BillsVet

What will it take for some homers to finally stop giving Bills management the benefit of the doubt? Every negative report is ridiculed, every reporter discredited with questionable reasons, and inexplicable moves forgotten. This is the same team that re-signed Chris Kelsay to a contract extension after all. Anyone still wonder why Buddy never got a GM job?

I don't see GE getting fired during the bye week, because they now know how little talent they inherited. And that they drastically exacerbated this dearth of players by converting to a scheme for which they could not staff. But most of all, they won't fire Edwards because it would indicate their initial decisions were wrong. In this case, firing a DC isn't going to make that side of the ball better. Besides, who are you going to elevate? Giff Smith? Bob Sanders? Those are unappealing options IMO.

You've got to be kidding. Matt Ryan was a rookie, regardless of draft status and Chad Pennington was coming off his 31st shoulder surgery in 2008. Difference was, their coaching staffs planned around their limitations and found ways to put them into position to succeed. You don't need to be a SB contender to have completed a rebuild. I would say that even though both teams stumbled in 2009, they're primed to be better than the failures they were before new regimes took over. And when I say new regime, I'm referring to new everything in the front office with complete support from the owner. That's what it takes to win in the NFL of 2010, not some half-measures like keeping the director of amateur scouting through 4 different GM's. No, you can't completely judge the rebuild yet. But you can see some moves made that defy logic, are short sighted, or came in the regular season that should have been done earlier. As I said in another thread, guys like Mike Shanahan don't wait for Jason Campbell to stink before cutting him. He made the change when changes are made: in the off-season. And it's why a team in an equally difficult division, who changed their defense and offense, a coaching staff, and won fewer games last season than Buffalo will be better than the Bills the following season.

Simon goes on a rant once or twice a season, so this isn't surprising. If you listen regularly, Simon and White bemoan the team but clearly do not know how a team is built nor that it can be done quickly with sufficient resources. This is a main problem of TBD as well. When Simon and White make their points to Sully, it's a conflation of arguments, half-truths, and taking things out of context. Either they're dumb enough to believe themselves, or are showcasing a persona they don't truly believe. I'd say the former. First, Simon and White attacked Sully's opinion that the franchise needed to bottom out. Sully wanted the team to bottom out, ergo, it's what you wanted and you shouldn't be upset. Well, it's one thing to bottom out with some pieces on the roster to build on. But this team has very little with which to build, particularly at QB, OT, and pass-rushers, the premier and required positions for success. Not all of it is Nix and Gailey's fault, but they eschewed opportunities to acquire some guys. And they drafted a RB who while talented, doesn't address their gigantic holes on the OL and DL. Rebuilding teams don't have the luxury of taking BPA. And their other early picks are not playing or hurt. Not a good start when other teams have so many guys contributing. Which brings me to point 2: that it takes a full regular and post-season to evaluate the roster. That should have been done, regardless of the previous system, in the off-season with film study and in practice. No, they can't turn the roster completely over, but it's absurd to think they needed regular season snaps to know what Fewell did in 09 re: T. Edwards. Lastly, Simon and White attacked Sully for saying Lynch needed to go long ago. Unloading Lynch may have brought only mid round picks now or in April, but it would have opened up the backfield for Jackson and Lynch to team up rather than crowd them with a third guy needing touches. You can't quantify this, but undoubtedly they'd be better with only two backs needing carries than three AND having picks without a Lynch distraction. Most of Sully's point is that the Bills are prolonging the rebuilding process by doing the work in the regular season that most teams do in the off-season. Think Mike Shanahan needed 2-3 games to evaluate Jason Campbell? No sir. And he also points out that moves like re-signing Kelsay is a waste, when it contradicts them wanting good players who produce. Since when has CK produced on the field? Leaders who can't play aren't worth what that guy received. Talent evaluators are not all created equal and here the organization has not earned the benefit of the doubt. White and Simon are like goober fans who don't possess the savvy to make moves when it's the right time. Sully may be critical, but this team has earned nothing in the way of credibility. They have a lot to prove and I'd trust Jerry Sullivan to rebuild the Bills more than Simon and White who are wedded to playing the role of schlubs that retreat into absolutes when the subject is so multi-faceted.

It's ironic that Buffalo's top 3 picks in 2010 were all southern guys. Yes, it's a talent rich area but Nix and Darrell Moody have an avowed love of the southern area from their work there. Heck, Buddy lived in TN while Pro Personnel Director for SD.

