Matt in KC

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I remember Admiral Akbar. Until the play-offs materialize, all of this yearly regeneration and hoping feels like it could be a trap. Usually sometime by around the second game of the year (and more typically in preseason) I say "I've got a bad feeling about this." It's nice to see the team moving at warp speed; I just hope hope we don't find ourselves in an asteroid belt when we drop back out of hyperspace. I don't know that you can do it after a topic is created. When you start a topic you click "Manage Topic Poll" in the upper right corner of the page.

Maybe change your avatar. Sci-Fi is good for the off-season; maybe go back to football-related when TC starts? I'm fine seeing how a focused aggressive FO/coach steers the team. I haven't seen this "show" in awhile. My "Downerest" sentiment is that all signs point to the coaches forcing the Bills into pre-conceived roles for the offense and defense (hexagonal pegs/round holes?). Understanding we won't land perfect players at each positio, I want to see the coaching staff flex their schemes to the strengths of the actual players.

Nice post. It's nice to read a balanced take. I too think the front office is fully aware of our needs, and is trying, but could well come up short, again. Inability to get a QB with high likelihood of success this year I understand; they are in very high demand. Inability to get at least serviceable TE and o-line again is a significant concern. I think what they tried for these positions last year was okay; it just didn't work. (I'm not thumping my fists that they should have drafted four offensive linemen!) Because of this, I'm not too concerned, yet. I am a bit wary of the Harvin signing. I would rather the team build a dynasty than a flash-in-the-pan one-year shot at the play-offs. But unlike what some people are posting, I like the message it sends to the team. Clearly we are building to win now. Get on board, or get out of the way.

The obvious answer is to lock this older longer thread and leave just one thread, and a shorter one.

i'm not at all interested in Bowe. Perhaps maybe he gave up on so many plays because he felt unappreciated and ignored. I tend to think it happened the other way around. He's the opposite of the mentality and work ethic we want on the Bills.

I saw this on Wikipedia on the Transition Tag page, which appears to be a bit out of date; Does anyone know if that clause is still a part of the Transition Tag after the last CBA?

Nice first post. Welcome to the board! I think some of our problems with the run defense two years ago was on plays when Kiko, or others, were out of position. Sure, he flew around and made a lot of nice plays, more aggressive than you typically see from a rookie, but there were quite a others where we were gashed because he was caught in the wrong gap. I agree, EJ Manuel and Kiko selected from a single draft pick was great maneuvering by Whaley.

Oh my god, he moved! He isn't dead, he isn't dead!

I feel like I'm watching a line of TSW posters file past Fred's open coffin, paying their past respects.

This is where my head is. Do you think they're worried that Fred might, once again, outperform the guy they bring in to be the new RB1? This is how they save face. . . .

I'm not worried about the defense, but I don't expect it to be as good as last year. It was fun to watch Pettine's high-risk/high-reward defense, and I think it will be fun to watch Rex's version too. But, I don't think we'll see the same results. IMO our biggest loss is Schwartz. I wondered last year if Kiko and McKelvin would have thrived in Schwartz's defense. Both seem to be out of place more often than the player we fielded, and might have opened holes. Hughes was very valuable, and that's why he's going to earn the big bucks. Searcy was solid for us, and consistent. Spikes.... meh, he was not on the field a lot and seemed like JAG at LB to me this year.

Gay was JAG and doesn't warrant any special consideration. Keeping him on was all about Carpenter, I think. Without kicking off, he didn't wear out his leg, and stayed $money$ for the whole year on FGs.

I'll re-post my initial response: If I had to say, right now my best guess, it is no, he will never be a franchise QB in the NFL. I would say the same for most of the starting QBs in the league. I'm more opposed to what you're trying to prove with a forced binary poll than anything. There is not a "gun" to the team's head, and no one needs to decide anything right this moment.

Or maybe, just maybe, the reality is more nuanced than a simple yes or no.

I think Stevie could do well with a veteran QB who has the patience and vision to find him "doing his thing". Until we have one of those on the team, no thanks to Stevie. He is not a good fit with EJ. IMO, LMAO, LMO etc.

Yes, please. Get 'er done! Ralph is cheap! etc.

As said by someone earlier: I voted "yes." But really, I believe he has the potential to be, we don't know yet. I voted Yes because you were trying to force me into a stupid choice. I'm closer to yes, let's let give him a try than no, let's cut him and give up a valuable chance he can help the team. If we never try a QB that isn't already a "franchise QB" we will likely wait a long time to get one and/or give up a lot (or "suck for Luck").

No way. From my limited following of him, he looks to be horrible, and not getting any better.

I don't get cutting EJ before camp either, whether that actually is the plan or not, at least until we are sure we have 3 equal or better prospects in hand. I only understand that thinking if EJ was an active detriment to the team, with discipline and/or PR problems. Everything says he has the right attitude, and is even being talked up by the GM, so this doesn't make any sense to me.

So who on here used to update and post a ranking of inside sources? From my memory it had a lot of green and red text, and NeverGiveUp at the top the last time i saw it. We need an update so I know how much to believe Leroi!

It looks like the Jets are the biggest AFC East rival. http://www.besttickets.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Team-Weight.png I think, like others, I'm hung up on the word rival, and feel like the answer is still the Dolphins, even though I don't have the passion for the rivalry I did when say Bryan Cox was on the field. I most want to beat the Pats, but is getting stomped by another team consistently really a rivalry? The Jets. . . I don't like them, but am kind of indifferent, the way I suspect NE feels about us.

I think no news is good news. If they reach an impasse, I think it will be reported rather quickly. Hopefully more time (than speculated) just means they are getting creative and/or working through the details.

I didn't realize we had Chris Manhertz on the team. Maybe things aren't as dire as I thought.... What a great football player name. Maybe we should draft Ono Icantfeelmylegs.... Gragg seems to be developing, and has shown some flashes, but still looks weak. This is his year to really show up, or fade away.

He weighed in at 183 at the combine, and the Bills site lists him at 179. I'm not saying he's not slender, but those 14 pounds make a difference. Goodwin is a very active blocker, seeking out and initiating contact. I like Goodwin and think he's well worth a roster spot. But if we have better options, that is great for the team.