BillsVet

Instant gratification? The team hasn't had a winning season in 6 years, a playoff appearance in 11, or a playoff win in 15. I think it's about time they try to win AND keep their young guys. If ST sales are any indication, most fans aren't buying into the Nix plan. I can't help but say it'll be deflating to the fan base if (and it's only an if at this point) Buffalo leaves the UFA period without adding proven NFL talent to a team coming off 6th straight losing season.

Chris Kelsay hasn't had a contract extension in about 9 months. So he's due for a raise to 10-12M per.

You'd think the Redskins model of using UFA is the only one and, ergo, what makes it wrong for Buffalo. Fact is, teams selectively build through the draft while judiciously using UFA to accelerate the rebuilding process. As with any topic, there are nuances and a team that's 4-12 which, if the report is true, declines to wade at least into the pool tells me they're not serious about finishing their 2nd rebuild in 5 years. I don't think a lot of fans want to hear about how the rookies are coming along or the UDFA haul is great. They want to know what the team is doing now to improve, and that doesn't mean spending wildly like Snyder has been known to do. Buddy and Chan have a lot to prove.

Free agency and the team's lack of interest there is another reason why neither the GM nor HC jobs were attractive last time around. Then again, if they can become respectable and win 8 games in 2011 without spending big on free agents, kudos to them. If they don't, there will be a backlash, which started last season when ST sales dropped 20%. It will all play out eventually.

This is why teams have a Pro Personnel Department. During the season they perform advance scouting duties among other things and evaluate every player in and out of the league during the off-season. You can be sure they've got their list and have checked it many times over.

Posluszny and Florence will most likely re-sign and I wouldn't be surprised to see Steve Johnson, Andy Levitre, and perhaps Kyle Williams eventually extended. Perhaps that's how they get to the cap floor by the end of the season. Nix made a blunder last year when he arrogantly declared he was going to bed on the eve of free agency. He won't make that comment again, but the result appears to be the same: Buffalo on the outside looking in as other teams improve in UFA. Apparently the Bills will trust their 2010 draft class that couldn't get on the field, their 2011 rookies, and their veterans improving to be respectable in 2011. There just doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency to rebuild as quickly as possible. They don't need to spend like Washington stupidly does year in and year out, but 1-2 good free agents could expedite their rebuilding.

The Bills are at odds with every team in the NFL re: OT's. While most clubs are drafting OT's high, they outright refuse to and cite other needs. Well, what's more important than protecting your QB from edge rushers? In the pass happy NFL, it's all about getting pressure and the easiest way to do it is with 43DE's or 34OLB's. It also would help if whomever plays QB has more than 2 seconds to throw before getting hit, which obviously means the HC has to plan more 3 step drops therefore limiting his playbook. Every team in the NFL has prioritized the OT position. Every one except Buffalo that is. But, they still have free agency to obtain someone more proven than what they have. Then again, Nix has worked for franchises that didn't prioritize the position either. They didn't draft 1 OT in rounds 1-2 in Buffalo from 93-00 and only 1 (Marcus McNeill) from 01-08. How's that for a track record?

This isn't the first time you've thrown something out there about me that isn't true. Last time it was the UFA signings in 2010, which you accused me of bashing, when in reality I didn't. Perhaps you can find an example where I said that Buffalo would never sign Merriman. In demand players don't re-sign when they've got a chance to hit free agency. Why limit yourself to negotiating with 1 team when you can attract the attention of several to drive up your price? Merriman and his agent knew the lockout wasn't going to last forever, yet he signed a deal pretty quickly and chose to avoid free agency. Something doesn't make sense here, and it's because the deal Buffalo had on the table in all probability was the best he was going to get. We'll see if he's got anything left. And if he does, I'll be here to point it out. If he doesn't, Buddy Nix may be one of the lower tier GM's in the NFL.

Thank goodness the Bills took a RB with their first pick for their second rebuild in 5 seasons. The HC himself said he'd make the line look better. Truth is, his blocking does make the line look half-way decent.

