JohnC

Bill, The rules in today's game give the offense a major advantage in the passing game. The receivers are at a major advantage over the DBs because they can't be bumped around. All CBs are going to be "frequently" beat.That is the nature of the game. McKelvin does have good cover skills while he also has atrocious ball skills. He often gets beat by the second and third move by the WR. I'm aware of his weaknesses. But you have to put those liabilities in the context that all CBs including the most elite DBs are vulnerable because of the rule changes inhibiting him. McKelvin isn't getting paid as if he is an elite CB. He is getting paid a very reasonable and fair contract for his performance level. I'll take him over Aaron Williams any day of the week. In addition, McKelvin is a threat in the return game giving him added value to the roster. Let's not mix the Levitre situation with the McKelvin situation. Levitre is a good player with a lot $$$$ value on the free market. His value on the market makes it very difficult for the Bills to keep him. That is the nature of the system. If the Bills can't work out a deal that makes sense within their cap structure then they "must" let him walk. All teams are subjected to the same required cold blooded cost/benefit analysis of their players. No team is immune from losing good players because of cap considerations. While you are critical of the organization for "probably" losing Levitre to the market I am encouraged by the more analytical approach it seems to be taking. Look at the operation of the Pats, Steelers and Ravens. These are all superb organizations that allow good players to leave and rebound with good value replacements. You can't fight nature---you have to work within its confines. You have no option other than to work within the complex system that applies to everyone. Infatuation is not a trait that works well in a business set up for cold blooded behavior.

The McKelvin signing is a good signing from a talent and value standpoint. He is going to be a starting CB, outside or slot, and he is one of the best returners in the game. His trouble reacting to the ball is well catalogued. But if you factor in that he is a top tier returner his contract is very reasonable. You bring up a very intreguing question regarding the structure of the football operation. Who has the most authority and ultimately who has the final say? Is Nix being phased out and Whaley phased in? I suspect that the post Nix transition is already worked out with Nix leaving the scene after this draft. (At least that is what I hope is so.)

If he did then I was answering a question that wasn't asked. Typical me. Not paying attention got the backside of my head slapped by a lot of teachers.

RB Fred Taylor QB Mark Brunell WR Jimmy Smith LT Tony Bosselli

The reaity is that the Bills want to upgrade the receiver corps. Even when he healthy he is a very limited player with a limited route repertoire. He has terrific hands and is a solid person. They prefer a receiver with more versatility and upside. The coaching and front office staff are undergoing a detailed analysis of their roster. I like the orderly way they are doing it. Even with the Levitre issue they are going about their roster analysis with a rationality and order that didn't exist before. There seems to be a greater emphasis on a cost/benefit approach to the business.

Greg Cossel is from NFL films and watches a lot of tape. The attached link is Cossel commenting on him and other qbs. He is not impressed with Barkley. http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-path-to-the-draft/0ap2000000148892/Underrated-QBs-in-2013-NFL-Draft

If the Jaguars draft a qb in the first two rounds that will give you an indication as to whether they think he is salvageable or not. As long as he is progressing in his game that certainly is a positive sign. Just because a qb doesn't develop into an elite qb that doesn't mean that he can't become a legitimate starting qb, something the Bills haven't had for a very long time. For some reason I kept repeating that Gabbert was a rookie last year. Even after you corrected my misstatement I again made the same error. Being stupid is one thing but being stubbornly stupid is unacceptable. I'm off to the woodship to get my behind whooped. It's called kickass learning!

Blaine's performances so far have been disaterous. No one is claiming otherwise. All I am suggesting is that qbs have different rates of development. Can he be salvaged? Odds are probably not. But after making such a high investment in him wouldn't it be reasonable to give him more time to see if he can turn it around? Sometimes throwing a rookie qb into the line of fire when he is not prepared to handle the challenge sets the qb's development back. Aaron Rogers sat for at least three years before he got significant playing time. That delayed playing strategy worked out for him. Qbs have different makeups. Some qbs respond better with immediate playing time and some don't. Gabbert certainly was overwhelmed with the early exposure to the point that he is damaged goods. That doesn't mean that he is not a redeemable player.

Is never give up going to make a pre-draft prediction? I don't recall him resurfacing last year. In prior years he has been a solid source as to what is OBD's draft strategy.Maybe he was renditioned and taken to Guantonamo? I wonder if he is waterboarded if he will give up his sources?

Of course all young qbs need prep time. But that doesn't mean that certain qbs can't play right away and develop while they are playing. On the other hand less prepared qbs would have a melt down if they were thrown right into the real stage. Last year RGIII, Luck demonstrated fairly quickly that although they had their struggles were not overwhelmed by starting right away. Russell Wilson had a slow first half but came on the second half of the season. Regarding Manuel I don't see him as a qb who would be starting right away. Although Barkley might have some physical limitations he would be more ready to play than qbs such as Manuel, Glennon, Nassib and Wilson.

