transient

Yeah. Unfortunately you can make the perfect read every time, and if you don't have the ability to deliver the ball you're no better off than the guy who has no idea where to put it. A downfield route is just as worthless whether the receiver is never thrown to or the ball is underthrown or thrown down the sideline out of bounds. Too bad you can't put Fitz's head on one of the other QB's bodies (though they probably wouldn't have the neck or shoulder development to keep that sucker upright ).

I think Nix and Gailey are looking at the season like this: Trent Edwards is either the starter, or he's cut. Giving him anything less than first team reps will not help evaluate this. If TE starts, Fitz is gone, unless Brohm looks absolutely atrocious against the second stringers. Brown is a project and if they see something in him, I doubt they try to sneak him onto the practice squad. Last season's coaching staff did this franchise a huge disservice by not finding out who could play when the season was clearly over midway through. A few less wins and we have our LT. Give Brohm a few more reps behind center and we have a better idea if he can play. Based on their comments about only one first round QB talent, I don't think we would have gone after a QB any sooner than we did in this years draft. They reportedly had some interest in the only QB worth bringing in, and that was McNabb, and he would have given them probably 3-4 years to develop someone behind him. Bringing in a stop-gap like Garcia or some other 1 year band-aid only hurts this team's development. Nix and Gailey know we're in player evaluation mode, and they know who is likely to be availabe at QB in next season's draft and as a free agent. They also know that if none of the current QBs step up we will be in a position to draft one of them, even if they'd never say it publicly. I fully expect the start of this season to be really painful to watch. I hope they start to show improvement by midseason. You can turn a team around quickly in this day and age, but those teams that do rarely show consistent success. We've had 10 years of futility, and we all want this to change today. However, I don't think that's how these guys operate, and honestly the quick way is usually not the right way.

I would argue that Trent looked comfortable in his rookie season, and the first part of his second. I can recall Rich Gannon and others gushing about his poise his rookie season. He was 11-5 as a starter at the point of the San Diego game in 2008. His stats weren't glorious by any means, and people will argue the point about the strength of opposition, but he could manage games and the team was winning with him. The last season and a half has taken the shine off of him, but he looked in control and like he could develop early on. IIRC in the game JP went down, even though we were destroyed by NE*, TE didn't look horribly out of place, and that was against a real team that was intent on winning that game, not against a combination of second and third string players in the preseason.

Give the kid a break, it was his first live NFL action. His knees were probably knocking a bit, which can cause your balls to wobble. From a football perspective, not much of a tight spiral, though.

Not to mention that he also looked very comfortable in taking over for Losman in his rookie season. People forget that he was 6 and 1 in his first 7 games in the NFL. Not stellar statistics, but able to manage a game. He was actually named to the all rookie team at the end of the season. He then started off 5 and 1 the next season. Who knows if he can get his head back now after the misery of the last season and a half, but c'mon, these statistics alone makes the whole "Clausen is better based on a quarter + of barely adequate preseason football" idea seem just absurd.

Last time I checked jettison meant to throw overboard, not to name as CEO.

I think he should have started talking about Bruce Dehaven instead, so we'd either think he was hiding something or that he was a complete idiot. This also presupposes the fact that his comments were in response to a direct question regarding his OL coach for an article on said coach, and not taken from some previous press conference.

See any film on the Sanchise last season...

Used to love his chats with Shredd and Ragan. He always seemed honest and funny... as opposed to Ted Washington, who always seemed grouchy (but also funny... and usually half asleep).

Indy, Pittsburgh, Philly, NE*, Baltimore, Green Bay, San Diego are all pretty successful, well run franchises that give their players a chance to succeed from day one (at least during these players careers, though admittedly Peyton was the beginning of stability in Indy). I would be interested in seeing where Eli, Flacco, Ryan, Rivers, Rodgers, and Romo's careers would be if they started in identical situations that TE did.

Are you wearing a tuque? Guess that rules me out of the intelligent category. Just kidding bout the angry face.

The only bad blood is with the fans, and we have no bearing on trade possibilities. Accept the fact there was no trade market for him. Nix's actions speak volumes about that fact, as well as the fact that they have no ill will toward him and that he ultimately wasn't in the their plans.

The picture of him engaged with a tight end or OL makes him look like a defensive back.

My prediction is that when you add their win total to their loss total it will equal 16. Unless they play more than 16 games, in which case it will add up to the total number of games they play. Based on the posts on this board, on any given week people will be both elated and angry, and every week someone will start a thread saying I told you so and I was wrong. I will read them, and sometimes I will agree, and sometimes I will disagree. Mostly, I will wonder why I never get anything productive done.

It was never a question of skill. If you are the GM of another team, what would you give in return for a guy who has said he wants to retire and has given every indication that he's serious, and now after being released still hasn't made up his mind to play? And if he does play, he wants concessions to spend as much time with his family as possible. Oh, and it's definitely his last year from what he's said. Yeah, I'd trade the world for him, too. There's no down side to talking to him or picking him up now. Aside from the late round pick that the Bills may have been able to get for him, they lose nothing by parting ways with an older player who would have taken reps from a younger guy so that he could have switched positions to play one last year, leaving them in the same situation next year.

