Larry Felser

[jahbonas]

[Lets end it right here...

This "genius" Larry Felser called out in his column in 1985 that we should draft Doug Flutie rather

than Bruce Smith with the #1 pick overall...how stupid was this when Flutie did not get drafted until the 7th round

Really step back and think about how wrong that is...its incredible...

So please...Larry Felser is NO expert....far closer to being an idiot

[jad1]

I find it difficult to evaluate any QB in the "system" that the BILLS are running with the OLine of the last decade. It's just a recipe for disaster. My only hope is that T.O. can provide a real threat that will roll coverage and open up new options.

 

It's not like the Bills QBs of the last decade went on to any great success after they left the Bills and their suspect offensive lines.

 

Rob Johnson never came close to earning a starting job in the NFL. He completely washed out of Tampa, a pretty good team, frustrating John Gruden with his inability to grasp the position.

 

Drew Bledsoe pretty much was the same QB in Dallas that he was in Buffalo; a statue with an inability to read defenses, and was replaced in short time by the inexperienced Tony Romo.

 

And no team in the NFL was willing to give Losman a chance to even compete for a 3rd string QB job after Buffalo cut ties with him.

 

No doubt the Bills o-line has been bad over the last decade. However, even with the poor play of the o-line, it's hard to classify the QBs that played behind it anything but a parade of losers.

 

Edwards has hardly shown himself to be a difference-maker at QB. At best, he's a game manager. It's difficult to compare him to Rivers, Rodgers, Manning, or Roethlisberger in terms of potiential. It's hard to argue that if one of the QBs mentioned in Felser's article shows the potential to be a franchise QB this season that the Bills shouldn't consider spending their first round pick on him.

[jahbonas]

It's not like the Bills QBs of the last decade went on to any great success after they left the Bills and their suspect offensive lines.

 

Rob Johnson never came close to earning a starting job in the NFL. He completely washed out of Tampa, a pretty good team, frustrating John Gruden with his inability to grasp the position.

 

Drew Bledsoe pretty much was the same QB in Dallas that he was in Buffalo; a statue with an inability to read defenses, and was replaced in short time by the inexperienced Tony Romo.

 

And no team in the NFL was willing to give Losman a chance to even compete for a 3rd string QB job after Buffalo cut ties with him.

 

No doubt the Bills o-line has been bad over the last decade. However, even with the poor play of the o-line, it's hard to classify the QBs that played behind it anything but a parade of losers.

 

Edwards has hardly shown himself to be a difference-maker at QB. At best, he's a game manager. It's difficult to compare him to Rivers, Rodgers, Manning, or Roethlisberger in terms of potiential. It's hard to argue that if one of the QBs mentioned in Felser's article shows the potential to be a franchise QB this season that the Bills shouldn't consider spending their first round pick on him.

 

Big Ben attempted 17 passes a game when he won the Superbowl....he was "protected" by a superior defense and superior running game....

What that idiot Felser never recognizes is that in most cases the success/non-success of a QB/RB is dependent

upon the quality of the offensive line

In fact Larry's stupidity is never better illustrated than when he compares great Qb's and he bases it upon Superbowl wins...as if somehow the quality of the defense the QB has ,,,,has no bearing on a victory or not

[jad1]

Big Ben attempted 17 passes a game when he won the Superbowl....he was "protected" by a superior defense and superior running game....

What that idiot Felser never recognizes is that in most cases the success/non-success of a QB/RB is dependent

upon the quality of the offensive line

In fact Larry's stupidity is never better illustrated than when he compares great Qb's and he bases it upon Superbowl wins...as if somehow the quality of the defense the QB has ,,,,has no bearing on a victory or not

 

So comment on the success of Johnson, Bledsoe, and Losman after they left the Bills terrible offensive lines.

 

They all went onto great success, no?

 

And, by the way, Rothlisberger's offensive line sucked out loud last season. Big Ben was one of the most sacked QBs in the league. The Steelers running game wasn't that great either.

 

But despite their offensive live, which statistically was just as bad or worse than the Bills line, the Steelers won the Super Bowl.

[Geno Smith's Arm]

There are plenty of plays in most games where the Bills QB has had plenty of time to throw the ball downfield and has failed. Yes, the line has sucked, but the QB's haven't been any better. As the post above noted, none of them went to other teams and showed any real imrovement.

 

I believe it's a QB thing. When Kelly first came to the Bills the line was considered weak, and the previous QB were about what we have had here for the last 10 years. Get someone good in here and the line will look much better.

I think knowing that you have a good QB with some leadership will bring out the best in players. Most players (or people in general) no matter how much you pay them, perform much better when they believe they have A CHANCE to succeed. The Bills suck at QB and they know it.

 

Firing an OC isn't gonna change that.

