The Defense is Going to Struggle Big Time

[box0life]

Well Kennedy isn't coming and there is still a great possibility that Schobel retires. There are so many question marks on this team with this new defense that I find it hard to say that our defense will be killer. I think this defense is going to get murdered.

 

I personally think that McKelvin may be a bust as a lock down corner. He has looked average at best when healthy in one on one coverage. But we are set at three of the four DB spots. CB's in the 3 4 defense must be lock down corners

 

At LB, I think Schobel retires, and Maybin will still be a bust. Poz and Mitchell have shown me nothing but average play since they arrived. We need to draft a stud LB.

 

The defensive line can't stop the run. The Bills need a big run stopper in the middle and the LB's need to fill the lanes. They are not going to fill any of these holes through free agency, because nobody wants to come to Buffalo and play, and the offense has too many holes a LT, G, WR and QB, so I don't think we are going to get a stud DT or LB in this draft. I don't think Eric Wood is going to be activated until after the second half of the season like Hardy was. His next season will be much like Hardy's. So, we need another Guard as well. We still need two more Tackles, and no way do we go into this season with Evans, Hardy, Parrish and Johnson as our WR core. Don't even get me started on the QB situation.

 

Gailey is basically the offensive coordinator, so he is going to start by fixing the offense.

 

This defense is going to struggle big time next year. This defense will get little help in the draft because Gailey will concentrate on building an offense. I will go out on a limb and say that our first two/three picks will be offensive players.

 

I hate to be so pessimistic, but if you really look at reality, this team may not win 4 games next year.

[Bob in STL]

Well Kennedy isn't coming and there is still a great possibility that Schobel retires. There are so many question marks on this team with this new defense that I find it hard to say that our defense will be killer. I think this defense is going to get murdered.

 

I personally think that McKelvin may be a bust as a lock down corner. He has looked average at best when healthy in one on one coverage. But we are set at three of the four DB spots. CB's in the 3 4 defense must be lock down corners

 

At LB, I think Schobel retires, and Maybin will still be a bust. Poz and Mitchell have shown me nothing but average play since they arrived. We need to draft a stud LB.

 

The defensive line can't stop the run. The Bills need a big run stopper in the middle and the LB's need to fill the lanes. They are not going to fill any of these holes through free agency, because nobody wants to come to Buffalo and play, and the offense has too many holes a LT, G, WR and QB, so I don't think we are going to get a stud DT or LB in this draft. I don't think Eric Wood is going to be activated until after the second half of the season like Hardy was. His next season will be much like Hardy's. So, we need another Guard as well. We still need two more Tackles, and no way do we go into this season with Evans, Hardy, Parrish and Johnson as our WR core. Don't even get me started on the QB situation.

 

Gailey is basically the offensive coordinator, so he is going to start by fixing the offense.

 

This defense is going to struggle big time next year. This defense will get little help in the draft because Gailey will concentrate on building an offense. I will go out on a limb and say that our first two/three picks will be offensive players.

 

I hate to be so pessimistic, but if you really look at reality, this team may not win 4 games next year.

 

So basically we will suck everwhere and we need about 10 new starters?

 

I too am worried about the defense. We just don't know how the front seven will play in the new alignment. We do not have a true NT on the roster and our projected DE's have never played DE in a 3-4. We don't know how our best lineman, Kyle Williams, will fit either. Schoebel will most likely retire. Maybin is a key, I sure hope he can step up and play.

 

I do not think that McKelvin is going to bust. However, so far I am not seeing him as an improvement over Clements, who I did not see as an improvement over Winfield.

 

The offense has needs at QB, LT, RT, WR, RB depth, a blocking TE, and even FB.

 

This is a ponderous rebuild.

[JohnC]

So basically we will suck everwhere and we need about 10 new starters?

 

I too am worried about the defense. We just don't know how the front seven will play in the new alignment. We do not have a true NT on the roster and our projected DE's have never played DE in a 3-4. We don't know how our best lineman, Kyle Williams, will fit either. Schoebel will most likely retire. Maybin is a key, I sure hope he can step up and play.

 

I do not think that McKelvin is going to bust. However, so far I am not seeing him as an improvement over Clements, who I did not see as an improvement over Winfield.

 

The offense has needs at QB, LT, RT, WR, RB depth, a blocking TE, and even FB.

 

This is a ponderous rebuild.

 

What you described is an expansion caliber team. The first step is to acknowledge where you are and then steadily address your multiple needs over the next few years. There are no shortcuts. If the organization deludes itself of where the team actually ranks then the rebuilding process will not succeed. Just thinking about it is very sobering and humbling.

