BillsVet

At least they finally got Aaron Williams in the concussion protocol. So things are looking up I guess.

No. Please pick up your pom-poms at the door and cheer everything the Bills do. Not doing so means you're a "hater." There's no middle ground in this debate.

He needs to be scouting for the Calgary Stampeders next year. This is outstanding insight.

Does this pre-season game factor into analytics to determining whether the Bills are still one of the best NFL teams going into the regular season?

I'm not surprised you're of the school that when a team plays well in the preseason, that's something to beat your chest about. When they don't, well, it's nothing because both teams are running vanilla schemes. At least that's what seems to be mentioned every preseason when things aren't looking good. If preseason game results are now a barometer for regular season success, why weren't they even going back a few years ago? I remember hearing that the results didn't matter in the preseason when the team didn't look good. Which one is it?

Pre-season grades are now indicative of success? We're really reaching now. The early nineties Bills were typically 0-4 each pre-season, yet would win 10 or more games. What does that mean?

The front office isn't accountable because it changes every few years, hence the new group gets another 2-3 years. Wash, rinse, repeat. Been like that particularly since 2006 when Marv and DJ came aboard. Then Brandon and DJ. Then Nix/Gailey. Then Whaley/Marrone/Rex. Personnel leadership has been changed out, new players, same result. One wonders who is hiring the GM's and why they're not held accountable.

If they're going to win enough to make the playoffs, it rides on the offense scoring enough points and that defense being, dare I say it..."bend but don't break."

We can judge drafts before the pre-season is over? It used to be the evaluation took at least 2 seasons.

This is shaping up to be an epic season and not in a good way. I think the Bills have put off making a decision on their GM which will need to be made in early 2017. The HC it's probably too early to tell now. Not having language in Dareus' contract for failed/missed testing is inexcusable.

This is a question that'll be answered next off-season. Something tells me the myriad of 2016 off-season blunders, if the season doesn't produce a playoff team, will not be forgotten when 2017 rolls around.

Where did I say anything about the current HC? Man you're angry today!

I was thinking about it, but didn't want to be comical. They waived him the other day, so no big loss. Best defensive player on the team with a 100M contract who was arrested in 2014 for possession, now on his second suspension, has crashed his car into a restaurant, and benched by a previous HC. Nice attempt at deflection. The guy's had a myriad of personal tragedies and for that he should be commended on handling it in stride. He's just not improving off the field, which hampers his on the field production.

Squirrel!

Who's talking about being done with the team? Or joining a Jets board? Only you are. This is what's happened in the last 3 months...for a team which stumbled to an 8-8 record in 2015 despite going on a huge spending spree.

In the span of 3 months, this happened: 1. May: 1st round pick Shaq Lawson, whose shoulder removed him from other teams' boards suffers a shoulder injury during a non-contact drill. He undergoes surgery and will not be able to play until Week 8. 2. May: The same day Lawson's injury is announced, it is revealed Sammy Watkins had foot surgery a month previous and is uncertain for training camp. 3. May: The Bills media policy is made known and widely panned for preventing any record of what players do in practice. Later, the policy is walked back. 4. May: GM Doug Whaley tells WGR 550 radio that football is "a violent game that I personally don't think humans are supposed to play." The team is forced to issue a clarification the following day. 5. July: Karlos Williams shows up 20+ pounds overweight and later is suspended 4 games for a violation of the league's substance abuse policy. 6. July: Jonathan Williams, a 2016 5th round pick is arrested for DWI in Arkansas. 7. July: Manny Lawson is injured while working out and misses the beginning of training camp. 8. August: Reggie Ragland, a 2nd round pick the team depended on as an immediate starter, suffers a knee injury and will miss the 2016 season. 9. August: Cordy Glenn suffers a high ankle sprain and will miss the entire pre-season. Expected to be available for week 1. 10. August: Manny Lawson is suspended 1 game for a violation of the league's domestic violence policy. 11. August: Marcell Dareus suspended 4 games for a violation of the league's substance abuse policy. I didn't include McCoy's fight with off-duty cops in Philadelphia, but considered it (EDIT:) because he was not charged.

It's only 1 year the Bills haven't made the playoffs. What's another one? It's hard to win in the NFL anyway.

Well, let's look on the bright side. If that injury suffered during his max bench attempt isn't healed, he has one more week now.

Many of these recent signings to play LB were so experienced, other teams had forgotten they were out there as free agents.

He's the owner and can reset the clock based on his tenure. Those fans who agree with this perspective either showed up when TPegs did or exist in a results optional state of mind. Anything to avoid criticism and deflect from the reality the Bills haven't been good for a long time.

Good thing it's only been 1 year they haven't won. The 15 previous to that, well, they don't count because the Ministry of Truth, i.e. OBD has wiped them from history. I sense that Blanton is going to get a lot of playing time this year.

Sure, why not. The Ministry of Truth has spoken and their water carriers pass it off accordingly.

It's more nuanced than simply saying Kiko for Shady. KA's rookie contract turned into a 5 year 40M deal for McCoy that helped hamstring them this off-season. I've always thought the best way to describe the team under Whaley in terms of resources was as Bill from NYC said: he's been fast and loose. Why did the team need a RB who demanded a contract extension to this degree? After 6 seasons of wear and tear?

And on opening day, you hope they'll have 3 starting (Woods, Watkins, Darby) out of the 8 picks in rounds 1-2 from 2013-16. Ouch.

Symbolism over substance. You can have 46 dudes with the right attitude who aren't very talented and play under a bad game plan. It probably won't win you a lot of games. Ah, civility at its finest. This off-season has to go down as one of the worst for this franchise. A bad cap situation from their 2015 spending spree, Watkins broken foot, drafting damaged goods Lawson, Whaley's inept comments, the Bills idiotic media policy, and now Ragland's out for the season. Well, I'm waiting for someone to say it's just bad luck. Like it tends to become every season the team falters. At least Rex is more subdued now.