[Kultarr]

And no team in the NFL was willing to give Losman a chance to even compete for a 3rd string QB job after Buffalo cut ties with him.

Maybe. Losman's agent said that he was looking for a starting job. The only one of those he got offered was in the UFL.

[billfan63]

Maybe. Losman's agent said that he was looking for a starting job. The only one of those he got offered was in the UFL.

Lets see play football for six weeks or hold a clip board and hope for an injury. He has made plenty of

money so he's not chasing the dollar he's chasing a chance to improve and get back to the NFL.

[billsfan89]

You have to scout for all possibilities so I think every team with the exception of a few are scouting QB's, LT's, DE's, and DT's all positions that are hard to find in the NFL. So why should the Bills be any different from the rest of the league? As for college QB's I would like the Bills to take a look at I don't know I mean I am a huge Trent fan and I hope he pans out but in the realistic case that he isn't the answer I don't know who is out there in the college ranks.

 

To me the big two everyone has been talking about (And you can tell I don't watch a lot of college ball) are Bradford and Tebow. Now Bradford is hurt but from what I know about him I don't like (First he is a dumbass for not coming out this year and taking huge amounts of money to play in the NFL as a top 5 pick and likely the number 1 pick) but that could change with the more he plays this year and the more I take a look at him.

 

As for Tebow don't like the guy for Buffalo. He might pan out in the NFL but he needs the right situation a team like Seattle might be able to use him correctly. Tebow needs a team that has a good QB who is in his 30's and only has a few good years left. Tebow needs to sit the bench and play wildcat for at least 2 seasons and learn from a veteran what the pro game is all about. To me if the guy came to Buffalo it would be too much too soon and he just wouldn't work out.

 

To me if he went to a team like Seattle that has a guy who could teach him the ropes because he isn't going to be a leader in the NFL (Leadership and accomplishments in college mean nothing to the big boys in the NFL) right away. Tebow's style from what I heard is to put it on himself and set the tone with actions but in his first years in the NFL as much as he might want to he just isn't going to be able to will to win games in the NFL and that creates a effect that could kill the guys confidence.

 

I think that Tebow needs to be eased into a situation where he is better equipped to handle that initial failure that comes with playing in the NFL. Because in the NFL good leadership means sh-- if you don't win in fact winning breeds leadership. Eli Manning was called Sheli before he won a Super Bowl now post Super Bowl he is a calming force out on the field.

[WellDressed]

Amazing logic, really. The last three quarterbacks the Bills drafted all ended up making the same stupid mistakes and failure within three years. The solution is CLEARLY to draft yet another quarterback.

 

Yes, but Losman was SO inaccurate, there really was no bailing him out for his shortcomings.

[Chandler#81]

He doesn't have a clue any more than the rest of us do if Edwards will succeed. Honestly would anyone want Tebow or Bradford? McCoy may be an NFL QB. The other two are very very good college QB's and that is all they will ever be.

 

So were Kelly, Montana, Elway, Marino, Bradshaw, Manning....

 

You have no more clue about who will be good than do the Bills brass. I don't mean to jump on you, I'm just sick of this kind of post.

[Alaska Darin]

It's not like the Bills QBs of the last decade went on to any great success after they left the Bills and their suspect offensive lines.

 

Rob Johnson never came close to earning a starting job in the NFL. He completely washed out of Tampa, a pretty good team, frustrating John Gruden with his inability to grasp the position.

 

Drew Bledsoe pretty much was the same QB in Dallas that he was in Buffalo; a statue with an inability to read defenses, and was replaced in short time by the inexperienced Tony Romo.

 

And no team in the NFL was willing to give Losman a chance to even compete for a 3rd string QB job after Buffalo cut ties with him.

 

No doubt the Bills o-line has been bad over the last decade. However, even with the poor play of the o-line, it's hard to classify the QBs that played behind it anything but a parade of losers.

 

Edwards has hardly shown himself to be a difference-maker at QB. At best, he's a game manager. It's difficult to compare him to Rivers, Rodgers, Manning, or Roethlisberger in terms of potiential. It's hard to argue that if one of the QBs mentioned in Felser's article shows the potential to be a franchise QB this season that the Bills shouldn't consider spending their first round pick on him.

I love when people compare our players to those on teams who're built with the QB being the final piece rather than the expected cornerstone.

 

Was Trent a first round pick who was coddled like Rivers, Rogers, or Manning? Has he ever had the protection Ben had his first two seasons in the league of a top running game paired with a top defense? Rivers held a clipboard for 2 full seasons and Rogers for 3. Manning's third year in the league was nearly as rough as his first. Trent's been starting on a bad football team with a poor offensive line ever since he got here and it's not getting any better. We'll be lucky if we haven't already ruined the guy.

