billsfan89

Poor effort and poor results is a bad combination. Throw in poor attitude and a huge cap number and you just have a player who needs to go and will likely be addition by subtraction which he turned out to be. I thought Mario might have been frustrated by Rex Ryan's scheme and then the injuries and regression by other defensive players. So I thought Mario would have a solid season for the Fins in a scheme he is more comfortable with and playing for his next contract. But 1 sack so far through 5 games is proving not to be the case. Maybe Mario finishes strong like he did in 2012 when he racked up some cheapish sacks but I think he is just done with the pro game he got his money both as a top draft pick and with the Bills (Not to mention his 6 million from the Fins this year.)

The Bills need to win the games they are "Supposed" to win the 49ers and Fins are so key to the Bills playoff hopes. If they get to 5-2 by winning the next two weeks they then only need to win 1 out of the next 3 difficult games (Pats* @Seattle @Cincy) to get to 6-4. Which sets them up to need a 4-2 finish in their back 6 games which only features 1 or 2 games in which they will likely not be favored in (Steelers and @Oakland possibly). Win the games you are favored in and take a game or two you are an underdog in.

I can't say it was the money to an extreme degree like Haynesworth. When Mario got his huge deal with the Bills he still turned in 3 double digit sack seasons (2 of those in 2013 and 2014 he was a dominant player one of the best pass rushers in the league.) You can't say Mario was a bad signing for the Bills. But it seems like he just never had the passion to play well into his 30's. He had a freak ability and turned it into a pretty good career. He will most likely have 100 sacks over a 10+ year career which is a pretty dam good run. But had he had the work ethic and passion of an all time great then he would be in the hall of fame and one of the best to do it. But that's what separates the really good players from the hall of famers sometimes. He probably gets signed next year and then retires half way through the season.

I think Mario checked out when he had to learn a new system when Rex got here. He seemed to be disinterested in playing in that scheme but now it seems like he has just checked out of football in general. Miami is not getting much from having him out there and they put him in a scheme that he seemed to want.

Kap could be a fire under the 49ers which is a concern. Hopefully Dareus is at full force he could be key to holding down the line and limiting the run game.

I think with the Justin Hunter signing it was obvious that the front office wasn't completely comfortable with who they had on the roster behind Sammy. I liked the Hunter signing he was the best free agent out there in my opinion but he isn't too much of a difference maker other than being a big body in the red zone. I think via trade is the only avenue that would produce a receiver that would be an upgrade over Hunter. I am not sure the Jets or Fins would trade the Bills Marshall or Landry if they were in fire sale mode. Andre Johnson for a 7th rounder might be a interesting desperation move but once again not sure if he is better than Hunter. To me the Bills 2 best and most realistic options are Alshon Jeffery or Golden Tate. Jeffery is the better player but is most likely a rental who comes at a high cost. Tate for a 5th rounder I would do in a heartbeat but not sure that would get it done. The reason I like Tate is not only is he cheaper (Both in terms of what draft pick you would have to give up and in terms of his cap number) but he is signed to a longer term deal which means that if Woods left via free agency Tate could fill his role as the #2 receiver once Sammy gets back. Jeffery would most likely be gone via free agency which means the team would have one less high draft pick and one more big hole to fill. Tate isn't as talented as Jeffery but Tate adds enough play making ability to the fold where adding him helps the offense out against better teams.

The Chargers have wasted Phillip Rivers career since 2009. The Chargers have had 1 playoff appearance since 2009 and have not had a record better than 9-7 since 2009 either. The Chargers results from 2010 to 2015 aren't terrible if they were a team struggling to find a QB but they had a prime true franchise QB (Unarguably a top 7 QB if not higher) during that period. Having a franchise QB is such a devastating advantage in the NFL you should be consistently in the playoffs and over 10 wins a year. The Chargers are just awful they need to clean house now.

