By the way, you Armchair GMs,

[LaDairis]

No question that Big Mike is likely to have the same issues at OG that Justin had in preseason. It is actually easier to switch from OG to OT than vice-versa. Just simply adding his height, weight, and Draft selection and coming up with an assumption that Big Mike will be the next great OG may not jive with reality. Sunday should provide an answer, as Bennie needs to be canned, and the Bills need Big Mike to earn his money somewhere.

[Mikie2times]

"If a guy is playing a position in a back up role, and the team decides to move over a Starter from a different spot, that tells me Geisinger isn't NFL ready yet."

You are someone who makes a lot of assumptions, trusting the coaches as unimpeachable.

 

The Bills clearly are not happy with Mike.  They have a lot of cash invested in Mike, and his future as an OT with the Bills could very well be over.  The coaches may just want to look at Mike at OG to see if there is something worth keeping there.  I would not conclude that Justin "is not ready" because of that.  The coaches may even think that, but that doesn't make it correct, it just makes it their opinion, as it was their opinion that Bennie was the answer at ORG for $5 mil, and their opinion was a tad off on that even with years of Ravens film to study.  The FO and the coaches make errors.  Paying up for Bennie and Drafting Big Mike were two of them.  Passing over Randy Starks and Sean Locklear for Tim Anderson was another.  Wait until you see Justin play, and then make "your" opinion based on that observation, and not what some reporter or coach says about that.

497230[/snapback]

 

I'm am making a lot of assumptions, I agree with that, but that is all I really have to measure the progress of our rookies. Late picks are known to silently disappear from your roster, and usually if they pan out you at least hear about them making some noise. I haven't heard anything on Justin yet, but given your analysis, and him having to switch positions, it might take a little while for his talents to shine threw. I'm really hoping he pans out as he sounds like a great player, with a good head on his shoulders.

[Kelly the Dog]

I'm am making a lot of assumptions, I agree with that, but that is all I really have to measure the progress of our rookies. Late picks are known to silently disappear from your roster, and usually if they pan out you at least hear about them making some noise. I haven't heard anything on Justin yet, but given your analysis, and him having to switch positions, it might take a little while for his talents to shine threw. I'm really hoping he pans out as he sounds like a great player, with a good head on his shoulders.

497237[/snapback]

I would not doubt that aren't thrilled with Mike but this to me, on first blush, isn't about Mike, it's about Bennie and Jason. You cannot ask Peters to now work at LG, and he is not the mauler that MW is. It seems to me that they want the best five players on the field, and the combination of getting rid of the worst (Bennie) and adding Peters where he can play, tackle, makes the best combination. It makes sense for a big fat guy with a bad ankle to play on the inside, and the healthy one with the athletic ability to play on the outside.

[d_wag]

Kendrick Vincent, who the Ravens signed to replace Bennie, has also been awful. 

497102[/snapback]

 

are you basing this on what you've seen or what you've read? do you have a link to support this?

 

by the way, how are mike wahle and marco rivera doing?? you know, the guys the bills ignored and never made an effort to sign??

[Mark VI]

Who gives a damn about Bennie Anderson.....what about the whole team he has signed.....how exactly have they fared since Ole Tommy Boy has taken over.....oh, that's right........no playoff berths. 

 

Anderson is just one in a glut of failures under the Donahoe watch. 

 

Amazing how many people accept this crap team we have.  Oh how far we've fallen as a franchise.

497148[/snapback]

 

No one here accepts it. I attempt intelligent discourse when posting. The Bills record is nothing I can control, as a simple fan.

 

We just refuse to whine like a jackass in every post.

[GG]

Your taking one out of 9 potential picks, and saying the pick for Willis (Arguably TD’s best selection ever) is the one in which we must have used to find our LG. I'm saying any of the first day picks from 03-05 could have been used, not just the pick we took Willis at.  I don't see Smith, Tucker, or Andersons as legitimate solutions at LG, and hoping one would work out is not just a failed solution, but not a solution at all. 

 

I'm talking about a legitimate replacement,  meaning either an average to top tier FA, or a pick in the first 3 rounds of the draft.  After that you need to get lucky in order to make it work, and as you have pointed out we have tried to get lucky several times and failed.  A guy drafted in the first 3 round may not work out either, but at the very least I could argue that TD has made a serious attempt to upgrade that position, as it stands I can't make that argument.