 

You're right that no QB left Buffalo and went on to anything. It's pretty rare for QBs to get pounded relentlessly, never have team success and then move on somewhere else with the required confidence to get it done in this league. The BILLS are currently a place QBs go to die and you can thank a decade of front office stupidity with a side of Ralph's refusal to pay for a proven NFL Head Coach.

[Mickey]

Most lucid comment ever.

 

PTR

..and the way to solve that was to jettison the only decent lineman they had.

[vincec]

So comment on the success of Johnson, Bledsoe, and Losman after they left the Bills terrible offensive lines.

 

They all went onto great success, no?

 

And, by the way, Rothlisberger's offensive line sucked out loud last season. Big Ben was one of the most sacked QBs in the league. The Steelers running game wasn't that great either.

 

But despite their offensive live, which statistically was just as bad or worse than the Bills line, the Steelers won the Super Bowl.

And Arizona's O-Line was also poor. The QB has a lot to do with how your line looks. For those that remember, think of how many sacks Johnson took behind the same line that Flutie played behind. Flutie made quick decisions, threw the ball in rhythm and always had the run threat so he was rarely sacked and always looked like he had time. Marino is another good example. He moved well in the pocket, made quick decisions and had a lightning fast release. His line was so-so and they never had a running game when he was there.

 

TE needs to learn how to make quick decisions and move better inside the pocket better. If he does these things, the line will look a whole lot better.

[Coach Tuesday]

Methinks the Buffalo News needs to start scouting new columnists. It's obvious by now that after more than a decade of futility, it's not enough to blame the editors or sagging subscription revenues any longer. It's clear that the writers they have just can't get it done with the typewriters.

[tonyjustbcuz]

Ive had enough of drating or tradin muliple picks for a qb..Go out and sign a freeagent proven above or at least average qb...Kerry Collins types are out there you just have to make an effort...Its time the Bills called "Uncle" on the drafting qb carousel..

[/qu

If Edwards continues to unimpress this year then I think we pull out all stops to get the best QB available in the draft, even if that means moving up the board to do it! I know when Rothlesberger was drafted he seemed like a can't miss pick & he was. The Mannings, Rothlesbergers, are rare but every year or two there is an obvious can't miss impact QB Just like Adrian Peterson RB was a can't miss pick! Those are the rare breed of players that the Bills just never go after, at least since Bruce Smith back in the 80's. I don't know if the Bills scouting team can spot them but I know I usually can. I know some will say, "yeah, but look at Ryan Leaf etc..." But, Ryan Leaf wasn't a can't miss player...their were some who rumbled that he wasn't the better pick of the top QB's and they were right. So until the Bills get better talent evaluators and are willing to do what it takes to move up the draft board there only real hope is to continue backwards until they find themselves 0-16 and a lock for the prized first pick in the draft! I only fear that somehow D.J. will still be here and they will choose a CB instead of a impact QB because he is versatile and can also play special teams!

[jad1]

I love when people compare our players to those on teams who're built with the QB being the final piece rather than the expected cornerstone.

 

Was Trent a first round pick who was coddled like Rivers, Rogers, or Manning? Has he ever had the protection Ben had his first two seasons in the league of a top running game paired with a top defense? Rivers held a clipboard for 2 full seasons and Rogers for 3. Manning's third year in the league was nearly as rough as his first. Trent's been starting on a bad football team with a poor offensive line ever since he got here and it's not getting any better. We'll be lucky if we haven't already ruined the guy.

 

You're right that no QB left Buffalo and went on to anything. It's pretty rare for QBs to get pounded relentlessly, never have team success and then move on somewhere else with the required confidence to get it done in this league. The BILLS are currently a place QBs go to die and you can thank a decade of front office stupidity with a side of Ralph's refusal to pay for a proven NFL Head Coach.

 

Roethlisberger was sacked twice as much as Edwards last season. Using your logic, it should be expected that he turn into a basket case of JP Losman or Rob Johnson proportion. But he didn't turn out that way. He stuck around long enough to make big plays, helping his team win Super Bowl.

 

And that's what you're looking for in a franchise QB. The ability to overcome adversity, shake off the poor play of teammates, and make plays. That's a quality that none of the Bills QBs have shown in the last decade.

 

Will Edwards develop the ability to overcome adversity like a franchise QB? Maybe, but the signs aren't good. In the meantime, the Bills FO should be doing exactly what Felser suggests, scouting the top QBs in college to see if they have potential to develop into a franchise QB.

[JohnC]

Larry Felser didn't pull any punches did he? Came right out and said it's time to start scouting a quarterback. Even before the season has started.

Anybody heard how bad Bradford's injury is?

