BillsVet

It's disturbing that the owner does not know one of the NFL's most well-known head coaches. I realize RW is at an advanced age, but surely every owner and GM knows who Mike Shanahan is. I recall RW saying at his re-scheduled ring ceremony last year that he still believed he had youth on his side. These tired metaphors sound nice, but it's clear he's pursuing the team as it was years ago.

Do you really think it's as black and white as you make it out to be? Any financial adviser would point out a myriad of issues contributing to RW's decision making process. There's a lockout coming, estate taxes, setting up the family, et al. In the interim, maximize revenue (Toronto, raised ticket prices, etc) hype the team, and make preparations for the inevitable. Buffalo's salary will most likely decrease, like many other teams, from 2009 to 2010. Ticket prices went up, as I'm sure advertising and other revenue sources did. The Bills made 39M according to Forbes last season. Why would they spend more if the team's going to be sold? Who puts money into a car that'll be sold in short order? Fans need to face facts: the Bills aren't as interested in winning as we'd like them to be. Minnesota is one of the smaller NFL markets and has the highest dollar amount for contracts in the NFL. Don't give me that tired song and dance that Buffalo is small market and can't spend. GB spends as do other small markets.

There were seven players Buffalo had to decide whether to re-sign or not since 2006: Kelsay, Clements, Fletcher, Schobel, Evans, Peters, and McGee. Four of those guys received new deals, two left via UFA and another was traded. Admittedly in hindsight, their decisions on Clements, Evans, and McGee seem fine. The other four not so much. Kelsay is so-so and was/is only average at best as a pass rusher. Fletcher remains at a high level, Evans was their only legit receiver despite his inability to be a Steve Smith type, and Schobel's now retired less than 3 seasons since re-signing. Peters didn't go about his holdout well, but Buffalo didn't have leverage in that situation and their remaining project LT's prove that. Sure, RW will spend, but that front office is spending the money on some poor players. Personnel types like Guy, Modrak, and Overdorf have a bad success rate and only one of those has been let go.

He needs 3 full NFL seasons. If at the end of his 3rd NFL season he's not starting, then I'd make a decision. Pass rushers sometimes take more time than other positions. I would be concerned that he doesn't look much bigger than last season. To play OLB in a 3-4 he needs to be an actual 245-255. I don't think he's within 10 pounds of that. I don't care for his look-at-me attitude, but he's 22 years old for goodness sakes.

Boy oh boy. ST sales must be low if they're moving this quickly to hype their new RB's on-field accomplishments. It smacks of desperation from a franchise that's been low on good moves these past 5 offseasons.

After 2 games Spiller, who admittedly was exciting, reminds you of Tomlinson? Bit early for that isn't it? Besides, it wasn't until 2004 when the Chargers became a playoff team. Their rebuild comprised 3 seasons and 4 off-seasons. SD went 5-11 in 2001, 8-8 in 2002, and 4-12 in 2003 before going 12-4 in 2004. Rebuilds take time, even when taking HOF RB's with their first pick.

Nice work Simon. I was particularly intrigued by Buffalo playing a lot of 4-3. They don't have the OLB's to rush the passer, and pass rush will be a big issue this year, but flashing multiple looks is a good idea for keeping teams off-balance. I too wasn't a big fan of the Spiller pick in that he's got such poor outside OL. But if teams overpursue and they mix in the pass, he can be very effective IMO. But I agree, the OT's are very poor and I don't know if there's a weaker position on the team. I think Matthews and Stupar make this team, and it's why Shawn Nelson isn't getting a lot of reps: they like their TE's as blockers first and second. And they'll need them to be next to those OT's.

Mediocrity and transition are acceptable so long as profitability remains high. This past off-season was one of the most important in recent memory, and we'll see how they did. Although, plenty of the blind homers will say when all is said and done that 2010 was a rebuilding season anyway. To me, after 10 years without a playoff appearance that's unacceptable. Everything does indeed seem to be more or less short term decisions in the even the owner passes. How can they plan long term with this franchise anyway? And that's why I beleive the GM and HC hires since TD were/are people no one else wanted anyway. They can be jettisoned quite easily if there's an ownership change.

With his bag of money, Canadian flag, and HOF bust.

I can understand that as well. Just don't think the front office is keen on giving up picks no matter how late.

Have you read some of the previous posts in this thread? It's not about how many attend games, specifically in the lower bowl. The revenue is found in club seats and luxury boxes along with the 116M they receive in television revenue. Besides, their brand is irrelevant at this point, and national media ignore them quite easily. I'd wager they're not very high in merchandise sales either. Buffalo has not released season ticket sales numbers for a reason. And three years into their Toronto experiment, the brand hasn't done anything up north to the point that Rogers is giving out tickets to fill up about 53k tickets, not 70k.

Contrast that with the Redskins, who at 4-12 last season experienced plenty of change. New GM, HC, QB and different defensive scheme. I dare say the Skins are more committed to winning, and they've found a QB, allocated resources to the OT position, and are improving their pass rush in one year. Nowhere does it say it's impossible to rebuild in a shorter span. Atlanta and Miami have done it. Washington might well too.

