steampunk

Chan is the fussy translator robot? Haha! I would've guessed Yoda or something ...

Nix's 2009 role was National Scout. After becoming GM in 2010, Nix hired Darrell Moody from the Chargers to be the Bills' new National Scout. In SD, Moody was regional scout for the SEC.

Great idea for a thread. 2011 Bills Free Agents Whitner, Posluzny, Wilson, Stupar, Florence, Martin, Youboty, Ellison, Merrimen, Wrotto, Ayodele, Brohm(RFA), Corto(RFA), McCargo(RFA) Who I keep FA Re-signings: Whitner, Posluzny, Florence, Wrotto, Wilson Veteran minimum offers: Stupar, Ayodele RFA tender offer: Brohm How/Why This season's Poz has been a solid NFL starter-quality LB. The only other Bills 'backer I could say that about was the surprisingly capable Andra Davis. Except Andra didn't make it into November, and durability has gotta be part of the grade (see Poz in past years). On a defense with a nearly a donut box full of holes, we don't need to make another one. So Posluszny gets re-signed. A chunky wad of the contract money should be structured as very-easy-to-attain incentives like "games played" or modest tackle totals due to Poz's injury history. Extend Whitner for 3-4 years. I think a contract averaging just under 5 mil/year would work for both sides. I mentioned the dollar reasoning in another thread: Whitner's not in the top tier of NFL safeties. That tier would be LaRon Landry, Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, Adrian Wilson, Bob Sanders and Antrel Rolle. They are all averaging between 7 and 8 mil per year. Whitner would be in the second tier with guys like Chris Hope and Nick Collins. Both in the 5 mil/yr range. Donte is just 25 and has been durable. Except for his thumb injury last season(6 games), he's rarely missed a game before or since. George Wilson is a versatile team leader, prepared to step in at multiple positions without complaint. He won't be pricey. One Bills Drive likes him and regularly gives him PR gigs and catalog work. I'm betting he gets re-signed in the offseason, and I like the move. Good value and worth keeping around for experienced depth and ST. Re-sign savvy veteran Drayton Florence. He's nowhere near the athletic ability of Leodis, but D-Flo has the instincts and goldfish memory that McKelvin still needs to develop. When Flo fooks up -- like all DBs will do -- it's one play. When Leodis fooks up, on the other hand, it gets inside his head and he goes into a freefall. Flo may never make the pro bowl, but he's consistent, has good size, and keeps his head in the game. Like all crafty vets he seems to be able to get away with at least 50% of his (nearly constant) P.I. tugs. This re-signing is also mindful that McGee, who I love when healthy, can't stay on the field lately. Next is Mansfield Wrotto. When you think about it, he's really a heckuva midseason find. I see him as the future first-tackle-off-the-bench. Little scary that he's our RT starter now, heh, but at least he's getting a lot of combat experience. Whatever the 2011 starting tackle situation looks like, there's little chance both of them are on the field for every play. Mansfield Wrotto can be steady, serviceable depth as a swing tackle. Plus, he's got a name like a Bond villain. Rounding out the list are minimum offers for a couple depth chart guys, Stupar and Ayodele. Plus an RFA tender for Brohm. Bye Bye McCargo - Holy moose balls. This never-was survived his entire rookie contract. Ellison - A can-do guy with a good attitude, but the bottom line is that he's deeeeep on the depth chart even IF the Bills were still running a defensive scheme that wants 220 lb, sub-6ft inside 'backers. Which they aren't. Merriman - Pay him now and release him back to Cali. Don't want to see how he's rehabbing. Don't want to see if he'll 'honor' Buffalo by entertaining the idea of re-signing. I expect him to get on another squad and then stay off the field as much as possible. Cuz that's his formula to squeak out a few more bux for stuff he can no longer do. Martin - He and Stupar are both below average, but I feel like the younger Stupar has more potential upside if one is going to be kept for depth. Martin's awareness in the receiving game seems very low -- like in the 2nd quarter of the Bengals game when he didn't realize he was eligible on that TE screen, never even turning around as the ball sailed past his earhole. Corto - In the past he's earned a roster spot for his ST play. Since coming off the PUP list this season, he's actually ruined a couple big returns by drawing calls. Corto would be a cheap re-sign, so there's still 4 games for him to turn it around. Youboty - Signed a one year RFA tender last offseason. 1 assist so far in 2010. Behind Reggie Corner on depth. Like Corto, I figure he's got 4 games to either change minds or change addresses.

