BillsVet

Cincinnati does a wonderful job of getting taxpayer money and continuing to put a inferior product on the field. Mike Brown knows that winning is good, but being profitable is more important. The NFL is too popular and the threat of leaving too great for a city to let a team leave.

As long as Trent remains healthy, I think he'll be a good QB. DJ has proven he's not capable of winning against playoff caliber competition. Brandon was elevated to a position he had no experience in, and RW is RW.

An emerging trend in football is a franchise's reliance on four individuals: a GM, HC, QB, and of course owner. If a team is above average in these ares, the franchise will be successful. The question remains how to qualify what works as good for the management positions which do not have statistics to demonstrate their effectiveness. Everything in a franchise begins with the GM. Teams like Pittsburgh (Kevin Colbert), Indianapolis (Polian) NY Giants (Jerry Reese) Miami (Parcells/Ireland) New England (Belichick) Green Bay (Ted Thompson) and a few others regularly win. Teams without proven talent evaluators at GM do not. It's my belief that a GM is the single most important position, front office or on the field, in any franchise. EDIT: Their importance not only comes in selecting a coach, but in repeatedly finding talent through the draft and being smart in UFA. Second most important is the QB. There is no more important position on the field, and a good one can make great things happen. I won't forget seeing Roethlisberger hanging on in the SB or guys like Drew Brees make unknown receivers look like All-Pros. To me, the QB is the second most important asset a team can have, so much so that team's continue to gamble in the draft by taking players who they hope can develop into stars. Third is the HC. We've seen enough instances (Sparano in Miami, Mike Smith with Atlanta) where a HC can gameplan and out-fox opponents with lesser talent. They game-plan to highlight their strengths and minimize weaknesses. Lastly is an owner. The best owners seem to take a back seat to their management and empower their front office people rather than dictate. Former Dolphins majority owner Wayne Huizenga, the Mara's and Tisch's with the Giants, Bob Kraft in NE, and the Rooney's in Pittsbugh epitomize what good owners do: let football people make football decisions. All in all, the Bills don't seem to have the decision makers at these key management positions. Edwards may well develop into a solid QB. But the other three positions are all below average and if (a huge if) the team does not find themselves in the post-season, the GM and HC should be replaced. Out of the worst 12 teams in the NFL in 08, 8 (DET, STL, KC, SEA, CLE, JAC, SF and DEN) made significant changes to their front office or at HC. Only Buffalo, Oakland, Cincinnati, and Green Bay did not. I can understand GB, but those other three are perennial doormats.

What's not to love? Converting average RT's into a LT. Starting a former G at RT, introducing two rookie guards, and starting a former backup and unproven commodity at C. For some reason, I'm not worried so much about the rookies or Hangartner. It's thinking Walker will not require a TE to prevent speed rushers from putting Edwards into the turf every passing down. Butler's an absolute mystery, and trusting him to learn a new NFL (not college) position is non-sensical. But if fits with this team's philosophy to hope and gamble things work out. Their track record hasn't been so good of late on the OL. See Dockery, D., and Fowler, M.

IMO, nothing less than a playoff appearance is good enough in 2009. Some would argue that merely having a winning record is satisfactory, but it's not. Jauron's three inept seasons are enough for most NFL teams to can a HC, although in Buffalo it's rewarded. That sort of thinking must end, but it'll only go away when RW sees fans leaving. If a team has a playoff drought longer than 30 out of 31 other NFL teams in play since the late 90s, that's plain abysmal. Keeping Jauron and his "continuity" increased pressure on the franchise to levels DJ cannot attain. The public expectation is and should be to get into the playoffs, which is the same as last year. I've said it many times before: More Bills fans need to take notice of what successful teams are doing. Imitating those teams is not necessarily a bad thing. Watching Parcells with the Dolphins and Dimitroff for the Falcons succeed without prime talent and name coaching should force every fan to expect more from their team.

