Koufax

Lions win the OT coin flip, drive down to the Bills 10 yard line. Suh misses a 27 yard field goal. CJ takes it to the house on the next play. Bills 26 Lions 20

Which one is most like Ryan Leaf? I haven't actually seen either play and don't follow college football, so I don't have an opinion on the matter, but with a chance Luck doesn't come out, I don't see why the #1 pick is so much better than the #2 pick or the #3 pick. Obviously I'm rooting for the Cowboys and Panthers to win (but also rooting for the Bills to win). But I am buying in to the Luck is closer to Elway than Edwards hope at the moment.

Yeah. That can only lead to you ending up with Ladanian Tomlinson or Philip Rivers. Trading down from #1 to another top five pick always blows up in your face. As to the original poster, we have to get our first win before we can worry about that, and as dark as the first half of their season was, I don't see the Cowboys being 1-15. The coaching change will get things moving in the right direction and the talent is there. They will finish with 4 or 5 wins.

+1 I don't think Dallas is our competition at all. They have looked bad, but are underperforming and with a new coach should regress to their mean, and going 3-5 over their final 8 games wouldn't be any heroics even without Romo (who could also be back for the final games). I don't see the Lions winning in Irving for starters. I of course am still hoping we finish 4-12 and get the #4 pick (I'd rather have Philip Rivers than Eli Manning ), and am most excited about us getting our first win this week. But the Carolina risk is real: that we knock of Detroit on Sunday and then limp in, we both finish 1-15, they win the tie breaker, they pick Luck, we get somebody else. I remember the last time we both picked in the top 4 and we got a franchise LT and they got some pass rusher who would barely make the roster . So right now my main focus is on the Bills beating Detroit and winning as many games as possible, but I am definitely wishing some wins for Carolina (and the Cowboys, Bengals, Broncos, Niners, and Lions). I want us to win as many games as possible, but I would like the other teams to help make any winning we do not a draft disadvantage

+1 Yep. I'm hoping for Luck and don't see Fitz as our savior, but right now I'm enjoying him taking snaps, leading this team, taking shots down the field, and trying to make his career into Kurt Warner lite. He is mobile, smart, and can make a lot of throws. He still has a chance to be our QB of the future, even though I wouldn't put money on it. Brohm moved from #3 to #2 on the depth chart after week 2. That is an important jump in practice and in the course of a season. No need to charity him any playing time while Fitz is healthy and playing well.

In the spirit of making stats say what you want them to: In the history of the NFL, no 0-16 team has ever had a winning season afterwards (small sample size of 1 and a half Lions seasons ) And of the 1-15 teams in the last 20 years: 2009 Rams: TBD but currently in 1st place the following year 2007 Fish: Division champ following season 2001 Panthers: Super Bowl two years later 2000 Chargers: 3 bad years, 12-4 division champ year four 1996 Jets: 9-7 following year, 12-4 division champ year two 1991 Colts: 9-7 following year, playoffs in 1995 1990 Pats: 3 bad years then playoffs in year 4 So while two of the 7 suffered for three more years, all of them recovered pretty well. I'm really rooting for our first win every week. Only Carolina and Dallas can compete with 1-15, so our first win gets the 0-16 off our back and probably not cost us any draft position. Many 1-15 teams are forgotten like 15-1 teams, but any of us can name the 0-14 team and 0-16 team. I would prefer not to be mentioned in that breath. Luck at #1 with time to learn behind Fitz is a perfect situation if he comes out, but right now it is about getting the guys we have moving in the right direction, because it is very hard to find 53 new players in one off season. I'm still enjoying this season and optimistic about the next couple years. Go Bills!

+1 Right now we have a good chance to have a better roster for next week with a guy with a chip on his shoulder who has been an all pro every year he is healthy and Bills' doctors say is healthy. He has said all the right things, but being disappointed privately that he gets released instead of a long term deal from the playoff franchise he has always played for and gets picked up by an 0-7 team that hasn't been to the playoffs in a decade? Sure, I bet he would have liked more of a Moss-like slide to later in the waiver wire to a team that can do something this year, just like he would have loved to stay in SD. But that didn't happen, and he is ready to help the Bills. Glad to have him and I look forward to seeing him in a Bills jersey next Sunday.