A lot of this "proven" nonsense comes from those who lap up every word Nix and the Bills website speak or write. The record speaks for itself with guys like Wrotto, Urbik, Pears, Colin Brown, et al. in that they've bounced around and now have ended up in Buffalo. Perhaps one of them becomes a starter who is reliable, but you don't find NFL OT's hiding on other teams practice squads or who've been on 4 teams in 3 years. That should be indication enough that a player really isn't starting grade. I hope the team invests some UFA dollars in a RT, but I sincerely doubt it. Unfortunately, it won't be until the first games of the regular season when it becomes obvious a player isn't up to the task of starting. Then, as in the case with Cornell Green, people will see how foolish it is to rely on cheap UFA's or other teams practice squads, street free agents, UDFA's, and late round picks to build your OL.

I'm not sure what Chad Rinehart, Kraig Urbik, and Mansfield Wrotto have shown to indicate they've got potential, other than that Buddy Nix scoured practice squads and picked them up. That seems to be enough to some fans though. Buffalo needs to focus on finding guys for that right side of the line who are proven NFL starters and not guys found off the couch or residing on practice squads.

Owners have more money...ergo, they're worse than players.

In all likelihood, Merriman signed with Buffalo when no other team offered guaranteed money. And if 31 other teams' pro scouting departments aren't keen on the player, it has to make one wonder why the Bills would take a chance and guarantee dollars. 2.5M may not sound like a lot with a cap of 120M and teams prospectively required to spend let's say 108. OTOH, Buffalo has fewer resources to call on during this rebuild, and Nix' track record in evaluating pro personnel while Bills GM so far hasn't been very good. The burden is on Nix, in essence because he's gambling precious few resources that could be spent improving a very weak roster on a guy with 4 sacks in the last 4 seasons. I would also add that a healthy but ineffective Merriman keeps guys like Moats and Batten from getting game experience because Buffalo can't afford to take their high profile signing off the field. That would be admitting they made another bad personnel decision and prevent the staff from finding out if some of their late round picks are indeed starting worthy.

It'll be a frenzy as the signing period probably won't be more than 2 weeks long IMO. There'll be some good talent available, but just re-signing their own and thus banking on rookies and their current roster to improve is a stretch. This 2011 season will show whether Nix' plan is working or not and eschewing free agency or signing depth free agents probably won't score many points with the fan base either.

I understand the topic being discussed. Whether's Nix' plan is working is subjective and certainly open to interpretation, but your first pick as the GM of a team should tell you what their plan consists of, which was my point. I disagreed that you begin rebuilding with a RB, especially in the NFL of 2010-11. That's a foundation pick, and not many teams build around RB's, regardless of their supposed big play ability. I'll maintain that to demonstrate his plan is a good one, the Bills need to win 8 games in 2011. Less than that indicates, IMO, that it's not working

I think Buffalo has the TE position prioritized lower than many other teams. And so far, they haven't made much attempt at finding a guy who is anything but another blocker. If they don't sign a TE who can block and receive in UFA this year, it tells me they're not concerned with improving the position. Chalk it up to the shortcoming at OT, or rebuilding last season, whatever. Most playoff caliber teams feature a TE who can make plays in the passing game and the Bills don't. Besides, if any of us were coordinating the KC offense in 2008, I think we'd use Tony Gonzalez as often as possible. That's a no-brainer.

To your point about a "real system in place." I'm not sure many teams would draft a RB with their first round pick in the first draft of rebuilding. That decision indicates to me that their plan is not as structured as some believe so fervently. Buddy Nix gives great quotes, but his skill in A) rebuilding franchises and B) find top personnel evaluators and a HC is very much in doubt. I frankly don't see a plan, except them saying it takes 3-4 years.

