2003Contenders

Sounds good. Now, lets just hope that the 3 QBs go in the top 8 so that at least one of the 6 you mentioned is still on the board.

Yea, be interesting to see the contract details. At the start of the day the Saints only had a bout $2M in cap space. Obviously they are going to have to make some moves to consummate a deal with Byrd.

I will never forgive Modrak for that one. Passed over him for Maybin because he didn't like Texas players.

Given where he went to school, obviously the guys in the front office have plenty of inside intel on him. He is about as can't-miss of a prospect as we will ever see and fills a position of need. If he is still there at 9 (which I doubt), I think the Bills run to the podium to draft him.

I want to withold judgement until the facts come out. (Anyone remember what happened to Warren Moon years ago?) For all we know, Ray's girl was so sloppy drunk that she passed out -- and she was abusing him before she did so. Now, if he did indeed hit her (even if she hit him first) then I hope he gets prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

That is a nice way of saying that the Bills could use help EVERYWHERE, which means going BPA with each pick.

Wonder why he didn't just retain Norv.

I thik the Bills are serious and sincere about trying to bring Byrd back. Brandon's demeanor here, I think, spells that out. In the past, when they were not intererested in meeting a player's financial demands, the MO of the team has been to vilify the player in the press. I do not see that here. If Byrd really wants to play for the Bills and he has reasonable contractual demands, a deal can get worked out.

The Graham pick was one of Tom Modrak's parting shots. His decade of ineptitude was characterized by multiple "I want to show everyone how smart I am" selections that defied conventional wisdom. It will take another draft or two to cleanse the team of all of his missteps. Is it any wonder that Donahoe's first draft -- the only one WITHOUT Modrak -- was by far his best. All that said, I wonder how great Hilton would be now with the QBs the Bills have rolled out there the last 2 seasons rather than Andrew Luck.

Count me in the crowd that would like to see the Bills re-sign Chandler. Throwing those 20-25 yard passes to Chandler in the seam was a real strength of Manuel's, and I would actually like to see the team look to bring in another quality pass-catching TE to compliment Chandler. Brady has shown over the years how productive an offense can be with multiple TE options.

For the record, I am on board with getting rid of Crossman -- he was a bad hire to begin with given his lack of success in Detroit. But what evidence is there that Crossman is a Marrone crony? Did the two have a prior association prior to the hire this year?

If the Bills are serious about re-signing him, they should make a serious offer that is commiserate with what the top safety in the NFL is making. If Byrd/Parker balk at that, we know that the issue is that they simply do not want to be in Buffalo.

Lewis appears to be smart and decisive. He has a live arm and has shown flashes. What he lacks -- which is what most career backups lack -- is the ability to CONSISTENTLY make plays. Weeks ago I was advocating bringing in a veteran QB in the off-season to help fortify the position, while we wait to see if E.J. can evolve into being "THE" guy. Although Lewis hasn't been in the league that long, I believe he can fill that backup role. I would like to see the Bills lock him up for a few years.