Same line of thinking, different mountain with legs: Jamal Williams. 34 year old highly regarded nose tackle. 350 lbs. Like Pat and Teddy, raised in a Wade Phillips system (at San Diego). Jamal is currently under contract in Denver and totally not due to be a free agent. But. With McDaniels fired, and some of the hot coaching candidates (like Perry Fewell) preferring smaller Tampa fronts, it's a situation worth keeping on the radar.

Big Pat is an FA after this season. I wouldn't break the bank, but it'd be worth making an offer if Vikings let him walk due to age/new regime. I was reading the Williams-Winfield and Phil Hansen articles on the front page and was reminded of what a team guy Williams used to be. He wanted less money to stay in Buffalo, but Donahoe thought he was too old. Haha. It's been 6 years and 3 pro bowls since. I like this quote from the Hansen article. “Phil’s was a beast,” Williams laughed. “A total beast. When I came to Buffalo as a rookie we had Bruce Smith, Ted Washington, Phil- I had a great chance to learn from some vets that knew the game. I owe them all so much. Ted’s like a brother to me. He took me under his wing and showed me the way. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Ted and those guys.” He did grow a lot (skill and belly-wise) under Ted. True 3/4 NTs are so rare, and the Bills don't have one yet. Pat (and the waiting-in-the-wings guy that learns the technique under him, be it Troupe or somebody else) would only be on the field for 2 downs. If the Bills are committed to a real 3/4, I picture Kyle moving to end and then back to the middle on 3rd down, similar to how Ron Edwards would come in (from the bench) for Big Pat on obvious passing downs. He's old, I admit. But you can SEE the guy still getting it done. Teddy Washington was getting signed *years* after Donahoe(again!) decided he was too old. And the people signing him were dumb defensive minds like Belichick (at age 35, 3 years post-buffalo) and Crennel (in 2007 at age 39). It's a 2 down, very specialized role. Wade brought Teddy with him from Denver the year he took the job as Marv's d-coordinator. It's a piece in a successful 3/4 front that is not optional. Short term upside is obvious. Long term upside is what Troupe can learn. Or whoever ends up being the next mountain with legs. I'm not sure Troupe has the size yet.

McKelvin's problem is he never stops at one problem. He lets everything get inside his head and become a series of problems. That TD catch by Rice was A-OKAY. Happy to give it up! McKelvin had awesome, stride for stride coverage. Inches from the WR, not just at the end of the route, but from the time he left scrimmage. Leodis sees the ball coming in, gets BOTH his hands on it, and doesn't flinch as Whitner comes jetting into them at the end. Amazing coverage, really, and I'll take it every time. Because 99% of the time, coverage that tight will end well for the defense. But McKelvin seems to let that kind of thing send him into freefall. In this case fumbling away possession on the very next play. It reminds me of how badly T.O. unscrewed his head a few games ago. Owens got that first long catch and then immediately turned on the smack talk. Two plays later, McKelvin is standing alone looking confused as Owens slants inside for the TD. Next drive, #28 draws a penalty that undoes Kelsay's sack on Palmer, and then looks like he's motorboating Owens while Benson's backup peels off a 26 yarder down his lane. By halftime, Leodis is benched. He needs to forget about stuff. Like Cromartie. Not being able remember his kids' names is just a side effect of good cornerback technique.

Bell's got major agility and Rhodan-sized wingspan. He does occasionally get bulled, and I think it's more of a weakness for him than speed moves. Go back two games and you can see him getting pushed around by Michael Johnson, particularly in the first quarter (around the time Johnson got the helmet penalty on Fitz). The News article about Bell from last Sat. has some quotes from Coach D'Alessandris about Demetrius' recovery this offseason and how he hasn't had much strength training. That could also be why he's further along on his pass game vs. run. Hopefully, a full, healthy offseason of work will take Bell to elite tackle levels. He's got the potential.