I just don't see Manuel being ranked that high up in this draft. Not because he doesn't have talent but because he is the type of prospect who will require some grooming. Would it be a risk to trade down and possibly lose your favored qb? Yes. But as a consolation you would have addtional pick/picks to address other needs and still come up with a good qb prospect in the first or second round. Why would the Jets draft a qb who requires some preparation time with their first pick? If they draft a qb in the first round, which I doubt, they would take a prospect who could immediately challenge Sanchez.

There is no doubt that Gabbert wasn't ready to play last year. He had a disasterous season with a horrible team. However, that doesn't mean that he has no chance to develop into a legitimate franchise qb. Some rookie qbs are better able to handle the daunting challenge of playing right away. While most rookie qbs are overwhelmed if they are immediately inserted as a starter. Before he is considered a total bust it might be more prudent to be patient and see how he does in his second year. Most draft evaluators believed that he had the physical tools to play in the pro ranks. Now the major question is whether he has the makeup to play in the league. Let's just be a little more patient before considering him as an abject failrue.

I don't know how high the Bills have Manuel rated as a qb. But if they do have him as their highest rated qb then odds are that other qb needy teams do also. Taking him at the 8 spot would be much too high. What they then need to do is to trade down, acqure more picks and then select him with their lower first round selection. If the Bills have Geno Smith rated higher then they should take him with their pick at the eight spot. I agree with you that waiting another year is the wrong approach to take. Who knows if they will be in position to take a high end qb next year? Until a legitimate qb prospect is on the roster this team will remain mediocre with little chance for success.

Why don't you divorce yourself from the Bills so we can experience the joy of having a playoff team? Have some community spirit and do it for the rest of us. We would even pay homage to you, the loyal departed fan who sacrificed for the team. .

Let me start off by saying don't pay $300 for the Sunday Ticket. When the time comes for renewal tell the customer service rep that you can't afford the NFL Ticket any longer and that you will only keep it if you can get it for free or at a discounted price. With respect to the faltering Bills they are certainly in another one of their cyclical rebuilds. Is this any different from the other failed rebuilds? That is the issue. In the NFL of today there shouldn't be a long and extended rebuild process because of the fast pace of player movement and the forced departure of good players due to cap considerations. A number of mid-range smart moves can turn an uncompetitive team into a competitive team. What distinguishes a championship contending team from the rest of the pack is the quality of their drafting. Until that changes for this rumpled organization this won't be a serious franchise. If there is one positive that is going on with this organization it is that the owner is no longer involved with the franchise. Decisions will still be made that are perplexing but they won't be destructively weird. The hiring of Levy and even Nix to their positions were to put it mildly inexplicable. I suspect that after this draft Nix will be gone. So there is some hope. As many others have stated over and over the difference between irrelevancy and success is the caliber of the qb taking the snaps. I disagree with a large portion of the posters who don't believe that there are good and impactful qbs in this draft. There are. Until a credible qb is on this roster the on the field malaise will continue. The best way to handle this bumbling organization is to tone it down and be encouraged with the positive steps forward and don't get too discouraged when the inevitable steps backward happen. As San Jose wisely put it keep a healthy perspective on this form of entertainment.

The Bass Pro store never materialized for a variety of reasons. But even with that void the area is being steadily developed. The shame of that episode is that it went on far too long and then simply collapsed because the BP company decided that it wouldn't work for them. There were factions working to get that store anchored on the waterfront and there were factions working against that business locating it there. Sometimes when option number one is stalled then the right thing to do is to move on with the next option. Instead of freezing up with a particular setback it is better to move forward. That is what is now happening. Don't get me started on the Peace Bridge fiasco!!!!!

I'm with you. If you have a conviction on him or any other qb then go ahead and take.him. Why risk losing him to other teams? If you don't like him then pass on him. Nix hesitated on a number of good prospects who turned out to be impactful players. When sitting on your hands get you nowhere then get off your duff and free your hands to make a belated move.

The Rose Bowl in Passadena and the Coliseum were discussed as venue options. As you noted the Dodgers were stunningly over payed for. That is my point. If a billionaire hedge fund mogul wants to over pay and win the auction then the team is bought and moved. Sometimes ego trumps fiscal sanity. Sometimes people have so much money that a side hobby has little to do with making money and more to do with becoming a public figure. The overwhelming majority of owners would be more than happy to have the Bills move out of western NY to southern Cal. If a winning bidder wants to do something that doesn't make financial sense but has the ability to do it he/group is going to do it. That's the nature of an auction. Winner takes all.

