Taking the optimists down a notch.

[stevewin]

It's kind of silly to compare the talent on a team at the end of a season with what a team has now before it has even gone through a draft and potentially added more players through FA and camp cuts.

 

Ask me if I think Buffalo is a better team than it was at the end of the 2006 season when training camp ends.

[Sketch Soland]

It depends on who is doing the talking, wouldn't ya say?

 

I don't care about Mathews, but Badolbilz is a long time season ticket holder who studies both the Bills and college football in depth, to the point that he watches film. He deserved better than he got when he posted his concerns about the defense.

 

Sometimes the truth hurts. I am optimistic because we seem to finally have a good Guard and LT. There are posters on this board who were about 2 years old the last time the Bills had a team that could block, and I kid you not. Imo, the entire character of the football team will change when WE start kicking ass in the cold instead of getting our asses kicked. It has been a disgrace, and I think that things are about to change.

That said, if Badol has concerns about our defense, you can bet your a$$ that he is on the money.

 

The problem with that thread wasn't the pessimism but the title and wording of his post. He brought on and asked for that kind of debate.

[Bill from NYC]

The problem with that thread wasn't the pessimism but the title and wording of his post. He brought on and asked for that kind of debate.

 

It would help if you knew the guy. I am now on the wrong side of 50, and have never met a person who even approaches what this guy knows about football. I am including formations, talent evaluation, the Bills, the draft, college football in general, blocking, football history, etc. My friends save questions to ask him at our annual RWS trip (13 consecutive years).

He is actually modest. He takes questions and is not trying to show off. He probably would prefer to just hang out, but is willing to indulge those who seek information.

He deserved better.

[I 90]

I am optimistic because we seem to finally have a good Guard and LT. There are posters on this board who were about 2 years old the last time the Bills had a team that could block, and I kid you not

 

If Matthews were really a pessimist he could have questioned the offensive line. The same pro scouts that recommended Villarial, Reyes and Fowler made the push for Dockery and Walker. Question maybe whether they were really a nine or ten million dollar upgrade.

 

I was optimistic about last year's starting five as I will be this year's. I won't assume they'll be wildly successful.

[Bills Fan888]

i dont think we lost our BEST LB and RB.

He probably was our best running back since the only other guy who could compete with him was A-train.

[Dawgg]

Granted we have another year of experience for the young safeties (which will be huge), I don't think the gain there offsets the loss of Clements. The one wild card here is Terrance McGee... perhaps he will step up his game a notch or two, in which case, we might not feel the loss of Clements as heavily as anticipated. However, from what I have seen of McGee, he has the athletic ability but just doesn't have the mental toughness to be an upper echelon corner in this league. When things are going well, he's as good as they come. If he gets beat once, it tends to stick with him and he gets beat multiple times after that.

 

Maybe he'll improve, time will tell... but I think the fact remains that McGee will be a key player for us next year, more than we know.

 

sure, replacing Clements is tough, but overall, i highly doubt the march 07 bills are significantly worse than the december 06 bills.

[DrDawkinstein]

He probably was our best running back since the only other guy who could compete with him was A-train.

 

yeah, thats what i mean. im not even a big ATrain guy. but i think had roles been reversed and Thomas gets all of McGahee's carries, he has 1100yds and 4 more TDs. imho.

[IDBillzFan]

It depends on who is doing the talking, wouldn't ya say?

 

I don't care about Mathews, but Badolbilz is a long time season ticket holder who studies both the Bills and college football in depth, to the point that he watches film. He deserved better than he got when he posted his concerns about the defense.

 

That said, if Badol has concerns about our defense, you can bet your a$$ that he is on the money.

You would think that someone with that kind of knowledge and commitment could create something beyond "Do the Bills have the worst defense in the NFL?" during the first week of freaking March. Contrary to what you may believe, I appreciate his insight to the game and his dedication to film, and more than a few people testify as to the great kind of guy he is to be around, but you have to admit: if you have the secrets to the universe, they're nothing more than secrets if you don't have even the most basic ability to communicate what you're thinking.

 

I'm sure having this conversation while sitting in a bar drinking a beer would result in a different conversation. But this ain't a bar, and we ain't drinking beer, and if you're going to post first and think second about something that can't reliably be critiqued for another six months, unfunny guys like me are going to give you schitt.

[Bill from NYC]

If Mathews were really a pessimist he could have questioned the offensive line. The same pro scouts that recommended Villarial, Reyes and Fowler made the push for Dockery and Walker. Question maybe whether they were really a nine or ten million dollar upgrade.

 

I was optimistic about last year's starting five as I will be this year's. I won't assume they'll be wildly successful.

 

Ah, someone who is more pissed than me about the OL. Nice to meet you.

 

Dockery is bigger and younger than CV when he arrived in Buffalo. It looks as if these guys finally saw the need for a Guard and ran with it, to the tune of 49 million dollars. I have to feel good about this.

Reyes is thankfully gone. Fowler? I thought that he would be good because he was playing behind a very good OC in Minn. Am I impressed? Not at all, but we DO have an extra 1st day pick.

