ganesh

Who I would like to have a Breakout Season: Is actually not a player...but a coach... I want our DC Edwards to have a break out year. He was dealt a bad roster last season, but the excuses are gone. His side of the ball has been infused with talent from the draft, free agency, UDFA, you name it. Even his staff has been bolstered by a super bowl winning DC. There are no more excuses and it is time for Edwards to deliver a defense that can be stringent against the run and get off the field on 3rd downs. It is time for Edwards to use Williams, Dareus, Merriman, Barnett, Carrington, Williams, McKelvin etc.

The problem is that there is really no one out there that can come in and be a starter. Both Gaither and McKinney have big question marks over them. Please tell me which other OT you have in mind that you can replace. It is one thing to keep crying that the Bills need to do something, but not provide any concrete solutions...As I posted earlier today, almost every team in the AFC have issues with OL or OL depth. No team is going to give away even a decent tackle. And good bars and night clubs. I don't think players give a squat to what cultural organizations are around town.

One of the important upgrade will be the CONTINUITY In the system. This allows Chan to open up the playbook a little more, something that he couldn't do last year. I don't think Evans departure is a downgrade. It is not like we have lost a WR with 100 catches/10 TDs of production. If Johnson gets double teamed, Nelson has already showed last season that he can step up and pick up the slack. Easley is the big X factor here. He can go either the Moulds way or the James Hardy way. I think we will be OK with the WR. The OL is indeed an issue. The line was a mess with all the injuries last year. The line is a mess this year with all the movement. The question is: Will the line be a mess on opening day. Is there any better alternative to improve the line at this 12th hour. The answer is probably No. The Bills will have to go into Kansas City with the hand they have been given and make the best use of it. It is going to be a mental challenge. Can this line ignore the crowd noise and avoid false starts that will put this team in a hole on 2nd and 3rd downs.

That is on paper...It remains to be seen how that translates to the playing field. Translating Talent to Plays is a big task and requires a strong coaching staff. They got to avoid mental mistakes, make game day adjustments, make 1/2 time adjustments, be prepared to unleash the unexpected and finally when it matters you got to win the 1-on-1 match ups. We will see how far this team has progressed mentally. If they did, then the mistakes are cut down and the team will have more wins. We will find out in 6 days from now.

and Carrington

Didn't we actually claim him on the waiver wire. If he was a FA, he would have gone elsewhere.

I think every other teams fan mumbled the same, when we could go out and sign a James Lofton, Chris Spielman, or Bryce Paup.

Now we need to find out if the Bills Offense can stay on the field. This was something they struggled with last year...They could not sustain drives... We were 28th in Time of Posession with 28.36 minutes. That has got to change with the ability to stop the run and run the ball effectively. I am really sick of the 3 and outs and the many times we couldn't run out the clock after taking the lead...If Chan can get the team to play and make less mental mistakes (They were very successful in reducing the # of penalties last year).

I believe some of the NFL teams including the Bills lost their value in the past two seasons as the US Economy has also been fighting a failed system. I agree that the NFL "branding" means a lot and the fact that there are only 32 slots available in this exclusive club. Still, someone wanting to pay for this franchise is going to look at the money they would have to spend to bring back the franchise. Unless of course you are talking about a move to LA, where everyone seems to think that the money will come magically. The Patriots, Eagles, Jets all were a lousy team. Their new owners pumped money and built the franchise. That had produced those three owners far more money than if they would have remained status quo.

