BillsVet

Funny but sad stuff: "McCargo is a bust who has never started a game; Whitner is a journeyman-level performer, McKelvin and Posluszny are perennially injured. Meanwhile, Leonhard, Greer and Haggan are playing like stars for the Jets, Saints and Broncos, while Bannan is often on the field for the Ravens. Had Buffalo simply kept Leonhard, Greer, Haggan and Bannan and used the draft choices and money on other players, it might now be a real team. Time to recognize that Buffalo general manager Russ Brandon is Matt Millen: The Sequel." TMQ 10/13/09

For me, nothing short of a complete rebuild of the front office and a new HC will get me to come back. Even if DJ is fired at some point (I won't believe it until it happens) a new HC without reorganization of the front office probably won't change anything.

This is what happens when owners think they can build a winner. Owners may know a little, but not enough to build a winning football team. Wilson, Snyder, Mike Smith, Al Davis, and Jerry Jones have all failed trying to build good teams. I wish RW would humble himself and hire someone from the outside who will be held responsible. But that won't happen because TD failed, making RW fall back on people he knows. Besides, RW is a stubborn man who will keep doing things wrong so he doesn't have to do what people outside his group recommend. This is Ralph's team now. It's not Brandon's, Jauron's, or anyone else's. He is hurting whatever legacy he think he's got by being this bad at hiring coaches and signing players. Only the fans will tell him the truth.

Something's going on at OBD that probably wouldn't sit well with fans. The fact is, there's very little available in street free agency or practice squads going to help this team now. They made their bed with razor thin depth and players who just aren't good. The Bills are not in the business of making long term moves anymore. Or, if they sign a UFA to a 3-4 year contract, it's for little to moderate money. I feel much of this has been decided in light of the owner's advanced age.

Do you remember the ST unit which took the field in 07 and went out the door in 08? Guys like Haggan (who admittedly was suspended and not re-signed) along with Coy Wire and Josh Stamer. April did well with last year's ST'ers, but this year he doesn't have the guys. Guys like Nic Harris just aren't all that great, at least not yet. I'm tired of excuses. Wendling, although not capable of being a defensive starter, is pretty good. As is Justin Jenkins and Corto. McIntyre made a nice tackle as well.

I felt sorry for my grandfather when he was in his mid to late 80s and his friends were gone. All the people he hunted with at a camp in the southern tier had passed, leaving him as the final one. I'm sure RW is like that with his friends from the early days. At this point, I can't see RW okaying a complete rebuild from GM through HC. I completely agree he's in that comfort zone, because 91 year old men do not make long term plans. Besides, why would he make huge financial commitments to players and coaches when the team could got up for sale? RW's insistence on remaining the owner is holding back the future of this team. The irony is his presence may be holding the team here. It's nice that he was recognized for his leadership in the heady days of the AFL, but IMO, he's hurting his legacy with this recent 10 year stretch of inept management. Ever since he called for Johnson to start over Flutie, this franchise has gotten almost everything wrong.

After the 06 season RW gave his standard response when asked about the future of the team. Something to the effect of just enjoy it while they're here. That's real comforting. I can't help but think RW is insecure. He won't hire anyone qualified from the outside, nor get rid of underachieving people in the organization, no matter how bad they are. I'll predict right now they won't hire a name coach, because the cost could conceivably hurt the ability to sell when RW passes.

No on Carl Peterson. From about 94-08 those Chiefs teams did very little. Schottenheimer might be the guy to get some players motivated. Inevitably, no one will want to work in Buffalo as long as a 91 year old man is running the show. This will severely limit the coaching search.

It is downright pathetic we are talking draft more than 6 months out. And while we're talking off-season, can't see them doing much in UFA, aside from signing the Geoff Hangartner's of the league. I love draft time as much as any real fan, but the thought of a front office consisting of Guy, Modrak, and the clueless (on personnel) Russ Brandon deflates whatever hope I had for building a winner.

