Ed_Formerly_of_Roch

I'd rather see them take a LB #1 than a reach on some QB. None of the guys Barkley or Smith looks like a can't miss type of guy. They both scare me very much.

Your post would be much more poetic if that song had been done by Meatloaf!

I think if Nix does go it may be more that he retires than is fired, and IMO Whaley is the next GM. So assuming that happens with a GM in waiting already in-house don't need to rush things. GM contracts typically expire May 1st, (after the draft)so you could leave Nix as the GM til May, then he retires or maybe he goes back to a part time scout job. As was pointed out with all the GM positions open there's a good chance Whaley could get one of the openings. So if he doesn't leave or even get an interview, that would more make me believe come May 1st, DW will be the next GM. I know there's alot of people who don't want Nix running another draft, though even there DW may have more input than an assistant GM would normally have. But this could be the route things go in. Listening to The Bills Round Table, on the pre-game show, they all were in agreement that there is a fair amount of talent on the team that would make it attractive for a new coach. They actually compared them to San Fran when Harborgh took over, they did add not as good, particularly with respect to the LB position. But they did see a somewhat similar situation. So that tends to support the position that Nix didn't do a terrible job. That being said, overall they were split on whether Nix should stay or go. Most who wanted him gone pointed to the QB situation and how he handled it or didn't handle it for reason to get rid of him.

Great minds think alike!! I tend to share the same thoughts. RW has always stated he wants to own the Bill's until he dies. I have to believe he didn't maybe think his condition would drop off to the point where he appears to be totally uninvolved with the team. Other that coming to the holiday party, has he been to one game this year? I don't believe so. So makes me wonder is he still getting enjoyment from owning the team and would he care what really happens as much if he gave up the position as being in charge?? He also has a 25 year history with Kelly and while Kelly may not do everything RW wants, I do believe RW would know that anything JK does IS in the best interest of the Bill's. If your idea of Kelly having first right to purchase the team is correct which I tend to agree with, making him CEO would make sense. Based on the TD fiasco, after that RW stated he'd never do that again, but with the way things are going for him health wise, he may have changed his mind. I'd also ask who is the CEO today cause it's not RW anymore. There's a void that needs filling now, it can't wait. Maybe JK is made president, I'd be OK with that too. The Bills do need someone in that role Kelly would also show much stability in that position and I think would help bringing in a better coach. He can show the Bill's do have a long term commitment to western NY. Another theory I have is upon RW's death his wife Mary gets the team. Many times it's been stated that she doesn't want the team and will sell it. Writers keep repeating that, but I don't believe it's actually been stated recently by RW instead just being repeated what was stated ten years ago. Maybe Mary may woke up one day and decided that the one thing she's less interested in than owning the Bill's would be to pay $400 mil or so in capital gains tax. so she keeps the team in her name, but is a silent owner and again JK runs the team. Maybe they give JK a 5% stake in the team to take this position and again as you suggest has the first right to purchase whether it be from from RW or from his wife..

I have to wonder a bit about this guy, as many coaching changes every year and he never got a chance anywhere as a HC?? People here used to always joke about Chuck Lester having something on RW that's why he was still employed by the Bill's for all those years, have to wonder if Lester was somehow able to pinn it on Tresmann as that could explain how he never got a HC gig. But in all seriousness does make me wonder about the guy? Something just doesn't smell quite right.

Personally I do think the Bills have a good chance at losing, but really can't see either Det or Philly winning, well maybe Philly as the Gints have looked awful. Trouble is when the Gints play, they will still need to win to potentially make the playoffs.

Yes, but from what I hear they want to give it another try and Bill was quite successful in Indy for quite awhile. I have no proof of this at all but from what I've read of Chris I firmly believe the only reason both he and Bill were fired was Irsay wanted to fire Chris, but that's one of the downfalls of father/son together, you can't fire the son and keep the dad. So he had no choice but to can both. Saying Chris was extremely arrogant (which I've heard too) is kind of funny as Bill was pretty bad to start with. It must have taken him alot of effort on that one to out do the ole man. I do think Bill in his old age has learned from his mistakes. If Chris doesn't get a job someplace this off-season and hopefully not in Buffalo then everything that was rumored about him must be true. He's young, comes from good genes, he'd should be a great hire! or not??

