolute winner. This Crimson Tide team is not as good as they were last year. They have a better offense, but the defense is not even close. That said, he has what, 5 weeks to plan his strategy? I know that I woudn't bet against him in this scenario. If Saban came to Buffalo, I would be the happiest fan in the country.

GREAT point John!!! Btw, wrt your previous post, I have given Nix all the credit one can give for building the lines, especially the OL. For well over a decade, I blasted the Bills OL. Now, I actually defend them. For exmple, some posters are not high on Pears. I happen to think that he is a good RT. We certainly could have used him on Sunday. If we don't lose Levitre, we are deep at OG. Great job by Nix! If Nix can find a good qb in this draft, the Bills will have a chance at winning football games. As I said in the OP, at this point I would make an offer for Rivers and again, I am not a huge fan of his. I say this because there is nobody else out there to trade for imo. Would Bellichick trade us Mallett if he isn't stoned out on drugs? Ain't happening. And sadly, this appears to be a weak qb draft. Then again, who knows? As Bills fans, we are conditioned to cling to hope.