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This Bills job could show us all a lot about the state of the NFL today. Look at the Patriots. They got handled by a young coach, and an offense that isn't all that terrific. The Jets won with a new coach. Most of the people actually in the NFL will admit that the difference between talent on each roster is small. I believe that coaching and teaching - and luck, when it comes to injuries - have a lot to do with winning. A well coached team can go far. Someone like Schottenheimer Sr. is supposed to be able to come in and assemble a good cast of coaches. If that were true, and we added a stud DT, a decent DE, a good LB, a good LT, and a good QB, we could be competitve. Now, thats only five positions - with all the draft and free agency. Any scout team should be able to come up with two starters in a draft. Add three free agents... and it doesn't seem that far off. So, lets see if whoever we hire can assemble a good, inspiring coaching staff. If they can, there is no reason to think we can't be successful.

I'm guardedly optimistic about Nix also. I liked when he said that in this era players that are drafted need to play soon, because they might only be around for four or five years. Now, compare Orakpo and Maybin, along the lines of contract, and assume it takes Maybin until year three to hit his potential. For what we're paying him, we get a couple of good years and then he's demanding money (like Peters) that we won't pay and he's gone... I'd rather take Orakpo, who might have a ceiling lower than Maybin's, but who is ready from the start. Otherwise, I think our draft this year was a good one.

What is to stop him from saying yes? If Ralph is willing to throw money at him, and throw money at free agents, then what would stop him from coming here, other than geography? Bills fans are second to none, and the stadium sells out, and the community idolizes the players. Unless there is some kind of handicap here at Buffalo that I'm unaware of, this job should be one to be excited about. It could be historical that the Bills return to a super bowl and actually win it. Think about how historic that could be, as opposed to the team leaving in a few years and only ever having come so close. It should get done here, and soon. And, if Cowher doesn't want the job, there should be someone who is both capable and willing. Nix will have to find the right man.

This is my fist post - and, after reading much of the news lately on the Bills I have a few observations and thoughts... First - I see that the L.A. stadium is listing Buffalo as one of two teams to fill it. Of course, other than Ralph Wilson dying, and the team being bought out with the move in mind, I don't see why people think Buffalo is an unrealistic place to play pro football. Our stadium seats a big crowd, and we're sold out (especially considering our track record over the last decade) almost all the time! What other team in the NFL could lose as much, be as mediocre as we have been, and still pack 'em in every week? I just don't understand why our fanbase is considered so lacking - considering places like Jacksonville and San Diego, even, have hard times selling their stadiums out. I guess Ralph's condition is also a big impediment to bringing in a big name coach - the uncertainty of the team being the only disadvantage I could think of if Ralph is willing to pay as much as other teams for the position and for players. Couldn't Ralph sell the team now to a buying group with a condition that it stays in Buffalo? If he waits until he's dead, won't it be a crap shoot? Or worse? Ownership aside, I like the Nix hiring. If you look at team's to emulate then San Diego is perfect when it comes to fulfilling roster spots with draft picks and his history of being around solid football minds - all his positives, I think, merit him as our G.M. Give him a chance, anyway. Lastly, I think our roster is maybe four or five starters away from being really good. Depending on scheme, a DT, LB, LT, QB, and maybe DE or WR. Still, if we could pick up three of those in the draft and one or two in free agency - it doesn't seem implausible at all to field a winning team next year. Considering the speculation on whether the Bills will be in Buffalo after Ralph's passing, and his reluctance to end that speculation (if he can), I think fielding as dominant a team AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE should be a real priority.