vincec

+1. To quote Mark Gaughan, they appear to be searching in the dark without a flashlight. It doesn't fill me with confidence.

This Palmer thing is a joke. Did they just bring him because Tuel didn't need any more practice? The guy has 3 days prep, plays like crap and is cut. Meanwhile, Tuel plays like crap for 4 weeks with the benefit of a full season and two training camps and is kept.

Ridiculous. He had a better pre-season that Bryant or Charles, IMO. Everyday I lose more confidence in the coaching staff.

+1. I'm not sorry to see him go. I don't know this TE that NE got but I doubt that they got an equitable return for him. Good news. The Pats are going to miss Mankins, but it's better than losing him for nothing. The Bills should take note.

Looks like the OL is pretty much set. Glenn-Williams-Wood-Pears-Henderson start. I see Urbik as the C/G backup and Hairston as the swing tackle. I assume that they're going to keep Kouandjio and Richardson as well. So that's the 9, IMO. It'll be interesting to see who the #3 C would be in the event of injury.

Honestly, there are no solutions to the backup QB problem in guys that can't even make it to the 75 player cut.

I suspect that the real panic is about the starting QB.

Defense looks ready for the season however I'm not sure that they're going to be improved after losing Byrd and Alonso, and with a new scheme to learn. I think if they look as good as last season it'll be an accomplishment.

And if he stinks vs Chicago it's still meaningless because he's a young QB who missed most of last season due to injury and is playing behind a questionable OL. It's easy to come up with excuses. Maybe one day we can come up with reasons to temper our excitement over excellent play instead of trying to rationalize crappy performances.

If we're going back to the draft, how about they take somebody else besides Kouandjio with the #2. Or better yet, trade the #2 to Cleveland instead of next year's #1.

No. It's definitely better than stinking agains their second string defense too, but it doesn't erase the first half either.

This season has train wreck written all over it.

What's the point of these types of responses?

Don't get too wrapped up in it. It's pretty standard procedure to bash any ex-bill automatically, regardless of their ability. See the numerous Jason Peters suxs threads as examples.

Chan Gailey. Seems like a lot of guys were better offensive players with him on the sidelines.

I hear you. It seems that just as teams figure out a way to play some defense in this pass happy league the NFL makes it illegal.

That's what I saw as well. Chandler was the right read there. In great position with a lot of end zone to work with. Woods gets destroyed if they go to him and if Manuel tries Graham on the post then the safety picks it off.

+1. It's only when Marrone, the offensive line specialist, took over than Urbik and Pears (and Spiller and Stevie Johnson and Chandler) started to stink. Coincidence? And don't blame it on Manuel because Fitz is not any better than Manuel.

JP Loss-man was the other starter in 2005 not Trent, and Kelly Holcomb was 4-4 as a starter that season with 10 TDs and 8 Ints. So yes, he was much better than Thad Lewis. Tyler Thigpen never started a game as a Bill so it's tough to judge but he has a career 72.5 QB rating which doesn't totally stink. Billy Joe Hobert wasn't the backup in 1997, Alex Van Pelt was with Todd Collins as the starter. Van Pelt was better than either Tuel or Lewis by a wide margin.

Practice squads are a joke, IMO. They're just a way for NFL teams to keep some extra bodies around during the regular season to beat up on for cheap and protect their actual players.

Expecting Henderson to RT with Glenn back, but surprised to see Pears at RG. Is there anyone they haven't tried at RG yet?

This is as plausible as any, but I wouldn't be happy with Tuel and Lewis as backup QBs. I'd cut one and bring in another QB as a developmental prospect. Also, cutting Hairston for Legursky would be tough to swallow even though I agree with the logic. Finally, and I know that I'm in the minority here, but Goodwin needs to show me something this pre-season to stay on the team. The guy looks like an injury machine in the making and hasn't done anything to keep his roster spot in my mind. If Graham can make a late push over the last two games I think he's a live possibility.

Philbin and Marrone are tied, IMO. Both need to make the playoffs or they're toast.

I like your list, but Dufek, Matheson and Ferragamo were better than either Tuel or Lewis. Brohm and Hobert were third string. I believe Fitz and Edwards were also on the roster with Brohm and Van Pelt and Collins with with Hobert, so the situation wasn't quite as bad as it is now. Totten was a replacement player so I don't think it's really fair to include him on any list. In short, I've been a Bills fan since the OJ days and I have to agree that I don't really remember a worse backup situation than during the Marrone era.