BillsVet

I'm negative on the coaching staff because none of them have proven they're capable of beating playoff caliber teams. Check our DJ's record versus teams that end up winning 10+ games per season. It's not good at all, but those are precisely the sort of teams the 09 Bills will have to beat in order to advance. I won't soon forget the epic collapse of going 2-8 when the team was in the driver's seat after Week 7. Forgive me for being negative, but there are few HC's with 2+ seasons in the league worse than DJ on game day. Aside from Norv Turner (who has a LOT of talent) no one is worse. I'm happy they picked up Owens, who I think will prosper if Edwards gets time to throw. It's that OL which concerns me. Starting two highly regarded rookies is not a certainty of OL success. I like Eric Wood's demeanor, and Levitre seems to be very similar. But they're still rookies and will require some time to acclimate to the pro game, especially considering they're changing positions from where they played in college. You also won't see as many three receiver sets, simply because both OT's will need help from a TE quite frequently.

The Bills aren't better because DJ and the coaching staff are still around. When a HC goes 2-8 down the stretch and is rewarded with keeping his job, something's wrong. While I fully expect Edwards to be better, it remains to be seen how a retread former QB coach will game plan to maximize his strengths. That, and an offensive line which is a mix and match of guys playing out of position. That's not a recipe for a playoff appearance. If anything, Buffalo is stronger at the skill positions but still severely lacking on the DL and OL. It's almost as if they've followed the TD doctrine of getting good skill players and not pursuing good OL in the draft. That is, until this season. I think Bills fans who followed the team during TD know that having great skill players does not make up for being weak on the OL and DL.

You're right on re: comments about Butler. College OT's can and do transition inside. We're hoping Levitre does it, and I'm confident he can make that move. But going from NFL G to OT is something I've never seen occur. As for Hangartner, after two seasons in the NFL, the Panthers liked him so much they took Ryan Kalil in the second round. GH left via UFA to Buffalo and is being counted on to start. The contract isn't huge, but I will remain wary of a guy who wasn't good enough on another team and had a high pick brought in to replace him. I think Wood makes the move to G from C, he had been working there far before the draft. OTOH, Walker has never played long term at OL and will require plenty of help. He can't be left on an island, and won't be someone who can get out in space like Peters could. All in all, the backups are OK I suppose. Chambers and McKinney aren't starting caliber, and Bell has another year of development before he should be getting on the field regularly. They're thin again, and it's only Edwards health that depends on it.

I'm still unsure why fans focus on Peters' intelligence or supposed lack thereof. It seems as though some fans love ripping a guy who ultimately got his way with a bigger deal from a more relevant NFL franchise. NFL players focus on playing the game, not negotiating contracts. They hire an agent to do that for them, so overall intelligence has no bearing on this situation. Eugene Parker has a history of winning for his clients, which is exactly what he got from Buffalo with the trade. He therefore benefits, as does Peters. I would stop marginalizing a player who got paid and is now playing for a team that has a real shot at going deep into the playoffs. As for Andy Reid, he's got some issues off the field, but 5 NFC Championship games in 7 seasons tells me a lot about how darn good he is. The Bills meanwhile cannot approach that level of achievement. Therefore, ragging on the Eagles should be the last thing anyone should do, unless of course they visit RWS.

It remains to be seen how the defensive, particularly the defensive line can pressure the QB. We shall see. Perhaps they improve, perhaps not. In the meantime, I wouldn't mind seeing Brady, Pennington, and Sanchez hit the turf a lot more often. Sanders was fired because the GB defense slumped from being good enough to get to the NFC Title Game to being just plain poor in 2008. It was a precipitous drop off for a talented squad featuring a lot of talent including Kampman, Barnett, Woodson, Collins, et al.

He also was the DC on two SB winning teams before taking over Cleveland in 91. Don't stop now.

That's precisely my point. It's a matter of matching up against some of the opponents which may, and I'm speculating here, determine who is on the field. I think we'll be seeing Scott, Whitner, and Byrd.

For the record, GB fired Sanders as their DC. Granted they moved to the 3-4, but only after hiring Dom Capers as the new DC. Coaches fired at one level and hired at a lower one are effectively demoted. That's not a track record I'm going to bank on until results start coming. Sanders, like many on Buffalo's staff, hasn't demonstrated consistent success.

It's troubling that the coaching staff expresses so little confidence in their players. However, I believe this is a product of the youth movement the team pursued from 06-08. The team has so many starters in their rookie, second, or third years in the league during those seasons. And it's also the result of DJ's coaching style, which relies on taking few chances, particularly on offense. Unless of course it's a FB option pass in the waning moments of a game. The C2 remains a defense which relies heavily on the front four to generate a pass rush. And with 48 sacks in two seasons, it's been mediocre. They needed an infusion of talent, but I'm not sure guys like Kelsay and Williams will all of a sudden become players who can pressure the QB. I hope Maybin can provide something on passing downs, but that's not concrete. On offense and defense, it seemed like the coaches were reacting and not a step ahead of their opponents, especially as the season wore on. Fewell had to depart from the C2 when it became clear their front four wasn't getting it done in the wake of Schobel's injury. Agree wholeheartedly with your post here.

