folz

I don't know if this is what Sullivan is talking about or if he asked a similar question later, but in the conference video on BuffaloBills.com you can hear a reporter ask, "So, if you knew either of the first two picks was a QB, would you know who your pick was gonna be?" And Buddy answers, "Yes, we would." When I first heard that last week, I took it to mean they weren't looking for a QB at #3 because even if a QB was selected at 1 or 2, the Bills would still know who they were picking (it wouldn't influence their decision). But, I guess it could mean they assume Cam will be taken, so they aren't counting on him and are already planning to go elsewhere...or they know Gabbert isn't going at 1 or 2, so he'd still be there (although I really don't think they're going Gabbert...especially after hearing from NGU). Long story short you can probably read almost anything into these types of vague statements...I still hope it means they're going Defense though. We'll know soon. Go Bills!

Nice find...reminds me a lot of the late 70s early 80s unis. Love em...so glad we're getting rid of those crappy unis from the last handful of years, they never grew on me. And I like going back to the white helmets. Fact #7 - In February of 1984, the Bills announced that they were switching their helmet color, going to red after wearing white headgear since 1962. While the color changed, the charging buffalo on the side and blue facemasks both remained. It was speculated that the color switch was to help quarterback Joe Ferguson distinguish his receivers from opposing defenders, especially the three division opponents (Dolphins, Patriots, and Colts) who also wore white helmets. Ferguson threw 25 interceptions in 1983 and 17 in 1984. http://www.ssur.org/history/BuffaloBillsHistoricalFacts.htm

I'm glad the team is giving every scenario its due diligence... There may or may not be someone there that they would want to trade up for... but at least now they have an idea if someone is there that they want, what the likelihood of making it happen is or what it might cost. Doesn't mean they'll pull the trigger...And we have no idea who it is they might be interested in...might not even be a QB.

Nice work OP, but a few thoughts... I don't know if you can call Greg Bell a bust...He ran for over 1,100 yards his rookie season and went to the Pro Bowl, had a decent second season, and then was part of the trade that brought Cornelius Bennett to the Bills. He also had two great seasons with the Rams, earning comeback player of the year award. If I remember correctly, injuries and a bit of ego got in his way, but the kid was a player...even if it only equated to 4 productive seasons. I think you have Willis McGahee too high...and Jeff Burris too low. Burris was a very good, starting corner for 10 years in the league (even if only 4 of them were with the Bills). I think Spiller (I expect him to bust out this year) and Wood (now at center), will move up that list, but I understand why you have them where they are for now. And Mike Williams has to be #48...For me Maybin is like the Flowers pick...but the Williams pick hurt the team much more in the long run.

I don't know if its been discussed much, but I keep looking at the fact that the Bills don't have a #2 QB right now. So, if we draft a QB in the first or second he has to be the number two. Why? If you draft a guy that high, expecting him to eventually take over, you need to start getting him his reps. And he's not going to do that at #3 (if we were to bring in a FA or whatever). So, we need a guy that can play year one if Fitz were to go down. So, I don't see the Bills drafting a project QB. I think (if they choose a QB early) they have to go after one of the guys that is more pro-ready. I'd be real nervous, despite his talent, drafting Newton after that interview. How long before he'll be able to pick up and then master an NFL offense. Maybe he can, but it looks like it could take a while. Compare Newton's answer about dissecting a play "We'd just call #34" to Ryan Mallet at the board talking about every possible outcome of the play and what the defense might be doing...that was impressive. I'm not sure about Gabbert at 3...probably prefer to go defense...but if the Bills went that way, I'd trust them. But, I think I'd rather take a chance with our 2nd round pick on guys like Dalton, Ponder, Kaepernick (or Locker or Mallet if they were to fall) then take that big a chance with our first pick.

