BillsVet

You have to think the economy will have an impact on these free agent contracts. Teams may find money for top tier UFA's, but for those guys at the next level, I'm not seeing it. Heck, Bobby Abreu settled for a one year 5M contract with the Angels. Adam Dunn didn't get great (for baseball) money from the Nats. A lot of these players will be humbled after the first week when the dollars aren't readily available like their agents thought.

Great post...excellent assessment.

Excellent post...great assesment.

Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries. Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time. That's how soldiers handle people like yourself. At least from the top of castles.

Parcells signed Kevin Mawae long term while he was HC of the Jets years ago, knowing full well that a center who can block big DT's is essential to playing football. The center position is often overlooked, but the shortest path to the QB is through the middle of the OL. Satele regressed somewhat this season according to reports I've read. No doubt playing Jenkins, Wilfork, and Stroud 6 times a year is a reason why. The fact that people still doubt Parcells' eye for talent is ridiculous. He's certainly not perfect, but when it comes to evaluating talent he's light years beyond plenty of teams. This year the FA class for centers is deep, as is supposedly the draft class. I wouldn't be surprised to see Buffalo and Miami pick up a UFA center.

So many here say QB play is the principal problem with the team. And yet, DJ has never had a good QB play in 8 full seasons as a a HC. I subscribe to the opinion that it's not the QB, but the coaching. And let's take it a step further. DJ has had personnel control in Chicago and Buffalo. He did so well with personnel in 99 and 00 that Jerry Angelo was hired and took those functions over from DJ. So DJ had an opportunity to find a QB and didn't. That's certainly puts to bed the notion he just didn't have good QB's. It was his job to find one and he failed. The same things happened in Buffalo. DJ had no doubt great personnel input in 06 and 07. If the crazy's want to say TE isn't good, well, fine. He's got 22 NFL starts in his career. And now we learn that Tom Modrak will have greater say in personnel. So that tells me that DJ's staying depended somewhat to significantly on personnel authority. Had this franchise been major league like Chicago, DJ would have been out. Trent's a young QB, but it's easy to blame QB play when the player isn't playing All-Pro caliber football. It's never DJ's fault.

You're telling me to "let it go" after the discussions you've engaged in? If you come onto a message board and make claims which could be true but can't find a way to prove them, prepare to take a heat round. Have a little humility and admit when you're wrong. No one on this board is right all the time, though some get it right more often than you. Alpha Topic 1 Read macaroni's post. He says what many posters have tried to tell you already. Just because this board doesn't kneel when you post doesn't mean that's a bad thing. You started making posts after the AZ game when JP subbed for the concussed TE. You went to significant effort to explain why Adrian Wilson should not have been fined. You know, with all this TE bashing, I've got to believe Edwards thrashed your team in the PAC 10 and you haven't gotten over it. I mean, relax dude.

First, my name is "BillsVet" because I am a military veteran and obviously a Bills fan. The only season since 1988 that I missed was 2004 when I was deployed. You got yourself off to a bad start on this board by quoting sources that you attempted in vain to prove. So much so that it came down to your "proof" being a pilot television show and whether or not it was on IMDB. Pretty lame if you ask me. Your inside source was allegedly Matt Cassel's mother, which isn't much of a source on anyone but her son. Regardless of whether you like it, Trent Edwards is the QB of this team. He doesn't miss on draft picks, he doesn't sign free agents, he doesn't hire lame duck coaches who never should have been hired after failing in Chicago. He doesn't hire OC's who've never been in the position and who never would have been without Buffalo. He doesn't put the game plan together, but he is an integral part of this team. You want a QB with less than 2 seasons of NFL starts to play like an All Pro. When you refer to QB play, you're making a veiled reference against TE and we all know it. In the short time you've been here, you've managed to alienate a lot of people, particularly those who don't wholeheartedly agree with your tired rationale. I'll be critical of TE when he has a bad game. The first quarter of the Cleveland MNF game was about as bad as a QB can play. He had a lack of confidence, but his rookie OC and rookie QB coach did nothing to react to the Browns defense. People criticize TE as the checkdown man, and there were guys open, but try playing QB with 6-7 guys in coverage on every down. I didn't care for the way you introduced yourself onto this board. Get over yourself.

