Bob in STL

Not a great example. The Parcells drafts made up the core of their first Super Bowl Team, which are the players taken prior to 2001. Some names are: Bledsow (QB), Vrabel (LB), Bruschi (LB), Milloy (S), Law (CB), McGinest (LB/DE), Johnson (LB), Faulk (RB), Andruzzi (G), Woody ©, Vinatieri (K). Oh yeah, that Brady guy too. They actually did pick lots of LBs and defensive players. They didn't take LBs in the top rounds from 01 to 06 because they were stacked at LB for many years. There is no "formula" on what positions to pick --- other than drafting good quality starters with leadership skills and a strong work ethic. Players that make a difference and make big plays will be found throughout the draft. Some of that is luck, whether we want to believe it or not.

Ok Big Cat, I agree he did not make much out of his two punts did he? It sure seems like playing a 3-4 (or a 3-4 variant) with no high quality linebackers or defensive ends on the roster is more of an issue right now though.

I say our OL coaches are doing a great job. Look at what they have to work with? I would say the off season priority is defense. Better LB and better DE's.

Bill, My comments to your comments (in order) 1. Hard to argue with you when you look at our defensive front 7 and our OL depth. 2. Agree. 3. Agree. I want him cut next year. 4. Poz got creammed but were was the help? Jarius Byrd got sucked to his left and then took a bad angle. I blame Byrd for the TD. 5. Fitz is Fitz and that game comes with the territory. I question Chan for giving up on the run way too early and for calling so many deep passes on makeable 3rd down situations. Too many home run attempts. With our defense we need "ball control". 6. Agree 7. I did not see the monsters. I saw hard running and I saw NE over pursue and get burned on cutbacks. 8. Whitner will go were the money is .. and it is not Buffalo. 9. They need to sign a veteran OT and then draft one too. And I dont mean a 7th round project either. 10. Troup has outplayed Carrington all year. That said, neither of them were ready to contribute as rookies and, in retrospct, the whole idea of changing to a 3-4 in one year with the talent we have was just silly. Add in a rookie DC and you get the defense we have. 11. agree. 12. The season is coming to a merciful end. Players hate fans? That is a new one. I always hear the opposite. Fans pay the salaries.

Yeah, maybe somebody as good as Tyler Myers.

1. Hit Brady often and hit him hard. 2. Knock Brady senseless out of the game. 3. Play like a pack of crazed wolves. 4. Do not settle for anything but victory.

I just read a bunch of articles from the Boston and other New England papers posted on TBD. What a bunch of classless and arrogant people from that part of the country. I cannot stand those horrible NE accents on top of it all. Their writers take every cheapshot possible at the city of Buffalo such as: "no color in Buffalo so the game will be in black and white", "snow belt", "rust belt", 14-0, "0-4 in Super Bowls", "Smerlas on the wall next to OJ", "Brady is the best ever", ... I am so sick of the Pats* that I will root for their demise for the rest of my life. Never have I seen a franchise that has had more bizzare good luck thrust upon it. Something is wrong here and someday an major scandal will come out about this team. Bigger than Spygate and their tainted Super Bowl win against the Rams.

Horrible post and shame on you for judging others like that. Wilson has given so much to charity and he has bought tickets in these situations many, many times. Kudos to Russ Salvatore who beat Ralph to it this year.

Transition to RB is easy? Not sure I ever heard an "expert" say that but I read this folklore on TSW all the time. Running the ball is 1st one-third of the positon and that what most people think is easy and for some maybe it is? For Spiller and his style, runing the ball has not been so easy because he outruns his blocks. In college he was used to running past everyone and that is just not going to happen in the NFL. He has to learn patience to read blocks, and how to cut back and use the defenders pursuit against them. Receiving is the 2nd one-third. Spiller is learning here as well. Like the great Thuramn Thomas, he is not a natural receiver coming out of college. He can learn this skill as well and has great promise as a reciever due to open field speed and moves. Blocking is the 3rd one-third. Spiller really needs to work on this, especially his reads on blitz pick up. Watching Freddy Jackson's play by example would help. It will come with time if he choses to study and learn.