I've never understood how building through the draft translates into building exclusively through the draft. If you're a team that's won 10 games in 2 years, I'd expect them to use free agency to get the team to a level above where they've been. Teams should try to rebuild as quickly as possible, and efficiently using UFA is a means to an end. And I'm not talking about how Daniel Snyder approaches UFA. Buddy told RW that it'll take 3-4 years, which is what happens when you're not using all of your options and don't think fans care for those 3-4 seasons. Hopefully free agency begins when Buddy's awake. Because if he goes out and says they signed a guy from someone's practice squad like Mansfield Wrotto and then claims that's like getting another 3rd round pick, they'll be a lot of unhappy Bills fans. UDFA's, street free agents, and other teams' practice squad types don't suffice when you're coming off a 4-12 season.

I would argue the selections of Wood and Levitre were borne out of necessity in 2009. Going into the draft that season, Buffalo had already cut Dockery, forcing Butler to RT when they brilliantly decided Langston Walker could play LT after Peters was dealt. They had nothing at G to begin with and were forced to find immediate starters via the draft. To say they only have so many picks is absurd. You never have enough picks when you're constantly changing schemes designed by sub-par coaches.

220# receivers running the underneath routes are the same as a TE. Still don't think Nix will invest serious money into a position that Gailey believes is for blocking first, second and third. Besides, block first TE's are much cheaper and they already have a wealth of talent at the position in David Martin, Scott Chandler, Mike Caussin, and Shawn Nelson.

I think the key point to take from Nix' comments about building through the draft is that it doesn't mean a team is made exclusively by the draft. And while there are extreme examples of teams who tried to build through free agency (Washington) there are others where it helped them considerably. Chicago has made some major moves in the past two seasons and it vaulted them to the NFC Championship game. It is still critical to have a team that does personnel well, both in the draft and during free agency. Teams without top notch personnel people keep swinging with little to show for it like Buffalo's done for the better part of a decade.

Nah, they'll just give increase Chris Kelsay's contract to 10 years and 50M because he gives great quotes after losses.

The staff Gailey assembled last off-season was a who's who of Gailey followers, some of whom had never coached in the NFL. And yet there was Gailey and Nix talking about teaching. Who's teaching who here? DC George Edwards - career LB coach (98-02; 04-09) save a season as DC for Washington where his defense struggled OL Joe D'Alessandris - career college OL coach; became Asst OL coach in KC in 2008 after Gailey is hired A. OL Bobby Johnson - college OL coach; 2010 was first year in NFL DL Giff Smith - career college defensive coach, 2010 was first in NFL, worked for Gailey from 04-07 WR Stan Hixon - 6 years working in NFL, all with Washington as a WR coach; previously WR coach at LSU RB Curtis Modkins - 3 years ago was GT's RB coach. Now the nominative OC and has basically worked for Gailey since 2002. QB George Cortez - had never coached in NFL before 2010 TE Bob Bicknell - 3 years in NFL; former Asst OL coach in KC, hasn't coached in NFL anywhere else Gailey's staff is short on NFL experience, particularly in their current positions save for Catavolos, DeHaven, and of course Wannstedt. But in that initial season, Gailey's staff resembled more of a college staff and not one that had proven much. I believe this is in large part to the unattractiveness of working for an also-ran HC for an organization with such a poor rep league wide.

Gailey may a straight shooter, but he's made numerous mistakes a NFL HC shouldn't. First, he picked the wrong QB and proceeded to learn it after 2 games. I can't remember the last time, save Cleveland a few years ago, any NFL team made such a quick starting QB hook. Second, he started Spiller in the first game and then couldn't get him 100 carries his rookie season. Apparently, the "pass catchin' runnin' back" couldn't be fit into offensive genius Gailey's offense. It doesn't take an entire season to figure out what is on the roster. Most of that should be done in the off-season and training camp, especially for a veteran HC with so many years of NFL experience.

Showcase? Really? Jay Glazer has reported that Buffalo did not actively market Lynch and that teams were pursuing Nix, not vice versa. It's reasonable that in Buffalo, the owner isn't the only one who has few contacts throughout the NFL. Glazer Re: Lynch per PFT I suppose the attacks may recommence on Glazer again. He's obviously anti-Bills. Plus, he knows Adam Schein.