Bob in STL
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Posts posted by Bob in STL
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I don't know how the Bills will do under the Levy/Jauron regime, but it's a lot more fun following the team with these guys running the show. They tell the truth as best as I can determine, no secret stuff or double talk as with Donahoe/Mularkey.
Like with Losman--they say he's done some good stuff, he's done some horrible stuff. No trying to explain why the turnovers were somehow OK. It just seems they call a spade a spade, and are trying to make things better without a lot of hype or false bravado--they seem to be willing to let the play talk, good or bad. And although I expect the first half of this season to be pretty brutal, I am hoping by December we will see their work starting to pay off, and have hope again for the playoffs maybe as soon as next year.
Anyway, just my two cents that it is nice to be dealing with good people again who you can really get behind and hope they succeed, after 5 years of almost total BS... CD
Good post.
Yes, it is nice to be without the turmoil and the spinning that made the TD era both entertaining and exhausting.
Good organizations start at the top.
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This staff is willing to turn over lots of rocks to find some help.
Hey, we picked up Tasker off of the waiver wire so you never know.
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Promo, you've nailed it, bud. This is precisely why I'm not totally down on our chances to field a decent team this year.
The change in the coaching staff is the best example of "addition by subtraction" I've seen in a long time.
When Willis on the field in 3rd-and-goal from inside the 5, you'll know what I mean :-)
True, but I am more hopeful to just not look ridiculous in the loses.
This team is still short on solid players on both lines and they have an unproven QB. Hopefully some of the younger guys will surprise us. DJ will help stabilize things but wins could be hard to come by for awhile.
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But remember that the Bills were picking near the end of each round in that 2000 draft...
The worst Bills draft of the past 15 years was probably the 2002 draft, which played a big role in setting this team back to what it is now (particularly when including the Duh Bledslow trade).
Also, in the pre-Kelly era, there were some true draft stinkers that made 2000's draft class look pretty good. You need to brush up on your Bills history, son
.OK, the pre-Kelly era had some stinkers but has any draft produce players with less starts for this team as that 2000 draft? That draft gave us no quality starters at all. Morris probabaly gave us the most quality plays. Polk was a good special teamer/ backup. Tillman was a journeyman that started for other teams.
Moore and Larsen never played.
At the 2002 draft produced some people who actually played. Reed and Denny are still around four years later.
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Last year at this time I was predicting a drop of 10 to 15 spots league-wide by our run defense based upon the players we had rostered at DT in 2005. The good news is that we didn’t end up last season high enough in run defense for a similar fall this year.
Our scheme this year that asks for our DTs to get into the middle of running plays before they get a chance to develop instead of shutting down runners already hitting the LOS. One of the keys to playing the new scheme was management bringing in Larry Triplett, a guy who played all but one of his four seasons under Cover 2 Valedictorian Tony Dungy. Tripplett was one of the expendable members of the Indy interior since it’s first of all reliant upon regular rotation among DTs but also because they’re depth is so good that Corey Simon doesn’t even crack their starting roster. Let me promise you that in Buffalo Simon would be on the field from our first defensive snap if we had him on our roster.
So the strategy at OBD was to bring in a guy versed in the defense to make the line calls. And Tripplett has proved to have an authoritative voice along the line in our defense doing just that. That said, while I hate to question a player after just our first Pre-season game, I have one major concern about Tripplett based upon that performance Saturday.
In the first two offensive series I have some reservations making too much of our 1st team D against a Carolina Offense that came out like they’d never ended the ’05 season. Fully in synch as a unit, their short passes were coming out right on the drop step they were designed for. They doubled our interior linemen on most passing plays and gave little opportunity for the DT’s to penetrate enough to affect 3 and 5-step passes. There was an exception on the third Panther offensive play of the game when Tripplett got a single team by the Carolina RG. Tripplett showed what is attractive about his game, pushing the Guard back nearly into Delhomme’s feet on a 5-Step drop. While the ball got out it’s the type of play that DE’s make their living on- a QB with nowhere to move up standing behind his OTs protection. It was definitely Tripplett’s game highlight and would have resulted in a sideline throwaway or sack if there’d been decent downfield coverage.