At the risk of hijacking the thread, TG did a great piece on the Kelsay extension: TG re: Kelsay extension Based on TG's research, there was little if any reason to re-sign CK for this money and this time. But most of TBD already knew that. For Nix and Overdorf to give this kind of money to CK is what everyone's been saying: ridiculous and unfounded.

Homers don't see anything wrong with the current state of the team. They're rebuilding and it had to happen after 4 years of DJ. Of course, they said the front office had to be given time to change back then too and we know how that went. As others have said, the burden of proof is squarely on the front office to prove they've corrected their ways, given the GM and HC the resources commensurate with succeeding in the NFL of 2010, and minimized interference from non-football people. It may not be able to be corrected overnight, but the early returns show that decisions are being made by less than adequate (based on resume) leadership and are merely reactionary as opposed to part of a long term vision. Giving the front office the benefit of the doubt is something I stopped doing years ago. Sully ain't perfect, but he's a columnist in a town with 10 going on 11 seasons of mediocre to bad football. Gee, I'd wonder if something was seriously wrong with that track record.

The entire future of the franchise rests on the shoulders of a soon to be 92 year old man. As inconvenient as it is, this is reality for Bills fans. Everything else is secondary when discussing the success or failure of the team.

Thanks John for the intel. I stand corrected in my assertion that the team responded to Sullivan's column.

Amazing the power of Sullivan's columns. The guy writes an article and then blammo, Nix appears. I know BN can't say much and won't yield that things are terrible, but the fact they jump when Sullivan says jump is hilarious. There's never been more uncertainty surrouding the team and someone at Nix' level doesn't have the answers nor can assuage the concerns of fans about the future. The organization is totally reactionary, and it goes all the way from personnel moves to public perception.

Littman is RW's son in law IIRC and makes the old man money, so he's not going anywhere. And Overdorf couldn't get fired after cutting Troy Vincent without telling anyone on the coaching staff. They're both Bills lifers. It takes an edict from RW to fire anyone in the front office or a HC. No one's fired anyone but RW. These three being on the payroll is proof-positive that results are optional so long as profit is generated.

Tom Dimitroff did it in ATL. Parcells did it in MIA. Through 4 weeks STL and KC are looking much better, though not perfect. You get consistent rebuilding when you don't hire the right people at the top (many times over), allow non-football people to interfere (going on since Day 1), and draft bad players who can't get on the field (consistent since 2000). The reason the Bills can't avoid bottoming out is because they think their way is the only way. Unfortunately for us, their way stinks and hasn't resulted in much of anything for 10 years now. Get a proven personnel man and let him do his thing. Not these darn half-meausres.

Par for the course from OBD: remain silent as the ship sinks. Kinda like Brandon last season, who IIRC, spoke once after the Cleveland debacle. They go into shell mode when things are bad and expect it to go away like a a rain storm. It's ironic to see some homers here protecting OBD and attacking Sully. But it's not Sully anymore seriously questioning the direction of the franchise. It's Pat Kirwan, Jay Glazer, Adam Schefter, and a host of others who look at the club and either won't say anything or openly doubt them as well. When league insiders can't say anything it's so bad, that tells me there's a lot going on that isn't good.

It's a Buffalo Bills going out of business/liquidation sale!!! 75% off on all items!!! No serious deal refused!!! Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!!!

Lynch is gone because there's one football and there were 3 RB's. Can't see how people overthink this. Former GM Marv Levy wanted players who were smart, hard working, had good football character and good overall character off the field. They ultimately drafted and signed a lot of guys who weren't good players and were coached by an inept defensive minded coach who wasn't good there and dreadful on offense. They also drafted/signed guys with bad football character (Dockery, Walker) or bad character off the field (K. Simpson, Lynch, Hardy) It is simply amazing how people forget history, even the recent kind. The Bills are basically saying hit me to the dealer, not knowing when or if they'll get to 21 or bust out totally. Their moves aren't calculated but desperate and short-sighted.