If the team was good, Sullivan would have nothing to say. As someone pointed out, not only did he point out the obvious, he then took the opportunity to remind us that he thinks our QBs suck, and then somehow throws an unnecessary little OJ is a subhuman freak dig in there. A number of years back, I challenged myself to start reading Buffalo News sports articles without reading the byline and see if I could identify Sullivan's by the unnecessary over-the-top negativity. Needless to say I was 100% accurate, most of the time after only finishing the first paragraph. Any time I've heard him on the radio or seen any blog or read any column he has been associated with it is negative. Someone ought to slip some antidepressants in his coffee if they're going to allow him to continue to have access to the public before his bull **** causes people to start jumping from rooftops in droves.

Thanks for the info. IMO we too often forget that Edwards is still a young QB. Not only do you need time to go through your progressions and have confidence that you're not going to get smeared, but I think many younger QBs need time to adjust and break that bad habit. As you alluded to, competent coaching should help. I think many young QBs enter the league telegraphing their throws. For all we know, based on TE's comments about this being the first time in his NFL career that a coach called plays to set up the defense, DJ told him to stare at his receivers (I kid... I think).

I looked it up on the internet. I think he was trying to say that in addition to Sullivan being a whiney, Wheaties pissing, glass is half empty boil on the ass of society, he is also dyslexic (according to the Urban dictionary).

Not to mention that if you like a guy that much, you can acquire the pick to get him (everybody has their price).

Neither are words I would associate with Sullivan. Maybe next time you can type in "whiney" font to make him feel more at ease. His response to you could have come straight from one of his blind and worthless columns, as I see 'em. He is the epitome of a douchebag.

Therein lies the part that all of Ryan's horn-blowing can't fix: - Sanchez looked awful last season - that running game you reference left town - that defense relies on Revis on an island This is the captain speaking, please stay in your seats as we attempt an emergency water landing... SPLOOSH!!!

Regardless of the accuracy of the rest, love the characterization of Maybin as a Wii character. 28 inch waist... nancy boy!!

I'm cool with the Spiller pick for several reasons: - This is not the same old FO. If it was, they would have done what so many are clamoring for and picked a need position at 9, inevitably passing over clearly better players who would turn out to be difference makers. All of the players that are being used to make the point of the FO's previous mistakes (Maybin, Whitner, etc.) clearly fit that description, and were widely regarded as reaches when the pick was made by most media, reputable or not. Spiller is being criticized because he doesn't fill a percieved need, not because he doesn't have exceptional talent. If we'd have taken exceptional talent in the first round when it was available the last ten years, regardless of need, we'd be a much better team today. - Our offense has been atrocious, and Chan, who has a way with offense, publicly stated he wanted a scat back. I'll trust his instincts on this. - Our O-line is young, and was in no way put in a position to succeed last year. The likelihood of finding a LT who was NFL ready after the first two were off the board was low, so why not see what you have when a legitimate NFL offense is installed on this team. Besides, trading down to select a tackle that you're not certain will be your cornerstone and passing on what you believe to be elite talent in the process makes no sense. It would show a lack of conviction/direction, which is what plagued the FO for years. I like the fact that Nix and Gailey are already showing they are willing to do what they think is right, not what they think is popular. Does that mean they're right... of course not, but it's a different vibe in my opinion. - Finally, opponents of the Bills last year stated on several occasions that they were running a pitiful, predictable offense. I don't imagine it's too hard as an NFL defense to make offensive lineman look bad when you know what's coming. A legitimate offensive mind will fix that aspect. Spiller, by his versatility, is a big part of that, methinks. You can overcome a lineman's limitations to some degree by getting a defense on their heels, something we've been utterly incapable of for years. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Really, what's the point in not? I can't see enjoying the season more by declaring it a failure from the start. I don't expect them to make the playoffs, but I do expect them to be better by the end of the season. I expect them to start heading in the right direction, and if they do this has the makings of a fun season. I certainly don't think that the players on this team are as bad as the coaching staff has made them look that last four years. Hell, Fewell, despite being completely overmatched, was an improvement over Jauron, so it's not unreasonable to think a beefed up staff might be able to squeeze even more out of them. Ultimately, I think part of the draft strategy this year was aimed at filling known holes (aside from Spiller) and using the season to determine whether or not certain players already on the roster are/can be the answer or if it is time to turn the page once and for all.

There is something unavoidable about following a team through thick and thin when you are a fan that is inexplicable. I've seen friends who grew up in Buffalo who were 'phins fans from childhood in order to root against their fathers in the spirit of competition who stuck with them thus far lifelong. I have friends from Cleveland whom I empathise with who share my passion for futility. The fact is if you are a true fan you make a commitment the likes of which you don't comprehend until wallowing through a decade or more of futility. To all the Bills, Lions, Browns, Pirates, Sabres, etc fans out there who understand true fandom, kudos to your noble futility. As a fan of the Yankees from the early '90s (pre dynasty) I can say it isn't the same to celebrate a championship for a team that is not truly yours.

"Draftniks" are painfully short sighted, and cannot/will not take the long term plan of a franchise into consideration. Even if our stable of QBs fail and Clausen succeeds, in the long term all will be well if Troup and Spiller pan out, and we select a QB early next year with more potential than Clausen. If the FO didn't like him they had their reasons, and it would have been a mistake to take him to appease the masses.