Bills' insider Sal Moiarana reports that the Bills

[ROSCOE P. COE TRAIN]

When people review the club, they don't see the core positions enhanced to a point where a turn around could take palce easily. All good teams -- have the core positions filled with talent and then skin that skeleton with depth and late rounders (Kyle Williamson). For instance, a good club has to have a QB, RB, WR, at least two (2) drafted OL players, a TE, a place kicker, 1 good corner, one pass rusher, one run stopper. FOr 9 years we have had a few of these things, but then not some of these things. THe early 1990 bills had all of this covered, the good teams do. It requires good drafting and a GM with savvy to fill these needs. TD was bruttal. He voided the team and now Levy is here to upgrade the talent and depth. But we are 3 years away, as the "talent" is young (underclassmen many of them), suspect (Willis's speed, JP, Everett, Denney, Kelsay, Parrish) and thin (we don't have a drafted OL on the starting line and are thin at LB).

[Dibs]

When people review the club, they don't see the core positions enhanced to a point where a turn around could take palce easily.  All good teams -- have the core positions filled with talent and then skin that skeleton with depth and late rounders (Kyle Williamson).  For instance, a good club has to have a QB, RB, WR, at least two (2) drafted OL players, a TE, a place kicker, 1 good corner, one pass rusher, one run stopper.  FOr 9 years we have had a few of these things, but then not some of these things.  THe early 1990 bills had all of this covered, the good teams do.  It requires good drafting and a GM with savvy to fill these needs.  TD was bruttal.  He voided the team and now Levy is here to upgrade the talent and depth.  But we are 3 years away, as the "talent" is young (underclassmen many of them), suspect  (Willis's speed, JP, Everett, Denney, Kelsay, Parrish) and thin (we don't have a drafted OL on the starting line and are thin at LB).

744359[/snapback]

You know, if it wasn't for your previous thread where you defined how you perceived talent, this post would probably be absolutely O.K. (apart from the prediction of 3 years....modern NFL changes quicker than that & we are closer than you think).....but....in regards to your views on talent, I wonder what in blazes you are saying.

[PromoTheRobot]

I think the Bills will start off rough, but will the NFL's surprise team in the second half of the season. 9-7.

 

PTR

[krazykat]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Einstein. He was on Sirius radio at 10:00 and he didn't have anything good to say from what I heard. I did catch him in the middle of his comments but according to him this team has been in shambles for the last 6 years. Hey, in hindsight I don't disagree but the thing that kills me is I don't ever remember hearing him reporting this WHILE it was happening. Like we need to have one of our own getting on national radio and stating that our team is nothing short of a joke.

 

The other comments I heard were that Losman is pretty much in over his head still and basically we still don't have a QB. Nice. He also went on and stated that between the combination of alot of young players and other over the hill veterans, we don't stand a shot. I'm sure that he was talking about Vincent but could he also be referring to Fletcher?

 

Look, this maybe accurate but what is this guy trying to accomplish? He works for the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. He's not an outsider looking in, he's an insider looking out. This whole regime is totally new, why not give them a FAIR chance? A national public bashing before we even play our 1st game is uncalled for.

 

I don't expect any great turnaround this season but I do think that there is a big improvement for us verse last year's roster. I didn't mean to make this a long post but I do want to mention a few aspects that most are aware of.

 

a) The hiring of Levy. The guy brings a great wealth of football knowledge AND he's not an ego maniac.

 

b) Jauron. He is a REAL football coach, not a bargain rookie coach. DJ was coach of the year in '01 and he is implementing some key personnel from that very team. I don't know what the deal was but the Bears' GM wasn't a player for Jauron.

 

c) Our defense is not THAT far removed from being a once dominant defense. We don't need to be that dominant, just good. We have a very good defensive minded coach in Jauron (see b) and I trust in his judgement on his assistants. We also added ALOT of team speed and got rid of some senior high dollars malcontents.

 

d) I think the shackles have been lifted off of McNally with the departure of Donahoe & Co. I expect to see some pleasant surprises this year out of our O-line.

 

e) Although Losman may not be Bret Farve, I am impressed with his physical attributes so far. I don't know what his intelligence is but I don't think anyone else does either. He doesn't have to carry this team, he just has to manage it. I think by mid season this kid may really come around. As in many of you, I watched the replayed game on NFL channel and the thing that impressed me was his zip on the ball as he was moving. I also heard a commentator, and I don't remember who or from where, state that in most cases young players have to get used to the speed of the game. He then went on and stated that Losman is one of the few players that has to slow down for the game. He also is our best chance of being able to at least attempt to throw a long ball. Hopefully between Evans and a few veteran WRs that we aquired, they will be able to catch some of them. The threat alone will do wonders for our run game.

