billsfan89

Bell seems like he can still be a decent backup. When Bell was at his best he was a slightly above average LT but he got hurt and hasn't really been any good since he had that one year.

Fair assessment this team is in transition despite some talent areas they are way too inexperienced at key positions to make a run at the playoffs this year.

Jauron and Gailey were not considered good hires at all when they were picked. They were second or even third tier retreads. But I agree that until its proven all it is is potential and time fillers before the season starts. The one big thing that the Marone hire has going for it is he was a coaching candidate that was drawing interest from other teams. He wasn't the best of the rest. Reports were that a few other teams (Multiple teams I knew the Chargers were one of them) were highly interested in Marone. I like to hear that we got a coach that was highly thought of by other teams. Maulary, Gailey, and Jauron were all second or third tier candidates. I am still wait and see myself but I am not merely hoping for success when I know its likely to fail. I am hoping for this chance at success to pan out.

Rookie Head coach and rookie QB really makes me question wither or not the team will really be able to make the playoffs this season. All I am hoping for is to be hopeful once this season ends. I want to see a defense that appears to be headed in the right direction and an offense with a promising QB and talent around that QB. We are likely a year away from the playoffs. EJ needs time and Kolb is a caretaker QB. The defense is a total wildcard and the talent in the offense is young in certain areas. Lets not forget that the head coach is a rookie which so there will be an adjustment period there. My optimistic scenario is EJ looks good enough to start and looks promising in an 8-8 season were the D looked to be improved and the weapons around EJ looked to have room to grow. And Marone and EJ look like they could be the real deal. The team needs to go through some growing pains and bring in another free agent and draft class to supplement the short comings of the roster. Yes I know 8-8 is hardly anything to be happy about but when your two most important on and off the field position are rookies it makes for a good foundation going forward.

It all depends how good the Bills D is and how in demand he is as a head coaching prospect. If the Bills D stinks he is gone soon. If the Bills D is good then its all going to depend on how much attention he is drawing as a head coach. Make no mistake he came here to become a head coach as he will get the full credit for the defense bad or good.

Design plays to get both of those guys in space, use end arounds and screens too. I think both guys can flourish if you create for them. I feel like Stevie and possibly/hopefully Woods and Rodgers are guys that can create for themselves while Graham and Goodwin need to have plays designed for them. I do feel like they might also be able to try big plays down field for them too but those short screens and end arounds are good for them.

I have a feeling they will carry 7 WR's with Brad Smith being on of them, good gadget players can run the wild cat adds a good wrinkle and experience to the roster. Smith also is a quality return man, Even with the Byrd situation its not like the Bills are hard up against the cap this year they can afford Smith its just a question of how good he is and I think he is good enough to make the roster.

Very good post. The Saints defense in 2009 was good enough, it forced lots of turnovers (Which gave a high octane offense more chances to score) and a lot of the yards and points that it gave up were when games were out of reach (Thus inflating their defensive totals). Brees could only do so much, you need some semblance of a defense to help carry the team even if your offense is great.

EJ Manuel, EJ Manuel, and EJ Manuel.

Moats is a guy who flashed good things his rookie year and has benefited from the Bills having a generally weak LB core the past 7 years (Because of that Moats has stayed on the roster longer than he might have had the team had better options). Overall I feel like Moats is the kind of player you really want to have success. An underdog type story and a class guy. Hopefully the new scheme utilizes him better than he has been in the past.

Its all relative. Seattle had two 7-9 seasons under Pete Carroll, they built a defense and offensive pieces for two years before finding a QB that took them to another level. I would say those two years with Hassellbeck and T.Jackson were building years under a new program (Yes I know they made the playoffs that first year but winning a craptacular division with a 7-9 record isn't what I would say is success). Mike Shanahan has a 5-11 and 6-10 start to his Redskins career. I would say that while quick turnarounds do happen its not always what's expected. Some teams need to build and patience does get rewarded. I would say any new coaching staff should get three full seasons before ownership makes an assessment of the team (Providing a direction is seen after two seasons some improvement must be shown from year one to year two). A coach needs to have three draft classes, three off-seasons, and two full seasons to bring in the requisite talent needed as well as implement the systems necessary in order to have a legit shot at success. Without the proper tool and a quick tirgger finger you will be setting up your team for failure.

