Nick Bakay article

[(716)]

http://www.nfl.com/fantasy/story/09000d5d81a61fbb/article/bringing-a-little-hope-to-the-perennially-hopeless?module=HP_spotlight

 

...pretty honest/accurate assesment, addresses the reality of the current situation with the reasonable hope the new regime has instilled going forward

 

 

"Bills (6-10 in '09)

 

Rounding things out, I have to deal with my Bills, a team that more than one pundit believes will be lucky to win one game this year. I don't agree, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to walk this construction site without a hard hat on.

 

The case for: Look, I do not believe this is a team that's going to have a winning season, so I won't even play that game. It is year one of our third or fourth consecutive five-year plan re-boot. Expectations may have been starved for a decade, but the only sane plan is to wipe the slate clean.

 

In that spirit, I think they are doing it right, starting with GM Buddy Nix, who knows talent when he sees it. We haven't had one of these guys around in a long time. Trust me, when your player of the decade is your punter, someone in your personnel department needs to borrow some of Mel Kiper's hair mousse.

 

Nix was right to draft C.J. Spiller despite RB not being a position of need; the kid is electric and our superstar cupboard is completely bare. It's not win now, it's win someday, I love the pick.

 

Ditto the originally disturbing choice of Chan Gailey -- I had no idea how horrible the Bills offensive schemes were in recent years until I watched Gailey's stuff. Even under the vanilla cloak of preseason football schemes, he made things happen. He even got Trent Edwards to uncork some long balls, and by God, Lee Evans looks like he has a pulse again.

 

The case against: All good stuff, but nothing close to a winning season. For starters, every other team in the AFC East is playoff-caliber and got better. We simply don't win games against our divisional opponents anymore, which makes this Sunday's home game against Miami interesting -- it's our best shot at a home win in the first four weeks of the season because the Fins aren't good at the Ralph, and Miami at home is a special day to the 12th man in my home town.

 

Please forgive me an impulsive outburst of season-opening exuberance -- back to reality: Our tackles are still scary, we have yet to prove we can stop the run, our QB needs to have a major renaissance to even present as a starter in the NFL, and our special teams have been messy.

 

Nope, we are still looking for some big pieces of the puzzle -- NFL.com's Mike Lombardi evaluated the elite players on every team, and the Bills essentially had none. I say Spiller changes that, and in three years Nix and company will make it right again.

 

Now if we could just get anyone in Toronto to wear a Bills jersey…"

[tbonestake]

http://www.nfl.com/f...le=HP_spotlight

 

...pretty honest/accurate assesment, addresses the reality of the current situation with the reasonable hope the new regime has instilled going forward

 

 

"Bills (6-10 in '09)

 

Rounding things out, I have to deal with my Bills, a team that more than one pundit believes will be lucky to win one game this year. I don't agree, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to walk this construction site without a hard hat on.

 

The case for: Look, I do not believe this is a team that's going to have a winning season, so I won't even play that game. It is year one of our third or fourth consecutive five-year plan re-boot. Expectations may have been starved for a decade, but the only sane plan is to wipe the slate clean.

 

In that spirit, I think they are doing it right, starting with GM Buddy Nix, who knows talent when he sees it. We haven't had one of these guys around in a long time. Trust me, when your player of the decade is your punter, someone in your personnel department needs to borrow some of Mel Kiper's hair mousse.

 

Nix was right to draft C.J. Spiller despite RB not being a position of need; the kid is electric and our superstar cupboard is completely bare. It's not win now, it's win someday, I love the pick.

 

Ditto the originally disturbing choice of Chan Gailey -- I had no idea how horrible the Bills offensive schemes were in recent years until I watched Gailey's stuff. Even under the vanilla cloak of preseason football schemes, he made things happen. He even got Trent Edwards to uncork some long balls, and by God, Lee Evans looks like he has a pulse again.

 

The case against: All good stuff, but nothing close to a winning season. For starters, every other team in the AFC East is playoff-caliber and got better. We simply don't win games against our divisional opponents anymore, which makes this Sunday's home game against Miami interesting -- it's our best shot at a home win in the first four weeks of the season because the Fins aren't good at the Ralph, and Miami at home is a special day to the 12th man in my home town.

 

Please forgive me an impulsive outburst of season-opening exuberance -- back to reality: Our tackles are still scary, we have yet to prove we can stop the run, our QB needs to have a major renaissance to even present as a starter in the NFL, and our special teams have been messy.

 

Nope, we are still looking for some big pieces of the puzzle -- NFL.com's Mike Lombardi evaluated the elite players on every team, and the Bills essentially had none. I say Spiller changes that, and in three years Nix and company will make it right again.

