5 Moves The Bills Should Make Now To End the Playoff Drought in 2013

[DefenseWinzChampionshipz]

Just 5 things? We need more than that.

1. Clean house. Everyone in the front office and coaching staff except Whaley is gone.

2. Actually, really, this time, finally spend some $$$$ on a legit head coach. Not some bottom of the pile nobody else wants him scrub senior citizen.

3. I think Gruden would be a perfect fit for Buffalo. $20 mil year? Done. Build me a winner. He can pick his own staff. Money is no object.

4. Try and trade Fitzpatrick, if nobody wants him, cut him..

5. Cut or do not resign Merriman, Barnett, McGee, Kelsay, Scott, Wilson, Smith and whomever else the new staff thinks should go away.

6. They can get a ton for Spiller, trade him. Spiller is worth a #1, #2 and another pick or player. This would allow for #7.

7. Trade for Kirk Cousins. First? Done.

8. They gave Urbik an extension. Get Byrd & Levitre signed.

9. Free Agency: LB, S, WR, RB. Backup veteran QB not named Fitzpatrick and not from an Ivy League school and make sure he knows he's never starting unless there are injuries.

10. Draft: LB (2), TE, S, WR, RB, CB, QB. LB should be the #1 priority, I'd also like to see them get TE Eifert from ND.

11. Build your offense and defense around your talent. Don't try and have your talent run the offense and defense that you want. Bills should have run the ball 40 times a game not throw it 40 times a game, Their defensive schemes were a giant joke.

12. Either pray or sell your soul for a winning team.

 

I thought you were joking til I read number 8 because that makes sense so it made me realize you were serious... Trade Spiller? You've completely lost your mind man... Either that or you need sleep... Take 30ml. of Nyquil and sleep this one off before posting...

[boyst]

This is a great thread. So many great points by all. There I nearly nothing to add that hasn't been said!

[Solomon Grundy]

Will people just STOP with the trade for Kirk Cousins nonsense! Haven't you learned anything from the Rob Johnson debacle?

 

If you guys are so obsessed with getting rid of Buddy(which I am not), PLEASE bring back Bill Polian! Polian's record speaks for itself. It will bring respectability back to the organization. No disrespect to Whaley, but Polian is a football genius.

[BuffBill]

"The entire season has been a huge regression for a team with playoff aspirations. The easy schedule turned into a Herculean task that proved to be an epic failure for both the coaches and the players. The franchise QB has turned out to be a commoner with a King’s contract."

 

 

 

http://niagarahub.fa...y/nfl-football/

Think it is probably going to take alot more then 5 moves to make this team a playoff team.

[Cotton Fitzsimmons]

3. I think Gruden would be a perfect fit for Buffalo. $20 mil year? Done. Build me a winner. He can pick his own staff. Money is no object.

 

6. They can get a ton for Spiller, trade him. Spiller is worth a #1, #2 and another pick or player. This would allow for #7.

7. Trade for Kirk Cousins. First? Done.

 

 

First on point #3... YE OLE would actually love to see Gruden here. That said, he was Ralph's first choice last go around and reportedly was offered a ridiculous amount of money then and declined. Not saying he wouldn't accept a ridiculous amount of money now to come here, but I have my doubts.

 

As for #6/#7... you're essentially willing to trade Spiller for Cousins and a 2nd rounder? Cousins is a perfectly nice chap, and he may turn into a very good NFL QB. It's entirely possible. But at this point, Cousins was drafted in the 4th round and has thrown 48 passes in the NFL. Spiller on the other hand may be the only talent on this team that would make a big name coach consider taking this job right now. The man is averaging 6.5 YPC, is the second fastest RB ever to 1000 yards, and is faster than everyone else on the field. As much as many of us hated the pick at the time, he is showing that he very well be a "generational" type talent.

