Final Roster: Positional Grades

[BillsFanInLV]

Why such anger in your post? I don't find your points of views to be any more crediable than his. The truth lies somewhere in between. Why does one have to be so condescending?

 

(1) What has TE done in the past that is so commendable?

 

D. Anderson had one very good year. Not a fan of his but he is more proven than TE.

 

Sanchez young and unproven. IMHO, most football people would take him over any of our QB's.

 

Matt Moore/Clausen. Unproven but much more upside. I would take both of these over TE/Fitz.

 

J Freeman. Maybe you didn't see the second half of Tampa's season. This guy looked sharp. I wish he was on our QB roster.

 

Jake D. Appears to be washed up but maybe new scenery with Holgrim will jump start him.

 

Campbell without a doubt an upgrade over TE. Has lots of excuses. The stats don't lie. Bills should have traded for him.

 

Cassel looked great in NE. I would take him over TE just based on that performance.

 

Cutler comment doesn't even require a response. Shouldn't even be on your list.

 

Bradford. How many of us would want him on our team right now? Answer, everyone but you.

 

Our QB situation is one of the worst in the league. Perhaps not the worst but bottom feeders for sure.

 

I am not sold on Williams. You talk as though he is a pro bowler. He is adequate at best. Struod looks to be in better shape but I haven't been exactly wowed by his performance this preseason. So if you idea of reenergized is loosing weight than your correct. Who cares if Edwards started for the Ravens. Did you forget he has a suspect neck? I do like the way he has played this preseason. I haven't been impressed by Troup or Carrington. Then again they are young and should be given time to prove themselves. But, to this point they are back ups with something to prove.

 

I have watched every game. We all see things differently. Your opinion is appreciated (with valid points) your tone, condescending remarks, and name calling isn't.

 

Sadly, this is the kind of post I would have written months ago. I have since changed my behavior thanks to the many posters here. Maybe, you can take this advice and do the same.

 

 

GEEEEEEEEEEEEZ! - I got sucked into reading ANOTHER 'MPL' post.

 

I'm reading along, the posts seem intelligent, backed with facts and then this post.....BAMN!

 

"D. Anderson had one very good year. Not a fan of his but he is more proven than TE"

----- Are you serious, More 'Proven?' What has he proved? --In 2009 he passed for 888 yrds had 3 TD - 10 Int. In 2008 he passed for 1600yrds had 9TD - 8Int. That Equates to 2500 yds 12TD/18Int in TWO years. Would you seriously consider this as "Proven" - He's proven he sucks!! -- That was in Cleveland, a Team which 'fundamentally' is simular to the situation in Buffalo. Perhaps he is 'serviceable' in Arizona, a team with tons of Offensiive talent only two years removed from the SuperBowl. Upgrade NOT!

 

 

"Sanchez young and unproven. IMHO, most football people would take him over any of our QB's"

----- If we 'plopped' Sanchez down into the middle of the field on gameday in a Bills uniform, would he outperform Trent? I Think Not! - Put him on a team with the #1 Defense, the #1 Rushing attack and he still was mediocre at best. Granted, he played well only in the Playoffs.

 

"Bradford. How many of us would want him on our team right now?"

----- Good point, I want him. But not on the field NOW. I'd rather have him on the sideline holding a clipboard and learning. Gailey made decisions about the roster considering winning RIGHT NOW! Trent would give us the best chance RIGHT NOW, Bradford would give us the chance in the Future.

 

"Cassel looked great in NE. I would take him over TE just based on that performance"

----- I guess this is also how you came up with your Derek Anderson Comments. A player exceptionally well for one season, several seasons ago. Are you are considering this as his entire body of work? -- Cassel also had Randy Moss, Wes Welker, arguably the Best Coach in the NFL and a team that just came off of a 16-0 season the year before. Oh yeah, He'd be a real upgrade over Trent minus all those other aforementioned 'non-factors' that effected his play.

 

 

MPL, A few sentences into your post I realized the words before me were negative and hold little/no truth, so I glanced at the poster and, sure enough, MPL strikes again! --You certainly have a certain 'feel' to your writing and in this 'gloryhole' of a board, you aren't fooling anyone.

Edited September 5, 2010 by BillsFanInLV

[bowery4]

me too earlier sorry about that too

[shoretalk]

Quarterbacks: F

The Bills have arguably THE worst quarterback situation in the NFL. What more is there to say?

 

Running Backs: B+

While the Bills don't have one of the marquee backs in the league, they have a talented stable of backs that many teams would be happy with.

 

Offensive Line: C

The young guards look good, the tackles are way below average.

 

Tight Ends: F

Foschi and Stupar are terrible. Nelson is suspended, a mediocre receiver, and a liability in the run game.

 

Wide Receivers: D

Lee Evans is a solid player. He would make a nice number 2 on a lot of teams. Everyone else would fail to make the roster on a team with a good offense.

