BillsVet

To quote John McEnroe, "You cannot be serious!" Wang is a project player, as was Bell going into 2009. You can hope and pray that these types of players were missed by teams repeatedly and Buffalo struck gold. Depending on these types of players is tantamount to absurdity. It's just strange that so many fans have forgotten what transpired last season when the team hoped project players and rookies would make the difference.

Feeling good is what it's all about for many fans who cannot bear to hear their team isn't that good. After 10 years, merely rebuilding and hoping to be good in 2-3 years isn't good enough. They don't deal well with criticism, but cannot refute the obvious which is repeatedly mentioned here.

I thought last year proved that rolling the dice on project players to be average starters (EDIT:was absurd)? Meredith was cut by an OT starved team (GB) and Bell was one of the most penalized OT's in the NFL before being injured. Neither of these guys are long term options and with this organization I wouldn't be surprised to see Wang starting on opening day. The Bills know that they can hype up a new player given the lack of tape, and Wang fits that. Besides, OL play isn't quantified by stats, so anyone can play these positions. Sure.

It's dead and none of know why. I suspect Baltimore wanted more in trade than what Buffalo would offer, given that the Bills needed to re-sign the guy to a sizable contract. The Bills aren't handing out 40-50M contracts anymore. Bills fans must resign themselves to seeing projects like Bell or Wang getting manhandled by opposing pass-rushers. After all, they're cheap and that's what counts.

Chances are that Wang will not be a serviceable OT in the NFL. Why? Because NFL LOT's predominantly come from rounds 1 and 2. Teams find RB's, LB's, G's, and other positions later in the draft, but you don't find instant or future starters at LOT in round 5. Donald Penn and Jason Peters are the only LOT's found in the UDFA ranks from the past 04-08 who became starters at the position. Throw in 5th-7th round picks, and you'll still find that about 28 out of 32 LOT's came from rounds 1-3. When you bank on project players working out at positions like QB and LOT, you'll be bankrupt at the positions. And as much as DJ deserves a lot of blame for the offense, why did the team trade Peters without a proven backup behind him. DJ didn't make that move all by himself. Now look at Baltimore who may be discussing trading Gaither, but they've got a plan behind him with Oher. Ditto for New Orleans with Jammal Brown. But not Buffalo. No, they've got all the answers, but it's DJ's fault for everything. Convenient now that he's gone. The Bills OL is a mess. Project players at LOT, LG is a 2nd year man who seems fine, C is a journeyman, RG is a guy coming back from a serious injury, and ROT is manned by a guy Oakland let go. Then again, Chan Gailey can do anything.

Cue the militantly optimistic fans. They cannot tolerate anyone's criticism, national media, local media, or TBD'er.

All good points. One thing throughout this thread which strikes me is fans banking on rookies and 2nd year guys to perform at an adequate to above average level. Rarely does a team get instant starters who can contribute, let alone at foundation positions like NT and Rush OLB. Troup will be the first/second down man, and that's not good but the team had little choice. And then, you're looking at guys like Maybin or even Chris Ellis to provide pass-rush help in a position they've never played before. Relying on too heavily on rookies and 2nd year guys is playing with fire. Buffalo could feature a heavy dose of Byrd, Maybin, Ellis, Troup, Wood, Levitre, Bell (RS 2nd yr)/Meredith, and the WR2 of either Hardy, St. Johnson, or Easley. That's 8 positions with a rookie or 2nd year guy.

If you're a NFL GM taking over a rebuilding project, you can't be afraid to fail based on previous bust picks. Bill Polian watched every throw Peyton Manning took at Tennessee and made sure of himself. People make it seem like he was lucky, but I disagree. That said, there are three types of teams in the NFL: title contenders, the average-mediocre teams, and the rebuilding ones. Buffalo fits squarely into the third category and will probably be about 3-13 when the season is done. People forget that SD took a good QB in 2001, even though his best years were/are in NO.

Thing is, no die-hard fan-base in the NFL has experienced what Bills fans have had to. Bad team, Toronto series, an elderly owner who cannot assure us the team remains, some extremely painful losses (Dallas MNF, CLE MNF, NE MNF) mystifying draft picks, bad FA signings, Dick Jauron, no real GM, et al. The list really does go on and on. It would be one thing if this were Jacksonville where people are apathetic or have other outlets like CFB to follow. Not so in these parts come September. Other teams' futures are in doubt, but none of them have a fan-base that supports them like Buffalo and the surrounding area does the Bills.

I think this about sums it up. The Bills need a lot of things to go their way in order to be successful on the field again.

Why would Brandon have pursued a greater knowledge of the personnel side of business if he wasn't going to be doing it? As an extra credit project for RW? No one can adequately grade a draft pick for three years. Or so I'm told on TBD. Players can regress, and the two notable examples are Brandon Spoon and Ko Simpson. When teams have an entire off-season to review film, some player's weaknesses are easier to spot than in the course of a week's preparation.

