BillsVet

What kind of radio procedure is this? The Turkish Navy's?

The same man is still overseeing the team dollars, and his name is Jeff Littman. This team has a budget, much like every other team in the NFL, and if we learned anything from Polian's firing, it's that dollars always trump the guy running personnel. And then there's Jim Overdorf, who still carries a lot of weight at OBD. Not to dredge up the Peters situation again, but he received a contract in the summer of 2006 after he'd become the starting ROT in 2005. Buffalo moved him to LOT after the bye in 06 and he performed well through the end of 2007. He then wanted a new deal, and Buffalo flat out told him they weren't doing anything. Early in 2008, the Bills began negotiations with Lee Evans, and weren't going to do two contracts at once, or at least Overdorf couldn't fit Peters into the schedule. We know the rest, but Buffalo said they weren't negotiating, and Peters sat until the home opener rather than lose game checks.

Aaron Maybin: Reason number 5,214,931 why DJ sucked. Kid is a project, and I'm glad he's at mini-camp. Maybe the staff is making him realize that the HC who picked him isn't around and there aren't any free-passes, nor should he plan on starting.

The NFL is an 8 Billion dollar a year business with 32 distinct franchises and building league revenue is their goal. New stadiums are the best way to accomplish this objective and as a result, the NFL is willing to loan teams like NYJ/NYG 300M (150M per team max) to help construct because it's a league investment as much as it is a team one. One of the issues underneath the NFL surface is the debt ratio some teams are carrying to get new digs while salaries continue to increase. The league is encouraging the building of new stadiums as a long term investment in the NFL as a whole. This is big picture stuff, and so the average fan goes to RWS and doesn't see an issue. But the average fan isn't sitting at 280 Park making decisions either.

That would be one heckuva golf foursome: OJ, Travis, Willis, and Marshawn.

I know he's got issues, along with the station, about the Bills. That's fine, but there's more to Buffalo sports than debating the Sabres and having mock drafts. Just the other day, after Ernie Harwell passes, he asks aloud if Harwell was indeed great. I've since turned him off, because it's flat out unlistenable radio at this point. Granted, we're between major sport seasons, but if we've got to debate if Harwell was good and have an announcer draft, then they're not worth it.

Willis and Marshawn in the same backfield? Wonder if Travis Henry could get out of prison to complete the trifecta of former high round Bills picks shipped off?

I think it's funny that people believe the BUF rebuild will be similar to SD's when Butler/Smith/Nix were running things there. People forget that SD went 5-11 in 01, 8-8 in 02, then 4-12 in 03. They had the top pick in 04 to boot, which they again turned into more picks (used on Rivers, Merriman, and Kaeding). They didn't turn it around until three complete seasons elapsed. And that was after drafting Tomlinson, Brees, and having an established NT on the roster in Jamal Williams. Spiller is 15-20 pounds lighter than Tomlinson, but there's nothing to indicate he'll display those runs in the pros.

Likewise. Anytime a team wants to trade a player, it's caveat emptor IMO. And yes, whether you want to believe it or not, he's in the final year of his contract and will demand a new deal.

I'm a little concerned that BAL decided to move him over to RT for early workouts. If they don't like his attitude, they wouldn't make such a blatant move and expect another team to fork over a 2nd rounder. They'd leave him at LOT. Also, he's going to demand a large contract extension, as he'll be heading into the 4th and final year of his rookie contract. I can see him getting 7+M per over 4 or more seasons.

Peters was cut, then a PS'er for most of 04, began starting at the RT spot late in the 05 season, continued there through until the bye in 06, and was a 2nd team All-Pro in 2007. This is not commonplace in the NFL, and outside of Jared Gaither and David Diehl, there aren't any quality starting LOT's drafted from the 5th round down or UDFA's. There are certain positions that are over-drafted, I'll grant you that. My feeling is that you begin rebuilding the OL and DL first. The skill players are nice and shiny, but I'm not buying that Spiller makes this lackluster OL better. It's not a clip of him running by ACC defenses anymore.

1-15 in 07 to 11-5 in 08 to 7-9 in 09. In two seasons and three off-seasons, MIA will contend for the AFCE title in 2010. If the Bills are at the level MIA is now at after 32 games and three off-seasons, we'll all be ecstatic. I don't bet against Parcells led teams, which typically physical teams. BTW, Tony Sparano's career record from 08-09 is the same as Gailey's in Dallas from 98-99. You'll recall Chan had a declining dynasty while TS inherited that rebuilding team.

The NT was rated lower, but seems to have some promise as all rookies do. OTOH, the LT is a project player a few years removed from playing TE. He is a project player despite all the puff pieces written on the bills website. If we rely on these project types to man the blindside it's madness repeated. Buffalo conducts their rebuilds in direct contrast to what successful rebuilders like Parcells do: draft lineman, then focus on the non-dull players that Ralph craves. Miami completed their rebuild, while Buffalo will be doing this for the next two years beyond 2010.