 

Defensive Line: C+

Williams is serviceable, Stroud has a little left in the tank, and things are dicey beyond that.

 

Linebackers: D-

Poz will never live up to expectations, Mitchell is aging, and the rest are journeyman backup caliber.

 

Cornerbacks: C+

McGee is solid, Florence is not too bad for a nickel/dime guy. McKelvin has done nothing to warrant the high draft choice as of yet.

 

Safeties: B

Stong unit on the whole, good depth. I may have graded them higher but I'm skeptical that Byrd is the real deal.

 

 

Overall Team Grade: D

There is some talent on this offense, but that passing attack is just plain awful. In a league that favors the passing attack more and more every year, its going to be hard for the Bills to win many games with the meager production to be expected from their passing game. The defense has some talent as well, but the switch to 3-4 highlights the linebackers who are unfortunately the weak link of the defense.

It looks like the GR List Making crew is starting to post on this board after ignoring the team that Chan Gailey has on the field. Of course, if you don't watch the games ... if you ignore the practices ... and just read what the national guys had in their computers 4 months ago you'd write something like this.

 

QB - Far from the worst situation in the league. Edwards has taken major steps under the tutelage of Gailey whose playing calling and quarterback developing skills will give as a QB willing to throw it down field and across the middle. Fitz is a leader as a back-up and Brohm well, I am not sure but I have always been a Brohm fan. GRADE THEM a C moving up

 

RB - The Bills don't have a marquee running back ... oh my, I wonder who CJ Spiller is. We have 3 RB's who would start on almost any other team. When you combine them with creative play calling ... this is a A group.

 

OL - The interior is solid with Wood moving towards Pro-Bowl calibar. Levitre is already above average and moving up. Bell at LT is improving but definitely not getting the number of penalties that a certain Jason Peters is getting caught doing in Philadelphia at LT. The only real questions are RT (And, maybe Meredith will continue to mature and learn) and reserves. So to me this is a C group.

 

WR - Lee Evans would have been PRO BOWL on other teams and definitely is a #1 wide out. As someone who is standing up and admitting being wrong about Roscoe, I think he is going to come alive in Gailey's offense because finally we are going to get him up against LB's over the middle and he is going to excell from the slot. Our #2 I think by mid-season is going to be David Nelson. This kid has a tremendous upside ... I don't want anyones 35 year old rejects when we have young receivers about ready to perform on the field. I am also a big Stevie Johnson fan, it wasn't his preseason but I think he can still contribute at the #2 slot at least until Nelson's talent force a change. This group is a solid B

 

TE - Ok, because of the lack of depth and experience I will go along with the D. Stupar needs to show that what he has done in the last two preseasons can be translated into GAME DAY play at TE and he must stay healthy. From the Detroit game I am not surprised that Foschi was cut early and Nelson needs to get his head together. Am watching the waiver wires for TE's and I think Buddy probably is too.

 

DL - Williams is a BEAST ... serviceable??? Clearly putting together lists of your favorite foods for GR talk shows has caused you to miss the player who just might be our most complete player. Ok, he doesn't have the size of a stereotypical NT but he can play. In addition, Troup is showing that he deserves to be on the field every single play ... what a problem to have. Stroud is in the best condition he has been in in years. B- for the line and maybe a B when they go into the 4-3.

 

LB - Our mystery position ... we sure haven't seen much so far from this group. I always laugh when I hear people expecting first and second year players to play at Pro Bowl levels. Playing in the NFL is different than college and there is a transition time, which is one of the reasons Levy didn't like to play rookies. Last year Poz finally was coming into his own and I am sure if he stays healthy this year will be another positive one for him. There is just not enough information out there to show that this group is anything but average so a C until they prove something good or bad.

 

CB's - The best group in the league. At least 4 of the group would be starters on other teams. I am not anointing them all as Pro Bowl players but as a group I cannot think of a team with a more complete unit. Watch out when we go nickel! The new defensive scheme is going to lead to more interceptions and yes, we will get burned once in a while but this group grades out as an A!

 

Safeties - Have to hope that the Byrdman's groin issues get healed because he may be someone very special but even minus Byrd, this is a solid unit that will also benefit from the new coaching philosophy. B

 

Special Teams - Lindell and Moorman ... enough said. A

 

Coaching - Is there anyone not happy with the coaches we have. Ok, I know ... it's only preseason and it's public relations stuff so far but waht a miraculous change from what we have experienced since Wade was pushed out because of talk radio's pressures. There is not a single group of coaches who have been at OBD this century that have come close to this winning approach where first coaches are accountable but then players ... they want to WIN!

 

OVERALL TEAM - B- We are going to see points put up on offense and probably defense. Our team will not run out of gas in the 4th quarter like Jauron's teams did. We will be battling in the close games. Does this mean we blow out Green Bay in Green Bay? Of course not ... but a NFL season's final out come often comes down to little breaks and a lot of luck. So if this team stays healthy we might really surprise but in the end I think we are out of the rut and moving foward!