 

If I'm Washington, and we were even considering such a thing, I'd cut out the middle man in your scenario and send Cousins, a 2nd, and a 3rd for CJ in a heart beat. Is there anyone that wouldn't take that deal? RG3 and CJ in the backfield for years to come, in exchange for a Kirk Cousins and a couple picks? Kasper, my good friend, frustration abounds this time of year, but this deal is horribly misguided.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Cotton Fitzsimmons

[JohnC]

I get so tired of reading how Fitz has a "huge contract". This must be from people who don't understand football and should probably write about something else. Fact is, he is being paid commensurate for exactly what he is, which is an average starting QB in the NFL. That is the going rate for one of those. The fact that he is being asked to do way too much is not his fault, its a flawed gameplan. Lets stop this nonsense that Fitz is being paid like Brady, Manning or Breed. He's not. He is being paid for what he is, an average starting QB, which is what his numbers suggest he is and what his play suggests he is.

 

Fitz is getting paid as an average starting qb, something he is not. He is a useful backup, nothing more.

[Stealth]

1. Get a new owner

 

2. Build a new stadium

 

3. Spend money on a legit front office

 

4. Spend money on a coaching staff

 

5. Don't micromanage. Let the money people worry about money. Let the football people worry about football

 

6. Draft a qb of the future (even if this takes 100 tries keep trying)

 

7. Don't self inflict holes and use draft picks to replace the holes when they leave. Instead keep your upper echelon players, and draft to fill depth.

[KeisterHollow]

Wow - it shouldn't surprise me that there are as many varying ideas for a turn around as there are posters! Some are extreme, some not so much, but most all agree that we need to hire a new H.C., O.C, and D.C., and the assistants that follow. So, we can mostly all agree a new coaching staff should be found.

 

After that, however, I don't believe we need to blow up the entire team. And, I don't believe a new H.C. and staff would necessarily need time to build a "winner" here. However - this depends on how good a job Buddy Nix can do with the offseason. If Nix really does a good job, these are the things he could do to produce an immediate turn around (and, we should all recognize his talk about continuity as important as just an excuse - continuity should only occur if the H.C. is good enough to win with; Gailey has proven too often he is the CAUSE of our losses, more than not):

 

1. Nix should Fire Gailey and Co., and find a young, strong minded, talented H.C. with a clear vision and an ability to get excellent coordinators.

2. Nix needs to come out of this draft with a talented starting MLB, QB, and 2nd WR option. Also, we should have young "project" talent added to LB, 2nd string QB, and O/D-lines.

3. Add, via F.A., whatever you can't get in the draft.

 

With a smarter Head Coach, a real NFL worthy defensive scheme, and a healthy O-line (when healthy we have one of the best O-lines in the NFL), adding a franchise QB, a big talented WR to compliment Stevie, having our RB's, and adding a star LB to our group, maybe another F.A. LB, and our offense and defense, personnel-wise, could be good enough, YEAR 1 of a new H.C.'s reign, to compete with anyone.

 

We're not too far off - that is important to remember. However, Nix might try to use that same logic to defend keeping Gailey, which is bad reasoning! Our player talent is good enough to win with without much more added - but our coaching staff has compounded our weaknesses, lost the belief of the players, and is simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH to compete with the really good coaching staffs around the league. That is our biggest weakness - and, as others have mentioned - it should be our first and greatest priority, and it should be considered that nothing gets done until the RIGHT coach is hired.

And, as to that last point - there is a benefit to firing the H.C. staff AS SOON AS THE SEASON ENDS - so that you get a jump on the coaching search. It is important not to let the best coaches get hired out under you...

[BuffBill]

Wow, 5 is so few!

 

New HC

New OC

New DC

New QB

New QB II

New LB

New LB II

New WR

 

That's 8 & I haven't mentioned Nix or O-line or D-line or DB.

 

Regarding the article...I'm not sure what playing Jackson does for the team making the playoffs next year. He's a FA and unless you think playing time over 2 meaningless games will make him want to stay I don't see the point. Personally I was calling for him week 4 I believe but it's too late now. And for the Jackson sucks contingent...what's Fitz gotten you? The choice should have been made very early between the devil you know (Fitzpatrick) and the devil you have preconceptions about. Gailey's stubborn streak will cost him his job (there's plenty of other reasons but this is #1).