Yes but the biggest problem was week after week, Gailey put him in the position to be a gunslinger. Get a coach that doesn't make him do that or wouldn't allow him to do that he could be salvageable. Fitz, looks OK for the first 3 quarters of most games when defenses aren't certain what's coming. He can make some good throws, but in the final five minutes when they are behind and the other team no it's he's bad, one of the worst., But maybe with better coaching you can reduce those down to one or two for the year. Will he win you the Super Bowl, no, but could get you through an improvement year till the rookie is ready. If the Bills go out and sign an Alex Smith or Matt Flynn, then I'd agree, cut him as those guys a ready to start week #1, but from the looks of this years rookies I doubt anyone is out there who is ready.

I thought the same thing last year about SJ, but they signed him, infact it was either right before or right after the free agency period started. So if they could sign SJ last Feb, (and I never thought they would have last year) I think they can easily do it again for both. The only thing that will prevent it is if one or both don't want to be here. They say they bot hdo, so assuming that's true, I think they can easily be signed.

True, but the Bills may have to overpay some as Fitz does have some leverage in that he can refuse to big of a cut forcing the Bill's to cut him and take the cap hit. While I firmly believe it's better to take the cap hit than pay him $10 mil in real $$, saving the cap hit is worth something so I'd go from $4 mil to $5 mil or some amount to avoid that.

No not better at all!! What he's saying is you need to make a smart decision for what is best for the Bill's and not make a decision because you're pissed off at the guy. And Fitz may still give the Bill's the best chance of winning next season. There are no rookies like an Andrew Luck. With a good coach who is committed to handing the ball to Spiller 20 times a game and passing it to him another five times. In addition you sign a couple of top level FA LB and a legit #1 or #2 WR, plus resign Byrd , Mekelvin, and AL, all of a sudden Fitz may not look too bad if you're not counting on him to win you games. Granted he still is not likely to be able to lead the team to a come from behind win, but with a good defense, the number of times that's needed may be way less. Bottom line is Fitz may still be the best option in 2013 depending who else they sign. And a GM who is smart and not emotional would figure that out.

There's a big difference between a ten mil cap hit and paying a guy in real money. We're way under that cap anyway so likely taking the $10 mil cap hit wouldn't have much effect on what you would or wouldn't do in FA. That said I'm all for keeping him at a restructured reduced salary as I do agree he'd make a good back up & mentor for a rookie. I'd pay him $5 mil for that.

You can always renegotiate the contract, so yes that is always an option. That article also stated he's the 19th highest QB which is probably about where he'd be ranked, likely a bit lower, but as salary's go up, ten mil next year would likely push him down the ranking without ever taking a snap. Then Fitz has to decide if he could get more elsewhere or take the pay cut. Fitz has some leverage as he can point out the cap hit to the Bills if they end up cutting him. But a cap hit is "play money" as opposed to paying him with real money. Personally I'd be fine with keeping him with a new coaching staff who's not wed to him particularly if you bring in a rookie as I do think he'd be a good type for a rookie to learn from. I'd even be fine starting him the first 3 or 4 games, then as soon as he starts losing you games, you go to the rookie. If they brought in someone like an Alex Smith, then less need for Fitz so then more likely he's not back. I'd be OK paying him maybe half that to teach a rookie and eventually he's the backup by mid year. I'd probably rank him as one of the top backups too. I'd also make the contract for not more than two years as likely by the following year the rookie is the starter and $5 mil is too much for a backup.

We already have a solid #2 in Stevie Johnson. We need a #1 I like SJ, he's way over achieving, but he's really a #2

Third string QB's get about five snaps a week once the season starts, the time for him to be ready is mini camps and training camp which he wasn't around to be part of. That's the problem I see with TJ. So why'd they sign him and not keep Young?? Not sure about that, but am guessing there were some type of issues going on that made them dump him