[BB2004]

Quarterbacks: F

The Bills have arguably THE worst quarterback situation in the NFL. What more is there to say?

 

Running Backs: B+

While the Bills don't have one of the marquee backs in the league, they have a talented stable of backs that many teams would be happy with.

 

Offensive Line: C

The young guards look good, the tackles are way below average.

 

Tight Ends: F

Foschi and Stupar are terrible. Nelson is suspended, a mediocre receiver, and a liability in the run game.

 

Wide Receivers: D

Lee Evans is a solid player. He would make a nice number 2 on a lot of teams. Everyone else would fail to make the roster on a team with a good offense.

 

Defensive Line: C+

Williams is serviceable, Stroud has a little left in the tank, and things are dicey beyond that.

 

Linebackers: D-

Poz will never live up to expectations, Mitchell is aging, and the rest are journeyman backup caliber.

 

Cornerbacks: C+

McGee is solid, Florence is not too bad for a nickel/dime guy. McKelvin has done nothing to warrant the high draft choice as of yet.

 

Safeties: B

Stong unit on the whole, good depth. I may have graded them higher but I'm skeptical that Byrd is the real deal.

 

 

Overall Team Grade: D

There is some talent on this offense, but that passing attack is just plain awful. In a league that favors the passing attack more and more every year, its going to be hard for the Bills to win many games with the meager production to be expected from their passing game. The defense has some talent as well, but the switch to 3-4 highlights the linebackers who are unfortunately the weak link of the defense.

 

Well on a positive note, we are tied for first place right now and you gave good grades to the running back positions and secondary.

[Bob in STL]

Quarterbacks: F

The Bills have arguably THE worst quarterback situation in the NFL. What more is there to say?

 

Running Backs: B+

While the Bills don't have one of the marquee backs in the league, they have a talented stable of backs that many teams would be happy with.

 

Offensive Line: C

The young guards look good, the tackles are way below average.

 

Tight Ends: F

Foschi and Stupar are terrible. Nelson is suspended, a mediocre receiver, and a liability in the run game.

 

Wide Receivers: D

Lee Evans is a solid player. He would make a nice number 2 on a lot of teams. Everyone else would fail to make the roster on a team with a good offense.

 

Defensive Line: C+

Williams is serviceable, Stroud has a little left in the tank, and things are dicey beyond that.

 

Linebackers: D-

Poz will never live up to expectations, Mitchell is aging, and the rest are journeyman backup caliber.

 

Cornerbacks: C+

McGee is solid, Florence is not too bad for a nickel/dime guy. McKelvin has done nothing to warrant the high draft choice as of yet.

 

Safeties: B

Stong unit on the whole, good depth. I may have graded them higher but I'm skeptical that Byrd is the real deal.

 

 

Overall Team Grade: D

There is some talent on this offense, but that passing attack is just plain awful. In a league that favors the passing attack more and more every year, its going to be hard for the Bills to win many games with the meager production to be expected from their passing game. The defense has some talent as well, but the switch to 3-4 highlights the linebackers who are unfortunately the weak link of the defense.

 

 

Pretty harsh stuff.

 

I think we are better at QB, RB, LB, CB, and S than you do. Can't argue with TE, they are terrible. WR is better if Parish does something to contribute. DL could be better if Troup and Carrington develop or if Mc-Slug-go ever decides to contribute.

 

I just hope we are a C on the OL, it could be a lot less if we have any injuries at all.

[PS 56]

Well, if you add up all the letter grades and average them, its actually more of a D+, C- situation.

 

I don't think our quarterback situation is as bad as you think. I like to remember Edwards from the season opener in 2008 taking on the Seahawks. Great game. He was doing good that season until he got hammered in Arizona. Last year, I again saw a good, if not disappointing game against the Patriots.

 

I am a little concerned about the defense. Especially our inability to stop the run.

 

Bottom line I see us as a solid "C" team with upward potential to "B-". We are short of talent in some key areas but I feel we will witness some excellent games this season.

[BillsFanInLV]

 

Bottom line I see us as a solid "C" team with upward potential to "B-". We are short of talent in some key areas but I feel we will witness some excellent games this season.

 

This Sums it all up!

[John Cocktosten]

Quarterbacks: D-

They are all backups. Theres not a team in the NFL who would start any of them.

 

Running Backs: A

I think people forgot how good Marshawn can be. Freddy is a way above average RB. Spiller has greatness written all over him.

 

Offensive Line: C-

The Tackles are awful. Wood and Levitre look like they can play. Hangartner=cheap journeymen who no one wanted and typical Bills C.

 

Tight Ends: Incomplete

Injuries have ravaged this group. Stupar is an easy guy to root for but he's average. I gotta think Nix is working the waiver wire.

