meazza Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) I don't think they were prepared for a early season playoff run so they didn't give the team what they needed to compete over a full season. I agree 100% Edited November 21, 2011 by meazza
Fan in Chicago Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 Help me out. Just re-read the post and what I take from it is "Buddy Nix doesnt know football". Is that the point? Okay, I will if you try to be a bit more descriptive yourself. My point is that for a guy who supposedly came in with a lot of football knowledge, he sure looks to have made moves which seem to be anything but. Getting rid of players before we have proven replacements ? Bombing on a coaching pick ?
DDD Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 Buddy Nix had me at hello. Seriously, at his first presser when he said he wasn't the smartest guy in the room then took shots at the Raiders then later proudly stated he would be sleeping when free agency began I knew that unless he drafted well his tenure would be a failure. His 1st draft pick as GM: CJ Spiller. 'Nuff said.
nick in* england Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 Evans and Hangartner would not have made a material difference. The problems started when you lost Bell and then Hairston. As we have seen for years, once you start juggling the OL, the offence starts to struggle. That'as what's going on right now. On the D - we lost two starters that commanded attention from the opposing team in Williams and Merriman. Losing those guys leaves us young up front and that's not great in today's NFL. Nix and Gailey always said give us three years. This is year two. Do not be surprised if we just miss the playoffs this year. It's all about experience. Next year is the time to EXPECT playoffs.
Buftex Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 Evans and Hangartner would not have made a material difference. The problems started when you lost Bell and then Hairston. As we have seen for years, once you start juggling the OL, the offence starts to struggle. That'as what's going on right now. On the D - we lost two starters that commanded attention from the opposing team in Williams and Merriman. Losing those guys leaves us young up front and that's not great in today's NFL. Nix and Gailey always said give us three years. This is year two. Do not be surprised if we just miss the playoffs this year. It's all about experience. Next year is the time to EXPECT playoffs. I beg to differ on Hangartner...you just can't go into an NFL football season (particularly the Bills) and expect that your ordained starters (the cheapest guys, or the best guys) will not suffer some injuries...a guy like Hangartner, who has started at guard and center in the NFL, would be invaluable rigth now. Not having a legit NFL center is going to take Fred Jackson out of the mix, not to mention the woeful passing game.
Never NEVER Give-up Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 It's ironic our defense gets burned up the middle, week in & week out, yet opposing defenses have clogged the middle, so our offense cannot successfully use the middle of the field anymore. Now it seems our offense's favorite play is to take the snap & immediately pivot and throw to the wide-out. (And oh yeah, pray he makes a play, because, usually it goes for no gain!)
jahnyc Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 The defense has played poorly all year, and only some turnovers and excellent play of the offense kept us competitive in the early part of the season. It would be reasonable after two years of Nix to expect the playoffs next year, but it is not going to happen. Way too many holes, in large part due to a terrible draft in 2010. It is fine to build through the draft if you can hit on your draft picks. Nix has not, and our team is weak and without depth because of it. I am tired of rebuilding and not having success. Some teams rebuild in one or two years. We are going on 10 plus years, and if Detroit makes the playoffs, we will have the longest drought of not making the playoffs in the NFL.
Sisyphean Bills Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 Evans and Hangartner would not have made a material difference. Sorry, but the players do matter. The degree of difference in the final outcome is debatable, of course, but having guys that have experience & have played positions at a passable starting caliber level is quite different than plugging in a spread-option QB at WR or having a guy that's never snapped before play C for the first time in his life.
Adam Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) I'm not going to say Ralph is cheap because I honestly don't think he's with it enough to care anymore, but depth isn't just about draft picks and free agency pickups, it's about keeping your veterans who shine when you need leadership and experience. You can't play a full season without key injuries, and if your only plan is hope nobody gets hurt, you're bound to end up where we are right now-- lost. I am sure you know Ralph Wilson well enough to know his state of mind Edited November 21, 2011 by Adam
K-9 Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 Not saying he wouldn't help RIGHT NOW, but are we really remembering how badly Hangartner got his ass handed to him the last couple years? Or how about in camp and preseason this year? He sucked and the Bills had good reason to let him go. He can SNAP the ball better, that's it. But he can't hold the POA very well and certainly can't get on a block and hold it consistently. I'm not saying Levitre's bad snapping is OK, just correctable. His ability to block is unquestioned. Not so with Hangman. GO BILLS!!!
