BillsVet

Not surprising to see that people already have a prepared response if Buffalo isn't as good as Washington is in their first season of rebuilding: Snyder has more resources to call on. Yet, Danny gets ripped for spending in previous seasons without Shanahan/Allen. How many people around here say spending in UFA can hurt in the long term? I guess this applies only when it can be used to support a given argument. Good teams on the field begin with good management, i.e. an excellent GM and top HC. Spending guarantees nothing, but there is a time to sign free agents and a time not to. Shanahan has had his share of bad moves, but he's a proven HC and Gailey hasn't been one in the NFL in 11 years. I'd like to know why teams didn't bite on him after (at least on TBD) his celebrated 2 seasons as OC in MIA.

The dearth of posts from some of the original and older (not agewise) posters is indicative of this. Everyone has a right to be a fan, but you can't make an objective point about the team without a subjective homer fan railing on them for not being a true fan. I think this is going to be a long season.

Blitzing to manufacture a pass rush is not a long term solution. Torbor was cut from Miami, where he played ILB. Maybin is unproven and is a second stringer, Kelsay is a converted DE as is Ellis who has little experience regardless of defense. IMO, the coaching staff knows they don't have the horses to play strictly 3-4 and will attempt to mitigate this by frequently moving from a 43 to a 34. Over time, the lack of a good pass rush exposes a defense. For all the talk about the secondary, they'll be left out to dry without someone stepping up who can get to the QB. Good coaching cannot replace bad players ill-suited to scheme.

The Bills sold ST's last year to the tune of 56k+ as the economy was rapidly faltering. I wouldn't singularly place the loss in sales on the TO signing, but of course he was a factor. Now, in the second year of the recession, their base drops 11k tickets. While this isn't a black and white issue, there's something to be said for the marketing/communications department continually amping up expectations and then seeing the team strike out during the season. For this reason, a wait and see attitude is more prevalent than homer fans realize or want to admit. After awhile, the citizens stop paying attention to the boy who cried wolf. Being good in the NFL long term takes a LOT of good decisions from management to go along with significant resources. The Bills haven't made solid decisions in UFA and draft day, compounded by bad management from the field to on-high. The fans are reacting and playing the doubting Thomas role. Nothing wrong with that.

He's not in charge of recruiting. And for the record I'm not advocating the Bills take him or even them dumping the season to get a high pick. That's just too far off. The guy is a solid college player who isn't surrounded with much. Why doesn't he get the season to prove himself when everyone on TBD says we have to do the same thing to judge the 2010 version Bills?

DIdn't see anyone discussing Jake Locker's 2010 opener at BYU on Saturday night. Thought I'd interject a few observations: -UW HC Steve Sarkisian still designs plays to feature Locker's great mobility. Evidently, Locker runs a 4.4 40 and he's more than just an outstanding athlete. Still not keen on seeing him running the ball. He had 11 carries for 29 yards, including a 9 yard TD run. -UW does not have much elite CFB talent. Locker probably had 2-3 catchable balls that were dropped during the game. He ended up 20-37 for 266 yards 1 pass TD and the 1 (debatable) rushing TD. -Locker made a throw from the far hashmark on an out-route that is a difficult throw in football, college or pro. He put the ball right on the money to his WR. -his decision making is a little suspect, and Locker failed to connect on 2 4th quarter throws on 4th down. -he's not a finished product, but it's apparent he's improved with tutelage from Sarkisian, himself a pretty good former college QB. Still wish he wasn't involved in too many designed QB runs, but it's college and UW has to win games. All in all, he's a little rough around the edges IMO, but it seems the tools are there, especially the arm strength. UW is home versus SU next week. Hard to say on how he reads defenses, but the physical tools are definitely there.

They're going to flash a lot of 4-3 looks, and I wouldn't be surprised if it happens 40% of the time if not more. And still the question remains: Who are the pass-rushers? And when teams are forced to blitz (a la Perry Fewell last year) to manufacture a pass rush, bad things happen. They simply don't have the 3-4 OLB's nor 4-3 DE's to get to the QB. End of story.

Thanks much LS and it's good to hear that Nix is given some leeway on moves. He's got his work cut out for him to undo what has gone on the past decade and I hope he gets the time to do it, because there's a lot to do improving the roster.

All of this civility around here really brings a tear to my eye. Fine, but answer me this question: Which WR should Buffalo target next April: Julio Jones, A.J. Green or perhaps Jonathan Baldwin? I prefer Green, but as always I'm interested in your opinion. Call it the Devin Thomas syndrome.

So who's going to be the pass rusher extraordinaire up front? They're flashing a lot of 4-3 looks which is nice, but there's not one DLineman or LB that has proven they can get to the QB routinely. Call it Doom and Gloom, call it whatever you want, but facts are facts: This is a rebuilding season.

The OL in its current form is a disaster waiting to happen. Bell is coming back from a torn ACL and hasn't played a full game yet. Levitre will improve, but is strictly a guard/center because he lacks the arm length to handle edge rushers at either tackle position. Hangartner is average and nothing more. Wood has played, but I would bet isn't 100%. Cornell Green is a liability in pass protection and not anyone top notch in run blocking. Meanwhile, it's a former GB PS guy as the swing OT, UDFA and rookie Howard backing up the 3 interior OL positions, and Ed Wang who is returning from thumb surgery last month. Yeah, I'd say they're going to make some moves. If they don't add a veteran G and OT, it's negligence on their part. That is, if there's anything worthwhile available. Out of 8 OL on the roster as of today, 3 have had a major surgery in the past 9 months. Maybe once and for all people will realize building a backfield without an OL in front of it is recipe for disaster. But hey, it sells tickets!