497210[/snapback]

 

Even if you look at the picks after McGahee, there isn't a who's who list of NFL guards in the lot, and many are at the same level as the three we list, who are discounted as not legitimate solutions at LG. Would you seriously consider trading up to draft a G, since it is probably the easiest spot to fill on the OL?

[Dan III]

I would not doubt that aren't thrilled with Mike but this to me, on first blush, isn't about Mike, it's about Bennie and Jason. You cannot ask Peters to now work at LG, and he is not the mauler that MW is. It seems to me that they want the best five players on the field, and the combination of getting rid of the worst (Bennie) and adding Peters where he can play, tackle, makes the best combination. It makes sense for a big fat guy with a bad ankle to play on the inside, and the healthy one with the athletic ability to play on the outside.

497238[/snapback]

Great post.

[Orton's Arm]

Would you seriously consider trading up to draft a G, since it is probably the easiest spot to fill on the OL?

497374[/snapback]

If it's such an easy spot to fill, why hasn't TD filled it?

[PromoTheRobot]

I know no one remembers anything from last week much less 4 years ago, but I don't recall too many people questioning the pick of Mike Williams back when he was drafted. There was some debate whether Bryan McKinnie was better, but the feeling was either pick was cant-miss. Turns out both Williams and McKinnie have underperformed. I don't see how TD can be blamed for drafting Mike Williams. We needed O-line help and he was considered a stud then.

 

PTR

[KOKBILLS]

TD has rightly drawn a ton of criticism for signing Bennie Anderson.  FYI, in case you missed it, the other two "finalists" for our LG spot are both struggling mightily this season and wouldn't have been any better.

 

Rick DeMulling, who signed with Detroit who outbid us at the last minute, has been benched for the last 3 weeks in favor of a rookie, and may be cut this week:

 

http://www.mlive.com/lions/stories/index.s...0340.xml&coll=1

 

Kendrick Vincent, who the Ravens signed to replace Bennie, has also been awful. 

 

It's not an easy job, folks.

497102[/snapback]

 

Well maybe TD/TM should have Drafted a decent OG in the past 4 years or so then...

[Orton's Arm]

I know no one remembers anything from last week much less 4 years ago, but I don't recall too many people questioning the pick of Mike Williams back when he was drafted.  There was some debate whether Bryan McKinnie was better, but the feeling was either pick was cant-miss.  Turns out both Williams and McKinnie have underperformed.  I don't see how TD can be blamed for drafting Mike Williams.  We needed O-line help and he was considered a stud then.

 

PTR

497486[/snapback]

I liked the pick then, and based on the information available it was probably a good pick. Certainly no reasonable person could expect a GM to avoid busts and other disappointments 100% of the time. At least TD was using a first day draft pick to address the offensive line, which is unlike him.

[Buckeye Eric]

 

Anderson is just one in a glut of failures under the Donahoe watch. 

 

Amazing how many people accept this crap team we have.  Oh how far we've fallen as a franchise.

497148[/snapback]

 

I do not hear people giving TD any credit for drafting McGee, McGahee, Peters, Evans, Clements, Schobel, and getting TKO...

 

One can not predict injuries to players like Parrish, Everett, Ron Edwards, Kevin Thomas, or even Mike Williams. If we were Vikings fans we would be getting on TD for drafting Culpepper since he should have known his knee would be blown out.

 

BTW, where have all the Rian Lindell haters gone?

[Orton's Arm]

I do not hear people giving TD any credit  for drafting McGee, McGahee, Peters, Evans, Clements, Schobel, and getting TKO... 

Problem is, nobody on that list is a QB or an offensive lineman, and those are two of the three pillars to a good team. The third pillar is defensive line. Just one name there, a DE who is average to above average for a starter.

One can not predict injuries to players like Parrish, Everett, Ron Edwards, Kevin Thomas, or even Mike Williams.

All teams have injuries, and none of those you mentioned hurt the team much except the Mike Williams injury. Ron Edwards was playing badly anyway, Josh Reed has done a good job as the #3 receiver (making Parrish's injury less important), and our backup CBs have done well in the absence of Kevin Thomas.

[ganesh]

6th roundres usually take a number of years to develop - taht is why they are 6th roundrrs - technical knowledge or expertise of pro game or techniques required at the NFL level, strength, quickness, etc.

497227[/snapback]

 

Not if you are playing for the NE patriots or the Atlanta Falcons...or any # of

teams....