[Pirate Angel]

Well Kennedy isn't coming and there is still a great possibility that Schobel retires. There are so many question marks on this team with this new defense that I find it hard to say that our defense will be killer. I think this defense is going to get murdered.

 

I personally think that McKelvin may be a bust as a lock down corner. He has looked average at best when healthy in one on one coverage. But we are set at three of the four DB spots. CB's in the 3 4 defense must be lock down corners

 

At LB, I think Schobel retires, and Maybin will still be a bust. Poz and Mitchell have shown me nothing but average play since they arrived. We need to draft a stud LB.

 

The defensive line can't stop the run. The Bills need a big run stopper in the middle and the LB's need to fill the lanes. They are not going to fill any of these holes through free agency, because nobody wants to come to Buffalo and play, and the offense has too many holes a LT, G, WR and QB, so I don't think we are going to get a stud DT or LB in this draft. I don't think Eric Wood is going to be activated until after the second half of the season like Hardy was. His next season will be much like Hardy's. So, we need another Guard as well. We still need two more Tackles, and no way do we go into this season with Evans, Hardy, Parrish and Johnson as our WR core. Don't even get me started on the QB situation.

 

Gailey is basically the offensive coordinator, so he is going to start by fixing the offense.

 

This defense is going to struggle big time next year. This defense will get little help in the draft because Gailey will concentrate on building an offense. I will go out on a limb and say that our first two/three picks will be offensive players.

 

I hate to be so pessimistic, but if you really look at reality, this team may not win 4 games next year.

Average is damn good for a rookie out of Troy

[Bill from NYC]

Just thinking about it is very sobering and humbling.

 

LOL! The poster above you used the word "ponderous."

 

I am laughing because while reading this stuff it stuck me what we put ourselves through with this team, and what loyal people we truly are.

Imo this team will be lucky to win 3 or 4 games next year, and not because we didn't sign more of these so-so at best ufas. They will suck because of the untold damage done by a hapless Levy and Coach Mauron.

There are very well educated people on this board who still can't see just how much those 2 harmed this team, but they are about to find out.

[Tasmo]

What you described is an expansion caliber team. The first step is to acknowledge where you are and then steadily address your multiple needs over the next few years. There are no shortcuts. If the organization deludes itself of where the team actually ranks then the rebuilding process will not succeed. Just thinking about it is very sobering and humbling.

 

I love the tact that is being taken by the new regime. Even though it is frustrating to not have a clue about what the strategy is.

 

They know where they want to go and don't discount who is in charge here. Old generals with a prudent and purposeful eye on the future. Nix has stated many times that this isn't going to turn around in a year. So why bring in people that are not going to be financially responsible and help the team especially knowing the precarious situation involving 2011.

 

The draft will be a good one no doubt in my mind. No worries next year folks. The Bills will probably struggle but the identity will come with time because the guys in charge are footballers. Old Skool Football guys. LT, DT, QB, TE, LB will be some of the picks that will come in young and have some help after next year's draft. No other way around it.

 

I want to come to this board as much as the next guy and see some FA movement, but that isn't the way it's going down and it won't be. There is a plan that we are not ever going to see until it is play and that's that. Go Bills.

 

Here's to the draft.

[NewHampshireBillsFan]

I love the tact that is being taken by the new regime. Even though it is frustrating to not have a clue about what the strategy is.

 

They know where they want to go and don't discount who is in charge here. Old generals with a prudent and purposeful eye on the future. Nix has stated many times that this isn't going to turn around in a year. So why bring in people that are not going to be financially responsible and help the team especially knowing the precarious situation involving 2011.

 

The draft will be a good one no doubt in my mind. No worries next year folks. The Bills will probably struggle but the identity will come with time because the guys in charge are footballers. Old Skool Football guys. LT, DT, QB, TE, LB will be some of the picks that will come in young and have some help after next year's draft. No other way around it.

 

I want to come to this board as much as the next guy and see some FA movement, but that isn't the way it's going down and it won't be. There is a plan that we are not ever going to see until it is play and that's that. Go Bills.

 

Here's to the draft.

 

I think we are being too pessimistic. Nix has said we are not that far away and so has Gailey. Consider these points:

 

1.) With any luck we would have been 8-8 last year. Are we going to be a lot worse this year with the changes being made? TO leaving is not a big loss because he looked so uncommitted last year the way he played on so many downs. Schobel is a loss but every team loses some players to retirement regularly.

2.) Gailey has said they will play to the personnel's strength. So they may play a lot of 4-3 this year if the players fit that mold better. Its not like they will stick to the 3-4 if we don't have the players for it right now and it is not working right now. Gailey is a strong competitor and he will try to win each game and not just build for the future.

3.) Gailey is a much better coach than Jauron. For one thing he will know how to get the most out of the offense and whatever QBs he has.

