Red

Well, to borrow a Levyism, I think the answer is easy, but it would be difficult to implement. Easy, because every outside observer of this organization realizes the changes in the front office, coaching staff, and scouting department need to happen first. What good is a #4 overall pick if Modrak goes goo-goo over another Mike Williams, or JP Losman, or John McCargo? You may soon be able to add Donte Whitner in that category. What good is it to draft a QB, with no competent, proven offensive philosophy in place? And as much as I am glad he is gone for his now obvious disharmony within the team, you can't detract from Schonert's parting shots at Jauron wanting a 'Pop-gun offense'. After 6 games, the Bills don't use motion, just discovered the slant, and have opposing defensive coordinators yawning over their approach. This needs to change. So, a different identity is needed. Something aggressive. Someone who is quick to put a boot up someone's a$$ if they play like garbage. I like Gruden. He is the antithesis of Jauron. Last year, there were reports after the Cleveland loss that Jauron doesn't have the Bills practicing in the snow. Excuse me!??!?!? Last time I checked, The Ralph is outdoors, and it tends to snow in Buffalo in say, November. Edwards and Lynch played in sunny California, where last time I checked it does not snow very often. And is it any surprise that Edwards and Lynch has trouble with ball handling, throwing, catching, and footwork in the snow? DUH! It has been rumored that the former Bucs GM was attached to the Bills. He did build a Super Bowl team. That would be a great place to start. I think that Modrak's replacement is already at OBD- that being Mr. Buddy Nix. Though he handles the SEC, I would promote him to head of scouting based on his previous success in San Diego with AJ Smith and in Buffalo with the late John Butler and Bill Polian. I don't know enough about professional scouts to suggest John Guy's replacement, but I am sure that some team can be found that successfully recruits, signs, and keeps contributing free agent players and will not compete for their professional scout. Gruden can be allowed the freedom to assemble his staff, Allen at GM can work with Nix to fill out a renewed scouting staff, and then, ONLY then, can we begin to contemplate what should be done with the LT and QB positions. That is where the difficulty comes in. I was extremely excited to read that gossip about Allen being linked to the Bills as a possible GM. Gitty, even. But at 91, does Ralph have the b@!!s to pull the trigger and do what must be done? I don't think that the players are all bad. There are some gems and recent draft picks worth keeping, as evidence by 3 (and possibly more upcoming) consecutive seasons of 7-9. They are not that far off. Evans, Lynch, Jackson, Wood, Butler, Reed, Moorman, Lindell, Schobel, Williams, Stroud, Poz, Mitchell, Bryd, McGee, McElvin, Florence, and Corner are pretty good to build around. The special teams with an emerging Wendling and Jenkins looks pretty solid. I am not throwing the towel in on the O-line just yet. Or Edwards. But something big does need to happen with the entire front office to put in place an effective, winning, and aggressive STRATEGY to build a winning franchise. With all of the blunders in drafting and free agency (Royal, Dockery, Walker, Peters), this team seems to constantly be playing catch-up with itself. That has to stop, and having an overall concept and plan of what they want to achieve, how to get there, and to actually go get it is the only answer IMO. Allen at GM, Gruden at HC. Send Modrak, Guy, and Jauron walking. Promote Nix. Then let's stand back and see what happens.

I have been dreading this question since the Bills mounted a 2 game winning streak. I too have pondered..."what if the Bills improve to 8-8? 9-7? Would that be enough for him to be safe in Ralph's eyes? I mean, we're talking about continuity here, after all." It is frightening. It is so hard to get a true vibe of NFL teams these days. Parity is good, but clearly there are a small handful of teams head-and-shoulders better than anyone else (Pats, Saints, Vikings, Steelers, Giants, Colts(?)), but then it kind of gets murky. Would 8-8 be enough for Jauron, Modrak, and Guy to keep their jobs?

Yeah, we could do alot worse than have him as an NFL-experienced, #2 or #3 QB in the rotation. I know alot of posters on here have some sort of perverted man-crush on Hamdan, but Ramsay would be an upgrade.

I agree. I have always liked Garcia. IMO, one of the most (if not THE most) underrated QB's in the league the past 10 years. From back in his days with the 9'ers. I could not understand why San Fran decided to clean house and send him packing, as clearly they have not really had much competence back there since. He lit it up in Philly, yet they let him go. Cleveland was a hiccup. Tampa was solid when given the chance. But, as much as I espouse Gruden as the next possible savior of the Bills, I think his QB carousel hurt Garcia. For some reason, he was always cut short no matter where he played. He has a great arm, can scramble like the best of them, knows how to lead a team, and wins. He is also seldom injured. What more could you ask for?

No offense, but either you have got wayyy too much time on your hands or you need to get a friend, or a dog, or a dog that's your friend, or something. Or maybe it speaks to the phenomenal job market of WNY and the socialist state of NY. That being said, I think alot of it boils down to patience. I think alot of fans are frustrated with waiting for the "brain trust" at OBD to live up to their dubious title. Modrak and Guy certainly have had a vast amount of time (an entire decade?) to build something here. They developed Peters, and not to get into the whole thing again, but then he is traded away at his emerging peak. The organization fails to make the correct calls on free agents (signing Dockery, Royal, Triplett), and then lets the good ones get away (Fletcher, P. Williams, Winfield, Peters). Their drafting this decade has been hit-or-miss (mostly miss), thus the ranks are seldom filled with adequate replacements to the departed free agents. And then there is plain old development time. It takes time for someone who never really played football to come in and contribute in the NFL as a starting LT. Does everyone have patience for it?