Alphadawg7 Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 I'm still OK with the Evans thing. He hasn't played a lick for Baltimore and they are more than disappointed with him. I'll gladly take the 4th. My main issue like everyone else is with the depth. Seems like every other NFL team can plug guys in. We get an injury and it's lights out...we're done. Just pathetic. I get tired of people validating the Evans trade by saying he hasn't played hardly at all this season. For the last time Lee was NOT hurt when we traded him and got hurt in Baltimore. So that does NOT mean he would have also been hurt here and would not have played here. This team could have used him a lot more than we could use a 4th round pick.
dave mcbride Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 I get tired of people validating the Evans trade by saying he hasn't played hardly at all this season. For the last time Lee was NOT hurt when we traded him and got hurt in Baltimore. So that does NOT mean he would have also been hurt here and would not have played here. This team could have used him a lot more than we could use a 4th round pick. +1
billsfreak Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 Yesterday we got embarrassed on offense because we have no backup center and no receivers getting open. We have a great RB, TE, FB and a decent QB. Hangartner would've stepped in an done a fine job with the QB he's snapped to a thousand times. Levitre would've played guard where he belongs and you would have seen a different game. So we let Evans go for the same amount of money we signed Brad Smith for (about $7 mil for the next two years). If you could switch the two right now, would you? I know I would, I know Fitz would too. All you Evans detractors that say he was washed up can babble all you want, the guy got open and had great hands. Speaking of Brad Smith, if you think you're disappointed in his production now, wait until he fumbles a kickoff return which I guarantee he will if he continues to swing the ball around when he runs like that. I am benching Smith and Spiller immediately and putting Mckelvin back there to return kicks. CJ for punts. I'm not going to say Ralph is cheap because I honestly don't think he's with it enough to care anymore, but depth isn't just about draft picks and free agency pickups, it's about keeping your veterans who shine when you need leadership and experience. You can't play a full season without key injuries, and if your only plan is hope nobody gets hurt, you're bound to end up where we are right now-- lost. Does anybody think the 4th round pick we got for Evans is going to help us? How many 4th round picks do we have out there now helping us? I'm not usually a negative poster but I can't sit here and listen to our management say depth is a problem and then watch them funnel our experienced guys out the back door to save money. Depth is a problem because of your shortsightedness and failure to value the continuity and contributions of our veteran players. You made this bed Nix. In my opinion he has looked and produced like a fool every since he was given the GM job. The stuff he says doesn't make sense when he talks, and he never really answers anyone's questions.
Over 29 years of fanhood Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 I'm not convinced that Nix has made a single good decision. I mean, there was Dareus, but even he hasn't fixed our issues on the line, so I'm not sure how good he is. The good personell moves under nix: Darius Barnett Chandler Jones/Nelson (let's face it, as marginal as they are at least viable 4th or 5th wrs) Pears and Hairston (again finds that turned out better than expected) Problem is there are a lot of poor ones too: -Spiller - gotta have first rounders become stars -Smith - jack of all trades, master of none -No back up center... Really? Did wood practice with second and third teams too? -OLB... Merrimen was worth a shot, but no backup plan I was fine with Evans, poz and lynch hitting the bricks, but they should have tried to get a plaxico type of wr and white looks like a practice squad rb. Problem
NoSaint Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 Levitre was terrible with the shotgun snaps, but recall that Hangartner was making decent money and looked like absolute garbage in the preseason. The sin was not bringing in someone else who could play center or at least realizing Levitre could not, not cutting Hangman. Anyone think that levitre taking the LT snaps the last few weeks might have hurt him yesterday with regards to not having practiced as much at center the last month?
apuszczalowski Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 I get tired of people validating the Evans trade by saying he hasn't played hardly at all this season. For the last time Lee was NOT hurt when we traded him and got hurt in Baltimore. So that does NOT mean he would have also been hurt here and would not have played here. This team could have used him a lot more than we could use a 4th round pick. But when he has played, he has been ineffective
BuffaloBillsMagic1 Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 I know he was undrafted and not sure where he is right now, but Ryan Barthalomew from Syracusewould have been a great backup to wood at C that can actually snap the ball and was a decent run blocker. Is he on Arozona's practice squad?
BobChalmers Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 Lee Evans ended up getting hurt in the preseason for Baltimore (foot), and there's no way to predict whether he would have suffered the same injury here. If he had stayed here, he may have been fine. It's the luck of the draw, and it's not like he's an injury prone player. Evans was done already. Less than a 1000 yards in his previous two seasons COMBINED. He has gone on to do even less. YES, we need a better #1 WR - like a Lee Evans IN HIS PRIME maybe, not the real Lee Evans of 2011. Getting a 4th for him was a steal - you have to be trying really hard to hate on Nix to convince yourself of anything else.
Bob in STL Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 Our team would be better with both Evans and Hangartner on the roster. Nothing to argue about here. We are $20M under the cap and we do not have a legit backup center or a veteran WR on the roster. Nix is responsible. If these decisions are made elsewhere in the organization then Nix should walk. Pathetic to even be in this position.
Fan in Chicago Posted November 21, 2011 Posted November 21, 2011 Our team would be better with both Evans and Hangartner on the roster. Nothing to argue about here. We are $20M under the cap and we do not have a legit backup center or a veteran WR on the roster. Nix is responsible. If these decisions are made elsewhere in the organization then Nix should walk. Pathetic to even be in this position. Yes. We cannot players go in the hope that draft picks or some other teams castoffs will fill in with no drop off in production. Even if Whitner, Poz and Evans were deemed to not be superstars, they should have been kept (okay, maybe not Poz due to the cost) till it was clear that Searcy, Sheppard and Easley/Jones/Nelson were better. Its inexcusable that these and Hang (with no alternate center) were let go at that time.
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