Born in Buffalo. Live in SD. SD > Buffalo. So what? But what's the point in bashing the city? I don't get the article and it isn't nice. Nowhere is as nice as San Diego if you ask me, but does that mean all 300 million Americans should live here and every other place sucks? Besides, maybe it is just how I grew up, but football in the warm sunshine just doesn't seem right. The same could be said about Green Bay too. Who would prefer Green Bay over San Diego? Hmmm...maybe a real football player? Maybe Merriman will love the Bills fans after being left out and cut from the Chargers? Maybe his path will be a little different than TO?

Say what you want about the front office, about your expectations for Merriman, etc. Today our roster got better, and Ralph spent some extra money to make it happen even as we lock on to that #1 pick in the draft

I'm going to put this one in the crazy pile with the people who think we are going to win the Super Bowl this year. "a couple decent years". Try all pro every year from your rookie year until a major knee injury you try to play through (dumbly) instead of getting surgery early, and some other related injuries coming back from that. He is 26, and when he gets healthy will be very good for some team. I doubt that will be this year and that the team will be the Bills, but right now he is better than what we have, and if he does well we can trade him to a contender or just enjoy the part year performance. If he doesn't, he is still an improvement and Ralph is out a few bucks.

As a San Diego resident, other than getting occasional 90s in November (like today), I also have followed the Merriman stuff pretty closely. He clearly has not recently been the player he was, and that is obvious, because if he were he would not be on waivers. The decline some combination of the PEDs, the knee injury he tried to play through, and some other wear and tear. I hope you are not suggesting that he has nothing left in the tank, and is done as a player though. He is 26 years old, and in 2007 was an impressive difference maker for a top playoff team and an all pro for the third time in three years. He missed 2008 with knee surgery, and was hobbled in 2009 by a couple of other injuries and his recovery, and didn't look great so far in 2010 again with some injury issues. But he is so clearly better than what we are starting out there, and there is no reason to think that a 26 year old with only four total NFL seasons of wear and tear is done and over the hill. Maybe he won't get to his PED super star level, but he makes this team better right away, and I'm happy we get him.

Who are you taking #1? If you think that it is so clear cut that the difference between #1 and #4 is so important, than can you tell us who Peyton Manning is this year? I am not a college football guys, so I only know what I read, but historically, there are tremendous players taken at #4-5, and usually some pretty great players at #8-12 even (leaving out our Maybin/Whitner/McKelvin/Lynch stuff). Sometimes there is a #1 who stands above the rest, but if you are going to write a satire post talking concluding that the #1 is crucial, then you are implying that the clarity of the selection compared to #2 or 3 or 4 will be crystal clear, and not that we are in a Manning/Rivers situation.

Sure, if you think the difference between where we draft at 4-12 and having the #1 pick is very significant, and you think that 1-15 doesn't undermine the building effort with our core players. I hope they win each game, and would rather have 2-14 than 1-15, etc, but I'm being patient with losses. But look at past drafts. Being #1 or #4 is not always a big difference. Of course the most important thing is to root for the other bottom teams to win Niners and Cowboys will win games. We need for Carolina and Detroit and Cleveland to find some more wins, and we might be able to win some games AND get the #1 pick. Caroline still plays Cleveland, but otherwise their schedule is brutal. The last time we picked behind Carolina in the top 5 we got a franchise left tackle and they got a useless end named Peppers if my memory serves me There are tremendous players available if we fall to #2 to #5, so I'm not so worried about locking up that #1 overall pick and would prefer to have our team win some games and play tough in others.