 

Wide Receivers: C

Lee Evans is a solid player who gets open on deep patterns as good as anyone in the NFL. After that, it's a wait and see. Not sold on Roscoe yet.

 

Defensive Line: Solid B

Williams is an All Pro in a 1 gap defense and thats how the Bills have been using him at NT which is unique. I like the depth and the size. One of the more promising untis.

 

Linebackers: D-

Poz's achillies heal is taking on and shedding blocks and that's what you need to do in the 3-4. Davis is servicable. The OLB's are easily the worst group in the NFL. No impact, no pass rush, no players. A bunch of guys trying to transition to a position and it's hopeless. No depth. Worst LB's in the league.

 

Cornerbacks: B

I think Bills fans always overrate talent because it's been a while since we've seen truly great players ( See Spiller). Good group who aren't afraid to hit and are versatile on Special Teams.

 

Safeties: B+

Curious to see how Byrd rebounds. DW is who he is, jack of all trades and a master of none. Great depth and versatlilty.

 

Overall Team Grade: C-

I think the offense will be good and somewhat exciting to watch. The Bills drafted CJ with a plan and after watching the Bengals game I'm convinced, he will be a star in this league. The Oline might get Trent killed. Gailey is creative and will keep Defenses on their toes all season long. Mark my words, you will see the flexbone used this year. However, the Defense will be painful to watch. The achillies heal is the LB's. Pass rush will be non existent without bringing the house which will lead to big plays by opponents, they won't get a sniff of opposing QB's.

 

Outlook: IncompleteThis team is has an odd mix of very good units (RB's,DL, Secondary) and awful/below average units (QBs, Oline and LBs). Until the Bills draft a real QB, I can't get excited about the future. I do like Gailey more than I ever expected though. This is not negative, this is what I see. Flame away....

[Rob's House]

Here goes

 

QB: (C+) While Trent has proven underwhelming at times he's also shown flashes of competence. I don't expect any of them to set the world on fire, but we still have 2 quality QBs who can win in this league, and a 3rd who looks to have a lot of potential. Let's just hope Chan handles this situation better than Wade Phillips did.

 

RB: (A) Our worst RB is Marshawn Lynch. Enough said.

 

WR: (C?) Hard to grade at this point, but we know Evans has talent, Roscoe's starting to look promising again, and we've got some X-factors who have impressed the coaching staff, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

TE: ( C ) While we lack that complete guy who that does it all, Nelson has shown receiving ability and athletecism, and although Stupar gets ripped a lot on the board, that guy looks tough. I wouldn't want to run into him in a dark alley.

 

OL: (C-) I can see these guys grading out to a B by the end of the season, but for now, Bell is still a talented project as are Meredith and Wang, Hangartner is decent but that's about it, Levitre is above average and seems to be improving, and Wood is probably the best of the bunch but still is coming of a tough injury. Without much depth to shore up the line I have to say they're below average for the time being.

 

DL: (B+) I think this group is underrated. Dwan Edwards is solid if healthy, Stroud is well built for DE in a 3-4 with a nice combo of size and athletecism, and with Carrington (who I expect big things from in the future) and McCargo (who seems a much better fit at DE) we have solid depth. Troupe is a powerful space eater who is only going to get better, and KW brings a good mix of strenght and pass rush from the NT position. Rotating Troup on early downs and KW on passing downs not only gives us specialized situational talent, but also keeps them fresh for the fourth quarter.

 

LB: © Several decent players but not a lot of star power. Poz is pretty good, but certainly needs to show improved strength if he's going to be the anchor of the LB corps. If Maybin continues to improve and bring pressure off the edge consistently I would rate this crew a B. The current lack of pass rush is the biggest concern.

 

CB: (A-) I put the minus b/c we lack a Revis/Assumgua(sp?) type, but McGee is solid, Florence isn't far behind, McKelvin oozes talent and seems to be improving, and Corner and Youboty could start for a handful of teams.

 

S: (A) I don't care how you qualify it or trivialize it, a rookie pulling down 9 ints in half a season is nothing short of amazing. Donte may not have lived up the draft status (which is overblown b.s. anyway), but he's certainly a solid player who may not dominate at any one particular aspect of the game, but has no glaring weaknesses either. With Wilson and Scott for depth this is a very strong squad.

 

 

S/T - (B) With our kickers and returners you would think A, but the coverage teams need to play better than they did in preseason before they earn that designation.

Edited September 5, 2010 by Rob's House

[mpl6876]

GEEEEEEEEEEEEZ! - I got sucked into reading ANOTHER 'MPL' post.

 

I'm reading along, the posts seem intelligent, backed with facts and then this post.....BAMN!

