Bill from NYC

The above is tough to argue with. I guess the question will be wrt the 2011 draft is whether or not Nix/Gailey think that any QBs we could select have a chance at being great. Peyton Manning won titles and a superbowl on a team that I didn't think was all that. HE is great. Fitz looks good, but he will undoubtably need much more support and a MUCH better defense than a great quarterback would. Given more tools, better blocking, and a much better defense, I am convinced that Fitz could take us to the playoffs. Could he win us a superbowl? I dunno; make your case.

Your suggestion might have some merit, but it doesn't tell the entire story. When a LT is playing dominating football (as Peters did for a while), it frees up other weapons for a QB. You can send the TE out on more patterns, and not have to deploy a RB to help block. Also, one can't say enough about the importance of being able to run the football, especially for a team that plays in the elements. When we lost Peters we took a step back, one which was/is long lasting. Of course, this infuriated me. Initially Bell was horrible imo. Missed assignments and untimely penalties seemed to rule the day. Now, he is holding up well on most passing downs due to his agility (which btw I never denied). I still think he needs to get stronger and if possible, put a few pounds on to be in the upper class of LTs. BUT, he isn't "bad" anymore, and I am thrilled about this.

No need. It isn't about wanting the Bills to make dumb moves. It is about wanting them to win football games. When Whitner makes tackles on pass plays 18 yards down the field on 3rd and 17, I am not going to praise him. When he plays well, I will. As for Bell, he is a very hard player to rate. As another poster said, he is still raw. One thing he is NOT, is Jonathan Scott. Did you see just how bad he was yesterday? This is what Bills Fans were forced to endure for too many years. The problem is drafts such as 2006 did nothing to correct this vital issue. It looks as if, as long as Ralph stays out of it, Gailey and Nix know enough about football to build this team up. That is the good news.

1) I have blasted him many times and called him "Lil Donte." Yesterday, Whitner had his best game as a Bill imo. His tackles actually meant something, and he was laying hits on a very strong Ward. As annoying and opiniated as I can be, I give credit when it is due. I salute the play of Donte Whitner in yesterdays game. 2) Thank goodness Jauron is gone. Drayton is not playing as well as he did last season imo. Jauron would see this and grab a first round corner just as sure as you know what, even if we pick in the top 5. 3) Not only did Carrington have a sack, there was an important holding call against him. Troup also applied some pressure and was in on a few plays. I am telling you people, we need to concentrate a lot on offense in April. These kids are improving late in the season, and this was the plan imo. 4) I have been on both sides wrt Stevie Johnson. Early in the season I called him a possession receiver with bad hands due to his drops. He proved to be much more, but he really does need better concentration. He is good, but will not get to the next level until he solves this problem. 5) Fitz played his usual game imo. He was gritty and doesn't give up. His stats were skewed because of the drops. In fact, this game is a good example of how stats are quite deceiving. 6) I said that I was going to focus on Bell this week and I did. I am NOT copping out, but his play does confuse me. You see, for 15 or so years we either had a very good LT (Peters briefly), or one who completely sucked. The only small exception was Jennings (when he wasn't on a gurney), and now Bell. Anyway, he is VERY agile, and this is what makes finding a top LT so difficult. He looks like his balance has improved as well. I do wish he would put on a few pounds and get stronger so he could be better on running plays. Again, his best asset is SO rare!!! This is obviously why different staffs kept him. So, maybe I am copping out because he has talent, but I cannot say that I am completely sold on him either. Time will tell. 7) I AM sold on Levitre, who imo is our best all around blocker. 8) Like I said, I prefer McKelvin to Spiller on kickoff (not punt) returns. 9) Believe it or not, this season has been fun lately. Yes, the pain of these heartbreaking losses is a given, but our playoff hopes were dashed weeks ago. We are actually now seeing some young players get better, and it offers a ray of hope to the weary. I wanted to win as much as any fan, but losing didn't hurt the way it normally would. We played well against a pretty good team, and might wind up with a very early pick. 10) Props to Jones for his special teams play. In fact, there were many nice tackles made on special teams. 11) Obviously, Lee Evans hurt us yesterday. 12) I can't help it.....I like Gailey, and think that there is something impressive about Edwards at DC. 13) GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted McClain, but once he was gone I was hoping for Graham. It would have been great as well to trade down and take Bulaga. There was no need to rush to the podium and grab a small, part time player, unless perhaps the goal was non-football related.

Why are so many people accusing you of not watching games? Btw, you are 100% correct wrt Wood. The best OG on this team is Andy Levitre, by a lot.