I guess the part that leaves the most head scratching with Tarvaris Jackson, it is going to turn out that the Bills gave up a draft choice for a QB that will have never stepped on the field in a regular season game for them, not even one play? That alone should get Nix canned. Edited December 18, 2012 by BuffBill

[JohnC]

 

My only other additional comment would be that I've concluded many years ago that winning has never been a real priority of ownership. And the few era's of success the team experienced were more a result of dumb luck and random actions vs. any sort of plan to compete on the field. So its doubtful that Mr. Wilson, his heath in question, is going to 'see the light' at this point and do anything fundamentally different at this point in time. Reality may well be we're stuck with this infinite mediocrity until the time comes for a change at the top. A reality that I personnally find to be very depressing and hopeless taken from a fan's perspective.

 

Ralph Wilson considered the Bills as his cash cow and toy to play with. He had a particular business model and stuck to it. The few people who have been successful in managing his team were either fired or walked away from him and his tight fisted approach. Most people cite the firing of Polian as one of his biggest mistakes. Ranking with that blunder was not coming to terms with Chuck Know who in essence was both a HC and GM. The following quote is from his Wikepedia page.

 

"In his first year (under the new 16-game schedule), Knox led the Bills to a 5-11 mark. Just two years later, the Bills won the AFC East title with an 11-5 record, but dropped a close battle with the high-powered San Diego Chargers in the divisional playoffs. The following year, his team defeated the Jets in a wild card clash, but then fell to the Cincinnati Bengals. After a 4-5 strike-shortened season in 1982, Knox failed to come to terms on a new contract with team owner Ralph Wilson, and left to accept the head coaching position with the Seahawks on January 26, 1983."

[Buffalo Barbarian]

"The entire season has been a huge regression for a team with playoff aspirations. The easy schedule turned into a Herculean task that proved to be an epic failure for both the coaches and the players. The franchise QB has turned out to be a commoner with a King’s contract."

 

 

 

http://niagarahub.fa...y/nfl-football/

 

 

disagree with the last 2 points; forget the waiver wire get a two good FAs, that last game is very important to see who gets a higher draft pick - loser wins.

 

Just 5 things? We need more than that.

1. Clean house. Everyone in the front office and coaching staff except Whaley is gone.

2. Actually, really, this time, finally spend some $$$$ on a legit head coach. Not some bottom of the pile nobody else wants him scrub senior citizen.

3. I think Gruden would be a perfect fit for Buffalo. $20 mil year? Done. Build me a winner. He can pick his own staff. Money is no object.

4. Try and trade Fitzpatrick, if nobody wants him, cut him..

5. Cut or do not resign Merriman, Barnett, McGee, Kelsay, Scott, Wilson, Smith and whomever else the new staff thinks should go away.

6. They can get a ton for Spiller, trade him. Spiller is worth a #1, #2 and another pick or player. This would allow for #7.

7. Trade for Kirk Cousins. First? Done.

8. They gave Urbik an extension. Get Byrd & Levitre signed.

9. Free Agency: LB, S, WR, RB. Backup veteran QB not named Fitzpatrick and not from an Ivy League school and make sure he knows he's never starting unless there are injuries.

10. Draft: LB (2), TE, S, WR, RB, CB, QB. LB should be the #1 priority, I'd also like to see them get TE Eifert from ND.

11. Build your offense and defense around your talent. Don't try and have your talent run the offense and defense that you want. Bills should have run the ball 40 times a game not throw it 40 times a game, Their defensive schemes were a giant joke.

12. Either pray or sell your soul for a winning team.

 

... sung to the tune of 12 dayof Christmas

[KeisterHollow]

I was just reading another post and something occured to me: We all, for the most part, want to see Gailey fired and a new coaching staff brought in. Yet, many of us fear Nix will give Gailey another year to turn things around. Well, when a new coach goes to a team, often times that coach prefers to draft his own QB to run his own scheme. Now, if Nix intends on giving Gailey one more year, and Nix also intends on drafting the Bill's next franchise QB this offseason, doesn't it make more sense to spend that draft pick (most likely a 1st or high 2nd round pick) on a QB AFTER you have made your decision on a Head Coach? It just seems like another bad misuse of resources, and awful lack of foresight, to spend that high draft pick on a QB who the next Head Coach might not want. I think this is just the right reason to tip the scales, as far as Nix should be concerned, on firing Gailey as soon as the season is done.