 

"D. Anderson had one very good year. Not a fan of his but he is more proven than TE"

----- Are you serious, More 'Proven?' What has he proved? --In 2009 he passed for 888 yrds had 3 TD - 10 Int. In 2008 he passed for 1600yrds had 9TD - 8Int. That Equates to 2500 yds 12TD/18Int in TWO years. Would you seriously consider this as "Proven" - He's proven he sucks!! -- That was in Cleveland, a Team which 'fundamentally' is simular to the situation in Buffalo. Perhaps he is 'serviceable' in Arizona, a team with tons of Offensiive talent only two years removed from the SuperBowl. Upgrade NOT!

 

 

"Sanchez young and unproven. IMHO, most football people would take him over any of our QB's"

----- If we 'plopped' Sanchez down into the middle of the field on gameday in a Bills uniform, would he outperform Trent? I Think Not! - Put him on a team with the #1 Defense, the #1 Rushing attack and he still was mediocre at best. Granted, he played well only in the Playoffs.

 

"Bradford. How many of us would want him on our team right now?"

----- Good point, I want him. But not on the field NOW. I'd rather have him on the sideline holding a clipboard and learning. Gailey made decisions about the roster considering winning RIGHT NOW! Trent would give us the best chance RIGHT NOW, Bradford would give us the chance in the Future.

 

"Cassel looked great in NE. I would take him over TE just based on that performance"

----- I guess this is also how you came up with your Derek Anderson Comments. A player exceptionally well for one season, several seasons ago. Are you are considering this as his entire body of work? -- Cassel also had Randy Moss, Wes Welker, arguably the Best Coach in the NFL and a team that just came off of a 16-0 season the year before. Oh yeah, He'd be a real upgrade over Trent minus all those other aforementioned 'non-factors' that effected his play.

 

 

MPL, A few sentences into your post I realized the words before me were negative and hold little/no truth, so I glanced at the poster and, sure enough, MPL strikes again! --You certainly have a certain 'feel' to your writing and in this 'gloryhole' of a board, you aren't fooling anyone.

 

Certainly entitled to your opinion. My point was to illustrate that others can think differently than him. Point was I didn't like his style of stating his viewpoints. Of course we can argue the QB's all day long and we will get varying viewpoints. I do take exception that my post hold no or little truth and the glory hole comment isn't even worth attacking.

[thewildrabbit]

Rabbit, you could very well be correct and I hope you are correct. I agree the previous coaching staff hasn't helped TE progress and certainly hampered his preformance. It is hard to argue otherwise. Additionally, IMHO, TE has preformed until Gailey's new offensive system. It looks very encouraging. However, I just don't know if TE is strong enough physically and mentally to handle adversity. I don't think he will be able to overcome the shortcomings of our OL and WR's. I seriously have my doubts. I don't think it is anything Galiey can teach. I think it is something you have or you don't. Perhaps, I am reading way too much into the situation. Currently, I think it isn't unreasonable to say the our QB roster is in the lower level of the NFL. Your point is well taken and perhaps as the season goes on TE and Galiey can prove us doubtors wrong. So far, he has proved me wrong. I want to see it happen when it really counts. Time will tell...

Chan Gailey stated that Edwards is "one tough guy" after watching him get sacked and knocked around in one preseason game. He had his helmet knocked off and chipped a tooth, Gailey came over and asked him if he was OK, Edwards stated "yeah coach ready to go in there again".

 

 

Ya gotta understand that Edwards is much more developed then Brian Brohm and has much more playing experience, plus he is much more accurate then Fitz. Edwards has basically been under heavy duress every year he has played in college and the NFL. The one area of my greatest concern about Edwards and the reason I'm constantly complaining about the O line... is that the guy has 2 maybe 3 more concussions in him before his career is over in the NFL. Had he played last year while still suffering symptoms of that 2nd concussion he could be finished right now! I'm glad he sat out last season to fully recover.

 

 

 

 

Look back at some of the great QB's and think about what ended their NFL careers... Jim Kelly-Troy Aikman- Steve Young- all suffered many concussions during their careers, and those QB's all had their careers ended because of the fear of prolonged mental problems due to head trauma. Judging by what I've seen over the past 20 years it looks to be around 5-6 concussions depending on the severity and how long they were kept out after suffering one before they are done.

 

 

Kelly, who had a career-low 14 touchdown passes and a career-high 19 interceptions last season, cannot remember the final play of his career. He sustained a concussion after fumbling twice on the same play before being sacked in a playoff loss to Jacksonville.

http://www.nytimes.c...r-11-years.html

 

 

At an emotional press conference held at Texas Stadium, Troy choked back tears as he said, "I know it's the right thing. I know it's the right thing for me because of my health, concussions, the back problems I've had. It took its toll."

http://football.abou...ly/aa041001.htm

 

 

The highest-rated passer in league history, Young led San Francisco to its fifth Super Bowl title following the 1994 season. He has not played since he sustained his eighth concussion last September, and fourth in three years. http://www.nytimes.c...ref=steve_young

 

 

There are other QB's and other NFL players that have retired early because of concussions, linebackers, linemen, safeties, running backs and if you have ever seen some of the older NFL players who's lives have been ruined because of the severe head trauma received due to concussions, its tragically sad because most could have been avoided simply by sitting out a few weeks after suffering one. The problem is ...once a player has suffered a concussion they are more susceptible to suffering another, and the more they endure there more chance of significant long term mental impairment.

