BillsVet

In theory the only reason any defense doesn't succeed is the talent. And trying to find 2 guys who can play with a hand in the ground or standing up is a very tall order. Denver has Dumervil and Von Miller, but most 40 fronts can't say the same. Baltimore runs Suggs out in a similar manner, and the Giants have a stable of them, but most teams don't. Finding one guy like this is tough, but two is a wish and a prayer. They don't want to admit their base package is returning to a 40 front, but I suspect it is. Three base defenses in 4 seasons.

Why does the team need 2 DE's if they're not switching to a 40 front? I know they continue to maintain the hybrid charade, but naming a guy as DC who's never coordinated anything but a 43 indicates that's the plan now. I don't care what percentage of time they have 4 DL, it's about their base package, which is probably now a 43.

Can't stay healthy, want him back. Claims Hairston can be serviceable and Pears is a good RT.

If a guy's there in free agency then we'll be aggressive.

I see you didn't read the post, as I mentioned that regardless of what happened, the Falcons organization is a better one and it didn't take long for that to be manifested in 2008. At this point, I'd take a post-season team that loses than one which keeps telling us a winning team is right around the corner. Instead, we're watching Detroit and Houston get into the playoffs while Buffalo continues on the treadmill of mediocrity.

Doesn't really matter to debate players, coaches, even front office staff in Buffalo until ownership changes. It's just funny to see fans predict things like Wannstedt becoming the new DC, SJ leaving in UFA to set them up to draft a replacement. They've played their cards and with other historic losing franchises winning, it's harder to cover up their losing.

Someone each year now from OBD tells Bills fans to be patient, that it takes 3-4 years to rebuild, or some variation thereof. Compare and contrast this sentiment with the Atlanta Falcons and their actions in 2007-08, especially those of their owner. During 2007, their QB was sent to prison, the HC resigned late in the regular season, and owner Arthur Blank was turned down when he sought out Bill Parcells to become head football man. Blank turned to Thomas Dimitoff from the NE Personnel tree, who in turn hired HC Mike Smith and drafted Matt Ryan third overall in the 2008 draft. The result was a team that went to the post-season in 2008, last year and again this season. Atlanta is 43-21 since the 2007 season, all while playing in a difficult NFCS. I say all this to illustrate that when an owner hires and subsequently supports a solid GM it shows a team can rebound rather quickly in today's NFL. And regardless of what happens today, teams like Atlanta are lapping the Bills and achieving success without having to tell fans to wait. Lastly, it should be noted that Atlanta, per Forbes' team values from 2010, isn't worth as much as one might think. They're a mere 2 spots above Buffalo in overall worth and finished with about 13M less in operating income. Meanwhile, the Bills keep banking on hype and hope to attract fans, because there's no commitment in the off-season and certainly not enough wins to show progress. EDIT: Tomorrow is reportedly the Bills "State of the Team" Speech from Buddy Nix. Somehow I get the feeling they'll talk about being patient or a similar point.

In other news, Marv Levy, Russ Brandon, and Buddy Nix will or haven't been employed by another NFL team in a Personnel role since their tenure or when their time with Buffalo is over. The issue isn't so much what a guy did or didn't do 6+ years ago, but rather Buffalo's management structure which does not empower their GM nor provides adequate resources to build teams. Free Agency this year will tell the story whether this team is focused on improving or not. I'm not a fan of hoping draft picks can play out of the box, which seems to be a hallmark of the Bills from 2006-present.

Here are some handy facts: 2009: 6-10 Overall, 2-4 Division 2010: 4-12 Overall, 1-5 Division 2011: 6-10 Overall, 1-5 Division For every item that suggests improvement, there's one of equal or greater value stating otherwise. The Bills are 2-10 in the division since the Nix/Gailey regime began. And if the easiest way into the post-season is to win your division, that's not cutting it. I can remember when people were ripping on the Dolphins for being so bad, yet they defeated Buffalo twice, as did the soap opera Jets. I would also argue the division is now weaker than it was in 2009-10 with the Jets getting older and not getting solid QB play. Miami are not world-beaters and NE's defense isn't as dominating anymore either. Still, there's Buffalo at the bottom of the division and out of the playoff picture by week 12.

How about stale?

The Peters saga may be over, but the Bills are again faced with keeping one of their own, though a UFA and not under contract as Peters was. The point remains that Buffalo allows talent to walk out the door more frequently, and those players go onto success elsewhere. Fletcher, Peters, Greer, Milloy, and now perhaps Stevie Johnson without any replacement behind them. Each and every player was a salary purge, replaced then or later with a draft pick who cost considerably less. This sort of "team-building" doesn't work and is in place only because the true objective of the team is to be set up for maximum return on their sale. Jason Peters had many negatives, not the least of which was his agent Eugene Parker. That said, the team was not justified, unless this was a financial purge, of jettisoning a top player at his position. If Stevie Johnson goes, nothing has changed at OBD in spite of the new GM. Nothing.

As long as we're comparing teams, Cincinnati versus Buffalo is what I would consider equally difficult conferences, how about this: Points Allowed: Cincinnati 323 Buffalo 434 Points Scored: Cincinnati 344 Buffalo 372 Point Differential: Cincinnati +21 Buffalo -62 Division Record: Cincinnati 2-4 Buffalo 1-5 Playoff Appearances since 2005: Cincinnati 3 Buffalo 0 Team Record: Cincinnati 9-7 Buffalo 6-10 5 year team record: Cincinnati 34-45-1 Buffalo 30-50 Hard to tell if the Bengals turned it around yet, but they received solid QB play from a rookie, have a veritable #1 WR, and a good but not outstanding defense. All of this is in spite of an owner who is among the worst in pro sports. For the Bills to win, they'll need to follow this blueprint, but early returns give Cincinnati a huge edge at this point.