Marshawn Lynch. Lee Evans. Fred Jackson. 2007 2nd team All-Pro LT. And Buffalo should not have been expected to do much offensively. Yet Miami had nothing at WR, little at TE, and a weak-armed castoff at QB. Their RB's returned from a serious knee injury and from a year suspension. Not to mention, rookies at LT and OG And they won. It's coaching. Having the right people at HC, OC, and DC can make average players into a good team. Bad coaches with average players can make a bad team. Buffalo fits into the latter category. For the record, you're arguing that Dan Henning got more results with less than Turk Schonert did with the aforementioned players.

Take it for what it's worth, but you're subscribing to wishful thinking. Walker, a career G-RT and Butler, a converted G will be starting OT's. That is a huge gamble and that's all Williamson is saying in his article. You latch on to anything to continue the Malign Peters Tour. I get it that you believe in quantifying OL play purely through the subjective sacks allowed stat. Buffalo will need to tweak their offense to cover the fact their new LT is a liability in pass protection. And the RT isn't a solid bet either. If people who cover the NFL don't know about guys who've been playing for 7 and 3 years respectively, that's not being inconspicuously good, it's called mediocre.

And that's fine. The WCO is noted for throwing the shorter routes and letting a receiver make it a big gain. Thing is, Buffalo will be in their share of 3rd and long situations where throwing the short route won't work. I've got a feeling DB's will press TO at the line to prevent him from working those routes. And when that happens, the short routes won't be as valuable. I frankly don't trust Schonert to be that OC who can use the weapons at hand. He couldn't solve the 3-4 after several attempts and after 10+ years as a QB coach. Life will be difficult for Trent if he's forced to take more than 3 step drops. Walker's ability to pass protect on the left will force Buffalo to use a TE over there. And Butler's going to need help as well. I think there'll be plenty of 2 TE sets, no matter what they say is going to be run.

Question is why did STL cut him after such a productive season. This notion that he'll work for us remains to be seen, but it's the case of we want something new to us, not always what's better. The Bills have issues at LB and depth at the position as well. He's not going to be all the answers at the position.

They've brought in several players who weren't signed. Keiaho, Winborn, and others. The knock on PT is he's not suited to play SAM, which is what Buffalo needs from a LB. Keiaho said Buffalo reverses the LB duties as opposed to a traditional T2, but it's anyone's guess how another sub 230 pound LB fits in today's NFL.

You're a glutton for punishment.

To some, criticism before everything becomes obvious is uncalled for. So many want to "hope" things work out and trust the current front office. Their attempts to rebuild the OL with scrubs didn't work. They then signed big dollar UFA's that didn't work either. Now they've tried going the patient route with drafted players. I hope it works, but trusting this front office is like trusting a politician to make your life better. Criticism of Levy was attacked during 07 and into 08. Now we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that his era was not as successful as previously thought. Some fans know when things won't work, based on experience. Other teams do not have GM's. Cincinnati, Oakland, and Dallas all have owners who want to run the entire show. All have failed miserably. It's amazing that Buffalo thinks they can win with a man who had nothing to do with personnel before 2008. I'll be cheering as well at those home games and watching on TV. Thing is, casual uniformed fans dot the landscape and are more interested in hoping that knowing. It's why they don't pay attention to what winning franchises like NYG, NE, PHI, IND, SD, BAL, et al, are doing to win. Each of those teams has a solid front office who know what it takes to build a winner.

There is no hate for DJ. That term is reserved for murderers, terrorists, and those who bring harm. Dick Jauron has a good heart and cares for people. For that, I give him credit in a league where this is rarely found. However, as many others have pointed out, his talent as a National Football League head coach is limited. He loses games he should win, is regularly defeated by playoff caliber teams, and has one winning season in eight. Pointing out that he won coach of the year is funny however. Wayne Fontes is a COY recipient. Is he solid in your book as well? COY awards from 8 years ago mean nothing in 2009. There is nothing in my post made up. Provide specific examples and don't attack the poster. Criticize the post.

I remember TT making the comments on a Monday afternoon how the Bills wouldn't be good until there were changes to the coach and ownership. Anyone's who's been to games sees Thurman and Jim Kelly all the time. They want to see their team start winning again and know a good coach when they see one. Rarely does a HC get more than one gig. As a matter of fact, only 7 out of 32 NFL HC's (Turner, Belichick, Mangini, Coughlin, Mora Jr., Phillips, and Jauron) are on their second job. Each of those guys either has a particular talent on one side of the ball, is starting their second job, or has success in the next job. Jauron fits into none of these.

