BillsVet

It'll be interesting to see if Nix can or will sign Levitre now and perhaps Wood when his deal expires after 2013. From a value perspective a good LG is worth more than a C, but guards are getting ridiculous contracts in UFA (see Carl Nicks).

You gotta love bloggers looking to draw attention to their articles.

Not quite. Aaron Rodgers was a Ted Thompson pick in 2005 (his first draft) and as he'd planned, took the job over when he felt they could improve on the then-starter, Favre.

They purchased a spare, but it's not ready to use, but they hope in a few thousand miles it'll be good. This is utter sophistry to ask what should the team do now. Even you have to know transactions are made in the off-season and this team has now had 3 to acquire a QB yet failed. And Fitzpatrick has 4 years of starting play to demonstrate he either has it or doesn't, yet the Bills brain trust stubbornly decided to keep things status quo. How many seasons of tape do you need to realize a veteran can't start and play the position? Teams draft college kids into the NFL in the first rounds with less tape. And so the next question you'll ask is who they should have drafted so you can drop the whole hindsight is 20/20 BS. Before you do that, tell me how many franchises rebuild without improving the QB position and going with the previous regime's backup? SF is the only example, and they've got superior coaching and defense. And does a team without an average or above level QB truly rebuild? No, they don't/haven't. This franchise is and has been behind the curve. They make bad decisions at QB and defensive scheme and then spend huge resources covering over them, QB being the most glaring example.

Ieatcrayonz-esque.

Three blowout losses aren't erased from collective fans' minds with 1 three point win over Arizona. It'll take more than that, meaning wins against Tennessee and either NE or Houston.

Gailey lost major points when he did a complete 180 and benched Edwards after committing to him for 2010. Teams being run correctly don't put themselves into position to redirect from the anointed starter. The only other example I can think of is Cleveland, and they're not exactly world-class there. I don't buy that he had less to lose. When you become a HC, the clock is ticking. Fitz is not suddenly going to get hot anymore. Since Week 4 of 2011, he's thrown for more than 300 yards 3 times and Buffalo lost every game. The Chan offense isn't surprising anyone anymore and frankly, teams have figured out that they can't extend the field because Fitz is wildly inaccurate. So they gear up to stop the short pass that Chan calls about 25 times per game.

Gailey benched Trent Edwards after the GB week 2 loss in 2010 and proceeded to start Fitz the next week at NE with presumably less than adequate first team reps. Why is it that outrageous that TJack, after being on the roster for 7 weeks can't play?

LOUD NOISES!

Can he pick up Wannstedt's playbook or will he need the entire season to digest it? Guy said after being cut he wanted to play for a 3-4 team because that scheme fits him best. This makes no sense, because he's simply not a 40 front DE, left or right. Knowing Buddy he gave him guaranteed money too.

It's a great decision by the Bills. Eliminate a QB controversy by taking the leading replacement candidate out of the field. Thigpen is horrible and no sane Bills fan would suggest him to replace Fitz. So, deal for a guy they tell us can't possibly understand the playbook and pay him to do nothing. In no way is TJack some sort of answer, but if anyone thinks that Fitz performance yesterday will win games against better and average teams, look out. No team flubs up the QB position as badly as Buffalo. So it appears in Year 4 of their rebuild (2013) they'll finally search for a real QB.

Because a win over the Cardinals automatically removes blowout losses in three of their first 6, including 2 division rivals. I want to see this team against Houston and New England before anyone declares them improved or on the path to the playoffs.

Chan shoulda been tested when he all but declared and subsequently went with Trent Edwards as his starting QB two years ago. His bad decisions aren't reserved for only he field.

It helps that Arizona's QB's throw INT's before Fitzpatrick could.

Fire Curtis Modkins immediately!

