shoretalk

Why oh why can't we be like other teams when we choose our General Managers? Why oh why do we have to promote from within a guy who has been involved with drafting numerous Pro-Bowl players and who has a life time of experience scouting and recommending top college talent? Why oh why did we have to pick a guy who has been part of winning organizations (plural not singular) while playing a key role in the drafts that built the teams? And, why oh why did we choose a plain speaking guy who is willing to criticize past decisions about the drafting of 'one year wonders?' And, did we have to pick a guy with southern accent who sounds like he just came out of the woods? We could have made the choice the Philadelphia Eagles have made for their new GM ... Howie Roseman (even that first name rings with football authority .. Howie ...). Roseman is young not old - He is 34 years old He has not wasted his years away on college campuses scouting players and talking with college coaches but instead he is an expert in the SALARY CAP. He is a lawyer so no 'off-th-cuff' remarks down in Philadelphia and he sounds smart. He was promoted from within the Eagles organization and never wasted any time working for some other team to learn how other teams general managers work. No need for wasted time trying to take credit for work others might have done and Howie (boy that name resonates football) has never been allegedly fired from some other team. And, Howie is not going to be critical of his team. There is no doubt in my mind that all of the Buddy critics right now are wishing that the Bills could have made the type of decision that BIG CITY PHILLY has made with their team. In fact a quote in today's Philadelphia Inquirer says that the Eagles even "interviewed a couple of other fellows" before staying in-house with Howie. So, Buffalo Bills' fans ... the NFL has these two new general managers before the month of January has disappeared. We got Buddy with all that scouting baggage ... blunt talk loaded with a southern accent ... experience working for the likes of Polian and Butler and for several winning teams ... and he is OLD ... my goodness he is almost as old as Ronald Reagan was when Reagan was President. The Eagles have a young lawyer who is really well spoken, team oriented and who knows all about the salary cap. Which one would you have chosen if we had had a shot at young HOWIE? All those Buddy critics here's your chance to cheer for a new team and they already have McNabb, Vick, and Jason Peters so go for it my friends. As for me ... GO BILLS!

You are so right! I want attitude! I want it from the top down so that our players don't wimp out during a game ... I wonder how the collective brilliant minds of this board would have reacted to our hiring a quiet behind the scenes GM whose only experience had been as someone's assistant? We all know the answer .... they'd have blown that apart too. There are no right answers for so many of the regular voices here ... we want an offensive minded coach until we hire one ... we want a gutsy general manager (willing to rip the picking of a one-year wonder as a first round pick) who has experience drafting quality players who have a playoff mentality until we promote one ... If we had hired a defensive coordinator from Minnesota with no head coaching experience would we be screaming Gregg Williams ... of course. Until the draft comes and goes and any free agent signings happen ... and we play our first game of the season ... it is impossible to judge the impact of these choices. All I know is I want them to work ... I want a winner ... But, I also want a general manager who is not so wrapped up in political correctness that he doesn't speak his mind ... I want a coach with fire in his belly ... so right now even without my dream coach at the helm I feel pretty darn good and Nix's track record can compete with any of the GM's out there. So, LET's GO BILLS!!!!

Well let's see ... we have James Hardly Know You and ... nothing. I want TO back too ... yes, he didn't try for some passes but that is not uniquely a TO trait ... all too many NFL receivers want the glory but aren't about to work too hard unless they are making highlight reels. Create a better offense and TO will bring us more TD's ... with perhaps a few more headaches too. WE WANT MARANGI!

If we are fans ... that means we want the team to win because otherwise we'd be fans of other teams. Since we have nothing to go by so far (other than Nix's ripping the idea of picking a one year wonder in the draft as a #1 ... mmm wonder who he was referring to and Gailey's keeping a couple of coaches who seemed to do some good work with the team) we need to be positive because these are the guys who are going to put the team together. Let's GO BILLS!!!!

NO ... NO ... NO ... unless the Raiders gave us a couple of draft picks to take him ... we do not give up anything for him ...

Read your own link ... the Browns run defense improved with Rogers out ... he just can't get it done any more. Toss in a provisional seventh round draft pick and it might be worth a trade but this unmotivated overpaid individual is not going to make anything on the Bills better!

This is great news ... you would think that one of our intrepid Buffalo News' reporters or whiners would have taken the time to develop a story on Eric's rehab. since he is a key component of our future "success" under ... oh how I hate to say this ... under Chan. Although Charlie Chan always seemed to find the solutions to his problems ... maybe ... NAH ... I need a cup of coffee.

Ok ... I needed that story from Kansas City so that I could sleep better! Great work at digging it up ...