A look down memory lane...or nightmare alley. I know this has been done before, but I was bored and curious to look at it again after reading the "A little perspective...5 years later" thread. They usually say you can't judge a draft for 3 years...so I decided to look at the drafts from 3 years ago and then going back to the oldest draft from which at least one player is still on the team. So that encompasses 2003-2008. So we are talking, as far as decision making goes, Ralph, Donahoe/Greggo, Donahoe/Mularkey, Marv/Jauron, Brandon/Jauron, and Modrak throughout. 2008 Rnd 1 Leodis McKelvin still have hope for him, has shown a few flashes, but definitely has not lived up to the bill 2 James Hardy Busted as a Bill...no longer with the team 3 Chris Ellis No longer with the team 4 Reggie Corner Another player I thought showed some promise but has disappeared of late 4 Derek Fine No longer with the team 5 Alvin Bowen No longer with the team 6 Xavier Omon No longer with the team 7 Demetrius Bell Jury is still out on how good a LT he can be, but even if he ends up a backup, not bad for the 7th round 7 Steve Johnson Too bad all of our picks weren't 7th rounders this year as that seems to be the only place we did well...Steal! 7 Kennard Cox No longer with the team Except for Stevie and Bell (and possibly Leodis if he can put it all together) this was a dreadful draft...by next year 7 out of 10 draft picks could no longer be with the team 2007 Rnd 1 Marshawn Lynch Traded, no longer with the team...decent not great back with off-field issues 2 Paul Posluszny I'll say solid LB, hopefully still with upside...but not as good as we thought we were getting 3 Trent Edwards Fail...no longer with the team 4 Dwayne Wright No longer with the team 6 John Wendling No longer with the team 7 Derek Schouman No longer with the team 7 C.J. Ah You No longer with the team Wow, this is ugly...only one player left from this draft and even he hasn't quite lived up to expectations 2006 Rnd 1 Donte Whitner Solid player, but not worth where he was drafted...may not be with the team next season 1 John McCargo Somehow he is still on the team, but has shown nothing...trading up to get him really hurt 3 Ashton Youboty I still think he's an excellent player, but injuries really stalled his career...may not be around next year 4 Ko Simpson May have been worth millions (in his own mind), but he is no longer with the team 5 Kyle Williams Love the guy...a steal in the 5th round 5 Brad Butler Good/solid OL, but injuries and career choice took him away from the game 6 Keith Ellison Gotten a lot of playing time over the years... never thought he was as bad as most fans thought...not bad for a 6th rounder but definitely a backup 7 Terrance Pennington No longer with the team 7 Aaron Merz No longer with the team Scary as it looks, this was probably one of our better drafts in this stretch. Williams is a beast, Whitner has been solid, Butler was solid while he was here, ellison got a lot of playing time (for good or bad), Ashton was good when not injured...nothing special (well Kyle maybe) and a couple of busts, but at least we got a lot of starts out of this group 2005 Rnd Name 2 Roscoe Parrish Finally got to show his talent last year before injury...like the guy 3 Kevin Everett We'll all remember Kevin and wish him well for what he went through, but as a player prior to the injury, hadn't clicked 4 Duke Preston No longer with the team 5 Eric King No longer with the team 6 Justin Geisinger No longer with the team 7 Lionel Gates No longer with the team Roscoe's all ya got here and we've gotten about a half season of good play out of him (although that may be on the coaches, not Roscoe) 2004 Rnd 1 Lee Evans Good to very good WR...solid pick 1 J.P. Losman Oops...I like J. P., but can't say anything but he was a bust...especially to have traded up for him 3 Tim Anderson Got some work out of him 4 Tim Euhus Long gone 7 Dylan McFarland No longer with the team 7 Jonathan Smith Fast Freddie has flown Ouch again...only Lee 2003 Rnd 1 Willis McGahee Mercifully gone from the team...never as good as he or the media thought he was 2 Chris Kelsay I know a lot of you don't like him, but he's been a solid guy for a number of years 3 Angelo Crowell Good LB...got a few good seasons from him...then injuries 4 Terrence McGee Has sured up one CB spot for the better part of a decade, but seems to be slowing down 4 Sam Aiken Good ST player...never hit as a wideout...no longer with the team 5 Ben Sobieski No longer with the team 6 Lauvale Sape No longer with the team 7 Mario Haggan No longer with the team Kelsay and McGee (and Aiken on ST) were the only guys we got solid production from for a number of years, Crowell was solid while he played, McGahee was another Donahoe disaster And of course, the year prior to this (2002) was the Mike Williams pick. Wow, this was actually a lot worse than I even thought it would be. 6 Drafts, 46 players selected, only 14 still with the team and by next season there may only be 9. And these guys are all like 24 to 30 years old...should be in the prime of their careers (if they had been good picks/players). And it's not like the guys no longer with the team have gone on to play great for someone else or anything. Out of all of those picks, the only ones of value (or possible value) have been maybe Kelsay, McGee, Lee, Kyle, Donte, Roscoe, Crowell, Ellison, Butler, Poz, Marshawn, Stevie, Bell, Leodis. That's 13 of 46 and I'm sure we could all debate (and have) how good each of them actually are. But those are the best players we drafted over that 6 year stretch. How many could be considered studs or stars, or excellent, or at least very good? Maybe Lee (had some real good seasons but hasn't been consistent over his career), Kyle Williams, Stevie (looks like it could happen). That's it...kind of 3 out of 46 (or 6.5%). I figured I would conclude that the Mike Williams, McGahee, Losman, McCargo mistakes (high picks wasted, picks wasted trading up) would have really been our downfall...but those wouldn't have seemed as big of gaffes as they were if we had been hitting on a number of our other picks...but we struck out on about 72% of our picks over that span (and that's if you're counting all 13 of the players I listed above not striking out). It's amazing we were even able to average 7 wins a season over that stretch and not be 2-14 every year. C'mon Buddy...build us a team, please...this is just pathetic. Haven't we suffered enough? Go Bills!