Trade down if possible and pick up some help at DE, OLB and ILB. Also, we need help at OT. Bell is ok but we need to improve at both tackles. TE ia a need but not in the first 2 rounds. Why is Stupar aka "Lee's ankle killer"?

Not a Fred Fan today but he was a good football player and I agree that he could have made a difference for us playing in SB XXV against the Giants.

I know where he grew up and what college he went to. That has nothing to do with it so you grow up and come up with something constructive. I have met Freddy numerous times and I have good reasons for my opinions. Knock off the cheap shots. Who said I hate Fred Smerlas? Glad to see you "grew up" and stopped "hating" players and teams. By the way, this just in, Fred Smerlas played most of his career for the Buffalo Bills.

The talk of Wood being an upgrade over Hangartner is discussed on this forum all the time. I think Chan is pointing out that as good as Wood was as a center prospect coming out of college, it is just not that easy to play center in the NFL. Another takeaway is that maybe Hangartner is not as bad as some posters here say he is?

Benedict Smerlas sounds like such an azz. What a waste of space on the Bills WoF.

Little difference in the two OLs? Ask Bill which RB he would rather have?

Center is a tough position. Lots to think about and many quality NTs in the AFC East on top of that.

Don't be sorry, he is 92 and he can probably beat you at tennis.

First time I have tried to post a link. Hope it works. My link Lots of talk about Wood being an upgrade at center. I think that will take some time.

How do you know that? What if that 3rd or 4th rounder becomes a sarting LB, TE or RT? All are positions of great need on this team. His trade value might be very high (like a 2) after seeing that the Pats* got a 3rd rounder for Moss.

Calm down a bit. You make a lot of assumptions that may not be based on facts. 1. Whitner may be asking for too much and he should not be tweeting his negotiations ... very immature. 2. Nix is the GM in charge of Football Operations. If he wants to keep Whitner his needs to make that happen. Overdorf works the contract details and the salary cap plan but Nix should decide the relative value to pay the players. 3. Littman is looking at the financial bottomline. I doubt he gets involved in every single negotiation. His role would be more like setting the financial goals for revenue, cost, and earnings. I should not be telling Overdorf and Nix "how to get there" but simple where they need to be at the organization level. I want to keep Whitner at thr right price. Non of us have any real insight into how the nogotiation is going other than a Whitner tweet which, like I said, sounds like a negotiation tactic by Whitner. Can't argue with your underlying theme, the front office has indeed underperformed horribly. I just want to see if Nix can make a difference and bring us back to the Polian/butler days.

New England got a 1st for Seymour and a 3rd for Moss. If the Bills WRs perform well in the next 3 games then maybe you consider Evans for a 2nd or 3rd if impossible? I like Lee but I see so many needs on this team that it may not be a bad move.

Just another clown with nothing original to say but exercising his right to free speech. Here we have Mason dictating to his customers on how to feel and act. Brilliant. What happens to players when the become NFL WRs? Does that give them a special license to be controversial?

I thought he was a step slow to play with the big boys. His production dropped when he got more first half playing time. He is awesome against 3rd and 4th stringers. So far Philly and Indy have picked him up and let him go. Indy really needs RB help too. They had a lot more invested in Trent than Bell. Edwards got his chance. With Gailey at HC everyone gets a chance. Hard to argue with that if you are a player looking to come to Buffalo.

They may be high on them but the results are not there.

Great points Dean. I do not think we got the value from him we could have at #8 overall but I am not going to blame Whitner for that. He is very solid in coverage for a SS and he is good against the run. He can even play nickel. The part of his game that lacks is the turnovers and big plays. Which is why most of the "experts" here think that he sucks. I would not pay him as much he got as a rookie, but I would be trying to keep him and build some continuity on this team. We can't keep drafting DB and RBs in the the first round for another decade. I could see him going to NE or maybe even the Jets.