Fan in Chicago

Shyamalan used to be one of my favorite directors especially after Unbreakable. My patience wore out long ago - he needs to step up big time to buy my fandom again. As for the trailer - sorry but it doesn't do anything for me.

I don't want to hijack your thread into another Fitz discussion (but am about to do that anyway). Your point about expectations going up is indeed correct. Rewind to the time when Trent Edwards was checking down, telegraphing plays and generally being a scared cat. People were ecstatic when he was let go and Fitz was named the starter. Then Fitz started doing better than Trent, fans adjusted and started magnifying his flaws. Fitz was always spotty and streaky - nothing has changed significantly regarding his skills. Only change in the past few games is Gailey taking some of his autonomy away. Point of the above diatribe is that - if we are to upgrade the QB position, it better be a significant upgrade and not an incremental one. Else we will be sitting here 1-2 years later and saying how the new shiny toy sucks because he doesnt measure up to Luck, RGIII etc.

Must take some spherical objects to make such a change a few weeks before the playoffs. Havent' followed the Ravens closely enough to know whether this a correct decision. Can Caldwell just slide in? Very interesting for the playoffs.

I do like this attitude better than the one from two days back: ''And I'll tell you this: if you like a quarterback, and like him in the third round, then you had better take him in the second.'' Depends on what his approach and decision will be on draft day.

I can't tell if you are being serious or sarcastic given all the threads proposing to acquire everyone's garbage QBs. I disagree with Orton being better than Fitz.

I think both of us agree that we need a better QB in for the 2013 season but mildly disagree about how to get one. I think Nix's comments smack of desperation and that worries me because that attitude is prone to making a Donahoe-type moronic move. Hence, I am not sure I trust him to make the correct QB pick. If he majorly reaches for a QB out of desperation and assumes Fitz will start in 2013, he risks losing the fan base entirely. He has painted himself into a corner and will need to be controlled by Whaley to keep a sane head while making the picks.

Not sure if you are agreeing or arguing with me (both are acceptable). I realize about the premium, but highest probability of success for a QB is for one rated and picked in the first two rounds. But, much as i am in support of upgrading the QB position, I don't think we should reach so dramatically for one - pick a 3rd round graded QB in the 2nd round. In another thread, I have advocated trading for Alex Smith and drafting one in the presumably rich QB class of 2014. But the other point I was making is that Nix is waffling. He always sounded sure about his strategy in the past and now he is back peddling. He is admitting that his BPA policy & not prioritizing the QB position has not worked out entirely well. These are critical GM mistakes. While he has certainly upgraded the roster quite well, the major pieces have not been given the attention they deserve and one of the primary reasons why we wallow in misery & sport an underwhelming record.

Since early in Nix's tenure, he espoused the value of BPA and saying or implying that reaching for need is what got the team in trouble in the first place. Now he is basically saying BPA at a position of need. Most people would call this 'reaching'. I have said in the past that a slavish adherence to any one particular philosophy is asking for trouble. BPA at all costs has its price and we are paying it with the lack of a stud QB. I now don't want Nix to reach for a QB and pin our hopes of the future on this prospect who could very well flame out. The round in which a QB is picked is very important psychologically. A first or second rounder is expected to contribute very quickly. Whereas a 3rd rounder starting (Wilson) is quite rare. If a QB with 3rd rd grade is picked in the second, the expectations go up immediately and correspondingly the chances of failure. We cannot afford to flame out yet again on a QB draft pick.

I know I am party-crashing here, but I suggest SDS and Fez be put in a room and discuss iPhones.

Ron Brooks, Rogers, Bradham, Kyle Moore, Carrington, Sheppard, Glenn, Hairston all have seen significant playing time not to mention Gilmore, Dareus. Me thinks the youth movement take-over is already in full flow. Easley may get another chance due to injuries to the WR corps.

Good luck. For better or for worse, we hardly knew ye

How does Wood's injury change anything re: Levitre's contract discussions ? Signing Levitre is one of the highest priorities despite any other occurrence. This sucks. Dude just can't seem to stay injury free.

Very smart by Mario to just cover it up

P1=QB P2, P3=LB, WR, TE

If he ends up on the market, he would have lost his job to a.2nd rd pick. So unless the demand is big for hia services, he should be worth no more than a third rounder. And our 3rd rd pick will be quite high-ish

I think where you are going is that if a true Manning, Brady, RGIII type is not available in 2013, we can win with a Flacco or Matt Ryan type of QB. And I would be on board with that idea also. My post was suggesting a scenario in which the FO believes there is too much risk in drafting a first rd QB in 2013. if Smith becomes available for a trade, the FO will have to decide soon what to do - cover themselves for 2013, 14. The pressure to draft a QB high in 2013 becomes significantly less and attention can be paid to the other critical needs. But, as Joe wonders also, what would be Smith's draft price ?

Apologies for resurrecting this thread but I did not want to start a new one. I am warming up to the idea of the Bills trading for Alex Smith. I read here (and take the opinion of those that follow college football) that there are no franchise QBs in the upcoming draft but there are several in the 2014 draft. Given that, perhaps it may be a good idea to trade a 4th (maybe 3rd worst case) to the 9ers for Smith. Then draft a QB in the first round of 2014. Allow that QB to learn under Smith. Several advantages: - Draft LB and WR in the top two rounds in 2012 making this team fairly stacked on both sides of the ball - Makes us serious contenders for the playoffs in 2013 - Buys us 2-3 years for development of true 'franchise QB' I realize that Smith is not top flight talent but he is stronger armed than Fitz and less prone to making critical mistakes. This alone allows Gailey (or his successor) to open up the playbook and make opposing teams have to defend the entire field. Opinions ?

So John was indeed correct about you being an eternal optimist

That is a lot of (fired) coaches to choose from for the Bills. What are you worried about ?

Watching what I can from Charlotte airport waiting for a connection. Past half hour is telling me Brees and the NO offense is out of synch. That second interception could be on either. NO lucky to escape with a ATL FG only.

I pick Gailey to leave (Because then the new coach will want a new DC. Fitz can stay as backup)

I view this situation differently. Fitz tends to get too much on the flow of things and starts trusting himself beyond his abilities. This is probably what gets him in troubke by trying to fit in tight passes etc. Despite what I think about Gailey overall, i think he is trying to save Fitz from himself

At this time, I would be worried that Alex Smith is damaged goods mentally. He has been jacked around a lot with regime changes and now gets essentially benched after a 13-3 record last year, playoff win and a 6-2-1 record this year. Note: I am fully on board with the 49ers making the switch but from the perspective of Smith as a Bills QB, I worry he may have lost his confidence too much to be effective. Also, even if we acquire him, we may still draft a QB which will put Smith in the same situation as with the 9ers which can only make matters worse.

Yes but in which year or his regime ? If we are going to compare, compare at equal points of their tenure. Not saying we are on the cusp of greatness but we could be only a couple of critical pieces away from the playoffs. Note: this is not bashing Polian at all. I m simply saying that we have a lot more body of work (i.e. years in the position) from Polian to point to compared to Nix.