Ok ... feels like the air has gotten kicked out of all of us but truthfully it's because we all wanted "the name" coach but if we start looking at Gailey's record maybe (just maybe) he is what we wanted. Remember we all screamed for: 1. An offensive minded coach 2. Someone with head coaching experience 3. Someone who has been to the playoffs more than one time 4. Someone with passion who will kick butt So, here we have Gailey and even in the one season with a very bad Kansas City team he took them from #32 to #24 in total offense. This year they slipped back to #25 after letting him go. I know some here would say that unless he moved them from #32 to the Number One offense then he sucks. But if we had signed Frazier right away how many would be screaming for an offensive minded head coach and complaining about the Tampa defense? Here are two quotes that don't sound at all like "Dick football" and show some passion "We need to score touchdowns and not settle for field goals in the fourth quarter.” “A lot of people say, 'Find a way to win,' like it's hiding behind a corner somewhere. I say, 'Make a way to win.' Most of the time you need to make things happen. They don't just happen.” Chan Gailey But ... I can't see that this move sells tickets ... the Bills are going to have to become aggressive and outspoken because right now the team management is one of the most embarassing acts in professional sports and those of us who truly love the team are grasping at straws ... if Chan's the man then I want to see that aggressiveness out on the field and a win all the time attitude. Whoever has the bottle pass it this way ...

And, maybe the story is that Harbaugh turned down a request to be interviewed rather than turned down being asked to be head coach. As noted in other posts, the only way you offer a guy a job after an interview is when the guy gives every indication that he wants the job. So, I am thinking he either said no to the interview or this story that has not taken off anywhere else is pure BS.

When I heard that 'Harbaugh was offered and turned down' an offer to be the Bills' head coach my level of skeptisism immediately skyrockted! It's not that I have any amount of faith in the way this 'operation' is interviewing coaches but come on ... the only way you offer a job to someone is if during the interview they gave some sign of wanting the job. Could it be that some media-type doesn't want to see Frazier coming to Buffalo so he planted the idea that the Bills actually offered the job to Harbaugh? None of us who are Bills' fans or who truly love Western NY can be happy with the state of the team or how this process is going forward. There is no doubt that some underlying issue (Ralph or the bean counters in Detroit) have dissuaded assistant coaches from even taking a peek at the opportunity. So, if there is an issue then I ask where are the true journalists (not these sports' radio types or wannabe's) who could uncover the story. All that being said ... I have no problem with Frazier taking over. And, I don't think the Bills are doing things right! We needed to see more of a shake-up over at the Ralph but here we are sitting back and January 15th has come and gone.

Ahhh ... thanks, that does explain a lot! haha

Wow ... do you spend each waking moment searching for something negative in life? Every new coach is going to say how excited he is to be coming to a good team with good players ... And, living in NJ I thought Philly fans thrived on the negative ... I am beginning to wonder what is in the water up there? And if someone says it's a nice day in another city .... they are not saying that it is an awful day up in Buffalo ...

AMAZING ... just when I thought the scribes of this board couldn't get more ridiculous here it is ... We have a rookie ... who intercepts nine passes ... and that is without even starting the full 16 game season and some of the brilliant scholars on this board are choosing to somehow diminish Byrd's accomplishments, which by the way also include a Pro Bowl appearance as votedf on by his fellow players and the fans. When you review all of the NFL's defensive backs and safeties who played this season ... somehow only Byrd had gift passes thrown to him ... it's so funny actually it's sad but then again when we read what so many "fans" write ... so little knowledge and so much joy in bashing and attacking. Obviously, I don't think there is one fan of the team or football scholar who thinks the Bills made the right choice with May-be-one-day but our overall draft can compete with almost any other team's 2009 picks. Levitre is a keeper and will keep getting better and if Wood recovers he was showing all the signs of being a top notch offensive lineman. If either played on a better team we might be endowing them with the accolades being given to Oher. But a healthy Wood means 40% of our offensive line for years to come has been put into place and we aren't talking about second rate players. Nelson if his health issues improve seems to be a decent or better tight end and the "reserves" all seem to have some talent. The discards from our recent drafts with only one exception have ended up on the rosters of other NFL teams and even though the BEAST MODE has been overrun by the Jackson Express ... Marshawn did have 2 1000 yard seasons and it is possible that some allegations (especially this most recent one) may be just fabrications. So ... whoever wants to criticize Byrd must be longing for the day when no Bills defensive back had an interception ... those who rip apart our DB's must be watching some other game because that unit given the time on the field, etc. has performed as well as almost any other teams ... The Bills need help but let's give credit where credit is due!

