Bill from NYC

1) Ya know, I am not one to go to the old, "the Bills are cursed" cliché too often, but when old Ryan Lindell kicked a 53 yarder, and then kicked the ensuing kickoff almost into the stands, I had a feeling like I was in some old, weird Twilight Zone episode. We were lucky if he could kick it to the 10 when he was a Bill, or so it seems. 2) Gilmore had his best outing today. This is a good thing because it looks as if Robey has fallen apart at the seams. The PI play was simply awful. 3) Wood had a crummy game with his lack of pass protection, poor run blocking, and ill timed stupid penalties. You would think he was our worst blocker out there today given this, but he was not, and this is quite sad. 4) I was never one for "forming a consensus" on this board. I like the differences of opinion. So, I will listen to reason, but I am thinking that we absolutely MUST draft another quarterback in 2014. The only question I can see is in which round. 5) Leodis was the McKelvin of old today. 6) EJ is VERY slow to read the field and make decisions. He waits too long to throw and then forces the football. He even waits too long to take off and run. And btw, was his throwing motion different today? He had this weird 3/4 arm delivery and was getting nothing on the ball. I am NOT an expert, but there appeared to be something strange in his delivery. Oh, and he was flat out terrible, but you already knew that. 7) I walked into Charlie's Bar, They blacked my eye and they kicked my dog. You know my dog turned to me, and he said, You better head back to Tennessee, Jed. 8) Great to see Brooks was OK. It was looking scary for a while. 9) Most of you have a higher opinion of Marrone than I do. I always suspected that he was a Brandon crony, and I have little respect for Brandon as a football man. Well, Marrone went down a few more notches today from where I sit. This was not a good team that disgraced us. He did not have his team ready to play. They looked distant, like they weren't concentrating. It was disgusting and the head coach needs to take a big chunk of the blame. 10) Byrd looked good today. If they don't keep him we will probably have another Legursky situation on our hands. And you saw today just how awful it can look at LG, no? 11) Just an overall comedy of errors. And screw the bad calls too. We were not going to win this game against that sub-par team. Not enough concentration, flat out disgusting QB play, and poor coaching/preparation. 12) Stevie Johnson should at the very least be demoted to backup. He is a proven loser and I would rather see the young guys get more plays and experience. He makes too much money to trade next season. No team would pay that salary. He will more than likely be cut, so there is not a thing to lose by benching him. 13) Are we approaching a top 5 pick yet? 14) GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would not underestimate the importance of bringing in another OT. I like Pears in that I think that he is adequate, but if he or of course Glenn goes down, Manuel will go down with them, as will the team. The Bills are not the Broncos who can hold up after a loss like Clady. Now, would I want a OT in round 1? Probably not but I wouldn't rule it completely out. I want to see what happens with Gabe Jackson as well. The kid looks like a very good player at LG.

May God bless her with a full and speedy recovery.

I am sorry, I thought I did just this before I listed the players.

I was thinking about who, imo, is playing THIS SEASON at what I deem to be first round level. By this I mean ANYWHERE in round 1. I would also include those who I thought that another team would give up a first round pick, but I am looking for one or the other (or of course both). My particular list is longer that I had thought it would be. Much longer. 1) Mario Williams: No explanation needed. 2) Kiko Alonzo: Absolutely is playing at first round level AND has first round trade value. 3) Leodis McKelvin: Yes, I really typed this. He was drafted WAY too early for my liking and has never lived up to his draft slot. That said, I think that he is playing this year at what I would consider good value for a late first rounder. 4) Marcell Dareus: Is not playing like what I would hope for in a #3 by any means but he is certainly playing like a first rounder this season. 5) Cordy Glenn: He is, due to his position, is playing like a top 10 draft selection. At this point, are there THAT many better left tackles in the NFL? A trade will not happen, but I think that Glenn has the highest trade value on the squad. 6) Kyle Williams: It was close but I would say that he deserves to be on this list. 7) Eric Wood: He too is solid enough to be included. He is, imo, playing up to the spot in which he was drafted this year. 8) Jerry Hughes: 8 sacks and 2 forced fumbles entitle him to be added to this list. The Bills have been involved in SO many close games that this alone would render most of his sacks to be key and clutch. 9) Jairus Byrd: OK, a bit of a reach, but he makes plays, and I appreciate his leadership back there. He grabs players and walks them away when they are involved in scuffles or verbal spats with refs. The above list doesn't even allow for potential (EJ, Goodwin, Woods), nor does it allow for solid players such as FJ, Spiller, Urbik and Pears. And I put A. Williams on the edge of making the list. So, why is this team 4-8???? 1) It's all about the QB in this league. Sad but true. 2) Losing Levitre cost us at least 1 win. This is a very strong opinion. And, it certainly didn't help Manuel. 3) Embarrassing losses like last week are killers. 4) Rookie head coach. Please feel free to add to or subtract from this list, and I do respect the fact that our expectations from a first round draft choice will vary to a large degree.

