Archives for January 21, 2010

‘The road ahead looks much like the road already traveled and there is no respite in sight. If this is an uncapped year you’re really going to see how outgunned and outclassed the Bills are in today’s NFL. It’s enough to make me want to pick up my phone and text STOP to 64621.’

‘If you’re a Bills fan, and the whole country makes fun of your city, and your team is best known for losing Super Bowls, and the best player in franchise history turns out to be … O.J. Simpson, and your owner has decided the best way to keep your team in town is to have it play games in Toronto, and you’re freezing to death … I mean, I think you have lost more faith than Chan Gailey can restore.’

‘”I have an idea of the direction we’d like to go, but I know one thing, I’m much more open to the 3-4 than I used to be because I know what a pain it is to go against it every week.”‘

‘It’s difficult to comprehend, just a decade after the "Music City Miracle," that the most unbelievable part of that play is that the Bills were actually in a playoff game.’

‘"We said we wanted an offensive-minded coach," Nix said. "I wanted somebody that had developed quarterbacks. We wanted to do a thorough search, but we got the right guy. We got the right guy for us. I have full confidence in him."’

‘Guy was promoted to the position in 2008 having joined the team as Director of Pro Personnel in 2001.’

‘Guy was responsible for evaluating free agents. He was not responsible for the amount the team spent on free agents over the years.’

‘"The people that we’re going to attract probably won’t have the names that somebody might recognize right off the bat," he said. "We’re going to get the best teachers – the best people to help fit into a program. Everybody’s not the superstar on the team. Everybody’s got a role on the team. We’re going to get the best people to come in here and be a part of our organization to help us build a winner."’

‘The move was not unexpected. Guy’s contract was up this spring, and he was criticized for the Bills spotty record with free-agent signings. Buffalo finished with a 6-10 record this past season to miss the playoffs for a 10th straight year.’

‘There’s no downside to hiring Leslie Frazier. The Bills would have found that out – if they hadn’t been a bunch of dimwits.’

‘Is Buffalo that bad?’

‘Studesville, 42, is expected to be at the Broncos’ Dove Valley headquarters today. He was the Bills’ running game coordinator too and is versed in that portion of game planning as well.’

‘Even though Evans had his best season playing under a defensive-minded coach in Dick Jauron — he caught 82 passes for 1,292 yards and eight scores in 2006 — Evans said he’s ready to play for someone whose specialty is on the offensive side of the ball and has the background to turn Buffalo’s 30th-ranked offense around.’

‘Owens was supposed to be the answer to teams double-teaming Evans. Unfortunately for the Bills, their blocking and quarterback play were so weak, the passing game never achieved the potential it had on paper. The numbers for Evans (44-612, 2 TDs) and Owens (55-829, 5) were among the poorest for their careers. It’s not likely that Owens, 36, will re-sign, though both sides are leaving the door open. Reed (27 catches), a solid slot receiver in years past, is a free agent the new staff will think hard about bringing back. Hardy, a second-round pick in 2008, came off major knee surgery to see some action late in the season (one catch, 9 yards). He has great size and elusiveness and could get the first crack at starting alongside Evans. Parrish caught just three passes for 34 yards; two different staffs have failed to utilize his unique skills.’

‘"There are a lot of factors into us finishing that low, but we have some pieces in place and we have the talent to move forward, but the fact of the matter is that if we can’t keep guys healthy, none of that matters." — DT Marcus Stroud, on the Bills’ 6-10 season, which was doomed by a team-record 20 players landing on injured reserve.’