 

f) The run game. We do have some RBs now. As it stands presently we are not at all thin at this spot. Not only do we have a big time RB in MaGahee, we have great depth.

 

So, thanks for listening but before I go I too want to make a prediction. This team will be more of a pleasant surprise than a negative one and wins anywheres from 7-9 games this year.

 

Oh, by the way Sal, why don't you go and try to get on the Miami Herald, they might appreciate your great insights.

744228[/snapback]

Allow me to go back in time:

 

a) The hiring of [Donahoe]. The guy brings a great wealth of football knowledge AND he's not an ego maniac. He doesn't even want his picture on the team's website.

 

b) [Mularkey]. He is a REAL football coach, not a bargain rookie coach. [Mularkey] put Kordell in the Pro Bowl and he got more from the Steelers offense with the talent they had. Cowher held him back.

 

c) Our defense is not THAT far removed from being a once dominant defense. We don't need to be that dominant, just good. We have a very good defensive minded coach in [Greg Williams] and I trust in his judgement on his assistants. We also added ALOT of team speed and got rid of some senior high dollars malcontents. The 46 D is gonna tear things up.

 

d) I think the shackles have been lifted off of [this team] with the departure of [Kevin Gilbride]. I expect to see some pleasant surprises this year out of our O-line [with McNally on board].

 

e) Bledsoe's gonna light things up. I am impressed with his [strong arm and he has the experience]. He doesn't have to carry this team, he just has to manage it. I think by mid season [bledsoe will be lighting things up and on his way to another Pro Bowl]. As in many of you, I watched the replayed game on NFL channel and the thing that impressed me was his zip on the ball as he was moving. I also heard a commentator, [who was raving about how Bledsoe would help the Bills] and [how his experience is what this team is missing]. He then went on and stated that [bledsoe] is one of the few players that has [such a strong arm]. [Moulds should make the Pro Bowl now]. The threat alone will do wonders for our run game.

 

f) The run game. [Larry Centers brings a whole new dimension to our offense and won't allow defenses to stack the box].

 

So, thanks for listening but before I go I too want to make a prediction. This team will be more of a pleasant surprise than a negative one and wins anywheres from [10-12] games this year.

 

Oh, by the way [anyone not saying that the Bills will not have a winning season after a dismal 2005 outing], why don't you go and try to get on the Miami Herald, they might appreciate your great insights.

 

 

Sound familiar?

[ganesh]

I am sure Sal said this team stunk, when they were a 9-7 team and missed

the playoffs by a game....

[krazykat]

I am sure Sal said this team stunk, when they were a 9-7 team and missed

the playoffs by a game....

744378[/snapback]

Yeah, I have a short memory, which teams did we beat that season?

[krazykat]

I also seem to remember not being able to beat the playoff bound Steelers at home in a playoff atmosphere.

 

Oh wait, that wasn't the Steelers starting team. Sorry about that.

[clayboy54]

The issue here has nothing to do with predicting a number of wins or losses, but rather presenting a team in the best light. Do you really think that Sirius has Sal M on the show because he is a world-class guest? Seriously, it is only because he covers the Bills and knows them as "an insider." It is the relationship with the Bills that makes Sal valuable. Therefore, if he spews out junk that folks outside the area already know and believe to be true, then he is both defeating their purpose in having him on, and biting the very hand that feeds him.

 

I had a nice email exchange a year or so ago with Leo Roth about this same topic. Leo was trying to tell me that it didn't matter if he was covering high school sports or Bills stories, he still would do what he does. My contention is that without the Bills, writers like Sal would be covering girls volleyball. How many papers do you sell with lead stories like that? Do you honestly think the D&C would keep paying you what they pay you now to do that? If you do, you are smoking crack.

 

The moral of the story is, you guys (and ladies) need to work hard to put the Bills in a positive light. You got to portray "major-league" to the rest of the country and do what you can to enable the Bills (and other WNY franchaises) to remain profitable and stay in the area. Then and only then, can you talk about sports. If the Bills are gonna suck wind this year, then you find a way to portray that with a positive spin and then say "and by the way they'll likely only win about 5 games this season.." You writers and broadcasters have to think about who's buttering your bread!

