mclauria1

Oh please stop with that kind of reasoning. No, I've never quit a job where I convinced people to work because I WAS THE MAN. I've never quit a job that put hundreds of people working under me in career jeapardy (players, coaches, trainers, clerical). I've never quit a job that put the performance of our "team" in peril. Remember, Nick Saban quit DURING THE SEASON! I've never quit a job that directly hurt the weekly hopes of millions of people (Dolphin fans.). I think you get the idea. Your analagy is way wrong...

Nope. Never feel sorry for a quitter. Which is why I cringe when I look at Nick Saban, His Miami Dolphin players report to work one day, and find a note on the door that the coach quit the night before? A great college coach, for sure, but he will NEVER have my respect. Same with Mike M.

Every interview I've ever read with an NFL GM,about the coach hiring process says the candidates thoughts on OC/DC are HUGE in considering if they should hire him. Surely the Bills would not have hired this guy if his answer was: "I'm bringing my whole college staff with me."

Think back to Thurmond Thomas's tweet last week when he said he had HUGE (positive) news but wasn't "at liberty to discuss it yet." He wasn't refering to a new coach, that's for sure. Perhaps something is happening with ownership/control. Hope so! Mike

That you would leave out the return of Jim Ringo or Kaye Stevenson shows you don't realize this is the Buffalo Bills we're talking about! Seriously, Bill Cowher, Brian Billick, Jon Gruden or Tony Dungy are the only (possibly available) names that would insert hope into Bills fans. Each would be expensive. I won't tell Raplh how to spend his money but for a guy who should NEVER buy green bananas - price shouldn't get in the way of seeing a winning team before shortly meeting your maker. Mike

Nice analysis and please keep in mind something else. If the franchise is further regionalized with a move to Niagara Falls, the name Buffalo Bills is probably dead. They will be forced to change the name to Niagara Frontier Bills etc... (ala New England Patriots). The regionalization plan will be an easier sell with a regional name. I hate the thought but am very pragmatic.

I just hope (pray, actually) that the name of the new stadium is Celino & Barnes Stadium. Because I'd just hate to see any square foot of available space- anywhere in WNY- without their name and picture on it. Seriously, I don't care whose name is on the stadium, as long as the Bills play well when they are in the Heineken Green Zone...

I agree about the GM part. However, he judged the talent & cuts to build 4 straight SB clubs...

There has been some angst about cutting a few 2012 draft picks. Marv Levy (as always) nailed it: "If all your draft picks make it, what does that say about your previous years drafts?"

Why do I see Roosevelt being picked up by some other team and posting HUGE numbers. Poor guy: he isn't real fast and isn't real big.... all he does is CATCH & RUN, just about every time a ball is near him. He will be some other team's 6th receiver and and we will see him on Sunday Night ESPN highlights... Local boy, too. So sad.

When the Raiders drafted him Al Davis said he was the best O-lineman he'd ever seen, out of college. Like you, I thought this was fairly recent. However, he was drafted in 2004! Yep the mind (memory) is the 2nd thing to go.....

Jeez, I almost forgot (and don't think it's been mentioned on the thread): Ralph Wilson asked Chris Berman to induct him in the Hall of Fame! What does that say about Chris Berman & the Bills? If that's not enough then just go ahead and hate him because short of putting on a uniform and throwing 50 Bills TD passes he will never be good enough.... Mike

I'm an airline Captain and a few years ago I ran into Chris at LAX (Los Angeles). I was in uniform and walked up to him to shake his hand. There were a few people around him. I immediately whipped out my Buffalo Bills moneyclip from my pocket, and he beamed! He put his back to the people around him and put his arm around me and we walked a few steps: "you're the 3rd one I've met this week!" He then added (the draft just ended and I told him I didn't like the Spiller pick): "Ralph Wilson needs him, because the Bills have gotten boring. It's a stretch pick but he can play and if used correctly, will light it up." We chatted more in general terms and he told me he talks to Jim Kelly all the time. He used the phrase "our Bills" when we talked and I sensed he meant it. Now that Tim Russert is gone Chris Berman is the Bills #1 national fan. I will never diss him on this board. Mike

I think you're taking it just a little too seriously. We're all here looking to kill time until training camp (and real news) begins. Blog sites like this just provide a little fodder for discussion. I think what they are referring to here are players who get a lot of snaps but whose teams are no longer in a great need of the skill-sets they bring...ala the change in the Bills defensive scheme.

Alex Carrington gets the nod for the Bills, with a plausible explanation. The rest of the list makes some sense, too. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1212205-the-most-useless-player-on-every-nfl-team-in-2012

We finally have a management and an overall team mindset to be PROACTIVE. This attitude, which they've certainly backed up with dollars, will translate on the field this year, and future years. With a team rising in the W-L columns and a management reputation for "getting it done," Buffalo will attract those FA's which always seemed to choose someone else when it came down to "us or them." We're in the early stages of a Bull Market on the Buffalo Bills!

Remember that NFTA ad campaign that ran on the scoreboard during games? The ad would ask several questions and the answer was always "15"....and the crowd would yell it. Right before the crowd yelled it I screamed out to my section: "how old is Travis Henry's girlfriend?" Of course the section screamed "15!!!" I got many high-fives. Earlier that week Henry was implicated is some seedy story with a 15 yr. old girl. Creepy.

The discussion is just a circle-jerk unless you realistically look at how the loss of draft picks, current players and dollars, which could be used to support the lineup. The loss in those 3 areas would hurt this franchise much more than it would help. I voted - No.

Of course the Bills have schemes cooked up for VY. Besides, a $2M contract with another $1M in bonuses isn't for someone to hold the clipboard. I'd like to see Fitz and VY as 1 & 2... and Tanney, as a worthy prospect, being groomed as #3. As the articles have stated, he's not just a trick-throw guy. He has the tools, he can play.... If he's worthy during preseason, dump Thigpen.

Perhaps Mr. Hair Gel ranks needs as HE sees them, not what the GM thinks. Maybe he thought we needed a new QB, TE, FS etc... If he graded on meeting the needs stated as the objective by the GM, the Bills definitely rate an "A." Mike

FULL DISCLOSURE: I've been a longtime lurker on this board, for at least 3 years... never posted until now. I have to say I've been hugely impressed with the body of knowledge on this board and it's been a joy to read your insights. I've read things on here which I haven't found anywhere else. You guys (and gals?) are not only Bills fans, you're football fans. It's been a joy to read, and now participate. You won't hear from me too often. It's tough to add to what many of you post. (although I do have a few friends within the Bills org and can sometimes throw something on the frying pan) An article on TBD this morning, out of Toronto, seems to sum everything up well. The author has spoken with Nix often and pieced together a plausible argument that the #10 pick will be Kuechly . http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/NFL/2012/04/24/19674541.html?twobillsdrive Mike