Excellent detective work! Much more likely that his million picks last year as a rookie over the majority of the season are the fluke, and much less likely that a handful of games coming off a serious injury and surgery with a historically hapless Bills defense and an injured secondary could be the fluke. I say we cut him now! As far as Donte is concerned though I will turn off the sarcasm and wonder if he is really outperforming what George Wilson could do. I've seen him make a fly by appearance in a lot of opposing offense highlights, and don't know which times he is to blame, and which times he is providing late safety support to the DB who made the mistake, but my gut feeling is that he is getting beaten way too often. We all know he won't be better than Ngata, and that is a moot point, but he does have to be better than George Wilson if he wants to continue playing.

And why is this? Are you thinking about 2010 value and you are sure that Bulaga would have us at 1-5? Or you are thinking that he is incapable of rushing more? Is it his 4.3 YPC that is bugging you? Way too soon to get down on Spiller. There is nobody in the draft who would make this team good (although I would like to have Bradford or Suh), so that draft is about getting players who can help this team over the next few years total. I think Spiller is definitely in that category. Also the quick default reply by me: Chris Johnson as a rookie was held under 75 yards 8 out of 15 times as a rookie, despite getting the ball lots. I am disappointed that Chan isn't getting him more involved, especially after a bye week and after Lynch leaving town, but to say he is a complete waste of a #9 you either need to wait a little, see him fail (I know he fumbled), or have a really strong player they passed on lighting it up. You know like the whole Maybin vs. Orakpo/Matthews/Oher. I don't see CJ there, and I don't see any evidence at all of a total waste.

Riiiiight...because what we were doing was working so well and this is supposed to take us to another level of failure? I think it makes sense. I have a question about Kelsey being the guy, but I like our strong front four. I am sad to see us move away from the 3-4 as a concept, but we don't have the personnel yet to make it work. We could keep trying it on our way to 0-16 in the hopes that learning for the guys who won't be replaced would be valuable for next year, but I think being run over the way we have been and being the league laughing stock is worse, so if four big bodies up front helps us perform better, we can ease our way into a future 3-4 when we get the people to make it work.

Right...because if he were NOT a shell of his former self he would be available for the Bills to add in the middle of a season without giving anything up... He is a low cost high reward risk worth taking if possible, like TO was for us. Maybe he will work, maybe not, but I would love to see it happen.

We should be picky with: 1) Taking playing time away from promising young players who we feel have a chance to be good (Brohm? Maybin? Spiller!) And any moves to the contrary aren't good. But we aren't stacked at LB who are going to be future stars so this doesn't go against that for me. 2) Wasting money if it is a lot of money or if it will make Ralph spend less elsewhere in the future. I don't see this as that either. 3) Bringing in player who don't add anything AND don't have a future. I think Merriman likely adds something to this team, and it was controversial to cut him from the stacked SD team. Any move has to either make us better in 2010 without compromising the future, OR make us a little worse in 2010 and make us stronger in 2011+. I don't know how the process works on waivers vs. him being free, etc. But I think he makes us better in 2010 without making us worse in 2011. So I am fine with this.

I don't get the TE position idea. I could see trying a TE who couldn't catch or run routes or remember blocking assignments as a situational pass rusher who has a much simpler role, but I definitely don't view that as a productive transition for him. He needs to play better in practice and earn some more game reps, and then play better in games. He was drafted as a project, but we are way past draft day with no impact. He doesn't have to live up to his draft position...he is clearly a bust for his slot (like Whitner), but has to prove he can be a pretty good football player (like Whitner) or hand in his jersey sometime between now and the start of 2011 mini-camp. I'm okay with him riding the bench until he shows something to Chan in practice, and I'm also okay with him being thrown to the wolves and given a chance to sink or swim with more snaps...either way I think he needs to become a different football player than he is right now, and I am not too optimistic of that happening right now.

Not sure on the level of sarcasm, but we will need a kicker in 2011, 2012, 2013, etc. I don't see Lindell on the verge of retirement, so I think he can contribute in those years more than the value we would get back. No player is worth it to us for his 2010 value, but there are pieces of our roster that have 2011 and beyond value (contrary to the popular opinion that we are 53 worthless guys and should just blow up everything), and keeping useful pieces while casting off the useless stuff is the way to go.