 

As we all know, regardless of the outcome of the season, it'll be a heluva lot more fun following the Bills in WNY than it would be in LA.

[Dibs]

Allow me to go back in time:

 

a) The hiring of [Donahoe]. The guy brings a great wealth of football knowledge AND he's not an ego maniac.  He doesn't even want his picture on the team's website. 

 

b) [Mularkey]. He is a REAL football coach, not a bargain rookie coach. [Mularkey] put Kordell in the Pro Bowl and he got more from the Steelers offense with the talent they had.  Cowher held him back. 

 

c) Our defense is not THAT far removed from being a once dominant defense. We don't need to be that dominant, just good. We have a very good defensive minded coach in [Greg Williams] and I trust in his judgement on his assistants. We also added ALOT of team speed and got rid of some senior high dollars malcontents.  The 46 D is gonna tear things up. 

 

d) I think the shackles have been lifted off of [this team] with the departure of [Kevin Gilbride]. I expect to see some pleasant surprises this year out of our O-line [with McNally on board].

 

e) Bledsoe's gonna light things up.  I am impressed with his [strong arm and he has the experience].  He doesn't have to carry this team, he just has to manage it. I think by mid season [bledsoe will be lighting things up and on his way to another Pro Bowl]. As in many of you, I watched the replayed game on NFL channel and the thing that impressed me was his zip on the ball as he was moving. I also heard a commentator, [who was raving about how Bledsoe would help the Bills] and [how his experience is what this team is missing].  He then went on and stated that [bledsoe] is one of the few players that has [such a strong arm].  [Moulds should make the Pro Bowl now].  The threat alone will do wonders for our run game.

 

f) The run game. [Larry Centers brings a whole new dimension to our offense and won't allow defenses to stack the box]. 

 

So, thanks for listening but before I go I too want to make a prediction. This team will be more of a pleasant surprise than a negative one and wins anywheres from [10-12] games this year.

 

Oh, by the way [anyone not saying that the Bills will not have a winning season after a dismal 2005 outing], why don't you go and try to get on the Miami Herald, they might appreciate your great insights.

Sound familiar?

744374[/snapback]

Did you actually search back through all his old posts & find previous predictions?

[apuszczalowski]

at least two (2) drafted OL players,

744359[/snapback]

Why do they have to be drafted o-line players? So if we did like what everyone wanted and just brought in Hutchinson and Bentley we would still have a horrible o-line cause they weren't drafted by the Bills and we wouldn't have had 2 drafted o-linemen?

 

Why does everyone think the only freakin way to have a good o-line is to draft them? What makes the o-line any different then any other position when it comes to how to get good players? If FA linemen suck because they are FA's, then why doesn't the NFL put in a rule that states if you are a linemen who is available for FA and 10 after the start are still available, they take you out back and shoot you because you suck?

[Tipster19]

Well said clayboy54. There wasn't one positive spin from old Sally Pal that I heard, just the same redundant generic bashing that you hear from most any national articles.

 

There is 3 parts to a team and I overlooked our GREATEST aspect, our league leading STs. How many teams can claim a punter that can at anytime bury a team inside their 15-20 yd line? Field position makes a huge difference. Our kick/punt returners, what, are they chopped liver? No, our offense will stand to benefit greatly from these couple of attributes. Losman IS a year more experienced and I do truly believe he will come thru season. More importantly, we have a coach and a administration that has a plan that they will stick to. How novel! I will say that I would like to see it proven that we can be effective against the run. While it is still early and there hasn't been much of an opportunity to determine this, I'll reserve my opinion until further results. That's what ticks me off the most with Sal's "reporting". This guy must know alot about football! He wrote this team off without even seeing one real game. Why in the world didn't we hire him instead of Jauron?

 

I'll continue later, this keyboard is sticking like mad.

[Bill from NYC]

Why do they have to be drafted o-line players? So if we did like what everyone wanted and just brought in Hutchinson and Bentley we would still have a horrible o-line cause they weren't drafted by the Bills and we wouldn't have had 2 drafted o-linemen?

 

Why does everyone think the only freakin way to have a good o-line is to draft them? What makes the o-line any different then any other position when it comes to how to get good players? If FA linemen suck because they are FA's, then why doesn't the NFL put in a rule that states if you are a linemen who is available for FA and 10 after the start are still available, they take you out back and shoot you because you suck?

