dpberr

I think the torch has already been passed. Media et al just can't nail down the "who". Everyone who's involved is being smart about it. You don't want the succession advertised. Lots of money, contracts and relationships at sake. It's better to keep everybody guessing and after all it's Mr. Wilson's team until it isn't. Some of the first decisions of the incoming ownership were the free agent pursuits of Williams and Anderson. Not only was the spending of that massive amount of money on free agents atypical of Mr. Wilson, he wasn't even heard, seen or involved in the process. Reason being that the new ownership was in Buffalo. I also believe the new ownership has their man in Whaley to succeed Nix. When Mr. Wilson passes I think we'll all be surprised that there was a plan all along and it began long before his death. No businessman leaves his legacy up in the air like it's been reported. The last thing he or the family wants is the moving vans to pack up the Bills to Los Angeles the day after his death.

I know it's SJ and I know it's June but quotes like that really get me excited for that first defensive series of the year in September when it's all put together and at full throttle.

I think adding at TE is unnecessary at this point. Chandler and Smith now have time in the system. Continuity will pay dividends this year at the position. That being said the biggest problem about the TE position is that Chan forgets it's an option during games.

I'd pay Brees. The entire Payton system with or without the man running it is based on the passing attack. I just wouldn't make it a long deal that guarantees the cliff into cap hell is steep when the team needs to rebuild. I think the Saints have just as legitimate a shot at the playoffs as they did any other year, regardless of coaches. The team retained plenty of its firepower to make some noise.

Outside of some NFL players through the years, I've met Presidents Bush, Clinton, Bush. Robert DeNiro. Jack Palance. Charles Barkley. James Woods, which is like a rare baseball card of celebrity run-ins.

All things being equal, I'd take Nix over Polian. I think Nix's strategy can adapt to changing circumstances better and I believe he's superior in drafting players and setting the team up for long term success. I've always appreciated the logic behind his drafting. With Polian, his strategy, whether in Buffalo or Indianapolis, entirely revolved around having a blue chip quarterback, which you're not always going to have or get.

The Bennett trade was quite significant and I think it's place is appropriate on the list. It was the 1987 version of the 2012 Mario Williams signing. While the move provided great returns on the field, it was a trade that put the NFL and the media on notice that the Bills were coming in from the wilderness and were serious about winning and introduced the Bills to a lot of future fans.

I can live with Vince Young in Buffalo. Could have lived without him here too. It's a two million dollar lottery ticket.

Personal responsibility. An underrated human trait pretty much all over Earth these days. Whether it's people squandering millions, out of wedlock babies, obesity, you name it. It all comes down to self control.

Always had faith Nix would follow through on that promise to Jackson. I'd challenge anybody to name a team that has had a better offseason than the Bills.

Colts players, especially on offense, are the Subarus with 185,000 miles on the odometer. Guys like Addai and Clark have seen *a lot* of games on artificial turf.

I don't care for Hoge's commentary. I really can't stand the wide tie knot, up buttoned suit combo he's always trying.

It can't be fun to be a surviving member of the 1994 Chargers. Everything from airplane crashes to lightning strikes have picked off team members.

The Eagles wanted Trent Edwards more than they did Vince Young. Take from that what you will. For a team that employs a starting quarterback destined to be injured for stretches of the season, Andy Reid and Company put their faith in Trent in 2012, not Vince to be the backup to Michael Vick. Perhaps it was that four interception game. Against the Seahawks. The Eagles love to reclaim quarterbacks in their buy low, sell high approach to draft picks. They gave up on Vince. Is he better than Thigpen? Really don't know.

If Trent Edwards can run you out of Philadelphia...

I'd take Owens and whatever he had left from the choices provided. He was a model citizen while in Buffalo and had a good relationship with Fitzpatrick. He has every reason to play hard and well because he absolutely needs to. And yes, I'd like to see him do very well not only for the Bills but himself.

I feel Kelsay should keep the number. I've always been fond of the lower numbers (60-79) for defensive linemen.

Three things to keep in mind: 1. Trent Edwards made Vince Young expendable. Yes, that Trent Edwards. 2. Vince Young has all the talent in the world and 0.0% of it consists of work ethic. 3. Even the QB Renovation Realities of franchises decided to not to keep him around. Is he better than Thigpen? Not sure. Threw four interceptions in a game last year against last year. I don't think he's "that" guy anymore.

Mike Shanahan is an ordinary coach. I'd argue Bill Cowher was too.

I've liked the Nix drafts and this one doesn't disappoint me. Unlike the other drafts (in another poster's quite thorough post about the drafts from 2005-2009), the Nix drafts have had a plan, and that plan has worked. No reason to doubt it in year #3.

The last decade was a lost decade for a couple reasons but a big part of it was the annual marginal to downright awful drafts from 2002 to 2009. For a decade, you had a team devoid of leadership, coaching, quality free agents AND 1st round drafted talent. The Bills were both lucky and fortunate to have so many later round draftees blossom into NFL players. Imagine if that hadn't happened.

Perhaps folks will now believe the preference for southern schools by Bills talent evaluation.

You could probably use that quote from Mel Kiper in the video for this year's Jets draft. Or for pretty much any year.

I liked Upshaw a lot at the outset. Today, more of an "eh".

A couple things conspire against that unfortunate series of events. 1. Gun enthusiasts and you'll have them teaching the class or friends of the student, insist that to properly defend your home, you have to have your handgun loaded and ready to go. Folks load up their handguns with minimal time shooting them and knowing how they function and forget that they are loaded or don't know how to unload it. 2. Same gun enthusiasts also strongly recommend cleaning your gun often, that for some reason, it won't work if you don't clean it obsessively. It's like the 3,000 mile oil change. Really need that? Probably not. 3. The most popular guns on the market today are guns without external safeties or decockers. The only safety on a Glock for example, is your brain. Pull the trigger, it is designed to go boom. If you need a firearms course, the last handgun you should buy is one without external safeties and/or decocker levers. 4. Gun stores and sporting good stores have gun enthusiasts selling the guns...and generally dispensing advice that's ok for somebody familiar with firearms, but not the novice. 5. Lastly, people don't spend enough time learning about what they bought. They don't take it apart. They don't read the manual.