[Clippers of Nfl]

First on point #3... YE OLE would actually love to see Gruden here. That said, he was Ralph's first choice last go around and reportedly was offered a ridiculous amount of money then and declined. Not saying he wouldn't accept a ridiculous amount of money now to come here, but I have my doubts.

 

As for #6/#7... you're essentially willing to trade Spiller for Cousins and a 2nd rounder? Cousins is a perfectly nice chap, and he may turn into a very good NFL QB. It's entirely possible. But at this point, Cousins was drafted in the 4th round and has thrown 48 passes in the NFL. Spiller on the other hand may be the only talent on this team that would make a big name coach consider taking this job right now. The man is averaging 6.5 YPC, is the second fastest RB ever to 1000 yards, and is faster than everyone else on the field. As much as many of us hated the pick at the time, he is showing that he very well be a "generational" type talent.

 

If I'm Washington, and we were even considering such a thing, I'd cut out the middle man in your scenario and send Cousins, a 2nd, and a 3rd for CJ in a heart beat. Is there anyone that wouldn't take that deal? RG3 and CJ in the backfield for years to come, in exchange for a Kirk Cousins and a couple picks? Kasper, my good friend, frustration abounds this time of year, but this deal is horribly misguided.

Well said.

 

Trading spiller is like trading luck, brees, peyton manning, barry sanders, marshall faulk, etc.

 

Who would trade their best player? Oh wait the bills did it when we had lynch.

[Like A Mofo]

ONLY moves that matter:

 

Remove the Owner. Remove Littman, Overdorf and the Cronies.

 

Anything else, you can list 500 things. IT WILL NOT MATTER

[Dennis in NC]

Gailey is a bad coach whose fallback position is conservatism. If he had tried the two-pointer, the field goal or went for it on 4th and 7 and failed, most Bills’ fans would have at least felt that their team went down swinging. Instead, they tucked their tail between their legs and walked gingerly into the postseason protecting what is left of their ever-shrinking scrotums.

 

http://niagarahub.com/2012/12/10/bills-thrills-bills-don-their-gailey-off-season-apparel/

 

A nice quote about the 15-12 loss to the Rams (from my new favorite Bills writer!)

[ChevyVanMiller]

http://niagarahub.co...season-apparel/

 

A nice quote about the 15-12 loss to the Rams (from my new favorite Bills writer!)

 

[Dennis in NC]

There comes a time when an organization after more than a generation of failure has to change course. Why continue with the same tired approach that hasn't worked? Isn't it time to do something out of character and something other successful franchises do? Why not try to Infuse this backwater organization with some youth and new ideas. Nix is old school. His reluctance to make it a priority to pursue the best qb prospect he can right from the start demonstrates to me that he doesn't understand the importance of the position in the NFL of today.

 

Thank you, John, for articulating this point. I wish there were some way the Bills organization (or lack of same?) could take your sound advice to heart.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

1) I'd keep Russ Brandon too, he's not the problem in any way. When he was trying to play GM, yes bad fit, but thta wasn't his fault he was thrown into that position.

 

3) I'm not sure if 20$ mil would even work at this point.

 

4) Actually I'd be fine with keeping Fitz to groom rookie. Really dubt he'd have any trade value and by today's contract value $59 mil isn't killing them. I don't see him as the type who'd pout or cause disruptions if not the starter. Let him earn his money being a player/sudo QB coach, think he'd be good in that role.

 

6) Interesting idea, if they could pull that off I'd be all for it.

 

7) It's somewhat risky move as haven't seen much of KC, but may be best option.

 

11) I do think they still have a talented def line in spite of how it's looked all year.

 

Just 5 things? We need more than that.

1. Clean house. Everyone in the front office and coaching staff except Whaley is gone.

2. Actually, really, this time, finally spend some $$$$ on a legit head coach. Not some bottom of the pile nobody else wants him scrub senior citizen.

3. I think Gruden would be a perfect fit for Buffalo. $20 mil year? Done. Build me a winner. He can pick his own staff. Money is no object.

4. Try and trade Fitzpatrick, if nobody wants him, cut him..

5. Cut or do not resign Merriman, Barnett, McGee, Kelsay, Scott, Wilson, Smith and whomever else the new staff thinks should go away.

