cale

We should look at Billick. I'm for keeping Nix if we re-assign him to scouting/personnel. He doesn't want the GM gig anyways. Doubt he'll take the demotion but worth a shot.

Don't like Lovie as an option. Underachieved in Chicago. Lost the team a bit. I have no idea why Billick isn't an option. Guy is smart and fits what he has to the players he has available. Also fiery when needed and tempered when the situation calls for it. I like the McCoy talk. I also think Mike Nolan should be a call. We shall see.

You know if it isn't Reese. I'd rather go after a young GM like Costa from Baltimore or Marc Ross from the Giants. Casserly is an odd fellow. I don't think he has the people skills. Reese now works with the Patriots. C

This team needs to hire Bill Polian as a consultant, Floyd Reese as GM and Brian Billick as coach. I don't know what to do about the QB position, but between those 3 I'm sure they'll make the right decision.

Your points are well taken. And I don't necessarily disagree with your observations re the KC environment and that he wasn't singularly responsible for Cassel's regression. But my bigger point is folks want to crown Gailey some kind of offensive genius. When the truth is that he is basically an above average coach. He isn't all that. He ran the triple option in college and could not win at Georgia Tech. Again I like him as a person and I see why the players don't want him fired. He basically is running Camp Marv without the production. As for Fitz who is now "on the fritz" I'll go out on a limb and say Martz has and did get more production out of a passable QB. Don't you think that the three most recent QBs (Cassel, Fitz, Thigpen) he has had have noticeably regressed (further?) under his watch? As for Bray, living in Nashville we see a lot of UT. Bray will destroy the franchise that drafts him as the franchise QB. He is the second coming of Jimmy Clausen and the third coming of JP Losman. I haven't seen Glennon play much but what I did see I liked. I really like the kid from Arkansas, he is dealing with a cr*ppy situation and led the team respectably. Still hard to judge if he is a franchise QB or not. I also like Georgia's Aaron Murray. He's got some fire. But both those guys need some significant developing. The guy that I like as a potential franchise type QB player in college is Old Dominion's Taylor Heineicke. Kid is outstanding. My only concern is that the level of competition he plays against is kinda ho hum. But he has vision, an arm and leadership. Holy moly kid can play. I think this team needs to bring in Bill Polian as a consultant, Floyd Reese as GM and hire Brian Billick as coach. I think he'll get us to the playoffs and make players and coaches accountable. They'll hate him. But respect his coaching. Right now. That's what we need. C

My only question is who develops these guys? None of them are NFL ready. Look with the exception of Luck and possibly RGIII this year, I'm not confident our organization would have gotten the best out of our draft picks. I think we do great with WRs and OLs now, and possibly DBs and RBs. But QBs - our track record isn't that great. I am absolutely convinced we would have made Russell Wilson a basket case with this coaching staff. I still think it's funny how Green Bay coveted JP Losman and then "settled" for Aaron Rodgers. I think focusing on who we're gonna draft at QB next year without figuring out who is going to develop them, is putting the cart before the horse a little bit. Everyone wants to make a big deal over Gailey being responsible for Kordell Stewart's development. But his recent record is being demoted at KC, Cassell and Fitz regressing. Trading for and thinking Tyler Thigpen is the answer at backup QB. I like Gailey. But as a coach he's had an unhealthy obsession with the spread offense. Especially since he has had a pure stud at RB this year. His decision making in how to make this offense "go" is just nuts. He is a pure system guy now. Not a "how do I put the player in the best position to succeed" guy anymore. If he honestly believes that Thigpen is a better option at backup QB than Travaris Jackson and can't get him enough snaps all year, we've got a hell of a problem. All for picking the best QB available, but we better have a plan to get them to the next level. Right now I'm not convinced we do.

I've said this before. We can get the best players. "Re-organize" etc. But it really is the culture. When we jettisoned Polian, Butler and Wade, they jettisoned the culture of winning. None of them were "yes" men. And guess what that got them? The door! No wonder independently minded executives don't make a bee line for the Bills. Until the owner makes a commitment to changing the culture, it ain't gonna happen. Unfortunately, I do think he is set in his ways. And nothing is gonna change until there is change in ownership or control either through sale, successsion or death. And just to be clear, I am only wishing for some kind of organic change of ownership that keeps the Bills in town. So I'll just tune them out - for now. C

AJ Smith was a great pro personnel guy. He sucked as a GM and was arrogant to boot. He only got the gig cause Butler passed away. He couldn't work with Marty and brought in a coach who was subservient to him. I'd take Buddy over him any day. We got a bright young GM in Whaley. We need to give him a shot. C

That was bad ass...Holy cow...Bobby April for Head Coach of the Buffalo Bills...

I'm not sure what embarrasses me more. The fact that our owner and GM won't hold this team accountable or the fact that Bud Adams is the guy to show us what an owner is supposed to do.

Just be aware that he has his own publicist. Wouldn't surprise me if all of this is just damage control to justify his lack of production the first half of the season. Just sayin'...

Seems Bills were one of the last to know about Mario's surgery. http://espn.go.com/nfl/conversations/_/id/8564085/mario-williams-texted-buffalo-bills-surgery-sources I wonder who's running this joke of a franchise...

Tyler Bray is a joke. He simply isn't an NFL caliber QB. I'd be surprised if he was picked up by the Arena League.

