Never NEVER Give-up

In all the teeth gnashing and hand wringing over the weeks since Nix & Gailey announced they want to run a 3-4 defense, everyone seems to forget what else they said about their defensive plans. Yes they want to run the 3-4, but they realize they do not have all the pieces for it. They have some good defensive football players & they will play - they will be put in position to succeed. Sounds to me that we will be running a varient of the 3-4. By virtue of our personnel (and those that will be drafted too), our opponents won't really know what we are running against them - a true advantage. Regardless of what we run, there's no way Belechik and Brady can just waltz in a know they are playing the same old Bills Defense. The youngsters in Miami & NY will also have trouble playing a 3-4 hybrid. Remember what Gailey has said, time & again, it's so hard to play against the 3-4. So of course we want that to be our base, but then we'll also need to get creative to maximize the talents of the 11 guys they'll be putting on the field. It'll keep the opponents honest. And folks need to stop bashing the Bills - if you hate 'em so much, go root for someone else or take up NASCAR. Honest concern, apprehension and nervous jitters are understandable, but the nastiness that we saw last year against McKelvin & Whitner and some of the many nasty barbs aimed at anyone at OBD is crazy.

He must be a real jerk! Doing this with Incognito seems just like the Peters situation. I think Mark Gaughn is making an assumption about Wood, because Wood hasn't been that optimistic. Although he is targeting camp, he realizes it may take longer. I think the safer assumption is that he will miss this year and we should plan to be without him and keep Incognito. Perhaps not tendering any of these guys is a way of saving $$ and being able to offer them less at a later date - not sure -just a guess (& maybe a little hope)!!!

BillsGuy is right - we cannot whiff here. With guys like Bell on the roster, we can't afford a mistake here. Bills left tackle Demetrius Bell was dead last in PBP (Pass Blocking) rating. In eight games, ProFootballFocus.com charged Bell with five sacks, seven QB hits and 18 pressures. Bell also was one of the most penalized players in the NFL before an injury ended his season at Week 13.

Quick - send the study to Shanahan's wife & daughter!!!!!!

Build the infrastructure first. Start with the lines, then linebackers, we have decent receivers and backs and our D-secondary is very good. That leaves QB. If you take care of the infrastructure 1st, whomever plays QB will double the production of last years QBs - even if we use the same guys!

I'm not sold on the QB's in this draft and Clausen would be my 3rd-maybe 4th choice. The reasons evryone gives for picking him are the same reasons why I wouldn't. - Ran a Pro set - and still didn't help his team win - couldn't make those around him better - Well coached - and was only as good as we saw last year (see preceding line) I think he has maxed-out, he has been coached-up and is as good as he's going to get and AGAIN, he hasn't won games, don't even mention Bowl Games or Championships, and he hasn't made those around him better. In fact it was Golden Tate who made Clausen look somewhat appealing!

2-14 or 3-13 - OK then we get an awsome Draft Pick - LOCKER. But I think they are wrong and we are in the middle of the pack - as usual. Remember this is still a mediocre league. The "experts" only look at face value. As it was, Perry Fewell was 3-4 with no offense and a decimated roster. We are at least a 7-9 team next year - no where near #30 in the Power rankings. But if they want to slot us there great. I prefer being under the radar anyway. We are not so far away from winning as people think. Do we have problems . . let me count the ways. But so does everyone else. We need to shore-up the O-Line, that will enable whatever QB plays to play better, which means more points and wins. (Not to mention a good QB coach and OC that won't be going anywhere.) We already have good receivers and great RB's, especially if Lynch comes back with a chip on his shoulder. (Another off-season indiscretion and it's off to Cincy!!) On the Defense, we need some Key people - a DT and 2 LB's. Do-able in the draft. Again we are not so far away. Let the boys at OBD do their thing. Assess where we can improve in FA. What vets will return? Then address the missing pieces in the draft. Lastly, make a trade for a proven QB if possible - but for nothing more than a 3rd rounder. Our draft slot almost makes our 3rd rounder look like a late 2nd rounder. Lastly. Either I completely disagree with LaCanforta about the quality of the coaches or simply these guys are better because they are different. The old regime had to go. Remember, we won't be changing OC's a week before the opener. That alone makes this team better. Most if not all signs point to improvement. Or look at it this way . . . where are we getting worse? Worse than last year? I would say virtually nowhere (unless Schoebel hangs it up). So those dire predictions are the off-hand comments by experts about an irrevelent team. We s/b slotted bet 15-20. Better than #30, but still irrevelent. Any improvement from there will be a real feather in Gailey's / Nix's caps.