6. They can get a ton for Spiller, trade him. Spiller is worth a #1, #2 and another pick or player. This would allow for #7.

7. Trade for Kirk Cousins. First? Done.

8. They gave Urbik an extension. Get Byrd & Levitre signed.

9. Free Agency: LB, S, WR, RB. Backup veteran QB not named Fitzpatrick and not from an Ivy League school and make sure he knows he's never starting unless there are injuries.

10. Draft: LB (2), TE, S, WR, RB, CB, QB. LB should be the #1 priority, I'd also like to see them get TE Eifert from ND.

11. Build your offense and defense around your talent. Don't try and have your talent run the offense and defense that you want. Bills should have run the ball 40 times a game not throw it 40 times a game, Their defensive schemes were a giant joke.

12. Either pray or sell your soul for a winning team.

[thewildrabbit]

all of our problems would be solved if we had an upper echelon QB

 

all of it.

 

look at how bad the patriots defense has been for years now. they're horrible. they don't have standout runners or even a great O-line anymore

 

but a great qb makes them all look good. see what Luck and RG and Wilson and Peyton have done for their teams in ONE year? massive turnarounds in one draft pick, or one FA signing.

No, they wouldn't!! Finding a Tom Brady-Drew Brees- Andrew Luck- Peyton Manning is like finding hens teeth! Ever see hens teeth?

 

First of all Buddy Nix stated he wasn't going to select a QB unless he could get a top tier "franchise" QB in the draft. So none were available to the bills the last 3 years, so they bypassed a QB.

 

Look at the teams that selected Colin Kaepernick, Andy Dalton, Russell Wilson and look at those QB's. None were graded to be top tier and yet all three are playing like they are. Its because of the team that is built around them. Their supporting cast is good enough to allow them to win. With Wilson, Kaepernick they have a top run game and defense which helps immensely to win games. The Bengals have the defense but instead of a top run game they have one of the very best WR's in the league in AJ Green.

 

The Bills don't need a premier QB to win, all they needed was a smart GM to find the proper players. A Smart head coach to know how to utilize his players. Buddy Nix is a dufas, the man he hired as HC is a dufas and the DC is the biggest dufas of all.

 

A better defense this year could have helped this team win more games. Instead Gailey hired an old friend who is clearly lost his ability to setup a proper defensive scheme and call plays. Dave Wannstedt took a team with more player talent then Jauron, Fewell or George Edwards had on it and made it worse. Kind of unbelievable to me, nonetheless true.

 

Chan Gailey, a supposed QB guru can't get anyone but Ryan Fitzpatrick to run his offense. Not Trent Edwards, Not Brian Brohm, Not Levi Brown, Not Vince Young, Not Tavaris Jackson, Not Tyler Thigpen, Not Brad Smith. one of EIGHT!

 

The Bills possess two of the very best running backs in the game and yet this HC would prefer to constantly throw the ball with a sub par, broken QB, then run it with his super star RB's!

 

 

This team doesn't need another mediocre GM / HC. This team needs to find the right men who are smart enough to do their jobs properly!

 

Like the Atlanta Falcons did with HC Mike Smith, GM Tomas Dimitroff

Like the San Francisco 49ers did with Jim Harbaugh.

Like the Denver Broncos did with John Fox,

Like the Seattle Seahawks did with Pete Carroll.

Like the New England Patriots did with Bill Belichick.

Like the Green Bay Packers did with Mike McCarthy.

Like the New Orleans Saints did with Sean Payton

Like the NY Giants did with Tom Coughlin

 

Like the Indianapolis Colts did with Chuck Pagano

Like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did with Greg Schiano -he will do better next year

Like the St Louis Rams did with Jeff Fisher- he will do better next year

Edited December 19, 2012 by FeartheLosing

[JohnC]

Thank you, John, for articulating this point. I wish there were some way the Bills organization (or lack of same?) could take your sound advice to heart.

 

I don't want to sound mean spirited because that is not my intention but having an owner who is approaching 95 yrs old is an absurdity in itself. If you are grossly incompetent when you are in your 50s-60s-70s-80s and 90s then what are the prospects for innovation and creativity for a losing staid organization with the same owner?

Edited December 19, 2012 by JohnC