Scott got plenty of playing time last season, appearing in all 16 games with 7 starts. Bryan Scott It's far too early to know who'll impress in training camp. But after watching the games last season, the Bills like Scott's size closer to the LOS. He's more adept at taking on blockers in the box and has had to cover some TE's. The SS position seems to be going the route of the FB. Teams need two safeties that can cover with the pass-happy offenses springing up all over the league. I would not be surprised to see both Whitner and Byrd on the field more frequently than some would imagine. A lot of the safety pairings has to do with opponents. Against the Jets, I could see Scott getting plenty of PT. Conversely, teams like NO, NE, and IND might mean more of Whitner/Byrd.

TD may be gone, but his hand-picked personnel men, Modrak and Guy, still remain. Not to mention Overdorf is still entrusted with negotiating contracts. So the front office makeup hasn't really change much. I would venture to say those first two have more say in personnel because the previous and current GM are not experienced talent evaluators. The Bills are a small market team that must draft well each season, because they won't be major players in free agency. The difference between Buffalo and other small market teams lies in management. Whereas the Bills name marketing people and retired HC's as their GM, San Diego, Green Bay, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh are all having success without spending huge sums on free agents. AJ Smith, Ted Thompson, Bill Polian, and Kevin Colbert are some of the best in the league. In a conference where 6 teams out of 16 make the playoffs, being average isn't good enough and drafting at a C+ level won't get this team beyond Week 17.

Let's all remember that Brandon was thrown into the fire after Levy retired. He had absolutely in evaluating talent, beside what people tell him. He had never scouted, negotiated with an agent, nothing. It's my belief that Brandon is the public face for Wilson and Littman. He speaks well, is much younger, and has succeeded in marketing a team which really has a track record of failure going back nearly an entire decade. Unfortunately, he had no experience working with players. And it showed when he arrogantly said (based on a directive most likely from Littman and Wilson) that they would not renegotiate the Peters deal from 06. They, like the Sabres, stuck to principle of not renegotiating and adhering to out-dated principles. I'm not one for renegotiating deals, but in this situation they took the nuclear option and it blew up in their face. Losing Peters means moving the starting RT to LT (a position he's never played long term) and the RG to RT. It's more than just losing Peters, it's a whole lot more.

There are plenty of fans who don't truly appreciate what a good LT can do, as in being left alone against an opponents' best rusher. There are three AFCE teams who will rush faster OLB's at Walker and Butler. Both of the probable starting OT's have marginal foot speed and will struggle to keep those guys from dipping beneath their reach. I have a suspicion that both Walker and Butler will require more TE help than most realize, which will mean fewer options to throw at for Edwards. Peters was underwhelming last year, but he didn't require another TE, which forces the team to keep one guy in on pass plays. Walker will require it and certainly won't be better than Peters. I'm also all for blowing up the front office, many of whom were hired during the TD years. It's amazing how adamant the Bills are that their people up top should remain the same, but the players must change. There is no accountability in this organization, and it's going to blow up in their face in 2009.

I remember how the 2006 draft was heralded as a great one shortly after the season conluded. The story was that so many of the selections played in their rookie season, hence it was a great draft. Unfortunately, many of those players were not long term options and merely fill-ins until better players could be found. Either way, depending season after season on rookies is not a reliable means of improvement. Buffalo's done that each season since 06 and it's not working. I'd argue that rookies are cheaper and easier to hype simply because they're new. The downside is they've got zero NFL experience and learning on the job will hinder the team's playoff chances. Everyone assumes they'll understand the game quickly, but it normally takes several games and the Bills don't have that. They need to win from Day 1 given their divisional opponents and strength of schedule

Buffalo's strengths lie within the skill positions. The OL and pass rush are still big question marks going into the regular season, especially considering rookies will be expected to make the difference. Turk does have to devise a way to get the ball out of Edwards' hand or else I've got a feeling it'll be a long season. The last few seasons, Buffalo has relied heavily on rookies to start or play significant time. As the writer pointed out, the front office hasn't had a problem with this in the past. I like how the author pointed out that there could be a link between plenty of youth and salary constraints.

I'm aware many college OT's without the measureables make the conversion from T to G. I'm not aware of any who go from OT to OG and back.

It's remarkable that fans fall back on Butler having played RT at Virginia. The difference between the college and pro game is so great, that experience playing OT in college has almost no bearing on how he'll fare in the pros. We're not talking about playing BC, Miami (FL), and Duke here, it's NE, NYJ, and MIA among others. All NFL OT's have size, but the ones who have mobility are those who start. If Butler had so much upside as an OT, it stands to reason he'd have started in the NFL as one. No matter what anyone says, the Bills already know they'll need to routinely keep TE's in to help Walker and/or Butler in pass protection.