I like this concept of identifying our 4 weakest starters. First, it helps identify that the positions of need are the less galmorous ones: 1. OG 2. LB 3. TE 4. RT I also think that given the proliferation of the passing game these days, you really need more than 2 quality starting corners. So I would add CB to that list as well. I also would welcome a WR who is "open even when he is covered". I am not down on Chandler, but I believe that the offense could really thrive in 2-TE formations. You can find elite players at all these positions in the 2nd or 3rd round in almost any draft class. It is usually the QBs, offensive tackles and defensive linemen that come off the draft board early. This could be another great year to trade down in the draft, depending on what the team does in free agency. Another thing to acknowledge as I look over the team's existing landscape is that the roster really is not all that bad. The team has decent depth and is a classic case of the whole not being as good as the sum of the parts -- the exact opposite of, say, the Patriots. The difference, of course, is a seasoned franchise QB and a Hall of Fame head coach. If Belichick is coaching the Bills and Brady is Qb'ing instead of EJ -- and assuming the rest of the talent is the same -- then the Bills are competing for the #1 seed in the AFC. But neither Brady not Belichick got to where they are overnight. Bill B was fired from his first head coaching gig, and in his first year with the Pats, they were horrible. History can be revisionistic, but there is a reason Brady was a 6th round pick. He became a starter in his second season when Bledsoe got hurt, and the Pats won a lot of ugly games back then thanks mostly to a very strong defense. His obession with winning and commitment to always getting better is why he has evolved into being one of the greatest QBs of all time. Time will tell whether or not either Marrone or EJ has what it takes to get the Bills to the next level. Right now that next level is simply qualifying for the playoffs. Aside from a couple of bad games, the Bills have been in every contest. What they need to do is focus on consistency. Eliminate those bad plays. That goes for the offense as well as the defense. Yes, EJ has accuracy issues -- but I have also seen him thread the needle on a tough pass plenty of times. I honestly believe that the majority of his problems are correctable, mechanical issues. Footwork, in particular. His natural talents, for example, are far superior to Fitz's, who had to put everything into every throw he made. EJ's delivery is mostly effortless by comparison, and I think he still needs to learn that he has to use the proper technique on EVERY pass he throws. I am not opposed to investing a mid-round pick on an upside QB as the Redskins did with Cousins, but it would be INSANE to give up on EJ at this point and draft another QB in the first round in 2014. It will be interesting to see how well he plays in these last 2 games both of which will be aganst division foes with plenty to play for.

Plenty of overreaction here. If there have been rumblings of Marrone losing the locker room that is news to me. So he wants players to do things "his Way"? Is there any head coach that feels differently? In fact, when a new coach comes in it is always better to start off as a hard ass and then possibly ease up rather than doing just the opposite.

Let's bear in mind that the coaching staff is fairly young in NFL terms. Hackett especially -- and I certainly believe that he has progressed during the course of the year. Hopefully, he will continue to do so as he gains experience. Same with Pettine. Remember, he was a DC in name only under Rex in New York. Marrone himself has made some rookie mistakes this season, but I like his demeanor, and I think he has brought a level of toughness to this team that we haven't seen in a lo-o-o-o-ng time. As the young players gain experience -- and missing pieces of the puzzle come into play -- I think the coaching staff will also be rewarded with better performances.

Personally I would like to see the team continue to improve and finish strong. Bonus: play spoiler to Miami and New England. In terms of the draft, let the chips fall where they may.

The key word is "Consistency". The Bills are a talented football team. However, they are also a very young football team in many key areas -- not the least of which is the QB of the offense as well as the QB of the defense (Kiko). The coaches too, of course. As these young men get more experience, I believe (hope) the team will improve, provided everyone is patient enough.

Yep. No coincidence that TD's best draft was his first -- the year BEFORE Modrak got here. The best draft since (time will tell, of course) may very well have been this most recent one -- the first one since Modrak left. The Bills traded down in both drafts -- and I cannot recall a single time they traded down when Modrak was here. Of course, they traded up plenty -- for the likes of Denney, Losman, McCargo, Poz, and Levitre. All of them either busts or guys who never made it past their first contract.

Look, like it or not, the Bills as a unit invested a great deal of time and resources in evaluating the QB landscape last year, and decided (for better or worse) that EJ was the best proposition. Much of went into that analysis, undoubtedly, was looking forward to the 2014 draft. So we can forget about them investing another 1st round pick -- and probably a 2nd round pick for that matter (unless someone unexpectedly falls) -- on the QB position. A more likely scenario is that they bring in a veteran journeyman with starting experience to help EJ along. That has been their MO when bringing in Flutie, Holcomb, Fitz, and Kolb. They all wound up being starters because the team failed miserably in evaluating Todd Collins, RJ, JP, and Trent Edwards. Cutler is a pipe dream -- no, he is NOT just another JP -- because it will take $20 M per year to sign him. Schaub should be available and may thrive in a new town, but I suspect he will have many suitors willing to pay him decent coin. Guys like Jason Campbell, Chad Henne, Matt Cassel, Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman, Shaun Hill, Matt Moore, Matt Hasselbeck, and David Garrard may be available and are the sort that we would be looking at.