What does Matt Cassel's mother think about our QB situation? And which pilots are you working on right now? Question: If Matt Cassel receives the franchise tag, doesn't his mother get some credit for her son's success? And if you're handling cameras for a pilot that never gets the air, do you and Matt Cassel's mother get an IMDB credit?

Get off your anti-Trent kick. You're making yourself out to be a broken record. Trent Edwards is a polar opposite from Jeff Garcia. There is no comparison. If you think the QB is the biggest problem with this franchise you're fooling yourself.

Expecting a first rounder to be an impact player is unrealistic. About the only position that produces from Day 1 are RB's. Within the past two seasons, a number of backs have played well, primarily because their skill is either there or isn't. Peterson, Chris Johnson, Slaton, and Lynch come to mind. Some LB's can make it happen, like Jon Beason and Jerod Mayo, but they're the exception and not the rule. Whomever Buffalo drafts in round 1 will most likely be used in the way DJ and staff worked McKelvin in. They flat out refused to play him when McGee was injured, for fear the rookie was too raw. I don't think there's a position on the field they want to play rookies at, because they simply don't trust them. Unless absolutely necessary (like McKelvin) the rookie will not start. If the Bills go DE, that guy'll be part of the rotation, not starting. A TE, C, or SLB may play from day 1 out of necessity, but it won't be DJ's ideal situation.

I don't see Buffalo going OT unless of course the dreaded Peters trade occurs. Getting rid of a large contract in Peters, receiving picks in return, and drafting a guy with no college experience could happen with this front office. It almost seems like they avoid problems at all costs. Lynch's accident and Peters situation instantly comes to mind. At the same time, it fits nicely into their "replace star players who exit with high draft picks and never improve" mindset. The only hope for this off-season is that Modrak is final say on all personnel decisions and not DJ. TM is no Jerry Reese, but he's a better personnel mind than the HC. McKelvin is an electric corner, and I'm impressed with his ball skills after people said his hands weren't great. The INT he got in KC that he returned for a TD was a dynamite play which hopefully is an indication of things to come. At this point the defense needs playmakers, perhaps McLovin can be that and in the return game. Overall, I can't believe how many resources have been invested in the OL and DL. More than 100M in contracts to the OL (although no first day picks in forever) and another 110M+ into the DL (Kelsay 23M, Schobel 50.5M, Stroud 10M+, Johnson 20M, Williams 14M IIRC) and we still have huge issues. That's a whole lotta money for two units that arguably are the team's weakest areas. Obviously the Bills are following the federal govt model of throwing money at problems and hoping they go away.

I'm certainly not saying that Hardy is a bust as some are prone to say. But drafting WR's early is not what this team needs right now. Hardy's not the issue on this team right now. The first pick should not be WR/RB/DB type player. Taking Maclin would be nice if this team could do the basic things: rush the passer and pass protect better.

From a team building perspective, Buffalo made huge mistakes in UFA 06, specifically Tripplett and Price. And the shine on the 06 draft is wearing as people realize it wasn't what it was made out to be. Whitner is average, McCargo a bust, Youboty can't stay healthy, Simpson has recognition issues at S, while Williams and Butler are good value picks. Ellison is a backup LB/ST'er. Three average starters is no way to build your team, as none are impact players. Rebuilding for three years and never going above 7-9 is an anomaly. That tells me there are significant issues in the front office, and it's my hope the team starts getting it right by taking personnel authority away from DJ. My expectations will always be low with the front office crew in place. If something happens, then great. If not, well, it's not a surprise. There's no sense getting amped up for a let-down, which is what this team has done for 9 seasons now.

So much so that RW finally relieved DJ of his authority in personnel by making Modrak part of his 5, wait, inner circle. (Apologies to Charles Barkley) This franchise should have known not to trust DJ with personnel after the 99 and 00 seasons. When Jerry Angelo arrived, DJ lost personnel control and never had much of a relationship with JA. Now the same thing is happening here. Worse than his gaffes on gameday, DJ's lack of savvy in personnel is a central reason why he's not capable of putting together a good team. He no doubt held immense sway over Marv in 06 and 07, but the results are still muddy. I'd trust Modrak a lot more than a coach who's proven he's not good enough on gameday and in personnel.

