I'm afraid the Bills defense is gonna suck

[OnTheRocks]

If the Offense is succesful in the next year or two....this team is going to have to invest a ton of money in keeping McGahee, Losman, Evans, and even Parrish if he pans out and even Mike Williams. (although he is going to have to re-work his deal after this year and will br wrapped up long term.)

 

There won't be any money to keep anyone on Defense.

[MadBuffaloDisease]

If the Offense is succesful in the next year or two....this team is going to have to invest a ton of money in keeping McGahee, Losman, Evans, and even Parrish if he pans out and even Mike Williams.  (although he is going to have to re-work his deal after this year and will br wrapped up long term.)

 

There won't be any money to keep anyone on Defense.

Rudy? Is that you?

 

These guys are all signed for at least 4 more years. Don't sweat it yet.

[eball]

If the Offense is succesful in the next year or two....this team is going to have to invest a ton of money in keeping McGahee, Losman, Evans, and even Parrish if he pans out and even Mike Williams.  (although he is going to have to re-work his deal after this year and will br wrapped up long term.)

 

There won't be any money to keep anyone on Defense.

351421[/snapback]

 

geez...what a post. well, think about it this way. with a terrific defense the bills haven't made the playoffs the past two seasons. how about we let the bills have some success before we worry about how to manage it?

[OBXBILLSFAN]

I think age on defense will become as big, or even bigger, an issue as free agency. We're going to have to draft or acquire some younger guys real soon. We've drafted mostly offensive players the last few years.

[Matt in KC]

With all these 3 and 4 year deals, it seems like a third or fourth of the team is at risk of being lost every year! When will the madness end? How can we remain competitive with the constant burden of retaining players and signing new rookies?

 

Maybe we need to decide right now who's good, and lock them up for as much time as we know they have left in them as quality players, and find a way to keep the ones we're less certain of RFAs so we can cut ties with them if we want, or can retain them, without all of the financial obligation....

 

Nothing unusual is happening, nor do we have any reason to be more concerned than any other year. But, you're right, we are likely going to see the pendulum swing back to being worried about the defense now that we have inested in the core offensive positions.

[stuckincincy]

The Sunday sports section here said that PHG has 7 players with 1 year left on their contracts, and they're only talking with Ward. It didn't say who the others were.

[Adam]

If the Offense is succesful in the next year or two....this team is going to have to invest a ton of money in keeping McGahee, Losman, Evans, and even Parrish if he pans out and even Mike Williams.  (although he is going to have to re-work his deal after this year and will br wrapped up long term.)

 

There won't be any money to keep anyone on Defense.

351421[/snapback]

 

You think thats bad- eventually the flying monkeys from Oz will break in and steal my computer....what will I do then!

[Buffal0 Bill5]

We should just cut them all now so we dont have to endure the agony. Maybe if we ask really nice the Cowboys will give us Drew back, and hey we still have Travis Henry, If we get Peerless a bionic eye we could get hime real cheap.

[OnTheRocks]

These guys are all signed for at least 4 more years.  Don't sweat it yet.

351422[/snapback]

 

 

and NFL teams never cut top players with high contracts do they?

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

Folks are flat out right in saying lets have some success before we make a bunch of precipitous moves managing it. Its true that the FOLKS IN CHARGE need to think about the future and possibilities like the one raised, However, there is a long way between thinking about the future (legit) and acting precipitously to manage it (not legit) until we have some success with W/Ls and there is something to manage.

 

Right now the first step is to answer the question why we have fallen short in the W/L area.

 

My answers are:

 

1. TD's first coaching hire GW was well suited to design and run a D, and also well suited to be an AA for a guy running a team with his lists and contacts. However, he was not up to running a team in terms of his sense of the game and his offensive understanding and confidence.

 

After getting canned by Cowher, TD wanted a guy he could beat if push came to shove over who was in charge and GW was that guy, but he did not have the security to hire guys capable of running an O on their own (as seen by his hiring of a bunch of guys like Sheppard and Vinky with less experience than him and advocating for a competent in the short-run but wounded duck like Killdrive as Sheppard's replacement.