Miller looked like a stud in 2015 until the injury. Miller came into the 2015 pre-season looking like a ready made player. Even in the regular season he was a bit up and down he still looked like he belonged as a rookie. His struggles really started with the high ankle injury which regressed his play. I was shocked that so many viewed Miller was such a huge weakness in the O-line coming into this season, coming into the 2015 season everyone thought Whaley got such a steal and both him and Darby were 2 sure fire starters taken in the draft. I looked at RT as the more perplexing line issue not addressed. Miller was a fairly high draft pick for his position who looked good before an injury, not putting in your limited resources into fixing that position made sense. But The RT position did give you much reason to have confidence. I believe it was Michael Strahan who said that sometimes not going out and getting free agents in the off-season can be a good sign that you like what you already have on your roster.

Against better teams the lack of true offensive weapons will be an issue. Yes Shady is a legit stud out of the backfield and can be a factor in the passing game and Clay and Woods are solid weapons. But good defenses will stop or at least limit Shady and find a way to make the impact of Clay and Woods. As far as the options via free agency I don't see any better options than Justin Hunter (Maybe Roddy White but once again not much of a upgrade if any.) As far as trade I think there are some legit options that will improve the team. Alshon Jeffery would be a legit number 1 receiver who would command attention from defenses and free up Clay and Woods. Problem is that Jeffery is a free agent after this season, has a big deal this year with his franchise tag deal (Which may be hard to do with the Bills cap situation), and he will likely cost a significant pick (I would say at least a 3rd rounder.) The only cheaper option that wouldn't be a rental might be Golden Tate, he is signed to a bit of a more affordable deal and is signed to a longer term deal. He probably also probably might come at a lower cost draft pick wise. Andre Johnson would be the only one I would kick the tires on for a 7th rounder. Tate wouldn't be a stud number 1 receiver but he might be able to add another legitimate target on the outside. He is having a down year but he is still a good player who can provide just enough play making ability for the offense. Bills are in a bit of a rock and a hard place. But I think their best options are either too costly or no effective enough.

With Sammy out and the defense playing lights out the team's offense should be run through Shady and with an emphasis on not turning the ball over. So if Tyrod having "Bad Games" by playing conservative is winning games keep doing what you are doing. Shady is one of the best RB's in the league and the best player on the offense, Tyrod can run and is good at not turning the ball over, and you have a very good defense so the winning prescription is to do what they have been doing with Tyrod.

If you got a good return like a 1st or high 2nd round pick I think you would have to consider it. Not only would you yield a solid return that helps you bring in a good talent but you would get his cap hit off the books which could free the Bills up money to pursue other free agents. However I would like to see Dareus play in Ryan's system this year before we make any decisions. Dareus is a beast no doubt and he has been proven to make the defense better in games that he missed in years past. So to give up on such a talent in his prime for a high draft pick that is by no means a sure thing isn't the easiest decision. I hope that after this latest suspension he keeps himself out of trouble and the defense goes next level with him back joining an already high preforming unit. Problem isn't that Dareus bakes (Personally I think it is stupid that the NFL cares 2 teams play in states where it is legal and by next season that number could be 7 teams), it's that he gets caught under a system that is fairly easy to beat. If Aaron Hernandez can beat the system then it really is designed to be a beatable system. So if your high paying job depends on beating an easy system that a lot of other idiots beat then you better make sure to beat that system. Yes is the fact that the system is there stupid? Of course but once again if Hernandez managed to never get caught so can you.

