ChuTheFat

Option #1 - Trade down. WTF? You're in a great position to select a top-notch player and you actually want to make your situation worse by letting other teams select before you? All because you can't get a top-flight QB who 7 other teams need to take a pass on in order for you to pick him up? Really? This is your draft strategy? Option #2 - Take the best QB available at #8. Unless all the reports are way off base, many of the current prospects will drop to round #2 or later. What this means is that most or all of them aren't really all that great unless you win the lottery and it turns out all the pro scouts were completely wrong. Yeah, it happens, but not very often. So, if you do get a QB in round #1, the odds of him being better than your current starter (Fitz) are pretty low. Option #3 - Take a WR or LB at #8. There's lots of talent available and #8 is a great place to be. Hey! Guess what? Starting WR's #2 and #3 from last year have been cut. Oh, and so was starting LB #1. Looks like both those positions need immediate attention... but hey, I'm no pro scout... let's trade down.

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/2964/wes-welker Stats seem to indicate that in 9 years of being in the league, he's missed a grand total of 5 games. If he is continually injured like people seem to think, then please send more of this type of oft-injured player to the Bills.

2010 QB draft class: Round 1 - Sam Bradford (STL), Tim Tebow (DEN) Round 2 - Jimmy Clausen (CAR) Round 3 - Colt McCoy (CLE) Round 4 - Michael Kafka (PHI) Round 5 - John Skelton (ARI), Johathan Crompton (SD) Bradford was selected with the first pick in the first round. Buffalo had the 9th pick (C.J. Spiller). I don't think too many people would look at this draft class and swap out Spiller for one of the others. 2011 QB Draft Class Round 1 - Cam Newton (CAR), Jake Locker (TEN), Blaine Gabbert (JAC), Christian Ponder (MIN) Round 2 - Andy Dalton (CIN), Colin Kaepernick (SF) Round 3 - Ryan Mallet (NE) Round 4 - none. Round 5 - Ricki Stanzi (KC), T.J. Yates (HOU), Nathan Enderle (CHI) Buffalo had the #3 pick. Marcell Dareous (round 1), Aaron Williams (round 2, pick #3). Here I can say that Nix and company blew it. Williams is not showing his potential. He may have the tools to be a good cornerback, but he's getting beaten way too often. Picking Dalton (pick #4) or Kaepernick (pick #5) here would have been significantly better. But you can't really fault the picking of Dareus given the circumstances. 2012 Draft Class: Round 1 - Andrew Luck (IND), RGIII (WAS), Ryan Tannehill (MIA), Brandon Weedon (CLE) Round 2 - Brock Osweiler (DEN) Round 3 - Russell Wilson (SEA), Nick Foles (PHI) Round 4 - Kirk Cousins (WAS) Round 5 - none Luck, RGIII and Tannehill were already off the board by the time the Bills selected at the #10 pick. Wilson was a surprise to everyone. Nobody saw that coming given that the Seahawks had already signed Matt Flynn by the time the draft happened. The jury is still out on Tannehill, Weedon, Foles and Cousins. Overall Okay, so in 3 draft classes it's possible to point to ONE out-and-out mistake by Nix. Pooh-pooh happens. Given just how bad the defense has been, I can't lay too much blame at Nix's feet given that we now have Spiller, Dareus and Gilmore. If Nix selects a QB in the first round, I gotta think there's an above average chance he'll be decent.

For every Kaepernick/RGIII/Luck, there's two or three Tebows, Gabberts, Lockers, Ponders, Kolbs, Cassels. Too many people look backwards with 20/20 hindsight and talk about how all the "professionals" should have been able to predict who would be great and who would be busts. There's simply no way to predict with unfailing accuracy who will be great and who will be average. Tom Brady had to endure *six* other QBs being selected before him before New England threw him a bone. That's every single team in the league passing on one of the NFL's best QBs in history.... numerous times. And yet you are ready to burn Buddy Nix in effigy for not selecting Kaepernick when the defense was ranked in the bottom of the NFL for several years. Fitz was so bad in 2012 (83.3 QB rating) that he was only a few points better than Andrew Luck (76.5). And Fitz didn't have Reggie Wayne to throw to. Fitz may not be elite status, but to throw him under the bus is just plain stupid. The odds of getting a rookie who will outperform a veteran when the current roster is so devoid of receiving talent seems ludicrous. But flip that same argument to the receivers and the odds of getting a WR who can outperform the others are actually very good. Any GM should look at which position will receive a BIGGER upgrade, WR or QB? And at the moment, the odds favor the WR position. Flacco did perform wonderfully in the Super Bowl. But it's also pretty evident that Boldin, Jacoby Jones, Dennis Pitta and Torry Smith are talents that make the Bills receivers look like high schoolers. Boldin and Jones could arguably have been the games MVPs. Boldin was a BEAST in that game who made clutch catch after clutch catch to keep the sticks moving.

