OldTimer1960

I try to be an optimist, but my expectations are pretty low for this season. I hope that Rex and his defense pleasantly surprise me and that Tyrod Taylor shows that he is a legitimate good starting QB!

He isn't a great option at WR and they already have Reggie Bush penciled in at KR, so what will his role be? Bush is older than Tate, but I think think that Bush offers more as a RB/receiving option than Tate does at WR. Does Tate also do kick coverage?

Hindsight is surely 20-20, but I remember thinking that Mike Williams was going to be great. He was exceptionally mobile and athletic for as huge as he was. I think I remember him playing well early on only to completely go into the tank when his Grandmother died. I don't think he knew how to handle that and he got more and more out of shape as his career went on. If he'd have stayed in shape, I think he would have been very good.

Tom Donahoe had been a highly appreciated personnel man before joining the Bills. Yes, he didn't have great luck after joining the Bills, but I think John Butler had orchestrated a few bad drafts before his arrival that made Donahoe look worse than he was. According to many on this board, his primary failing was not finding a NFL starting QB. Not many were coming out of college at that time, as I recall. I am not here to say that Donahoe was very good, but there usually are extenuating circumstances when a highly regarded person fails in a new situation.

Looked great against Sammy Seamster - not great credentials.

I think that you are really overestimating the DL and OL when you call them great. I think the OL could be above average and the DL looks like a weakness to me until Dareus returns - then they are maybe average.

I think they are + or - a game around 8-8. Unless Tyrod Taylor plays very very well and the offense is great, I think the defense will drag the team down. I hope that I am wrong, but the defense could be very bad.

Gotta disagree with "if he wasn't good enough to start (immediately), he wasn't good enough to go #1". If he sits this year, plays and learns next and becomes a long-time NFL caliber starter, I think that is fine - even for first overall pick.

I would stick with Miller. I think he is going to be pretty good.

I agree, I think it is a very bad idea to throw Wentz to the wolves this early. Didn't he miss much of the preseason and he IS a rookie from a lower level college program. It can work out if they manage it like the Ravens did with Flacco - don't rely on the rookie QB to make many plays - just ask him to be conservative and avoid mistakes. Can you imagine the heat on Wentz if he throws a couple picks and they lose to the Browns next week? There could be death threats

Why is it that half of this thread is about berating EJ Manuel? I get that he was a 1st round draft choice at the all-important QB position and he did not live up to our hopes. League history is riddled with QBs drafted higher than Manuel who never made it. At least Manuel is a class act and works hard - he isn't a turd like Manziel and he doesn't really deserve the bashing that he receives on this board. Time to let it go and get over it. Selecting EJ in the first round in that draft was a mistake - so were a lot of other players picked in the first that year.

I disagree that AP is JAG, even now I don't think many defenders really want to tackle that guy.

I think a 1st and 4th is a lot to give up for Bradford at this point in his career, but he is talented and competent. Who knows, could be a very good situation for Bradford. I was sure that Carson Palmer was done when he left Cinci and then again when he left the Raiders, but he put together some good years in Arizona.

Well, this has been ugly, but I think that the Bills can't cut either Jonathon Meeks or Duke Williams. I didn't see a lot to get excited about beyond that, but Cardale Jones at least looks calm, if not especially effective.

I think that expecting the defense to be anything close to 2014's is asking way too much with the personnel on hand. There is far less talent available on defense than there was in 2014.

To my eyes it has been Walter Powell by a wide margin. I know every year some preseason hero gets cut, but I think Powell has shown a lot. Anyone remember when Kamar Aiken looked good for the Bills in the preseason only to be cut? He played very well for the Ravens last year - he might be #2 here now if they had kept him. In 2012, they kept Kevin Eliott, TJ Graham, Brad Smith and Ruvell Martin over Aiken. Sometimes preseason performance should count.

With you except for it being a given that Taylor will be better. There a plenty of one year wonders who couldn't sustain success. That being said, I like Taylor and hope that he is the long-term answer. That is true, but I think my description is closer to what the league sees than is the more optimistic description that you offer.

I think that is about right. I don't think the defense will be in the top half of the league, so Taylor, McCoy and Watkins are going to have to play great to pick up the slack. I don't think the defense is going to be very good. Having good CBs with no DL or LBs is going to be a problem. The starting DL looks like it will be an old Kyle Williams who has barely participated in camp, 3rd round rookie Washington and journeyman Jerrel Worrthy. LBs are Preston Brown and a bunch of cast offs.

With the defense hurting due to injuries and suspensions, it looks like the Bills will be forced to rely on an offense that isn't built to be a high scoring unit. I was very pleasantly surprised by Tyrod Taylor's play last year. I think that he will need to take another significant step forward in order to keep the Bills in contention for the full regular season. Thoughts?

I think this is a genuine possibility. Smith isn't great at all, but they could do worse than Geno and the Jets aren't going to keep 4 QBs

Where is the "too talented" that will be on the field? That is too-homer even for my rose-colored glasses to see. Top two rookies who were brought in because the D needed help - gone. Best Defensive player on the roster - gone for 1/4 of season. Every LB ever signed - injured and/or heading to suspension. What is to provide optimism?

The poop just keeps piling on with Dareus missing the first 4 games... So, top 2 draft pick, specifically selected to help the defense - 1 out for the year, the other out for likely at least half the year. Best defenive player by far: out for the first quarter of the season. Practically every LB ever to compete for a roster spot injured...Franchise OLT has a high ankle sprain and will miss most of the preseason (at least). Well, at least there is a glimmer of hope that we have a NFL capable QB for the first time in 25 years - until he is booed out of town because the OL has no continuity and the backup RB is overweight and the #1 WR missed most of the offseason with an injury... Just finding it difficult to s e the silver lining.

It may be what he deserves, but I still don't like the sentiment. SJ13 was an over-achiever and a good player for the Bills. He was flamboyant and, at times, hurt his team, but was still a positive in BFLO.

This team was built to win with defense and, as currently staffed, I don't think the defense is up to the challenge. I'd be happy to be proven wrong, though.

Hit me with your scenario. I am open to find a way to get there.