BillsVet

Wouldn't mind Steve Spagnuolo. It seems to be ahead of the curve defensively, and realizes, unlike many on this board who would draft a DB every year, that pressure on the QB is absolutely necessary in any defense. I don't see Cowher coming to Buffalo, and it's sad that so many know DJ isn't going away with time left on his contract. Wade's issues with Ralph and being fired/resigned demonstrate this beyond a reasonable doubt.

You could argue the end of the Bills great teams of the late 80s and early 90s ended when Bill Polian left. Sure, Buffalo was good into 1999, making the playoffs in 93, 95, 96, 98, and 99. But those teams relied heavily onto the guys picked up during Polian's tenure. John Butler maintained the ship, but didn't add much and by 2000 and they went into cap jail for hanging onto Bruce, Andre, and a few others. It's obvious that since 2001, this team has struggled mightily to find real front office types. Ralph is the common denominator in all of this, and when people mention him for the HOF, I only laugh. He is the first one we should blame for an inept franchise that by the end of this season will be grouped with the Lions in not making the playoffs. The Bills must hire a real GM, who has a good track record in personnel. Atlanta hired Tom Dimitrioff away from NE, and they've got a blueprint that's looking very good through 9 weeks. Buffalo promotes business directors and guys that have been around during all the years they haven't made the playoffs. That's the difference between Buffalo and successful franchises.

If only there was a way to have Alex Mack leave Cal right now and join the Bills.

Face it: Jauron failed to execute and he'll be working on that this coming week in practice. Perhaps Belichick rigged his red flag and beamed radio waves into DJ's head to confuse him.

And how many times on third and short does our opponent convert running the ball? You don't own the ball for 38 minutes without getting first downs via the running game. UDFA BenJarvus Green Ellis Jauron Wilson Smith Jones ran for 105 yards today. As SoCal mentioned, the entire front office must be nuked. That means a real GM, new pro personnel director, and finding better minds that will advocate getting rid of the coaching staff. The DT position just demonstrates how badly they FO errors when it comes to fixing obvious problems.

In 2006, the Bills signed Larry Tripplett to a 5 yr 18.5M contract with a 5.5M SB. He is now out of the league. That same year, the Bills traded 2nd and 3rd rounders to the Bears to move up to 26th overall to take McCargo. Kyle Williams was selected in the fifth round. Buffalo did little at DT in 07, save for a non-move with Darwin Walker. In 06 and 07, Buffalo gave up 140 and 125 yrpg respectively. The only question is how the Bills would address their interior DL for 08. Those concerns appeared answered when Buffalo traded a 3rd and 5th to Jacksonville for Stroud and reworked his 5 yr 31.5M contract which he signed with the Jags in 05. Next, they signed Spencer Johnson to a 5 yr 17.5M contract with 6M guaranteed. I can't believe that after spending 1st and 5th round picks, combined with giving up a 2nd, 2 3rds, a 5th, and signing 2 FA's while trading for another big name player that the Bills still can't stop the run. This DT problem is a microcosm of why the Bills are stuck in neutral and not going anywhere this season. Step 1 is hiring a real GM.

Answer: DJ doesn't. The reality is, DJ picked coordinators who follow his gameplans. They mirror their boss, who may be the coach with the most who delivers the least. And the OC and DC deliver a predictable floozy of a gameplan which neatly falls inline with their HC who has had 6 different coordinators over the course of 7 and a half seasons in the NFL.

Glad to see even Apus is finally admitting there's some major issues with the Bills.

When DJ's previous HC experience in Chicago is brought up, they cite a lack of talent for him not being more successful. They'll say Jerry Angelo wanted him gone, etc, etc, etc. The reality is, DJ had personnel control those first two seasons and went 6-10 and 5-11. That "magical" 2001 season DJ had was in reality a mirage, considering they went 4-12 and 7-9 for 02 and 03 respectively. DJ has a team with a decent amount of talent. Granted, there are no superstars, but there are some decent players who take the field. Buffalo went 7-9 in 06 and 07. If they finish 7-9, 8-8, or 9-7 this year, it won't matter how much talent took the field. The final result will be remarkably similar to the rebuilding seasons of 06 and 07. And I blame a lack of innovative coaching, a hallmark of DJ's first swing through the HC ranks.