It's not a "money grab". It's a "revenue stream". If you insist on thinking of it as a "money-grab" then technically every single game (home/away/other) should also be classified as a "money-grab" because all of them pull in cash for the purpose of running the operation and generating profit. All those player jersey's and other paraphernalia would also be nothing but a "money-grab" as well. Generally, most people just call it "capitalism". A 94-yr old owner signs a stadium deal that anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together should be able to see will last longer than the owner himself. A 5-yr Toronto series deal? Really? Who's laying odds on good ol' Ralph still being around by the end of that contract? Any potential new owner looking at the Bills will see 2 things... 1) long-term stadium deal already in place (no moving the team), and 2) a lucrative revenue stream coming out of Toronto that will double the income over at least one home game each year. Move the team and the Toronto series goes "poof" along with the lucrative revenue stream. Note to fans: Ralph has just about guaranteed the team will be around longer than he will. Permanently? No, but at least not walking away from the city in the middle of the night like the Irsay's did to Baltimore.

Per the news releases, the Bills make more than double their usual take for each game in Toronto. Think about it this way... if a potential new owner who sees this contract in place, what does this do to the odds he will move the Bills out of Buffalo? As much as you may hate the Toronto series, it may be one of the brightest spots keeping the team from moving out of town. Add in the new stadium lease and you begin to realize that a certain 94-yr old owner is actually doing a great deal to keep Buffalo from losing their team.

09/30 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 10/7 @ San Francisco 10/14 @ Arizona Cardinals 10/21 TENNESSEE TITANS 11/04 @ Houston Texans 11/11 @ New England Patriots The Cards have gone 10-2 in the last 12 games (going back to last season). Their defense is absolutely brutal. Houston's defense is probably the best in the NFL at the moment. San Fran's isn't much farther behind. That's 3 games against what are arguably the top 3 defenses in the NFL. The 49ers can be had, as shown by Minnesota, but the Vikings also played a flawless game. The Cards offense sputters at times. They do not have a legitimate running back threat and their QB situation is muddled. But be sure that they have one of the best receivers in the game... if they can get him the ball. And as we know, never count out the Patriots, even when they have been beaten and bloodied they somehow find a way to win. Their record last year, with a horrifically bad defense, kind of shows that they are never truly out of contention. Yes, this stretch is going to be really, really difficult. I'm betting that most people will not cut the offense any slack even though EVERY team has difficulty scoring points against the 49ers, Cards and Texans. If the Bills get more than 20 points in any of these games, then count yourself lucky.

Belichick has made a career out of taking some joke of a guy from East Buttplug and turning him into an all-pro. To look at his current crop of misfits and disparage them seems very premature until seeing them perform on the field. And as good as Brady is, he can't do it all on his own. Let's not forget that little guy (Welker) who is slow and can't catch, but somehow racks up over 1000 yards year-after-year, or the tight end who is setting NFL records in his... what... second year? And yes, the fact that the offensive line has pretty much kept Tommy-boy's jersey from getting even a few grass stains makes a gigantic difference. I want to watch the Bills dominate (and demolish and abuse) the Patsies as much as the next guy, but 10+ years of heartache leads to a bit of caution when talking smack before the season even starts. And if you want a Vegas line that looks good... Last I saw, on 9/9 Jets were 6 point favorites. Honestly, I'm surprised the Bills aren't 4 point favorites. Sanchez and Tebow have a problematic offensive line and with the Bills defensive front five there's no way the Jets get over 150 yards passing.

Just saying the names of the players is enough to get most Bills fans excited... Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, Marcel Dareus, Mark Anderson, Shawn Merriman. Yeah, most people don't hold out a lot of long-term hope for Merriman lasting the full season at this point. I really do hope he gets in at least 12 games. But to worry about "the running game" or "the short passing game" seems a bit disrespectful to the coaches. Dave W. isn't a first-year Defensive Coordinator. He won't be sending the front 7 to sack the QB on every play. Hell, with that front, do you really need to send more than 1 or 2? Realize: There are 5 names up there. If every snap the offense must account for all 5... whether or NOT they actually rush the QB, then you know that all the o-line, a tight end, and a running back will be FORCED to hold their ground. That means double-teaming... just 2... guys out of the 5. Which 3 do you leave 1-on-1? That's right... 3 of those players are 1-on-1. Move Mario to the right end. Have Dareus and Williams stunt off the snap (go around each other) and Merriman fills any open channel he sees. The options of how to open a gap and rush the QB are numerous. Screen passes are the standard methodology for defenses that are "too quick". Draw them in and then go over them. That's where having the defense send only 1 or 2 players becomes the counter-attack. The mere fact that the o-line must account for so many good players puts them at a severe disadvantage. Do you have a guard and tackle on Mario? What if he drops back into covering the screen pass and you have 2 players double-teaming someone not even pressing forward? The running game will also be better served. Forcing double-teams means more players on D will be open to actually make tackles.

