BillsVet

Vet? Maybe not that bad. Still looks pretty bleak for 2013. That is, unless the "top 5 talent evaluator" can find a way to get more draft picks and cap dollars to work with.

The leadership question isn't the biggest one, it's who plays on opening day. They have 2 DE's signed, the DT's are OK, but coming off a season where they contributed to a 31st ranking versus the run. The LB group features a mere 2 guys who have experience at the position, they have 2 safeties with NFL experience provided Byrd is retained. And, the GM just stated McKelvin is the starter opposite 2nd year man Gilmore. Wow. I wouldn't just say the roster has holes. It's more like the after-effect of a B-52 strike.

You must be kidding. Plenty of fans are critical of Nix and the roster he's built the past 3 seasons and off-seasons. And Buddy's issue is not just the lack of a QB. He didn't formulate a plan or at least didn't develop a good one to rebuild a team 6-10 after 3 off-seasons of rebuilding. NE's track record is poor? Gronkowski, Hernandez, Vollmer, Solder, Mayo, Devin McCourty, Ridley, Chandler Jones. That's pretty good, especially picking at the back of every round. I hate the Patriots, but their record makes Buddy look worse not better.

Who will Cellino and Barnes get now for a celebrity sponsor? That sack of Brady 8 years ago in the commercial is priceless and probably the only one he had of Marcia.

10 years takes its toll. Durability went downhill last 2 seasons. Best way to kill the David Nelson non-tender. Another bad contract extension courtesy of Nix and Overdorf. Don't re-sign guys playing out of position when they're almost 31 in the NFL.

All-Pro might be pushing it, but he's got potential. Could be a Pro Bowl caliber one down the road.

LS seems pretty good.

Hitting on your first round pick is not a bonus, it's a requirement to winning consistently. The true measure of a GM and his personnel department is how well they do in rounds 2-4. Who are the starters from those rounds from 2010-11? (not judging 2012 yet) Troup, Carrington, Easley, A. Williams, Sheppard, Searcy, Hairston? Any of those guys proven and dependable starters going into 2013? Not to mention, Buddy hasn't found a QB, hasn't drafted a dependable WR, and is now working with his 2nd HC in 4 seasons. It is preposterous that a GM who has "built" a team that went 6-10 after 3 off-seasons of rebuilding is lauded for anything. Goodness how much further can the standard get lowered.

Exactly. Nix's decisions on the QB seemed based in fear since he took over. His answer to the QB problem was to acquire or continue with lower ceiling and under-performing veterans rather than develop a young player. He failed to see that, unlike only a few years ago, young QB's could contribute quickly. And the argument to support Nix's strategy was that a low ceiling veteran was more likely to play OK ball than a young guy. Well, if you're looking for certainties in life, there aren't many. GM's get paid to do the research and make good decisions. Nix's was to punt on the QB on draft day. No team since 2010 without a QB in the NFL has devoted fewer draft resources to the QB position than Buffalo. Was Nix afraid of a bust? Sure seems like it. And it's what has the Bills backed against the wall at QB 3+ years and in their 4th draft with ol Buddy.

Where did I say anything about injured reserve in my post?

Marcus Easley was parked on the practice squad, or in other words, made available to every other team in the NFL for their 53 man roster. He was not signed, which indicates to me that he's not in the top 160 or so of WR's in the NFL. Given that Pro Personnel departments know everything about other teams' rosters, why would they eschew Easley? TJ Graham is a guy I wouldn't bank on to start or contribute in 2013. He's still a project type with mediocre hands and isn't a strong route runner.

I've made my point known earlier in this thread. Here goes once again: This is a nuanced argument, not solely about the player being a "difference maker". Scheme, cap hit/contract, and ability to replace the player are part of the conversation as well. Either the Bills believed a 1 yr 1.3M contract was too expensive, he didn't fit their plans or a combination of both. We'll see. At the same time, you can make a rebuild worse by stripping away everything. Nix did it in 2010 when he arrogantly said they'd go from a C2 4-3 to a 3-4. It didn't work. Now, they're overhauling the offense, which means they'll need a QB, 2 WR's (Smith, Graham, and Easley aren't #2s) and perhaps at TE (all good teams have one), and a G (Levitre's gone). That's a lot of personnel moves in one year. Nelson wasn't the problem, nor is 1.3M that outrageous a contract for a possession receiver. Until they prove themselves with a rookie OC and a rookie HC, and a rookie GM, these moves will be questioned. And if David Nelson can't be counted on to recover from an ACL injury suffered in September, what then of Chandler who had one in December? Both aren't renowned for their speed.

Apparently some believe David Nelson went back to the 1960s to have his ACL repaired. That, or they'll support OBD above all else and make claims to validate their opinion.

Robert Quinn had 10.5 sacks for STL last season. Seems like he's well on his way to being very good. To Bill's point: Not seeing the QB this year. I do know that not taking one in what appears to be the QB rich years of 2011-12 means you have to come away with one this year, and that usually means the first round. It remains mystifying why and how the GM missed on so many QB's. They are in the dire predicament today because he failed so repeatedly.

Buddy's track record in UFA and in the draft tells me this won't be a problem at all. 2013 is looking like another rebuilding campaign. That's a lot of starters to get in one off-season.

Have you looked at the depth chart recently? There's more than one off-season worth of improvements for this team to be playoff caliber. Paring it down further doesn't change.

When Buddy Nix is making decisions for you. Is it possible to find a starting QB, 2 solid WR's, and 2-3 starting LB's in one off-season? Say nothing of TE, perhaps G, DE depth, and DB depth. That's a lot to need in one year.

Guess Buddy wasn't lying when he said they'd been in contact with Nelson's agent. They called to say the team wasn't tendering an offer. It's one thing to non-tender when you have better options on the roster. It's another to do so when your receivers consist of SJ, Brad Smith, TJ Graham, and some fringe NFL types. SJ's been banged up the last 2 seasons, TJ Graham is small, and Smith shouldn't be in your top 5. Nelson will never be great, but decimating the WR corps without options is what this franchise always does. When injuries inevitably occur, the WR depth will be exposed as lacking-once again. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

This is all nice, but how does it explain going 16-32? Cue blaming the fired guy.

Eddie Robinson is probably available too.

How about low information Bills fans? There's a never ending supply.

The straw-man.

Chris Brown getting his information from Buddy "I get 35 calls a day" Nix? Oh yeah.

Marrone's putting his stamp on the team and one really wonders who's making personnel decisions at the top. Is it Whaley, Nix, who? The roster is extremely thin from 1 to 53, notably at WR. To expect to get 2 productive WR's this off-season in addition to finding a better QB, better LB's, perhaps another guard, TE help, DE's, and another safety is far-fetched. 40% of the current 60 guys signed are fringe NFL players IMO.

Heard something about a party in the garden, right? Hard to say now what the team is thinking, but neither Nelson nor D. Jones were ever going to be dependable second receivers. They need better. At the same time, the WR group isn't deep or talented. I guess they feel a 3rd or 4th WR isn't worth a second round tender or know they can improve. Either way, it's a position very weak.