Let's throw out all of the stats for a moment...as we all know a lot of factors go into how an individual's stats end up... so, for just a minute lets not think of stats. 1. Fitzpatrick will be our starter next year. This is not in doubt as Chan loves him and even if the Bills take a QB at 3, I don't think Chan will want to start any of them year one since most of them didn't play in a Pro-style offense and will need to learn a lot. So, since Fitz will be our general next year, at least, can't we stop tearing the poor guy down and start rooting for him? 2. If the FO feels that there is a possible franchise QB on the board at their pick, they will not pass him up...nothing we say pro- or anti-Fitz will make any difference to the FO...if a guy they like is there, they will take him and start grooming him behind Fitz (to step in if Fitz doesn't keep improving or if the player picked is just better; or for the future if Fitz keeps playing well). 3. Regardless of stats, anyone who watched last season should be able to see that Fitz took a huge step forward in his own progression as a QB from the year before. Going into last season I was not a Fitz supporter. In fact, I thought of him as the last/worst option for us at QB. I was so wrong. Fitz totally won me over last year with his heart, his smarts, and his overall play. The kid is a gamer. He may or may not be the long term answer; he may have plateaued and we've seen his best or he might keep improving. We won't know until next year, but tearing him down won't get us Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, or any other QB anyone is wishing for. That's up to the FO and a bit of fate. Fitzpatrick is the QB of the Buffalo Bills right now, so let's root for the guy and let the future play out as it will. Go FItz! Go Bills!

Vince Flopagamo

Fitz starts next year no question... I assume Brohm won't be around next year (but who knows) and I'm not sure how they feel about Brown. But... Do not go after Kolb (do we really know what we'd get? And for what price? QB controversy, etc.) or Young (headcase...no thanks) If at anytime during the draft you feel that a QB is a value pick there (according to your own board only), then you draft them (be it 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 7th round), although it seems there might not be a QB who is a value pick at #3. If you draft a guy you like, that you think could fill in next year if Fitz gets hurt, then you roll with Fitz, Draftee, and Brown/Brohm. Or if you're not happy with Brown/Brohm's progress then you maybe pickup a young, low priced FA to teach up and for emergencies as your #3. If you don't draft a QB or you're not sure the QB you drafted would be ready to step in if Fitz went down, then you pickup an experienced FA as your #2, like Collins, Boller, Bulger, Gradkowski, and then have your draftee (if you picked one) or Brown/Brohm (if you didn't) as #3. I think you will still be able to pickup one of those types of FA QBs after the draft (that is if the CBA gets resolved and we have a normal FA), so you can take a wait and see approach if you're thinking about drafting a QB somewhere. Regardless of how Fitz plays next year, if you don't draft a QB this year, you look to draft one next year to start grooming behind Fitz (if he plays well) or replace Fitz (if he doesn't play well).