 

 

 

Lastly, I don't question Trent Edwards mental and physical ability to get the job done, I question the crap players on the offensive line to protect the one guy good enough to lead the team to a winning season.

Edited September 5, 2010 by thewildrabbit

[mpl6876]

Chan Gailey stated that Edwards is "one tough guy" after watching him get sacked and knocked around in one preseason game. He had his helmet knocked off and chipped a tooth, Gailey came over and asked him if he was OK, Edwards stated "yeah coach ready to go in there again".

 

 

Ya gotta understand that Edwards is much more developed then Brian Brohm and has much more playing experience, plus he is much more accurate then Fitz. Edwards has basically been under heavy duress every year he has played in college and the NFL. The one area of my greatest concern about Edwards and the reason I'm constantly complaining about the O line... is that the guy has 2 maybe 3 more concussions in him before his career is over in the NFL. Had he played last year while still suffering symptoms of that 2nd concussion he could be finished right now! I'm glad he sat out last season to fully recover.

 

 

 

 

Look back at some of the great QB's and think about what ended their NFL careers... Jim Kelly-Troy Aikman- Steve Young- all suffered many concussions during their careers, and those QB's all had their careers ended because of the fear of prolonged mental problems due to head trauma. Judging by what I've seen over the past 20 years it looks to be around 5-6 concussions depending on the severity and how long they were kept out after suffering one before they are done.

 

 

Kelly, who had a career-low 14 touchdown passes and a career-high 19 interceptions last season, cannot remember the final play of his career. He sustained a concussion after fumbling twice on the same play before being sacked in a playoff loss to Jacksonville.

http://www.nytimes.c...r-11-years.html

 

 

At an emotional press conference held at Texas Stadium, Troy choked back tears as he said, "I know it's the right thing. I know it's the right thing for me because of my health, concussions, the back problems I've had. It took its toll."

http://football.abou...ly/aa041001.htm

 

 

The highest-rated passer in league history, Young led San Francisco to its fifth Super Bowl title following the 1994 season. He has not played since he sustained his eighth concussion last September, and fourth in three years. http://www.nytimes.c...ref=steve_young

 

 

There are other QB's and other NFL players that have retired early because of concussions, linebackers, linemen, safeties, running backs and if you have ever seen some of the older NFL players who's lives have been ruined because of the severe head trauma received due to concussions, its tragically sad because most could have been avoided simply by sitting out a few weeks after suffering one. The problem is ...once a player has suffered a concussion they are more susceptible to suffering another, and the more they endure there more chance of significant long term mental impairment.

 

 

 

Lastly, I don't question Trent Edwards mental and physical ability to get the job done, I question the crap players on the offensive line to protect the one guy good enough to lead the team to a winning season.

 

Solid response back rabbit. I wouldn't expect anything but that. Valid points about TE and the concussions. However, I am not sure TE has the mental makeup to be an every day solid NFL QB. This is based on what I have seen out of TE in the past. He has lost his confidence on many occasions. Doesn't mean he won't be successful in years to come. However, I would prefer to see a TE who just played "balls to the wall." Instead, what we have seen is a timid, scared, and damaged QB. I can't get the images of him playing on Monday night against the Browns out of my mind. Nevertheless, he did engineer the final drive which should have led to a win. Vince Young also comes to mind too. Additionally, he doesn't appear to be a leader. He has been reluctant to take blame and take leadership of the team. If I recall correctly, the team rallied around Fitz. That sends alarm bells down my spine. Valid points can be made regardless of where you stand. I just remain skeptical based on what I have seen over the years. Your points are valid about the OL and previous coaches contributing to the problem. I like what I have seen in preseason. I like how our offense has been moving the chains and scoring. I liked how TE got his bell rung and come right back with a big play play to Lee. However, a few quarters of successful preseason football cannot erase the years TE's ineffectiveness. I think that is why the outside media is justifiably ranking TE so low. I think TE has to prove himself to the fans of Buffalo before we can claim him a success. Until them he should remain in the lower tier of starting NFL QB's.

Edited September 5, 2010 by mpl6876

[Koufax]

Some of the shallowest analysis I have seen. Feels like Clayton. I would like to see the grades of another team by comparison, so can you give us your take on the Dolphins please?

 

You give an F to the quarterbacks because you aren't happy with the situation or optimistic, not because you can reasonably think they are there. Otherwise why not just give them a G or an H, because this one goes to eleven: since Trent has been completing a lot of his passes, not getting sacked a lot, and hitting on the bombs, why grade would you give our guys if those things weren't happening? Or is this a grade for last season?

