BillsVet

This is not a zero sum game as you portray it. Spending money on Byrd doesn't necessarily mean someone else goes. How many times have we seen teams, like Dawgg mentioned the 49ers did, keep multiple names and let 1 guy go. Contracts can be re-worked, cap hit projected over more years, etc. Buffalo's issue remains a reluctance to pay for elite talent and with games decided frequently by 7 points or less, it's elite talent that means the difference between wins and losses. And yet they went 6-10 both seasons, firing 1 HC in the process. It's symbolism over substance actually. The onus remains on the front office and coaching staff to get this team into the playoffs now. Didn't someone once tell us about a proverbial baby? Besides, about three of those players could be considered, at the time of their re-signing, top 5 talents at their positions. The issue is keeping your top talent, not just your middle of the road to perhaps above average talent. And I'm counting Mario, Kyle and Wood as the top talent. The rest are relatively mid-level talent and their contracts bear this out.

What is most perplexing is that Lynch wasn't actively shopped before the Spiller selection. I think they went into all-protect mode so as to not give away they wanted to deal Spiller, but that mentality also meant getting less in return for ML. That is, if they'd sought to deal him on draft weekend when it's most ideal to deal a more disgruntled player. Instead, ML wasn't dealt until early October 2010. When they had 3 backs who could potentially start.

Looking at the 2013 NFL AP All-Pro Team, only 9 of the 54 players were acquired via trade or in UFA. Only 3 of those players play the in-demand positions of QB, DE, OT, WR, or CB: P. Manning, Mario, and Jason Peters. Manning's case was exceptional, Mario had been replaced, and Peters, well, I'm not going there. Who is absolutely essential to retain after 2014? Spiller is a situational player, Dareus is an under-motivated DL that I think is replaceable and would save the team money. Aside from that, I don't see Aaron Williams commanding a significant extension. They could try to re-sign Glenn I suppose and lock him up long term, but Buffalo doesn't typically get ahead of the game. Jerry Hughes is a one year wonder, but could have another good season. Outside of those guys I'm not sure and if they can't re-sign their best DB because they think there are others who'd need contracts, it's a failure on the team's part to adapt their cap to suit an improving team.

What team allows All-Pros to leave, either via trade or UFA? If Byrd leaves, it'll be 2 of Buffalo's 4 non-special teams AP All-Pro's from 07-present that left the team. One of those guys (Mario) was signed in UFA, Kyle Williams was re-signed, Peters was traded, and Byrd's situation remains up in the air. Keep your elite talent and figure out how to pay for it.

Should be interesting when Buffalo hosts Cleveland. Pettine, O'Neil, Weaver, Hafley, Driesbach, and Fleury all departed Buffalo. 6 coaches from a staff is pretty significant.

This strategy kept Chris Kelsay in the house. What more should a Bills fan desire than a hard-working, high motor, blue collar type of player? Of course, the Bills felt they were paying CK market rate, but his contract seemed awfully high when compared to his counterparts with similar metrics.

The BiT series is Brandon's baby and I suspect won't be going away given his involvement in setting it up. Perhaps he's serious about undoing the Toronto games, but I seriously doubt it. Buffalo needs added revenue and simply walking away, even if mutually, seems out of the question. And considering that Brandon's background is on the business side of the house, I find it hard to believe they won't work on re-vamping it. As far as Jairus Byrd, well, it's time for the team to put their money where their mouth is. Not retaining key free agents when there are no other players imminently up for contract extensions is inexcusable and not what a team committed to winning does. Where else are they going to spend the money?

And Hafley just sign on with Buffalo? Fleury was a veteran with 1 year in the NFL.

It's ironic Cunningham could come to Buffalo to work on the defensive staff. He was HC of the Chiefs in 2008 when DJ and the Trent Edwards led Bills beat KC 54-31. Cunningham said he'd get back at DJ and now he might be the LB coach. LOL

This is what you do if you want to ruin your reputation and not be in the running down the road for HC's and assistants. There will be a time again, hopefully not soon, when Buffalo needs another assistant or perhaps HC. You don't win the coaching community over by telling current assistants they can't leave when they want to. It's not like it should be hard for Schwartz to find a LB coach.

Because he has 2 seasons experience coaching in the NFL. I want a coordinator with a little more than that and expecting Weaver to succeed because he's worked already here is not rational.

In 3 years, Nix's personnel group selected zero Pro Bowl or All-Pro caliber players. That may very well change, but the fact that Whaley made changes to the personnel evaluation people tells me Nix wasn't capable of putting people into positions to find talent. He also spent an inordinate time on the road scouting as opposed to other GM's. And yet the Bills needed significant upgrades when Whaley ascended to the job in May.

