BillsVet

You're using a pre-season finale game, typically when the imminent cuts play, as an example that's he's solid? And it was against the freaking Lions? I've seen some good ones on this board, and that's up there. I wan the kid to succeed, but there's nothing to indicate he'll live up to his draft status. It's like the Demetrius Bell syndrome: buy into hype about an unproven commodity until you realize he's not good.

Two critical things here: Johnson, no matter the role, isn't returning to the NFL. It's not going to happen. Second, Billick is on record as wondering why anyone would go to work for the Bills. What's next, someone wondering if Chuck Noll will come out of retirement?

For the same reason they chose to rebuild with an undersized SS. Levy/Jauron/Modrak/Guy could not rebuild their OL and DL despite repeated attempts over four off-seasons. When they finally take a DE, it's someone not physically prepared for the NFL. There are a few posters on this board who I seriously believe could do a better job than the current staff, who should be fired on January 4th.

This is the year RW's meddlesome ways finally catch up to him. I have no doubt word has spread league wide that going to Buffalo is a half-step up from working in Oakland. And that alone will convince proven people and top assistants from interviewing. I don't care if it's the NFL or not, this is a wasteland and people know it. Besides, Brian Billick has wondered aloud who would consider coming here. Fassel, Haslett, or Dennis Green seem to be the logical choices because they want in.

There's going to be a huge issue in Minneapolis/St. Paul with the Vikings demanding a new publicly financed stadium. Minnesota is having some budget problems, yet have already assisted the University of Minnesota and the Twins. Now the Vikings want a new home to replace the Metrodome and it's not looking good.

Billick is on record as wondering why anyone would want the Bills job. It's a massive rebuilding project and no name coach wants to begin like that. Gettleman is being pushed, but he's in his late 50s and hasn't had a GM job yet. He may be adept at pro personnel, but there's probably a reason he hasn't been hired as a GM elsewhere.

Acquiring Edwards, Jolly, and Jackson will require untold draft picks when each are tendered for at least a 2nd, if not a 1st. They will be RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS as a result of 2010 BEING UNCAPPED. MIA, BAL, and ATL have gone from bad to being a playoff team in one season. Only problem is, all of them had/have extremely talented football men like Parcells/Ireland, Ozzie Newsome, and Tom Dimitroff running their football operations. And each of those teams had owners who delegated the responsibility and authority to make football decisions regardless of a bean counter. Only if those things happen, can this team have a shot at rebuilding quickly and correctly.

Acquiring more picks has been the style of Belichick and Parcells, hence more chances to succeed. Buffalo hasn't traded down in the draft once since TD did in 2001. The guys you pronounce "Trade Bait" like Edwards, Kelsay, Parrish, McCargo, and Whitner are not going to bring anything more than a 5th. Teams have figured out that giving up picks for low end talent doesn't yield great results, even though we think these guys are good. Besides, TE, CK, JM, and DW are entering the final year of their contracts and have done very little these past 2-3 seasons. Also, all f the names you mentioned above will be RFA's, meaning they'll be tendered a certain contract size and should a team sign them to an offer sheet, would need to give up picks commensurate with the tender. We do not know what the off-season will be like with the owner opt out of the CBA eliminating the cap in 2010. Guys who'd normally by UFA's won't be.

You're new here. And I'm guessing for the better part of the decade you didn't watch a team which is going on 10 years without a playoff appearance. So pardon the OP for laying it out. Buffalo isn't at a Rams or Bucs level, but they could be real quickly. Here's the deal: Buffalo is woefully thin at the critical positions. There is no QB, their top (and admittedly declining DE who I like) is considering retirement, they have no OT on the roster right now that is capable of starting (sorry Bell and Meredith fans, it's a dream) and there's no one running the football side of the house that's knows anything about personnel. This team, especially if old man Wilson springs for a new GM, is in line for a major house cleaning. The only positions I'd say are somewhat decent are CB, S, and RB. Aside from that, they're aging at DL, lack talent at OT, and don't have a QB play.

You could easily have said this in 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, and now we're saying it again. Yet, many of the same people finding players were there this whole time. No QB. nothing at OT, cannot stop the run, little pass rush, OLB extremely thin, I'd say that's a total rebuild right there. oh, and in desperate need of an actual GM and HC.

Nailed it. The man is a coward who decided that photo ops were all he needed to be present for. The only comment I've seen from him this season was what he said after the loss to Cleveland in October. The worst was Brandon showing up to the combine and acting like a real GM. I have a feeling that other GM's knew the guy had no power, no knowledge of personnel, and didn't even run the draft room like he should given the position. I can't believe they've decided he can look for his replacement, as if he suddenly knows what to look for.

Buffalo went with a project DE because they finally realized a pass rush is important. The greater reason, IMO, was that taking an OT would open them up for criticism that they again used a high pick to replace a traded or UFA veteran. I've always had the feeling that the Bills, TD or Levy/Brandon, are concerned with not doing what the supposed experts think they should do. And BTW, I've seen Maybin run by (I sit in the front row behind an EZ) and he's real cut, but lacks bulk. He has a lot of work to do in the off-season, but I'm willing to wait another year before declaring him a completely bad pick.

