CodeMonkey

Yes lets take a really good look ... ... at the last 12 years of sucking balls ... at the Nix-Gailey regime with a record so far of 10-22 ... at a 9 overall, and first pick of the current regime, RB who hasn't found the field except when injury forced the issue. It would be bizarre if most people did not temper their optimism about the upcoming season. This past off season should have even the most skeptical of Bills fans hopeful for this season and the future. In my opinion Nix hit a home run ... defensively ... this off season. And the team should reap the rewards this year. But, again in my opinion, there is still a fair amount of work to do on the offensive side of the ball. If Nix can do for the offense next off season what he appears to have done for the defense this year then I would think the koolaid will be flowing like the water over Niagara Falls this time next year. But until then, guarded optimism is reasonable. Not that I would mind looking back while watching the Bills play in NO in February happily thinking how wrong I was now however -

Bad D, injuries, Fitz broken ribs, bad officiating, anti-Buffalo bias by the league ... there never seems to be a shortage of reasons/excuses for teams with losing records. At least "bad D" should not be on the list this season, should a list be required.

Solid D was key to the success of both GB and the Giants as you say. But they both also had "elite" QBs and offenses that could put up some points and sustain clock draining drives when required as well. The Bills don't have that offensive capability in my opinion ... at least not yet. Nix needs to kick ass on the offensive side of the ball next off season the way he did with the D this year, then I just may take a hit off of your pipe

I see the pre-camp koolaid is flowing! Last time in the playoffs 1999, last 2 seasons under the current regime, 4-12 and 6-10. And now people are making their February reservations in New Orleans Not sure I've smoked enough crack to Billieve superbowl, but at least this year there is a solid basis for optimism about the playoffs!

To me the season rests on Gaileys shoulders, then Fitz. Both need to step it up a couple levels over last year for the Bills to take a big step forward this season in my opinion.

Yup, it is post-draft pre-preseason for sure

The robot is back!

Not really. More like your dog having a good enough understanding of its environment that it instinctively does the right thing without having to be commanded to do it.

Happy to entertain Choice does not have Spillers attributes obviously. But to me anyway he demonstrated a better understanding of what he was supposed to be doing out there. But if Spiller is a "changed man" hopefully he manages to find the field this season even with a healthy FredEx.

There always seems to be an excuse around here for Spiller. I do not hate him, seems to be a good kid with a great work ethic. It's just I have seen absolutely nothing to date to indicate he is even a first round RB, much less top 10. To be honest I was more impressed last year by Choice after FredEx went down. He obviously has nowhere near Spillers speed. But he seemed to understand how to run the ball as well as pass routes better than Spiller. But hope springs eternal and here's to Spiller having a breakout season in 2012 and proving Nix right in selecting him so high. Makes some sense to me assuming the point of those games was to win and not just treat them as some extra preseason time for Spiller. Choice, to me anyway, seemed to "get it" more than Spiller. Maybe Gailey saw it that way as well.

Obviously. Peterson plays and carries the ball a lot. As far as "wear and tare" is concerned, Spiller goes into this season as a rookie still. If a RB gets little to no carries, his career can last as long as he manages to stay on a roster.

I agree. And I will add that I would personally let the players do whatever they want after they score in a heartbeat if it meant the stupid !@#$ing celebrations after every !@#$ing play would go away. Those are the annoying ones, not some guy exposing an undershirt with some writing after scoring a touchdown. My vote: 1) Allow touchdown celebrations to do anything they want with a time limit. 2) Every dumbass that celebrates for making a tackle or catching a pass etc. gets penalized and fined.

A "gentlemans agreement" in this context is meaningless. I'm no fan of BellyCheat or the pats*, but if it is not against the rules then he is free to do what he wants. If other GMs don't like it, then they should do something meaningful about it.

Print media is dying. This is the future. If you like to read it, you just subscribe. In town or out of town.

Anyone who does not have their head up their ass has to see that the Bills by all accounts had a very good off season. Frankly it would be shocking to see one of the pundits that didn't see it that way. Nix did his job. Now it's time to see if Gailey and the players can bring the baby to term. It should be an interesting season!

Personally I would think a NFL ex president who presumably knows most if not all of the current owners and presidents would have more pull than one ex player and a collection of random billionaires. But who knows. But as you said, anything is possible at this point. We will know when we know.

Hey the whole two team thing is working for Jersey ... I mean NYC No point losing sleep over it while Mr. Wilson still walks on the earth my friend. There is nothing you can do about it anyway (unless you have 800-900 million dollars laying around). Just enjoy this upcoming season!

Hardly pointless. His group could bid on the Bills once Mr. Wilson crosses over. Being an ex-president in the NFL would seem to give him the inside track from knowing the system and the other owners. As always though, we won't know until it happens.

Well as a coach for the Bills that would seem a better thing to say to the press than for example "man, he has the toughness and arm strength of a 5 year old girl". Not saying he doesn't mean it because I do not know the man. But come one, what did you expect him to say? In any event, I never thought it was an arm strength issue. In my opinion it is his 3/4 semi-sidearm throwing motion that causes the problems. If they can resolve that this late in his career then wonderful. If not then Fitz is what he is in terms of passing capabilities. Bottom line like others have said, anything that helps Fitz improve his passing can't be anything but a good thing.

1. Gailey 2. Fitz 3-10. The defense as a unit

Hilarious. Buffalo fans, who cry regularly when someone pisses on their city, doing the same to another city I haven't spent a lot of time in Cleveland but I do have relatives there. The waterfront area is nicer than anything I have seen in the Buffalo area and it is hard to imagine the Cleveland economy is any worse than Buffalos. But they don't have mighty taco or Duffs I guess

Another and highly radical idea is to have no challenges at all and accept calls as they are made. In addition to this, change the rules to make them not so rigid so fewer penalties would/should be called. For example, if a offensive lineman twitches as he farts, is it really necessary to call a false start? Just refining the ultra-rigid rule structure itself could have a very positive impact for the teams as well as the fans.

"Play at your own risk" sounds like a good idea for the NFL. But from what I read, including the OPs link, the main point of contention is that the NFL is alleged to have withheld information from the players regarding concussions and the long term effects. Even a "play at your own risk" clause would not protect the NFL if that allegation is proven correct.

Interesting idea. However the typical NFL game is so God awful long and slow already I dread the idea of making it even slower. Would make for another good commercial break though so the NFL and the networks probably wouldn't mind it.

I think there is more than enough justification to be optimistic about this season. In seasons past I have been one of the self proclaimed "realists" who saw no reason to think the team was improved ... and as it turns out it wasn't. However it is difficult to overlook the past 2 off seasons (FA and draft) and not recognize that the defensive personnel is [greatly] improved. I personally think the Bills defense will not be any ones doormat this season. So how good Gailey really is as an OC and the usual things like player health etc., will end up determining how far the Bills will go this season. In any event they should at the very least be competitive.