Hey- we could use a GM! And if all else fails, then Gruden would still be left.

All of you goofballs need to settle down. The Bills could have Jerry Rice, Andre Reed, AND Marvin Harrison at WR, but with Trentative at QB, and a shaky offensive line, NO ONE is getting a ball.

But why would you be envious of the same end result? No matter who the 'Skins have at QB, or who is the Head Coach, the win-loss record is so similar through the past decade. Like the Bills, the front office and its lack of ability is what hinders each franchise. Having an owner who is willing to throw good money after bad does not give them a better chance at winning.

I don't think that you are off base. I noticed the same thing. He is holding he own at RT. What really stinks is that he came out in the papers here in DC prior to the season and openly admitted to not giving it his all with Buffalo and then Jacksonville. I don't get that. Getting drafted #4 overall, millions of dollars, and not being motivated? That pick really hurt the team. Instead of having a cornerstone with which to build an offensive line, he played like a scrub and became one. Now he looks decent. Bittersweet...

Thanks. I see alot of parallels with the management structure and its impact on the team. Vinny Cerrato came from San Fran with no credentials- other than piggybacking on anothers success. I don't think that Snyder is as much to blame necessarily as the people in charge of the football operation don't have a clue. Cerrato reminds me of Brandon. In fact, the TO signing is extremely Redskin-esque with making a grab for a big name free agent solely in the hope of selling tickets with no regard for team structure, locker room effects, etc. Throwing money at a name. And though the owners may be polar opposites in terms of spending strategies, the outcome is the same.

Well, you certainly can argue that throwing money at the problem is just as successful as not.

Think about the blunders made by the Bills. If, IF Mike Williams had panned out, and they hung onto Jason Peters, this team would be in a totally different situation. Also, an article a few weeks ago when the Bills played the Saints talked about how Gregg Williams- when head coach of the Bills- was close to drafting Drew Brees in the 2nd round but San Diego stepped in and stole him. I know this is dreaming on my part, but think about how this would have worked. It was the year before the Bledsoe trade. Instead of sending our 1st pick to the hated Patsies, we could have used it on an impact D-lineman, making the McCargo debacle not necessary, and freeing up another 1st rounder. We would never have drafted Losman, which would have freed up ANOTHER 1st rounder. Those are 3 1st round picks that would now be available and could have been used on positions of greater need (like the offensive and defensive lines). It would probably have carried over to this year, making the extra selection of Levitre not necessary. I shudder to think of an offensive line of Peters, Wood, Hangartner, Butler, and a powerful Mike Williams at RT. Drew Brees at QB. Lynch, Evans, Jackson. I think the Bills are constantly trying to play catch-up with themselves, and thus never truly develop team talent. Poor draft decisions as evidenced above are a huge factor. But losing key free agents also is death. Pat Williams, Antoine Winfield, and London Fletcher should have all been retained. Those 3 still motor and devastate offenses. Instead of paying Kelsay like a Pro-Bowler, and Parrish starting money, I would have retained those guys and built around them on D.

Was it really greg Williams that let him go? I thought it was strictly a Donahoe thing...

Hmmm...sounds like a call for GRUDEN!! (or perhaps a minor step down with Marty-ball).

I'm watching the 'Skins game tonight and mourning the loss of London Fletcher. Why did they ever let him go again? Was it all Fewell's fault, 'cause the guy can play... I miss Williams, Fletcher, and Winfield

So, living down here in DC, I occasionally catch Redskins games if the Bills are not playing. After watching the 1st half of tonights game, it is eerie (perfect prelude to Halloween?) how similar the Redskins and Bills are. Besides the obvious player connections (London Fletcher, Mike Williams, Dockery, Todd Collins, Jason Peters) in tonights game, the issues that the Redskins currently suffer from are a mirror image of the Bills. We have had a kick returner fumble the ball for the Eagles to recover, a QB who has no confidence in either himself or his O-line and his receivers to truly stand in the pocket and deliver to his receivers, a coach who has been stripped of his play-calling in favor of a consultant who was not with the team (and was actually retired) prior to the season, a makeshift offensive line (with 2 players who were chased out of Buffalo for lack of effort- Williams and Dockery), horrible draft picks (Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly), and a GM who is probably responsible for the whole mess but is getting little heat from the owner (Vinny Cerrato). The 'Skins also seem to be as inept as the Bills since the owner (Snyder) took over in '99. I feel like I am watching a Bills game here.

Its funny, I thought the same thing waking up this morning. Why change Bryd and Wilson? I certainly don't think Whitner and Scott were this productive. Wilson had something like 10 tackles yesterday, to go along with his INT, too.