 

Now if we could just get anyone in Toronto to wear a Bills jersey…"

 

 

Love Nick Bakay and one day I will share a beer with him....

[BRH]

He nailed it with respect to Gailey. I thought I knew how bad our offense was under Jauron. Turns out I really had no idea.

[yungmack]

I like Bakay but he's drunk the Kool-Aid. "For starters, every other team in the AFC East is playoff-caliber and got better." That's just plain wrong. The Dolphins and Jets are playoff quality? The Patriots got better? And who GAF what Mike Lombardi thinks. If Spiller, Jackson, Moorman, Lindell and the secondary don't qualify as quality, how can you take the guy seriously? He's an imbecile.

 

10-6.

[Saratoga Leo]

The word used by Lombardi was "Elite" not Quality. There is a huge difference. Name an "Elite" player on the Bills based on past performance not your hopes and wishes.

 

I like Bakay but he's drunk the Kool-Aid. "For starters, every other team in the AFC East is playoff-caliber and got better." That's just plain wrong. The Dolphins and Jets are playoff quality? The Patriots got better? And who GAF what Mike Lombardi thinks. If Spiller, Jackson, Moorman, Lindell and the secondary don't qualify as quality, how can you take the guy seriously? He's an imbecile.

 

10-6.

[lets_go_bills]

GREAT article. I completely agree with everything Bakay said.

[(716)]

The word used by Lombardi was "Elite" not Quality. There is a huge difference. Name an "Elite" player on the Bills based on past performance not your hopes and wishes.

 

 

Agreed, and though I don't think the dolphins are quite there yet and I think the super bowl aspirations are too high for a Sanchez led team, I don't see how a team that went to the AFC championship last year and has since brought in some strong free agents and returned arguably their 2nd best defensive player from injury in Kris Jenkins is not a playoff caliber team. And while the Pats have certainly taken some hits on an already questionable defense through injuries, Brady being in his 2nd season back from a knee injury and a now healthy welker to go with an emerging edelman and contract year moss is a dangerous combination, making it tough to rule them out as a potential division winner. I think the point of his statement is that the bills, while starting to build some young talent and appearing as though they finally have legitimate coaching, are looking up at three teams that have both a solid foundation and some stars sprinkled in, a recipe for success that we are finally on the path toward following. Fortunately for us IMO, by the time we are a legitimate deep playoff threat, Brady will be on his way out and the already aging jets will be scrambling to replace all these free agents they tried to bring in at the middle/end of their productive years, leaving us with a division ripe to be taken over for years to come, and it appears that we finally have a management team in place that sees that...

Edited September 10, 2010 by (716)

[yungmack]

The word used by Lombardi was "Elite" not Quality. There is a huge difference. Name an "Elite" player on the Bills based on past performance not your hopes and wishes.

Elite to me means being in, say, the top five at your position in the league. I'd put Moorman, Lindell, McGee, Williams, Jackson (wasn't he tops in the league in overall yards? How freakin' valuable is that?) in there. And though he had only an injury shortened rookie season, I think Byrd belongs in that group and will prove that this season. I also have no doubt that Spiller is going to be a star.

[BuffOrange]

I don't see how a team that went to the AFC championship last year and has since brought in some strong free agents and returned arguably their 2nd best defensive player from injury in Kris Jenkins is not a playoff caliber team.

 

You can't see how their opponents won't forfeit games this year or how their defense comes down to earth like they did in Mangini's 2nd year or how their opponents might occasionally actually make a FG?

[/just a little sick of the NYJ hype ].

 

But really I don't see how any Bills fan can worry about the division. It has been such a long time since anyone but the Bills kept them out of the playoffs.

Edited September 10, 2010 by BuffOrange

[(716)]

You can't see how their opponents won't forfeit games this year or how their defense comes down to earth like they did in Mangini's 2nd year or how their opponents might occasionally actually make a FG?

[/just a little sick of the NYJ hype ].

 

But really I don't see how any Bills fan can worry about the division. It has been such a long time since anyone but the Bills kept them out of the playoffs.

 

 

agreed all the way around, especially with that last point. I just meant despite the absurdly unwarranted hype, they showed enough at times last year, especially on defense, to be in the playoff conversation as he suggested

Edited September 10, 2010 by (716)

[Gugny]

You can't see how their opponents won't forfeit games this year or how their defense comes down to earth like they did in Mangini's 2nd year or how their opponents might occasionally actually make a FG?

[/just a little sick of the NYJ hype ].