He threw that pass effortlessly over the middle with perfect touch, and just the right amount of air under it. One defender was in front of the receiver, and Mallett dropped the football exactly where it had to be. I can't come up with a rational reason why this pass wasn't good enough for you. He is raw, needs to be coached up, and needs to listen to an offensive mind such as Gailey. When Gailey tells a kid like Mallett something, he will be right. If a well coached and developed Mallett was on the Bills, teams would have to keep a safety WAY back, for fear of a 75 yard bomb to Evans. This would free up other receivers, perhaps even strengthen the running game by having defenders play off the line. He, imo, is THAT talented. You can insult this kid (and/or his ability) as you will, but my guess is the scouts were mighty impressed with his outing today. Mallett could throw Fiedler farther than Fiedler could throw a football.

LOL!!!! Great stuff; thanks for this!

I know. That 80 yard td just sucked.

Bell isn't a rookie. What is this, year 3? The Steelers have a very good defense. Bell has been holding his own to a limited extent this season. I am curious to see how he does against the Steelers D. Bell plays next to a good, and improving LG. He also gets a lot of help. Tomorrow would seem to be a good time to look at him to see exactly what we have. Imo, Demarcus Love would enter this league as a better LT than Bell. Many posters think that devoting the early picks to defense is a given. I tend to disagree. We did this (after the Spiller debacle) with Troup and Carrington in 2010. If we don't take a QB in round 1 (and I openly hope we take Mallett), I think the biggest need we have is at OT. Before the Colts drafted Manning, they took Tarik Glenn and Adam Meadows in rounds 1 and 2. This worked for them big time. My point is that if Bell has a chance (which I personally doubt) to be a dominant LT, this affords the team other options. So, I think this week is a very good time for us to make an honest appraisal of Bell. I know I will be watching closely.

Cool, and thank you. I didn't know about this. If you are right, this is part of what makes this such a great site! I was thinking in terms of who is clearly a better football player.

Your screen name is fitting for a comment as idiotic as the above.

Negotiating with Whitner before Poz is an exercise in stupidity.

They share some of the responsibility. After the Spiller pick, Nix concentrated on defense. The defense overall is therefore young and spotty. Good offensive tackles would mean a better running game and keep the suspect defense off the field, thus shortening the game by running the football and using the clock. My guess/hope is that in 2011, Nix/Gailey will give Troup and Carrington more of a chance to show what they can do, and try to improve the offense. To do so, they absolutely must improve at OT.

Absolutely. The Bills have not had a good tight end since Pete Metz. Many posters praise Riemersma. He could get open but he had bad hands and couldn't block.

Look, I understand that Ralph paid out a huge signing bonus when he drafted Spiller to play at a position at which we were deep. I also understand that his production would not invite trade offers to even almost approach the #9 that was wasted on a part time running back. As for RT, you do see that the Buffalo Bills football team is 2-8, no? Our RTs are nobodies who have been beaten half to death, penalized, and plucked off practice squads. Am I wrong? Sometimes I think that some Bills Fans have been watching poor line play for SOOOO long that they lost sight of just how much it means. The Bills, along with 2 of their divisional opponents, play in the elements. Sometimes passing is close to impossible. They will always need to be a strong, physical team to win football games. The Levy/Jauron mentality of concentrating on little shrimps was a dismal failure. Surely you noticed. Again, the OP didn't do a great job in terms of voicing his frustration imo. However, to think that we are even close to being OK at the OT position is equally over the top. Jmo.

Was Fiedler smart and very mobile? Is Fitz? Is their arm strength similar? Why do you post stuff like this?

The OP is being slammed for his perhaps poorly expressed frustration at the Bills wasting a #9 on Spiller, but your quote above is equally, if not more outrageous. Bell doesn't completely suck anymore, and we have virtually no competent RT on the squad. Not a critical need? The Bills will never be strong until they have a high quality pair of OTs. Years ago they had a star studded defense and the lost because the OL was horrible. Since then, they have drafted primarily secondary players and running backs with their top selections. The result was a decade of losing football games. I can understand the OP's frustration. Your comment however is mind boggling.

Very good analogy Harvey. Both also were very mobile. That said, I would take Mallett in a heartbeat.

Great choices!

Great work!

Preston Dial at Alabama isn't very big but he is unusually strong. He didn't get many chances on a team with a great running game and Julio Jones, but he might be worth a look in the later rounds. If nothing else, his strngth and agility would make him appear to be a beast on special teams.

What a strange guy. On one play the man, at his age, blocked out both Whitner and McKelvin. Then as you said, he dropped key passes, and spent his time on the sidelines babbling at the camera while his team was going down the tubes. I sure am glad he is out of Buffalo.

I hear ya, and thanks for that info. My guess is that 100 times matter more than 40 times wrt kickoff returns. McKelvin showed blazing speed when taking returns to the house. It was as if nobody had any chance of catching him but again, your point is taken.

LOL! I must admit that you surprise me. You seem to think that it is just impossible for Mallett to be a top qb in this league. You know, you and the pundits could be wrong. It isn't impossible. Take it from me......I thought RJ would be a star, and that Pat Williams was washed up when we cut him.