Notes regarding the following teams: Oakland Raiders: "What's next: I think Oakland will continue to look for cornerbacks and safeties. They will also still look at weakside linebackers, and they will look to upgrade the offensive line." Jacksonville Jaguars: "No matter how much Jack Del Rio talks of giving the fullbacks carries, a run-based team needs another running back. It should upgrade offensive line depth too." Cleveland Browns: "The Browns will scan the waiver wires in search of depth. The preseason proved depth is desperately needed at several positions, particularly on the offensive line." Houston Texans: "Houston is thin on the offensive line, too." New York Jets: "That they didn’t acquire an experienced backup offensive lineman was a surprise. They’re perilously thin on the line." Kansas City Chiefs: " The Chiefs also could scour the waiver wire at receiver, offensive line, inside linebacker and on the defensive line". And I as I posted earlier, the chiefs have only 7 OL players in their 53 roster. New England Patriots: "The Patriots are certainly in the market for safety help, and with backup guard Rich Ohrnberger placed on season-ending injured reserve, the team is thin on the interior line." San Diego Chargers: "San Diego will probably look at the waiver wire for help in the secondary, offensive line " Pittsburgh Steelers: " At most, Pittsburgh could add a player or two for depth, perhaps on the offensive line." These are what ESPN is reporting (not all teams analysis in yet).... The common theme is lack of talent on the OL and depth for the OL. Every team is hurting in this area and it is very unlikely the Bills are going to get any talent from the waiver wire on the OL.

I still can't figure out this road to a sale. If the Bills don't spend, they cannot be a competitive team, which means their FORBES (or equivalent) value as an NFL team goes down (You are measured by your success and not by the hype) and hence their sale price. Either way, Ralph is only going to get what he is due. If you have 25M in salaries and bonuses, the team is also likely to be sold (or may be more) for 25M or less due to their lousy record. Again, a new owner would have to come and pump more money to rebuild this team, so they would want to negotiate for a lower price. The Bills don't hold any cards other than being part of the all-world NFL. It is in their (and Ralph's) best interest to build a playoff caliber team and sell it when they are on their high, not when they go down rock bottom. And the biggest question of all: What happens if Ralph passes away before all these could be conceived...Now it is the decision of the trust and not in the control of Mr. Wilson. And if it was really cost cutting, why pay for Williams, why bring in a FA like Barnett or overpay for Brad Smith or pay 3M a year for Thigpen to act as a backup. The numbers just don't add up. Some of these Veterans are being sent packing, because they are NOT at the TOP of their game. When your top players are your backups, the laziness is likely to spread around. The Bills did the same when they drafted Edwards/Poz and Lynch...They cleaned house. They are doing the same with the bunch drafted in the past four seasons. Why would/should you pay for others mistakes.

No one is going to cut a starting tackle (if they are decent) as it is impossible to fill that position at this stage of the season. LT is a premium position and there is no one available. We made our moves (or lack thereof) in Free Agency and we will be going with what we have. The coaching stuff must prepare these men for the Chiefs on 9/11.

Pierson Prioleau was a Greg Williams favorite and followed him from Buffalo to New Orleans...Done ok to ahve had a 10 year career.

The KC Chiefs have trimmed down to the 53-man roster limit and it includes only SEVEN linemen. The five projected starters from left to right include: Branden Albert, Ryan Lilja, Casey Wiegmann, Jon Asamoah and Barry Richardson. Jared Gaitheris pushing for play-time at tackle and second-round draft pick Rodney Hudson rounds out the group as an interior swing player. We are talking about lack of depth on the Bills. Many other teams have the same problem. OL is just hard to fill. We are not going to find any players in the waiver wire. LT Brandon Albert - 3rd year pro. Has started 29 games at LT. 15th Overall selection in 2008 LG Ryan Lilja - 7yr pro. back in KC after playing with the Colts. Solid player C Casey Wigeman - 18th season as the Center. Has played for several teams, 2nd stint with KC. RG Jon Asamoha - 3rd Rd pick in 2010 draft. Started one game last season RT Barry Richardson - 3rd year player, drafted in the 6th round. Was a 16 game starter last year. Now Casey and Ryan have experience, but the Chiefs have an euqally vulnerable right side. Can the Bills defense put pressure on this offensive front. Can Merriman and Dareus create some havoc. My question is: How the hell did this same OL allow the Chiefs to run the ball so effectively against us. I just have to believe coaching makes this team better.

