BillsVet

It's collusion this year if teams still operated like the Cowboys and Niners did circa 1995. Teams have come a long way with the cap and have adjusted accordingly to the point of not handing out all the big contracts and, when doing so, spreading the hit out a more evenly.

I am continually amazed at how short memories are on this board. Seems like after the Lombardi is awarded people magically forget what prevents this franchise from becoming even average. Sure, the defense was completely putrid in 2012. Yet it's the QB play most responsible for Buffalo remaining anchored at the division basement. How many game-ending turnovers does Buffalo's QB have to make before we remember why they are 16-32 in their past 3 seasons?

We have not yet begun to dumpster dive yet. Not even close. Buddy found Kraig Urbik AND Erik Pears AND Shawne Merriman. Why have people lost faith already?

31 other NFL teams allowed him to languish on a practice squad pretty much all of last year rather than add him to their 53 man roster. I think Easley is what he is: a fringe NFL player. Any team needs 3 viable receiving threats. Buffalo has 1. Maybe they're planning on going wish bone this season.

Nix couldn't figure out that three years of tape on Ryan Fitzpatrick should predict his future ceiling, not 3 games. He's not a savvy man. Not on who to re-sign or who to draft. His claim to fame is not completely missing in the first round and perhaps his skill at dumpster diving on the UDFA and waiver wire given the likes of Erik Pears and Kraig Urbik. Aside from that he's a half-step up from his two predecessors who weren't personnel guys, one of whom is now his boss.

Colon blows.

They're trying to win now to help renovate an aging stadium. In WNY you sign Mario, trust in Buddy, hope to win, inevitably lose, and still wait for the check despite the results.

No one should care about Asper save for one point. The current team is not stacked with talent at positions despite what Brandon said in January. And so, when you take a guy in the 6th round who you like in the early part of the year only to cut him in August, it speaks to the point the personnel team isn't on the same page. And given the lack of a vision advanced by the cell phone challenged GM, I should think this really isn't surprising.

I would agree turnovers can partially be aided by scheme and thus coaching. But as far as QBR is concerned, teams were beating this team running the ball all season long. I chalk that up to a lack of personnel and less on coaching. Of course Wannstedt was completely inept, but his LB play was pretty awful too. Right now we know that Pettine is an improvement, based on the past few years, over his predecessor. Marrone/Hackett are something of unknowns but people hope they're better than Gailey. .

And the the 2013 regular season might well resemble Gailey's first in 2010. People aren't buying Nix anymore. And someone dares compare Ozzie Newsome who built or helped build 2 SB winners to Buddy Nix. Whoa.

Good coaching can cover up some personnel flaws, but it'll never completely do so. It doesn't make up for poor QB play, not protecting the QB, not having receivers, not getting a pass rush, not making tackles, and not creating turnovers. Marrone is still in the honeymoon phase of his tenure. Pettine is a proven DC with a good track record (unlike his 2 predecessors) and the OC we're told is an offensive prodigy (we'll see). Still, the HC and his staff cannot make up for bad drafting, which has been a hallmark of this organization for years.

Can Marrone still play guard? If so, it'll allow them address the other 5-7 positions that need starters and depth.

Draft Chance Warmack. Hopefully the Chiefs don't take him #1 and he falls to us.

Yep. Scheme versatility is something good DC's are looking for. NE drafts for it, and so should Buffalo. Pettine is the first coordinator in years I've got some faith in.

It's pretty well-known when a team contacts a player to re-sign. And typically you try to get the player under contract before the current deal is expiring, which it appears the Bills didn't do with Levitre in 2011/early 2012. I don't recall the Bills attempting to get him under contract last year, which speaks to the GM's plan. He's looking for guys who can win in the phone booth, not be mobile like other teams want in their OL. Now they can insert player A who weighs 325-335 who fits the Nix mold.

I would love to know why did the Bills not fire Buddy Nix when it became clear they had flamed out in 2012? Did they need more evidence his plan failed? Given the nature of this franchise and their almost iron-curtain like lock on information they may have retained Nix to avoid further embarrassment. Which plausible reason does anyone provide for having the guy who failed in his first rebuild hang around for the second? That he has info on RW? Sure. Smithers won't be taken seriously until Nix is gone. And as always, they're late doing that because the franchise is concerned about how things look.

Sad that it'll probably take another year to learn this. Meanwhile, buy your season tickets for 2013. Wonder what the slogan will be this year? Change is good, even when it's the same.

We get it. You believe that it's luck to have a great QB fall into your lap and everything else is mere gravy. The point is, you'll never get that QB when you can't evaluate the position properly. And in your world, that precludes the team from ever being successful again because they're not lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. Well, I believe you make your own luck and Nix has a tendency to not do that. Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyler Thigpen, Vince Young, and Tarvaris Jackson indicate to me the GM is always late to the party and gets leftovers. Hard to get your "franchise" QB when the guy can't evaluate the position and won't draft a guy.

They need three straight home run drafts where the team gets 3 players per, particularly at the QB, DE, WR, OT, and perhaps CB positions. Good guard, safety, and linebacker play is nice, but it's not winning games. For me, it's going to take a minimum 10 wins and a playoff appearance. To be so bad for so long, especially these past 13 seasons should mean a higher standard from the new people in charge.

Given that Buddy and Shawne are so close, I think Buddy should give Merriman 1M guaranteed to guard his cell phone, take calls, and figure out how to use the dadgum calendar app for him. And maybe the reason the Bills haven't signed anyone yet is because Merriman is no longer making calls on behalf of the GM who may or may not be asleep right now.

How about a front office guard for Buddy's phone? We need one of those too. Lots of holes, new defensive and offensive schemes, new coaching. 2013 looks hard.

Apparently averaging 5 wins per is acceptable to some. Wow. Hope springs eternal. Even with the same bumbling GM.

Pitchforks? How can anyone retain someone, advocate for that guy, and expect fans to nod in agreement?

Nix will not be fired. Modrak was.

Scott Berchtold just threw up in his mouth. The Bills VP of Communications job just got a lot harder. Wow. Why does this seem like this seem like Dumb and Dumber with this GM at the helm?