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Realistically, how many years of rebuilding do we have left?


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They just got the new lease which gives them more money and more stadium improvements. They can't threaten to move now for a few years. There will be a new owner and a new stadium by 2019. There is no incentive for people to keep spending money and buying tickets for the next few years unless they are actually good. Best thing they could do now is to clean house and start over again. It really doesn't take 3 to 5 years to rebuild anymore. They have to spend serious money on a GM and a coach and get a young QB early in the draft. Put quality people in charge and get a QB and they could be a playoff team by 2014. Fitz is a goner. No need to even speculate on that. Chan, Wanny and Nix all have to go or else we will see more of the same next year.

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To make the playoffs? Not many. Maybe just one. I can trace this seasons failure to a handful of plays. Correct them and we are 9-7 or even 10-6. We have the talent. We lack the discipline to execute. That points to coaching. A stronger armed QB would help too.

 

PTR

Edited by PromoTheRobot
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To make the playoffs? Not many. Maybe just one. I can trace this seasons failure to a handful of plays. Correct them and we are 9-7 or even 10-6. We have the talent. We lack the discipline to execute. That points to coaching. A stronger armed QB would help too.

 

PTR

Yes - With the right leadership, addition of a strategic player or two and a bit of luck, there is no reason playoffs are not realistic next year. At the start of this year, on paper, we were thought to be better than at least two of this years playoff teams, (Washington and Seattle)....

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I think to truly answer that question, we have to wait and see what changes are made to the GM, Head Coach, Coaching Staff and Quarterback positions. If they make some changes, and the changes turn out to be good ones, we may see the playoffs in a year or two, maybe three. If no changes are made, we may be in for another decade or so, as it appears to be a never ending rebuilding cycle.

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It can turn around in a matter of seconds, firing the current regime, and hiring a quality GM like Bill Polian and a winning coach like John Gruden. Look at the Colts record last year than see where they are this year.

I worry that bringing in retreads won't result in success. Gruden hadn't coached in years. Polian at least was successful until recently with the Colts, though the whole thing with his son makes me concerned.

 

How often does bringing back the "oldies" work? Shanahan? How much is him and how much is RGIII? I think we need to go young.

 

PTR

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I worry that bringing in retreads won't result in success. Gruden hadn't coached in years. Polian at least was successful until recently with the Colts, though the whole thing with his son makes me concerned.

 

How often does bringing back the "oldies" work? Shanahan? How much is him and how much is RGIII? I think we need to go young.

 

PTR

 

Well, since Shanahan made Snyder pull the trigger for RG3 and then built his offense around RG3....

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Well, since Shanahan made Snyder pull the trigger for RG3 and then built his offense around RG3....

People lose sight that Washington's isn't just all RGIII or Shanahan, and not taking anything away from either, would be amazing to have them in Buffalo. But, when they hired Shanahan, they also hired a GM with a proven track record, and also drafted a running back who is 2nd or 3rd in the NFL in rushing. Our GM couldn't hit on two picks in one draft if he had the luckiest day in his life. Edited by BuffBill
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To make the playoffs? Not many. Maybe just one. I can trace this seasons failure to a handful of plays. Correct them and we are 9-7 or even 10-6. We have the talent. We lack the discipline to execute. That points to coaching. A stronger armed QB would help too.

 

PTR

 

How about trading for Alex Smith and hiring David Shaw (or Greg Roman, SF's OC) as HC? I assume Shaw has the same, or extremely similiar, scheme as Harbaugh and Alex Smith knows that scheme and played extremely well in it. That would allow use our strengths, our RBs and OL, as they are run heavy coaches. I think we make the playoffs next year with those two, simple, moves being made.

Edited by peterpan
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two processes always going on

 

1. getting more talented through the draft, free agency, and the development of young players

 

2. getting less talented through age, injury, bad personal decisions, and free agency

 

you're only rebuilding if the former is moving in a faster pace then the later- Jackson, Wilson, Barnett to name a few all have declined and could go into an even steeper decline next year- so while I'd like to think to think of us rebuilding next year it's just as likely that we will lose overall talent next year.

 

Thank You! This is the biggest problem with Buffalo these past 15 plus years - the "rebuilds" have always gone on too long, because the coaching wasn't there, and the talent we'd assembled from high first round picks, and good drafting (when it happened) hit F.A. - and, we simply cannot afford to pay a bunch of top salaries, especially when we're not close. Add to that age, declining abilities, and there is always a sort of window for a team, before it has to reload, dump players, and start over with a new "core" group.

 

I've said it before - if we don't get a good coach in here soon, like next year, we will again hit the point where guys like Spiller, Dareus, Byrd, etc., begin to go elsewhere, and we need to "rebuild" some more. The up and down nature of the NFL allows for quick rebuilds, but if you miss your window, it makes it much harder for a few years.

