BillsVet

Ah, the old, "you're not in the NFL, never have been and never will be" defense. Tell me, what do you know to contradict my opinion wise sage. I don't feel comfortable with a new starter or new position of five out five positions on the line. And with a relatively new TE (either Fine, Schouman, or Nelson) there is plenty to learn in one off-season.

Butler's been injured both seasons he was a starter. He was practically given the RG job despite missing most of training camp 07. Playing well at RG does not translate into being a RT as there are different adjustments to make, and of course playing OT means seeing faster pass rushers. The question is whether or not he can handle faster players. Many times college OT's move inside to OG when they need help and lack the agility to block faster DL on the outsie. Moving players around, especially having essentially five new starters on the OL is a recipe for disaster.

Bell has never played in a NFL game at any position. Before being inactive all 16 games last season, he played three years at a low level D1 program. He, IMHO, was a two year project coming out of Northwestern State in 08. He needs another year to develop strength and shouldn't be in the picture besides depth until 2010 Langston Walker is just big and fat. He played LT sparingly in Oakland, even after Robert Gallery couldn't cut it. If he wasn't good enough on the league's second worst franchise, he shouldn't be good enough in Buffalo. It's a flat out bad gamble to expect him to make a move to a position in his 8th season that he's never played more than 2 games straight. Arm length is only part of the way to address speed rushers, particularly RDE's. I don't think LW has the lateral mobility to keep guys like Peppers, Freeney, Mario Williams, and those rush LB's away from the QB.

Hey, Dick Jauron likes it. At least publicly. Moving a fat, out of shape RT with limited lateral mobility to the most demanding position on the OL? Sure, whatever. And this idea that Butler can play OT in the NFL because he played there three years ago in college, why not? Throw in two rookies, who I'm both fine with and a guy who's never been a long term center and voila, a new re-invented OL.

Where is the yellow brick road? The Henderson was a non-story, and the chances of Dockett moving to Buffalo is zero. Probably negative actually. Anquan Boldin clamored for a new contract, and ultimately a trade. Neither have happened, and the chances are slipping. Arizona isn't letting one of their better defenders go for a measly third or fourth.

Sometimes I wonder if it's better to be an average fan who watches the games, or a marketing guy who's concerned more with how to hype an underachieving team year after year. The problem with evaluating a GM is that it's not instant analysis type stuff. People realized TD was terrible after that final fateful season. Levy's failures are obvious now that he hasn't been around in two years.

Top 10 draft picks should be difference makers. Not the types who need support. That's why they're usually QB's, OT's, or DE's. Only teams without an idea on how to build draft a safety before fortifying their OL and DL. Thing is Bill, it took them spending big bucks on flops like Dockery and wasting a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd to take McCargo. Their failures finally made them admit they had to go OL. I still think the DT position is thin, but OL at least has some hard working young guys. I'm not as worried about the rookie guards as I am about having a fat out of shape RT play the most physically demanding position on the OL. And then converting a guy from RG to RT who hasn't played the position in three years and never at the pro level.

Expert analysis here. He's 21, has a better first step than any DE on the team, and he's not as good as Kelsay. Right. Kelsay is a pass rusher who can't get to the passer. Maybin has the speed to get around OT's, whereas CK is little more than someone who stands up in front off lineman. I'll at least let him play a game first.

Not sure if this is airing live, or will be used as a public service to put insomniacs asleep. Jauron is a nice guy. But he's just above watching paint dry in entertainment value.

After watching the post-TD front office draft players and sign UFA's who never lived up to expectations it's clear that they know fans like something new. It's kinda like the kid who gets a new toy, plays with it for 10 minutes, and demands another. Casual uniformed Bills fans have no idea about the player, but because they're new, it has to be better. Four rookies starting is not good, especially when so many positions will see a new starter. And many of those guys are changing positions. It's not a formula for success and knowledgeable Bills fans know it's not ideal team-building. After all, this is the same front office minus Marv that signed 14 UFA's in 06-07 and only one remains. Heckuva track record. It's ironic that those invested in Marv's rampant success aren't around like they used to be. The Whinter pick was not heralded 3 years ago, and it's only gotten worse. You don't build around the secondary, and there are plenty who have said this. But there are posters who protected Whitner because they thought Marv was nearly infallible. It took 3 years, but the reality is Whitner is not a difference maker and he never will be.

SF also has this savvy front office exec: 49ers front office bio What's that say about the 49ers? Things were better when Eddie D. ran the show, even if he was crooked.

RIP Jack. You are and will be sorely missed.

Head coaches are overrated. Personally, I think Brandon could coach this team. He's already mastered the personnel end of the franchise, so why not give him a shot at HC. There'd still be continuity too!

I'm not as worried about a 3rd year QB as I am about a HC entering his ninth season as a NFL HC with a career winning percentage of .429. Buffalo has the offensive weapons to score some points. But there's a 2nd year OC who refers to Bill Walsh when anyone doubts him. Before the Bills can make any progress toward a playoff appearance, their HC and OC need to figure out how to make a gameplan and, if necessary, make in-game adjustments. They failed miserably in that task last season.

