Bob in STL

You make a good point but I am still livid about the way this was situation was handled. I don't understand how the Bills FO expected Peters agent to care about Lee Evans contract. Especially after they dumped Dockery and signed Owens. What further irritates me is that we finally have 3 or 4 talented guys to play on the interior of the OL and now we have nothing at the tackles (except maybe Butler and he was drafted with a conversion to guard in mind). The final straw of course is the Jauron/Brandon tandem not bringing in a veteran tackle, cutting Walker, and expecting Bell to do the job. From now on I expect a real GM, such as Nix, to have control and be accountable for these decisions.

I just learned something. Thanks!

You should just quit being as Bills fan then. Probably would be best for your overall health and well being. By the way get it right on Wilson. Polian quit. He quit because of Wilson and Littman's meddling but he did quit. He was not fired. Butler quit. He quit because he could not face cutting all his players in order to get out of the salary cap hell that he himnself created. Also, his last few drafts were quite bad by the way and his relationship with Ralph had become strained due to the Wade Phillips situation. AJ Smith? He quit too. He wanted to stay with Butler. Also -- releasing a coaching staff is a normal courtesy afforded to assistant coaches when the HC has been canned. It is done to help them find another job and is look upon favorably in the coaching community. To bad we lose April and a few others but he was gone anyway. Peters - no excuse there. This organization blew that one. I don't understand how they could justify paying mediocre Dockery and Walker huge salaries but not pay Peters to market value? Huge mistake. Nix - I want to give him a chance. Lets see what he does about the coaching situation and this years draft. Modrak - I wish I knew if he had anything to do with the final draft selections. I understand his position is to evaluate the data obtained from the scouts, and rack and stack the players by grade. The actual selection of the players ... I think there is a huge lack of acountability here. Too many hands in the soup for too long. The inner circle concensus approach is flawed. Guy - same comments as Modrak. I think he evaluates and grades but does not select. Who makes the call on the players we actually sign? When Donohoe was around we made some good picks ups (not all), since then they have been mostly horrible ones. The common denominator in all of this disfunction is Wilson. I like him for keeping the team in Buffalo but he has always been below average in football matters. I have been watching his teams since 1965.

I don't read that at all? He started the season strong. I was at the Tampa Bay game when he had the pick 6. He was not benched, he got hurt. I will agree that Byrd is a better option at FS, no doubt. I cannot see from my perspective watching tha games that Wilson is better that Donte at SS. Wilson had more picks but it would take a lot of film study to see who actually graded out better in all areas of the game. If the coaches decide that Wilson grades out better at SS then Donte is relegated to a nickel or dime back. Is his salary that high next year to warrant cutting him? I like having the depth at DB. This year really proved that we need it. I just don't understand all the hate for this guy. I do understand that he was a #8 pick but it is not like he dogs it or that he has no talent. He is known to be a leader on a team that sorely lacks leadership. He has the entire DB group at his house every week to study film, review the game plan and to bond. The DB coach has cited his leadership as a reaon for the combined success of this unit. He has been nothing but a team player ... Oh yeah, thats right, he is not Ngata. I could a find a player that we "should have drafted" in just about every draft. Wow!

Incognito played very well for us. I got to see him a lot in St. Louis and I can tell you he has a tendency to be a knucklehead. That said, I see no problem with letting him compete for a job, we can use his toughness. Levitre looks good at LG. Hangartner did a good job at center. Wood is a stud and if healthy should start at either center or guard. Incognito should compete for a starting job as well. Having four good players fight it out for three spots is what we need. I see Hangartner being the spare C/G. At tackle we have problems. We need two tackles that are not surrently on the roster. We need to draft a tackle that has the skills to play the left side. We need to pick up another solid starter in free agency. Butler is servicable at RT and can also back up gaurd. Bell and Meredith can compete for the final spot. Scott and Chambers should not make the team next year.

Bring back the girls from TCU!

Ahmad Rashad.

It really is not Brandon's marketing it is more like a hardening that is acquired from being a Bills fan. Dismal season? - Do you remember the 1-13 seasons, the 2-12 season or how about the back-to-back 2and 14s. Now those season were dismal. So were many others. Top draft pick not playing? - See Eric Flowers, Booker Moore, Tony Hunter, Tom Cousineau, Tom Rudd, etc. ?? Second number one pick crippled? - All indications are he will be back next season. Starting RB beaten out by a journeyman? - Were the Pats fans sad when Brady (round 6) beat out Bledsoe (#1 overall)? TO going? - Maybe, and so what? Few Bright Spots? There are several bright spots. Lets start with Byrd, Levitre, Wood, and Nelson from the last draft. Add to that Jauron is gone and we finally have a GM to handle footbal decisions. Finally, he team is still in Buffalo. Now ... back to the next coaching staff, the draft, and free agency. We have a dynasty to build.

