BillsVet

I think he's getting a good deal out of a low talent roster with issues all over the field. But then again, so did DJ in that 2006 season when Buffalo went 7-9 in the first year of that rebuild. Looking at their wins, it's home to DET, at CIN, home CLE, and now at MIA. CIN, CLE, and even MIA may be making changes at HC. DET is horrendous on the road. It sure looks like they're just getting to play teams with similar talent like Fewell did last season. Chan needs help from the people upstairs to get this team back to respectability. If that doesn't happen this off-season, provided there's no labor issues, then I don't know what more he can do with middling talent scraped from the late rounds, UDFAs, and street free agents. You win games by having superior talent and with a dose of smart solid coaching.

Gailey on Spiller "Great backs do make your line better," Bills head coach Chan Gailey said. "I don't tell this to the offensive line, and you're going to write it... but I'll deny I said it. But that's what happens... You saw tonight why we drafted C.J." Shall we debate what the word "is" really means now?

Can I ask Chan if he still thinks Spiller makes the OL better?

To say Spiller wasn't expected to make an impact his rookie season is absurd. Why would you select a RB top 10 and then not expect them to get major touches? Tennessee didn't take Chris Johnson with the thought of him being a 3rd down back who played some special teams. Spiller doesn't have and won't approach 1,500 yards from scrimmage in 2010. He's at 351 in 12 games right now who's been an a better PR than a KR. I don't remember when KR and PR yardage was included in the yards from scrimmage statistic. Besides, I might argue the OL that took the field this year was better than last year's, given the lack of injuries and experience the younger guys now have. To cite the rushing yard per carry average as proof that the OL is the cause for FJ and CJ not being as good is ridiculous.

Woodhead undoubtedly benefits in his 3rd down role from playing behind a good OL. Problem is, Spiller's a 9th round pick that can't get on the field and was, according to Gailey, supposed to make the OL better. That's not happening, and even though he'll be around for awhile, he's behind in his transition to the pro game. They needed an immediate impact from their first round pick and haven't gotten it, OL or not.

You're conflating the argument by really comparing the Eagles to the Bills? They shouldn't even be in the same sentence, and as flawed as a team can be, Philly is atop the NFCE. You can't deny that some here revel in moral victories for a team not expected to win. It's been happening since 2006 but the problem remains that in their previous 2 rebuilds this decade the franchise never got over the hump and started winning those games. It's why I need to see it first before anointing them as a developing team. They're a long way away from being that.

Modrak did nothing. He just compiled information and never advocated a certain player who would become a bust. After all, he wanted Cutler over Whitner, wanted Cushing over Maybin, and probably would have taken Revis over Lynch . That guy is teflon around here and it's partly due to him covering his tracks by leaking information to his buddies like Pasquarelli. How does anyone know what goes on at OBD? Overdorf is the VP of Football Operations, which seems like a fairly lofty title. And with no cap this season, what precisely does he do? Nix is the GM sure, but it doesn't mean he's the decider.

They did, just not in the form of an INT or fumble. Not a good series.

It's times like this you have to wonder when, not if the turnover happens.

Hey...it's Bill Macatee and Rich Gannon. And there was much rejoicing.

I always found it amazing that Lombardi said after losing the 1960 NFL Championship to Philadelphia that his team would never lose another playoff game...and they never did. He went 9-0 in the post-season thereafter. One thing most fans do not know is that Lombardi had a guy working in the front office, akin to a modern day player personnel director named Jack Vainisi who died in 1960. As great as Lombardi was coaching, Vainisi acquired many of those players Lombardi made into stars. Without that, I'm not sure the greatest HC in NFL history gets there. JMO.

That about sums it up right there. How many other teams can do these things and still get the fan support the Bills do? Of course, they're looking at failing to sell out 4 of 7 real home games this season. How soon before they begin saying the fans don't support the team? Only thing I'd add to this list is Overdorf and Modrak remaining in the front office as long as they have.

Reading between the lines has become a lost art. Tom Condon want big money for his client? No way, I need a source! Would not surprise me if DW wants 6-7M per and Buffalo is countering with 3-4M per. He's going to find out his value the hard way.

You could make the case the Bills are cutting payroll, although in fairness many teams across the NFL are doing that in anticipation of the union decertifying. This is a cost over replacement argument, not necessarily about whether to re-sign the guy. He's not an impact player, but it sounds on the surface like he wants to be paid like one. If the team thinks they can get similar production at less cost, they'll do it and save the money in the long and short term. Buffalo's roster is stocked with predominantly lower to mid range paid players. It wouldn't shock me to see payroll cut even further, given that I don't see the team playing in UFA should the. That is, provided the CBA is worked out.