That's why I think the Rams game is key to getting to 10 wins. Even if you want to say the Bills are going to win the division the next 3 games are critical to doing so. Bills could go into that Pats* game 5-2, they win that game they go to 6-2 and the Pats* even in a best case where they win the next 3 games go to 6-2 but the Bills have the tiebreaker over them. You then could split the next two games and go to 7-3 with a good stretch of 6 games to end the season and finish 11-5 with a 4-2 finish to the season or 12-4 finish with a 5-1 finish. I think that given what we have seen might be a bit too optimistic esp with Sammy out. But even in an optimistic scenario the Bills need to get to 5-2. I think realistically 10 wins is where the Bills need to be at the very minimum to contend realistically for a playoff spot. The AFC North with Baltimore, Pitt, and Cincy will likely produce 2 10+ win teams. The AFC West could produce another two 10+ win team in the Broncos and possibly Raiders. So likely if the Bills were to be a team to contend for a wildcard spot their competition would likely be the Ravens, Bengals, and Raiders. The Bills lost to the Ravens but they do have their destiny in their own hands against the Raiders and Bengals playing them later in the season albeit both away games. My thought process is that the Bills simply can't hover around or close to .500 heading into that tough 3 game stretch. They need to pile up wins the next 3 weeks to make it strong into those 3 games where sneaking just 1 of those 3 puts them in a healthy position to finish out the stretch strong. I do agree that the Bills are likely to finish 8-8 or 9-7 given what we have seen through the first 4 games based on the fact that I think they drop a game or two in which they "Should" win. But to me these next three weeks are such a key point in their season.

The Bills survived their first quarter of the season at 2-2. Which considering the 0-2 start and the suspensions and injuries is a pretty good thing. Also factor in the away Pats* game a game usually counted as a loss is now off the schedule as a win which is a plus. My question is do the Bills under a realistic projection of the season need to win the next 3 weeks in order to have a chance at the playoffs. My theory is that the Bills need to get to 6-4 in order to realistically get to 10 wins on the season which should put the Bills in a decent position to take one of the wildcard spots. At 2-2 the Bills have 3 games coming up that are winable. @Rams-49ers-@Fins. Rams game is a toss up but a playoff team wins that game the other 2 games the Bills should be favored in. If the Bills take all 3 games they go to 5-2, which leads them into the hardest stretch of their remaining season. Pats* (With Brady likely)-@Seattle-@Bengals. It's hard to project the Bills doing any better than taking 1 of those 3 games. But at 5-2 going 1-2 in that stretch puts the Bills at 6-4 and the back 6 games of the season have some tough games but a lot of winable ones to (Including what could be a key game @Raiders). But even if the Bills win 2 of the next 3 games they go into that difficult stretch at 4-3 which would mean that losing 2 out of 3 in that stretch would put them at 5-5 going into the back 6 games which would make getting to 10 wins a lot harder needing a 5-1 record. Bottom line are these next 3 games all must wins to realistically make the playoffs? Or is this projecting too far ahead as the season can unfold and make winable games seem harder and losing games seem much more winable?

Depth is always a good thing, he is familiar with the system and the team. Hopefully as a change of pace short yardage back he works out. But I like McCoy getting 70% of the snaps, I don't think they need to use Karlos in a more full time role. McCoy is a stud run him as the primary back no need to run him to the ground but he seems to be rolling right now and until he shows signs of wear and tear you don't need to force Williams into the rotation more than as a solid backup.

A lot of tight ends line up in the slot and the outside. Expect Clay to do a lot more of that. Justin Hunter might also be able to give them some solid play too so the full conversion to a WR might not be needed.

He suffered a pretty big knee injury at age 28 hard age to come back from a serious injury. Never seemed to be the same after that injury this year or last. At least he was able to get his big contract and cashed in on three years of it. Good decision for the Bills to not sign him although few knew at the time, he was a very good player with the Bills.

It's a toss up game, Rams have a slightly better defense but it is about a push as both defense are pretty dam good. Rams special teams are slightly better since their kicker is better and they have Austin who is a threat in the return game. Bills have a better offensive unit, I would take Tyrod at QB and the Bills offensive line while skill positions are a push. Rams of course are at home which is an advantage. This seems to me like it is going to be a 1 score game that comes down to turnovers and one or two big plays. If the Bills are a playoff team they win this game, if they lose tough road to hoe.

Shaq can easily slide into a situational role. Lorenzo Alexander is playing well but at 33 he could wear down as the season goes so having Shaq take some snaps in particular situations (maybe early downs and some running situations) can help preserve Alexander for the long haul. A lot of times you see these vets come out to strong starts 4-6 games into the season and then they either get hurt of slow down over the long haul. Shaq can't be rushed in but he certainly can play 30ish snaps a game which lessens the load on Alexander which could make him more effective as the season goes. Plus in December as Shaq gets stronger and maybe Alexander is falling off you put Shaq into the starting role and then Alexander takes the situational role.

