OldTimer1960

Lynch is not going to fetch anything significant in trade, especially not Merriman. Lynch is a backup running back/ marginal starter with off-the-field problems and one mis-step away from another suspension.

Agreed, but the Bills don't have any edge rushers (at least at LB), either. Further, all of their LBs except Mitchell are very very undersized to play a 3-4.

Right On! This might be the best post that I've seen in a while here. Very insightful. Add to this that the Bills current defenders don't fit a 3-4 well at all and you'd have to turn over most of your DL and LBs just to make the conversion. Very hard to do when many other teams are now competing for the very same players that you'd need. The 4-3 will work fine if you have good players. The Bills clearly need at least one, maybe 2 more starting LBs and need more pass rush from their DEs. I suspect that the Bills will end up having to trade Schobel to a contender othewise he will likely retire, so that will make a pass rusher even more important. No doubt, the Bills have big needs on offense including LT and QB, but I would rather see them get an outstanding DE, LB or DT than to reach for whatever is left at LT or QB at #9. Bolster the D (4-3) and fix the OL and then fill in the skill positions next year.

Not anymore than all the Bills' defensive FAs will follow Fewell to NY. FAs mostly go where the money is.

They do throw the ball a little in Az with Warner, Fitzgerald, Bolden and Breaston. That 28th ranking could have been partially because they throw much more than they run because they have so much talent in the passing game. Kinda like The Bills' relatively high ranking in pass defense was to some extent just a reflection of how putrid they were against the run.

I disagree that it is abnormal for a head coach to be hired and then take some time to put together a staff. He surely has some ideas who he wants on his staff, but job interviews and checking out other candidates than the ones you already know requires some time. Also, it is *possible* that he might want someone from one of the playoff teams so he might need to wait for that. Still, pickings are slim with so few teams having let their coaching staffs go this offseason. He will either have to get people who were not coaching last year or he'll have to convince people from other's staffs to come here for a promotion (eg LB coach to DC). One of my biggest concerns with how long it took to hire the HC was that there would be few coaches available to fill out his staff.

I don't think that you can really tell anything from Reich working with Manning. I am pretty sure that Manning would still be great if I was his QB coach. On the flip side, that doesn't mean that Reich isn't any good. I think that Reich's career as an intelligent dedicated under-talented QB whose main contributions were as a sounding board for Jim Kelly *might* be a good background for being a QB coach and maybe OC someday. I would think that hiring Reich would be an interesting and exciting thing for a team desperately in need of some excitement.

Why would you advocate spending a 2nd round pick this year on a QB if you plan to spend another high draft pick on a QB next year? As a stop-gap starter a rookie is a very poor idea. I'd rather watch Fitzgerald, Edwards and Brohm fight it out than a rookie start -UNLESS the Bills are very sure that the rookie is their long-term answer.

I understand the sentiment that the Blls have been bad for a very long time and therefore it must be Tom Modrak's fault. However, I've been a draft fanatic for 20+ years and that has allowed me to gain the perspective that: 1. it isn''t always the scouts problem. 2. the team's needs often dictate reaching for players 3. the coaches, who haven't scouted the players often get final say 4. THE DRAFT IS A CRAPSHOOT ANYWAY. Many many picks that look great on draft day go in the crapper. Modrak's draft record is actually pretty good. Now, they haven't addressed the OL until last year. Do you think that is because Modrak didn't scout any OLmen? They didn't hit on JP Losman - do you think no other team would have taken him at about the same spot? And, do you think that his flameout had nothing to do with the coaching he received and the talent (or lack of) around him? Just my opinion, but Modrak has a pretty decent record drafoting and you can't blame him for all of the choices. Given the reality that there are always a lot of draft busts, I think he's done fine.

I know that I've come across as more negative than I really am, but Jerry Sullivan is a flat-out whiney little sh*t. There is NOTHING that the Bills could do that would make him say anything remotely positive about them. I hope that Nix embarrasses him badly in public many times.

Word! This is the way to build this team. Fix the OL and run, run, run to help the defense stay off the field. They can't fix everything overnight, so I say find some beaten up vet like Kerry Collins to come in and compete with Fitzpatrick and take a flyer on a rookie QB no earlier than round 3. Target your franchise QB next year. Depending on who is available, ideally, I'd like the draft to fall something like: 1. OLT 2. LB 3. Another OL, DE or LB

I completely agree. There are already way too many holes to fill on the roster without creating more holes by changing the defensive scheme. In addition, DT might be one of the team's strongest positions and a 3-4 would lessen the need for one of them unless you could for sure move the other to DE. As it is, they already need at least: 1 new starting LB with much better depth for the eventual injury to at least one starter. More help at DE assuming Schobel retires (or maybe is traded to a contender). OLT - desperate need QB - desperate need WR - pretty urgent need if Owens and Reed are not retained Unfortunately, they probably can't get a LT in FA since they are so hard to come by and maybe they can find some old haggard bet QB to come in for a year, but one of their high draft choices must be spent on at least 1 of those positions.

Delete it why? Is it too close to the truth? Seriously, I am a very long-time fan and I have been through thick and thin with this team. I try to find the positive in most every move they make. I even tried thinking positively when then re-upped with Jauron after last season, but this is just a major major reach. Get upset with me for venting if you like, but I have a right to vent as much as you do to jump on me about it.