We can debate what constitutes actual change, but the fact remains that RW or his designee(s) are/is still in control of a great deal. The list of GM candidates assembled by Brandon that subsequently both he and RW admitted not knowing who many of them were strikes me as amateurish. That fact underscores a serious reputation issue, in that they did not or could not invite anyone but Nix and Guy in for an interview. The GM is the most important football job for any NFL team. And Buffalo had nothing but in-house options to consider, one of who was later fired. In essence, they had one legit candidate all along. At the same time, AGM/GM in waiting Whaley was a solid hire IMO. It will be interesting to see when he gets his chance.

Brandon was promoted to CEO, answering only to RW and overseeing the entire op. I understand this as RW is an elderly man and cannot possibly review the entire organization. Besides, Brandon has marketed a losing product quite well. There were changes made, but the wholesale ones we were led to believe didn't happen. This administration on paper is better than the previous ones, but how much is anyone's guess. Additionally, improving upon a former HC and the business marketing guy moonlighting as GM isn't very hard.

Excellent counter-argument. I understand the HC and quasi-GM listening to Modrak from 06-09, given his position in the organization. Unfortunately, Levy, Jauron, and Brandon leaned too heavily on people like Modrak and Guy, who weren't solid enough talent evaluators. The result is poor drafts and bad FA acquisitions. Generally, when new GM's enter the fray, as Levy and now Nix have, the amateur scouting and pro personnel directors are axed. Why Buffalo chose to simply change GM's is odd, but then again, I think only RW can fire people at OBD.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Penn decided he needed to drop weight in his 2nd RFA year in a row. Both he and Gaither seem to have some motivational issues, although maybe the light has gone on for him. Tampa seems to be in the business of cutting salary, but a trade means a contract extension in all probability. Another UDFA who made something of himself.

No position in the NFL has a shorter career life than RB's. WR's need to have speed, but they definitely don't take the punishment that a RB does after getting 350+ carries in 2004-05. You'll note Alexander's top season in 05 was his last with outstanding numbers. Also probably didn't help that Walter Jones was getting older and Hutchinson signed a big contract in MIN after the 05 season.

All across the NFL, veteran players with something left are prematurely going into unwanted retirement. I can't help but forget Derrick Brooks, a future HOF'er who was unceremoniously dumped in TB. He never caught on with another team, and while it's possible he was through, I think teams would prefer to play rookie minimum than veteran minimum.

Being a fan is fine, but eventually you expect the team you're a fan of to win. And let's be realistic here: Buffalo is in full-blown rebuilding mode after 10 seasons missing the playoffs. If that's negative, then I don't know what to tell you. Any fan who comes on this board and doubts the direction of this team has an absolute right to do so, given the failures of multiple regimes across the past 10 years. Above all else, the franchise's future in Buffalo remains in serious doubt, given the stadium lease expiring after the 2012 season and the owner's advanced age. We can all click our heels together, but it can't undo what is happening right now.

Over his first 5 seasons, DJ and Belichick were very similar record-wise. And, it wasn't until Belichick got Brady that he won the SB's. Someone will hire DJ real soon, and he'll win. Yeah freaking right. Hopefully we don't hear that line of bull anymore.

I've got no problem with that viewpoint, but the militantly optimistic fans are who I'm referring to. We all want Buffalo to win, but feeding the hope and hype emanating from OBD isn't worth it. I'm not going to get worked up without some results first.

It all falls into place if the owner keeps living, which I hope to goodness gracious he does. But rebuilding this particular franchise given the circumstances (the stadium lease expires after the 2012 season, future ownership) is strange. After all, they could be getting good if all goes to plan just as the lease runs out. It's not Nix or Gailey's fault the team was bad to mediocre from 2000-2009. There are some holdovers up there at OBD who will never be fired and are responsible, but they'll never be held accountable because they make the team money. When I look around the NFL, there are teams that produce more, yet Buffalo fans in many pockets simply hope to have a team, results be darned. That mindset continues to amaze me.

RW hasn't known what the going rate for HC's has been for about the last 10 years. Remember when he fired Wade Phillips and tried to avoid having to pay him, claiming that WP quit? BTW, how many 91 year old CEO's are out there? Nonagenarians are usually retired and not making decisions, like TO's signing was, for one of the 32 NFL franchises.

Really? The man is 91 years old and doesn't scout, nor has he ever. He's a businessman with a football team, not a personnel guy with a side business. RW's prime ended about 25 years ago, which coincidentally is before the LOT position took on more meaning. All he knows is how much he'll make, and of course when to tell Mr. Smithers to sign TO for marketing purposes.

Only in Buffalo would a 70 year old first time GM and a HC who is in the job for the first time since being fired a decade ago garner this much support. It has to be the result of having Mr. Smithers-Brandon masquerading as GM and DJ the HC the past few years.

As has been mentioned repeatedly here, the owner has a say in everything for each team. It's their investment, and forking over 40M or more is a decision for more than just the personnel guys. If you think Buddy or Chan can make the decision, that's simply naive given the enormity of the contract. Like every team, the Bills have a budget and signing Gaither (or J. Brown) would significantly impact their books. This especially goes for a team that won't have TO to sell tickets with, nor a recent track record of success or is a potential playoff team in 2010. If this were a true regime change, Overdorf would have gone right along with Guy. After all, Overdorf negotiates contracts, and I can't think of worse examples than Tripplett, Dockery, and Walker.