[ganesh]

by the way, how are mike wahle and marco rivera doing?? you know, the guys the bills ignored and never made an effort to sign??

497256[/snapback]

 

Considering that both Carolina and Dallas are having outstanding seasons

with their offense, I have to say those signings have been fruitful...Of course

I am not sure what the cap hit would have been to chase those guys...I know

that Wahle got Tackle money (even though he was a center at GB).

[ganesh]

Well maybe TD/TM should have Drafted a decent OG in the past 4 years or so then...

497493[/snapback]

 

Again....guys he tried.....he has spent draft picks on Guards...it is just that

they have not panned out.

[Orton's Arm]

Again....guys he tried.....he has spent draft picks on Guards...it is just that

they have not panned out.

498174[/snapback]

In his tenure with the Bills, he hasn't spent a first day pick on an interior lineman. Nor has he found a permanent o-line starter with any of his 2nd day picks.

[bills_fan]

No question it was a horrible offseason to look for OL talent. The Draft totally blew there. The FAs were terribly lacking and overpriced. NYG paid a fortune for an average ORT in McKenzie. Ditto for Frisco and OLT Jennings.

 

I wanted Pork Chop Womack, who cost about as much as Bennie did, but he has been injured and now is where he's been the past few years, the top back-up at every position except C. If there is any second guessing, it was taking Tim Anderson over Sean Locklear last year, as Locklear's fine play at ORT has put the Chop on the pine.

 

 

Ummmm...there was Mark Wahle and Marco Rivera, both from GB, who are both playing very well for Carolina and Dallas, respectively. Wahle plays LT and Rivera LG. Either would have looked real good in a Bills uni.

[Coach Tuesday]

Ummmm...there was Mark Wahle and Marco Rivera, both from GB, who are both playing very well for Carolina and Dallas, respectively.  Wahle plays LT and Rivera LG.  Either would have looked real good in a Bills uni.

498189[/snapback]

 

We are $600K under the cap, and have Clements, McGahee, and Kelsay with expiring contracts in the next two years. Wahle therefore was not an option. I don't know what the story was with Rivera, but I imagine he was considered (and they may have tried).

 

Again, not absolving TD - as some have mentioned, he should be held accountable for failing to have a plan in place for Reuben's departure (or, and I can't believe I'm now admitting this, he should've kept Reuben).

 

But, some counter-points:

 

1) everyone talks about MW's contract relative to his value - however, doesn't Peters balance it out? TD went and found Peters in the bargain bin, and now we have a quality tackle at a ridiculously cheap price. Average MW and Peters' contracts together, and it works.

 

2) how many of you bitching about not drafting guards wanted us to take Nugent? How'd that pick work out for the Jets, who are desperate for o-linemen?

[d_wag]

We are $600K under the cap, and have Clements, McGahee, and Kelsay with expiring contracts in the next two years.  Wahle therefore was not an option.  I don't know what the story was with Rivera, but I imagine he was considered (and they may have tried).

 

wahle WAS an option.........there are PLENTY of contracts on the bills that could have been reworked to create room to sign a top guard like wahle.......instead of going that route at the guard position the bills went cheap, and now we are paying for it......

 

the panthers not only signed wahle, they signed ken lucas to a big money deal......this after paying the dollars to retain some of their own key young players the past two years -- i.e. mike rucker, kris jenkins, and steve smith.......even after all that they still found cap room to give dan morgan, another key young player, a big contract extension.......how can a team that has made it to the super bowl just two years ago be in a better salary cap position then us? shouldn't we have been the ones pursuing QUALITY free agents last off-season?.......seems to me the panthers are running their team well and we are paying for mistakes in drafting and free agency.......

 

TD said numerous times during the off-season that the cap would not stop them from pursing ANY player and that cap dollars could easily be created.......the bills passing on wahle was not because they couldn't afford him.......they chose not to spend those dollars at the guard position.......TD made an error in that he thought the current squad was good enough to make the playoffs and that they would improve their play overall.......therefore, he added very little in the off-season, despite the fact we were going with a first year QB and we lost two key pieces to our team......that was a big mistake on his part.......

 

everyone talks about MW's contract relative to his value - however, doesn't Peters balance it out?  TD went and found Peters in the bargain bin, and now we have a quality tackle at a ridiculously cheap price.  Average MW and Peters' contracts together, and it works.

 

i think it is way to early to call peters a "quality tackle".....