Thanks for posting the videos Buftex! It was a nice trip down memory lane. Andre's Hall of Fame checklist 1. Great Player? Yes, with great stats for his era, the only WR of that era that could be mentioned in the same breath as Rice (and he was)...check 2. Innovative? Key component of the No-huddle attack and seriously one of the main reasons the league started keeping YAC stats...check 3. Superbowl? Although he never won one, he went to 4 in a row and performed well in the big games (still 2nd all time in SB receptions, 3rd all time in Superbowl receiving yds)...check 4. Misc.? 7 consecutive probowls, big part of the greatest comeback in NFL history, played in 234 games (59th most by any player in NFL history), part of the 2nd most prolific QB/WR combo in NFL history, still ranks 8th all time in receptions and 9th all time in receiving yards...check I don't care what you say about Chris Carter, Tim Brown, Art Monk, or Michael Irvin for that matter...Andre should already be in the Hall! Hopefully that will be rectified this year.

The only guys in recent years (that I can think of) that the Bills should have held onto are: Antoine Winfield Pat Williams Jabari Greer London Fletcher Jim Leonard (maybe not as your starting safety, but as a backup and ST player, the kid makes plays) Did I miss anyone? Other than that, I don't think any other former Bills playing for other teams would have been a big improvement over what we have had.

Agreed (that its a major disparity). And just to add more info, in 2008 he had a 59% comp pct. in 13 games with a poor Cinci team and a 56% comp. pct last year in 10 games with that horrid offense. But I really think with another year in the system, an entire offseason with Gailey, going in as the starter, the progress of our young receivers, and hopefully improvement across the O-line he can definitely crack 60%...I don't know how much higher he can go, but I want to see him get that chance. 17 QBs topped 60% comp. percentage this year, but only 6 QBs topped 65% (Manning, Brees, Brady, Rodgers, Rivers, and Jon Kitna)

I decided to compare Fitz's stats to the big three for 2011, just to see... Yes, I'm on a pro-Fitz kick, but no I'm not saying he is as good as these guys (or ever will be), just wanted to see how the stats compared. Fitz obviously only played 13 games, so I averaged his numbers out to 16 games and I included rushing yards since that is part of his game as well. ...................................................FITZ.................................Manning...........................Brees............................Brady Games....................................16 (prorated)............................16...................................16.................................16 Pass Attempts...............................542...................................679.................................658...............................492 Pass Completions..........................313...................................450.................................448...............................324 Completion Percentage.................57.8%...............................66.3%...............................68.1%...........................65.9% Total Yards (Pass & Rush).............4,005................................4,718..............................4,617............................3,930 Passing Yards...............................3,692................................4,700..............................4,620............................3,900 Yards Per Attempt..........................6.8....................................6.9..................................7.0................................7.9 Touchdown Passes.........................28.....................................33....................................33................................36 Interceptions.................................18......................................17....................................22.................................4 Total 1st downs (Pass&rush)..........202...................................255.................................237..............................199 Comp for 1st Downs.....................186....................................253.................................236..............................189 Rushing Yards...............................331......................................1...................................-2.................................30 If Fitz had the same number of attempts as Manning (with these numbers) he would have had 4,623 yds to Peyton's 4,700 (77 yards less or 5 yards less per game) and he would have had 35 TDs to Peyton's 33; INTs would go up however to 22 for Fitz compared to 17 for Peyton...I know that's all speculative, but its interesting nonetheless. Fitz's yards per attempt were similar to Manning and Brees and he had more total yards than Brady on the season (including rushing). The only major disparity is in completion percentage (8-10%) and TD/INT ratio versus Brady. Granted the big three didn't have career years this season (except for Brady's TD/INT%), but they also all had better offensive lines, more proven skill players, and have been in their offensive system for multiple years. Fitz's stats look pretty good to me for a guy with a lot less playing time and in his first year in a new system. If he can improve his completion % with a better O-line and more experience then we have a pretty good QB (I know a lot of you think he can't improve his accuracy, but I'm not so sure...not having to run for your life helps a lot). Not every team can have an elite QB; at any given time there are probably only 3-5 teams of 32 that have an elite QB. So, I'm happy we at least have Fitz and not another Trent Edwards, J.P., etc. I think Fitz can win in this league with the right pieces around him. What say you? Go Bills!