 

Not clear why you think that Lee, Stevie, Roscoe are really a D? If our QBs are really Fs then the production these guys have had in the preseason would be more impressive? Or if our receivers are really D receivers then wouldn't you expect F QBs to be even less effective?

 

Linebackers, I'm just going to skip this one. You haven't mentioned the transition to the 3-4 which is their biggest obstacle, and a D- is a pretty ridiculous grade and represents a detachment from reality.

 

Cornerbacks at C+ is pretty cool. Giving this unit a B- would have been a gross overestimate right? It was only our B safeties fault that we were second only to Revis's Jets last year right?

 

Your Analysis Grade: C-. I should have given you lower, but it is obvious you are new here, and so I am grading on a second grader scale, not a college level.

 

But please do give us your grades on the Dolphins so we can cross reference a little both before and after the game.

[Benjamin Barker]

Thanks for all the responses guys! Keep your grades coming!

 

In response to the quarterback situation being perhaps the worst in the NFL:

 

Arizona - Warner's gone - Cleveland castoff Derek Anderson is it

Jets - Sanchez and his 63.0 rating is on his way to being known as Leinart East, although Brunell might come in and save this mess for a year

Carolina - Matt Moore or Clausen - wooh boy

Tampa Bay - Josh Freeman - QB rating 59.8 last year - but you say would trade with them - wow.

Cleveland - Jake DelHomme - incredible that Freeman's rating was not the lowest - how does a veteran with a rating of 59.4 get a new job?

Oakland - Campbell is going to implode - not all his fault though - he's the only one I'm being a little unfair to

KC - Cassell's claim to fame - he played well in NE throwing to Moss and Welker. He had a 69.9 rating w/o them last year.

Chicago - Cutler does a lot out there - mostly for the other team - he'll be gone next year

Rams - they have their top rookie, so who knows - if he's not the real deal they'll get to try again next year

 

Yes these are fair points and these are all examples of teams with marginal quarterback situations. However, just because other teams have trouble at QB doesn't somehow make the Bills situation better. The Bills still have no talent at quarterback. Do you really think the Bills will finish with more passing touchdowns this year than all these teams? Maybe one or two at best.

 

I gave the running backs and safeties good grades, so I'm not trying to hate. It's not the current regimes fault the previous management left them with a team that didn't have a lot of talented players. Hopefully Buddy and Chan turn things around, but they inherited a bit of a mess.

Edited September 6, 2010 by Benjamin Barker

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Thanks for all the responses guys! Keep your grades coming!

 

In response to the quarterback situation being perhaps the worst in the NFL:

 

Yes these are fair points and these are all examples of teams with marginal quarterback situations. However, just because other teams have trouble at QB doesn't somehow make the Bills situation better.

 

That's true. The fact that a number of other teams may be worse does not do a thing to make our team better or improve our QB talent. Agree.

 

It does seem to highlight your statement "The Bills have arguably THE worst quarterback situation in the NFL. What more is there to say?"

Evidently there is more to say, and the Bills arguably DON'T have the worst QB situation in the NFL.

 

Doesn't give us a star, "franchise" starter, might indicate situation not quite as gloomy as you see.

[nick in* england]

Are you a Dolphin's fan? These grades are way too low. IMO

Genius. Did anyone say squish the fish?

[BillsCelticsAngelsBama]

Has our roster ever looked worse than this?

 

Not with proven commodities... about 10 rookies, Spiller, Troup, Carrington,Wang, Moats, Coleman, D. Nelson, D.

jones, C. Howard, sry if I missed some. And with

 

several second year guys : C. Harris,A. Levitre, E. Wood, A. Maybin, S. Nelson, J. Meredith, K. Urbik, this does look like a team that will need time to jell. The 'apparent' weakness at OT, TE and WR along with lack of a pass rush on the defensive side of the ballkeeps me from being 'excited' about their prospects for this year.

The lack of star power on defense is alarming. We simply have a bunch of guys; some are better than average and many are below average.The drafting mistakes of McCargo,Maybin, Whitner and Posluszny

have retarded the growth of this team and will continue to do so unless these suddenly become more than stiffs or just guys. Mr. Troup and Mr. Carrington had better pay off or this defense stay bottom feeders.

 

My hope is that E. Wood, A. Levitre, C.J. Spiller and someone else,.... S. Nelson/L. Evans ??? can do some damage and at least make this team respectable. If the coaches use what little firepower we have...properly there's no reason we should be embarrassed as a fan this season..... and these coaches do inspire more confidence then what I've seen in awhile around here. Go Bills Fan since 65'

[metzelaars_lives]

Quarterbacks: F

The Bills have arguably THE worst quarterback situation in the NFL. What more is there to say?