After losing 5 straight games to go 5-7, the people on IR were as follows: Out-for-season Injured Players: Eric Wood © Bruce Hall (RB) Fred Jackson (RB) Donald Jones (WR) Marcus Easley (WR) Roscoe Parrish (WR) Jon Corto (S) Reggie Torbor (LB) Chris White (LB) Shawne Merriman (LB) Kyle Williams (NT) Torell Troup (NT) Terrence McGee (CB) Rian Lindell (K) That's a starting offensive lineman, a top-notch running back, and 3 wide receivers. Despite this, the offensive line surrendered only 23 sacks, lowest in the league. I'd call that good coaching considering Demetress Bell was on-again-off-again with injuries and Andy Levitre finished playing 3 different positions by the end of the year. The loss of Fred Jackson hurt, but CJ Spiller actually did fill in admirably. The "lack of downfield threat" was a direct result of 3 starters (or near-starters) being on IR. Parrish may not have done much on offense, but he did give the Bills a viable threat on special teams... when he was healthy. The defense loses 3 linebackers and 2 nose tackles (one all-pro), and <gasp> the Bills have problems stopping the run. Really? This is a surprise? 10 years of poor drafting leaves them with... <gasp> no depth. Really? This is a surprise? After removing 14 players from any roster, I'd say you're rore likely to find an insurance salesman looking to reclaim some lost glory than an all-pro.

Stats Courtesy of Yahoo Defense Points/Game: 28th (26.6) Total Yards/Game: 24th (361.6) Rush Yards/Game: 32nd (169.6) Pass Yards/Game: 3rd (192.0) Total Interceptions: 28th (11) Forced Fumbles: Tied 14th (12) Tied with 7 other teams Tackles: 3rd (771) Passes Defensed: Tied 15th (79) Tied with 1 other team Sacks: Tied 27th (27) Tied with 2 other teams Offense Points/Game: 28th (17.7) Total Yards/Game: 25th (304.9) Pass Yards/Game: 24th (197.4) Run Yards/Game: 18th (107.5) 1st Downs/Game: Tied 26th (16.4) Tied with 1 other team 3rd Down %: 18th (37.9) Penalties: 27th (82) Penalty Yards: 29th (663) Time of Posession: 26th (28:35) Analysis Pass defense is pretty darn good. Run defense is horrifically bad. Stunning revelations all around, eh? The lack of a run defense fully explains a LOT of the stats, including the good stats that appear on the pass defense. Teams don't need to play catch-up football when they're in the lead. They can run the ball and thus maintain the time-of-possession edge (explaining the 28:35 number), decrease their interceptions and passes defensed, and keeping the number of sacks to a minimum. When the opponent is passing, yes, a good pass rush is a priority. But they aren't passing... because they don't have to. On the offense it should be no secret that the O-line was problematic because it looked like they had been coming out of a MASH unit. Two starting receivers went down as well, but the most unlikely of events occurred when high round draft choices and undrafted free agents filled in admirably. Yes, things could have been significantly better, but when called on, they stepped up. Picking the guys who can do that is a talent in and of itself and Buddy Nix was the one that pulled several rabbits out of the proverbial hat. Mid-season is not the time to get quality players off your practice squad, but it is a requirement when the injury bug bites, as it sometimes does. Will you complain about the lack of talent, or will you find those guys who can and do step up?

Stats Courtesy of Yahoo Defense Points/Game: 28th (26.6) Total Yards/Game: 24th (361.6) Rush Yards/Game: 32nd (169.6) Pass Yards/Game: 3rd (192.0) Total Interceptions: 28th (11) Forced Fumbles: Tied 14th (12) Tied with 7 other teams Tackles: 3rd (771) Passes Defensed: Tied 15th (79) Tied with 1 other team Sacks: Tied 27th (27) Tied with 2 other teams Offense Points/Game: 28th (17.7) Total Yards/Game: 25th (304.9) Pass Yards/Game: 24th (197.4) Run Yards/Game: 18th (107.5) 1st Downs/Game: Tied 26th (16.4) Tied with 1 other team 3rd Down %: 18th (37.9) Penalties: 27th (82) Penalty Yards: 29th (663) Time of Posession: 26th (28:35) Analysis Pass defense is pretty darn good. Run defense is horrifically bad. Stunning revelations all around, eh? The lack of a run defense fully explains a LOT of the stats, including the good stats that appear on the pass defense. Teams don't need to play catch-up football when they're in the lead. They can run the ball and thus maintain the time-of-possession edge (explaining the 28:35 number), decrease their interceptions and passes defensed, and keeping the number of sacks to a minimum. When the opponent is passing, yes, a good pass rush is a priority. But they aren't passing... because they don't have to. On the offense it should be no secret that the O-line was problematic because it looked like they had been coming out of a MASH unit. Two starting receivers went down as well, but the most unlikely of events occurred when high round draft choices and undrafted free agents filled in admirably. Yes, things could have been significantly better, but when called on, they stepped up. Picking the guys who can do that is a talent in and of itself and Buddy Nix was the one that pulled several rabbits out of the proverbial hat. Mid-season is not the time to get quality players off your practice squad, but it is a requirement when the injury bug bites, as it sometimes does. Will you complain about the lack of talent, or will you find those guys who can and do step up?