I have a hard time believing the team will part with any picks at this stage of the rebuild. IMO, they'd rather choose their own young players than give up a pick for a proven veteran. Not saying I agree with the FO, but it's what I think they believe in. Still the WR corps is thin and UDFA's aren't a realistic solution. At least not this season.

The fact that RW hires Marv Levy, then promotes Mr. Smithers-Brandon, and then a former retired national scout/Asst GM tells me everything I need to know. Good companies have good management. Bad companies have bad management and go out of business, but this being the NFL, the subsidies and emotionally driven fan base keep them afloat. From 2001-2008, Buffalo probably had about 2 decent drafts: '01 and '03. And yet Modrak is still here, although he can be overruled at anytime.

Rachel Phelps equals Jeff Littman/Ralph Wilson. Make owner some money, cut costs (admittedly different scenario than Indians of late 80s) so that team can prosper. Sign a bunch of cheap castoffs, hire a retread coach and play in a bad stadium. Difference is, in Major League the seemingly less than talented team goes to the playoffs. This one isn't headed on such a high trajectory.

They addressed the OL because they had no other starting caliber guards and were forced to draft two high in 2009. It doesn't excuse the fact that their depth this season consists of more UDFA's, and late round picks with no experience. Apparently Chester Pitts and a few others were too expensive to provide interior depth should an inevitable injury occur. There's a trend here, and it's a lack of foresight from the front office. Was it necessary to select McKelvin in 2008? Not really, but it'd be real nice to have a Ryan Clady (yes, he's injured) rather than clearance rack caliber OT's like Bell, Meredith, and Green. They knew that Peters would be an issue, yet they did nothing to insure themselves against a holdout, which they knew was coming. It's real easy to lose 10 years running. But it's going to be a lot harder for you to keep making excuses for a moribund franchise. I suppose you'll say later this season that it was a rebuilding campaign anyway. That's a defeatist mentality.

Have to say it Doc. You are the king of making excuses for this franchise/team. It's still a team with 10 season minus a playoff appearance and it appears that this streak will continue. Even when healthy the team has zero depth at all 3 OL positions. Their principal backups at G are Kyle Calloway and Kirk Chambers. The swing OT is Meredith, providing Bell is the starter and vice versa if he doesn't. I would wager those three players would be on the fringe of even making most other teams. Taking flyers on late round picks, UDFA's and other teams PS rejects is not how to build an OL. And at the money position of OT, it rarely works.

You can never have enough good RB's. QB's are overrated in today's era, which is the 1930s, right?

I love how people demonstrate that top 5 picks are risky by using a minority of the picks. And for every bad LT, there's a franchise guy who locks people down like Walter Jones, Anthony Munoz, or Orlando Pace. In life there are always risks. People who enjoy sitting on the sidelines and not risking anything typically don't ever succeed to the level they'd like. Perhaps we should trade our soon-to-be top 5 picks for about 3 seconds. Then we won't feel bad if something good doesn't happen. Then again, it's fit it real well because we have absolutely zero impact players.

All of this remains true and is a latent admission that 2010 will be a rebuilding season. OTOH, how does a team begin a rebuild without the QB, rookie or proven veteran acquired via trade or UFA? They've started on defense with guys like Troup and Carrington. But offensively, it's still a steep climb in that they need OT's and a QB. No it doesn't matter who of either Edwards, Edward, or Brohm starts. They'll all see time this season anyway, unless one is cut for Brown.

Buffalo needs to completely bottom out in 2010. They've avoided it since 2001, and amid so many changes since the TD years, nothing has worked. Cheap HC and GM hires, poor drafting, bad FA acquisitions, band aids all over, they simply need to go 1-15, 2-14, or 3-13 and get a high pick. Otherwise, the team can say things aren't bad like they have these past few seasons.

There's a reason Gailey wasn't mentioned for other NFL jobs. For all the talk and cliches, he's still going to be a conservative grind it out guy who prefers to run the ball. When I look at Washington, I see the things Buffalo could not do: find a proven HC, acquire a solid to above average QB, and shore up their OL while transitioning to a 3-4. Both Buffalo and Washington were bad teams in 2009, and while it's early, I think Washington won't be drafting in the top 5 like Buffalo will be.

It's an inside joke between myself and CB97, so relax. Want a golf clap instead?

We'll agree to disagree. I remember Byrd finding himself in the right place at the right time. Was it ball skills or luck? I don't know. And if Byrd doesn't have 9 picks this year, I won't proclaim him a failure. But I expect him to be better in the run game and make a play or two in the secondary. I think the pass rush or lack thereof is going to hurt that solid secondary.

Football Outsiders watches way more tape than you dude. And I trust their analysis more than you, because neither of us have published any sort of football book. What have you done with your life? They're better than you and our opinions are worthless because we're not in the game or covering it.