 

We should all be clear - it isn't the players who are failing us. The Bills have the same type of players as the rest of the NFL. The difference between us and the good teams is coaching. We don't have a coaching staff that is SMART enough, or GOOD enough, to compete with the top coaches. That is strategy alone! That doesn't speak to preparation, or management, or anything else, like motivation. You bring in a Bellicheck, or a Harbough brother, and this team is a 10 win team.

 

If Gailey remains here next year, the team is just as good as wasted. He isn't he man to bring this team where it needs to be, and we've all seen it, even the players, and we all know it. You can't make the players forget that their coach is no good - they already know it.

 

LOOSERS REBUILD, WINNERS WIN. LETS START WINNING.

 

Yes! That mentality says it ALL! You take a coach (or GM, as it were) who walks into a new team and says, "it's going to take a few years, but be patient!", is a guy who DOESN'T think he can win NOW - so, he says, we're "rebuilding", and there is an excuse. Now, contrast that to a coach who walks into any team situation and says, "We're all professionals, we're all men with the same abilities to run, catch, jump, block, etc. - if anyone else can do it, then so can we. We are not handicapped. We are not inferior. We will go out and execute our game plan and we will win!"

 

You see - the latter mentality looks for reasons and ways to win now. The former, as we have seen here, acts as if the team they inherit is handicapped, or not as good - and that perception hurts more than anywhere else in the locker room. As soon as players begin to think they can use their own limitations as an excuse - they simply CANNOT win, they aren't GOOD ENOUGH, then they'll lose and believe its because the other team is BETTER. That IS THE LOSING MENTALITY that all BILLS FANS are SICK OF!!! We need a coach who is good enough, confident enough, to go to battle with anyone.

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People lose sight that Washington's isn't just all RGIII or Shanahan, and not taking anything away from either, would be amazing to have them in Buffalo. But, when they hired Shanahan, they also hired a GM with a proven track record, and also drafted a running back who is 2nd or 3rd in the NFL in rushing.

They also signed Pierre Garcon in the off season and already had Santana Moss. Nothing helps a QB like good WRs. If you get a young QB you also gotta get good WRs for him to throw to.

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Ironic that you mention luck because that's what RW referenced in a press conference he gave to introduce Nix 3 year ago. Now, I realize that yes, luck is involved, but it's nothing you fall back on.

 

http://profootballta...ess-conference/

 

Finally, Bills owner Ralph Wilson seemed to appeal for a change in mojo in Buffalo:

 

“Number one, we’ve got be lucky,” Wilson said. “That’s my philosophy. That’s with anything you’re doing.”

 

I said luck because I don't think the Bills FO will ever be competent enough under Wilson to get it right. They'll have to fall ass backward into success.

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Ironic that you mention luck because that's what RW referenced in a press conference he gave to introduce Nix 3 year ago. Now, I realize that yes, luck is involved, but it's nothing you fall back on.

 

http://profootballta...ess-conference/

 

Finally, Bills owner Ralph Wilson seemed to appeal for a change in mojo in Buffalo:

 

“Number one, we’ve got be lucky,” Wilson said. “That’s my philosophy. That’s with anything you’re doing.”

Isn't that what the Colts basically did last year? Fall back on Luck? j/k

 

Who knows, thast the thing. I could be as soon as next year if things go right, or if they decided to blow everything up again like everyone wants, it could be many years from now. Building a successful football team isn't an exact science. Theres many different ways of doing it, and it depends what your end goal is. Do you want something thats going to win now and continue to win, or go for broke this year and start over again next? And yes, Luck is a huge part in all of sports when it comes to success and rebuilding. The Raiders and 49ers both were "lucky" enough to get the 1st overall pick and be able to take the best player available one year. They got Jamarcus Russell and Alex Smith. The Colts get the chance to draft 1st over all twice and they get Manning and Luck. The pats were lucky enough to take a flyer on a guy named Brady in the 6th round one year

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Have always recognized that a QB is an integral part of the team, but Trent Dilfer was always the best argument for "you don't have to have a great QB". More and more I'm thinking that was just an anomolly that should not ever be used to bolster that argument.

 

The Colts, Broncos, Redskins, Seahawks all have something in common that has sent them in a positive direction this year. They all made the commitment to improve their QB position with someone other than a journeyman signal caller that is "just adequate".

 

Look what happened when Cinci finally found their QB. Brees, Matt Ryan, Schaub, have had similar effects on turning their teams around. By the same token, teams like the Packers have maintained their status as a playoff contender with a good sucesstion plan, having replaced one HOF Qb )Favre) with someone (Rogers) to make the transition seamlessly.

 

Meanwhile teams like the Bills, Browns, KC, et al continue to "settle" for 2nd tier talent as they endlessly "build" their teams.

 

I've always thought you build from the trenches outward, but I don't think in this pass-happy NFL a team will succeed without a superior QB.

 

Fitzpatrick is a very likeable guy, but he's not a top tier QB that will win those 3 or 4 close ones for you.

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