I once knew a guy ... who said he knew someone who had spoken with another guy who was listening to talk radio when he had an epiphany by looking at a slice of Bocce's pizza and somehow he knew exactly what the Bills were going to do regarding their head coaching position even before Nix knew and to top it off ... he was able to predict not just this season's win-loss total but the next 4 years game results. And, the guy said that even though most playoff teams had Head Coaches who came out of the Assistant Coach ranks that the positioning of the pepperoni on that prophetic slide of Bocce's told him that the Bills needed to be different ... needed to find a washed up ... over the hill ... burnt out ... former head coach to lead the team because a younger, energetic Assistant Head Coach would just cause heart burn. I am so thrilled that I can discover all of the Bills' inner secrets and plans here on the Wall or by talking with my guy who knew a guy who once met a guy in a dark alley ... mmmm now I am hungry for some pizza ... maybe I'll get a vision too!

First ... I think Marshawn is going to implode eventually. All the positive spin at the press conference when we picked him about his mother coming here, etc. has vanished into the air. His first two seasons of running for more than 1000 yards behind a very questionable line ... well that's history too. We have are all purpose back but ... From the start this story especially the late appearance of the ALLEGATION (remember what nation we live in ... you are innocent until proven guilty here in the United States) and now the alleged victim doesn't want Lynch charged (http://www.buffalonews.com/452/story/919587.html) and not at all surprisingly the police officer/husband is talking law suit. So, we start out with a delayed report of a millionaire sports figure interacting with a couple of women at TGIF's ... flirting perhaps? Pick-up attempt perhaps? And, apparently the bill gets paid at TGIF's .. and then you wait to make a big deal out of this? Did Marshawn not call for a second date? So the police officer says their family name is being smeared ... and just what did he think he was doing by publicizing this $20 situation ... smearing Lynch or trying to get money? We have all heard the stories of Lynch in Buffalo bars ... the rumors keep swirling about him. His actions in the hit and run followed by the gun charges in Oakland sadly show this young man is still living the life he grew up with rather than stepping forward but that should not allow him to be victimized nor for so many "fans (I use that word advisedly)" turing on him as if he is evil incarnate. Thank goodness once Dick football was gone from THE RALPH Perry was smart enough to make Fred Jackson our runniing back ... but let's sit back and see how this TGIF story ends up. There is a chance that Marshawn's actions were not as awful as the police officer made them out to be ... maybe we need to hear his wife's side of the story or her friend's side of the story or the other Bills' player's side of the story or perhaps Marshawn's.

Does any one have the link to Peters' quote when he said he needed the new contract so he could feed his family? I am here in South Jersey and a couple of my neighbors who are huge Eagles' fans are really mad about Peters' play the last couple weeks. Plus, they say he laid down in a couple earlier games. That being said ... I have seen him pancake defenders as an Eagle so he is not this talent-less lineman that gets hinted at at times here on the Wall. He is just a greedy overpaid example of what's wrong with professional sports. Would have have helped the Bills ... of course he would have. But, would he be worth the money ... no way.

This just in ... a very reliable source in the Philadelphia football community (remember this is where Modrak came from) is reporting that the Buffalo Bills will have a head coach sometime before the start of preseason.

