Afew Thoughts About The Game, in no particular order.....

[paupmvp1995]

Don't fret. Nix is going to take a qb in either the first or second round. How do I know? It's about marketing. The fanbase is at the end of the line with this backwater franchise. If a fresh qb face is not added to the roster the vacancy level will go up at that archaic stadium the team plays in. Brandon will have a say as to what position to address in one of the priority rounds. It's called business!!!!!!

This franchise is floundering. Everyone associated with the franchise knows that. And that includes Brandon and Nix..Sure we have better talent on both lines than when Buddy took over, and that is a start. But for every improvement in personnel that we have made, it is nullified by having a very weak starting QB. And a head coach who is horrible in game management and personnel decisions. That is why we are no better record wise than we were under the previous three head coaches. Going w Fitzpatrick as our starter was a terrible personnel decision by Nix and Gailey. We are also very weak at LB, very young at CB, and need another bit downfield receiver. So in all actuality, we have been spinning our wheels for the past three years under Nix and Gailey.. Sure there are times when the team looks competitive. But in crunch time against any mediocre to good team, we always falter. And that means we are a BAD team..And unless something miraculously changes in the next three games, we will finish 6-10 at best, and part ways with the dying carcass that is Chan Gailey and quite possibly Buddy Nix. Brandon is not a fool. He knows that NOONE will buy seats without a new coach and a new QB. The best thing going for the Bills is their fans. And we can not be alienated any further than where we are right now. Change HAS to happen. The players all know this. We did not get any bad breaks to be 5-8. We got GOOD breaks with such a weak schedule to be 5-8. I think EVERYONE associated with the Buffalo Bills knows this is a HORRIBLE football team right now.

[ganesh]

The big mistake the Bills have made has been that they have been unable to find a franchise type QB, although its not like they haven't tried, or its a simple task. They have gone the FA route, they tried trades, they trade PS raids, they tried drafting, they tried the CFL, the problem has been they haven't struck gold on a long term solution.

 

The problem is not that they have not tried, but tried in an unconventional ways and then not stuck with it.

 

1. Gave up a 1st rounder to get Bledsoe. Then when he lost to the Steelers, Donahoe cuts Beldsoe. He goes on to have another 3 seasons with Dallas including a playoffs.

2. Picked Losman with a 1st round and gave up a 1st round next year and then blew it as they could not put a good running game or a good defense around him to win.

3. Drafted Edwards in the 3rd and at one point appeared very promising, but then having shitting OCs eveyr season derailed his confidence and into oblivion.

 

The problem is that they had a shot at picking a few other Prototypical QBs that could have succeeded here, but went the other way. But that is hindsight and we just cannot keep barking up the wrong tree.

[Bill from NYC]

Just a comment on the post above, I think the McGahee pick was similar to others you mention as being a "Best Player Available" type Pick. McGahee prior to his injury was projected to go at the very top of the draft, if not #1 overall.

 

As for the DBs, its possible that the Bills draft them early because they understand that having good ones are needed in todays pass happy, offence first NFL and know that good ones in FA are expensive.

 

MaGahee wasn't the best player because he wasn't "avaliable." He sat injured for 20 games before he took the field, no? They desperately needed a guard, and Steinbach was there. Running back was far less of an issue at the time.

 

As far as DBs, the Bills were taking them before the rule changes and haven't stopped. No change at all.

 

Their drafts have been pretty bad for many years. Levy/Jauron were the icing on the putrid cake. And yes, in all the biggest failure was to not bring in a franchise qb. TD did try with Losman. It's a shame that he was bad beyond description.

[JohnC]

MaGahee wasn't the best player because he wasn't "avaliable." He sat injured for 20 games before he took the field, no? They desperately needed a guard, and Steinbach was there. Running back was far less of an issue at the time.

 

As far as DBs, the Bills were taking them before the rule changes and haven't stopped. No change at all.

 

Their drafts have been pretty bad for many years. Levy/Jauron were the icing on the putrid cake. And yes, in all the biggest failure was to not bring in a franchise qb. TD did try with Losman. It's a shame that he was bad beyond description.

 

The selection of Tom Donahoe by the owner to run the football operation was a blunder. On the surface getting someone associated with a successful franchise made a lot of sense. But where was the due diligence? Tom Donahoe was forced out of the Steeler organization.That was well known. Bill Cowher and others in the organizaton had a contentious relationship with him. It got to the point that either BC or TD had to go. The Rooney family decided that Donahoe had to leave.