Is RW willing to spend money, or is that merely a rumor started somewhere? I expect there to be plenty of activity beginning 1/4, but there's no indication RW is about to spring big dollars onto a "name" commodity. The Bills are being forced into hiring a real GM like they should have in early 2006. There is no one on the Bills payroll in the front office capable of making a good decision on the next GM. 24 years ago about this time, RW hit the lottery by naming Bill Polian GM. Because he won't hire a consultant and won't trust anyone but Brandon, all we've got is hope that they'll hit the trifecta once again.

The NFL has become a stadium building league, which ultimately creates bigger revenue. Look around the NFL and there are or will be new digs built in NYC, Washington, Dallas, New England, and many other cities in the past 15 years. There is zero chance of a new stadium built in WNY, what with the financial problems at the state and local revenue. And we know the current owner won't privately finance anything at his advanced age. People will say RWS is fine, but with the NFL helping to finance the new NYC Giants/Jets place, it's clear they want more new stadiums to create more revenue. Buffalo already has one of the oldest homes in the NFL. If there's parity in the NFL, then why are the Giants, Eagles, Chargers, Colts, Steelers, and Patriots in the playoffs every season? If half the playoff teams are perennial, that speaks to something.

Merry Christmas to you as well. There's no question a decade of losing has taken a toll on Bills fans. Re: Schobel. I don't think any of us know how much pain he's in, but if John Wawrow says he's had back problems, it's probably true. And while he has a high salary, I think most athletes fit into that category. My gut tells me that Schobel's injuries, combined with a full-on rebuild coming up in 2010 might be enough. We'll see, but I'd want him back, if only as a part time pass rusher at a reduced rate.

For the record and because you won't look it up, I said Sanders lost almost every year. But you're correct in that Detroit had 5 playoff appearances in Barry's 10 seasons with a mere 1 playoff win. Too many posters, yourself included, deal in absolutes. As in, Team A was bad with Player A, therefore Player A was bad and didn't help them win. This sort of mindless logic is tiresome and intellectually lazy. But go ahead, attack people to cover up for your lack of knowledge and for having to actually think. You truly are an asset to this board.

Tell me who is it that picks QB's? Because each team with a solid QB also has a good to excellent GM. The point is simple: the NFL cannot equally distribute the human effect, i.e. talent evaluators and front office personnel, to each team like it can salary cap dollars and draft picks. It's human nature that some people are better than others at football management and this means teams stuck in the doldrums (OAK, STL, BUF) while others win nearly every season (IND, PIT, NE, NYG).

You're closer to the team than most of us, but I was surprised to hear Schobel question the direction of the team after the Tennessee blowout last month. He's the type that if he's saying things are bad then it really is. And if I'm on the Bills, I have to hope for a rebuilding, even though it probably means more losing.

The point is not that there's a huge middle of teams with 6-7 wins at this point. It's more so the fact that the same teams are above the pack, especially in the AFC. You've got NE, IND, SD, BAL, and PIT in the playoffs seemingly every year. Over in the NFC, NYG, PHI, and GB come to mind. Sure there might be a team that squeaks into the playoffs, but it's the same teams that are winning 10+ games every year. And while there are exceptions and down years, the bad teams like STL, CLE, DET, BUF, and OAK aren't moving ahead at all. This is much bigger than QB's and rules associated with hitting them or interfering with WR's. It's the fact that: a small elite group of teams is out-pacing the rest.

Tim Keown has an article in the recent ESPN the Magazine which makes the point that parity ended this season. As an example, he points out the top 5 teams in the league going into Week 14 had a .714 advantage in winning percentage over the 5 worst franchises. Along with attendance being down (probably in part to the recession) fans are remaining home in cities where teams are losing. He cites the Raiders, who drew a mere 40,720 against Kansas City. Regardless, there are several issues on the horizon for the world's most popular sports league: an uncapped year, probable CBA issues in 2010-11, a decrease in several teams values, and the shift to an uneven league with perpetual winners and losers. Good read if you get a chance.

Do you think this retirement talk is the result of perennially poor teams and his slowing down or the thought of having to be part of a rebuilding project in 2010 in his 10th season? If Buffalo decides to make a change at HC, I'm not sure he'd fit into any defense as a DE besides the Cover 2.

Good point. His career thus far has been a flop, but he came to Buffalo to get a shot at playing. He's the definition of "taking a flyer" on a player if there ever was one. GB decided he couldn't beat out a 7th rounder, so he's got a lot to prove. He'd been available for 2+ months for any team, and no one took a chance. I get the impression his game doesn't translate to the NFL, despite his gaudy college stats. The chance of him being the answer at QB is minimal, but what the heck at this point.

There'll always be the fans who go because it's a chance to party and watch NFL football. But I agree, there's growing animosity among STH's that won't be solved with acquiring a UFA or naming a former HC as the GM. Gimmicks just won't work anymore. Yet here we are trusting Brandon to lead a search for a GM. It's as if they can't possibly allow anyone to see into their house, for fear someone would find it dirty. Well, it's falling down and everyone knows it and I'm not even sure anyone of a decent reputation will want to come in and clean it up.

The Lions lost just about every year with Barry Sanders. Therefore he is garbage. New Orleans stunk with Archie Manning, therefore he stunk. Chicago was horrible with Dick Butkus, ergo, he was horrible. I'm just amazed those teams kept these players.

Reminds me of the Barry Sanders retirement after the '99 season. Certainly doesn't carry the weight of a HOF RB, but it's telling about this team. Schobel doesn't normally speak much, but his comments after the Tennessee game were indicative that there are major problems and most likely another rebuilding project to start next season.