One thing DW apologists continue to maintain is the guy isn't used correctly in their defensive scheme. Well, he frequently gets washed out near the LOS, and the past few seasons he's been nicked up as a result. Second, a guy taken top 10 should be making plays at the LOS like he did on Benson, which was very nice. You can blame DJ for his underwhelming amount of impact plays, but if he doesn't force some fumbles or make a few picks in 2010, what can be said then? As for Jeff Fisher, interesting you note him. As if HC's are the ones solely making picks on draft day. I think Bud Adams and whomever the GM at the time (Floyd Reese perhaps) had a hand in many of those picks. Moreover, Tennessee has been pretty darn good in finding lineman, which is something of a necessity in the NFL. You can't run and defend the pass when all you've got it RB's and DB's, right?

A time honored tradition at TBD is for someone to point out that we're not in the NFL and the front office knows best. But goodness gracious Meredith, C. Howard (not Curly), and Wang aren't much for OL depth. Better hope all 5 play all 16 games if they don't add anyone.

This is another clue that the drafting of Levy, Jauron, Modrak, and Brandon was not very good. Depth on any NFL team can't extend to all positions, but the Bills are still only strong at off the LOS areas. Perhaps one of those 5 UDFA's becomes a player down the line, but for this season it's unlikely.

And someone said civility was gone from TBD. Your contribution to this message board is greatly appreciated. /sarcasm

That's all reasonable fans are saying. Let's see what players like D. Bell and Meredith do during the regular season seeing as how both have such a small sample of PT from 2009. On a related note, it'll be interesting to see if the team goes with what they've got on the OL or choose to sign someone cut from another team. The backups looked scary against Detroit's depth DLineman.

You're better than that KFBD. Teams don't IR guys that are going to be out 4-5 weeks. And while you're questioning my like for this team, I'll point out that I as a fan reserve the ability to criticize. If everyone is blindly optimistic, then no one is thinking constructively. I look forward to the season, but will continue to keep things in perspective. 2010 is a rebuilding year and no matter who the coach is, it will probably be a long campaign. Besides, losing is not fun, and the Bills have specialized in that the past decade. At what point do people begin questioning the top of the front office.

Not quite. He signed with TB in 2009 and proceeded to tear his biceps tendon. TB placed him on IR for this injury and he's now on a UFL Roster. But the point is, the team drafted Easley in the 4th round. And yet, he wasn't valuable enough to carry on the roster for a few weeks when it became clear he'd been injured. It's probably a case of needing a roster spot, but the fact that they IR'd a 4th rounder for a non-season ending injury is very odd.

If the Bills wouldn't trade anything for help at OT, why would they hand over a pick and huge contract for Vincent Jackson? They'll be a run first team this year, probably 55-45 run to pass and he's already proven to be a problem in SD. Buffalo is building through the draft and aren't adding payroll in anticipation of the next CBA (as many teams are doing). Besides, draft picks are cheaper, especially if you IR them.

It's moves like this that really make you wonder what the front office is doing. They must have known that Easley's injury wasn't a season ending thing when he was IR'd but probably wanted that roster spot and/or didn't think the kid would contribute enough to keep it open. With this team, it makes me seriously consider if this was a cost saving move. Wouldn't be the first time anyway. The Crowell situation, while different, wasn't season ending either.

It's a conspiracy by ESPN against the Bills I tell you! All of them in Bristol save Berman hate Buffalo.

Then read "A Few Seconds of Panic" by Stefan Fatsis about Shanahan's Broncos in training camp. People predictably are bad-mouthing and minimizing Shanahan because he was let go in Denver. Yet, he'll probably be a HOF'er and this year the Redskins added a real QB, made the move to a 3-4, and help at OT. I hate the Redskins, but this attack dog mentality is absurd simply because the guy didn't want to go to a complete rebuilding project with an owner who's not serious about winning anymore.

No one's talking about the 70s, 80s, 90s, or early 00s era Bills. We're analyzing if the Bills and by virtue, RW, are now content with a profitable franchise that is sub-par to poor on the field now. And right now, it seems RW is packing it in, hiring strictly people he knows for GMs and preparing for the inevitable.

This is precisely the point we're making: that Buffalo remains geared more toward profiting than success. And before someone jumps to extremes, it's not as though anyone is demanding they go New York Yankees and break the bank each year. No rational person demands RW spend like Jerry Jones or Dan Snyder. I'd like to see him spend on proven front office types and then delegate more responsibility. But we know this will never ever happen. That to me is the greatest issue on why Buffalo is to the NFL what Pittsburgh is to MLB. You've made the point that Polian was fired when he conflicted with Littman and the finance people about budget issues. It's noteworthy that 17 years later we're discussing the same point.

It's disturbing that the owner does not know one of the NFL's most well-known head coaches. I realize RW is at an advanced age, but surely every owner and GM knows who Mike Shanahan is. I recall RW saying at his re-scheduled ring ceremony last year that he still believed he had youth on his side. These tired metaphors sound nice, but it's clear he's pursuing the team as it was years ago.