Time to own up to some of my preseason perceptions: 1. There is no way we have fewer wins than last year...I WAS WRONG I thought better coaching would overcome the 1st year coach/change in defense and thought everyone who was predicting 1-4 wins was crazy. And while I felt like the offense took a big step forward, the defense did take a big step back. But, I do feel the team is in much better shape than it was a year ago at this time, despite being wrong about the overall record. 2. Anyone but Fitzpatrick should be our QB...I WAS WRONG To anyone who was pro-Fitz at the beginning of the season, kudos to you. Fitz impressed me this year and I believe he absolutely should be the starter next year. We can still draft a QB if a guy we want is there, and groom him behind Fitz, but I want to see if Fitz can keep growing as a QB and this young team needs a leader like him at the helm. 3. Donte Whitner should not be starting...I WAS WRONG Come on guys admit it already, Donte had a great season. 140 tackles (96 solos), 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR. If we brought in a FA SS with those stats we'd be drooling all over him. Now, I don't think the team should overpay to bring him back, so he'll probably be gone, but the guy had a great year. Sure his tackles stats were padded because obviously the guys in front of him couldn't tackle, but, he was one of the few guys on our defense who brought it every week...he was hitting hard this year. 4. Switching to the 3-4 wouldn't set the team back this year...I WAS WRONG All of you who said we didn't have the right players to do it we're right. Although I knew we weren't strong at LB and I didn't like how many guys had to switch positions, I thought by the end of the year they could be solid...I was wrong. We need major upgrades at LB and DLine (except for Kyle, Moats, and maybe Poz, and Merriman--If he can play like his old self). And I'm not sold on Edwards as DC either. Well, we all know what went wrong this season, but since I'm always an optimist... WHAT WENT RIGHT: 1. I still think Chan is the right coach for this team. I like what I saw from him this year. 2. We finally have a capable QB...maybe not a superstar, but a guy who can move the chains. I still believe in Fitzmagic. 3. Stevie Johnson...I knew he was gonna be a player...had some drops down the stretch but will keep improving. 4. All of the WRs: Evans, Johnson, Parrish, Nelson, Jones, Naman, and Easley will be coming back. 5. Arthur Moats looks to be a player. 6. Kyle Williams is a beast. Now depending on how you want to go on D maybe you move him to DE, but you find a way to keep this guy on the field. 7. Team chemistry. I think everything went right in this department from Buddy on down...these guys have a good work ethic, gained a lot of confidence, became close through adversity, and will go to battle for their coach and the guy next to him (don't underestimate how important this is). 8. The coaches now know the players and Chan isn't afraid to dump dead weight or start young guys who are showing promise. 9. Experience. A lot of young guys got a lot of good game-time experience. As always, we need to focus on the lines this offseason. Even though its become a passing league, you still need to run and stop the run and we didn't do either well this year. We need to fix that D-line, add a LB or two, and figure out a way to get the offensive line to run block better (maybe leave Wood at center, bring in a real RT, and then decide if you need an upgrade at RG also). But I do still feel this team is on the upswing. And with a good draft and off-season this team could make real strides forward next year. Damn, I think these rose-colored glasses are crazy-glued to my head...oh well, Go Bills!

