BillsVet

Someone said in a thread about a week ago that there is a strange dichotomy happening in Buffalo. We have a team in Buffalo because RW is alive, but his ownership is holding back the team's ability to succeed. This is a deep issue that requires some thought, but we know that RW is unable to make long term decisions, which all teams must be constantly doing. Prospective players and executives don't seem interested in working here and therein lies the problem: people want answers that the front office can't provide because they simply don't know when the inevitable will occur. I think RW, Littman, and the family know the plan, but few others do. Either way, that info ain't making it's way out.

Don't place your sign on one of the walls around the field: the team has banned signs there. Maybe they're going TD and banning fan contempt for the organization. It'll get a lot worse too.

That will happen this year. And being that many fans know Kelsay is not good is a reason why. I can see the final 2 home games drawing 35k.

The NFL, IIRC, does not allow public ownership of a franchise. GB is the first and last exception to that. I wouldn't waste his time with EZ colors or uniforms because that's left to people far beneath him. I'll be interested in reading GE's column next Tuesday, although I'm not sure if he'll be deferential to RW or draw some conclusions about the state of the team.

From TMQ yesterday: "Next Week: Next week's TMQ will be nonencyclopedic -- on Sunday I will be attending the Jets-at-Bills game as guest of Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson. Should I raise with him the issue of O.J. Simpson's name on the stadium wall?" Perhaps Easterbrook could ask about Lou Saban or even Cookie Gilchrist instead. Or perhaps ask what his plans for the future are. What say you?

At least he sounds sad saying it. Funny how everyone shows up when something good happens. When it isn't, the lowest guy on the front office totem pole is thrown to the wolves to answer why gutless executives make illogical moves. Then again, the guy's making 3M a year coaching a third rate NFL team as opposed to coaching a college offense.

Since you asked, ATL is 20-15 since beginning a total rebuild after Vick was sentenced, Petrino bolted, and Parcells spurned Arthur Blank. And it began with a rookie QB, a no-name HC, and Mike Mularkey as their OC. I'm not guaranteeing success for them, but they beat NO in the Superdome, and look like that could be dangerous in 2010.

Welcome to TBD. Appreciate your candor and never think you alone in expressing this viewpoint.

Do you honestly believe that people want to come to Buffalo anymore? Thurman Thomas was cut and found out about it on ESPN. That's class. A far lesser player, Trent Edwards, was cut and his teammates learned of it on...you guessed it, ESPN. We have reports players are not happy about how this went down. Think those players don't have friends around the NFL. Coy Wire has all but admitted the Bills are dysfunctional and third rate and he's one of finest people in the NFL. NFL executives and the players pay attention. So do players' agents. This issue is more complex for some of the simple simon's on this board to understand. I wish more Bills fans went and studied other teams to see how a successful franchise is run. Because this team makes decisions that defy all logic. How do you win when you can't convince good HC's to interview and RW has a history of telling those same HC's what to do? You certainly don't luck into winning, that's for sure.

You're on board with bottoming out and hiring qualified GM's to make the decision on a top draft pick then? For the record, Dimitroff was faced with taking either Ryan or Glenn Dorsey. It was not clear cut (we have the benefit of hindsight) and Dorsey was considered. He chose Ryan, hired Mike Smith, and the Falcons went from 3rd overall pick to 11-5 and a playoff appearance the following season. Dimitroff knows after working in NE how to build a team.

Or hire someone on the other 31 teams' radar for a GM. Undoubtedly you've heard of Tom Dimitroff, former personnel man with NE. You probably also knew that ATL interviewed Nix for the GM job and chose the former. You don't build football teams with luck and sub-par unwanted personnel people. But you knew that already.

The more things change, the more they remain the same. The three headed monster running the show is half the inner-circle plus 1: RW, Littman, and Overdorf (Senior VP of Football Operations). Whaley knows that cutting the former starter at this juncture is short-sighted and rash.

Word's going to leak out this team is focused on setting the team up for sale and is run by non-football people. Funny Nix wasn't around when the announcement was made to cut Edwards. That speaks volumes and the silence from OBD is deafening.

Can I cite Jerry Sullivan's most recent column to support my argument then? It's pretty straightforward and to the point as well from an award winning journalist.

I'm a Yanks fan, but I remember the late eighties/early nineties when people were happy that Steinbrenner had been suspended. GS is lauded now, but those years set them up long term. Thing is, I don't get the sense that RW is much different than Angelos right now, despite the latter having hired a GM who seems to have some say. Rico mentioned the change in ownership. I think that's the light at the end of the tunnel. Or, the proverbial train coming. Either way, when you watch other successful NFL teams, you don't see these sorts of moves. I'm miffed at the timing and believe this move will not be forgotten by the players. Then again, Chris Kelsay probably won't mind.