People say Jauron left the team in shambles which lead to the 4-12 in 2010. But isn't that what took place in 2013? The Nix rebuild from 2010-12 led to a team that was 6-10 this past season. The Bills are a lot closer now to being a top pick caliber team than one on the verge of making the playoffs.

It's better than Nix saying he'd be asleep when UFA began.

Didn't Indianapolis acquire Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Reggie Wayne, find Jeff Saturday, Dallas Clark, Bob Sanders, Edgerrin James, or another players? Personnel wise things started going downhill when Chris Polian assumed more responsibility, but Bill put a lot of talent around Peyton. I love in society how when someone or a company is successful that luck is cited as the main reason. No one ever has skill, but chalking it up to luck remains one of the greatest ways of minimizing another success.

It's amazing how, year after year, the Bills have so many needs. It's almost as if they're building a team whack-a-mole style. Keeping Byrd will be the sign they're committed to winning and If not, it'll be hard to convince fans that self-created holes won't continue to be opened. Because the Bills have mastered the ability to win 4-7 games. Taking a step to the playoffs means filling these holes long term and not using the draft to replace departed free agents.

No I don't. I think his instincts are poor on the football field, hence the propensity for throws to stationary targets and check-downs. When a receiver isn't open, he's not making the throw. That'll work in the college game, but it's not in the NFL. And while I don't expect him to be elite right now, he doesn't make the throws a NFL QB should make nor does he seem inclined to throw receivers open. And then there's the mechanics and touch on throws which need a lot of work. I'm not sure the team has the time to wait for him to improve from raw young QB to being consistent to make this team a 10 win plus club.

Manuel made a habit of throwing primarily to open receivers and stationary targets. He's not throwing receivers open the way you see the top QB's do. It's part of the reason why he maintains a low yards per attempt with a low completion percentage. I can't think of a worse pair of bad metrics to demonstrate future ability. One other thing was he lacked touch on throws. I saw short throws that he rifled to the receiver and then medium throws without enough behind them.

Which begs the question: When was the last time the Bills found an excellent, i.e. Pro Bowl caliber player after round 2? It's probably Kyle Williams all the way back in 2006. Or perhaps Stevie Johnson in 2008. No wonder the team can't build a deeper team. Drafting well in rounds 1 and 2 are what any team should be able to do. Finding talent after that point is what outstanding personnel departments are doing.

I doubt external interviews will be held. They'll look for someone from within and given the paucity of options, it probably won't be ideal. I'm not thinking the Bills are breaking the bank for a DC. I realize they got Pettine, but Buffalo isn't exactly big spenders on coaches.

A team searching for a HC or GM opens itself up to the public given the reporting of everything NFL these days. These searches are not quiet and the quantity and caliber of candidates illustrates how much of a reputation a franchise is operating with. When Gailey was hired, we knew he was the emergency guy seeing as how Buffalo was outright turned down so many times.

The new president was the previous CEO and has been around for years in senior management positions. The new GM was the previous assistant GM and with the team since 2010. New personnel people came in after the draft, including Monos. New Coach. Yes, Chan needed to go and thus we needed another one. The previous hire, as with DJ, necessitated the following one. New coaching staff. It's already getting changed around and could be more before the season if Pettine leaves. New quarterback. Yep. But yes, I'd agree that 2014 needs to be playoffs or bust. Nothing less is acceptable, though I'm not sure the Bills are in it to win it as much as most of the NFL.

Wannstedt and Crossman can do it.

Comparing apples to oranges. Bennett in 1987 has nothing to do with the NFL landscape of 2010. Besides, a former 1st for a 4th and 5th is far less significant that trading the recent 2nd overall pick in a three team swap featuring other 1s. I've always loved to see the debating style of bringing down someone else to make the Bills look better. Getting harder to do, especially when lamenting the #1 seed in the NFC for making a mistake along the way is cited. Carroll has a great GM who has the financial backing of the wealthiest owner in the NFL. It's little wonder they've succeeded. Dick Jauron was fired from his first NFL gig. You remember, the guy who was as good as Belichick save for the latter's time with Tom Brady QB'ing the Patsies? You did make that point once before, no?

I would argue the Bills are not keen on outsiders coming into the organization, thus the hiring of Nix (when John Guy was the only other considered) and now with Whaley. Most people realized he was the heir apparent to Buddy, but he was also part of the regime that Nix started and that failed miserably. Whaley's got to wash that smell off. But it should be noted the Bills do not like finding GM's from outside the organization, having done so once in the past 30+ years. That wreaks of people trying to hide something. TD may have failed, but failing to consider outside people as most NFL teams do is a sign something's off about their way of doing business.