Quote name='VirginiaMike']Is there a worse TV Analyst than Soloman Wilcots Yeeep. Dan Dierdorf! He's overbearing, and there's no point he won't overstate. His gigs are like 3 hours of getting lectured in the second person.

C.B. might've forgot to mention two others; Jon Stupar and David Martin. For Whitner, it's a solid move to extend him now for 3-4 years. Don't club me with a frozen tofurkey leg, but I think a good deal would average just under 5 mil/year. He's not in the top tier of NFL safeties. That tier would be LaRon Landry, Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, Adrian Wilson, Bob Sanders and Antrel Rolle, who are all averaging between 7 and 8 mil per year. Whitner would be in the second tier with guys like Chris Hope and Nick Collins. Like Jstranger mentioned in his post, Donte is just 25. Except for his thumb injury last season(6 games), he's rarely missed a game before or since. Balsawood Bob Sanders ain't earning his cheddar by missing over 50 games in his 7 year career. Durability is something to consider. The other safety without a 2011 contract is George Wilson. Total pro, team leader, versatile enough to play multiple positions, and won't be too pricey. One Bills Drive seems to like the guy. He does side gigs with them, like interview shows and catalog work (the Bills' Xmas mini-catalog went out two weeks ago and GW is the model in it). I could see him being a good faith (on both sides) re-signing at some point in the offseason.

Oh gee. Let the healing begin!

Heya Albany. I don't think you're supporting your point about Fitzpatrick and Fielder. These 3 items are ultra-general. They would be true for hundreds of NFL players. Even if we reduced your "smart guys" to "true Ivy leaguers only" (eliminating all players from Stanford and Vanderbilt type schools), we'd still have a large group of people that you'd consider just like Fitz and Fielder. Ivy leaguers are more likely to get drafted late. Players drafted late are more likely to get cut and more likely to bounce around teams and practice squads. (Guys like Maybin and Mcargo are still Bills only because of their round.) The other 5 'similarities' you list are nothing but your negative opinions of Fitz, along with biased predictions of how his future might go. Also, the list is general enough that most people could quickly name 20 quarterbacks that fit the descriptions. Well sir, it reads like more of a Fitzpatrick trashing that a comparison. I guess the beef is with calling it one thing when it's really the other.

One good Kyle Williams Top 5 deserves another! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3apxfOKRnk ::sheepishly:: I admit I didn't recognize his #1 by name alone.

Fitz is no Fielder. Not that the OP provided diddly to support that premise, anyway.

Coach Gailey has his quarterback. It was pretty cool the way he chose Fitz's birthday to let Ralph and some of the public begin wrapping their brains around that fact. Happy B-day Fitz! I'm with ya.

Of course Kyle needs to be a Bill forever, but he's signed through at least 2012, so I wouldn't call him the signing *priority*. Poz is a UFA when this season ends. I think he's priority #1 of the FA bunch. I haven't read anything about what the clause is to void Whitner's 2011, or if he's met it. Maybe a non-issue?

Maybe you were thinking of the Rule of 26-27-60? It seems like a better QB litmus.

Love the Bills' helmet! Nike should cherry-pick a few ideas from that guy. Some great looking stuff in there. On the other hand, the Patsies unis were uglier than the east end of a horse headed west. And Tampa fans were probably sweating the return of Dread Pirate Foof-foof.

I think Chan builds a creative passing game. Multiple short middles were called today. A few were dropped by Jones and Stevie, and couple more to that area were just crummy throws. There was also two shovel pass attempts. First one during a pressure. Kinda looked like the target never turned around. Then later on the Fred TD. CONGRATS to Coach Gailey and the whole team! And congrats fellow Bills fans on (finally!) a less cranky Monday.

CK's freshman (suspended 7 games) and sophomore (dismissed from team) years were very DOH. Very cool to see him course-corrected and doing well at the new school.

Joique showed potential. Hope they can scoop him up again at some point. I wonder if the Eagles suspected that the Bills might still be keeping an eye on Bell. They tried to sneak him from active to practice squad one day after the Bills happened to pick up two new RBs. Didn't quite work, though. Polian snatched him.

Outstanding! That scenario would be my fave. Second choice would be a reverse spread of 14 games/Sixties, 2 games/Nineties. (Call 'em Tribute unis if the jump-forward doesn't make sense as a 'Throwback')