 

The right side is the big question mark imo. I still have no idea what to think of Pennington, but the staff seems to not like him. They DO seem to like Butler (RG perhaps?), and I was at RWS when Merz played against NE. He wasn't so bad.

 

I don't blame you at all for your skepticism, but I for one think that, given the above and how high I am on Peters, the Bills will field at least an average OL in 07, perhaps better. This beats the shi- of how bad it has been for more than a decade.

Let's hope.

[nodnarb]

I don't always like what Bob Mathews has to say, but this is about as dead on the money as you can get.

 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/p.../703120321/1011

 

Particularly, these two parts:

 

Ouch.

Ouch.

 

Baaahb has a knack for *almost* making a point.

 

Levy said that the extra pick gives them added flexibility. An obvious fact. For him to say "But the Patriots this and the Jets that..." is entirely irrelevant to Levy's statement. The Bills have added flexibility on the first day. They can even use the 2008 pick as currency if necessary. The Patriots have even more flexibility. The Jets still more. There is no "but..." and there is no point in making the comparison, Baaahb.

[I 90]

The right side is the big question mark imo. I still have no idea what to think of Pennington, but the staff seems to not like him. They DO seem to like Butler (RG perhaps?), and I was at RWS when Merz played against NE. He wasn't so bad.

 

These late second day picks just wear me out. Again, the same people that draft Dylan McFarland, Ben Sobieski and the like try to pass these new ones off as starters. Maybe they are superior, maybe they can be coached up with an extra year in the program... had the new signings not happened we would be hearing about the value of "continuity". Ask Gandy or some of the cuts about "continuity"...

 

Whew... never mind the unburdening... happy thoughts... happy thoughts...

[Dr. Trooth]

QUOTE

"Does anyone think Buffalo is better today than it was at the end of the 2006 season?"

Ouch.

 

Please. It's a totally ridiculous question to ask... period. The Bills don 't even have to put a team on the field until September. The time to ask that question is a third or halfway through the season.

 

Is the Oline not better? Of course it is. Is the RB situation better... yeah... simply by subtraction. Any scrub can get 3.8 ypc. We all know this will be addressed appropriately in the draft and the Bills will get a productive runner and be a more diversified offense as a result.

 

Is the defense better? We don't know, but it has to be. Spikes can't play any more. London could make tackles downfield but not in the opponents backfield, plus Nate is gone. Who knows who will be out there in FA after June? If the Bills need to fill a hole here and a hole there for jut a season, there are always good vets that have a season or two left in them that will play for near minimum. ? The safeties should be solid. The DEs are solid. The questions have to be answered at one CB position and DT. Who's to say Youboty won't step up, and McCargo and Williams

 

Matthews can spew out what ever he wants. It doen't mean you have to buy it. Use your head. He can make a case for any team he wants. He can say the Pats have significantly improved. On paper, they have. But, the reality is if Brady and/or Wilfork go down with serious injuries, the Pats may as well piss on the fire... because the hunt is over.

 

So grading a team 6 weeks before the draft and 6 months before the season opener is retarded.

[AJ1]

There's a reformation going on at OBD. The last piece of Donahoe's garbage has been removed. Mathews, in general, doesn't know much about the NFL. With Smerlas as his chief guest host, he knows even less.

[BillsVet]

Please. It's a totally ridiculous question to ask... period. The Bills don 't even have to put a team on the field until September. The time to ask that question is a third or halfway through the season.

 

Is the Oline not better? Of course it is. Is the RB situation better... yeah... simply by subtraction. Any scrub can get 3.8 ypc. We all know this will be addressed appropriately in the draft and the Bills will get a productive runner and be a more diversified offense as a result.

 

Is the defense better? We don't know, but it has to be. Spikes can't play any more. London could make tackles downfield but not in the opponents backfield, plus Nate is gone. Who knows who will be out there in FA after June? If the Bills need to fill a hole here and a hole there for jut a season, there are always good vets that have a season or two left in them that will play for near minimum. ? The safeties should be solid. The DEs are solid. The questions have to be answered at one CB position and DT. Who's to say Youboty won't step up, and McCargo and Williams

 

Matthews can spew out what ever he wants. It doen't mean you have to buy it. Use your head. He can make a case for any team he wants. He can say the Pats have significantly improved. On paper, they have. But, the reality is if Brady and/or Wilfork go down with serious injuries, the Pats may as well piss on the fire... because the hunt is over.

 

So grading a team 6 weeks before the draft and 6 months before the season opener is retarded.

 

I'm not going to knock down someone who chooses to feel positive about the off-season SO FAR. But reality rears its ugly head at some point. While we can't ascertain what the effect of these moves is right now, we will know in September. And I'm less inclined to believe what comes out of OBD after last season. I heard all off-season how Royal, Reyes, Bowen, and the like were described in more glowing terms than they played. Bottom line: don't believe the hype.