You need 4 or 5 safties on the 53 man roster. Not sure how much money Donte will make but I just do not think he played bad last year. Byrd and Wilson looked great no doubt. I am not sold on Scott's pass coverage but he does play hard.

That assesment on Winfield have proven to be very wrong. He is far from a midget and is a very strong tackler. He plays the run better than most CBs in the league and is known as a shut down corner. I will give you he does not get many picks but he does not give up many plays either. Lots of people in the NFL agree.

We just suffered through Jauron, Schonert and AVP. I will settle for "above average" at this point.

At the time I was pulling for selecting Ngata but supported the Whitner pick. I understand he is one of the most bashed players on this site, mostly because no one wanted to see us draft a safety in the first place. Sometimes the bashing seems to be unfair to me. This year it has been very clear that backups such as Bryd at FS and Wilson at SS are more effective, make more big plays, and will be starting next year. Whitner will have a role on this team due to his versatility. Time to forget his draft position and move forward. He is still a good player, unfortunately he is not an impact player and not a pro bowler. Hopefully Buddy Nix can make some better choices.

I am a huge Marv fan. I was happy but apprehensive to see him become the GM. I never felt that it was a good move for him and he even made statements about wanting to coach again shortly after taking the GM job. Overall I would have to say his tenure was not a good one and moves made in his era have set us back. But that is an old topic that has been covered a lot. The whole management by comittee (Marv, Brandon and Ralph) and the "inner circle" are bad ways to run an organization in my opinion. It was always difficult to determine who was accountable for what at OBD. The current organization is still confusing but maybe that will clear up in the next few weeks.

Collinsworth is a Cincinati homer on top of that.

STL is definitely not happy with Bulger but I doubt that they will pass on Suh. Cleveland, who knows? I would prefer that the Bills do not pick a QB in the first round. I just don't see a lot of legitimate QB options there at the 9th spot. I think that a blue chip left OT (not a good right OT that might be able to play on the left) is a better choice for the first round. A stud ILB would be great. That way we can move Poz to the outside and improve two positions with one pick. Most experts discourage drafting by position but its hard to argue that we are extremely weak at OT and LB positions. Even without the injuries we do not have a enough talent in these positions. For QB, I would hope we can find a prospect later in the draft and bring in a veteran to compete with whatever is left on the roster.

I totally agree with you on this. I would rank him 2nd all time, just ahead of Phil Hansen and Ron McDole. He is an excellent player that shows up every single week.

I think he means Butch Byrd, cornerback from the 60's AFL Champion teams. All time leader in INTs. Excellent punt returner too.

Totally disagree, Vic has excellent insight, especially with what goes on with Buffalo. I am afraid that what is really going at OBD will be more of the same ... a hasty decision that lacks due dilligence. Hope I'm wrong.

The defeatist Buffalo attitude. I actually thought the same thing for a second. I tend to believe that Cowher is a straight shooter and would not do that intentionally.

Other than a few game day decisions against the Pats* I think Fewell did a very good job, especially given the circumstances. That said, it is time to clean house in Buffalo. I sure hope Buddy brings in someone new and with a successful track record (unlike the Jauron hiring).

If we drafted Oher it would have been with Maybin's pick because he was off the board by the time we had the 28th pick in the first round (with which we took Wood). It is very possible that Wood may have been gone by then too. If we were lucky enough to get both Oher and Wood in the first round then I doubt we would have spent another pick on OL to get Levitre since we have a strong need for DL and LB. You cannot be serious about Chambers as your starting OL? He has originally cut at the end of camp and is quite horrible. Brad Butler or Demetrious Bell are better options. The Oher train has left the station ....

Hello everyone. I have not posted here in years. Decided to just lurk and be entertained. I grew up in Buffalo and have been a Bills fan since I can remember (the 1965 AFL championship). I live in the St. Louis area now and I am in the Bills Backers there. We meet at Lesters in Chesterfield, great place if your ever in the area. I will be in Columbus this weekend. I don't want to miss a Bills game, ever. No matter their record. I think we will finally beat the Pats* on Sunday. Anyone know a good Sports Bar in Columbus that plays all the games? I am staying in Dublin. If there is a Bills Backers bar that would be great. I will find it if you give me the name. Thanks in advance and go Bills!!

I want to see the difference on 3rd and 1 before I get excited but I do like the additions made in the draft. It least we finally addressed a longtime weakness in the interior of the OL and tried to counter an AFC East strength at the same time.

Otis Taylor

It took you two years to read this magazine?