Welcome, and bring your ballistic helmet!

Because I'm too negative for not believing that a coach would want to leave for precisely those reasons. I'm trying to be kinder and gentler in my approach.

IIRC, DJ and the front office didn't want to let Kollar go at all. But there's no sense in holding onto a disgruntled position coach who thinks he has a better situation to go to. Kollar had been in Buffalo for three seasons and I'm sure he thought Houston would present a better situation for him. It's wrong to speculate why he wanted to leave, but Houston is an up and coming team.

The fact that Indianapolis had injuries to Saturday their All-Pro OC, and both starting guard Ryan Lilja and Mike Pollak had injuries as well. Those three guys made up their starting interior OL, so of course the RB isn't going to have as much success. Addai also had injuries that took him out of games, hence the 155 carries. Jason Smith is a converted college TE. Obviously playing RT is less challenging than left for a right handed QB, thus the move to RT before getting the tougher assignment.

There are a host of players throughout the league with size similar to Butler. But genetically not all of us are created equal and not everyone with size will have the enough speed or strength. It's why everyone strong big guy can't play OL. The OT position requires a guy to handle faster DE's as opposed to bigger but slower DT's. That's quite a difference. Rhodes is on his third team in three seasons. Someone pointed out that it's not bad for a 3rd RB, which is correct. It's not a concern, because he'll be fine for three games paired with Jackson until Lynch returns. It's a long way to the regular season. Then again, there is nothing inspiring about DJ and his staff that makes me think they can get good players in position to make plays. I'm playing a wait and see with this franchise, given their 9 seasons of ineptitude. I like many players and some of their off-season decisions. But there's so much turnover on this team to think each change will be a good one.

A player's skill set does not change after three years in the league. College OT's do not kick inside to OG and back to OT with ease. Butler works hard, but if he wasn't good enough to play RT in 07 (hence the LW signing), why is he good enough now? You did not include Brad Butler and a certain HOF'er in the same thought process, did you?

This idea that because Butler played RT in college that he can play in the pros is wishful thinking. Many college tackles kick inside because opposing DE's are faster and stronger. As for the Bills competing in the AFCE, that also remains to be seen. One thing the Bills do quite a bit of is making cosmetic changes that casual uniformed fans think will make a difference in the W column. TO is a nice addition, but Rhodes averaged 3.5 ypc. But because casual fans recognize his name from Indianapolis, it's a good move. He's 30 and that number does not bode well for RB's. The talk about the 2009 draft being a turning point also is premature. This type of discussion was tabled after Marv's first draft in 06. While that wasn't a complete failure, it hasn't set the foundation some fans thought it would be.

Nothing wrong with hating the Patrietts. But give them credit for having a proven front office that knows when to get rid of contracts. They got a first for Deion Branch, acquired Moss for a fourth, and pulled a Corleone on the Dolphins for Wes Welker. They find talent in the middle rounds as well as anyone and wisely use UFA. Adalius Thomas was a big name, but he fits their scheme perfectly. And oh yeah, they develop QB's better than anyone. Until the Bills prove they're capable of success for at least two years (meaning playoffs) they'll be questioned. Because their track record stinks this decade.

There are so many ifs and hopefullys each year with the Bills. And while it's the NFL and turnover happens with UFA and injuries, Buffalo needs so much to go right to have any chance at the post-season. There are going to be a lot of new players getting significant PT. And new does not always equal better. I hope those DB's aren't seeing as much action this year. Rather, I'd like to see more sacks and pressure. Have high hopes for Maybin to help there.

I'm not a fan of depending on any more rookie or inexperienced players than necessary. It appears that two OL positions will be manned by rookies. The OLB position may go to a guy returning from an ACL tear. FS could be a rookie. And while I love the new TE, he's a rookie as well. Hangartner has never been a full time starter at one position. And the pass rush needs help from a rookie though top pick. Some of these positions may be in good hands and we don't know. But it's a gamble to hope rookies and guys who've never started full time are going to man those positions at a decent level. And this is before sliding the former RG to RT and old RT to LT. That's a lot of turnover from one season to the next.

You know I'm not a fan of the coach. I just don't see how a guy who was a position coach for many years couldn't get promoted to OC for multiple franchises. The jury is still out on this guy, and the guy who hired him. What I saw last year was some unpreparedness and inability to adapt in-game to opposing defenses. People like to point out that Cleveland picked off Edwards 3 times early. I was there and it was painful to watch a guy make those mistakes. But I also don't think his OC helped him at all either. Let's recall this was the fifth time TE saw a 3-4 defense. An experienced NFL coach needs to do better than that, regardless of how many games he's been an OC. I expect more from the OC when he's been around the game his entire adult life. I still believe TS would not be more than a position coach for 31 other teams in the NFL. His not being hired after 10 seasons as a QB coach tells me something.