Also, since Hang is a backup, may be there are giving this veteran a chance to hook on with another team where he may be able to start. The problem is that these "Quality" stars want to go play for a team for One year, where they can likely get a super bowl ring. For example, Gurode is planning to visit the Patriots as they have shortcomings on the OL. The only chance for Gurode to come to Buffalo is if the Bills are willing to overpay for his services like a 7M year contract. I think this team is set on the DL front with Williams, Dareus, Spencer Johnson, and Edwards with Carrington likely to rotate both at OLB and DE. I am more worried about the secondary.

The ability to play ST is pretty important especially when they are going to dress only 46 for the game. Also, while Roosvelt did well in camp, he did not show himself in the pre-season games. The real shock is that the rumor from OBD regarding McGee was unfounded...I thought everything being done being OBD was to slash salaries.

Just never could handle the pressure coming up from the middle. Other than that he was a real gamer. He could take the hits, get up and make a play with the next down. I wish Donahoe hadn't meddled with the team after Bledsoe and his team could not beat the Steelers in the season finale. Bledsoe was far better than a J.P Losman who had missed his rookie season with a freak accident and it was unfair for Mularkey to endure a season with Losman when he had Drew Bledsoe with him. Something that got Donahoe fired at the end of the season and forced the exit of Mularkey...Mularkey was a decent coach and he would have been far better the zombie Jauron

For that you have to blame that stupid intern who did not do his/her research

Actually I like Chris. He is one of the best in the business. I am glad he got the gig after Madden on Sunday Night Football. Chris and Al are a very good combination. The worst is any team from the ESPN crew for MNF.

Some of the issues with Spiller, is also the lack of proper consensus with this coaching staff. I believe this staff is so muddled, they don't really have a proper plan to use Fred and Spiller effectively. Sometimes they just put them in positions where they cannot make a play. The musical chair on the OL make it also harder for these RBs to succeed. Chris Johnson is a stud RB, because he runs behind one of the best OL in football. Adrian Peterson is a stud RB, because he runs behind one of the best OL in footbal. Adrian Foster is a stud RB, because he runs in one of the best OL in football. Michael Turner is a stud RB, because he runs behind one of the best OL in football There are very few RBs who are successful behind a woeful OL like ours.

They do acknowledge that the Bills have made good progress to improve their defense. The question is can the offense be CONSISTENT and SCORE points....Two things that were missing last year. If the Bills cannot have better 3rd and 4th down conversions and keep the chains moving, it does not matter... Also their assessment of the Pats with respect to their playoff run is also good. The Pats are yet to WIN a playoff game since 2007 and their last SB win was in 2005. That is a pretty telling statement in spite of the Pats having plenty of fireworks during the regular season.

When you have a 100lb advantage over your defender, you are most likely to have your way 9 out of 10 times.

Why not...He was clutch in the playoffs and won games for his team.... People use fantasy numbers to identify who are good QBs....Tom Brady, Ben Rothelisberger and Mark Sanchez all have this in common....They win games for their teams right from the get go in their career. They did not have great stats, but did just enough to avoid making bad mistakes and let the team win the game...On the other hand while Fitz was good throwing the ball to many receivers, made very poor judgement at crucial times and threw picks or fumbled and caused us to lose quite a few games last year. NFL is a parity driven league...and just a few plays here and there are the difference between the two teams playing on that day...You avoid those mistakes and your team gets a chance to be in the post season. Tom Brady - Super Bowl Champion in his 1st season as starter Ben Rothelisberger - AFC Champion in his rookie season, Super Bowl champion in 2nd season Mark Sanchez - Two time AFC Conference finalist in his first two seasons... I would love to have that than being the doormat. And if you remember our glory years....Jim Kelly never had better stats than Marino or Elway or Boomer Esiason, but he won more games than those three...

The good teams build solid depth. That is how they survive injuries to the starters. That is how the Bills worked in the 90s. The depth was so strong that a RB like Davis could start instead of Thurman Thomas and still lead the Bills to wins. The Steelers win, because they build great depth, so that they can let go off players @ end of their contracts and still not miss a beat. The Patriots win because their 5th RB on the depth chart can come in and score TDs. They have no-name players as WRs... When your depth players cannot make plays, it is not a good sign...This has been reflected solidly many times in the past for the Bills when their starters went down and the replacements just plain sucked.