offde-fence

I think the answer is having the right people in the organization that will be consistent in making good football decisions, from coaching to players, so that every year the Bills can field a team that challenges. Philly, N.E., Indy, Pittsburgh, come to mind. Winning and showing that the organization knows how to do it regularly - that is the way to change that view.

I've read this a few times over the last month or so - "To a lot of people this is not an ideal situation for me. But I’m here, and I’m making the most of it. I’m going to make the most of the situation." - T.O. referring to making it work here in Buffalo. He's making it sound as if the Bills are a team that players don't want to go to. Granted, that might be true for a lot of players, and that is what is so bothersome. Buffalo might not have the best night life, or the greatest city, or a lot of the off-field stuff, but it'd be nice if our F.O. could find a way to overcome that draw back with other incentives. Doesn't that bother other Bills fans, that our team should be viewed that way by pro players? It just feels like if we want to be competitve in the NFL, with that kind of reputation, then to counter that, or change it, the F.O. could put up the cash for the right free agents, and make the team a good one, one on the rise. May that be the case for us this year. (T.O. being an example?) Still, does it sound like he's here because he wants to be?

I know this is speculation and I'm not saying there is certainty here, but, I read an article awhile ago that hasn't been mentioned lately, nor it's premise, and that is that Vick - with his erratic play his last season, and for a good part of his career, having a QB rating of very high one week, followed by low the next, and that pattern repeating - well, with his other gambling pursuits, I'm surprised that element hasn't been looked into further, especially with Deleware allowing gambling on NFL this year. Imagine how much money could fall into the hands of a guy for missing a tackle or for allowing a sack... and that is no good for this game.

Much agreed - Wood and Levitre really need to be there as much as possible for the coaches to assess the O-line, although I have a feeling it isn't going to be the interior of the line that's going to be questionable, as much as the tackle positions. I've always liked Wilson at safety, and Scott; so, Byrd isn't as high a priority, IMO. Maybin, though, should be in ASAP. I think the coaches need to see what he can do in pads. As far as I can tell by reading the news on the OTA's, Maybin has a lot of people wondering what he'll be capable of in pads. Can't wait to see. But, in all, I think the Bills have done a good job of signing guys - I think we're quite far ahead of most other teams.

There is so much negative speculation about our O-line this year, it got me thinking about comparable situations. The expansion teams in 95 are close - they put together new lines without having worked together - and Carolina had the 3rd rank running team, and had a total of like 4500 offensive yards that year. Ours is unique in some ways, for sure, but, still, some of our guys have worked together, and know the system already. I don't think their newness to the positions will be the determining factor, as much as just having decent guys in there. If they're any good, and if they're hungry, they'll do an alright job. There's been similar instances where the line played good. We can do it - it isn't automatically going to be a bad line. That being said, I'm leaning towards them putting it together and being pretty good. Walker can only do so much, but, they should get the job done.

ha - in order to bet on football, it has to be a game of chance!

No one seems to be in agreement about what will happen to the Bills when Wilson dies, so, I say, enjoy our team while it's here. Even if we won a Super Bowl one of those years, it wouldn't comfort us now. Football isn't about last years champions, it's about fielding a team that is good enough to beat anyone on any given Sunday. If our team was good enough to fight with any of them, and we lost a few here, there, maybe made the playoffs, win or loss there, at least we can say, Our Bills are a good team, a team that could do it. There'd be reason for optimism, and what more can a fan ask for? If the team is bad to the point where it can't compete - like the year the Bills needed the last game win over pittsburgh, and pittsburgh put in it's second stringers - and crushed us. Who can route for a team that bad? Give us a team that might win any game, and I'm going to watch each one, until they're out of it. So, lets hope that this year's team is good enough to fight up in N.E. on monday night, and show them and the rest of the NFL that the Bills are a team that can beat you. I'd be happy with that, to start.

He certainly was a good personnel man, and we've missed that over the years, but, I've got to say, I like the Bills last two drafts, and as for making a team now and in the next few years, I don't think draft is the problem. I'd say it is F.A. aquisitions, and play calling. He was great, no doubt, but he only led Indy to one super bowl victory. We need a guy that can put together the right guys and the right coaching staff here, now. We'll see what this season brings. I think we're going to be a tought team. I think, too, that Buddy Nix had something to do with this last draft, which I loved. If we get those kinds of picks for another two years, our team should be young and strong moving forward.