Hmmm...I agree about the giving up on 2010 at some level. Any 2011+ improvement is more important than any 2010 goal, so any place we can get better for 2011+ is fine with me. I am not sure that trading Lee will help us get better in 2011+. If we could get value sure, and I'm happy to give up 2010 Lee, but I really want 2011, 2012 Lee on our team especially as we get our new QB with the #1 pick So if value is there, it was nice to know you Lee. But anywhere a player on our roster has more 2011+ value as a Bill than the pick value we would get back that player needs to stay.

Dear Peyton Manning fans...the vast majority of top QBs were not selected #1 overall, and there are more busts than stars selected #1 overall. I don't think you have to bend over backwards hoping for a high pick, because that is what is unfolding, but us moving from 0 to 1 to 2 to 3 or even 4 or 5 wins is not going to be a bad thing if good decisions are made. At this point I don't mind #1 and think it could be refreshing, but I am definitely happier if we beat Jacksonville Sunday than if we lose, and I don't think losing that game "helps" us get better. We are going to have a tough transitional year and a lot of losses this year, and end up with a high draft pick. But thinking that 0-16 and the shame that comes with it is somehow better than 1-15 or 2-14 or 3-13 seems a little silly to me. And if you think #1 is enough important to want to lose, tell me who you are picking #1? Who is the Peyton Manning and you don't want to get stuck with Ryan Leaf? I don't see enough clarity among the top QBs right now, and I think this might be a draft where there is a Rivers/Rothlesberger situation after the top pick to go with Eli Manning #1. And while I think a top 5 pick could help this franchise a lot...please look at history and realize that one and two win seasons are much more predictive of future 3-13 and 4-12 than they are of Super Bowl winners.

Confused in the logic. First, "tanking" isn't really a good way to build a regime. While I'm accepting a bad season at this point, I want the groundwork to start to be laid, playing good football to start to be the expectation, and having the young players on our team start to learn to play better. So who do you pick #1? You are certain you want to lock that up and even intentionally lose to accomplish it, but then you list three QBs as interchangeable. So do you think those three go 1/2/3? I'm not sure the last time three QBs went 1-2-3, but fair enough. But do you think one of them is Peyton Manning and one of them Ryan Leaf? Or do you think we might have a Eli Manning and Philip Rivers situation (he was taken at #4). This seems to me like a draft where you might get one of the top QBs at #3 or #5 or #7 and tanking to get #1 doesn't really seem to make sense. I'm sure a guy who is the best for us will emerge, and draft position might make a difference, but right now in October I don't see it.

No. RB miles are measured in downs and hits. Freddie is low mileage and that will mater as he ages. I don't think he will be good for five years, but we certainly can sit with Freddie/Spiller for now and fill in with UDFA and late picks. And FYI we turned a #1 into three years of high mileage from a position that averages about five good years, plus two picks. Not my ideal fantasy trade, but I think a good move in the Bills' long term interest.

How is it squandered? We got two picks AND three years of running back miles. I like Marshawn, but we are not in a position to win in 2010, and if we can do anything to be better in 2011+ I am open to it. I think he certainly and obviously has a lot left in his tank, and enough that we could have considered passing on Spiller if there was someone of similar value there at #9 (or a good trade down). But having drafted BPA in Spiller and having three talented RBs on a talent devoid team, getting some value for one of them makes a lot of sense. I would have rather seen him go on draft day or go for a higher pick, etc. But getting value for him now instead of less for him later is fine with me. Having watched the Charger roster pretty closely while Buddy was in town, I think the more picks we have the faster this team gets better. I'm not really excited about what our 2010 picks are doing so far, but you can't judge everyone in their first year, so I will try to be patient and hope they turn out better than Maybin/McCargo/Losman/etc. It would be nice to see Troup/Carrington/Easley/Wang starting in 2011, and I to see more of some of them this season.