BillsVet

The relationship between the team and player sure wasn't all that good at the beginning of September. It's possible he's received little interest on the UFA market, but it's early, and I don't think teams have zeroed in on free agents. It also may be a way of the player making nice and wanting to look more attractive to other teams. I'm sure a rebuilding team like KC, STL, DET, et al would prefer an experienced player in their LB corps. And I think they'd be willing to pay. Buffalo won't out-bid anyone for his services.

Only one player came to the tunnel side EZ to greet Bills fans who remained. I sit in 123, and FJ came by to give high fives. He's a class act IMHO.

Mangini had one playoff appearance in 3 seasons and gets the ax. 23-25 in three seasons and he's fired. NYJ made huge investments in Favre, Faneca, Pace, et al, but could not win with EM. Sadly, 21-27 is probably good enough in Buffalo for DJ. I still don't understand what there is to evaluate about the HC here, unless of course they're reviewing the loss to cut DJ or keep him and realize a significant decline in season tickets that will occur next season.

Changes appear on the horizon: Modrak getting into the inner-circle. (Is there a rite of initiation for this?) They'll be some top secret meetings for the inner-circle in FLA for the top brass and RW. The PR machine will kick into overdrive and, voila, they'll be another exciting season of DJ and the Buffalo Bills. A lyric from The Who seems appropriate: "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss."

Bakay "The Curse" Only one thing Nick gets wrong in this segment. He thinks someone other than Ralph made the choice to start Rob Johnson over Doug Flutie. Wade would never have removed a QB who went 10-5 in the regular season. Just figured we needed something other than another thread about who'll succeed DJ when he's fired.

14-25 for 128 yards. 0 TD 0 INT. 4 rushes for 20 yards. On a day when Cassell goes 6-8 for 78 yards and ran 3 times for 19 yards, you're criticizing Edwards. Surely Cassell out-played Trent by quite a bit with that stat line. The wind you didn't experience had nothing to do with the offensive gameplanning. Goodness gracious, I was there to see a 4th and 1 with no backs. I saw the 3rd and 9 run which didn't quite get the first. You yourself have pointed to the lack of coaching for a 2nd year QB with less than a season and a half worth of starts in the NFL. Doesn't playcalling influence the success or failure of any QB, especially one with about 20 NFL starts? EDIT: Considering DJ teams are never offensively strong, and TS hasn't OC'd a team ever, shouldn't their record also enter into the consideration. Criticize the areas that deserve it: The HC and OC who have been outcoached by several guys, including Sparano (2x), Mangini, Belichick (2x), Whisenhunt, Crennel, and Singletary. Go ahead and take issue with a QB who has about 1/10 the amount of games played as his HC has served in that function. Or the OC who's been in the league for 20+ years. Blame it on TE and ignore those obvious facts.

For the record, Caroll didn't seem interested to take the ATL job last year. At the time it wasn't a marquee position, but Carroll gets about 25 first round picks every year recruiting. I'm not sure he'd ever leave SoCal for any NFL job.

Bobo did you attend the festivities in Orchard Park this afternoon? Part of the fieldhouse roof came off the winds were so strong. Because you at most watched this game from home, I find your opinion here to be severely lacking. Sincerely, The wind.

Never seen you resort to name calling before. After three years, it's fair to judge a draft. 06 wasn't good, despite the revisionist history. Whitner's play, both before and after the shoulder injury, was not sufficient. I find it funny people blame the DL, yet it's that same area people wanted to build first before selecting safeties. Marv Levy and his consensus building decision makers were wrong. They were wrong. And by the way (some will see this as cheap) but Dean I was at the game. Swirling winds in excess of 40MPH, yet you're blaming the QB on this one. Were you at the game to make this conclusion?

RB should stick to handling the business/marketing side of this team. He can keep doing those Time Warner commercials, but he's no substitute for a genuine football person who knows how to run that side of the operation. If nothing changes this off-season in the front office and in coaching, it's clear he's just a face for the organization. Not sure RW will let him make decisions that must be made.

To RW, it is about making money. One could deduce that after the Toronto series was announced, resulting in 78M of revenue over 5 seasons. RW responded that this arrangement and cash flow would not result in more spent on players. I think the Bills are looking for any way to retain DJ, avoid paying his buyout, and then simply putting the PR machine into overdrive to sell the team for 09. IMO, they'll figure out something to explain why DJ will remain and he'll be the coach next season. The fact they're even contemplating DJ's return is sad. Most NFL franchises wouldn't hesitate to let go of such a poor coach.

Not sure after 8 full seasons in the NFL that the light is going to go on for DJ. Coaches who make bad decisions as DJ has for these past few seasons aren't going to get better. I don't expect a HC to be perfect, but he's done things that make you scratch your head. Burning 2 TO's against SD in 12/06. Allowing a sideline pass on MNF vs Dallas last season. The roll-out pass with a QB who can't feel pressure in NY this month. The list goes on and on and on. I'd feel more comfortable replacing him, but given RW's stranglehold on all decisions, it's unlikely they'd find someone willing to work in the organization. Still, DJ needs to go.