And yet a simple and obvious quick-fix is there if the front office has the guts to do it. The price tag would be about $20M per year though. Jay Cutler, anyone?

Well, we had a decent enough test of that in Week 12 when these 2 QBs squared off against one another. The Bills were minus any sembalnce of a running game, Chandler was essentially a non-factor, and BOTH Stevie and Woods were out. Which QB prevailed? In all honesty it is going to take some time before we know for sure what is up with these 2. There are some things about Geno that I like, and I do believe that he entered the league as a more polished passer than EJ. I do think he throws a pretty ball -- and his footwork is better than EJ's. That said, I think EJ is miles ahead in the leadership department. I also think that EJ entered the league in a more favorbale situation: better supporting cast, greater continuity (if you can believe that) -- and minus the fishbowl in NYC. Geno made matters worse by running his mouth and complaining about not being drafted in the first round. He definitely has some maturity issues going on. Of course, those are the same things that drove Atlanta to trade away Brett Favre after just one season. All in all, despite the many issues I have had with the offensive coaching and play calling, I do believe that they have down a commndable job of bringing EJ along. He may have a tendency to check-down too soon, but he does not have that deer-in-the-headlights look or start succomb to pressure in the pocket. His confidence remains en tact. If he can continue to improve his footwork and improve his accuracy, I think he is a keeper. That is, of course, if he can stay healthy.

In terms of the blame game, I would rate the fault for the loss in this order: 1. Front office: for making this inane deal with Toronto. Gotta believe that had this game been played at the Ralph with the conditions and legitimate fans behind the team, the Bills win this one in blowout fashion. 2. Officiating: This one bordered on impropriety, and I really believe that the league should investigate. In particular, on the Falcons' final TD drive, there were 2 game-changing calls that were beyond questionable. The first was the illegal contact call on Aaron Williams, when he never even TOUCHED the receiver. The second was the pass interference in the endzone, when the receiver initiated the contact. 3. Hackett: The play calling was abysmal at times today. Also, inability to get the play into EJ late in the game resulted in a delay of game penalty, which ultimately played a critical role in their having to punt the ball -- allowing the Falcons ample time to tie the game. 4. Gilmore: I am really starting to worry about him. 5. LB Corps (Kiko included). Not a great game from this group today. Over-pursued way too many plays. 6. Stevie. No use beating a dead horse... 7. Chandler. Ditto... Regarding EJ, he was far from perfect, but certainly played well enough to win.

