BillsVet

Replaceability factor is huge here. Should the team pay a SS 5M per who provides marginal production (not tackles) or use that money to improve OL or DL or LB's and go with a less expensive option at a position normally 10-15 yards off the ball? This argument is an old one, but drafting a safety high is not maximizing your resources when you have issues on the OL and DL. It was a luxury selection then as much as it is today. Whitner is not as good as Polamalu, a healthy Sanders, or Adrian Wilson. His instincts, despite watching all that film, are not as fine tuned. I'd rather be a little cheaper at his position than at QB or OT. And Whitner has been known to go for the big hit instead of the tackle. Someone jokingly referred to him as the league leader in hits after TD's were scored, and while I can't confirm, you often see DW arriving late in coverage. Certainly this is a nuanced argument, but the era of SportsCenter drives players to make the huge play when a good one suffices.

Tom Condon is his agent, who happens to be one of the heavy hitters among the NFL circle. It wouldn't surprise me if TC is running a hard line, but the way DW goes about expressing his feelings is unprofessional. What's interesting here is that some people continue to believe in Whitner AND the Bills front office. So, if the execs decide not to re-sign DW, who's in the wrong then?

Most definitely Fitz has played better. Heck, this team hasn't had a 20TD season out of QB since Kelly. But I also trust Gailey to answer in politically correct speech as the HC of the Bills, although his post game PC's have been enlightening at times. The reason people aren't in the stands is there's less reason to attend than ever. We're back to being a bad to mediocre team with no shot at the post-season and no drawing card players lining up. The economy has a little to do with it, but not as much because fans find money to attend sporting events. But to compare the Buffalo football market to Jacksonville is a poor attempt at rationalizing a declining attendance. I would agree that TV is a huge revenue stream, but it's not encouraging to see a game where less than 51k tickets are sold and submit that the improvements and relative affordability of HDTV's is driving a part of the downturn in attendance, both here and nationally. The Bills need something to get fans excited again and will need to craft a new message in 2011 should the season happen.

That is an outstanding book and a must read for hardcore football fans. One of the things I remember in the book is when Lombardi was coaching HS in NJ, he kept pushing his teams, but it took him time to realize his talent was not of the caliber it took to win like he wanted to. Coaching is one of those things you need to be an amateur psychologist to know when to do what and Lombardi mastered it. Kinda think that's what Gailey was alluding to after the Minnesota game.

Jerry Sullivan has repeatedly said this in his columns and on GR. Someone admitted to JS that in the wake of McGahee's comments that RW wanted a RB change. Now go discredit Sullivan and call him negative. Quibbling with others and then going passive aggressive isn't enough. RW loud and clear told John Wawrow that he wanted a QB, and then you come back with this. I'll even provide your counter argument after my post: Fitzpatrick is better now than he was when RW made that point and things have further changed. Right. You don't think RW is aware the stands aren't as packed? He and his handlers/advisers know it'll take a huge drawing card (who won't come via UFA) so that leaves one opportunity: the draft. It would not surprise me if a QB is ordered upon the GM. When 51k pay for a game in the NFL leaving no less than 22k empty seats, that's a serious issue. It is not a stretch to say they've gotta figure out a way to market the team, and this time around they can't trot out a HC or GM who gives nice sound bites. Of course, they could say fan support is waning and try guilting people into it.

RW said the team was 3 years away, and that's about how long the Rams have been rebuilding for. Since 2008, they've drafted a starting QB, RDE, LT, RT, and MLB and while they're far from a finished product, it's a team with upside. Teams can rebuild quicker, but that happens when a front office has its stuff together. There's a growing sense the Bills "have" to be active in UFA with some premium signings to expedite the process. When's the last time that happened, what 4 years ago? Based on recent history and considering the future of the franchise, I don't see them going big in UFA but continuing to downplay it like Nix loves to do. So that leaves the draft, and they again have more distinct needs than picks to fill them in the coming offseason.

What, no mention of Tim Tindale?

Did you ever consider Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta probably put him on the PS and not the active roster for a reason?

I guess that's what you get when raiding other team's practice squads. They're there for a reason.

I'm not Jerry but he's living rent free in a lot of fans' heads around here including yours. The nerve to complain about a 3-10 team. How dare Jerry and me have the audacity!