Don't we all wish we were the flies on the wall in that draft room? Are the decisions tied to who the Head Coach wants or to the players recommended by the Vice President of College Scouting (or whatever title Modrak has)? Our 2009 draft potentially (Ok, it is admittedly hard to judge the true talents of these players based on the philosophy of Dick Jauron and the schemes we played but look how many actually played this year as rookies opening up the possibilities for the future. All had Modrak's involvement to a degree.): Maybin - Almost all of the draft experts had him going in the mid-first round. Did he meet our needs? No ... Can he somehow fit into the future needs? Right now we all want to say no but let's see what a quality head coach (we better get one) can do with him. Wood - Has all the makings of a stud offensive lineman if he recovers from that awful broken leg. As a rookie he was doing everything right and has an "attitude" too. Byrd - A 'ball hawk' who makes the Pro Bowl in his first season even when he didn't start most of the games. Obviously, he needs some coaching on run defense but has all the makings of a quality starter for years to come. Levitre - Left guard problems solved. No, he doesn't have the body to play left tackle but as a rookie he proved himself week after week. Like Wood, he can play with attitude and did everything we could have hoped for from a rookie. He can only get better but no one can complain about having him on our line for years to come ... he survived nine different starting linemates in 16 games and didn't panic or lose composure. If anything be became a "solid veteran" as a rookie and that can only pay off for years to come. Nelson - If he can resolve his ongoing migraine issues he has shown enough talent to be our tight end for the coming years either by himself or in sharing the position. Too bad he isn't 100% healthy all the time because his reach, catching abilities and power were impressive even with our quarterback situation. Harris (Nic) - Ahh, another of our IR team members. He looked good in preseason and didn't look out of place on the field when he began to start. He doesn't look to be a starter but he does look like he belongs in the NFL. Harris (Cary) - Intercepting Peyton Manning ... two interception game ... ok, so they were thrown right into his belly but unlike past Bills defenders from the last decade Harris didn't drop the ball. We can all think of certain individuals who would have let the sure interceptions roll out onto the turf. Lankster - Needs coaching but here's another player who can be there to fill the much needed back-up roll for the Bills and who doesn't seem out of place on the field. 2008 Draft McKelvin - Still hard to evaluate based on his injuries this season. Definitely potential for being our #2 corner with McGee next year and his return abilities are clearly there. Hardy - Does anyone really know if he can play? Obviously Jauron had no faith in him but neither did Fewell. He has size ... but? So, he looms as a large question as I keep watching DeSean Jackson play. Ellis - At least he is still with the team ... no experience Corner - Perhaps he will never be a starter but most weeks I don't mind him being our nickel back or our 4th defensive back. He has shown flashes of ability. Fine - He's an enigma to me ... perhaps teamed up with Nelson he can work. Shows some skill sets and is definitely better than many of the other mysterious tight ends we have seen at the Ralph this past decade. Bowen - His injuries led to his release but he finished the year on the Redskins' active roster (ok, I know they suck too but they are an NFL team last I checked.) Omon - Seattle's practice squad Bell - Our "future" left tackle? Ok, that might be a joke but he is still a work in progress and remember that like Wood and Levitre he was basically inserted into one of the toughest positions as a rookie, which means mistakes are going to happen. His injuries have clouded his future but if he recovers and gets good coaching ... just maybe we will have another element to our starting offensive line or a decent back-up. Johnson - Someone is going to have to explain how he got in the doghouse ... I love how he plays but he didn't get to play. Unless there is some evil secret ... I would think he has the potential to be a player with a new coaching team. Cox - On Jacksonville's active roster 2007 Draft Lynch - A really decent back-up runner who has been to the Pro Bowl with two 1000 yard seasons. "Trade bait?" Was he worth the pick who knows since Jackson is the better player but before his scrapes with the law we all were thinking BEAST MODE ... Posluzny - Quarterbacks our defense ... put him with a couple of stud linebackers and who knows how good he might become. He seemed motivated this season both before and after his injury. A keeper Edwards - For those brief shining moments when his "leadership abilities" shone through in pre-season 2008 and before the Arizona game ... we all thought here is the answer. A concussion and DICK JAURON coaching have finished him off in town and I don't think a new quality head coach can get into Trent's head ... but for a little while he seemed to be the real deal even in conversations with out of town fans and media. Wright - Not associated with any team after being waived by the Giants in September. Wendling - Special teams quality player who will never be anything more but every team needs some players like him. Schouman - See comments on Fine above ... he may be the compliment to Nelson. Ah You - St. Louis Rams DT (nickle defense) who had 17 tackles and 1 sack before going on IR this year. So, out of the last three years' Modrak drafts we picked 25 players in the draft 24 of them are still on an NFL roster albeit most of them with the Bills. A couple of them have made the PRO BOWL ... a couple of them have potential written all over their names ... others are busts but I would be curious to review other teams' drafts to see how many of their picks remain in the league during the same time period. Our problems go back to our Head Coach issues ... our quarterback problems ... our lack of a general manager ... our poor evaluation of pro talent (goodbye Mr. Guy) ... and to all of the injuries because of a pooring training regimine and poor coaching. Will a new headcoach keep the majority of these players? Who knows ... but potential and dreams are still alive for many. GO BILLS ...

After the Colts losses the last two weeks there are rumors circulating that if they don't win the Super Bowl by at least 30 points that Cower is headed there ... apparently he has a first cousin who manages a business in downtown Indy and the two of them are really close!

Tremendous heart and one of the worst arms I have ever seen in the NFL! It seems like his throws are accurate about 25% of the time ... when they are like in today's touchdowns you just sit there wondering why he can't do it all the time. And, having or not having time doesn't matter ... he just can't throw! But, love the block and love the grit! It's great to see an athlete at quarterback who doesn't panic! Would be nice to have him on the bench again.

Ok ... somewhere I missed this Josh Reed Conspiracy theory ... was he up on the grassy knoll outside of THE RALPH??? Where in the world do you get a story that Reed is the reason that Brohm hasn't been put in a position to play?