Shortly thereafter though as the game wore on, it sure looked like Tripplett tuckered out. By the 3rd series where Kyle Williams was showing off his gears, there was virtually no help coming from #98 on William’s side. My conclusion from watching all of his plays against Carolina is that Tripplett is not at this time in appropriate condition to face the number of snaps our team has him slated to play in 2006.
McCargo in his first outing looked an awful lot like the prototypical “work in progress”; playing too high, drawing little blocking attention and having little impact on the game around him. On his few plays with promise he used his upper body strength well- and he appears to have plenty of it. McCargo has a lot of work to do to coordinate using his body and arms together effectively, and until he does he won’t be much of a rushing threat at this level.
Kyle Williams on the other hand and as widely reported does play a hi-intensity game and has no problem at all playing low. His skill set is best at the nose where he can disrupt opponent running plays by putting 2-3 bodies down right in the middle of the field, allowing the speed on the balance of our defense to take out a running back trying to avoid that mess in the middle. Williams also looks as if he’ll be an asset on passing downs since he’s always moving forward, even if it’s on his hands and knees. Another day like that Friday and he’ll cement his starting role. And if it wasn’t clear to our coaching staff before the Panther game, let’s drop the stunts when Kyle is on the field; he’s a point of attack player whose skills are wasted if he’s forced to move laterally down the line or around another Bill.
Tim Anderson remains hard to project out as anything more than a member of the interior rotation, and down the list. Physically he simply doesn’t have the wingspan to clear himself room to get upfield, and perhaps even worse he’s very easy for defenders to spin. One awful result for interior defenders is getting your shoulders and body turned away from the ball, and Anderson regularly gets knocked off that axis with simple arm pops. He’s just not now nor unfortunately will he ever be a coveted DT in this league. At the same time he surely should be able to contribute on this team in a rotation to keep the more dangerous guys fresh. This type of scheme needs players like Tim, maybe just not ideally at the investment we have in him.
So there’re the 4 guys who the team is counting on as the primary rotation for us inside in 2006. I’d call it a better mix than the one we entered into the 2005 season even though Sam Adams and our other “starter” from the start of ’05 have moved on. There’s better depth behind them at both the LB and DB levels. There’s veteran skill to their sides. If Tripplett is in better condition that he appeared against the Panthers, this will result in an overall improvement from what we suffered last year against the run. It might not be saying much, but it appears that the overall cumulative quality of the position has been upgraded and the result should be an improvement in our ability to slow down opposing running attacks.
Don't worry, we still have Sape!
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Here's why.
I think that he is simply just a dude that Tom Donahoe brought in to fill a hole on the offensive line. All the other guys that he brought in (i.e. Bennie Anderson) have completely flopped. What is the difference between the two players? I really don't see any drastic improvement between the two.
In his years with Buffalo, he has not done that much to impress me so why is he still on this roster? I think he was part of the Donahoe propaganda machine and people just have wised up to the act yet.
Personally if he is not cut by the end of camp, i believe that this will be his last year on this Bills team.
Thank God.
He played his best football for the Bears and is definitley on the downside of his career. At one time he was a solid player, that time is past.
Our depth at OL lack experience and that is a major concern. For that reason Villireal will probably make the club for another year. I am hoping that Preston improves enough to eventually take the job away this season.
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I agree that Milloy, McGinnis, and Law were legit Pro Bowlers.
Bledsoe has not played at a pro-Bowl level since 2000. Not even close.
From a talent perspective Andruzzi = Vilareal.
Seymour was a rookie so who knew in 2001 how good he would be?
Your losing the argument on the talent issue. As far as bringing "pedigree" into it, that is silly. Pedigree has nothing to do with it. Anthony Munoz's son went to Tennessee, great football school, Hall of Fame player, yet his son did not get drafted and never had an NFL career.
Should we start drafting the sons of Pro-Bowlers because of pedigree?
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Last week, I posted that the Bills are void of talent. Guys/ ladies like 'Darin From Alaska' and other board luminaries, were enraged at the idea that I would put forth such a suggestion. But when you look at the teams in the league and compare ours with them, we look like the worst around IMHO.