SalPal is wrong - Dead Wrong. As a Syracuse Alum with friends-in-common with Donovan, he is just interested in a good deal and he has no problem with WNY. The real question is who do the Bills want? McNabb, Vick or someone else. TYhis will work itself out - probably before the draft.

Couldn't agree more. What has me most excited is the fact THEY SEEM TO HAVE A PLAN. An actual PLAN!!!! Nix hiring a young & very well regarded Asst GM and watching Gailey hire his coaches, the strength coaches, looks wise to me. They are probably reviewing personnel and draft possibilities - the quiet (and agonizing) period for football junkies. I like Russ Brandon, but I never had confidence in his talent evaluation skills. Now we have some football guys with a plan. Leave 'em alone to build the plan, then work the plan. FA, trades? and the draft will be very interesting this year. It would be great to see all the folks who called Buddy the bafoon, eat their words and give him some credit for player moves and draft choices.

Why are we switching to a 3-4? Because it is a pain to defend and it allows us to put the best players on the field - maybe the D-line would be Stroud-Williams -Kelsey and the LBs Schobel, Mitchell Poz and Maybin? Who knows, but we won't need converted safeties playing LB (although Scott was decent). It will allow the coaches the flexibility to put different personnel groupings on the field and make it more difficult for our opponents to defend.

hmmmm. . . . sounds like a Philadelphia Eagle-kind-of-guy!!!! (see Jason Peters) Peppers only plays when HE wants to. Too infrequently. I'd pass on him.

Funny - they outbid the Bills for Lavurenes Coles (sp?) last year (3 yr deal if I recall correctly)

Gailey is a very good OC. Haley is a nut-job and was probably the problem in KC - not Gailey. I'd rather have Gailey as the OC to whomever we hire as HC - Billick, Frazier, Levy (oops)

AWESOME !!!!! Prefectly Done!!

As far as no GM would want the Bills job, I believe it was Tim Graham that reported that several GM candidate-types were miffed they didn't get to interview for the Bills job. If the Bills like Frazier, then there won't be a hire until the Vikes are out of the SB Tourney. So whay are people saying we need to hire someone right away? Funny how Casserly (who reportedly was one of the aforementioned GM candidate-types) was the ONLY one to report the Jim Harbaugh snub. Whenever any other journalist mentions Harbaugh, they report that he "reportedly" snubbed the Bills or they say that the Bills may be interested in him. There have been no other utterances of such certainty. Obviously there is a lack of confirmation here. I'm not too worried about this "story" (read fairy tale). Peter King says the Bills are doing exactly what they said they were going to do. It will be a long & thorough process. It has been and will continue to be. I like reading Jerry Sullivan, because he always gives you something to think about (that's his job). However, I rarely agree with him on the majority of his contentions and I gotta believe, based on his usual tone, that the guy is pretty miserable in his life . . . so a little pity for the guy as opposed to consternation. I like Buddy Nix. Strikes me as a thoughtful guy, a football guy - in the Polian-Butler mold. (Remember Terry Bledsoe and Stew Barber - they were jokes as GM!!!) I actually think Ralph may have done this one right. Lastly, anyone catch Felsers article in the Bflo Snooze on Sunday? His comparison to the Jets and how each organization has built their current rosters was sobering. Read it, he was dead on. The Jets are in the Championship game because they hit on their draft choices and FA pick-ups while we struck-out on most (almost all!!) since 2006!! Hopefully Buddy still has plans for Guy (the ax) and Modrak (scout). Perhaps he didn't want to go into the Senior Bowl with no help. Remember what Felser said . . . the Jets have like 20 scouts. The Bills 12 and 3 are emeritus (retired) - that says it all. (#'s approximated based on my recollection) Sorry I have no link on the Felser article. It is not in the online version of the Bflo News (yet?). It is in the print edition of the Sunday Paper.

Just seen a guy put a gun in a cab drivers face. Time to dip (about 11 hours ago from txt) AaronMaybin58 Aaron Maybin Instead of time to dip. . . or time to tweet, how about calling the cops?!?!?!?!?!?!?