The DT position is a microcosm of what's wrong with this team. A busted draft pick, bad FA acquisition in Tripplett, and trading more picks for a DT who is still pretty good, but will be 31 when the season begins. All in all, the Bills have traded away a 2nd, 2 3rds, and a 5th to acquire the first for McCargo and Stroud. Now Buffalo has Williams, who is undersized and not an ideal 3 technique, along with Johnson who is a depth player. After that, they're still thin at DT. After three seasons of rebuilding, the OL and DL still are major issues. So much that we're talking about acquiring a DE and C in UFA.

That's right. C2C doesn't mean sh** to the NFL, but is an accounting trick designed to make fans think the team is spending like the big boys. The only figure the NFL cares about is spending the minimum of 86.4% of 123M in cap dollars, or a minimum of 106.27M. Cap hit and money spent are two entirely different things. I dare say the Bills will be closer to the league minimum than the maximum. And one adverse effect has been a lack of depth on both sides of the ball, namely having guys like Keith Ellison as your primary backup at LB.

Just maybe RW understands it's a mistake to lean on DJ for personnel input. His opinion carried so much weight in Chicago that he was relived of those duties when Jerry Angelo was hired. Jason Peters will eat up a lot of cap room when he is re-signed. If the Bills choose to trade him, or worse, let this situation erupt, their reputation (which is already poor) will hit rock bottom. No team trades top LT's when the price gets high. Besides, Fred Jackson should get a long term contract, because he's proven his worth to the team in abundance. Those two contracts will take the 29M down to a level which precludes the Bills from doing as much as many unaware fans realize. EDIT: Teams are barred from talking to free agents, and even though this rule is bent, until UFA opens. I highly doubt a team would start this early and let on which players they're targeting. Additionally, teams can still designate franchise and transition tagged players for about another week. That, is how the system works.

1. Owen Daniels is a RESTRICTED FA who will be tendered at a high level. Unless yielding a first and third is the Bills mindset, he's not coming here. 2. Matt Birk and Jeff Saturday are both on the downside and well over 30. Buffalo historically doesn't pursue guys this age and prefer to build with younger guys. 3. Crowell and the team have moved on. AC's knees aren't all that great, and even if they were, I don't think Buffalo welcomes back a guy that the HC isn't crazy about after last year's theatrics. Bowen is another in a long line of undersized OLB's this team has a tendency to acquire. He's also coming off an ACL tear. 4. Spending a high pick on Maclin is tantamount to saying Hardy is already a wasted pick. With the needs at SLB, DE, TE, and C, this is a luxury pick. Kinda like taking a safety when you're team's DL is terrible. 5. Despite his size, Herman Johnson is slow and gets pushed around far too often. His play at the senior bowl demonstrated this quite clearly. Ayers is a 3-4 DE who isn't known for pressuring QB's. Won't fit in the 4-3 Buffalo plays. 6. Parrish certainly isn't going to Dallas, as the Cowboys have given up several picks already to acquire Roy Williams formerly of Detroit. Taking a gadget player is absurd.

In no way am I saying they won't do something strange, but there are (EDIT:four) positions I believe they must address: C, TE, SLB, and DE. In UFA, three names are prevalent at the center positions, though two are over 30: Birk and Saturday. Jason Brown is younger, and will command a heavy price. Not sure if the team wants to spend on the OL, especially considering they've got the Peters situation around the corner. DE and TE are thin in FA, minus Peppers and perhaps Suggs, if he isn't retained by BAL. I don't see Buffalo doing anything here as a result. LB has some intriguing options with Dansby among others. Still, Buffalo went LB in UFA last season and will probably look for a veteran backup and take someone in rounds 1 or 2. The cost of a Dansby will be high ATL had a massive rebuild project last season, didn't do a lot in UFA besides Michael Turner, but used the draft wisely and succeeded. The Mike's (Mularkey and Smith) did a fine job with a lot of youth. It doesn't take a lot of moves in UFA to win. It takes smart drafting, which is why I'm an advocate of trading down from the 11th overall pick. ATL and MIA collected plenty of picks in rounds 1-3 and won. I also think the marquee names will get their money, but the second tier guys will struggle on the open market, a la baseball's free agency this year. It could create an interesting scenario, but I'm not sure the Bills will get into a bidding war for those guys either.