I believe it's best to forget about Peters altogether, and to move forward. Even if he does great in Philly, or opposite, it doesn't mean he would've had the same results here. More importantly, I think, is that he showed he was willing to put his ego and personal goals ahead of the teams, to the point where he acknowledged not showing up a hundred percent, and justified it by saying he wasn't getting paid enough to play at an elite level. Any guy talking that way would be booted off a lot of good teams, and rightfully so. If the Bills paid him, it would have sent the wrong message, and imagine the cancer a guy like that would be to a team. So, I think we're better off moving on without him, and, now is all we have. I'm glad the Bills picked up the makings of a really solid interior line for the next four years, and we might have on the roster, right now, guys good enough for the tackle positions. Let's hope put it together this year, and surprise some teams.

I asked Florio over at Profootballtalk about the consequences of spending big on cantracts that might end up being too much in following capped years. He replied that the team would have to cut or restructure contracts to make their team fit under the cap. I don't think it will be as crazy as people assume, because there won't be a floor, either, and teams will be able to spend as little as they want. I thing most owners are already pissed at the percentage that goes to the players, so, other than a few hard core spenders - Jerry Jones, Dan Snyder come to mind, most teams will go about things in a pretty normal fashion, I'd think, because eventually there'll be back to normal contract in place. As for the Pat's...I admire their ability to put in anyone and win, more or less, but I'd rather think that the Bills can put together a roster, which is young now, and mostly under contract for a while, that will give other teams headaches. We could be a few pieces away from having a damn good roster, so I'm hoping we find the guys to make it up there and to stay there. I believe that every year Wilson survives, is a year he'll be willing to do more and more to see a great Bills team. He's gotta want to see a championship here before he dies.

You've got to give it to T.O.; he's been consistent his entire career, regardless of the QB, or the situation. He played hurt - was it that championship game?, and still put up monster numbers. Moss had Brady and a pass machine offense in 2007, all the benefits of the N.E. team. I'd have to say, the statistics back up Owens.

I thought for a time that Wilson was cheap... I still don't know what the "inside" scoop is on which owners are cheap and which aren't, but, I came across an article somewhere recently - think it was buffalorumblings - that said the Bills as a franchise lost a lot of players when the salary cap and free agency began, that they were in the top five or so teams in spending until then. That being said, I think Wilson knows acknowledges he's on his way out, and I think he really wants to see a winning team here before he goes. So, I'm thinking if Jauron's team looks inept five or six weeks in - considering they had five preseason games, giving them ten or eleven by then, I wouldn't be surprised to see Jauron gone. Who'd be replacing him, though, is a mystery. I think, though, that by saying Wilson wants to win before he's gone, is close to saying he's probably got a plan B in place, considering he might not have another two or three years to wait - which means he'd probably go ahead and hire a permanent replacement instead of a temp, for the sake of quickening the process.

I came across an article, albeit brief, on how Dick Jauron and Jack Delrio spoke to their respective teams this off-season about mixing in a form of the 3-4 defense, on a limited basis. If my memory serves me, it was in order to improve their pass defense. Does anyone know why that might help us this year, in regards our personnel and what, specifically, would be benificial about our guys lining up that way? Would it be as a means to get Maybin out there, as OLB, I'd assume? Who would we have lining up, and do we have appropriate guys for that package? Maybe Harris as another LB in that group, or a few of our speedier, smaller LB's (safeties on other teams), for coverage purposes?

That did seem to be the case, when it came to running the ball last year. They didn't do it enough. Their personnel seemed a lot better suited for running than for passing, too. Granted, it was T.S.'s first year as O.C., but it looked as though he was trying to make the guys he had fit into a system he wanted, regardless of their talents. Other than Owens, it doesn't look like we're going to be better passing this year, either. Sure, we've got talent at WR, but the O-line will probably be able to handle running more than defending Trent against the likes of the Patriots, Jets, Dolphins defenses. Ideally, you'd like to be able to do what you want, when you want, but as of now, I believe we'd be better off setting up the pass with the run game. We'll just have to wait and see what approach T.S. takes.

There are quality players to be had in every round, as evidenced by the pro-bowlers who emerge from later rounds. Sure, they have missed on a few guys the last few years, but there have been good picks in all the rounds, and Lynch (on the field) and McKelvin, I'd say, are cerainly worthy of their spots. I don't know what the difference was, but this years draft seemed better, still, than recent ones, and, if Hardy and McCargo turn out to be good players, then our recent drafts will have been pretty good; Trent Edwards, Steve Johnson, Byrd, and Corner could all end up steals. I think we just haven't hit as much on free agent aquisitions - not the right guys, and not enough of them. I'm thinking our drafting has been pretty good. We do have a young roster, and compared to other NFL teams, a great deal of our roster was drafted by us. If things work out this year, (we say it every year), then next year there shouldn't be too many holes to fill, and we should have a good core of young guys to keep the team built around.