No one is talking about this, but Buffalo is in the top 5 of teams with available cap room. Without question this affects their ability to sign depth players. As to Ngata, he is agile enough to handle being a NT in a 3-4 or playing as a DE in a 4-3. How many 340lb DL can make the play he did today. It's nice to see some fans come around to the basic fundamental that is building the DL and OL first before skill positions in the secondary, LB, RB, and WR. Unfortunately, it's too late to fix these issues for 2008 and our coach who decides a great deal on draft day is signed for 3 more seasons.

There are some who refust to admit that from top to bottom, the organization is a shambles. Meddling owner, amateur GM, retread HC, etc. Those people generally don't know what success is (i.e. making the playoffs) and so mediocrity is the only thing they know. I've really started looking at the prospects for the 09 draft. Funny how this time of year that always happens.

Playoff teams don't lose 4 of 5. It just doesn't happen, and sadly I don't think this coaching staff has it in them to turn this thing around. I cannot believe that the Bills are sitting at 5-4 through nine games with the schedule they have. Worse yet, should they go less than 10-6 playing SEA, OAK, STL, MIA (2X), CLE, KC, and SF it will show me that in three seasons of DJ, they've rarely been able to beat good opponents. That's eerily similar to Chicago.

Badol, getting back to basics is exactly what's needed. But we both know that sometimes players need to have a fire lit under them and it's clearly not happening. Certain players need more motivation than others, and I'm looking at an entire OL which plays with little, if any heart. When they look to their HC (especially the younger ones) I can't believe that fires them up. If I'm a guy like Marshawn, and we're throwing the ball on 3rd and 1, I'm going to think the coach has no confidence in me or the OL. Same goes for the DB's when the defensive coaches have them playing off the WR in order to keep things in front of them. Basics are important, but I'm watching gameplans which are helter-skelter. Run three times, pass three times, blitz every down, then don't blitz at all. Being less predictable might help with getting better at the basics.

Being a Bills fan has meant being more interested in the off-season than the regular season these past 8-9 years. Unfortunately, much like the regular season, the offseason has been full of symbolism with no substance. At least that's what we find out when the team takes the field. I do not expect the front office to be perfect, but it's clear they might do the right thing half the time. Letting NC and LF go without having a replacement on the roster was negligent. When Ralph did the PR thing and hired Marv, it was the wrong move . When Marv hired an also-ran coach with a track record of mediocrity, the FO failed again. When the team needed a FA OL, they chose the wrong one(s). The HC assembled a coaching staff of never will be's and never could be's. We're painfully watching and hoping, although it's abundantly clear the FO is clearly out-done by most teams. And we continue to go without a real GM. We cannot compete with a limited budget and no great football minds in the front office, save perhaps Modrak. Arizona will make the playoffs this season, leaving the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions as the only teams in the NFL to not make the post-season for 9 or more years. And we didn't have Matt Millen help us.

Go to extremes, but freely admit that DJ picked many of the players that cannot allow him to go for it in short yardage. It would be one thing if everyone was a holdover from a previous regime, but I can't help but fault the HC for not having the right players. He has too much personnel control and now can't convert in short yardage situations. So much so that we've returned to the Gilbride style of just throwing to avoid getting stuffed in the backfield.

I'm going to take a guess that you're in your late teens/early twenties. You've read the argument that Levy wasn't good before Buffalo, and that DJ can't be cast off because Marv was so similar to him. And you adopted it for yourself. Unfortunately, you look around and think nothing of not making the playoffs for eight straight, possibly nine consecutive seasons. Your youth means knowing only true mediocrity: seeing losing teams and some squads that hovered around .500. What you fail to understand is that not all franchises are this inept. No GM, a HC with a career of winning less than 45% of his games, and on and on and on... Dick Jauron is what he's always been: a coach who makes his bones on beating bad teams and almost always losing the important games. Save us the ridiculous rants which completely ignore how bad the Bills really are. And yes, it's okay to fire the HC if he can't get it done in 3 years. We release players who can't cut it after a few years.