4.) We still have the draft and the rest of FA to fill some holes.

5.) With any luck at all and better conditioning we won't have all the injuries we had last year.

6.) Other teams also have problems they are trying to address and mistakes in the past they have made. For example I recently heard on a NE* radio station that the Pats* only got 5 starters from the 45 players they drafted the last 5 years. They will struggle more and more as the old core leaves and retires.

[sabres...yawn]

I am much less worried about the defense than the offense.

 

How about playing the Shout song after every first down?

[Lofton80]

This guy gives a pretty good analysis of the needs on defense. It will be a challenge.

 

 

 

http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03...-film-revealed/

[jahnyc]

I agree with the original post, and I am very concerned about the defense (maybe more than the tragedy that is our offense) going into this season.

 

Why does anyone assume that Kelsay, Maybin or Schobel (if he returns) can play outside linebacker in the 3-4? Maybin worries me the most. He showed nothing in his rookie year, and now is being asked to become an outside linebacker, a role (and a scheme) he has never played in before. Also, can Stroud, Williams and Johnson be effective as defensive ends? I have my doubts. I will not bring up the nose tackle situation, because we do not have a starter on the roster.

 

One last point. I am not a fan of the view that we need to hit rock bottom and have a terrible season before we can again rise from the ashes. Miami had terrible personnel a few years ago, hired a new coach and implemented a new 3-4 scheme. They had some success immediately. Even if the Bills have a terrible season and get some high picks, there is no guarantee that they will draft with better success. Look at the difficulty Detroit and St. Louis are having turning things around after a number of years of high picks. Finally, Buffalo cannot afford a deterioration of fan support resulting from an uncompetitive team which would provide the NFL and the owners an excuse to move the franchise to another city.

[eball]

I like that the "The Defense is Going to Struggle Big Time" thread is located within two spots of the "Our D could be Killer" thread on TSW.

 

Hey, we're nothing if not consistent.

[JohnC]

LOL! The poster above you used the word "ponderous."

 

I am laughing because while reading this stuff it stuck me what we put ourselves through with this team, and what loyal people we truly are.

Imo this team will be lucky to win 3 or 4 games next year, and not because we didn't sign more of these so-so at best ufas. They will suck because of the untold damage done by a hapless Levy and Coach Mauron.

There are very well educated people on this board who still can't see just how much those 2 harmed this team, but they are about to find out.

 

Just think our goofy baron owner has had the last laugh over the abused fanbase. He has made nearly a quarter of a billion dollars over the past eight years while the product on the field is so atrociously bad that it is almost unwatchable.

 

It is his ugly decisions which have made the bills the second most ridiculed franchise (Raiders the most) in the NFL. Your assessment where the Bills stand is realistic. But sometimes the only way to go up is to hit the bottom and start changing direction.

 

What really irritates me is watching the people the moronic owner fired, Polian, Butler/A.J. Smith, thrive elsewhere building long standing successful franchises while replacing his former employees with duds. While the Bills seemed to be stuck in the mud the other franchises have established a winning formula for their success: drafting well.

 

Having a sense of humor and having a scintilla of hope will get one through the extended darkness. Maybe someday the Bills will have an owner who owns a flashlight and help him see better. LOL

[BillsVet]

Average is damn good for a rookie out of Troy

 

Kinda like Osi Umenyiora and Demarcus Ware? Two guys taken out of Troy in 2003 and 2005 respectively.

 

Look, there's a lot that can change between now and the draft, which is the final chance for this team to add quality players. But one thing I believe is important is that teams have been built in one year before. Atlanta and Miami in 2008 both went from top 3 draft picks to the playoffs? Why is that impossible in Buffalo?

 

Well, ownership needs to support their hand-picked personnel people with the resources to rebuild as fast as possible. It's not automatic that a rebuild takes 2-3 years.

 

And on that point, look at the teams starting to rebuild in 2010 in the NFL: CLE, WAS, and BUF. All of them hired new GM's with only CLE not hiring a new HC. SEA could be construed as rebuilding, but aren't as bad as these teams. It will be interested to see how fast these teams rebuild, if at all.

[T master]

Well Kennedy isn't coming and there is still a great possibility that Schobel retires. There are so many question marks on this team with this new defense that I find it hard to say that our defense will be killer. I think this defense is going to get murdered.

 

I personally think that McKelvin may be a bust as a lock down corner. He has looked average at best when healthy in one on one coverage. But we are set at three of the four DB spots. CB's in the 3 4 defense must be lock down corners

 

At LB, I think Schobel retires, and Maybin will still be a bust. Poz and Mitchell have shown me nothing but average play since they arrived. We need to draft a stud LB.