Maybe the ownership situation changes it, maybe not. I think the Mario Williams deal as bad as it now appears, changed perceptions in the league as to what the owner will do or not do. I think a good to great coach (think Cowher, Gruden or similar) or GM brought in and given full total control in a GM/Coach situation (Parcells anybody?) would do the same and change the culture. Not that I think any one thing is the answer, but right now the Bills are an incestuous inbred dysfunctional family. Time for blood letting and chlorinating the gene pool. The only real answer is to go outside and hire from a winning culture. The three franchises that come to mind are New York, Green Bay and Baltimore. I think the NE success is an aberration and attributable to one guy - Belichick. Even Pioli is having trouble in KC. In that sense ownership is the issue. Even the Rams and Lions saw this. Ralph needs to do the right thing before he passes on. Frankly, with all the talk of his health, I'd be surprised if he's around a year from now. Not that I wish him ill or worse. I like the guy. But that's what I think needs to happen... C

Right now. http://player.streamtheworld.com/_players/citadel/?sid=2963&nid=2920

Relatively speaking - I'm new to American Football. I only started watching the game after I came to go to school at RIT in late 80s/early 90s. It was hard not to admire not just the team on the field - but the coaches (who else had a Harvard educated Lit. major as coach?) and the front office. I'm sure some of you will disagree, but the rot began with the John Butler & Wade Phillips fiasco and the way they were both dismissed. Sure we can blame Ralph and at the time Butler alluded to how difficult Ralph was to work for and yet still appreciative of the opportunity. Something "happened" way back then and has ingrained itself into the organizational structure. I along with most folks here would like to think that if we just fired this coach or signed that player and just reshuffled the FO, that we'll be on our way...again...There have been signs along the way - the Tom Donahoe/Mularkey transition was a royal clusterfrought. When Buddy Nix was put in charge I was hugely optimistic. But it's apparent that there isn't an innovative mind or creative thinker in the entire FO ala Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore or Jerry Reese in New York or Ted Thompson in Green Bay. Coaching is just one part of the equation. Maybe Asst. GM Whaley is the way into the future. But even he is tainted now. It's easy to blame Ralph and make him the boogeyman. And for sure in the time since '99 he has to shoulder a lot of the blame. But I keep thinking the Bills are very comfortable, maybe even scared to enter and compete in the new NFL. That is trickling down onto the team and onto the field. I commend them for signing Mario. At the time it was seen as a really bold move and no more "Old Bills." As awful as the investment has been, at the time it was the absolute right thing to do. But I still think it was the equivalent of a two legged stool. Until someone - hopefully Ralph before his death - brings in a knowledgeable neutral party to do a comprehensive analysis to revamp the organization - we are going to have more of the same. This is about the culture and the way they do business at OBD, there needs to be a relatively new bright, eager and innovative mind who is well integrated into the new NFL in charge of this organization. And I mean a complete handing over of the keys... I nominate these two - Marc Ross and Eric DeCosta. Ross even went to the Giants from the Bills. So he would know a little about the existing culture and perhaps bring some of the organizational systems and know how from NY/Reese. There have even been reports that Ross would love to come back to Buffalo. http://www.giants.com/team/staff/marc-ross/b3f10aa5-b99b-4517-8abd-ea613a65d0de http://www.baltimoreravens.com/team/staff/Eric-DeCosta/f9720ac4-2e1d-4155-85df-d8f1ba782a54 If Ralph and the decision makers don't even talk to these guys (presuming they're still available) the next go around, we'll at least know there is no desire within the organization for real change.\ Until the Bill do something along these lines the ghosts of the past will continue to walk the halls and fields of OBD and be the evil that keeps us from being successful into the future. C

We blew it up after Jauron. We ended up with Gailey, Nix and Wannstedt. I like the assistant GM Whaley. But even he is tainted now. The problem is a lot more systemic. We need to hire someone from within the Ravens, Giants or Packers organization and give them the keys to the kingdom. I hear Polian is available.

Please, can be drop the Tyler Bray talk. He is already damaged goods at the college level. Inconsistent, bad decision making - he's not even JP Losman.

The blocking scheme they're using now is different. But Chris Johnson is also a headcase. His line doesn't have his back. He keeps throwing them under the bus at every opportunity. His sub 50 yards/game carry ave for the number of gms is almost less than what someone off the street could do.

Our OL coach is the real stud here. Glenn credits Joe D'Alessandris with his development.

Nope. Having said that. I think he brings an added dimension. And he typically doesn't need many carries to have an impact. I'd be for him being asked to carry the rock around 15 judicious times.

That was Boomer Esiason. Boomer is neither an expert nor does he like the Bills. So I would take it with a pinch of salt.

Can we trade for Joquie Bell and get him back from Detroit?

Great insight, Bill. As I've said before, we need to live and die by the play action. This coaching staff sometimes tries to outsmart it's self. That being said, Chan played to our strengths today. We have a stud RB and a mauler OL. This is our identity. I was a Fitz supporter. But he isn't right. Time to scout starting QBs for next year. Per our draft class this year, Glenn on OL and Gilmore at CB are studs. Gilmore has a steeper learning curve, but he's gonna be great for years to come. C

If you listen to Fitz's PC from yesterday, he says the Jets didn't do anything exotic on defense and that they were pretty vanilla. This does not bode well for our "O" C