744400[/snapback]

 

Thanks for the ground ball.

 

The best blockers almost never hit free agency, especially LTs. Not only that, can you remember when a top OL was traded? Culpepper and other qbs get traded. An admittedly old Moulds was traded. DBs and RBs are traded.

It simply does not happen with blockers. Generally speaking, when and if they DO hit free agency, they are given a "franchise tag," or re-signed to huge contracts.

The above even includes the good, but not great LTs such as Jennings or Jeff Backus..

 

Hutch was a guard, and a rare exception. Bentley was playing in a devestated city and wanted to go home, another clear exception.

 

This leaves little else other than the draft. Will it always work? Of course not, especially when a team has a GM who lives to prove that he is smarter than the whole world and selects a fat, lazy RT (with a history of injuries) rather than a sound LT prospect (McKinnie).

A team CAN get lucky and have a good OL while devoting a small amount of draft resources I suppose. The thing is, it hasn't worked in Buffalo for at least a decade.

[MDH]

This "impartiality," more often than not, comes across as strong negativity.

744297[/snapback]

 

 

Wouldn't being impartial come across as negative since the Bills have sucked for the past 5-6 years?

[MRW]

The moral of the story is, you guys (and ladies) need to work hard to put the Bills in a positive light.  You got to portray "major-league" to the rest of the country and do what you can to enable the Bills (and other WNY franchaises) to remain profitable and stay in the area.  Then and only then, can you talk about sports.  If the Bills are gonna suck wind this year, then you find a way to portray that with a positive spin and then say "and by the way they'll likely only win about 5 games this season.."  You writers and broadcasters have to think about who's buttering your bread!

744391[/snapback]

They're reporters, not PR people. If his honest opinion is that the Bills will be lucky to win 5 games this year, I'd rather hear him say that than try to build up false hopes.

 

The Bills' profitability does not hinge on local reporters saying nice things about the team, it comes down to success on the field. Continued failure to win will hurt attendance, regardless of whatever PR spin is put on it.

[MikeSpeed]

I think the Bills will start off rough, but will the NFL's surprise team in the second half of the season.  9-7.

 

PTR

744373[/snapback]

I agree!

I'm not saying how many games we will win, but I do think by the end of the season, teams will start hating to play us.

It seems that "normally" (if there is such a thing in the NFL) a team on the rise starts toward the end of a season, and the next season they really come together. I can see this happening if we don't play the shell game with the QBs.

[eball]

Wouldn't being impartial come across as negative since the Bills have sucked for the past 5-6 years?

745101[/snapback]

Acknowledging the past is one thing; using it to predict the future -- when there have been wholesale changes within the organization -- is quite another. What is so difficult to understand here?

[Lori]

The moral of the story is, you guys (and ladies) need to work hard to put the Bills in a positive light.  You got to portray "major-league" to the rest of the country and do what you can to enable the Bills (and other WNY franchaises) to remain profitable and stay in the area.  Then and only then, can you talk about sports.  If the Bills are gonna suck wind this year, then you find a way to portray that with a positive spin and then say "and by the way they'll likely only win about 5 games this season.."  You writers and broadcasters have to think about who's buttering your bread!

They're reporters, not PR people. If his honest opinion is that the Bills will be lucky to win 5 games this year, I'd rather hear him say that than try to build up false hopes.

 

The Bills' profitability does not hinge on local reporters saying nice things about the team, it comes down to success on the field. Continued failure to win will hurt attendance, regardless of whatever PR spin is put on it.

Beat me to the punch, MRW. "Selling" the Bills is Russ Brandon's and Scott Berchtold's job, not Sal's or Sully's.

 

 

Food for thought from the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics:

Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility.

Doesn't leave much room for "positive spin".

[TigerJ]

My expectation of 7-8 wins is based on Losman starting and starting to show signs of maturity. I will assume he will complete in the range of 55% of his passes and have maybe half again as many touchdown passes as interceptions. I'm deliberately being modest in my expectations. I'd rather be pleasantly surprised than disappointed as the season unfolds. Losman has the potential of really lighting it up this season, but the safer route in terms of predictions is to anticipate no more than modest improvement.

[John from Riverside]

I am sticking with my prediction...

 

9-7

Wildcard

[RayFinkle]

Bills' insider Sal Moiarana reports that the Bills, at BEST will win 5 games, maybe less.

OMG!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!