Buffalo re-made their 04-05 OL over in 06-07. It didn't work. Now the unit that remained together from 07-08 has been blown up for 09. Why should anyone believe they got it right this time by inserting two rookies (who I'm high on, but are rookies) a UFA C who hasn't played the position if it weren't for injuries in Carolina, and two guys not suited to their positions at OT? Changing things does not equate to change for the better. It is the current front office making these changes, and so far they're not doing so well. The only change this team needs is a blown up front office. That means a real GM and at least a new pro personnel director.

Yep. I still don't believe if it weren't for the Bills DJ would be more than a position coach in the NFL. That said, if the Bills begin to slide I see TO starting to push some buttons, at least offensively. It seemed like the Bills, and yes, Edwards, had confidence issues. DJ and Turk did nothing to build the young QB up. So yes, Moulds is correct, and should things go wrong, TO needs to be a little vocal. Buffalo has had enough time to rebuild. It's time to win.

No. That poster has mastered the art of being skeptical of anything the Buffalo Bills front office and coaching staff does. Anyone who trusts this organization to make a good move is not paying attention or simply ambivalent. It started when Levy was named GM with the same front office TD had. It continued with his naming DJ HC, and finally with RW naming Brandon quasi-GM with absolutely no personnel experience. Frankly, if nine straight seasons of inept play are enough for you to give them a chance, so be it. Just don't expect everyone to follow your flawed logic. This front office has made so many poor decisions and then compound those with more bad ones. Dockery, Tripplett, McCargo, Whitner (to a lesser degree) Youboty, Royal, P. Price, et al in three years should be enough. Apparently it's not. Additionally, missing the playoffs after starting 5-1 and losing all 6 division games is going to make some fans wonder.

We still don't know what they offered, regardless of what anyone says on here. Highest paid could mean a variety of things. Russ is a guy who's overnight become a GM without any personnel negotiating experience. He obviously can't fire coaches who have minimal contracts the team would eat, but he was allowed to offer a contract of 10M+ per season? I'm sorry, I don't believe it.

Plenty of people predicted Buffalo would make it last season.

Chris Brown has been subtly making hints that Buffalo's unknown offer was fair enough and Peters was unreasonable. If this board is an indication of fans' opinions, I think it's safe to say plenty of people began hating him last summer when Buffalo flat out refused to renegotiate. It was downhill from there.

The "new and improved" McCargo hasn't played a game yet either. How many guys are in shape but don't play well. The NFL is full of them.

Sure, why not. QB rating is the same as KC Joyner's research. I said in 112 attempts, not 112 losses at the point of attack. Being pushed into the backfield is the worst thing that could happen to an OL. Losing in their blocking assignment is a step up. Hence, Butler's ratings in the seventies.

Joyer further analysis on Bills OL Joyner's research indicates much of what most people knew already. Fowler and Preston were easily moved back, 12 total times according to Joyner into the backfield. Brad Butler in 112 attempts tied for the division league in being pushed into the backfield. Dan Koppen with 197 attempts and Butler tied in this category. And of course, Peters won 90% of his attempts, although fans quantify by sacks alone to malign him. It's apparent the Bills PR folks demonized him enough. The remaining OL weren't all that great, but Walker and Butler appear to be the starting OT's. They couldn't produce at their former positions, and I'm not seeing how they'll improve at positions they've played sporadically. Either way, interesting research.

I'm not keen on a guy who gives himself his own nickname, but Joyner makes some compelling points. And apparently, he watches A LOT of film to come up with his numbers. If the team was that poor at the point of attack, it stands to reason Joyner and the Bills staff were on the same page. Perhaps the most frustrating thing these past two seasons has been an inability to convert short yardage. That's must improve for this team to have any shot at the post-season.

If those players were judged by one team to be signed, they would have been by now. Names are just that, names. Buffalo hosted a number of name players who are currently unsigned, including Kendall Simmons and Jamie Winborn. Both played positions that Buffalo needed help at, yet both are unemployed. Free agency began 2 months ago. The likelihood of a May UFA signing making an impact is few and far between.