I care. Despite what I may or may not want, I don't think that the Bills will draft a qb with their first round pick under any conditions. This of course is jmo, but it is a strong one based on following this team for decades. In fact, if the Bills lose out a trade down wouldn't surprise me.

Travis Henry cost us a few games with fumbles. And once against the Raiders, he ran the wrong way on a play a yard or 2 out from the endzone. Does anyone remember the specifics?

Glad you are back, or else you might have had to change your screen name to "Gondre Reed."

How about Earl Campbell before he was hurt?

Sadly, I tend to agree. I also think that McCarron will go around there too. And the way things are wrt quarterbacks, I would not really be shocked if one or both of them went late in the 1st.

If this was our draft I would cry tears of joy. Evans, Jackson, Norwood, AND Murray? WOW!!!!!

" Awful" was too harsh, You are correct. And I agree that EJ does have the talent necessary to be a possible franchise quarterback, and didn't say otherwise. I expect rookie mistakes, and hope that hard work and good coaching can make the difference. As for yesterday, he got very lucky that several of his passes were not picked off. I suppose this was a bright spot of a truly annoying game, even for our Bills.

Dareus did play well. Kyle looked hurt but he is a fighter and he has my utter respect. Thanks for sharing this deep, insightful message. Is it time for bed? If so, ask someone to bring you your little blanket.

Well thank you, I suppose.

1) Leodis McKelvin is a pleasure to watch. I am the very first to admit that I thought little of him before this season. This man can cover. 2) Cordy Glenn gets better each week. Yeah, he really does. 3) Early in the game I wrote in my notes that Mario was a non-factor. But he kept fighting and he made tackles, blocked a pass, and had a sack. He makes the big bucks and doesn't quit. He sure has my respect! 4) We have had a whole bunch of "apology threads" on this board. Who is going to be the first to apologize to BADOLBEELZ about his take on Stevie Johnson? 5) In the end there's just a song. Comes crying like the wind. Through all the broken dreams, and vanished years. Stella Blue. 6) EJ was awful today imo. He always seemed slow to make reads. His completion percentage was not good, and he didn't see several wide open receivers. That said, the best pass of his short career was fumbled away by Chandler. 7) Bradham didn't show up well on the stat sheet, but he had a KEY tackle on the punt return with 4:26 left in the 4th. This stuff matters. 8) Badol, I am not going to start a thread. What I WILL do is state that I am sorry that I AGREED with you. Yes, it's true. You said that you wanted to keep SJ on the team and got attacked. I also posted that I wanted to keep him. I take it back. He lost us another game, and I am at a loss to remember a game that he has won for us. It's a shame that we couldn't get a 3rd round pick for him. I would take it in a heartbeat. 9) Is Summers just a bit too quick to signal Goodwin to down kickoffs? Seriously, do the Bills have THAT much to lose by letting him try to run back kicks? 10) I gotta tip my hat to Spiller. Was he hurt or not? Either way, he had some splendid runs. 11) The Bills need to lock up Branch. He and Hughes were the best Bills defenders in this game in my very humble opinion. I will take it a step further and say that the Bills would not have been in the game without key tackles and pressure from Branch. 12) I take it back. Gilmore IS a "shutdown corner." His stupid, ill timed penalties, as well as his poor coverage helps to shut down the Bills ability to win football games. 13) Once again, EJ needs more called running plays. He is good at running the football. 14) Being a Bills Fan is equivalent to a life of pain, but it is one that I would not trade. We truly are great fans to endure this. 15) GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is an interesting topic, one in which it is obvious that you and Badol know more about than me, but I do have a comment. A poster asked before about the fact that some (not all) Crimson Tide players do not do as well as expected in the pros. My theory is because they don't HAVE to work as hard as they did under Saban. As I Tide Fan, I think that this is almost beyond dispute. Do you remember the Dareus interview about Saban? He said that Coach Saban "controls every hour of your life." I believe him. He also said that if Saban came back to the NFL he would have to "lighten up." I believe that too SJB. I was a Dareus Fan long before he came to Buffalo. This is NOT a slam on him, but I strongly doubt that he works a hard as he did in college. He simply doesn't have to. As far as players who can be lax, there will always be some. Players such as Riggins, Earl Campbell and of course Lawrence Taylor were simply born with more gifts than other humans. If LT was young and following his past regimen he would still be the best LB in this league by far.

A logjam at the QB position these days is almost unthinkably good. The trade value alone would be something we have never seen before due to the new CBA and the low salaries at which rookies are paid. Think about it....Andrew Luck makes what, 5 mil. per season? Isn't this approx. 16 million LESS than Flacco? Which one would you rather have on your team? Now, given the rule changes, there is no longer any dispute about the importance of the QB position. How much would a team trade away to get a great, cheap quarterback? If this ever happens we will see trades that resemble the Herschel Walker deal, which I am guessing that you are old enough to remember.

