BillsVet

We have none of those. There's a team, and there's a tradition (mid sixties, late eighties to early nineties) but outside of that Buffalo has nothing. It does start at the top, and Ralph will never trust anyone to make the decisions to create a winner. Never.

Does that mean that Matt Cassel's mother didn't know what was happening with her son? She wasn't an insider either. I drive a Dodge Stratus BTW.

I don't think anyone rational fan wants the Bills to lose, but it's going to take a lot of losing to change the owner's mind on anything. I could see this team going 8-8 and DJ sticking around for 2010. RW doesn't like paying coaches or front office types and bristles at the notion of doing so. If the team goes 4-12/5-11 in 09, that would force a change at HC and in the front office. It will have demonstrated that the current front office cannot win.

I'm a big advocate of reading "The Genius" about Bill Walsh's tenure as HC of the 49ers by David Harris. Just the parts about how he approched draft day make the book worth reading for any serious NFL fan. In 86, Walsh correctly surmised that the draft didn't offer premium talent, but began the process of trading down. Eddie DeBartolo joked that Walsh would not stop until he had every pick in the 10th round. But Walsh found plenty of talent to win those 2 SB's in 89 and 90. That 86 draft included FB Tom Rathman, CB Tim McKyer, WR John Taylor, DE Charles Haley, LOT Steve Wallace, DT Kevin Fagan, and DB Don Griffin. And all this without a 1st rounder. Having the savvy to read the tea leaves is needed in Buffalo. Walsh rarely missed on picks, and I think this draft could shape up to be one that trading down is the best option. Remember, the 11th overall pick since 01 has resulted in the following players being drafted: Freeney (02), Trufant (03), Roethlisberger (04), Demarcus Ware (05), Cutler (06), P. Willis (07), and McKelvin (08)

The off-season is usually the highlight of the season for Bills fans, IMO. After the season is over, everyone's undefeated in 09 at least until September. I don't have any confidence in the Bills front office either because Ralph has absolute control. We also know Brandon isn't anything more than a public face, and has little say when it matters most. If what we read was true about who favored and opposed keeping DJ, I'd say Russ objected strongly and went against Ralph given the marketing angle he's been handed. If the very guy who was promoted to COO and quasi GM doesn't have enough say, then what else can RW swoop in and overrule him about?

His objective is a long term agreement. If he receives a deal close to what elite LOT's make, he'd better not make the mistake of holding out again. Bills fans patience is thin with prima donna athletes who think they are bigger than the team. That stuff might go over in Dallas (who haven't won a playoff games since 96) but not here. Holding out of a 6 yr 54M deal is plenty different is a huge risk. I can't recall a NFLer who's held out of such a large deal.

Let's be clear of Peters' time-line in Buffalo. He signed as an UDFA in 04 and was starting at RT in 2005. Buffalo wisely signed him to a 5 yr extension for approximately 15M before 2006 began. The Bills made a wise move, but then switched him to play the most demanding position, LOT, on the OL in mid 06. Peters responded by having a fine 2007 season which gained him a legit Pro Bowl nod. Walter Jones didn't hold out 2-3 years into his big deal. Orlando Pace wasn't a problem at the point in his career that Peters has reached. But hoping that Peters would play for 3M per for 5 seasons is beyond stupid. Especially considering Buffalo moved him to LOT at the beginning of the contract. For the record, Peters played 1.5 seasons quite well at LOT. I know if I was promoted, did well, and 18 months later hadn't received a raise, I'd be ticked as well. If Peters holds out in the middle of, let's say, 6 year 54M deal, then he's an idiot. If Buffalo doesn't want to re-sign him to a mega deal like they did Schobel, it's because they're too cheap or ignorant to admit they have a great talent at LOT.

Over the entire 16 game season, Chambers or Walker would break down trying to contain outside speed rushers by themselves. Neither have the physical attributes to contain DE's and resemble turnstiles when it matters most. Walker has enough issues handling the RT spot and oftentimes requires TE help to block his man. He lacks the lateral agility to get out an block on running plays outside the tackle box. Chambers is a backup at best, and couldn't play RG when Butler went down.

Most likely, a trading of Peters means Buffalo receives draft picks in return. For a moribund franchise that hasn't been to the playoffs since 99, having more picks is not going to help this season. As I said in another thread, it's perpetual rebuilding. On principle, the Bills have negotiated before with a player who had more than 2 seasons remaining on their deal. Aaron Schobel even skipped time in the offseason two years ago to prove he was serious. The front office responded by opening negotiations, so Schobel returned for OTA's. Why should Peters' situation be different. If anything, I'd say there's a double standard there, especially considering both players were Pro Bowlers (earned or not) and were/are recognized as the best on their line. I think it's the fact they don't want to pay him, because his contract would be the team's largest. Trading Peters is Buffalo's response to solving a problem by getting rid of it. It's a wimp move, and the benefits won't show up until at least 2-3 seasons down the road if at all. In the meantime, they're repeating a move made familiar these past few seasons. Allow guys to leave in UFA and trade, then use high picks to replace them. It's why they've been on a treadmill these past 9 seasons.