 

But really I don't see how any Bills fan can worry about the division. It has been such a long time since anyone but the Bills kept them out of the playoffs.

 

I've been fighting this same battle today. I couldn't agree more with what you said here. All hype.

[mob16151]

"Ditto the originally disturbing choice of Chan Gailey -- I had no idea how horrible the Bills offensive schemes were in recent years until I watched Gailey's stuff. Even under the vanilla cloak of preseason football schemes, he made things happen. He even got Trent Edwards to uncork some long balls, and by God, Lee Evans looks like he has a pulse again"

 

This was the best part of the pre season IMO.

[GOBILLS78]

Ah, I miss "King of Queens."

[Mr. WEO]

Elite to me means being in, say, the top five at your position in the league. I'd put Moorman, Lindell, McGee, Williams, Jackson (wasn't he tops in the league in overall yards? How freakin' valuable is that?) in there. And though he had only an injury shortened rookie season, I think Byrd belongs in that group and will prove that this season. I also have no doubt that Spiller is going to be a star.

 

Kyle Williams is an "Elite top 5 player"?

You can't see how their opponents won't forfeit games this year or how their defense comes down to earth like they did in Mangini's 2nd year or how their opponents might occasionally actually make a FG?

[/just a little sick of the NYJ hype ].

 

But really I don't see how any Bills fan can worry about the division. It has been such a long time since anyone but the Bills kept them out of the playoffs.

The Bills are 2-10 the past two season in the division. That's something to worry about. You can't make the playoffs if you can't win in your division.

[BuffOrange]

The Bills are 2-10 the past two season in the division. That's something to worry about. You can't make the playoffs if you can't win in your division.

 

What you really mean is that they were 0-6 two years ago. You cannot make the playoffs going 0-6, that's true.

Edited September 10, 2010 by BuffOrange

[Thurman#1]

I like Bakay but he's drunk the Kool-Aid. "For starters, every other team in the AFC East is playoff-caliber and got better." That's just plain wrong. The Dolphins and Jets are playoff quality? The Patriots got better? And who GAF what Mike Lombardi thinks. If Spiller, Jackson, Moorman, Lindell and the secondary don't qualify as quality, how can you take the guy seriously? He's an imbecile.

 

10-6.

 

 

 

If he drunk the Kool-Aid, you injected intravenously.

[sabres...yawn]

Love Nick Bakay and one day I will share a beer with him....

 

2 guys...1 beer?

 

Mmmm....

[wardigital]

Brian Moorman is the only elite player the Bills have, but he is an elite player. He is one of the top punters in the history of football, certainly in the top 10 all-time, perhaps at the top end of that list. (Scifre and Lechler are in this conversation, as well as Jeff Feagles, who has been punting since dinosaurs existed.)

 

Moorman isn't in the top aggregates of any statistical categories, and he isn't in the top for averages. But a lot of the averages are skewed because there are many punters who have been in the league 3 to 5 years and then washed out. The aggregates are skewed because there was a period in the 80s and 90s when guys who had no busy being in the league would just punt for 25 years because it wasn't a particularly valued part of the game.

 

For the past decade, Moorman has pretty much been the best or second best punter (generally second best) with Shane Lechler every year. Moorman has twice had the longest punt of the year and once had the highest average. Lechler was also once upon a time accused of using performance enhancers -- a punter, of all people.

 

Longevity also has to be a factor. For whatever reason, it appears from looking at the stats that there are lots of guys who can be an NFL caliber punter for 2 or 3 years, but very few who can sustain that level of performance over a longer career. Punters of old have tons of punts and yardage, but generally much lower averages. Amongst punters with both longevity and average, Moorman rates very highly.

 

Upon further review, I would probably put Lechler and Feagles as 1 and 2 all-time, and Moorman somewhere around 6th. I think that qualifies him as an elite player..

 

But that's it, that's the list.

 

Who was the last elite player besides Moorman? Moulds never reached elite status, I don't think. Smith/Reed were no longer elite caliber players in 1999. I would suppose it would probably be whoever had their peak extended the longest from the glory years. Either Thurman Thomas or Bruce Smith, then. Maybe Ruben Brown.

 

I also considered that Steve Christie would have been in this conversation, but when I look at his percentages, I'm not even sure he'd make an NFL roster today. Because of his ability to hit kicks in the clutch, I tend to look back on his career fondly, but Christie had like a 77% accuracy rating over his career, good for something like 29th in the league today, though very high amongst his own contemporaries. It is amazing how much the kicking game has evolved in the last 15 years.

Edited September 11, 2010 by wardigital