One of the main reasons I want the Bills to sign, or at least slap the tag on Byrd is the premise that doing so MIGHT prevent the Bills from wasting another prime draft selection on a defensive back. We have glaring needs, to include another pass rusher, LB, LG, another OT, and of course TE. This if Manuel doesn't get hurt or fall apart. Byrd is a fine safety. It's not as if we need the cap space to pay 20 million per season to our quarterback and the money is there. The Bills have the upper hand because of the tag, and they truly need to play hardball with Parker, who btw I would hire as my agent if I was a player.

Badol, I couldn't agree more. There is SO much to say about this that I have to itemize my thoughts lol..... 1) Unless Manuel plays as bad as Losman/RJ at their worst, the Bills will not draft a qb in round 1. 2) If the Bills let Byrd walk and draft Clinton-Dix (who as a Tide Fan I watch every week), people will praise this as a good move. I for one think that it would be stupid. It would be simply digging out of another self created hole. And btw as much as I watch Clinton-Dix, I am not at all sure that he would be a step up from Byrd. How 'bout you? 3) I watched Gabe Jackson, the LG from Miss. St. He looks like a monster to me. Have you seen him? LG is now a need because the Bills let Levitre walk, and I still maintain that this cost us at least one win, probably more. 4) I think that 90% of fans miss the importance of the new CBA and the impact it has made. Draft choices cost little as compared to the past. The money switched hands from rookies to the QBs. The Ravens are paying Flacco more than 20 million per year. Manuel costs the Bills 20 cents. The Bills have tons of cap space. They can grab another pass rusher or OT in the draft for pennies providing they don't create holes with Byrd. They already did so with Levitre. 5) The Bills simply cannot let Parker dictate terms. If the Bills can't sign Byrd (and I hope they can), they need to slap the tag right on his a$$. Then as I said, they can go after talented players at positions of greater importance.

JPS, this was a GREAT post, but I must strongly disagree with this: >>>I think it may be among the worst O-lines the Bills ever had.<<< My friend, NO WAY!!! I want to refresh your memory if I may: Corey Hulsey Jamie Nails Terrance Pennington Aaron Merz Marcus Spriggs (one of the worst blockers I ever saw) Tutan Reyes Jerry Ostroski Greg Jerman (THE absolute worst blocker I have ever seen, to the point that I was literally worried about players getting killed) This line needs a LG, but none of our starters are as bad as those listed above. Pears isn't a star RT but he is clearly superior to these horrible players.

Maybe so. I don't understand why she blames the police for telling her that going forward with charges is a big deal. Did she not know this until she asked a detective? There are many other unanswered questions as well. For instance, I would like to know if any person from FSU made contact with the victim. I don't have enough info to form an opinion. This, and I am still sick to my stomach about Penn State.

If Goodwin can stretch the field and hit homeruns, this will help the possession type receivers. That said, a very good quarterback is needed to make it all happen, let alone a solid, talented OL. Would I appreciate a big time wr? Absolutely. The talent and coaching on the defensive side now exists on this team (although another pass rusher never hurts). If EJ is the real deal, he can get us into the playoffs. GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember that Fitz (a genius) and SJ were scrubs together and practiced quite a bit with second teams. Fitz is who he is, but he and SJ did have time to develop a chemistry. This matters imo. I appreciate the ability that SJ has, particularly in terms of getting open. But I will also assert that if SJ is your best receiver, you need another receiver. This is jmo.

SJB, I assume that you know that I do enjoy reading your posts. What I am missing here is the importance of you and Badol being in full agreement on this, or any other topic. You both make good cases. SJ has good numbers, gets open, and plays hurt. Otoh, he has defied coaches and hurt the team with narcissistic stupidity, dropped clutch passes, and does not have a true skillset for a "#1 receiver. The best part of this board from where I sit is to read dialogue about my team and get different takes from people who know and care about the Bills. Badol is not coming from left field with his take. It is well thought and legit. It really doesn't matter if you and him agree. In fact, the discourse is the best part about TSW.

Sorry my friend but I gotta respond to your comments about 2006. Marv turned down many trade down offers(I heard him say this) for the #8 selection. That draft was stocked with players at positions of need, serious need for the Bills. Levy used the #8 on a small, not so highly rated safety. After trading up for a dreadful McCargo, don't forget that his next 2 selections were Youboty and Ko Simpson. Win now? Really? I contend that he made these idiotic moves due to a philosophical devotion to the secondary. He hurt the team for many years with this approach and brought in his clone in Jauron, who hammered some more nails in the Bills coffin. To put it in context, I am currently as happy as I have been in many, many years with the secondary. Yet, I am going to give some credit for this to the DL and of course Pettine. A pass rush sure makes life easier for DBs. Otoh the Levy/Jauron tandem obviously believed otherwise. They wanted to build a team through DBs and RBs which is of course impossible.