Fine. Go ahead and trade him in advance of a holdout. If I'm the rest of the agents who represent oncoming or current NFLers, I know the Bills are cheap and are wimps at the negotiating table when Peters is dealt. I guess arguing with people whose longest memory goes one season deep will result in this thread. The Peters of 07 was a dominating LOT. He's also 26 years old, and won't be fading away anytime soon. But because last season is the only memory most fans have the capacity for, they want to trade him. If Peters is dealt, it's the nail in the coffin for this franchise. The Bills have decided on Edwards as the future QB, and it behooves the team to protect him with the best. We want more offensive weapons for Trent, but when it comes to the best blockers they might cost too much. That's a wonderful team building strategy there.

There are three positions in the NFL which carry a premium: QB, pass rushing DE, and a LOT. When a team has above average starters at those positions, they've got a great start. If trading Peters is necessary, and picks are what you get in return, I call that another step toward perpetual rebuilding. The Bills have been at it now for three seasons, why stop now?

After these past two off-seasons, I was beginning to wonder if the Bills weren't interested in taking anyone from outside the organization. The only way this team gets better is through having great drafts every year. They can't afford to miss on a first or second rounder anymore. Nix sounds like a guy who's a fine talent evaluator and will provide Modrak with a go-to guy leading up to the draft. Then again, I'm not sure why this move was necessary. We've got Linda Bogdan to cry to daddy whenever she doesn't get her way.

Bills Draft Options If you removed the names of prospects, this article probably could have been written for the 07, 08, and 09 drafts. One thing that never changes is Buffalo's huge needs for each season heading into FA and the draft. I like Tyson Jackson, but he's a LDE with the frame to play in a 3-4 and not rush the passer in a 4-3. I would hope the front office doesn't reach on a DE because everyone and their brother knows Buffalo needs another pass rusher. Jackson may be strong against the run, but won't offer much in the pass rush. As for the TE's, the coaches need to settle for a guy who can stretch the field that may not be a great blocker. There are plenty of guys in a Dallas Clark mold who are vertical threats without the blocking. If the Bills insist they need a blocking TE who can catch, their lone option seems to be Pettigrew. After that, the TE's who can catch aren't great blockers. Have to wonder if they need the TE blocking to assist Walker with speed rushers from the left (defensive) side. Neither Pettigrew nor Mack are 11th overall worthy picks, as they're going no higher than 20 IMO. As much as I don't think the Bills will splurge in FA, they can't enter the draft needing a DE, SLB, C, and TE. With depth needed at LB, DT, G, and S they continue to enter every off-season with huge holes to fill. IMO, that's the price you pay when you enter the season with 20M+ under the cap. Last season and 07 demonstrated how not spending or drafting quality depth hurts in the long run. Sure the Bills have options. One option I wish they had was taking best player available, which is something they haven't done since about 1994. Ah, well we've got Russ Brandon handling GM duties according to Bill Kollar. There's nothing to worry about.

Link? I'm not doubting this, but dollar wise, I wouldn't be surprised if they had more than 27M.

Great post SB. Schonert's promotion this time last year was heralded by some to be a great move solely because he replaced whipping boy Fairchild. After one season, it's clear he's not capable to handling the job. That's an affirmation of why he wasn't promoted to OC with TB, NYG, BUF (1st time) and CAR. After the 5-1 start, obviously the QB play wasn't stellar other than at KC, but Schonert's failure to answer 3-4 defenses in the passing game when teams dropped 6+ into coverage is proof to me he's never going to get it. He's not a rookie coach, and he's spent no less than 12 seasons in the league as a QB coach. Someone with that record who hasn't been promoted probably ain't good enough. All of this fits in line with what happened to DJ in Chicago. Lackluster coordinators who aren't in the NFL anymore, and offenses which fell into the bottom third of the league. I listened to the braggodocio in the offseason, but as with Fairchild, it was just talk. Aside from being a terrible gameday HC, DJ's biggest failure has been the lack of finding good coordinators. He's hired 6 in 8 seasons of coaching, and none of them ever were mentioned as candidates for head coaching jobs. Schonert's hopefully the last coordinator DJ ever hires, because DJ oughta be fired after this season.

Couldn't agree more here Bill. It's why trading Peters is about the dumbest idea of heard of in a long time. Almost as much as naming an octogenarian the GM. In all seriousness, if a pass rusher isn't available at 11, trading down it the best option. Neither Pettigrew or Mack have value at 11th, but probably no higher than the late teens or twenties. This front office lacks the savvy a front office needs to wheel and deal on draft day. They come off as blundering their way through the process, and expecting anything different this year is probably out of the question. Then again, we've got Russ Brandon.