I would argue that the Bills could easily be 5-1 with the Dolphins game being the only true game where no one showed up. The Pats game they won but McElvin found a way to lose it with the fumble. They tried to find a way to lose the Bucs game but thankfully came away with a victory. The Saints game was 10-7 for 3 quarters and Brees was being harrassed before the suckiness of the offense and special teams mistakes wore out the defense. The Browns game (c'mon...the freakin' Browns!) was a real dud. Again, total offensive ineptitude could not put more than 3 points on the board against the BROWNS!??!??!? Parrish's fumble did not help. Jets. Turnovers. Panthers. Turnovers and good D and solid special teams. So far, the biggest things that have killed the Bills are: no offense, bad turnovers at key times, and penalties. I would say injuries, but Fitz, Meredith, Draft, Byrd, Florence, Corner, and Wilson seem to filling in ok.

Yeah, its a strange thing. Yesterday, watching the game I was amazed at how much of grunge ball it really is. It seems that for every game this year, except for the Miami game, the Bills not only stink bad when they go on offense, but the Bills defense somehow finds a way to slobber up the opposing teams offense as well. Now, one is bad and the other good, but watching the Pats, Bucs, Browns, Saints, Jets, and now Panthers games...they seem to influence the game the same way. Could this be Jauron's "style"? Play bend-but-don't-break, opportunistic defense, spectacular special teams, and just enough offense to win on the score board? I mean, they held the Saints, THE SAINTS, to a 10-7 score for 3 quarters and did what most teams can't seem to do with Brees and pressure him before special teams miscues and offensive ineptitude proved too much for the D to overcome. I'm happy that they won. But alot of these past 2 weeks have come as gifts in the way of turnovers. Can The Bills muster a win without the turnovers from the opposing team? So, though I am happy, I am not convinced that this team is suddenly improving. They are never truly in control of a game. This week, the Texans come to town. And these are not the Texans of a few years ago. The Bills have the benefit of home field (which they also had against the Browns- arrgh!), but the Texans are a pretty good gauge of just how good the Bills are.

You and me both, CAVEDAWG. When Williams was allowed to be sent packing, the whole defense imploded as it was predicated on those 2 huge, defensive tackles clogging up opposing offensive lines. IMO, it wasn't until the Bills landed Stroud that some semblance of order once again returned to the Bills D line. I also felt the same way when they did not compete for Antoine Winfield. Though I know some will disagree with this, Winfield is still a stud for the Vikings just like Williams. I can still remember a play, against the Dolphins on Monday Night when Ricky Williams was the rage of the league (pre-doobies), and on this play Williams came out on the edge, by himself. He was a freight train for defenders to tackle, and here comes little Winfield up from his corner position to hammer Williams, BY HIMSELF, for either no gain or a 2 yard loss- I can't remember. I thought that he was one of those guys they should have hung onto, despite the contract demands. Clements was a ridiculous contract offer, and I would not have competed with that money. But I liked Winfield. Those 2 guys are ones you build a D around. Looking back, I also think that it was a mistake to let Fletcher go, too. Down here in DC, I occasionally watch some Redskins games. Fletcher is still doing it. He has been probably one of the few bright spots on the Redskins roster these past few years. And he is an ironman. Never injured. I like the sound of a linebacking corp of Fletcher, Poz, and Mitchell.

That is perhaps one of the smartest things I have heard come out of OBD since Polian left. Would that not be a sigh of relief?

Yes, I believe that all of these "Fire Jauron" people have only got 1/3 of the solution. Firing Donahoe hires Guy and Modrak- who have been the only constant with the team this decade besides RW- would fill out the remaining 2/3 and fix the issue. Any coach brought in, and still having to deal with the ineptitude of Guy and Modrak, will experience the same level of failure.

With the recent discovery of the inside slant by AVP, why couldn't Roscoe be a part of the offense at a 4 receiver, 3rd down capacity?

Williams has a shoulder injury. He is not being cut, and as evidenced by the Bills lack of movement at the trade deadline, he is not being traded. Lake is being brought in for depth purposes should Williams not be able to go for a considerable amount of time. Williams has been a defensive stud this year. Any doubters need to put down the haterade and start watching some games. He is probably the most consistent Bill this year.

Yes. Snyder and Jones are the definition of meddling owners. Living here in DC, the Redskins are a shell of their former selves because of Snyder. An outside "consultant" is brought in to "watch the offense" and "give pointers on where to improve", and then Zorn is stripped of his play-calling abilities and said consultant then becomes the offensive play caller? The hiring of their idiot GM also is eerily similar to the Bills and the Modrak/ Brandon/ Guy trifecta. All are equally inept at running a football operation and filling it with talented bodies. But the big difference is that I would hardly put Ralph is the meddling category of Snyder and Jones, Al Davis, etc. Indeed, I would say that if he is involved now, it is only because of the breach of trust created by Tom Donahoe, and that the current product is not up to par. I believe that at his age, Ralph would like to withdraw to more of a fan of the team. Donahoe screwed that up, but if Ralph would just relax his grip a bit, allow the right, proven, WINNING GM to come in and take charge, that things would change. Based on that, I could see Shanahan and Holmgren looking at Buffalo with different eyes than Washington or Dallas.