 

The defensive line can't stop the run. The Bills need a big run stopper in the middle and the LB's need to fill the lanes. They are not going to fill any of these holes through free agency, because nobody wants to come to Buffalo and play, and the offense has too many holes a LT, G, WR and QB, so I don't think we are going to get a stud DT or LB in this draft. I don't think Eric Wood is going to be activated until after the second half of the season like Hardy was. His next season will be much like Hardy's. So, we need another Guard as well. We still need two more Tackles, and no way do we go into this season with Evans, Hardy, Parrish and Johnson as our WR core. Don't even get me started on the QB situation.

 

Gailey is basically the offensive coordinator, so he is going to start by fixing the offense.

 

This defense is going to struggle big time next year. This defense will get little help in the draft because Gailey will concentrate on building an offense. I will go out on a limb and say that our first two/three picks will be offensive players.

 

I hate to be so pessimistic, but if you really look at reality, this team may not win 4 games next year.

 

 

Boy your just a ball of sunshine !! Let me guess your a glass 3/4 empty guy ??

[billsfan_34]

Average is damn good for a rookie out of Troy

Was a first rd pick...going into his 3rd year. Not so sure whats so good about it.

[box0life]

Boy your just a ball of sunshine !! Let me guess your a glass 3/4 empty guy ??

 

Believe me, I hope and pray that I'm wrong and we have an amazing turn around. But do you really see any positives out of anything this front office has done yet. It appears the front office doesn't even want to try to improve this year. It certainly isn't going to get solved in just this years draft. Unless they make some great trades, this team looks worse than last year.

 

Bill Parcels made positive moves as soon as he was hired. This front office has done nothing but tell a few players they won't come back next year. As of right now this team looks worse on paper than last year. This first draft isn't going to solve this thing - rookies will not improve this team for next year.

 

So, I am being realistic. This team won't be better than last years team.

 

But I think that Bills fans may skip purgatory and go right to heaven because of the misery we have endured for all these years.

[Philo]

I love the tact that is being taken by the new regime. Even though it is frustrating to not have a clue about what the strategy is.

 

They know where they want to go and don't discount who is in charge here. Old generals with a prudent and purposeful eye on the future. Nix has stated many times that this isn't going to turn around in a year. So why bring in people that are not going to be financially responsible and help the team especially knowing the precarious situation involving 2011.

 

The draft will be a good one no doubt in my mind. No worries next year folks. The Bills will probably struggle but the identity will come with time because the guys in charge are footballers. Old Skool Football guys. LT, DT, QB, TE, LB will be some of the picks that will come in young and have some help after next year's draft. No other way around it.

 

I want to come to this board as much as the next guy and see some FA movement, but that isn't the way it's going down and it won't be. There is a plan that we are not ever going to see until it is play and that's that. Go Bills.

 

Here's to the draft.

 

Agreed. Well said.

[outsidethebox]

I love the tact that is being taken by the new regime. Even though it is frustrating to not have a clue about what the strategy is.

 

They know where they want to go and don't discount who is in charge here. Old generals with a prudent and purposeful eye on the future. Nix has stated many times that this isn't going to turn around in a year. So why bring in people that are not going to be financially responsible and help the team especially knowing the precarious situation involving 2011.

 

The draft will be a good one no doubt in my mind. No worries next year folks. The Bills will probably struggle but the identity will come with time because the guys in charge are footballers. Old Skool Football guys. LT, DT, QB, TE, LB will be some of the picks that will come in young and have some help after next year's draft. No other way around it.

 

I want to come to this board as much as the next guy and see some FA movement, but that isn't the way it's going down and it won't be. There is a plan that we are not ever going to see until it is play and that's that. Go Bills.

 

Here's to the draft.

Jauron had a plan as well. How did that turn out? I would love to sit here and say how much better we are going to bein the next 1-5 years, but how much faith should we have in Nix and Gailey? I have to see some improvement before jumping on there bandwagon. I have sat through too many lean years to just give the benefit of the doubt so easily.

[JPS]

Start with positive. We are set at dback for the next 5 years. That should support a ben-don't-break defense that will keep them in games. Kyle Williams and Poz should be serviceable pros in any scheme. Other than that, the beer is cheap in WNY.

 

We need at least 2 D lineman and 3 linebackers between now and Sept and hope that Stroud, Kelsay and Johnson can hold the fort till more talented/motivated players are brought in.

 

6 wins.

[Geno Smith's Arm]

Both units will suck, that's plain to see. However, I would much rather watch two teams scoring, than watch the one team (not the Bills) score a few times and the Bills get 5 first downs a game.

 

I know someone is going to enlighten me with the old "Defense wins championships". Well, they are a long way from any championships, and in the meantime I would like to see a few touchdowns.