From 6-10 to 4-12 and back to 6-10 again in their last three seasons. Higher standards are in order and losing 9 or more games 7 seasons in a row is unacceptable. Nice job tgreg.

Rather than discuss Peters as a top notch OLT, an analysis of that trade is overdue. The Bills dealt their starting OLT for a late first, fourth, and sixth round picks. Those players turned out to be Eric Wood, Shawn Nelson, and Danny Batten. One of those players starts at an easier to find position (center) while Nelson is out of the NFL, and Batten appears to be a role player. The real benefit was that Buffalo got out from having to pay a large salary to one of their best players, and replaced it three relatively small rookie deals. It's been more than four years since the Bills signed anyone to big money. I'm referring to Dockery and Schobel. Since that time they've signed a some moderate guaranteed money contracts like Fitzpatrick, K. Williams, McGee, Stroud, etc. but nothing like what Peters was demanding. And now, he lived up to it as an All-Pro and people continue lambasting the player. The move was a salary dump and the trade did not bring equal value to the team in personnel. Yet another Bills blunder. Is Stevie next, and if so, when they get nothing in return, it'll be another purge of salary.

I think Chan should have 10 years. Ralph's had 50 and delivered so little, so it's not absurd to give a HC 10 before we pass judgement. After all, 160 games is a better cross section to evaluate than only 32 or 48.

This. How are the Bills replacing 70 catches and 1000 yards receiving next season? David Clowney, Marcus Easley, and whatever draft pick in all probability aren't doing it. They got a bonus when a 7th rounder hit. Now they're losing that because he's due a larger contract. One step forward and two back - again.

Please call Buddy Nix when UFA begins because he's either in bed or convincing RW not to spend money. If someone tells him perhaps they'll sign more than 1 quality starter per year.

Your reputation precedes itself. Some notable posters at their finest here. Some, not so much. Amazing how, despite 16 wins in 3 seasons, the song remains the same. Coward Gate/May 2009 TBD thread

Pierre Garcon stat line w/o Manning in 2011: 70 reception, 947 yards, 6 TD's. It's actually a better season without Manning in 2010 when we went for 67-784-6. To make the assumption the Colts were completely dependent on P. Manning for their entire success is short-sighted. He compensated for a staff led by a HC who was 26-63 at Wake Forest and had not been a HC at other than that experience and 2 years with the Colts.

Correction: I, along with others here, hate the way the Bills are run. I hate the results, now having lost 60% of their games going back to 2001. And I love this myth being perpetuated that Indianapolis was a 1 man team and everyone else was a retread. Apparently people forget that Dwight Freeney, Reggie Wayne, Robert Mathis, Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturday, and Pierre Garcon play for this team. No, it was one guy who got them 10+ wins for 10 seasons in a row. Just one and no one else. Couldn't be the coach, whose college record at Wake Forest was horrible, wasn't at fault. Nope, couldn't be it.

Team strategy is you find offensive tackles in the late rounds or off the street. No sense in wasting picks on a position so easily found with lesser resources.

Would you rather work for Bob Irsay or Ralph Wilson and his people who chop front office types off at the needs? Think about it for a moment. As someone noted, Indy isn't moving anywhere, has the #1 pick, the guy has the chance to name his own HC, a new stadium and building something. In Buffalo you're reporting to people setting the team up for sale. Indianapolis may not be a huge market, but the working conditions are better than Buffalo.

Fitz no longer has potential, he is what he is after 7 seasons as a NFL QB, 3+ as a starter. The HC has to game-plan around his physical weaknesses, resulting in a limited game-plan that defenses began to figure out around Week 4 this past season. Either that, or Gailey isn't as imaginative as some would have you believe. As to the issue of signing UFA's, does anyone actually believe this team is in the market for anyone but grade C types? Chan and Buddy don't hold the purse strings, which won't open up no matter what.

I disagree that a running game can overcome an inefficient passing game in this day and age. I say inefficient because they became predictable when the QB was not hitting deep down field. ESPN noted Fitz was hitting on (edit: 27)% of his passes beyond 21 yards, which must make a DC's job so much more easy when he doesn't have to drop safeties and floods the short zone with DB's. There were a few games, notably beginning with the home NE game when David Nelson simply disappeared (invisible in the 2nd half). To the point he wasn't even a weapon because defenses denied him that route over the middle. So much so that he never had more than 62 yards receiving after the NE victory. I've never been one who said the Bills throw too much or don't run enough. The blueprint just happens to be that teams throw, with most going downfield more frequently. Fitz, as demonstrated by the numbers, is poor doing that. And I don't think it's because his receivers aren't good enough, he can't make the throws. When's the last time this team threw a deep out? Sure, it's not their offense, but when you can't challenge a defense, it's a lot easier to prepare for a guy like Fitz. And Gailey coaches around his QB's shortcomings.

6.7 ypa is nothing to brag about. Fitz ranked 23rd in the league with that number. A team needs to throw deep with some degree of accuracy to have a balanced offense in the NFL of 2011. Kinda like going from a Tamp 2, to a 3-4, and possibly to a 4-3 in the span of 2 years. Teams don't turn on a dime and begin drafting without losing a lot in the transition. The treadmill to nowhere continues, but I digress. Teams win by passing the ball. Heck, NE threw it almost 700 times this year.