The issue isn't whether Fitzpatrick has improved, it's about selling tickets, and with several thousand empty seats, it's clear the Bills aren't placing their current starting QB at the center of any marketing campaign. They need a drawing card and Fitz isn't it. After all, we still have the same owner who demanded Lynch in the wake of McGahee's comments and lo and behold it happened. This team is not similar to the 86 team. They have no Kelly, Smith, Reed, Talley, Wolford, et al. Not to mention it was a completely different era where a few teams had more of the talent than today's era where talent is spread more equally. Who do they have now? Fitz, Williams, Jackson, St. Johnson? Not even close. There was supposedly a light at the end of the tunnel in 06-09, but more failure ensued. With RW/Littman/Overdorf running the show, I don't see how things have really changed.

They'll have their highest draft pick in years.

Yep...of course this is partially mitigated by saving dollars on the guaranteed money for their first round pick. Still they know people aren't lapping up their propaganda like they used to.

Criqui's not bad...he does evoke memories of the glory days.

Right, Cleveland didn't beat NYJ. But in one season they've taken down the Saints and Patriots, which qualifies as something to point and recognize. At the same time, I can't have a negative opinion on Buddy NIx, but you can go ahead and say Holmgren is a "poor" GM in less than year? Besides, he's the president, and Tom Heckert is the GM, but regardless, they're 3 wins up on Buffalo and both are in their first season of rebuilding, HC status or not. You keep going ahead and dragging down other teams to make Buffalo seem okay. And for those who wonder why we "negative" fans keep following, well, this is the team we've grown up with. Sitting idly by and making excuses for 11 years of fail isn't in my DNA.

Cleveland, in year 1 of their rebuild, have 3 signature wins against NE, NYJ, and NO. Buffalo has had a tough schedule, but continue to lose to more talented teams despite getting close. They haven't beaten a playoff caliber team, which seems to be a yearly thing, regardless of the coach. I would disagree the losing culture has changed at all because players aren't satisfied with losing close. Gailey gets something out of mediocre talent on offense, but without support from the front office this season, he can't just out-execute his opponents. Overall team talent needs to drastically improve on both sides of the ball before they go anywhere but the bottom of the AFC East.

Wouldn't doubt it. Bad weather and two teams going nowhere adds up to a lot of unsold tickets. I'm just waiting for the team to start leaking that fans don't support the team after having as many as 4 blackouts this season.

Fixed. Having a General Manager (of football no less) is so overrated. Marketeers can handle that job and pawn games off onto those Rogers people at the same time!

Yes you can. When your defense is dead last in the NFL in rushing yards allowed by more than 25 above the 31st ranked team you can. They're not good at rushing the passer and aside from QB, there's more pressing needs on defense. Then again Smithers and the marketeers need a draw when more fans cancel seasons in 2011.

How many thousand tickets was the team short? Guessing at least 3k.

They're following the Nix Doctrine of having as many 1st round RB's as possible. Hey, it worked in 1970. Why can't it work now?

Going back to the 43 after an entire offseason of teaching and practicing the 34 is another example of this magical plan being smoke and mirrors. OK, I get that they wanted to go to a 34. Fine, but the players they've acquired for it aren't interchangeable and it's not like they've got Belichick coordinating this defense. Sure they need more talent, but can't they get one thing right before trying another? This is what makes the Kelsay deal maddening, because he can't play the 34 and remains one of the highest paid players on the team. Ah well. Next thing you know, TBC will predict this will be a 2-14 or 3-13 season.

It's never happened before in Buffalo (save for perhaps the Polian years), but give football people complete autonomy over football decisions. Sure, the bean counters will set a budget, but I've never felt the football people weren't frequently interfered with by RW and his minions. AFAIK, Parcells took his own people to Miami in 2008. Most of them remain there, but I think BP goes mercenary again and ends up in other town performing a role like he did in Miami.

There really hasn't been a true sea change like there should have been last offseason. Modrak may or may not have sway, but he's survived through the tenures of 4 GM's. Jim Overdorf is there, as he has been since the 80s. The power structure was barely addressed and all of this begs the question: why? Why doesn't a new GM get to bring in their own people? Every other team, upon hiring a new GM, typically finds new pro and amateur scouting directors, and doesn't have an Overdorf type pulling strings from behind the curtain. Say what you want about Nix and this being early, but merely firing the poor VP of Pro Personnel is not sufficient. With the track record of failure in the front office, more comprehensive changes were needed. And they didn't/couldn't do it because RW didn't authorize it.

Davis will be 33 next season and has missed plenty of games in 09-10. I'd draft LB heavy, if they weren't so poor at QB, OT, TE, and now perhaps CB.