There are few rookie qbs who can play immediately and not be overwhelmed. Of course there are exceptions to the rule as demonstrated by Luck, RGIII and Russell Wilson. With Wilson he struggled for the first half of the season and then in the second half he found his mojo. Kaepernick played a little in his rookie year and took off when he got extended playing time this year. Whether a young qb prospect plays immediately or not if he is on the roster he will at least be developing as a player. I believe that Barkley probably will be better sooner than most of the other qbs in this draft. That doesn't mean that a prospect such as Geno Smith or Glennon might not in the long run turn out to be better qbs. What is most important is getting that prospect in the pipeline and getting him prepared to be the long term qb for this franchise. Developing a franchise qb isn't always a quick process (sometimes it is) but if you don't start the process you will never get anywhere. The Bills are a testament to that.

Don't ever believe that it is impossible for a mega-billionaire to buy an auctioned off team and move it to LA. Just because the extravagant stadium projects on the drawing board haven't yet materialize it doesn't mean that a team can't be procured and then allowed to play in an upgraded stadium that already exists. If you look at the LA Dodgers auctioned off sale price you will realize that the economics and finances in southern Cal are at a level that can never be matched in western NY. In addition, the California business climate is definitely on an upswing. My point is don't assume that the threat of losing our franchise is still not a possiblity when the owner leaves the scene.

You make a terrific point. If you are going to make a mistake in the draft then do it trying to have a major impact for your team. Hitting it right with a qb selection, albeit at a risk, can dramatically change the dynamic of the team for the better. The Bills have made draft mistakes at every position. So why be so reluctant to even swing the bat and give yourself a chance to come up with a legitimate franchise qb?.

I doubt that the waterfront stadium will ever materialize. The economics and finances don't seem to allow it. But slowly I am coming around that there is a way to make the waterfront stadium project become more realistic. If they build a stadium it can't merely be a stadium; it has to be a combo facility that also includes a convention center. The model would be the closed stadium in Indianapolis. It is a football stadium, a convention center and a multi-used facility in the heart of the downtown. The waterfront development in Buffalo is steadily materializing. There is now a medical corridor that is downtown and is expanding. Building projects that lingered on the drawing board for years are now at the stage where shovels have hit the dirt. My point is that what was once inconceivable now seems less crazy and possible.

I like Levitre a lot. But the issue is what is his value and how much is he worth. This is a good year to be a quality offensive lineman in the free agent market. He is one of the better guards on the market with a number of teams that want to shore up their lines before entering the draft. From a cap and production standpoint the market works in the players favor at the expense of the team he is currently playing for. I see the same scenario playing out as it did with Paul Posluszny when he became a free agent. A good player getting paid more than he is worth to the team he was with. The Bills made the right decision when they let Paul P depart. The mistake they made is that the draft pick they made to replace him, Sheppard, has so far turned out to be a dud. If the Bills can come up with a decent guard to replace Levitre then that would be a decent fallback position. Bill, don't allow your player infatuation to cloud your hard-nosed business and football sense. Making the right decision is not always easy, but it is necessary.

U Bill, I look at the status of the Bills and say to myself what the hell did Buddy do to this francise! The Bills have just as many needs, if not more, than when he took over the operation. There is almost unanimity in the acknowledgment that Nix not drafting a qb prospect has set this franchise back by years. However, what has really sunk this franchise back more than anything else is his overall pathetic drafting record. How many lower round picks have come through? The most ripe time for lumbering Nix to have traded down in the draft was in his first draft, the Spiller draft. Just think how much the dynamic of the team would have changed for the good if Kaepernick or Russell Wilson were taking snaps for us? Instead we have Aaron Williams and T.J. Graham on the roster, both are invisible players for us. Excuse me for avoiding your question to let off some steam. If I had my druthers I would take Matt Moore over Fitz and Jackson. Moore is a productive player who is in the category of capable of being effective. Nothing special but at best capable. He did play well for Carolina and Miami. Your suggestion that the Bills should trade down to acquire more picks and address some of their other needs makes a lot of sense. But that's not the Buddy way. He prefers being simple than being creative. His comfort zone is limited to his very tight box. If Geno Smith is on the board when we pick I prefer taking him. If not, I'm not against selecting a qb prospect in the second round, maybe Glennon or Tyler Wilson. I do like Barkley but I'm concerned about his arm strength. The below attached link is a WGR interview with Joe B who covers the Bills and who I have a high regard for his fair player evaluations. He believes that Levitre is probably not going to be resigned. http://audio.wgr550.com/a/71765836/3-5-joe-buscaglia-talks-bills-off-season-needs.htm

What a weird way to run a billion $$$ business! When it gets to the point that the argument for keeping Nix on the job for another year is that he has been castrated by the organization so others will be more influential in calling the shots (which is not necessarily true) then you know that the franchise is still in a troubled state. Expecting the person most responsible for screwing up the franchise to fix the mess he created is a continuation of the irrationality that this organization is well known for.