Wrong argument about starting or not starting Trent. This decision, as many have said in this thread, should have been made after camp and not until putrid performances 2 games into the regular season. For the record, I was bullish on TE until he lost the job in 2009. He's a good guy from what I can see, but he lacks the confidence of a starting NFL QB. Furthermore, I think he's been shell-shocked and was legitimately afraid of being hit. Guess that happens when the team depends on rookies and cheap UFA's for OLineman. Leinart was a first rounder who could not claim a job he was handed. Edwards was given the job without much challenge from anyone, despite proof that he wasn't better than Fitz. You correct these types of mistakes in the off-season and don't wait until losing 2 ugly games. Dean, I have plenty of reason to remain critical and you know the tale of the tape. 15 years since the last playoff win. 10+ years since the last playoff appearance. 66-94 in the 00s. Rumors that the owner or at the least non-football people still interfere. And they're in Year 0 of another rebuild. Critical? I guess I would like to see a winning season more than once in a decade. Results matter.

I ask this question in all honesty: How many teams who bench the starting QB who got all the 1st team reps in pre-season cut the guy 8 days after starting him? No one does. You homers go on making excuses for why things are normal, but the story isn't why TE was released, it's the timing. An off-season of evaluation shot in 2+ weeks. Yeah, that's shallow analysis.

Gailey lost people the last time he was a HC in the NFL. He fell out of favor with Troy Aikman and was fired following that '99 season. Sure, some homer will say Jerry Jones regretted the move, but if the HC manages to lose the a 3 time SB winning QB in less than 2 seasons, who's probably at fault?

When you have no credibility, yes, you will be questioned when you've cut your starting QB as of 8 days ago. Yes that's extremely strange, especially when your backup QB has 1 NFL start and there's no other QB on the roster or PS. Yes, you'll be spoken poorly with the track record they have. With this sort of logic, Cornell Green should have been sent packing after Week 1. Yes, when the Bills do things like this they'll be questioned. You tend to get that when it's been forever since their last playoff appearance and the the owner has made decisions about starters before. That always works.

I made this point in another thread: how did Gailey get so easily fooled by Trent's success when the practices/games didn't matter? For being a veteran offensive coach, I expect him to know talent and not get sucked in. Few people give the Bills the benefit of the doubt anymore. They've run the table on being mediocre, do not attract talented people for HC and GM no matter what anyone says, and now they're bottoming out. But the rationale that because Edwards wasn't a #1 overall doesn't remove the fact that they misfired on picking the best QB on the roster to start. They've changed their starting RB, adjusted the WR depth chart, and are 0-3. Who's making decisions on this team?

It took SD 3 seasons and 4 off-seasons to rebuild. If the Bills follow that time-line, they'll have 13 seasons between playoff appearances. Just because SD took a RB top 10 in 2001 and Buffalo did the same 9 years later does not make this a similar situation. SD happened to get the QB right twice: Brees in 01 and Rivers in 04. I don't think anyone has faith in OBD to get much right, especially when their 3rd rounder in 10 doesn't even dress when Stroud is one of your 34DE's.

For a guy who's close to things at OBD, Tim probably has a good reason to write in this way. I don't understand what's unfair about his criticism here. The Bills had a hard time attracting or even interviewing candidates for their open GM and HC jobs this past off-season. Nix' and Gailey's predecessors weren't in demand and just maybe there's a reason. I think people know what's happening at OBD and aren't talking, particularly those executives around the NFL. The Bills simply do things that 30 other teams (not including Oakland) do not do.

Three games, 0-3, outscored by 40 points, 31st in yards gained, t-31st in points allowed, 30th in opponents 3rd down conversions, on the verge of re-signing Chris Kelsay, cut the anointed starting QB of 8 days ago, t-30th INT's. What more could I want?

Even for you this is a stretch. After tens of practices, position meetings, off-season workouts, et al, they finally figured out Trent wasn't liked in the locker room nor could he play? If Gailey is an offensive coach, could he not tell Fitzpatrick was better? You're saying that Gailey is this offensive genius and he couldn't see through Edwards like the tease he was? All those months of preparations and the "old ball coach" Gailey got fooled by a guy with 4 seasons of mediocre QB'ing. Either Gailey's really slow or Trent's an awesome actor playing QB.

There is a difference between being a good scout and a good administrator. Being the former does not necessarily translate into being the latter. Right now the Bills are 0-3, and it'll be interesting as things get worse how many fans begin questioning the direction of this franchise. People act as though the Bills will be in Buffalo forever and Nix has years to develop a winner. Besides, Nix is 70 and there aren't many GM's at that age for a reason: it's a demanding job that tests younger men. I think Nix will do a Levy and work 2 years before handing it off to Whaley if the Bills haven't been sold.