A reasonable person would say the the worst teams in the NFL are:
San Fran; Buffalo; Houston; Titans; Cleveland; Raiders; New Orleans; & Detroit
When we diagnose the above teams, we can see that they have loads more of talent than us, with the exception of San Fran. Talent is defined as pedigree, potential, ability, play, performance and pro bowl potential. We start with:
San Fran: QB Smith; I see no other talent on this team that stands out.
Buffalo: Clemens; Moorman; Whittner
Houston: Carr; Dom Davis; Moulds; Andre Johnson; Donta Robinson
Titans:
Thats's it? That is your analysis on talent? It looks pretty weak.
I would take Lee Evans today, over Eric Moulds. I doubt there is a coach or GM in the NFL that would disagree with that.
We have a few other "talented" players that are still on the upswing. Try McGahee, Peters, Everett, Crowell, and McGee. Lets give guys like Losman, McCargo, Anderson, and Preston a chance to play before we condem them.
Finally, we have a few veterans that have some "talent". Spikes, Schoebel, Fletcher, Triplett and Royal are all very good players.
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I agree with you. People say he never lived up to his billing ... lets just say his billing included a lot of TD hype. He had one big year as a pass rusher in Houston, playing DE in a mostly 3-4 scheme. We never used him in that capacity in Buffalo.
Crowell emerged and Posey does not fit the new scheme. It is time to make room for the younger prospects. I'll bet that he catches on somewhere. Best of luck to him.
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It's funny, because there was the same support and ridiculous expectations for Anderson last season with the homers telling us all how wrong we would be on him if we declared him the obvious backup that he was, that there is for the coaches and new players this year.
Just like Mularkey Jauron's well liked by the players. Our new linemen, in spite of having all been primarily backups, will be great starters here with us. Etc.
Some people learn, some don't.
Who is "Mularkey Jauron's"?
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the jerks comments do not bother me anyway - anyone who knows me knows that I'm not going to report on how the QB threw the 30 yd pass in the slant to whoever dove for the ball stuff. You can get that from the posters who do CAMP REPORTS. I do the up close and personal side. If you don't like it ignore me
Well, I liked your post.
It all about the kind of stuff that builds a team and an organization. Believe it or not, I think that building a classy and cohesive organization from top to bottom is good for a few additional wins each season.
I have a feeling that Marv and DJ on the right path. Yes, we need more talent and all that stuff .... Nothing wrong with showing respect and having fun.
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I was born in 1958 and I was born into being a Bills fan. I remember watching the Bills (or any football game, or any sporting event) on Sunday afternoon with my father and my Uncles at my grandparents house on the West Side of Buffalo. It was part of life, like breathing. Sunday's in the fall and winter consisted of church, big Italian dinners, resting, and watching football all day. Yes, I was the gopher to, running errands, getting beers, pop, water, whatever.
I can clearly remember the Bills championship teams of 64 and 65. In 66 I even drove to a bar in Erie, Pa with my Dad and my uncle to watch the Bills-Chiefs play in the AFL championship game for the right to play in the first Super Bowl (which was not even called a Super Bowl back then). The game was blacked out in Buffalo; we got smoked by the Chiefs. I still have some memorabilia from that era.
I have been a die-hard fan forever. I went to college in Rochester (RIT) and left the area in 1981. I live in St. Louis now. I go back to Buffalo every year to see family. I go to at least one home game a season. I take my two sons with me as I have sucessfully brainwashed them into being Bills fans too. We tail gate with 3 of my brothers and their sons. Thank God for the Bills!!
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I think with a little more tighter coaching and gameday decisions we could have won a few more games...
1. The Miami game is a no brainer...You don't blow a 21pt lead going into the 4th quarter.
2. The Carolina game was very close..The defense played well for 55 minutes and then gave up the big TD that ultimately cost us the game.
3. They could have beaten New Orleans
4. Finally, they had the lead against the Jets in thes season finale and they blew it by letting them run a KR for TD....
That is 4 more wins we could have had...make it a 9-7 season....