Wow, I'm really surprised how many fans are down on Fitz. Is it just the thought of probably not getting Luck and assuming Luck will be the next Peyton Manning? Or is it the two embarrassing losses to end the season (one of which Fitz didn't play in) that has people so down? Now this is coming from a guy who at the beginning of the season thought anyone but Fitz should be our QB. But I think Fitz should be our starter next year without question. This doesn't prevent us from drafting a QB to start to groom behind him, even a 1st round pick if the guy you want is there...but Fitz proved me wrong this year and got a lot of productivity out of a weak team with a shaky O-line. I don't care what the stats say, this offense was far superior to what we've seen the last few years. People say, sure he's a good leader and can read defenses and is aware in the pocket and has escapability and gets everyone lined up right and calls the blitzes and knows his hot reads...but he'll never be more than a backup. But that is exactly what the great QBs do...those are those intangibles that everyone talks about that separates the players from the busts. I don't know if Fitz is the long term answer, but I think this young team is best served by starting Fitz next year; the way young players blossomed under his leadership, the way he spread the ball around, the gunslinger attitude. Sure he threw some picks, but just as when Kelly or Brees or Manning or Favre would throw some, I always felt that Fitz could make up for it and still come back (it didn't always happen but I felt it could with him). (And no I'm not saying he's as good as those guys, but he has that same type of mentality.) And then add in the fact that we never had a RT, he played with 2 different centers, at the end of the season we were starting guys off the practice squads and/or street on the OL and he had receivers that were rookie FAs, plus a defense that couldn't stop the run which usually meant playing from behind and not getting as many opportunities cause the D couldn't get off the field. Oh and the fact that it was his first year in this system and he didn't even get the majority of the reps early on because of Trent. I felt like I watched a player grow into a solid starting QB with the potential to get better. Am I crazy? Didn't anyone else feel that despite the record and the way the season ended?

Great post! Why do we have to hate on our players...are we that jaded and gunshy? I root for the Bills (all of them--you dog one of us, you dog all of us ) and right now I'm happy with the progress I'm seeing. These guys are playing their guts out right now as a Team...shouldn't we have their backs as their fans? But no, we have to hate Lee or tear Stevie down just as he's coming into his own, refuse to admit when Whitner or Kelsey plays well...try to run guys out of town before they've had a chance to prove themselves. I like both Lee and Stevie and our WR position is all of a sudden looking like a position of strength (w/David, Donald, and Roscoe and Easley back next year). The more weapons, the more DCs have to worry about, the better for the whole team. Who cares who is getting the actual stats...it's working. And besides, the way Fitz is playing, everyone is going to get in on the action. Teams do have to worry about Stevie now, which will open things for Lee and David and Donald. This is a good thing guys.

What a great TEAM win today...Chan's and Fitz's leadership and the adversity of the 1st half of the season has brought these guys together...team chemistry is at a high and that can' be underestimated. The great Bills teams of the 90s had a ton of talent, but the fact that those guys had the chemistry that they did, like a family, and then of course their resiliency is what made them great. This current team obviously doesn't have all the talent it needs yet...but they have the chemistry, character, and heart and building on that is more important than any #1 pick. Also, Stevie has proven that you can't give up on young guys too soon. After the first couple of games, a lot of fans would have moved him to the bench and left him there...but this kid has taken his opportunity and is becoming a star in the making. And in the TEAM theme, he deflected all of the media praise in his post-game interview to Fitz (for those who have thought that he was an over celebrating ego). And I saw Aaron Maybin (not dressed for the game) on the sidelines, totally into the game, running up to congratulate his teammates, etc. You can see it in the highlights from the game (after I think the Wilson interception and elsewhere). So, he's a scratch on a 1-8 team, but he's not pouting, he's into the game and excited. This tells me that Chan has totaly won these guys over, everyone is buying in no matter what. But also, that Maybin isn't just some primadonna, he's a team guy. He may not be ready to play and may never be...but shouldn't the example of Kyle Williams, Stevie Johnson, Fitz, show us that maybe we shouldn't give up on guys too soon?...to that point Donte and Kelsey have been playing pretty well of late also. Anyhow, here's to hopin' that this team keeps a growin'. Go Bills!