 

Running Backs: B+

While the Bills don't have one of the marquee backs in the league, they have a talented stable of backs that many teams would be happy with.

 

Offensive Line: C

The young guards look good, the tackles are way below average.

 

Tight Ends: F

Foschi and Stupar are terrible. Nelson is suspended, a mediocre receiver, and a liability in the run game.

 

Wide Receivers: D

Lee Evans is a solid player. He would make a nice number 2 on a lot of teams. Everyone else would fail to make the roster on a team with a good offense.

 

Defensive Line: C+

Williams is serviceable, Stroud has a little left in the tank, and things are dicey beyond that.

 

Linebackers: D-

Poz will never live up to expectations, Mitchell is aging, and the rest are journeyman backup caliber.

 

Cornerbacks: C+

McGee is solid, Florence is not too bad for a nickel/dime guy. McKelvin has done nothing to warrant the high draft choice as of yet.

 

Safeties: B

Stong unit on the whole, good depth. I may have graded them higher but I'm skeptical that Byrd is the real deal.

 

 

Overall Team Grade: D

There is some talent on this offense, but that passing attack is just plain awful. In a league that favors the passing attack more and more every year, its going to be hard for the Bills to win many games with the meager production to be expected from their passing game. The defense has some talent as well, but the switch to 3-4 highlights the linebackers who are unfortunately the weak link of the defense.

 

I just want to say that I just got back from an awesome road trip where me and my buddies just drove from Denver up to the Bighorn Mountains along the Wyo/Montana border, checked out the Battle of Little Bighorn battlefield/moument, soaked up nature, cleansed our souls, I just get home, psyched to read coments about the Bills and this is what I get? McGee/Florence/McKelvin/Corner/Youboty warrant a C+? in your book? Who gets an A? Deion Sanders/Rod Woodson and Darrelle Revis as the nickel corner all in their prime? Allow me to be the 50th to say: you are a douche! I can't f'n wait for Sunday. Go Bills!

Edited September 6, 2010 by metzelaars_lives

[thewildrabbit]

Solid response back rabbit. I wouldn't expect anything but that. Valid points about TE and the concussions. However, I am not sure TE has the mental makeup to be an every day solid NFL QB. This is based on what I have seen out of TE in the past. He has lost his confidence on many occasions. Doesn't mean he won't be successful in years to come. However, I would prefer to see a TE who just played "balls to the wall." Instead, what we have seen is a timid, scared, and damaged QB. I can't get the images of him playing on Monday night against the Browns out of my mind. Nevertheless, he did engineer the final drive which should have led to a win. Vince Young also comes to mind too. Additionally, he doesn't appear to be a leader. He has been reluctant to take blame and take leadership of the team. If I recall correctly, the team rallied around Fitz. That sends alarm bells down my spine. Valid points can be made regardless of where you stand. I just remain skeptical based on what I have seen over the years. Your points are valid about the OL and previous coaches contributing to the problem. I like what I have seen in preseason. I like how our offense has been moving the chains and scoring. I liked how TE got his bell rung and come right back with a big play play to Lee. However, a few quarters of successful preseason football cannot erase the years TE's ineffectiveness. I think that is why the outside media is justifiably ranking TE so low. I think TE has to prove himself to the fans of Buffalo before we can claim him a success. Until them he should remain in the lower tier of starting NFL QB's.

While I certainly agree that Edwards needs to show he can be the leader this team needs over a complete season. I also think he is positioned to do just that this year, provided of course the offensive line can adequately protect him. You remain skeptical about the QB, while I remain skeptical about the O line. While many are putting Edwards in the 25-32 category, if well protected this season he could easily be in the 15-25 category, JMO.

 

Going back to my point about concussions and my thinking is even slight concussions can cause problems and have lingering effects that the NFL and world class scientists studying the effects of concussions still don't understand. Post-traumatic stress can also have an effect on a player after getting knocked around like a whack- a-mole game after game. I'm not giving excuses for some of his bad play, just stating reasons as to why he might be somewhat shell shocked after playing in Jaurons offense. I don't think we will see many 5-7 step drops this season or Edwards holding the ball and waiting for a receiver to break open this year.

[Benjamin Barker]

In response to people hating on my CB grades, I think many of you just think the Bills have good corners because the Bills media likes to say they have good corners, and are not able to objectively evaluate talent.

 

McGee is a solid player. He's not an elite corner but any team would be happy to have him on their roster. He's also about to hit 30.

 

Florence is a serviceable nickel back, who is also about to hit 30.

 

The rest of them have combined for only four career interceptions.

 

McKelvin might break out this year, but so far has been a huge bust. Compare what he has accomplished in the league to Rodgers-Cromartie (who we should have taken instead). Youboty is complete garbage, and Corner is not much better.

 

So basically you have a solid corner and a decent nickelback at the end of their careers, and nothing else.

 

Grade: C+

Edited September 6, 2010 by Benjamin Barker