ChasBB

No disrespect, but we need great PLAYERS. I'm sure Kelsay is a fine person and all of that, but I really want the Bills to win a Super Bowl and the DE position is critical to that happening and we're not in good shape at this position -- not at all. And if Travis Henry won this award (thanks Steve_JOHNSONS_hair for finding that!), what the hell does it really mean? Guys got to produce ON THE FIELD -- that's all I'm saying. Tired of these feel-good BS awards. First job is to be productive on the field, second job is to be an upstanding citizen, blah, blah. Oh, and guys who don't earn what they make cannot be emotional leaders. Oh, they can try, but the best leadership is by example on the field. It's difficult for the guys playing next to him to not compare their relative contributions to the defense and their relative pay to his. Course, this is going to happen no matter what, but guys that earn big bucks like that MUST produce (Dockery, case in point -- he's gone now). Yeah, he's adequate (at times) against the run perhaps, but we've GOT to have guys that get to the opposing QB consistently.

Yes, I call holding out until after the season is underway a distraction. TO is leader and a hard-working player. And if the Bills sign Peters to a long-term deal you can COUNT on him holding out again well before it's over. We only have TO for one year anyhow and he's 35 years old. The guy wants to win a Super Bowl -- he'll be there to perform this year.

Evans was way overpaid, too. As for Peters, anyone that would hold out with 3 years on his contract is a bad risk. He'll just keep doing it over-and-over again. Trade him while he still has some worth and do something intelligent with the draft picks. I hate to see him go in a way because it's not like we have another guy who can easily step in and perform as well, but he's just too great of a risk and a distraction.

He's just asking for $1.27 million dollars for each point on his Wonderlic test results.

What a politician this guy Kelsay must be to be getting awards like this. What the hell *is* the Ed Block Courage Award, anyhow? Well, the article (http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/kelsay-receives-ed-block-courage-award/8d1d0474-843f-4be0-ba51-d386f3856d8d) says this: "The Ed Block Courage Award is presented to the Bills player who exemplifies a commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. The recipient symbolizes professionalism, great strength, dedication and serves as a community role model for others." We have NO legit DE's on this team, folks -- NONE. I'm so tired of guys like this winning these types of awards. If you want to give the guy a community service award, then fine -- give him a community service award, but cut the crap about "great strength", "courage", etc. I guess he does have courage to step on the field and know he's going to get steamrolled every Sunday by bigger and better offensive linemen.

No Super Bowl until we vastly improve at DE. It's a key component of a championship team and one we don't have (yet).

screw the "high-character" thing -- that hasn't worked out so well, has it?

At first, I didn't like the idea (plus I didn't think he'd come here anyhow), but this team needs players with a little passion -- someone who can light a fire under his teammates -- someone who will be a leader and demand accountability.

Wow, that sure is depressing when you look at it from a cost perspective. Not only is this an indictment of our scouting department, but also of our coaching staffs and their inability to develop QB talent (which may have been impossible in a couple of cases, but probably not 100% impossible)

Ahmad Rashad

Thurman Thomas was a LEADER. Who is the leader today? No one. Thurman Thomas had the audacity to write the words "Super Bowl" on his shoes during training camp 1990 as a reminder to himself and his teammates about what the goal is -- and they did it! Who is the guy today on this team with that vision -- AND the ability to contribute and back it up? No one.

Exactly! Your big guys in the middle of the line are mainly there to plug up the run and to force the play to the outside allowing your backers and ends to make plays. The guys in the middle are not going to rack up big sack numbers. It's really up to the DE's to pressure the QB. Pressure on the QB can result in MANY good things for the defense: 1. sack for loss of yards 2. forced fumble 3. interception 4. incomplete pass 5. and a VERY NERVOUS QB who starts worrying about his health instead of finding his receivers THAT's why a DE is critical. The fact is all 11 guys are critical as a team is only as strong as its weakest link. But pressure on the QB is essential to team success. Even an average QB can pick you apart when given the time and that's why we need a Bruce Smith-caliber DE and right away. We don't have any thing even close to a Smith on this team. The team that wins the turnover battle is statistically the team that ends up winning the game, and a DE is a key component in winning the turnover battle. That's the logic as I see it. The fact is you need a strong line all the way across. They feed on each other. A strong interior line occupies more blockers which frees up the DE's and vice-versa. Any major weakness will be exposed. I'll just say that if I could only be average in one area and super in another, I'd choose to be super at the DE position and average at the DT position, but, both are critical.

I like Steve Johnson. Yes, I realize he has very little experience, but he's just one of those guys you get a sense is something special. He made the most of his slim opportunities. Kinda of makes me wonder why the coaching staff didn't work him in sooner and more frequently, but whatever -- I think this guy is going to be a real contributor this year.

Reed has really developed into a strong player -- great blocker, doesn't drop passes like the old days, plays smart, leader on the field. I wouldn't take Coles for Reed, straight-up. Reed has been one of the few consistent performers on this offense.

100% agree. I don't want another short receiver. Receivers MUST have height. Sure, you can have maybe ONE short guy and we have that guy already (Lee Evans). That's enough. We can't have a passing attack with 2 short guys and I don't care about the talent level here -- size DOES matter at this position -- sorry, but it does.

People also forget that the Super Bowl years were uncapped years. The Bills did OK for themselves for a small market in an uncapped era. However, they also had a great GM and talent scouts then, too.

The Bills wouldn't, nor should they. What an ridiculous amount of money for any single player. He's still just one of eleven guys on the field. A difference maker -- yes, but $100 million?!

Great find!

Hey, that's Lynch's new defense -- "I was only totin' a gun to be more like Buffalo Bill!"

Yeah, that's occurred to me before, as well -- making it plural doesn't make a lot of sense. Oh well, it's neither here nor there -- neither the name nor the logo will be changing while the team is in Buffalo -- just an observation is all. Well, I hope your swag includes some Super Bowl Champion stuff!

Got no problem with the name. If we keep the name, then let's lose the bison logo and truly honor William Cody by including him in our logo somehow. Later in his life, he actually took on the role of PROTECTING the bison.

Funny! Add the Buffalo Stampede and we'll have a couple of BS teams.

Hey, I could go along with that! Makes a lot more sense than the current name (assuming the bison logo stays).

I'm OK with Hamden as the backup.

I think the answer is "it depends". If his 6'2" stature is combined with an absolute bull rush that makes him capable of tossing aside tackles, then maybe, but height is very important for a DE, so it would have to be a very strong player to overcome lack of height.