BillsVet

What do we expect from a GM who makes fun of the Oakland Raiders at his introductory press conference and then claims he got 35 calls a day from people wanting to be HC at Gailey's PC?

Moats' biggest issue last year was playing the run. Not surprising considering he was a college FCS DE. Like the guys potential, but moving guys back and forth is not the best way to develop your younger players. Especially those having to learn a new defense in the pros.

Kinda like Shawne Merriman?

Tim Graham just retweeted that Burnett is negotiating with Dolphins and the Crowder release was not a coincidence. Buffalo loses again.

More Miami rejects. Last season it was Torbor and Ayodele and now they're looking at Crowder, who has missed time with knee and groin injuries? Can we look at Roger Dorn while we're at it?

Only problem is they've got an ACC DL coach in Giff Smith.

Peter King tweet: RT @Salvegas24: What is Buddy Nix doing? ... Right about now, I'd guess he's in his jams and going to the head to brush his teeth.

They had at least 35 calls a day from eligible UDFA's willing to play for them. And you'd be surprised at some of the names!

Don't forget how many legitimate HC candidates turned him down for interviews in January 2010: Ron Rivera, Jim Harbaugh, Brian Schottenheimer, and Russ Grimm. Reality is that this franchise is not a destination for in-demand HC's and players.

It's not surprising really. Buffalo is a bridesmaid and never the bride. Maybe they can sign some more UDFA's and remind Erik Pears how much they really like him.

Wouldn't it be funny if the Jets are driving up the price for Florence with Buffalo in a seemingly desperate mode at CB? Kinda like Edmonton signing Vanek to the offer sheet 4 years ago after the Sabres lost Drury and Briere.

Maybe RW will order Mr. Smithers to go out and sign Terrell Owens to mitigate the loss. Oh, wait...

Not a star, but yet another reason why force-feeding players into the 3-4 set their rebuild back. The Bills had a huge task on their hands when Nix and Gailey took over in early 2010 and actually made it worse with this defense change. Was there that much value to being a 3-4 team considering the events since the decision was made?

What is Nix' core philosophy? RW talked last year that it would take 3-4 years, undoubtedly what his GM told him. There are teams completing rebuilds in 2 seasons, but in Buffalo they take longer because BN says so? NIx and his HC made a lot of bad decisions last season: switching to a defense they weren't staffed for, naming a starting QB who was yanked 2 games in, not being able to play their top pick RB, and ultimately taking a virtual 5 win team in 2009 to 4 wins the following year. Nix hasn't earned any trust because he hasn't done anything yet and frankly, I don't care what he did from Tennessee when he was Pro Personnel Director for San Diego.

Especially guys who haven't played a down in the NFL.

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.