Pryor is a stud "weapon" on the field. Big guy, strong, and fast with solid but not great hands. But what really makes him dangerous is the ability to throw him in the wildcat and the trick plays you can do with him. As a guy who picked him up in fantasy to be my flex player I hope he has a great year. Certainly has the physical tools and will have the targets from a Browns offense not getting back Josh Gordon and a team that will probably be down a lot.

Since 2011 the year after Buddy Nix got here the drafting and talent acquisition has been much better than it was in the previous eras. Defensively they drafted up Gilmore, Darby, A.Williams, Dareus, Preston Brown, and Kiko (Who looked like a stud before injuries and now looks to be rebounding in Miami.) Offensively the drafting has been a bit up and down but they have managed to find talent. They have made much better free agency acquisitions and trades since then too (Including reclamation projects like Hughes, InCog, and Brown). It's not without misses and misfires but I can honestly say that the Bills are doing a much better job than they have in the past. However it still might not lead to the playoffs just yet.

Gordon isn't going to play this year. His troubles are pretty deep, I doubt he is going to take the field. The Browns or whatever team that trades for him would be lucky to see him take the field next year. If Gordon was healthy and over his drug issues I think he would be a great talent to trade for at the right price. But it seems like before he went to rehab the Browns were looking to get a high draft pick for him. Even after Sammy's injury I wouldn't give up more than a 4th rounder for him, sounds like the Browns wanted a better return on investment. Sad for the Browns since they could have a great WR core with Gordon, Coleman, and Pryor.

People laud the Zach Brown signing now as they should but Brown was a former 2nd round pick (52nd overall a fairly high draft pick) who was viewed as a bust by the Titans and signed a fairly low 1 year 2.5 million deal (Clearly not much of a market for him in the off-season.) Brown was valued as a role player (Coverage linebacker) who could add some depth to the team. Sometimes reclamation projects work out or guys step up above what they were expected to be. Not saying this move will work out for the Pats* but it's a chance worth taking.

I hate Steven A Smith he helped to turn ESPN into Fox News Sports. The fact that he hates Rex makes me want to root for Rex that much more now. Kellerman is one of the best commentators out there if you can get past his smarmy demeanor and compare the two. Kellerman breaks down the Bills 4 games into a passively optimistic breakdown and states that you have to look at the 4 games as a whole. He gave numbers and information on the Bills defense and Ryan's career as a coach he didn't over pump the Bills, he simply said the defense looks to be a good unit and that the team is playing for their coach. The more the Bills win the more it pisses off Stephen A Smith, that is a win win.

Dareus could be huge but Shaq I wouldn't count on as being a major addition. Granted I think Shaq can and will fit into the rotation nicely but I wouldn't expect him to get starter level snaps until the last weeks of the season in the more optimistic scenario. I tend to think of Shaq's role as being a role player Shaq can add a good rotation player to a unit that is over achieving which might be something the team needs down the stretch. The defense has looked good but hopefully they continue to be good because I suspect the offense will still struggle at times. Shaq can easily come in and be a situational player. The OLB unit outside of Hughes has been over achieving as a whole, so adding someone who could give you a shot in the arm even just as a 30 snaps a game player could be a nice addition. I doubt he takes heavy snaps at all this season but just getting him out there as a rotation player could help him as a player and help the defense.

Exactly low risk high reward. There is a reason he was drafted high and the Browns are where good players don't always flourish and the Pats* get the most out of everyone most times. Granted he could suck, let's not pretend that every player the Pats* try to resurrect always does well. For every Dion Lewis or Randy Moss there is a Albert Haynesworth or Chad Ochocinco. But with a low cost move such as this you really only waste a 7th round selection and some playing time. But the payoff is so much greater.