 

TD failed with GW in that he seemed content with allowing GW to fail as long as GW took the blame rather than insisting on his better judgement (TD advocatd for hiring Clements as OC to replace Sheppard after he failed to step in when GW put together an obviously underexprienced staff, but gave in to the GW choice of wounded Killdrive) and running the risk of getting blamed if his judgment failed.

 

2. TD also made a mistake in restructuring and extending Bledsoe's deal. Drew can still be a productive QB as shown by:

 

A. He was a great back-up to Tom Brady and played an essential role in NE's 2001 season SB run by QBing the majority of a must-win game in the AFC championship and even better gracefully stepped out of the way rather than throwing the usual athlete's hissy fit when BB went back to the better QB Brady for their SB game.

B. He proved very productive and merited his reserve Pro Bowl nod in 2002 with his on the field play for the Bills (if you think he did not then who do you think was better than him that was left off the Pro Bowl squad for him) until opponents got enough tape on a Bledsoe run O Killdrive stupidly refused to change and BB provided a roadmap on how to beat a Bledsoe led Bills team.

C. Bledsoe flat out was non-productive in 2003, but Clements really got a lot more productivity out of Bledsoe last year using some good Bledsoe play fake ability (as on fleaflickers with WM and Evans) and even used "the statue" with not great but good enough success as a runner on QB draw plays that played a key role (along with the outside threat of WM and adult OL training from JMac) to really improve Bledsoe's performanc from horrendous in 2003 up to being merely inadequate in 2004.

 

Bledsoe still has something left and improved, but still cannot be part of a winner without the ST and the D playing a co-equal (and actually more important) leading role in carrying the team to victory. Bledsoe is capable of being a good cog in the wheel, but is not capable of leading a team to a win if the ST plays poorly (as the Bills did against Pitts with Lindell missing a chip shot and Clements getting a TD. but also fumbling a punt) or the D is going to let a scrun gain over 100 yards.

 

The good news for the Bills is that TD appears to have rectified the one error by hiring MM to replace GW and may have rectified (and has a good shot of this yougster being a non-relied upon like Bledsoe) at JP even as a first year starter equal to good/bad of Bledsoe.

 

The two main TD problems appear to be addressed and new issues come up (losing our starting LT and Phat Pat) but for the most part their is actually contract stability here thos year and for the forseeable future. First things first and what happens to the D in a couple of years is down the pike.

[MadBuffaloDisease]

and NFL teams never cut top players with high contracts do they?

Eh?

[Mark VI]

We don't have to wait 2 years for this thread title to suck. It's an instant classic.

 

Welcome to the cap age where GM's have to work OT to maintain a good roster with such high turnover. I give Coaching a lot more credit than player ratings on a Madden game. Who's to say we won't have credible replacements ? Would you say the same thing if Belichick was our Coach ?

 

Do some here actively seek out ulcers and imaginary doom ?

[jarthur31]

If the Offense is succesful in the next year or two....this team is going to have to invest a ton of money in keeping McGahee, Losman, Evans, and even Parrish if he pans out and even Mike Williams.  (although he is going to have to re-work his deal after this year and will br wrapped up long term.)

 

There won't be any money to keep anyone on Defense.

351421[/snapback]

 

I pointed this out after we cut "The Statue". By the time JP gets a grip on the NFL game, our current defense will be on the decline. Let's hope for great drafts that see us replace the older vets w/o losing much on that side of the ball.

 

Of course, I've already come to the realization that our defense was not as good I thought it was after the Pitt game. They totally stunk it up against their scrubs at HOME!!!

[Coach Tuesday]

One of the great things about the Bills' 4-6 "hybrid" defense is that it doesn't depend on any one or two players. Rather, it relies on numbers and speed to generate pressure. While you need quality players to execute the system (see: 2001), you don't need to overpay for a stud LDE, for example.