Things that good coaching staffs strongly influence are: 1 - better preparation for opponents (beyond the first drive and especially after the first half), 2 - better execution (simple plays like picking up a yard on 3rd and 1 will work if you execute them correctly), 3 - fewer mental errors (reduce penalties, sacks, turnovers), 4 - winning attitude (steal a few games). Last year we could have beat New England once, the Jets twice, and both New Orleans and Atlanta (a home game loss).
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His first season, he created a staff and organization that was supposed to be innovative, fresh and the anti-Butler. The contract mess and cap issues were hard to negotiate. THe demons of the Tenn. "throw-back" haunted the club in many ways (we had that game won and Wade Phillips might have taken that club to the conf. finals with the way A. Smith was running behind that rugged line). He hired a GREAT defensive coach in Williams -- the coach of a S Bowl almost champ the season before. TD then started to build the team with young players and used his past experience as a scout to draft who he thought would be star and gems, ala as he did in Pitt, where he built some great teams with roll players and young over achievers. His first two drafts were average if not poor. THe guys just did not pan out for whatever reason. TD missed on the FA -- by signing, at first his old players and then guys that Williams wanted (i.e., Eddie Robinson). Everyone at 1 Bills Drive used the mantra "3 yrs."
After dismal seasons and poor plays by bad players and bad drafts, the pressure was clearly on from Wilson to "make it happen." And what that meant was that TD was to excellerate the process and buy has been Milloys, Adams, Teague, etc and attempt to steal a playoff game. That plan failed when injuries crept up, Coach Williams showed to be a poor decision maker, the vets he brought were over-the-hill, his draft picks were flops and his support dwindled.
IMO, teams are great for two reasons. Both of which the Bills have NOT since their playoff game in Tenn:
1) they have a qb who lead them. sure, Dilfer sucked with Baltimore, and the Redskins QBS who have been system QBS. But ever since Kelly has left, this club has been bruttal. OL free agent don't want to protect a 3rd round scrub or Alex Van Pelt back there. And a good Qb makes a poor OL look as good as a good OL makes a poor QB look good. But great QBs rise to occasion, and the scaring of missing on Rob Johnson scared Wilson tothe point where he passed up Leinart, Big Ben, etc, etc.
2) having good sound players at EVERY position. TD talentwise was bruttal. His players were injury prone, soft, slow, overpaid, & dumb on the field. He never saw added the layers of talent and depth and had that keen eye for wha the old regime of Polian, Fergusson, Adams, Smith and Butler called: "football sense." But the great teams who make it with average QBS have all of those things. JOe Gibbs has that talent. To see that a TE make a difference out there. That LB depth makes a difference. And etc.
Marv will build up the talent pool. The guys he will draft will be all of the things TD never saw. They will be like the 06 draft -- guys who are tough and smart before anything else. He will find where the fiber is needed and give Jauron the tools to to smash the ball at an team for 4 quarters and paly well late in the 4th. He will find the little gems who will make those "big plays" that CArlton Bailey or Kelso or RAy BEntly or Metzelars could make. In addition, the guy knows talent and who can make dynamic big time all pro moves. He has a keen eye for knowing when a guy has balance, vison and game spreed and lockeroom presence (mark pike, tasker, etc)
This team will make the playoffs in 2 seasons. There will be fight in the 06 club. No giving up, no sulking, and an honest effort. And leaders and all pro will come from this and FAs will flock to play here and make this a great football city again.
The biggest problem with the team is something they can't control. And that is the fact that Miami is going to be TERRRIFIC and the pats are still talented.
I'm not sure I follow all of your logic but I think TD failed because he tends to be a one man show, he does not build a cohesive organization, he does not empower his people. This flaw is why he lost the power struggle with Bill Cowher in Pittsburgh. TD's biggest error in Buffalo have to be his choices in head coaches. Both of them were bright coordinators that lacked the experience and would not challenge him.
In total hid drafts were so-so. He seemed to struggle on day 2. His use of free agency was good and he brought in some good solid vets while managing the cap. He deserves kudo's for cap managememnt and for keeping things exciting. On the flip side he did not find a QB (unless Losman develops) and he really misjudged the talent level of his offensive line acquisitions.