I'm reading how some fans think the Bills will spend big in UFA because the fan base is depressed, RW is going into HOF, and because the Bills have the chance to sign some big players along with showing upwards of 30M to spend in UFA. IMO, those items have little bearing on the team's plan in UFA. I think history shows that Buffalo is modest when they need to be, but also recognize that spending big does not equate to winning during the season. The Bills last three off-seasons are a mix and match of how they "improved" their roster. 2006: Bills signed 2 RFA's to offer sheets: G Reggie Wells of Arizona and DL Israel Idonije from Chicago. Both players were retained by their former clubs. The team hosted DT Ryan Pickett from STL, who ended up signing with GB for 4 yrs and 14M. Buffalo then signed DT Larry Tripplett to a modest 5 yr 18.5M deal. Following this, Buffalo inked TE Robert Royal, C Melvin Fowler, WR Peerless Price, CB Kiwaukee Thomas, RB Anthony Thomas, S Matt Bowen, QB Craig Nall, G Tutan Reyes, and WR/KR Andre Davis. Three seasons later, only Fowler and Royal remain, with both being poor options at their positions. 2007: Buffalo signed G Dockery, RT Walker, OL Jason Whittle, and CB Jason Webster to contracts. Neither Dockery nor Walker are the strong OL presence the Bills thought they acquired, but represented 74M in contracts. Whittle most likely is finished, and Webster lasted all of a game before predictably getting injured. 2008: LB Kawika Mitchell was acquired for 5 yrs and 17.5M at the outset of the signing period. Later, the Bills traded for DT Marcus Stroud, while signing DT Spencer Johnson away from Minnesota. In retrospect, the Bills haven't seriously considered tendering RFA's since the poor 2006 FA period. 07 saw a reversal from the quantity that 06 represented, but hasn't brought about quality players in Dockery and Walker. 2008 seemed to be an improvement in shoring up the defensive front 7, although the defense still needs a pass rusher and another LB. I see the Bills going after one marquee name, a moderate player, and perhaps another depth guy. I could see C Jason Brown, a veteran QB to back up Edwards, and a depth LB. Anything beyond that would be irrational given the economy (whether that's as legit reason around WNY) and fact that the Bills look for only certain players to fit their schemes. Buffalo builds their team at their pace. Even though it's deliberately slow, breaking the bank has proven to hurt teams more often than help. Dockery and Walker's contract was Buffalo's first foray into spending in UFA since 02-03, and it has not worked out. No doubt RW remembers signing Bledsoe, Fletcher, and Spikes and still not having a very good team.

Peters is under contract for 09 (and 2010 for that matter) but I can't see Buffalo ignoring him this off-season. Fred Jackson is an ERFA, but it would behoove the front office to give him a 3-4 year contract. Both of those deals would impact their cap hit. Another factor is what won't be happening this season. Guys like Edwards and Posluszny have contracts through 2010, but good front offices will re-up their solid players before they enter their final season. And lastly, they must plan for existing veterans like McGee and Reed who have contracts through 2009.

Read "The Genius" by David Harris about Walsh and his ideas on offense. A great book that talks about Walsh's evolution into becoming the coach we all know him as with the 49ers.

Many of us said the same thing last season after two whole 7-9 seasons. Now it's been three mediocre seasons, and people expect things to change. This is it, this is how the franchise does business. Buffalo has 27-31M in cap dollars to use, but I'm thinking RW has been scared from opening the wallet for UFA after the Dockery and Walker signings. I don't think RW's election into the HOF means anything about how he spends his money. He knows the economy isn't doing well, and that's an easy out when the team isn't aggressive in UFA. His legacy has already been made: founding the team, keeping it in Buffalo for nearly 50 seasons, and election into the HOF for his work more than 40 years ago. Despite what naive fans think, he isn't concerned with winning now that he's in the HOF. He fired the best GM in modern NFL history for petty reasons. Nothing RW does makes that much sense.

Mayock and Kiper are the top draft analysts and it continues to amaze me how McShay has any credibility. To my knowledge, his only draft/personnel experience has been working for ESPN Scouts, Inc. But I like Mayock's perspective. He's not perfect (didn't like John Carlson, TE from ND last year) but he's better than anyone including Kiper. I'm not overly impressed at this point with Orakpo, Brown, or Maybin. Orakpo has the physical ability, but disappears for stretches. I've read that Brown may not have the strength to play DE at this point. Maybin's got 2 years at PSU, and while he's got excellent speed, he's still got only two years play at the collegiate level. With nothing at DE in FA besides Peppers and perhaps Suggs, you have to wonder whether the Bills will take a DE out of need alone.