Along the theme of people not really being in the locker room and knowing what is really going on. None of us know that RW doesn't have a plan in place, for whatever reason he refuses to discuss it and lets everyone believe there is nothing in place. Kelly and a few others has hinted at that not being the case. If the Bill's do leave, they won't get another team, Toronto very well may, but I'm certain there will NEVER be another BUFFALO team in the NFL. I do wonder though if changes could be in store this off season!! So far RW has refused to sell the team and appears to want to be the owner of the team until he dies, probably as that is what gives him the enjoyment to live. Considering how it appears his condition has got much weaker, I do wonder if the team is still giving him enjoyment, and if not would he now be ready to sell. It's hard to believe it really is as I don't believe he has been to even one game this season. I'm sure he does hear and read all the comments about him being the reason the team is losing and he's holding it back, it has to hurt him. Would he decide the fun is gone and sell now?? I'll say it wouldn't shock me if it happened. I also do believe if the Bill's hire another coach this will be the last coach RW ever hires. From a financial standpoint, if he holds the team until he dies, it goes to his wife without paying estate tax. If as been rumored she immediately sells the team, she then pays capital gains tax. I suppose that could be where the "plan" that Kelly talks about comes into place. Maybe she's decided instead of selling, she keeps the team as a completely silent owner, and maybe that's where Kelly comes in, he becomes the CEO for like a 5% stake in the team and first right to buy if Mary decides to sell or she eventually dies. Along a similar line, RW leaves the team to some type of charitable foundation he sets up with again Kelly running the team part and all profits after the cost of running the team goes to the charity. Would then NFL like such either of these arrangements, probably not, but the likelihood of them winning in court to have it over turned, is probably low. Or RW does sell the team now, pays the capital gains tax, the money left goes in his pocket, he dies say a year from now, Mary Wilson then gets the money tax free until she dies, then her heirs would get hit with estate taxes which would be the same if RW sells the team now or she sold it after he died. One of them is paying CG tax now and when they both die the estate tax kicks in. I suppose RW plan may be that he 's not going to die!

If they cut him it's $17 mil, if they trade him it's $8 mil, plus the rumors are that the Jet's would pay for part of next years salary so maybe the $8 mil jumps up to around $10 mil. I really don't see Seattle as even if the Jet's were to pay for $2 or even $3 mil of his salary, he'd still get another five or six mil which no team would pay that much for a backup.

Totally disagree with that statement. They want to win as much as any team in the league. The problem is you have a 95 YO owner who use to get over involved, now for about the past 15 months is become under involved. If the Bill's were in a large city like Atlanta, NY, Dallas, it wouldn't matter, RW dies, someone else buys the team and things go on in the same city. Here there are too many unknowns. The Bill's have spent a lot of money on players over the years, just not wisely. The problem has been been RW doesn't seem to want to pay big $$ for coaches and front office types, or may be his accused meddling in the past prevented the team from hiring the best. But not having the best in the front office has caused them to spend the money on players, but again not wisely. Actually there are two people in the organization that I'll agree I'm not totally convinced winning is there top priority and that's Littman and Overdolf (I think his name is). But even there, they are doing what RW tells them to do for the most part.

That's what really scares me about this. How's Cassel done since he's left NE?? But I'd probably take the chance for a 2nd and 3rd in 2014 if you could pull that off. Welker I think is too old for the money he's going to likely get. Edelman and Talib part I like as those are two spots that need improvement though what we really need at WR is a guy with big guy with speed. Is Edelman really that or are we getting more of another SJ?? At RT we have two guys that are both decent, as I've said about almost any area of the team WR, LB line, etc, you don't need great players at all positions. Assuming they resign AL you have four solid positions. In fact I'd much rather see whatever $$ you're going to pay Vollmer, instead give it to Andy L. It's great to "disassemble the Pats", but only if you're absolutely certain it does improve the Bill's. Some of these suggested moves may be more done to spite them!

Yes the Carrier Dome is not air conditioned!!

I like Fitz, he can play OK with good coaching that has a game plan highly favoring the run. When defenses don't know what's coming Fitz can move the team, maybe his scatter-arm could even improve. But if the Bill's fall behind in the final five minutes when Fitz is forced to throw the ball 15 to 20 yards or more, he's totally useless. I'd rank him overall 20 to 25, lately maybe even upper 20's but for the final five minutes of a game, would be hard pressed to not rank #32. As bad as Sanchez looks, you still have to respect his arm. Not so with Fitz.

True, but if he were to retire, whatever year it is, I think it would be in May

I think your number is high actually. You could probably get a 1st, 2nd and maybe 4th for this seasons first round and for a second round pick, you get a 2nd and third. Beyond the second round maybe the third, the value of the picks starts dropping to the point of no real extra value. Rookies learn from the guy playing next to him. When they are all rookies it will take much longer. The team would also likely be so bad not sure they'd even be watchable to the point, RW dies, the team could leave.

Remember, they don't give IQ tests when registering for this site.

On paper the Bill's have three other top notch players, you don't need four, so am fine with the players they have at RDE. Granted paper doesn't do anything, but if these guys don't live up to their billing RDE is the least of the problems. I think Sercy could also emerge at safety.