Why should you get your hopes up. They'll most likely take a small player who won't make the team much better. Rookies, as we know, don't impact teams in their first year. Besides, Russ Brandon the ticket seller is running the team. Well, except for being able to make the adult decisions RW makes.

Watch the Norv Turner one and see Levy use turd polish on DJ. Classic.

It was the same after the Toronto game versus Miami last season. And to think, we though they couldn't get much worse than that performance. I think RW is not lucid and just riding things out. They've trotted out all the excuses, and now the marketing guys are forced to come up with some great ones.

Not surprising, but this confirms our position as probably the worst franchise aside from Cleveland in the NFL.

I don't know what's worse: DJ being here still, or the paper-thin roster. Neither helps the other, and both get worse each week. Maybe they find DJ attractive enough to keep around because he doesn't complain how bad the talent is on this roster. Late round draft picks, UDFA's, street free agents, with a sprinkling of high priced players is what it amount to now. I don't (edit: think )we know how bad it is. After four off-seasons of rebuilding, they've got a roster that's worse than what was left from TD in 2005.

The Wilson/Brandon era (06-present) is looking a lot like TD's final year when everything went to crap. It was an insult 4 years ago, and it is again today. Resorting to deception and half-truths is the mark that the ship is going down.

Bell, as has been previously mentioned, was a 2 year project. That is if he even would ever become anything as an OT. They were looking to strike gold in the 7th round and the guy is so overmatched. And to think, the team pushed him off as the next great LT. All of the concerns from knowledgeable fans about a disaster of an OL has come to fruition. They are bad and regressing, like so much of this entire franchise.

And the best part is, there's only 11 games left. What are they going to do for the remaining 4 home games in Buffalo? This is like TD's last few home games in 2005: an outright revolt. Maybe they'll start confiscating signs as well, because I saw a few today.

1. Defense did have some stops. But they're lack of size has been a common denominator of this team since DJ's hiring. Cue a Haloti Ngata reference. 2. LB (along with RB) has to be the position where contact occurs most. How they entered the season with UDFA's and a 5th round pick (N. Harris) as their depth is indeed unfathomable. 3. Edwards is the mirror image of his coach. I don't think he realizes his career is going down with the HC's. The resistance on throwing down field is costing him more than just playing time. I wish he would be a leader, but it's not in his personality. 4. DJ's had 5 OC's in less than 9 seasons as a non-interim HC. That speaks volumes about his inability to build an offense. 5. The 06-08 drafts are looking worse by the day. TD's bad drafts in 04-05 didn't help, but no one can rightly argue the Bills have come close to rebuilding off the TD debacle. Nice post. Buffalo has struggled because they lack good football people who are allowed to make football decisions. We're left with people in roles they are ill-equipped to handle (Brandon) and an owner who cannot avoid meddling and allowing people to do their jobs.

Love the Rich Kotite mention. If ever there was a coach in DJ's category, it was that guy.

The Bills seem to have the opposite of the Midas touch. My birthday is next week, so maybe they'll remind me again why this franchise is so inept. I'm just enjoying other things in life right now, but it'd be nice if this team got something right.

I remember driving home that night when it was announced RW had retained DJ. Soon thereafter, Mike Shanahan's firing came over the radio and my feelings could not be described in words. Sorry to commemorate your birthday with a move that killed whatever chances the 2009 Bills might have had.

"Smithers, get me Homer Simpson to coach this team. He's a heckuva softball player, so he must be able to coach this team."

You are 100% correct. It was RW who put the completely inexperienced and overmatched RB in charge of football. And then he wouldn't make provisions for players like Peters. This is RW's dumpster fire. In all fairness, RB was set up to fail, like so many others in Buffalo over the years. That roster looks like it was put together by a 4 year old playing franchise Madden.

The best part is, our 91 year old owner is making decisions about coaches and which players to pay.

Probably had a double vodka and prune juice.