It was only a matter of time before someone said that 2010 was a rebuilding season anyway and we shouldn't be concerned. Many of the posters who came here said that this years Bills team wouldn't be close to the worst in the NFL. The reason this season is bad remains obvious. It follows 10 straight non-playoff seasons and two previous rebuilds that were unsuccessful. And many of the same front office people are still there making decisions. Why should anyone believe this one is different when there's no proof they have a long term plan and the GM and HC have never handled a rebuild in their current roles. The decision making process thus far has been haphazard. Edwards the anointed starter, then cut. Steve Johnsons #2 WR, then demoted. Kelsay re-signed. Mitchell requests a release. Lynch traded. I don't understand why all of these moves needed to occur during the regular season if there is indeed a plan in place. Some have said that Perry Fewell knew Fitzpatrick was the best starter last season, so why couldn't offensive genius Chan Gailey figure that out? Before that, which team devotes another first rounder to a RB when they're brutally bad at OT and the defensive front 7? But before that, moves to a 3-4 without the personnel to do so. Last year's 4-3 was substantially better than George Edwards' crew. And last but not least, the fans with their hands up in the air screaming are the ones who know the stadium lease expires after the 2012 season and no one from the organization can shed light on what happens to the team after Mr. Wilson's passing. So we've got 11 straight bad to mediocre seasons and a franchise in peril of not remaining much longer. I'd say there's plenty of reason to demand something more. As many NFL reporters have said, Buffalo fans deserve better.

Overdorf and Berchtold decided that Buddy might give away the plan to sell the team.

Regardless, making changes to a healthy OL in mid-season is indicative of a major issue. Remember moving Peters from RT to LT and inserting Pennington at RT during bye week 2006? Bell isn't serviceable at LT, Levitre and Wood aren't playing to the level at the round they were selected (for guards especially) and Hangartner is average at best. Urbik hasn't played OT since college (like Butler) and it's a shot in the dark to think he can handle the role in the NFL. They need serious help at OT on both sides. I think Hangartner eventually settles into the role he occupied in Carolina: principal interior OL backup.

Last year's "major overhaul" was cosmetic because it only changed out the most public faces of the franchise. Aside from the players, most people know a NFL team has a GM and HC. Unfortunately, football team decisions are made by a group and thus no one takes the fall for bad moves individually. They've really done a great job of shielding the decision making process from the public, some of whom might know who Tom Modrak and Doug Whaley are. Until the real power players behind the scenes are removed or more likely shuttled to the side (Littman and Overdorf) then nothing changes. RW listens to both of those guys heavily IMO. Going further, the scouting staff remains intact but even if they're not the issue, it's the guys pulling the trigger in UFA and on draft day. Jay Glazer's comments today about figuring out women before the Bills franchise should really make the homers wince and think twice before blindly declaring things will get better. There's absolutely no truth to that without more changes in the front office.

Bill Polian and his 1st rounders say hello.

Question: Which NFL Defensive Line coach has the weirdest name? Answer: Who is Buffalo Bills coach Giff Smith. Seriously, I get the impression the staff Gailey hired to include coordinators and position coaches were a bunch of guys who wouldn't be in the NFL. Exceptions could be DeHaven and Catavolos. Here's another: Aside from Bob Sanders and Catavolos, who is the other holdover from the DJ's staff That would be DeMontie Cross, who had to rely on Andra Davis in camp and presumably during this season to know where 3-4 ILB's go in the new defense.

We can only hope. RW still has a lot of work to do-if he actually care as some report he does. Welcome to the dark side.

Cameron's deal changed drastically the day Bill Parcells was hired by Wayne Huizenga. BP took one look around, did his evaluation in 2 weeks and then fired the whole coaching staff (minus a few) and the front office. He knew that group of coaches and executives weren't going anywhere and jettisoned the entire lot. Not many in Miami probably were begging that Cameron get more than one season. BP just knew what he had. Nix is a long time scout who is not experienced as the #1 guy in an organization. He's never worked out of the front office but did his work from Tennessee as Pro Personnel Director for SD. The plan may well be to hand over control to Whaley, but there are no assurances they'll have a team by the time Nix steps aside after 2011 or 2012. RW has no long term plans, either for front office executives or his team. I don't understand why this is such a difficult concept.

Nah, I don't think Tuna would even take their phone call. Thing is, I believe RW feels he made the necessary changes last off-season when they hired Nix and Gailey. Even if those guys are home runs (doubtful) we'll never know because they can be undermined by Littman and Overdorf. I think they've finally reached a breaking point where they can't continue like they have since TD was axed. Either they change the organizational structure and have a strong and qualified leader of football ops or they continue along as a bad to mediocre club with people behind the scenes wielding power. They've run out of quick fixes and cosmetic changes because the fans just won't buy it. That said, I still don't see them changing the structure of the franchise given the owner's age. Everyone knows the team is being set up for sale, not to compete with RW owning.

Bills website shows "Breaking News" in red upon opening up and then goes away. Apparently they're not quite ready to announce it officially.