BillsVet

Going from 8 to 10 wins is a big step. It's not like improving from 6 to 8 wins. (EDIT: Defensively) Rex is going to be working with less in terms of personnel next season. The "great" Aaron Williams may return, Kyle Williams is another year older, they need to find another starting DE, and they're thin at ILB and OLB. It appears guys like 10 year vet Manny Lawson will log serious minutes and the CB depth is minimal. I don't understand how this translates into a very good, as in top 10, defense. It's not an automatic Buffalo improves. They could just as well regress or, more likely, remain an 8-9 win team.

It's really hard to win in the NFL.

They spent a ton of money, particularly guaranteed last off-season. Whether the player was UFA, trade, SFA, or otherwise, the plan was to win immediately and it was unsuccessful. Conflating the way a player was acquired or their place on the depth chart does nothing to avoid that.

So why did Buffalo go that route last year?

It's amazing to watch the GM squander resources and produce so little in 3 seasons. Levy/Jauron/Brandon were able to pilot the team to three straight 7-9 finishes. And they "achieved" that record in a division where New England was so dominant and the other teams were average to mediocre. Not to mention, Marv, Dick, and Russ had much less financially to work with. I know there are those who think Whaley's outstanding and it's not his fault Buffalo's been mediocre during his GM tenure. If he trades up in 2016 it's because his and perhaps Rex have jobs on the line. Even if they sit tight at 19, the likelihood that player makes Buffalo tremendously better is slim to none.

This is a team 35-45 in their last 5 seasons, which to some is a span or underachieving not worthy of criticism And this is after 10 previous seasons where they won less than 40% of their games. Where's Buddy Nix with that baby he talked about...6 years ago?

TPegs may not issued team leaders an ultimatum per se, but I'm sure the writing is on the wall. Whaley and to a lesser extent Rex have accomplished very little in terms of a W-L record given how much cash was spent.

They spent more than 90M guaranteed last year, which led the NFL. And then went out and laid an 8-8 egg. I'm sure TPegs is happy he wrote out those big checks and watched the team remain mediocre.

The no-show still needs to be replaced. Primary depth at G and CB need to be replaced. Depth at TE, starters in the defensive front 7, and a backup QB need to be acquired. Yet, the Bills have very little cap space to do it and probably will depend on rookies or low cost veterans to do it. I've never understood why fans magically assume the team will get better. Every organization doesn't ride the mediocrity train for so long without ever getting really bad or makes the playoffs. Good franchises have an option on the roster before a veteran is cut loose. I don't expect it to happen all the time, but when you enter a draft using your picks to fill needs (which the Bills frequently do) then you're never getting better, just keep your head above water.

Releasing McKelvin, Mario, Urbik, and even Dixon means those guys need to be replaced. Who on the roster is there right now? And if you're talking about the draft, are rookies going to fit the bill? Doubtful. I'm sure you'll say the cap necessitated these moves, and they did. Which means they've badly mismanaged the cap in a go-for-broke 2015 which hurt them in future seasons. A NFL team doesn't win 6-9 games the last 5 seasons by accident. Then again, you've proven incapable of constructively criticizing this franchise.

There's nothing wrong with wanting the team to win after so many years of falling short. Last year Buffalo went for broke and it didn't work, resulting in some purging this year with other players not re-signed or franchised. With UFA about to begin, the Bills are getting weaker. You can say certain cuts were necessary to satisfy cap problems, but it doesn't remove the fact the roster has more holes to fill. And with less cap space to sign replacements it looks like Buffalo will once again enter the draft using it to address needs.

Jim Overdorf is the same guy who apparently cannot conduct negotiations with more than 1 player. When Lee Evans was up in 2008 it meant Jason Peters had to take a seat while the former received an extension.

The next time you debate an opinion contrary to yours might be the first.

Pot meet kettle. Gotta keep that post count going.

Collateral damage from the Whaley/Rex spending spree of 2015. Now they'll be looking for bargain bin UFA pickups or draft picks to take his place, a position of apparent priority for Rex's defenses. Better hope Gilmore plays a full 16 which he hasn't done since his rookie season in 2012.

Just call him a hater, Bill. It's what all the kids do these days when they don't like someone's opinion but can't debate why.

He keeps running upright and he'll be back on IR.

No? You need another DL to play Rex's schemes now. Marcell, 33 yo Kyle W., and the spare change they have aren't enough. Who is their interior OL depth? And, how will Dixon's loss be felt on a ST unit where Marcus Easley was severely injured late last season? Sure, there's UFA coming, but with so little cap room after Glenn's tag, hard to see them adding veteran pieces who won't need the lead time like rookies. And, if they're focused on improving the team with bargain bin acquisitions and hope rookies develop, it's basically their method the past 10 years. And it's never worked.

Teams managed well have cap flexibility to handle the unexpected. It's why GMs and their personnel people get paid so well. Incognito outplayed his 1 year deal and has one final chance to earn a NFL paycheck, so I'd expect him to make high demands. Naturally, the Bills have almost zero leverage because they're razor thin at guard and RI's agent knows this full well. If the Bills use the draft again to replace departed players, either UFAs or those players released for cap reasons, it should signal the personnel folks are incompetent.

But this time we're doing it near the cap ceiling and not the cap floor! And I don't think it's all Whaley's fault, but he gets his share of the blame for being GM. As jahnyc said, Rex was pushing for players and he's not the one I want calling the shots. Whaley was interested in placating the new HC and demonstrating he was a team player. The problem was this resulted in a cap situation looking pretty rough down the road. Of course, when you're worried about winning in 2015 to ostensibly save your job, future seasons don't matter.

Takeway: Subterfuge ain't Dougie's strong suit. Everyone in the league and their wives know Buffalo needs front 7 pieces for Rex's defense. And their GM isn't high on the QB...not yet at least. Translation: My job is on the line this year and if this ship starts sinking (because of Rex) then I'm getting my lifeboat ready now.

To have so little cap room necessitating the excise of bad contracts and have their starting QB under contract for punter type money is exactly that...criminal mismanagement. Not as bad as the Cowboys and 49ers 20 years ago, but in this age of competition it's bad. As Bill from NYC has said, the Bills are fast and loose with resources. Eventually that catches up to you.

Makes you wonder why, after the season Whaley was so adamant about needing another year to watch TT. Just a guess, but the team is taking heat in NFL circles paying their starting QB so little. And if there's one thing we know about OBD, it's that they're scared to death of criticism and will act to squelch it. And if they're reaching out to TT's agent you'd hope it's a bridge contract, but knowing the front office they'll act out of fear and doing something irrational. Like pay him starter money before they should.

It takes a bully...to beat up off-duty police officers.

I'm thinking Whaley should be the pre-emptive choice for NFL executive of the year for 2016. Because it's not about your W-L record, or how well you manage the cap or draft. It's much presumed talent you've assembled.