There are plenty of TSW posters who've come to the realization that RW is the reason this franchise hasn't succeeded. He has a tendency to shed his most talented people, namely Saban, Knox, and Polian. None of those men were ever adequately replaced, and I suspect few successful front office types would ever want to work for RW. It seems that RW is content to keep the front office intact as long as he can make some money. Talk of getting Modrak into the "inner circle" seems to confirm that no changes will be made, despite the same lineup in the front office since TD took over in 01. If no significant changes are made this off-season, I think plenty of fans will see that RW isn't serious about winning football anymore.

Our best DE is a 2nd rounder. Schobel has been a good player, and wasn't a first rounder. There are plenty of good DE's, if you do the homework, who've gone in the second and beyond. I'm talking about Umenyiora, Tuck, Vanden Bosch, Mathis from Indy, Dockett, La Boy, Jared Allen, etc. As BADOL has pointed out, sometimes it's better to find a DE in the second who is hungrier for success. Many first rounders don't cut it, because they've gotten by on talent alone in the college ranks.

Butch Davis was an abject failure in Cleveland. Just look at their drafts while he was there. Jim Fassel won't even get a job in the NFL next season. Although, that might make him qualified to come here, as our current retread coach wasn't even wanted, yet got the job.

IMO, the front office has done a fine job of creating an atmosphere that makes it hard to blame one guy. When TD ran the show, he got the blame for not getting it done. And rightfully so. When Marv entered and abdicated responsibilities to Guy, Modrak, and Jauron, the picture got murky about who should receive blame for picks and FA signings. Now, with Brandon heading things up, we still don't know who's responsible for what. Either way, both TD and the current regime have failed. Unless they totally clean house, put RB back to being the business guy, and hire new personnel execs, this team is on the path to nowhere.

Mack may be gone late in the first. Arizona is in desperate need of a center. Orakpo seems to be a workout warrior akin to a Gholston. Shaughnessy could be gone in the second. DE is an important position, but not the only need on this team. I'd look for one in the second round, when guys like Connor Barwin, Jerry Hughes, and Shaughnessy will be available.

Good short read there. I don't believe Buffalo is interested in any of them because their owner seems intent on not changing. It'd be nice to have a new fresh face in Buffalo who can improve the morale of a once proud franchise from sinking any further. Regardless, there are some names of people that could help the Bills improve. Pioli may be on the move, after seeing his understudy Dimitroff produce a near miracle in ATL.

I don't know of an OT that lasted beyond 35, let alone at a high level. Outside of QB's, K's, and P's, most NFL players aren't playing after 35.

Harbaugh did a lot of research to make that statement: he looked at the coaching matchup.

This team needs to stop using the draft to replace good players they allow to walk out the door. I can't remember the last time Buffalo could go BPA in the draft, although the cap makes it hard. Still, it seems the Bills are constantly drafting for need with their top picks, and foregoing a better player(s) because they've forced themselves to take a need. Keeping Greer would be a better use of their cap dollars, and I agree John Guy isn't going to unearth talent from another team. I'd much rather have a known commodity in Greer than an unknown Guy tries to sell the team. Rebuilding this team will be going into year 4, and until they start re-signing their own and drafting better, we'll be on the treadmill to nowhere.

GB had no intention of re-signing Corey Williams last off-season. But they knew he'd command some attention on the UFA market. They ended up getting a 2nd from CLE for him. I'm not saying Greer is to the CB position that Williams was as a DL. But there are so many clubs in need of a proven NFL CB. That will inflate his value, and it's an opportunity for the Bills to get something for him.

Everette Brown seems suited to play the RDE position on this team, which should be nailed down for Schobel next season. He doesn't seem big enough to play LDE. That could change if the HC is fired. Caldwell also seems like a C probably best for a strictly zone blocking scheme. Not sure he'd be better than Max Unger. Coffman seems like a guy who can stretch the middle of the field, but his thing will be what Rucker's was last season-the ability to play in a non-spread offense.

You severely underestimate the UFA market which increasingly has fewer decent players on it. As the cap rises, teams can pay more to retain their players. For those teams that notoriously draft poorly, they'll always be looking for the quick fix to make up for their inept drafting. Greer will command Corey Webster type money, as Chris Brown mentioned the latter in his recent blog post. Most people haven't heard of Webster, but he got 43.5M with 20M guaranteed. I'm sure Pro Personnel scouts know Greer, especially with 2 INT's returned for TD this year. His durability won't be as big a concern, especially with the cap rising reportedly another 4-5M this offseason. EDIT: STL, CLE, DET, SEA, NO, and KC all have huge needs at CB. Greer will have suitors with or without the tag.

A likely scenario. Wilson's 90, doesn't want to make radical changes at this late juncture in his life and therefore ownership of the franchise. Even if Modrak is on par with Parcells, Pioli, and other good front office execs, it can never make up for the inept gameday decisions this coach has made in his career. Have to agree with SB here about the power residing in the hands of the marketing and finance guys. Along with the PR guys, those areas seem to be the most important and carry the most weight in all decisions. When personnel (amateur scouting and pro) are on-par with counting the money and propagandizing the team, this team will move forward.