Keep in mind its a home game for Baltimore I would say the game is either going to be really easy or difficult. Bills are such a wildcard with that defense and with EJ at QB.

Bruce also played in a 3-4 as a DE not a position that is conducive to sacks. Also teams are straight out passing more and more, with 60-75% of the plays being passing plays equates to more opportunities for sacks. Teams always tried to balance the run with the pass when Bruce played, now that means running 40% of the time for most teams. Also factor in teams running the no-huddle/hurry up more and more these days equals more plays on the field for defenses. Teams were running more when Bruce played equals less chances for sacks. The sack totals of the last 5+ years are a prime example of the league turning more to passing and no huddle offenses.

Seems like such a delicate situation. I think he likely assisted in some shady **** but I don't want to call the guy guilty till all the facts come out.

The idea that if the wheels completely fall apart with Marone and EJ going 3-4 wins and looking like they don't have much potential then there could be a coaching change and a QB change is not impossible. But I don't think its likely.

I hope he is doing well, seemed like he didn't let his career and health (To a certain extent) being taken away take his life away as well.

McGahee will likely get some team to take a chance when camp injuries happen. Some teams starting or back up running back will get hurt come preseason or camp and they will bring him in. Still the clock is ticking on Willis, likely his last year in the league but a career that has spanned a lot longer than most RB's get.

A legit criticism of Pettine that I have heard from Jets fans is that he was one of the people within the Jets organization that was leaking out delicate info about the players and the coaching staff. That's a huge red flag but I like to think that as unprofessional as that was (And damaging to the team) maybe that's just how unprofessional the Jets organization was and it was that bad. The aggressiveness is not a issue I am concerned with.

Well you have to look at guys that were picks take around that spot. Every draft there are late round gems that anyone could have drafted. But if you look at the draft from pick 23-40 there were far better options than a Running back with Travis Henry already in place and it not being the hardest position to acquire. Steinbach and Jon Stinchcomb were productive offensive linemen for years that could have started for the Bills at a time when the team needed help protecting their QB's. Obviously Dallas Clark and Jason Whitten would have been much better picks at tightend. Even on the defensive end the litany of pro bowl DB's would have made more sense. McGahee wasn't able to play year one and it wasn't a position of need anyway. But even at positions of need on the offensive end both tightends or either O-line would have been much better picks. Only value the Bills got for McGahee was a couple of years of productivity and the draft picks they got for him after they traded him. They didn't miss out on a franchise QB but they missed on getting one of two great TE's or one of two highly productive offensive linemen.

Liking your third string QB is hardly a reason to cut a veteran, its likely that they would have done it anyway to get EJ the reps but the fact that they have a third QB that is impressing them is likely making the decision easier.

I don't really put any stock into OTA's at all. Training camp has a little weight to it as it seems like its much closer to game conditions. But OTA's is shorts and helmets so pass.

Its crazy that they rank Greg Jennings and the two Packers receivers Nelson and Cobb ahead of him along with Reggie Wayne. Stevie isn't a mega star number 1 like Megatron or Green but the dude is a legit number 1 and the fact that Eric Decker is ahead of him is a joke. I think any list would have Stevie top 20 for sure and I would rank him mid teens myself.

Thankfully my dad a Vikings fan can stop making fun of my team for having T Jax on the team even as a backup.

I always think people forget that Bruce Smith played in a 3-4 defense for most of his career. Its so much harder to rush from that position and Smith put up monster numbers from that. Reggie White and Deacon Jones put up their totals from the 4-3. Granted Smith complied numbers towards the end but his longevity is something to credit him with. Overall I think Bruce was the best all time. He played in a defense much less conducive to sacks. Jones is hard to compare to Bruce because he played in a difference era. Different types of players and rules.