This is a non-sequitur. If anything, Walker and apparently Butler will get plenty of help from the TE, because neither have the agility or foot-work to go one on one with speed rushers. And so they'll not be left on an island like Peters was expected to be. The guards will be busy handling all those 3-4 NT's and DE's. Walker and Butler will need to handle rush OLB's. And the idea of leaving one or two TE's in regularly to help Butler and/or Walker means less players running patters and more predictability in the offense.

Selling out and fan experience are two completely different things. Have you ever seen a game in another stadium? As for the coaching, there was a reason DJ was fired in Chicago: he could not win over the long term. Regarding RW, his election into the Pro Football HOF is based more on his actions between 1960-1970 in founding an AFL team and working toward merging that league with the NFL. In 39 NFL seasons, Buffalo reached the playoffs 13 times, 6 of those during the Polian years. I'd venture to say his election was not due to franchise success. It's fans like you who completely ignore that only two teams this century (outside of HOU) have failed to make the playoffs. This record of futility is what prompts people like me to complain and I cannot believe there are fans who actually defend an organization which hasn't won a playoff game since the 95 season. Even if DJ is let go, the team is addressing the symptoms and not the disease. There must be better management, especially in personnel, if this franchise is ever to attain what other small markets like IND, PIT, and GB have in recent years.

Every year, these sort of articles come out from various media sources. And every year, everything fails to materialize during the regular season that was written in the summer months. I don't think the team would tip their hand this early, and if so, it's absurd. And if they're not bluffing, well, it had better work if they want to run it that much. The Bills PR machine, much like the Sabres, depend on pre-season hype to build excitement. Rarely is that fanfare realized on the field of play. It's just too bad that many fans will believe this without recalling previous seasons failure to live up to expectations.

Got it on the reference. Thank Bill. No offense taken. My attitude on this team is dire because they've proven nothing in nearly an entire decade. I'm sorry, but my feelings from the final 10 games of 08 have carried over into 09. Hope ain't enough for me at this point, and there's plenty of questions heading into year 4 of a rebuild. Teams need talent to win, and I'm seeing a team with plenty at the skill positions, but issues on the OL and DL, specifically a lack of a pass rush in the latter. If a team has so many questions after three complete seasons of rebuilding, did they really rebuild? The Buffalo Bills have not had a legitimate GM throughout the course of this rebuild, and we're seeing the results. The franchise was torn down in the wake of Donahoe, when we've seen clubs like Miami and Atlanta only get rid of veterans when there's a replacement. The point to all of this is a structure and strategy which is completely haphazard and uncoordinated. I'm perfectly fine with the TO signing, but when your big UFA acquisition is a former backup C, I'm not thrilled. After all, did anyone at OBD plan on picking up TO until the moment he was released? As to the HC, rational Bills fans know DJ isn't going to improve, in this his 9th complete season as a HC and yet the front office (RW) chose to retain him. The best teams in the league, save NE, have a strong personality at the GM position: NYG, SD, PIT, MIA, BAL, IND, GB, ATL, et al. The consensus method is complete folly, and when compromise is a priority among proven losers like DJ, the results are catastrophic. The best example is taking a small DB over lineman in their first draft. And that's not hindsight, it's analysis which was delivered on draft day 06. If a team cannot win after rebuilding for three years, it's an indication that it's more than a HC issue. It's a culture (of decision makers) which must be changed. I cannot imagine what would happen if this season doesn't live up to the hype we're starting to see. It could make the 2005 season seem tame.

Is he not part of the front office as team president? He is also happens to be the biggest vote among the "Inner Circle" which consists of Littman, Brandon, and Modrak. BTW, I'll refrain from dropping a stupid reference.

Who hires the HC?

From Jason LaCanfora via Tim Graham LaCanfora-NFL.com I don't think this is news to anyone. Buffalo spent less in the previous five season than all but five teams in the NFL. Only Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Green Bay, and Kansas City spent less during that span. Obviously, spending does not equal winning, and of those five teams Buffalo out-spent, TB, JAC, and GB, have gone to the playoffs and had some success. If these teams can spend less and still make the playoffs, what separates Buffalo from those teams? IMO, it's the front office, which features individuals who are nowhere near good enough to find talent and a coaching staff which is bargain basement. It's also noteworthy that teams like SD and DEN spent relatively the same amount as Buffalo in this stretch.

A successful offense needs a line which provides their QB with time. The more time, the greater chance for success. Edwards has the skill players to succeed, but it's debatable whether or not the OL is capable to keep him off his back. Right now it's speculation, but I'm not comfortable with two new tackles, rookies starting at the guards, and a new center. Edwards needs to play better, but don't underestimate how his coaches maximize his abilities. Some of the Bills game-plans last season were severely lacking and unimaginative. Arizona's QB is a veteran, two time NFL MVP and SB winner. Edwards is not in his category yet, and it there's no comparison to make there. Besides, they had perhaps the best receiving tandem in the NFL last season. Comparing Todd Haley's offense to Turk Schonert is also laughable.