Thurman#1 Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Well, Tom Donahow was a brilliant football guy and apparently still is according to many at ESPN.....Brandon has had as much success as TD (which is basically none) and TD is a consultant with the mighty St Louis Rams who appear to be lighting it up as well. The guy obviously does not follow the Bills, reads a highlight or two and writes about them. He had about 4-5 inaccuracies in a paragraph He's originally from Buffalo, and he cares about the Bills. Try again. And while he makes mistakes like everybody else, Easterbrook is very very solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurman#1 Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Typical Easterbrook - makin' stuff up. Brandon didn't draft Poz, Whitner, or McCargo. And calling McKelvin "perennially injured" (meaning literally "every year") is false. Brandon has been part of the brain trust for years now. That's why he got the promotion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 He's originally from Buffalo, and he cares about the Bills. Try again. And while he makes mistakes like everybody else, Easterbrook is very very solid. Yes, like kinda blaming Jews in Hollywood for releasing Kill Bill Volume 1. Look, I generally like Easterbrook's political stuff, and I like the fact that he played for Kenmore West, but the guy is often a contrarian for the sake of being contrary. Plus once he embraces a meme ("stop me before I blitz again!"), he'll hold onto it despite all evidence to the contrary. Interestingly, his "stop me before I blitz again" meme originated from the late 1990s, when he went on and on about how good the Bills D was run (Cottrell and Wade). That's fine in and of itself, but you can't make a blanket application of it. He does that sort of thing way too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Funny but sad stuff: "McCargo is a bust who has never started a game; Whitner is a journeyman-level performer, McKelvin and Posluszny are perennially injured. Meanwhile, Leonhard, Greer and Haggan are playing like stars for the Jets, Saints and Broncos, while Bannan is often on the field for the Ravens. Had Buffalo simply kept Leonhard, Greer, Haggan and Bannan and used the draft choices and money on other players, it might now be a real team. Time to recognize that Buffalo general manager Russ Brandon is Matt Millen: The Sequel." TMQ 10/13/09 He lost me at "Whitner is a journeyman-level performer". For most of his career, the middle of the defense is basically Whitner and a bunch of XFL castoffs. It's almost miraculous that Whitner performs as well as he does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StupidNation Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Whitner vs Leonard: Advantage Leonard if you factor in cost and replacement of the pick with guys like Ngata McCargo vs Mangold: not close Greer vs McKelvin: Guy becoming a pro-bowl caliber player and keep the pick vs. a guy who shows flashes with a poor head Advantage Greer Poz vs. Fletcher: That is a toss-up before we knew Poz would be perennially injured, and I would have preferred Poz over Fletcher if I didn't know the guy was going to keep getting hurt Haggan vs. What we have: Take Haggan as he was good at ST and would certainly be better than Ellison, Palmer, or the current scrub coming in Bannan vs McCargo: Advantage Bannan as he is cheaper with no loss of a pick His article isn't way off base unless you are a homer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillnutinHouston Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 It was the MARVELOUS ONE who picked Poz, McCargo and Whitner. Way to go Marv, we luv ya! NOT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Cat Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Whitner is very good. Anyone who says he's "average" doesn't know what they're talking about. Poz is also very good, when his arm isn't broken. Does such a freak injury even fall under the injury-prone umbrella? McKelvin is a game changer, on defense and special teams. He has some work to do on defense, but what do you expect from a guy with <10 starts. His drafting also had nothing to do with Greer, as they played together last year. McKelvin was drafted to replace Clements, and there isn't a Bills fan among us who chalks that one up as a "fail." Haggan, playing like a star? With all 8 tackles in 5 starts? 1 FF? 0 FR? And 0 INT's? Some star. Leonard and Bannan playing like stars? PLEASE! This has been discussed here many times before, they're consistently average players playing for an EXCEPTIONAL until. They have little, if anything, to do with how exceptional the Baltimore defense is. McCargo was...well...Marv was 80. EDIT: Nevermind, Leonard plays for New York now. But the point remains. Actually, Leonard was "great" for us too. He was a major reason the 32 IR'd defensive players of 2007 didn't veer the franchise COMPLETELY off the rails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Rob Johnson Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 I think the point of the article is that Brandon is not a football guy and the so-called "inner circle" is a joke. Right, but i'm pretty sure the only call of all of those that was Brandon's was McKelvin v. Greer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Easterbrook just revealed he knows nothing about football players.....Whitner a journeyman???? Greer a star? Haggan a legitimate everydown LB? Really? Those guys were nice roll players with exception of Greer who I always liked. Hard to imagine you can be so dumb and still have a great job writing for ESPN. McKelvin is perenially injured? Really? Inhis second year he is perenially injured....did he play last year or not? Rule #1 of sports writing: Never let facts get in the way of a good column. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 He lost me at "Whitner is a journeyman-level performer". I think he's just saying Whitner hasn't made big plays, which has been true. Furthermore, he was moved to FS because a journeyman picked up off the street showed he wasn't a significant drop off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Whitner is very good. Anyone who says he's "average" doesn't know what they're talking about. Hmm. OK. Well argued. Poz is also very good, when his arm isn't broken. Does such a freak injury even fall under the injury-prone umbrella? Yes it does. It fractured the second time because it was repaired after the first break--which was, I guess, a freak injury. It will likely break again because it is plated. It will be forever prone to injury, as his surgoen no doubt has told him in writing. McKelvin is a game changer, on defense and special teams. He has some work to do on defense, but what do you expect from a guy with <10 starts. His drafting also had nothing to do with Greer, as they played together last year. McKelvin was drafted to replace Clements, and there isn't a Bills fan among us who chalks that one up as a "fail." McKelvin was drafted to replace....Clements?? What about McGee? Weren't he and Greer playing together? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Formerly_of_Roch Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 I seriously doubt RB is calling the shots on what players to sign, draft and release. That is being done by TM and JG, so call the front office bad, but the probelm isn't RB, it's elsewhere. I think the point of the article is that Brandon is not a football guy and the so-called "inner circle" is a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsVet Posted October 14, 2009 Author Share Posted October 14, 2009 I seriously doubt RB is calling the shots on what players to sign, draft and release. That is being done by TM and JG, so call the front office bad, but the probelm isn't RB, it's elsewhere. If that's the case, why does Brandon attend the scouting combine? Is that his annual vacation? Guy and Modrak advise. Brandon is now the GM, even though he's not qualified for the job and Dick Jauron has some say on draft weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 I don't believe Ralph Wilson is calling the shots like, say, Al Davis or Jerry Jones. He may make final decisions, but all indications are that he has his advisers, the so-called "inner circle", and drives consensus. The trouble is that his football advisers, including Russ Brandon, are in way over their heads. This off-season (maybe sooner) will be the time for Ralph to reveal his cards as to whether he is serious about putting a good product out on the field and going out a winner or he's just mailing it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 some of you guys are missing the point and getting way over your head about ngata. the issue is that mccargo is a bust, and we have no LBs and sht for OTs and bad QB play. that's why we lose. cherry picking the one pick you wrote on a message board about and got right and ignoring the millions you got wrong is silly. fkc ngata and mcargo, we needed a qb and while trent is better than jp, he's not shown enough. we also just don't have any OTs right now. we don't need peters, but we do need a couple OTs, and we have one guy who might be there in a year (bell) butler who was good but got hurt, and then literally zero. at lb we have jack and while we have evans and owens we have way too much wood at wr. OT protects in teh pass game, qbs make the throws, wrs make the plays, and LBs make the tackles. our other guys are pretty good actually, but having jack at those positions is what is killing us. we had plenty of chances to get guys too but didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOKBILLS Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 Funny but sad stuff: "McCargo is a bust who has never started a game; Whitner is a journeyman-level performer, McKelvin and Posluszny are perennially injured. Meanwhile, Leonhard, Greer and Haggan are playing like stars for the Jets, Saints and Broncos, while Bannan is often on the field for the Ravens. Had Buffalo simply kept Leonhard, Greer, Haggan and Bannan and used the draft choices and money on other players, it might now be a real team. Time to recognize that Buffalo general manager Russ Brandon is Matt Millen: The Sequel." TMQ 10/13/09 Brandon could not hold Millen's jock... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Day 10 Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 i agree. that is an insult to Millen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Right, but i'm pretty sure the only call of all of those that was Brandon's was McKelvin v. Greer. he left out Brandon's brilliant move to play hardball with Peters and run him out of town Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsVet Posted October 15, 2009 Author Share Posted October 15, 2009 I don't believe Ralph Wilson is calling the shots like, say, Al Davis or Jerry Jones. He may make final decisions, but all indications are that he has his advisers, the so-called "inner circle", and drives consensus. The trouble is that his football advisers, including Russ Brandon, are in way over their heads. This off-season (maybe sooner) will be the time for Ralph to reveal his cards as to whether he is serious about putting a good product out on the field and going out a winner or he's just mailing it in. Consensus is not how teams are built. All it does is attempt to appease multiple opinions and personalities and gets you average type players. From what I've read, Bill Polian fought hard to make the trade for Cornelius Bennett, while Marv Levy wasn't crazy about it at first. If consensus was used, perhaps Bennett does not wind up in Buffalo. I'm sure guys like Jerry Reese (NYG) Polian, Tom Dimitroff (ATL), and AJ Smith aren't worried about building consensus. They're too busy running the personnel for a NFL team. A leader takes the recommendations from their advisors and makes the best decision for the team. Donahoe may not have worked, but it's no reason to avoid finding someone who knows what they're doing for fear they could alienate others in the front office. It's not a popularity contest, it's the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Cat Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Hmm. OK. Well argued. Yes it does. It fractured the second time because it was repaired after the first break--which was, I guess, a freak injury. It will likely break again because it is plated. It will be forever prone to injury, as his surgoen no doubt has told him in writing. McKelvin was drafted to replace....Clements?? What about McGee? Weren't he and Greer playing together? 1.) It's been hashed out here many times before, but as it's been demonstrated now two weeks in a row by his absence, he makes plays all over the field that keep our defense from being truly deplorable. He alone makes up for a great deal of our defensive deficiencies. 2.) Fair point, but because it's an inevitable re-injuring of a FREAK injury, I still maintain it's harsh to call him "injury prone," though technically he is. 3.) Yes, we let Clements walk after 2007, then spent our first pick on a corner back the following draft. We've now extended McGee, so I'm not sure where (if at all) he belongs in this discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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