 

All of this is a long-winded way of saying that I think the Bills are in good shape with their coaching staff, drafting history, and philosophy on D, and that as long as they continue to find quality draftees to fit into their system (like Kelsay, McGee), they don't need to worry too much.

[Nanker]

I'm looking for Tim Anderson to be like Phil Hansen - only on the inside.

Phil was a player. I think Anderson will be too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team strength comes up the middle in most sports and in Foosball it's essential.

 

 

The Bills will be velly velly good for several years to come, though I still wonder who Jerry Gray is grooming as his successor. All the great ones do that. He's certainly going about it quietly if he is doing it at all. He came here with a big bang and lots of noise about how he wants to become a HC someday SOON. For my money, I'd take Ted Cottrell back in a heartbeat - not that that would happen. We've been spoiled though by great DCs in the recent past. I think Wade was by far the absolute best we've ever had. Gray isn't a pimple on Wade's ass IMHO. Ooops! I've done it again!

[MartyBall4Buffalo]

One of the great things about the Bills' 4-6 "hybrid" defense is that it doesn't depend on any one or two players.  Rather, it relies on numbers and speed to generate pressure.  While you need quality players to execute the system (see: 2001), you don't need to overpay for a stud LDE, for example.

 

All of this is a long-winded way of saying that I think the Bills are in good shape with their coaching staff, drafting history, and philosophy on D, and that as long as they continue to find quality draftees to fit into their system (like Kelsay, McGee), they don't need to worry too much.

351686[/snapback]

 

 

I have 2 concerns about the future of our defense. They rely heavily on having solid lb's . It's how we generate most of the pressure on d with the zone blitz. Crowell, Hagan, Stamer two of these guys have to start showing they can play, and start pushing posey and even fletcher for playing time by the end of the season and show that they can step in as starters if need be.

 

 

My other concern is our secondary. While it's obviousily very good right now, Clements contract is up after this year, Mcgee will be a rfa, thomas is a solid #3, but after that it's all question marks. None of them strike me as guys we can count on if by some sad fate we lose clements. Our safeties are another issue. While i think under the tutelage of troy vincent that Rashad Baker will eventually turn out to be a good fs, he showed flashes of his skill last year, ss is a question mark. Wire is a marginal at best ss. Horrible in coverage, good st's player. Depth and future productivity by the secondary seems to be the biggest issue that I can see with how well our defense will be in the future.

 

With that said I agree we seem to be in good shape with our draft history philosophy on d and solid coaching.

[BADOLBILZ]

Of course, I've already come to the realization that our defense was not as good I thought it was after the Pitt game.  They totally stunk it up against their scrubs at HOME!!!   

351630[/snapback]

 

They've been dissected by some of the better offenses in the league in the past two seasons. Unexpected stinkers like the game at Miami last year will happen, but coming up small repeatedly in "big games" has been a problem.

 

They needed to get better, and they might yet, but the margin for error was reduced in losing Pat Williams. They are pretty solid at LB and DB, but they need improvement from Kelsay, Schobel, Edwards and Anderson. It will be tough for Big Sam to repeat last years play at his age, but they need him healthy and firing off the ball from snap one. Hopefully, Troy Vincent will become an All-Pro calliber FS as well. I do wish they had made an effort to find someone to push Posey and bring some fresh to this rather staid lineup. They talk a lot about having competition in camp, but doesn't look like there will be much change beyond Pat Williams and Izell Reese to me.

[jarthur31]

One of the great things about the Bills' 4-6 "hybrid" defense is that it doesn't depend on any one or two players.  Rather, it relies on numbers and speed to generate pressure.  While you need quality players to execute the system (see: 2001), you don't need to overpay for a stud LDE, for example.

 

All of this is a long-winded way of saying that I think the Bills are in good shape with their coaching staff, drafting history, and philosophy on D, and that as long as they continue to find quality draftees to fit into their system (like Kelsay, McGee), they don't need to worry too much.

351686[/snapback]

 

You're assuming that Gray stays on for an indefinite number of years. That ain't gonna happen.