With DJ, you're damned if you do and, well, you know the rest. He tried the short yardage run and was stuffed against NYJ. Now, he's waiving the white flag and just punting. This football team has his stamp of approval all over it personnel wise. If he doesn't trust his players and the coaches he hand-selected, then it's time to change the HC. I'm glad you didn't devote those nearly three hours to watching a HC without a clue. On that item, you're a smarter man than I.

Ralph cashed in this past offseason and the team is sold out during the regular season. As soon as fans aren't renewing season tickets and paying for other things, he might make a move. He's golden this season, and fooled many of us into thinking that hiring the former business director to be a quasi-GM would be a good move. He personally negotiated DJ's new contract, and we're supposed to think there's big change coming after they fail to make the post-season for the ninth straight season?

You're talking about a team in New England that was missing their MVP QB, multiple RB's, and going with Deltha O'Neal in the secondary. And you have the guts to come here and blame injuries for these last four losses?

Jauron's choices for coordinators both here and in Chicago have been awful. Fewell is the latest in a long line and Schonert isn't far behind. Don't worry, DJ is signed for three more seasons after 08. And we know Ralph doesn't fire HC's with time remaining on their deals.

Chicago Bears 1999-2003 redux

Welcome to the board. This will be a litmus test for the remainder of the season. Beating BB in Foxboro would tell me a lot about the resolve of this team to overcome injuries. I'm not big on Jauron's ability to win big games. Hopefully he proves me wrong.

You of all people are making the statement that a draft pick officially stinks because he doesn't see the field? If you were in Baltimore around 2000 I'm sure you'd have jumped on the Priest Holmes stinks bandwagon as well. I love how the 2006 draft class was never allowed to be called anything but good, while now we're on the jumping to conclusions mat for reasons why certain 08 picks stink. For the record, has it ever occurred to you that maybe DJ is playing it safe by not allowing rooks to see the field in situations that may in any way shape or form hurt the team? Couldn't it be that there was a mandate to make the playoffs and with a historically conservative coach like DJ that means not taking risks? With all the injuries and ineffectiveness of some players, it's more of the HC than the player. Jauron has shied from playing any pick, including McK, Hardy, Corner, Omon, Steve Johnson, and Demetrius Bell. Not seeing Ellis isn't the exception, it's a trend for all rookies. Remember, this is the HC who wouldn't play Fred Jackson over Anthony Thomas last season.

1. It is hard to remember, but part of this is due to the Bills having not made the playoffs in so long. Much of the animosity naturally goes toward the QB and HC when things aren't going well. But I like Trent's long term future and he is the future signal caller for the Bills. 2. Dockery's play leaves much to be desired. I'm not sure if it's a lack of mobility or just that the Bills employ a certain scheme, maybe even the predictability of running left behind he and Peters. But he's not playing anywhere near his pay. 3. Until the defense can play an all-around game against the pass and rush, it won't matter. Two years ago everyone talked about how great the pass defense was. Of course it was, primarily because teams didn't have to throw. Opponents averaged 140 rypg. The opposite is true this season. 4. Greer is a UFA after this season, with Reed being up after 2009. They should both be retained given their level of play. 5. Ellison is not, never was, and never will be a starting LB in the NFL. The front office made that known when they pursued Mitchell. His disappearances during games is the only thing noteworthy about him. I expect to see a legit SLB in the lineup next season, and we know it won't be Crowell. A loss today will make it extremely hard to make the playoffs. If that's the case, several coaches, particularly defensive, need to go. No legit playoff contender goes 1-4 in the middle of the season.

This is the same strategy that got us into trouble in the first place. Building the secondary before the front seven. Buffalo cannot keep McGee and Youboty (signed through 09) along with Greer (UFA this season) and after having drafted McKelvin. Youboty will not be re-signed, primarily because he can't stay healthy. It's not a dig on him, but when you're handing out contracts health is an issue. At that point, Buffalo must decide on retaining either McGee or Greer. They won't be retaining both after allocating so many resources to the CB position in 08.