Beyond a QB's physical tools, people always talk about does he have "IT"...there have been many debates about what "IT" is, but my take is that it is a combination of being able to read defenses well (a student of the game), pocket presence, good leadership, and competitiveness. Fitz seems to have all of those attributes...and this is coming from a guy who at the start of the season felt anyone could be our starting QB except for Fitz, who was a good career backup at best. But Fitz's competitiveness and never give up attitude has totally won me over. The great QBs in the NFL all had that fire, drive...competitiveness. Did you see Tom Brady on the sideline of the Pitt game, remember Jim Kelly. You can't rule a guy out just because he went to Harvard and was only a 7th round pick. And don't we as Bills fans have a root for the underdog mentality anyhow? So, I believe Fitz has shown that he has a lot of those QB intangibles...so, it comes down to does he have all of the physical (tangible) tools to do it. I have questioned this myself many times. Well, he's 6'2" and 225 lbs. The exact same size as Aaron Rodgers. Sure there are guys taller (the Mannings, Rivers), there are also guys shorter (Brees, Vick). He doesn't have the strongest arm in the league, but he isn't a noodle arm either. His balls have a lot of zip on them and he can throw the deep one too. That first throw to Evans on Sunday had lots of arm under it. Even the passes I thought he had trouble with last year, the deep outs, have almost become his bread and butter this year. At the combine: Fitzpatrick ran a 4.86 in the 40-yard dash had a 295-pound bench press and 415-pound squat and 325-pound power clean. Seems like he has some good physical tools. And now we (really the Bills) have 7 more games to see if he can not only keep up his good play, but also continue to learn and grow and get better. I think we'll all have a better idea after 7 more games if he could be the guy or not. But I know I'll be rooting like hell for him. I mean, Fitz coming on and playing well is only a positive for the team. It doesn't keep the Bills from drafting the QB of the future. If their guy is there you still take him and then groom him for a year or two under Fitz. But if you're guy isn't there, you're not pushed into reaching for someone else. If you do draft your QB of the future and after a season or two, Fitz is lighting it up, then you have the Brees/Rivers scenario and you trade one of them for good return. If Fitz is just keeping the seat warm for a season or two (not getting better), then you bring the young guy in and still have a very good backup. It's a win-win situation. Some Interesting Fitz tidbits Fitzpatrick is one of only four players to pass for over 300 yards in their NFL debut. The others were Otto Graham, Mark Rypien, and Peyton Manning. As is the case for most incoming NFL rookies, Fitzpatrick took the Wonderlic Test. A draft commentary on the NFL's official website reported that he made a perfect score, while setting a speed record by completing the exam in nine minutes. (It has since been said that his score was actually 48 or 49, but still) Fitzpatrick was recently tabbed as the 5th smartest professional athlete by the Sporting News.

As others have said, we need to wait to see what happens... I don't doubt that 0-7 Buffalo wasn't on Merriman's short list and when we claimed him, he might have had an oh crap moment...but, sometimes in life the thing we want the least turns out to be just what we needed. So, there are three scenarios: 1. Merriman doesn't want to be here and it stays that way and he uses the rest of this season as an audition for other teams. 2. Buffalo realizes that he truly isn't the player he was and doesn't even try to resign him 3. Merriman comes in, starts to bond with the guys on the team, likes the atmosphere at the Ralph and being a big fish in a small pond. Feels like Buddy and Chan are heading in the right direction and says, "Hey I'm only 26, I can wait a year or two for playoffs, etc. I want to be part of building this team (which will reprove myself to everyone) rather than just going to an already contender with a lot of star players." Hopefully he plays lights out and the third scenario happens and the Bills PAY him to stick around... but, we just have to wait and see. And if at the end of the season he doesn't want to stay, let him go. I'm a firm believer in only keeping players that WANT to be in Buffalo.

Granted, the Steelers LBs are worlds apart from ours...but, Gibson was inactive for the 1st 6 games of the year. Which says to me that the Steelers felt he wasn't ready to play yet (even in a back-up roll), i.e. he's a project. A college 'tweener' DE turning LB. Sometimes you have to give up some projects to make sure you're team on the field has the best tools available. So, obviously Gibson (despite how bad our LBs are) was not going to come in, learn a new system, and make a difference for us on the field this year. And to take him on as a project would mean dropping one of the projects we already have, who already knows the system and has been running the scout team. And if he wasn't going to make a difference this season, and you're unsure if he has the goods or not (no rookie is a guarantee), why not wait till the offseason to pick up guys that are your guys in free agency and the draft. Sure, if he turns out to be an All-Pro someday, we'll say, damn we could have had him...but the chances of that are the same as any other rookie, slim. Plus, there is no way the Steelers give up someone they think can be a stud no matter what the numbers say. He was obviously a player they were waiting to see if he could develop, doesn't mean he won't, but it wasn't a given that he will either. If the Bills FO liked him enough, he'd be on the team right now. It's not because they were asleep at the wheel, forgot their depends today, we're taking a nap, on vacation, etc. Can't we give these guys the benefit of the doubt once in a while...it's still early in their tenure.