If you take away those two games and the blowout loss to NYJ, they're 2-0. People are panicking because they've given up 1,200 yards in the last two weeks like it hasn't happened in 60 years. It's only 6 quarters they've played poorly in the past 2 weeks.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/search/Schobel-questions-lack-of-direction The current issues are reminiscent of the situation 3 years ago in the final days of DJ. One wonders if contractually the players aren't permitted to criticize the team. For a franchise with 12 straight non-playoff seasons, dubious HC hires, GM searches restricted to inside the organization, an elderly owner, and what looks like another bad season on the horizon it's time someone did what Schobel did 3 years ago.

I don't know why the Bills locker room has always been quiet. No one's asking for crazy outbursts, but Tashard Choice should be one of the last guys to get up and say something. Where's Kelsay, Kyle Williams, and a few others? IIRC, Aaron Schobel said something about the team after the Tennessee loss in 2009, which was DJ's final game. I'm not demanding the HC go right now, but I believe a veteran speaking up could get people out of their comfort zones. Problem is, Gailey seems in shock right now over what's transpired.

6 RW decisions for which Brandon cannot get around that have destroyed the reputation of this franchise since 2000: 1. Ordering Wade Phillips to start Rob Johnson in the 1999 WC game against Tennessee 2. Firing John Butler after a low-ball offer. 3. Suing Phillips by claiming the former HC had quit 4. Hiring Marv Levy 5. Promoting Russ Brandon 6. Hiring Buddy Nix Brandon, no matter how much he talks, cannot deny the franchise could not find veritable candidates for the GM and HC jobs. And the reason remains his boss who runs this team like it was 1970. I just wonder if Brandon has the guts to tell RW that no one wants to work for the organization and that picking Nix and Gailey were emergency hires that predictably have not worked either. Brandon does a solid job of marketing a perennial loser, but it's not getting easier. 44k ST sold even with the biggest signing of team history suggest people aren't buying tickets until this team begins winning again. At the rate they're going it's anyone's guess when that'll happen. Imagine what league personnel types were thinking at the 2008 combine when Smithers was sitting in the stands watching prospects. Little wonder that draft became one of the worst, if not the worst in team history.

The root of the problem is Nix A) not drafting defense very well, despite 5 1st-3rd round picks in 2010-11 and B) switching defenses twice in 3 seasons. When you can't add talent and compound that by switching scheme so frequently, it's hard to build a good defense. Meanwhile, Chan promoted his friend DW who appears to be about 20 years behind the times with his 4-3 under scheme that just allowed 1,200 yards in 2 games.

Kelsay is the best post-game quote reporters typically get after losses. He's good for not criticizing anyone while saying they need to work harder the following week. I honestly believe you could tape his reaction after some defeats and play them every time they lose.

Worst case scenario would be Buffalo going any other route but QB with their first round pick next April. I really don't believe Fitz will suddenly get red hot like he was to begin last season, but Buddy seems afraid to take a QB. OTOH, he'll deal for QB's not smart enough to pick up Chan's thermonuclear offensive system and those he cuts in pre-season.

If Fitz played against the Bills defense, he'd probably be a decent QB.

Teams aren't winning with defense like they used to. The game is being won obviously with a top QB combined with outstanding receivers. New England, New York Giants, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, New Orleans, etc. As much as I like Dareus, a good DT isn't worth more on the modern football field than a good WR. And without a doubt AJ Green is that type of threat that makes life easier for that QB. But in Buffalo, Nix has exactly 1 pick in the top 3 rounds at TE or WR, never took a QB, and the time will come when it's proven his old-school mindset didn't fit with the modern game. And this is coming from a guy who liked the Dareus pick, like so many fans did at the time. Problem is, Nix is getting paid to be no less than at or perhaps ahead of the curve. Instead, he remains behind the times and spent a lot of resources building a (flawed) defense while neglecting the offensive skill positions.

Fitz and Cassel were drafted in 2005, not 2007. Nix has had 3 drafts to address the position and hasn't elected not to, going with 5 journeymen from 2010-present (Edwards, Fitzpatrick, Thigpen, Young, and T Jack). Ponder and Dalton look to be the best of the 2011 class, while 2010 has thus far yielded little. Rebuilding without a QB is unique outside of SF who have defense and coaching to off-set that.