 

With that in mind, I don't feel optimistic about the season SO FAR in free agency. The offensive line is better, but anyone who thinks the RB position SO FAR is better has another thing coming. Anthony Thomas lost his starting job to Thomas Jones in Chicago and did not start here. For Buffalo to pass him off as a starter is laughable. Now, they may choose to go RB in Round 1,2, or 3, but whomever they pick is still a rookie and most likely won't be providing a huge impact. Some fans might drop names like Addai or even Jones-Drew, but those guys are few and far between. McGahee was a bad attitude and team disease, but you've got to have a solution before voluntarily opening a new problem.

 

The defense SO FAR is not better than last year, and we weren't all that great in 2006 anyway. Sure, Clements and F-B were gone, but there's been no one with starting NFL experience even in for a visit on defense. To say the draft will solve the problem is too much because rookies aren't normally going to be impact players. Maybe a 2nd or 3rd year player, but rarely rookies. Cato June is probably the best defender available along with Ken Hamlin and neither are going to Buffalo. Again, speculation, but after looking at the salary cap page, there's little room for quality players but enough for depth type guys. SO FAR of course.

 

Last year's picks are on the team for one reason, we had nothing in the way of depth. Keep feeling good about Pennington, Merz, and Butler, but these guys could be done this season in Buffalo. Sure, that's obvious speculation, but getting two big name guys means they don't have the luxury of being options like last season when Reyes and Villarrial didn't cut it or were injured.

 

I don't care for Bob Matthews' opinions. He doesn't attend many sporting events but writes about almost all of them. But he's got the guts to say something that isn't partial or negative, just observation. If you don't like it, ignore him.

 

SO FAR, the Pats have improved, albeit on paper. But any team that goes to the AFC Title game and adds Adalius Thomas along with to a lesser degree Welker and Stallworth makes me wonder. They've got a good defense already and have more weapons on offense. Go ahead and minimize what they've done, but don't dare come back and say how our players will improve. Anyone heard of the sophomore jinx? If you're going to be positive, have a reason. 5th, 6th, and 7th round picks rarely become dependable NFL starters. That's the odds, but many players have defied the odds in NFL history.

 

Still the pieces to the Bills puzzle will most likely be coming from the draft. And relying on the draft for starting grade NFL players isn't something I'm taking to the bank. Talk all you want about Whitner and Simpson, but they were the only options remaining. I hope they play well, because they've got no options after those two. Same goes for LB where Crowell, Spikes, and undersized Keith Ellison are the only options outside of new LB Coy Wire. Those names aren't reassuring at the position.

[IDBillzFan]

So grading a team 6 weeks before the draft and 6 months before the season opener is retarded.

And that's the trooth.

[Orton's Arm]

It's also very easy to be a pessimist.

Especially when you're a Bills fan.

[C.Biscuit97]

If the OL and DL are better, the team will be better. It's that simple.

[Taro T]

Of course we aren't as good as we were at the end of the season. We lost an all pro cornerback (who we were going to lose no matter what) a good middle linebacker (who we were going to have to replace in the next year) and an average to good running back (who might have held out and left us in a bad situation). On the other hand, we have pretty good draft choices, lots of free agent money, a revamped offensive line, and a chance at a stud to fill out the defensive line. We have Crowell to fill MLB and Jabari Greer to fill in at the corner. Spikes should be better at the beginning of this season than he was at the end of the season. We strengthen the front seven on defense we will not be missing NC as much as one might think. I think Matthews should wait until the beginning of next season before making comparisons.

Given how poor Matthews is at making predictions, I was very happy to read his column this morning.

[Orton's Arm]

If the OL and DL are better, the team will be better. It's that simple.

I wish things were that simple. On the one hand, I love the Dockery signing. I absolutely love it. But based what he's done in Oakland, Langston Walker is a poor man's Mike Williams, except without the run blocking. Other than upgrading the LG spot, this year's line is no better off than last year's. I'll be the first to admit that could change if Butler or Pennington significantly improves his rookie performance, or if the Bills address the position in the draft.

 

Then there's the DL, which could be better due to improved play by McCargo and even Kyle Williams.

 

Could the Bills suffer a decline elsewhere? It's quite possible, especially with the loss of Nate Clements. If McGee doesn't bounce back, if Youboty isn't the answer, and if we don't find anything in the draft, this team's CBs will really hurt us this coming season. Downgrades at CB, RB, and possibly MLB could easily offset the improvement at LG.

 

Hey, maybe the team will improve. Maybe an Ellison/Crowell/Spikes LB corps could play just as well or better in 2007 as the LBs played in 2006. Maybe we'll get above-average play from McGee and Youboty, instead of very good play from Clements and disappointing play from McGee. Maybe the draft will help fill in a few of this team's weak points, while helping us develop a few sources of (presently unexpected) strength.

 

My point is that it's still very early, and it's a mistake to be too sure that things will go well or that they'll go badly.

[Flbillsfan#1]

You are not taking me down dipspit. I think the Bills are a whole lot better now than at the end of last year.Addition by subtraction, now go away.