I remember it all like it was yesterday. A few points of reference... 1. 1995 was a contract year for Andre. 2. During the preseason, he made it plain that he was unhappy with the front office for not signing him long-term and entering the season with that final year remaining. 3. As someone mentioned, he hurt his hammy rather significantly early in the season and sat out much of the rest of the year. Some insiders questioned whether he was doing that to avoid making the injury worse and potentially hurting his chances of getting a big deal upon hitting free agency. 4. The defense was very good that year, and Kelly had one of his best seasons (some thought he deserved consideration as MVP, given his surrounding talent at WR with Reed out most of the year). The Bills managed to win the division and hosted the Dolphins in the Wildcard round. The Bills set a then playoff record for rushing against the 'Fins in that game, which would be Shula's last. 5. The Bills went into Pittsburgh minus Bruce Smith, who had contracted the flu. Weeks earlier players had been advised to take the flu shot, and Bruce refused saying he had a phobia for needles. Ralph Wilson reportedly had a private jet on stand-by ready to transport Bruce to Pittsburgh in the event he recovered in time. Of course, it didn't happen. The Bills got down multiple scores early. Kelly went down with a collar-bone injury and was shot up with painkillers to get back in the game. He returned in time to cap off a TD scoring drive, which put the Bills within one score early in the 4th quarter. (It was like 26 to 21 at the time.) From there it all went down hill. A pity because, had the Bills won that game they would have had a good shot at going back to the Super Bowl. The Colts had upset the Chiefs on the road and wound up traveling to Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship Game. Had the Bills won, the Colts would have had to go to Buffalo -- and the Bills had beaten the Colts badly in both games that year. (Bills always seemed to own Harbaugh.) 6. When the season was over, the team expressed little interest in retaining Andre. So he hit the open market. The Bills instead signed the younger Quinn Early who was coming off a pretty good year in New Orleans. They also invested their first round pick that year o Eric Moulds. Andre received very little interest on the open market. At the time he was over 30, coming off the injury that was either severe -- or one that Andre had milked (given his lengthy time out and perception). At some point Kelly went to John Butler and asked him why he had not made any effort to re-sign Andre, and Butler told him the Bills were interested but the phone works both ways. So Kelly and a couple of other teammates (may have been Thurman and Bruce, but I do not remember) called Andre and told him they wanted him back. Eventually Reed and the Bills did indeed work out a new contract. 7. The 1996 season was filled with promise with Reed re-signed and now Early on the team as well. However, Kelly seemingly got older overnight and the OL struggled to protect him. Reed was actually one of the bright spots that year. He started it off with a strong performance in an overtime victory over the Giants. He made it very clear that the injury issues in 1995 were behind him -- and I believe he was hurt by the suggestions that the hammy injury was not as severe as he made it out to be. 8. By the time the Flutie era began in 1998, Reed was starting to play second fiddle to Moulds. Clearly Moulds and Flutie had a connection -- and Reed was the odd man out. When he left after the 1999 season, he had less than kind things to say about Flutie and other members of the Bills organization. Andre has always had a bit of a surly attitude. I don't think he is a bad guy, just doesn't like talking to the press and always seems to have a chip on his shoulder. Contrast that with Cris Carter, who always loves to tell "his story". I think Andre Reed is a Hall of Famer. He was the to receiver for a high-powered offense, who played the thankless slot role and played in less than ideal weather conditions. Thus, his catch totals were great -- but his TD and yardage totals weren't. He was an important factor in multiple playoff games. Who can forget those sliding catches he made in the snow against Miami in the 1990 Divisional round? Or the all time performance in the Comeback Game with multiple TDs? He was not horrible in the Super Bowls, compared to some of his teammates. Parcell and Belichick game-planned for him specifically in Super Bowl XXV. They knew they couldn't stop him, but instead believed the best thing was to prevent the YAC and punish him when he caught the ball. The plan worked. By the 2nd quarter, Andre started hearing footsteps... He did have two very crucial drops on the series after the safety. The Bills were ahead then 12-3 and had all the momentum. One drop was a great play by the defender, hitting him hard right after the ball arrived. The other was a simple drop. He catches that, and the Bills likely wind up with at least a field goal if not a TD... Wish more HOF voters would watch the Comeback Game and not the Super Bowls... Oh, and how many Super Bowls did Cris Carter and Tim Brown help lead their team to? TO? Randy Moss? Reed may have been 0-4, but these other guys only ever went there 2 times total among them all. Both losses.

I stopped listening about 30 seconds into the clip when Stephen A. referenced the "authoritative opinion" of Todd McShay. What I find funniest about the soothsayers heading into the draft was their ranking of QBs. You catch a glimpse of that with Bayless, who suggested that it would have been OK if the Bills had drafted Landry, Geno, Tyler Wilson, or Barkley. When the card came in that the Bills had selected a QB, most thought the name on it would be either Geno Smith, Matt Barkley or Ryan Nassib. When the name was E.J. Manuel, the draftniks of the world snapped.