 

Larry Felser is scratching the surface of the source of this organization's systemic struggles. The franchise has not had a credible front office since the departure of Polian-John Butler-A.J. Smith. Tom Donahoe ran the organization tightly as if it was his own little fiefdom. There was no coherency to his approach in acquiring players through the draft and free agency. The results were a team stuck in the mud of mediocrity. After Donahoe, the owner then selected Marv Levy to be his GM. He was a disaster. His three year stint set this organization back further.

 

I thought the elevation of Russ Brandon to take over the football operations was laughable. Although I don't believe he should be involved overseeing the football operations of this franchise I have to give him credit for overseeing a very solid and functional draft. If the team would have had a series of solid drafts this organization would not be considered as one of the most mediocre franchises in modern history.

 

The major problem with this embarrassing franchise has little to do with a particular player or coach. The problem is due to a weak caliber of ownership which leads to a below standard front office. Once that is rectified then maybe the caiber of coaching staff and personnel on the field will improve to an acceptable level.

 

The person holding all the cards necessary to make the necessary changes is a very stubborn owner. He is older than 90 yrs old and he has run the organization the way he wants to for half a century. Does anyone seriously expect major organizational changes from someone who has been so resistant to change his archaic ways?

[VJ91]

[Lets end it right here...

This "genius" Larry Felser called out in his column in 1985 that we should draft Doug Flutie rather

than Bruce Smith with the #1 pick overall...how stupid was this when Flutie did not get drafted until the 7th round

Really step back and think about how wrong that is...its incredible...

So please...Larry Felser is NO expert....far closer to being an idiot

 

Come on, every sports writer or reporter has made stupid "suggestions" in their careers. That's why they are sports writers, and not GM's or scouts! You know, they still rate that amazing pass from Flutie to Phalen that beat Miami on the last play of the game as one of the top 5 college plays in college football history. On top of that play, along with leading BC to a terrific season that year, Flutie also won the Heisman Trophy. I'm sure Felser was not alone in Buffalo thinking that Doug Flutie might have been an interesting choice as the number one pick that season. Lord knows, he would have put thousands into the seats coming off their first horrible 2-14 season. Even Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson comtemplated drafting Flutie.

 

So reasonable minds prevailed (thank you Bill Polian and staff), and the Bills made the wise choice to draft Bruce Smith. But please find me the sports writer who suggested to Scott Pioli to draft Tom Brady in the 6th round of the 2000 draft. You won't find a one who was impressed with that pick. I read Felser during the Bills glory days, and he was terrific. So what if made some stupid suggestions over the years. He was a great writer, and I always looked forward to his columns all those seasons. In addition, he was the Bills representative in the Hall of Fame voters, and was extremely respected nationwide.

[Alaska Darin]

Roethlisberger was sacked twice as much as Edwards last season. Using your logic, it should be expected that he turn into a basket case of JP Losman or Rob Johnson proportion. But he didn't turn out that way. He stuck around long enough to make big plays, helping his team win Super Bowl.

Forgive me. I didn't realize the BILLS were simply decent QB play away from the Super Bowl. I probably watched a completely different last decade than you did.

And that's what you're looking for in a franchise QB. The ability to overcome adversity, shake off the poor play of teammates, and make plays. That's a quality that none of the Bills QBs have shown in the last decade.

Yeah, because if the BILLS brought in Ben Rothelishamburger all of the sudden Jauron and Fewell would make good gameday decisions and the Front Office would stop dicking around and start picking physical offensive linemen who're actually in the position they're used to playing. Damn that Trent Edwards.

Will Edwards develop the ability to overcome adversity like a franchise QB? Maybe, but the signs aren't good. In the meantime, the Bills FO should be doing exactly what Felser suggests, scouting the top QBs in college to see if they have potential to develop into a franchise QB.

You're right, the signs aren't good. Mostly because this organization is in the iron grip of the loser's mentality and is the antithesis of how you build a successful, well, anything. You simply don't keep making the same mistakes over and over again and expect to somehow find lightening in a bottle with a single player.

[sharper802]

So were Kelly, Montana, Elway, Marino, Bradshaw, Manning....

 

You have no more clue about who will be good than do the Bills brass. I don't mean to jump on you, I'm just sick of this kind of post.

 

Don't mind being jumped on. Interesting though that the QB's you picked further my point. Kelly, Elway, Marino, Manning all ran pro-style offenses. I will concede I don't know how much option Montana ran at ND and I have no clue about Bradshaw's college career. Tebow and Bradford and to some extent McCoy run the spread option. I don't see any teams running that offense in the NFL.

 

Lastly, I wouldn't take a QB high in the draft. The washout rate is too high. I would be scouting a dominant OLB like Demarcus Ware unless they move Maybin to OLB in which case it is DE drafting time again.