 

So Ralph Wilson hires him. Donahoe then proceeds to antagonize not only the surrounding staff but the whole building at OBD. Everyone who had dealings with him detested this preening peacock. TD got Ralph so angry with him that when he made some disparaging remarks about the fans RW forced Donahoe to make a public apology. The owner who wanted to ease out of the footbball operation was furious at the way his dismissive employee treated him, the person who paid his salary.

 

I understand why the owner wanted to hire someone associated with a winning program that was located in a setting that had similarities to western NY. But Tom Donahoe had some very unappealing personality traits that should have set up some red flags. Ralph is a good businessman but is clueless about what it takes to be successful in the NFL.

 

Ralph Wilson hired a person who was condescending and controlling. The outcome of their relationship was preordained. TD was the type of pershon who had to demonstrate to others that he was the smartest person in the room. The central point I'm making is that Ralph Wilson has been the primary decision maker for staffing for this long suffering franchise. When Donahoe was sent packing the owner replaced him with Marv Levy. OMG! The owner never understood the importance of hiring the right people to run the football operation. Clearly, that is reflected in the team's long term record.

Edited December 13, 2012 by JohnC

[Orton's Arm]

The problem is not that they have not tried, but tried in an unconventional ways and then not stuck with it.

 

1. Gave up a 1st rounder to get Bledsoe. Then when he lost to the Steelers, Donahoe cuts Beldsoe. He goes on to have another 3 seasons with Dallas including a playoffs.

2. Picked Losman with a 1st round and gave up a 1st round next year and then blew it as they could not put a good running game or a good defense around him to win.

3. Drafted Edwards in the 3rd and at one point appeared very promising, but then having shitting OCs eveyr season derailed his confidence and into oblivion.

 

The problem is that they had a shot at picking a few other Prototypical QBs that could have succeeded here, but went the other way. But that is hindsight and we just cannot keep barking up the wrong tree.

 

> The problem is not that they have not tried, but tried in an unconventional ways and then not stuck with it.

 

"Unconventional" isn't exactly the word I would use.

 

> 1. Gave up a 1st rounder to get Bledsoe.

 

Giving up a first rounder for another team's aging backup QB is definitely not standard NFL practice. It was a short term, quick fix move. A team which had gone 3-13 the previous season--as the Bills had back in 2001--shouldn't have been looking for quick fixes and Band Aid solutions. Especially not with its first round picks.

 

> 2. Picked Losman with a 1st round and gave up a 1st round next year and then blew it as they could not

> put a good running game or a good defense around him to win.

 

The problem with the Losman pick wasn't the running game. It wasn't the defense. The problem with the Losman pick is that it resulted in Losman.

 

> 3. Drafted Edwards in the 3rd and at one point appeared very promising, but then having shitting OCs eveyr season derailed his confidence and into oblivion.

 

It's very rare for a QB drafted after the first round to turn into a franchise guy. Over the last decade, only Matt Schaub has gone from being a non-first-round pick to a franchise quarterback. Edwards showed some initial promise, and for a third round pick he was worth a shot. But things didn't work out, and I doubt very much if they would have worked out even if the Bills hadn't kept changing offensive coordinators.

 

> The problem is that they had a shot at picking a few other Prototypical QBs that could have succeeded here, but went the other way. But that is hindsight . . .

 

It is not hindsight to say that over the last 10+ years, the Bills have not given themselves any high probability chances of finding a long term solution to the QB problem. Not Drew Bledsoe, due both to his age and to the fact that he'd had mediocre years for the Patriots in 2000 and 2001. Not Losman, because he wasn't an accomplished pocket passer at the college level. Not Trent Edwards, because the odds are heavily against a third round pick becoming a franchise QB.

 

Not since the Rob Johnson trade have the Bills used their first pick of the draft on a QB. The Bills have traditionally been very miserly about using early picks on QBs; so as to enable themselves to squander those picks on RBs and DBs. One doesn't need 20/20 hindsight to be able to see that this is an extremely stupid drafting strategy.

Edited December 13, 2012 by Edwards' Arm

[xsoldier54]

When Fred got hurt, he sent Choice into the game, not Spiller

This.