I am happy to see TD go. I doubt he will get another chance as a GM.
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Does anyone think Bennett has a shot at the Hall of Fame?
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Anyone remember the when he was drafted and all the draftniks were proclaiming he was another bungalled pick. Way to early for him, the Bengals have screwed up the draft again. Yet everytime the Bengals are mentioned on radio or TV, not that they are (Uhhm) contenders, they are talking about this guy in reference to their offensive line.
Just goes to show you that there is hope for Whitner and McCargo to show the experts they are wrong.
That is the first thing I thought of when i saw this signing
Yes, I remember that very clearly. Jones was thought to be one tier below Fat Mike and McKinnie. He was projected to be a late first rounder. They alll said the Bengals "reached" by picking him were they did. It's now four years later and Jones is clearly the best tackle in that draft, and it is not even close. The clowns on ESPN complained about "value" on that pick. That may have been the first time I heard them really harp on value. Kiper the rest of those guys are entertainers, not scouts.
Of course there is hope for Whitner and McCargo. If they are good players then the picks are good picks. That is all there is to it. There is no realistic metric to measure "value" on the day of the draft because no one can predict the future.
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That is very unfair. Are you kidding me? The issue is the context of the question when Ralph answered "too complex". "Too complex" could have meant we need more time to review it and come to a consensus and not that it is over his head. That is how I understood the reports. The press was shameful in their treatment of Ralph.
By the way, most of these owners could not understand this information on their own without first having their lawyers read it and interpret it for them. This could have taken days or weeks to sort out. Want proof? It is now starting to surface.
If anything, this shows that Ralph is sharper than most of them. Isn't time that our society assign proper value to the aged? Hopefully that will be a lesson learned from this whole mess.
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I disagree with all of these names.
Moorman - known as one of ther top punters in the league today.
Flutie - Gets more publicity as a backup than most starters; his Hail Mary pass will live forever.
Reich - Forever known for "the comeback"!
Ritcher - Was under rated for many years but is known in Buffalo as a Wall of Fame guy
Bill Simpson - He had pro-bowl credentials as a LA Ram and played less than 2 full years as a Buffalo Bill; he fell down in the San Deigo playoff game loss and that play cost us the game. How about a guy like Joe Devlin?
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If you had a choice of putting a roster together of Bills players in their "Bills" prime from the last 15 years what would your roster look like...
Mine would go like this (I am going off memory here so be kind, I may have left someone out)
QB Jim Kelly
HB Thurman Thomas, McGahee would back him up.
FB Sam Gash
WR Andre Reed
WR Eric Moulds
WR Lee Evans
TE Keith McKellar (slim pickings, I know there was Pete but he was more of a third tackle who got the tough catch and fell down)
OT Will Wolford
OG Ruben Brown
C Kent Hull
OG Jim Richter
OT Howard Ballard
DE Bruce Smith
DT Ted Washinton
DT Pat Williams
DE Aaron Schobel
OLB Cornelius Bennett
ILB London Fletcher
ILB Sam Cowart
OLB Takeo Spikes (would also work in Bryce Paup on passing downs)
CB Antoine Winfield
CB Nate Odomes
SS Henry Jones- Soon to be Whitner
FS Troy Vincent (he has not really done enough to deserve this yet but I am confident he will in the next couple years. This was a hard one to pick. Kelso was up there but I nevver liked how he lined up 30 yards off the ball and "tackled gently" It will be something if Ko Simpson can change this drought.
K Steve Christie
P Brian Moorman
KR Terrance McGee
FS should be Kelso. He was a good FS in his prime and played many seasons. Forget the Gazoo helmet. He was 100 times tougher than most people his size.
TE should be Pete Metzellars. Best blocker in the league and he had good recieving numbers. Unfortunately for McKeller, his career was cut short.
ST - Tasker has to be there.
DE - Phil Hansen deserves a mention.
ILB - What about the guy from Ohio State?
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Was the room you were locked in padded?
Bills Claim Joe Odom
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
I was thinking John "Blue Moon" Odem.