I was responding to "him and Mike Nolan I wouldn't be too upset". I would be upset with Chan Gailey and the greatest D-coordinator ever. No way on earth Chan Gailey should have ever been in the conversation to be a head coach in the NFL again. This is clearly a case of "hmm, nobody wants this job, who can we get?" "Hey, isn't Chan Gailey out of coaching after getting canned by Georgia Tech? Maybe he'll do it!" Really, how did they even come up with his name?

Another backup QB-wannabe starter. Waste no draft choices on trading for this guy.

The plan was to float the names of weak candidates to lower expectations and then whomever they hired would look much better. However, it seems they read the plan wrong and floated the names of great candidates first, then on to lesser but still recognizable names and then hired a joke.

REALLY??? There is no possible explanation for the Chan Gailey hiring other than that the organization is completely inept and could find no remotely reasonable candidate that would take the job. This is truly a joke at the same level (or worse) than the Raiders hiring Lane Kiffin, moving him from USC OC to NFL HC. It won't do anything for the Bills' current QBs because there isn't a remotely viable starting-calibre NFL QB on the roster.

Yes, but he was a terrible head coach in Dallas. You could probably write the same article about Dick Jauron's prowess as a defensive assistant. I am sure that you could write it about Dick LeBeau's career, but he was an all-time bad head coach when he got his shot. Why Gailey should even get another chance is beyond me. I am so severely disappointed that I can't even express it in words.

QB: You can also turn it around and say "I'm afraid to find out why Brohm - a 2nd round draft pick very recently - wasn't even on the Packer's active roster". RB: Agreed that Jackson is good. Lynch is OK, but not worth the problems he causes off-field and is always just a brain-fart away from being suspended again. I think this position does need to be addressed. OL: I do agree that the line (if healthy) isn't that bad and has upside. However, I think they do need another viable LT candidate this offseason. Maybe D. Bell will be the answer. I certainly think he is athletic enough, but he really was over-matched in the games he played this year. Too bad he got hurt because he could have really benefitted from more experience. WR: If Owens goes, this position is really weak (esp. if Reed leaves, too). TE: I agree that Nelson showed some flashes of being good as a receiver. Schouman and the others do not make the grade, IMHO. Still, this wouldn't be a high-priority position for me if I were in charge. DL: I think the Bills are OK at DT, but could use another young DT as Stroud is getting older. I am not as down on Kelsay as others are. I thought he actually played pretty well this year. Still, they do need another DE. LB: Poz is really starting to be good and Mitchell is OK, but another starter is definitely needed and good backups for both inside and outside are needed. DBs: No complaints. This team isn't devoid of talent, but it is really lacking at the two most important positions on Offense - QB and LT. Those also are the two most difficult positions to fill.

While I think Brohm should be given a chance to compete, but looking at the fact that a 2nd round pick couldn't even stay on GB's active roster, I'd say that he shouldn't be Plan A going into training camp. I could be OK with them going to camp with Brohm, Fitzpatrick, some fading veteran and a mid-late round rookie at QB. Heck, if they want to bring TE in to let him compete, OK too. I don't think that any of them are the answer, but I'd rather see help brought in to shore up the D and hopefully to find a LT on the OL. If they can get a LT and build a good-very good D this offseason, they can work on finding a top QB and some WRs next year. I think that is the fastest route to competitiveness.

That is one way to look at it. Another way is to realize that this is a team with no LT and no QB - THE 2 most important positions on offense. On defense, they were LAST in rushing defense, so something is wrong on that side, too.

I'd like to see some quality candidates actually seem interested in interviewing with the team. Unfortunately, that isn't happening. Yeah, I guess Leslie Frazier did seem interested, but it seems to be that the Bills are really having to twist Grimm's arm to interview. Up front, they said that they would talk to the candidates in roughly the order of their preference and so far no hire. So, from that I conclude that they are on to plan B or plan C at this point. Not the way to start the "next great era in Bills history" - at least it doesn't look like a good way to do so.

I really am not usually this pessimistic, but this is seriously bad. NOBODY wants this job! I understand the Bills taking their time - to an extent, but when half of the candidates that you want to talk to turn down the opportunity to even interview for what would be a promotion and big pay increase, you have to figure that SOMETHING is very BROKEN. At this point, whomever they hire will have no credibility from day 1 since he will obviously be a desperation hire. How will this desperation hire even put together a staff of assistants. Who will want to come work for the 15th or 16th choice of an organization?

This is exactly the problem that the Bills have faced in the past when they've "taken their time" to hire a new head coach. I wish I could say otherwise, but the Bills will be putzing around for a while longer, hire a compromise guy to be their HC and he'll put together a weak staff of assistants from what is left on the market. This has really been the scenario since Wade Phillips left and it looks like it will be the same this time. This should really not be that complicated.

My concern with this argument is that just because other good QBs were drafted in the 1st round doesn't mean that taking Tebow or McCoy in round 1 guarantees that they will be good. There are TONS of QBs taken high in round 1 that were TERRIBLE in the NFL. Most of those guys had no business being taken that high, but teams were following the philosophy that they need their franchise QB no mater what so they reached for these guys. That is BAD drafting. Now, if they truly feel that Tebow or McCoy is going to be a great NFL QB, then they should probably grab them. But they should not take them just to take a QB in the first round. (I don't think either of those guys is going to be good in the NFL, but what do I know?)