Looked at a couple of Packers boards and most ranged from "A.J. is mediocre and we should make the trade" to "He's pretty decent against the run and we're thin at LB so we shouldn't trade him." But there were very few "No way should we trade A.J." And a few saying they'd be robbing us. So, I don't know if he's worth trading Marshawn for (if the rumors were to be true) unless picks were also involved. To be honest though, I don't know enough about him and his situation in GB. A few interesting tidbits I did pick up: A.J.'s house is up for sale (although we've been down that road before with other rumors) A.J.'s agent did announce that A.J. was open to a trade A.J.'s salary for next season is $10,000,000 so I think if he came the deal would have to be restructured Anyhow, I'm against trading Marshawn unless it is for a player who is a significant upgrade to one of our starters (preferably OL or OLB) or the draft pick(s) offered are too good to pass up. It's nice to have depth at at least one position on our team...especially after seeing Fred and Marshawn both go down in the preseason.

I understand the frustration, I too was disappointed last Sunday that we didn't win (or even look capable as an offense---except on 1 drive), I'm sick of losing too, but this is where you lost me... 1. We are not the worst team in the league (Did you see the Jets game <cough> Superbowl contenders?..I'm not saying the Jets are the worst team or worse than us, but they looked pretty pathetic on offense as well). 2. Everything is new, have some patience for it to come together. It was game one, with new coaches, new schemes, Chan's still trying to figure out who does what well, our LT still working his way back, it was C.J.'s first real game, action, we're a young team learning on the fly, etc. 3. This season isn't about a Superbowl run, it's about progression and development. I'll still be expecting and rooting to win each week and be hoping to make the playoffs...but we all knew going in that playoffs were unlikely, and yet, you never know if some magic can happen (look at the Jets last year). 4. I'll be expecting to see improvement each week. If by midseason they still look as anemic on O, then we'll have just cause to call for some heads. But don't let the past be your guide, let's see how it plays out. Can't we at least give the new guys more than one game before we're ready to run them out of town? 5. Did you see how many offenses struggled out of the gates in week one...a player recently said "Defense is easier, see ball, get ball". Most offenses take a couple of games to get rolling (not to say we'll be rolling, but one can hope) Am I still worried about our OL, QB, LBs, pass rush like the pessimists (or realists depending on your perspective)? Sure, but I still feel like this team is heading in the right direction and will get better as the season progresses. You're a Bills fan, toughen up, we've been through worse (a lot worse) and I do believe there is some light at the end of the tunnel, it's just a long tunnel that is going to take us a little while to pass through. If we end up with less than 6 wins this year, or are one of the 3 or 4 worst teams, I'll be right here to eat some crow, but I still don't think that's gonna happen. Let's at least see what happens against the Pack this week, before we give up on the season, players, coaches, huh?

A cold, winter afternoon in Western New York...dark, gray, with skeletal trees; A light flurry falling atop the mountains of snow already piled up on the edges of the parking lot; Beer-battered, rabid Bills fans bundled in red, white, and blue as far as the eye can see; The camaraderie swelling around the garbage can fires and grills as would-be footballers sprint down the rows of cars going out for a bomb; Van Miller's voice hanging faintly in the air from all directions as car radios tune in to the pregame show; And the electricity that can be palpably felt can mean only one thing... Buffalo Bills playoff football! Where would you rather be... I guess Senator's post made me a bit nostalgic...and a little homesick on the eve of opening day. I was at that game too...That team was amazing, a well-oiled, unstoppable machine that day. And now? Who knows, but, opening day is here, a new season, new hope, let's go out and squish some fish... and everyone going to the game tomorrow "Shout" twice as loud for all of us that can't be there! Go Bills!

Expect to Win!

I'm a bit nervous about the defense as well after the preseason, but I'm thinking we'll probably start the season a bit shaky and then get better as the year goes on, becoming a pretty good defense down the stretch. And I think I would call Byrd a game changer...he's only played one year, but the kid is no fluke. Love the post OP!