What?!! Now we're not good enough for LA?!?!?! Just more disrespect for Buffalo!! (kidding)

This whole process cracks me up. The Bills contacted several people and are interested in talking to them about 1 of 32 jobs in the world and some of them are balking looking for something better? Perhaps the 33rd job! I hope they get left out in the cold. Yesterday's game demonstrated the parity in the league. The Bills aren't as bad as some think and if their record were reversed - wouldn't be as good as some would think. Anyone who passes can take a flying leap. I thought we were looking for MEN who want challenges, not pussies who need the table set for them with a HOF QB on the roster. If we had everything in place - we wouldn't need them! Show me the guy willing to take on the challenge - - preferably a GM 1st - who can then organize the scouting and coaching departments. No thanks to the wusses looking for all-stars, HOF'ers or warm weather. We need a tough SOB looking for a fight (can't help but picture Polian yelling at an agent and challenging him to get into a 3-point stance to settle their issues), pussies need not apply.

This is just not in character for the great Buffalo fans!!! We should organize, meet at Tops, buy a few dozen eggs, and launch an egg-citing assault on their homes. That's the Buffalo way!!!

True - a Bills win changes the discussion. Divisional games are usually tough - although the Bills haven't lived up to their end of the bargain lately. It's still pretty unlikely - but that's why they play the game. Would love to see them do it - arrogant Jets fans are nauseating.

Good signing - may be like Levitre, Wood & Bell - with us for years to come. Yes there is some pain and we don'ty have a seasoned vet in there - but we've been OK so far and the Bills want young, athletic guys who love the game . . . Runyon, Jones, Walker - do not fit those 3 criteria. Good Signing!!

First let me say I love all the guys who were named. That said, who picked this team? No Off Tackles? Really? All these guards, no tackles? No OJ? Yeah, he's a murderer, but he s/b on the team. Why not a back-up QB? They took so much creative liscence elsewhere. I know I'm a stickler, but we know a team has 11 offensive players, 11 defensive players, kickers & return men. But the selectors in their infinite wisdom just picked the guys they liked and ignored depth charts and positions. Here's my team & the 'extra' guys are for when the Off or Def ran with different sets - hence 3 WRs, 2 TEs etc - but you will see 2 guards and 2 tackles - not 4 guards!!!(Honorable mentions/back-up listed) QB - Kelly (Kemp) RB - Thurman RB - OJ FB - Cookie Gilchrist (Jim Braxton) C - Hull (Bemiller) G - Joe D (Reuben Brown) G - Shaw T - Joe Devlin (Fina) T - House Ballard TE - Metzelaars TE - Warlick (or Seymour) WR - Reed WR - Dubenion WR - Lofton DE - Bruce Smith DL - Ted Washington (Smerlas) DL - Sestak DE - McDole OLB - Biscuit OLB - Stratton ILB - Spielman (MLB) ILB - Spikes DB - Robert James DB - Antoine Winfield DB - Butch Byrd S - Saimes S - Henry Jones Punter - Moorman K - Christie KR - McGee PR - Tasker

Sorry if I mislead anyone. Career threatening was my take on what I heard. It was only reported to be worse than originally thought with no other explanation or information. Does that mean season-ending? I don't know. But I feel it's career threatening if it's a recurring thing - that's all. Lastly - based on his smile, his teeth are fine!

A friend of mine has an aquaintance whose husband works for the Bills - this is what I've heard: (No I am not this Skooby-guy!!!) McKelvin was told to take a knee if the kick went into the end zone. (I had no problem with him returning the kick, I was disappointed he didn't go down once he was hit. Jauron having his back at the post-game press conference was a class move and should go a long way in the locker room and on the field in future games.) As most know, AVP is tight with Jim Kelly. I was told AVP has been consulting the HOF'er on the no huddle and it will resemble the K-gun as AVP develops his play calling. (Sounds good to me!) Poz's arm is worse than is being reported and could be career threatening. (Bad/sad news and I hope it's inacurate. But one has to wonder if Poz is too breakable and not durable enough for the game. I hope we go out and get Derrick Brooks if Poz will be missing any appreciable amount of time.)

I'll tell you what . . . . I'll show you the game on Bflo's channel 7 on Friday night!! Don't say I never did you any favors.