Replaceability factor is huge here. Should the team pay a SS 5M per who provides marginal production (not tackles) or use that money to improve OL or DL or LB's and go with a less expensive option at a position normally 10-15 yards off the ball? This argument is an old one, but drafting a safety high is not maximizing your resources when you have issues on the OL and DL. It was a luxury selection then as much as it is today. Whitner is not as good as Polamalu, a healthy Sanders, or Adrian Wilson. His instincts, despite watching all that film, are not as fine tuned. I'd rather be a little cheaper at his position than at QB or OT. And Whitner has been known to go for the big hit instead of the tackle. Someone jokingly referred to him as the league leader in hits after TD's were scored, and while I can't confirm, you often see DW arriving late in coverage. Certainly this is a nuanced argument, but the era of SportsCenter drives players to make the huge play when a good one suffices.

Tom Condon is his agent, who happens to be one of the heavy hitters among the NFL circle. It wouldn't surprise me if TC is running a hard line, but the way DW goes about expressing his feelings is unprofessional. What's interesting here is that some people continue to believe in Whitner AND the Bills front office. So, if the execs decide not to re-sign DW, who's in the wrong then?

Most definitely Fitz has played better. Heck, this team hasn't had a 20TD season out of QB since Kelly. But I also trust Gailey to answer in politically correct speech as the HC of the Bills, although his post game PC's have been enlightening at times. The reason people aren't in the stands is there's less reason to attend than ever. We're back to being a bad to mediocre team with no shot at the post-season and no drawing card players lining up. The economy has a little to do with it, but not as much because fans find money to attend sporting events. But to compare the Buffalo football market to Jacksonville is a poor attempt at rationalizing a declining attendance. I would agree that TV is a huge revenue stream, but it's not encouraging to see a game where less than 51k tickets are sold and submit that the improvements and relative affordability of HDTV's is driving a part of the downturn in attendance, both here and nationally. The Bills need something to get fans excited again and will need to craft a new message in 2011 should the season happen.

That is an outstanding book and a must read for hardcore football fans. One of the things I remember in the book is when Lombardi was coaching HS in NJ, he kept pushing his teams, but it took him time to realize his talent was not of the caliber it took to win like he wanted to. Coaching is one of those things you need to be an amateur psychologist to know when to do what and Lombardi mastered it. Kinda think that's what Gailey was alluding to after the Minnesota game.

Jerry Sullivan has repeatedly said this in his columns and on GR. Someone admitted to JS that in the wake of McGahee's comments that RW wanted a RB change. Now go discredit Sullivan and call him negative. Quibbling with others and then going passive aggressive isn't enough. RW loud and clear told John Wawrow that he wanted a QB, and then you come back with this. I'll even provide your counter argument after my post: Fitzpatrick is better now than he was when RW made that point and things have further changed. Right. You don't think RW is aware the stands aren't as packed? He and his handlers/advisers know it'll take a huge drawing card (who won't come via UFA) so that leaves one opportunity: the draft. It would not surprise me if a QB is ordered upon the GM. When 51k pay for a game in the NFL leaving no less than 22k empty seats, that's a serious issue. It is not a stretch to say they've gotta figure out a way to market the team, and this time around they can't trot out a HC or GM who gives nice sound bites. Of course, they could say fan support is waning and try guilting people into it.

RW said the team was 3 years away, and that's about how long the Rams have been rebuilding for. Since 2008, they've drafted a starting QB, RDE, LT, RT, and MLB and while they're far from a finished product, it's a team with upside. Teams can rebuild quicker, but that happens when a front office has its stuff together. There's a growing sense the Bills "have" to be active in UFA with some premium signings to expedite the process. When's the last time that happened, what 4 years ago? Based on recent history and considering the future of the franchise, I don't see them going big in UFA but continuing to downplay it like Nix loves to do. So that leaves the draft, and they again have more distinct needs than picks to fill them in the coming offseason.

What, no mention of Tim Tindale?

Did you ever consider Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta probably put him on the PS and not the active roster for a reason?

I guess that's what you get when raiding other team's practice squads. They're there for a reason.

I'm not Jerry but he's living rent free in a lot of fans' heads around here including yours. The nerve to complain about a 3-10 team. How dare Jerry and me have the audacity!

The issue isn't whether Fitzpatrick has improved, it's about selling tickets, and with several thousand empty seats, it's clear the Bills aren't placing their current starting QB at the center of any marketing campaign. They need a drawing card and Fitz isn't it. After all, we still have the same owner who demanded Lynch in the wake of McGahee's comments and lo and behold it happened. This team is not similar to the 86 team. They have no Kelly, Smith, Reed, Talley, Wolford, et al. Not to mention it was a completely different era where a few teams had more of the talent than today's era where talent is spread more equally. Who do they have now? Fitz, Williams, Jackson, St. Johnson? Not even close. There was supposedly a light at the end of the tunnel in 06-09, but more failure ensued. With RW/Littman/Overdorf running the show, I don't see how things have really changed.