Establishing blame for this latest mess in the Bills history is not going to accomplish anything and we know it. Levy hiring Jauron happened, and there's nothing going to change that. But my frustration continues to be with this front office, which received the owner's seal of approval this offseason. So many Bills fans believed Levy would bring this team back from the dead in 06. And they were wrong, because they placed their hope in someone who shouldn't have had it in the first place. Marv was If the front office isn't good, the chances of building a winner is very slim. Levy missed on the big decisions and the team is stuck in mediocrity for the forseeable future.

I cannot believe how poorly the Bills are in the front 7, and it shows in the run game almost weekly. They have 3 DT's on the roster, one of whom will be 31 next season, while the other two are depth types. At DE, 3 guys are or will be 30+ in 09. Buffalo has 2 NFL caliber LB's in Posluszny and Mitchell, while the rest is depth or fringe NFLers. As bad as the front 7 is, their offense isn't special either. But if Raji can play well in the Senior Bowl, perform in the combine and workouts, the Bills may need to take a long hard look at a DT. At this early point Raji seems to be a strong presence.

If Marv knew he'd have to hire a has been, I'd expect his Ivy League education to kick in and use the leverage he had (RW needed him badly) to demand a little more power to find a coach. Marv knew he had some sway over Ralphie, and it's obvious in the signings of Dockery, Walker, Schobel, and Kelsay. Why didn't he then have some say over his head coach selection?

Marv hired DJ after observing his shortcomings in Chicago for five seasons. I don't know how many games Marv saw from 99-03, but he should have known better to hire DJ. I will freely admit it could have been due to conditions Wilson set: 1. The coach have previous HC exprience and... 2. He be cheap (less than 1.5M per) I agree DJ has been bad and responsible for no less than those 4 losses this season. But Marv's biggest decision was his first, and he went with the wrong guy. Bears fans knew that in 03 Jauron was terrible. Why couldn't Marv figure that out as well?

Your posts really make me laugh. According to you, no one is ever at fault while this team struggles to remain relevant in the NFL. It's fine to blame TD for 01-05 and perhaps 06. But from 07 forward, the failures of this franchise should be squarely on Levy, Brandon, and Ralph. No excuses. Two years is plenty of time to rebuild a franchise. With UFA and good drafts there are several teams who've made it happen. Some will disagree, but the franchise is no better now than it was when Marv took over. Ask Tom Dimitroff and Mike Smith how long it took him to rebuild. Ask Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano. Ask Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh. They've all turned around teams rather quickly. And while they're doing that, Buffalo is stuck in the muddle with the accelerator barely pressed. So go ahead and make exceptions for everyone. We're still waiting for a season we can be proud of.

To this day I don't believe the Giants were truly serious about drafting McCargo. They had Alford and Robbins already. I didn't see them addressing their DT depth with a first round pick. Instead, NYG selected Mathias Kiwanuka to replace Strahan who they figured would retire imminently. The Giants don't miss all that often on 1st rounders. McCargo's athleticism was probably the item they loved, but the front office was delighted so much that they ignored or didn't know about his lack of motivation. And they discounted the fact that McCargo played close to Mario Williams and Manny Lawson, two other first rounders. The Colts were desperate for help at DT, because they run the same defense. I think it was ironic that McCargo was returned so quickly under the guise of a "failed physical." McCargo has little value to anything but T2/C2 teams. And if he couldn't play in Buffalo, I don't see anyone picking him up. He is a bust and will struggle to make any roster with his poor work ethic.

Obama what is your plan? Who do you intend to target in UFA and the draft?

I'll get destroyed for saying it, but I don't think Levy was a great coach. He was a good coach, and obviously wanted back in three years ago. During his career, he had a fine OC in Marchibroda for several years, and had Polian acquiring players for him through 92-93. Marv just needed to manage the personalities, but from a talent perspective, he had a whole lot. On his blog, Tim Graham made a point that Belichick's 3 SB winning teams will probably have only one HOFer (Brady) while Buffalo's four non-winners will have at least 3 when Bruce Smith is elected. Sure, it's different eras in comparing before and after the cap, but you have a hard time winning SB's without HOF talent. Marv is in the HOF, but if that's the case, shouldn't Dan Reeves and Bud Grant be in as welll. Both had lots of talent, made 4 SB's, and lost them all.

I continue to believe next season will make the final year of TD seem tame. Going 7-9 three straight seasons, retaining the HC, watching the Cards in the SB, and having a game in Toronto have created an unfriendly atmosphere for Bills fans. I hope it doesn't deteriorate into bedlam, but the team is in poor shape, and arguably at the same point as when Marv inherited TD's mess. Maybe DJ was the coach the Bills needed in 06, but he's not the guy to get them into the playoffs. Buffalo needs a tactician, not necessarily a loud person, but someone with quiet confidence who can push when he has to. DJ's stoic demeanor isn't working with this team anymore. Going 2-8 down the stretch demonstrates this.