When we look back at the pre-Arizona Trent Edwards and the post-Arizona Trent Edwards we see two different quarterbacks ... I agree that THE DICK pulled Trent under his control following the concussion to the point of taking away the edge that we once saw. Trent in those early days had command of the huddle and the field but then he wimped out ... playing not to lose just like a certain former coach. We will never know what he might have been but the learning curve as a quarterback under Jauron has fatally flawed Trent Edwards to the point that he needs some major coaching, encouraging and an offensive line that is not utterly offensive and he will never get all of that here in Buffalo. So, it's so long Trent ... maybe next time you'll be a fan of the team you are quarterbacking!

Ok ... I so agree that we need to get rid of some of the losing attitude that has helped lessen the impact of the 12th Man at THE RALPH but Brad Butler is not part of that and if we bring in a coach who has someone like a 'Rusty Jones' to keep the players in proper playing condition maybe we won't lead the lead in the IR list again as we have with THE DICK. The O-Line actually looked good in the first two games of this season before Butler went down. Parrish should have been let go some time ago ... he is just too small and has an attitude issue. He has given us great memories but send him away. I never thought I'd be in the say goodbye to Donte group but watching him closely the last few games has convinced me that he is part of the problem not part of the solution. So ... my line-up QB - Brian Brohm (I agree that we should look for a late round QB with potential but I want to see Brohm) RB - Jackson (A true winner who doesn't deserve to be stuck on a losing team; keep Lynch as the back-up) WR - Evans WR - Johnson (Anyone notice Sam Aikins yesterday? Why don't we let our young guys play at wide-out?) WR - Jenkins (see above ... I just don't get Hardy and think he falls into the Parrish/Witner head-case group; Felton Huggins is another with potential. I keep Josh Reed.) LT - Bell/Scott (a draft pick unless he is a stud will not give us anything better) LG- Levitre (he is our stud and for those suggesting he play LT forget it because his body is not right to play tackle in the NFL and frankly he is doing a great job for a rookie at the guard position) C - Hangartner (yea, he's blown a play or two but he is the best center we have had in a decade and does a good job of keeping this rag tag unit from total collapse, which is not an easy job) RG - Wood (Platoon Simmons??? Who are you kidding ... Simmons is old and injury prone and worth having on the bench with Igcognito but play your star rookie guard and let him develop if he recovers from the broken leg.) RT - Butler Defense (we going to a 3-4?) DE - Schobel DT - Williams (he can teach others about playing with passion) DT - Stroud DE - Kelsay (I have not understood the Kelsay haters because it seems that #90 is always in the mix and it is what stands behind him that leads to our failures against the run) LB - SCRAP THE ENTIRE BUNCH ... ok, seriously ... we need some run stoppers and I don't think that Mitchell gives that to us. It is this group that is responsible for the run gaps and frequently for tight end coverage and guess where we get burned most ... runs and tight end receptions. Poz seems to be coming on during the latter part of this season so I say leave him in the middle and find partners for him on the outside if we stay with the 4-3). Palmer is a potential outsider who has had some big special team hits this year. OLB - Palmer (?) MLB - Poz OLB - Someone who can tackle running backs and who plays disciplined ball. CB - McGee CB- Florence S- Byrd S - Wilson I have said this over and over again ... no team can win with the injuries we have had under Jauron and having the numbers of injuries we have had year after year is reflectice of the coach not just bad luck. Every time a commentator talks about the number of offensive line combinations we have had this year or the number of players/starters on IR I get sick .... Two more weeks ...

It is unfair but then again this is professional football. Trent Edwards whose leadership skills and on-field management of the team pushed him beyond JP ... lost it; he lost everything that he showed as potential. It might have been being stuck with a head coach who drummed the no-risk methodology into Trent's head ... it might have been the concussion ... the offensive line ... the Cleveland game ...I don't think TO had anything to do with Trent's total collapse but for whatever reason Trent was afraid to throw more than an 8 yard pass (always on the wrong side of the first down marker). Does he have more talent in him that Mr. Float the ball wherever it might land Fitz? Yes ... Would a TE in his right mind be our best chance against the Patriots? Yes ... Is his career with the Bills finished? Yes ... So on Sunday we will watch a quarterback with guts ... willing to boldly throw the ball ... who just can't get it done. He puts all of his strength into his throws and they still lag. It hurts to watch him release the ball. I am hoping that lightening strikes and our running game and pass defense do enough to win on Sunday ... But just like JP ... TE needs to move on ... and I just wish we could see what our #3 can do before this season is over ... maybe he has guts, leadership ability and the ability to pass down field ... guess we won't find out until next August.