This team is bigger on the DL, but it doesn't make them better. Stroud is on the downside and will be making a switch to a new position. Williams is a third down guy at NT, Troup is a rookie, but Dwan Edwards was a good pickup. The ILB's will be bigger, but I'm concerned about the OLB's, none of whom have rushed standing up. Meanwhile, the OL is the same except for one guy the Raiders didn't want who cannot be assumed will win the ROT job. Levitre stands to be better, but Wood is coming off a serious injury, and the LOT position is a complete mess. The depth on the OL is razor thin, as many of them are rookies or untested 2nd or 3rd year guys. We've been down the road before where assuming guys will be better isn't something to bank on.

At what point can a fan say, "prove it" before making further commitment? I'll still watch the games, just this time from home. It'd be one thing if Buffalo hadn't been good in 2 or 3 years. Jumping off the wagon would be premature in that case. But we're going on 10 years since the last playoff season, haven't won a playoff game since the 95 season, and recorded one winning record since 2000. This was a put-up or shut-up off-season, and so far it's leaning toward the latter. Besides, merely saying it's a rebuilding year ignores the patience that long term fans have demonstrated. I suppose the newbies don't mind, but they're the ones who didn't see the glory days and know what winning feels like. Before I put my trust into Nix/Gailey, they need to demonstrate they're not as bad as the last 3 GM's and HC's. The people that pick those guys hasn't changed either for the record.

I don't think Baltimore's losses in 08 were more substantial than Buffalo's in 2009. And yet the Ravens made the playoffs with a rookie QB, rookie HC, the aforementioned injuries, and advanced to the AFC Championship. And all of this after finishing 5-11 in 2007.

Henry, McGahee, Lynch, Spiller, J. Reed, Evans, Parrish, and Hardy represent one third of Buffalo's first or second rounders from 2001-10. Throw in Clements, Whitner, McKelvin, and Byrd and Buffalo's used half their picks from those rounds on skill positions. It's inconceivable that in their third rebuild this decade that three separate Buffalo regimes allocated so many resources to skill positions aside from QB. Not surprisingly, the first two rebuilds failed miserably. It was said that RW had a lot of say in drafting Lynch three years ago. Despite what people think, it's not out of the questions that he influenced the first pick this year as well. After all, tickets are sure to decline from the highs of 2008-09.

Dwan Edwards, Kelly Gregg, Chris McAlister and Dawan Landry are scrubs in 2008?

Marshall Faulk is about two steps away from being another Emmitt Smith. He offers no analysis worth talking about, barely does any research (Buffalo needing a LT for 2007?) and has trouble with English. Still, I believe the Bills will be in contention for a top-5 pick in the 2011 draft.

Injuries aren't as big an excuse as many on this board insist they are. The Ravens had 17 guys on IR in 2008 and made the playoffs. I would hope the Gailey era featuring bigger lineman will alleviate some of the injuries incurred by the LB's and DB's. WRT Gaither, I guess people still want to live in fantasy land and believe he's actually available. Buffalo would have to give up picks AND re-sign him to a mega deal probably not far from Jahri Evans' recent contract. The Bills aren't handing out big contracts anymore, so this isn't even worth considering. Teams will key in on the running game and force the Bills to beat them with the pass. The OL stunk big time last year, and will again in 2010. No depth at G, a mediocre C, and absolutely nothing at OT. I think they'll be a lot of max protect this year, limiting options in the passing game.

I'm not a Tigers fan, but Harwell was a throwback to an era of the Mel Allen's, Red Barber's, Jack Brickhouses's, Harry Caray's, Jack Buck's, and so many great baseball announcers from the 40s, 50s, and 60s. And yet, I there's Mike Schopp asking why was Harwell great. I'm sorry, if you have to ask the question, you'll probably never figure it out. Harwell was an essential part of the golden age of baseball, and it's sad that fewer people survive who remember those days.

I'm negative on the Bills, and I admit it. But TBD is becoming a home for internet juvenile delinquents that can't discuss anything simply to resort to name calling. I disagree with my share of posters, and vice-versa, but civility has become an endangered species. To echo what SJB said earlier, I believe in the strongly in 1st Amendment, but it's increasingly clear that being on the board is a privilege and not a right.

JMO, but I don't see this organization dealing a pick or picks for a guy who will require a huge extension probably on par with what Peters demanded last year. Brown is an All-Pro caliber LOT and will need a deal exceeding 10M per season based on the current market. The Bills haven't handed out a 45M+ contract since Schobel nearly 3 years ago.

Dennis Green is that you? Has anyone given thought to why the Saints would trade a LOT? The guy is a supreme talent, but he'll need a Peters like extension and he just missed an entire season. Jermon Bushrod is OK, but he's not the player Brown is when healthy. Caveat emptor. Furthermore, the Bills aren't giving up picks for players. They want to develop their own guys and keep costs down. Brown doesn't fit with their plan.

I'm not so sure Schouman remains at his rookie playing weight of 223, but he's certainly not playing at 250 either. Not having a superior blocking TE is another issue with the offense and more specifically the OL. There is no OT on this roster that can be left alone, so they'll need to have more size at the TE position.