BillsVet

With RW at owner? Come on now. You are correct Bill. Chris Brown is and always will be the lead Propagandist for the Bills.

If you're not competing to win, then what good is it to have a team? I sense that RW would rather maintain than compete at this juncture, and that wouldn't be an issue if he didn't have such intense fan support. RW has underestimated the fans' animosity. He sold 8 games to Toronto, thus taking 5 regular season games from the fan base which has made this team. And he compounded that by keeping a HC with a 32-48 record in his last five seasons. I think RW assumes we'll be back because it's an NFL team. He's very mistaken I've been to the last 14 of 15 home games. That doesn't make me a super fan, but weathering this team and the elements, it's reasonable to expect success at some point. Instead, we're left with some of the most heartbreaking losses, aside from SB 25, that this team has ever experienced. RW himself was mad, but did absolutely nothing about it when he had the chance. I'm not one to demand we sign the top UFA, or a Cowher type coach. But reasonable expectations should be more than 7-9 every season with a joke HC who somehow keeps his job.

Thanks Bill. In another thread, someone posted about what is this team's vision. It's not to be confused with a short term goal, but where this team is headed. I personally do not believe this team has a vision of their future. Every year, the Bills go into the offseason with so many needs. This coming year is no different, but that doesn't have to be the case. Buffalo lacks no less than (in no particular order) a pass-rusher, center, outside LB, tight end, safety depth, backup QB, and linebacker depth over 240 lbs. Luxuries might be a RT, OL depth, and a DT. Either way, the Bills aren't closer to a playoff berth than they were before 2006 when Levy/Jauron arrived. I'd argue they're worse, given strength of schedule.

And accustomed to losing.

The most concerning fact to me is the lack of a GM to guide this team's vision of how they want to play football. Guy and Modrak oversee pro personnel and amateur scouting respectively but neither probably has much say over the other's department. That's where a GM comes into the picture. Modrak's presence within the "inner-circle" represents a half-hearted attempt to make up for Brandon's inexperience. I also think it's a shot at DJ for his failures to guide Levy in personnel. Regardless, Modrak wants to continue his role as chief scout and not get entagled with people like Littman, Bogdan, and Brandon telling him what to do. After three years with Jauron, I'm not clear on what this team wants to do. Beyond losing heartbreaking games, being unable to run the ball, and looking aimless when a team drops 7 into coverage, this team is a grab bag of ineptitude. It's a little late to be developing a vision. That should have been done in 2006, with improvements in these past two seasons. Obviously, that hasn't happened.

I meant McGee, who hits UFA after 09. I think they'll look to lock him up in advance of his final season. He's not Champ Bailey, but he's very good. I like Greer, but the Bills will have to choose between him and McGee. And I think they'll choose McGee first. With McKelvin and Corner there already, they've got depth at CB.

I'll leave that for clump, but with guys like Losman, McCargo, Crowell, and a few others coming off the roster, I'm sure they'll have be around 20-25M beneath the camp. I'd venture to say they'll re-sign Fred Jackson and Terrence McGee before signing UFA's.

NFL teams, per the CBA, must spend 84% of the salary cap of 123M or, 103.3M Salary Cap Minimum I could see the Bills having 25M entering the offseason, not including cuts. It's one thing to have money (as all NFL teams have had in recent years) but finding the right players to fit your system. No sense in spending for the sake of spending. And with RW aboard, I don't see it happening. They'll be right at the bottom of the NFL salary scale.

With this organization, you've gotta laugh sometimes.

The thing is, I know Buffalo wanted to throw more size closer to the LOS. That's not a disparaging comment toward Whitner, but IMO, they looked at a Whitner/Scott pairing as better than a Simpson/Whitner tandem. It was obvious they wanted this against better TE's, namely Antonio Gates. Scott isn't all-world, but he's probably better in the box than Whitner. And if they can get Simpson off the field, it's a no brainer. Ko is clearly not starting caliber.

If fans haven't learned by now that taking a safety before building the OL and DL isn't the path to success, we never will. Mays' measureables are off the charts. But unless he's going to be rushing the passer, protecting the QB, or clearing lanes for the RB, I'm not taking a guy who plays 10 yards off the ball. This team is consistently beat a the LOS, and drafting safeties, corners, receivers, and backs is not the answer for this team. Perhaps if Buffalo had a pass rush and could block like Tennessee or the Giants do, then maybe.

It's a subjective argument, therefore it elicits a differing opinions. When you look at guys like Adrian Wilson, they're impact players without having all the supporting elements. I will admit players like Polamalu and Bob Sanders are better, both in reality and statistically, because they've got the supporting cast. But when you draft a player eighth overall, you're looking for someone who doesn't need everything around them to be successful. A fine player makes players around them better. And that's more difficult to do from the secondary than it is from the defensive line. Whitner is not spectacular. He's not a liability either, but falls somewhere in the middle of the pack. And when you're the eighth overall pick, being pushed over to FS after your third season doesn't qualify as being a standout.

Dean, you know where I stand on the 06 draft. While much better than 05, there are serious questions about rebuilding a football team starting with the secondary. I find it ironic many fans are talking about drafting OL and DL, yet the Bills had the chance in three drafts to do that and haven't. When they do take a high DT, the guy is a flop. I'd grade this draft a C. No playmakers, and much of the secondary depth they have is from guys like Corner and McKelvin. Youboty will be in the mix, but his durability is almost nil. Butler and Williams are value picks and decent, but neither is especially strong. I don't think Simpson will be back, as his cap hit is minimal and the Bills can't be thrilled with his off-field transgressions. His recognition is poor and if he was more of the star like he thinks he is, perhaps he'd return. Safety depth isn't hard to acquire. When McCargo's position coach called him out and he couldn't start by his second full season in the league, he became a bust. This draft produced a grand total of 3 starters: Whitner, Butler, and Williams. Butler and Williams are serviceable, but not good starters. If you're counting Ellison as a starter, I'm going to The reality is this draft did not set a foundation it was intended to set.

Ralph Wilson has demonstrated a penchant for not paying coaches or general managers over the past half century. There is no obligation for him to pay them good money, and Shanahan isn't going to go anywhere for less than 4M per. Having said that, Jauron will fail in 2009 and we'll be looking for a new coach in 2010. Unfortunately, RW's insistence on not having a football GM along with his meddling will almost always produce the same result: inept front office leadership and poor coaching.

Buffalo's run blocking dramatically improved when opposing defenses started dropping 6 or 7 into coverage. Running for 186 versus Cleveland looks nice on paper, but the truth is the Browns knew beating the Bills meant saturating the secondary. They did run well against a good Jets defense, but in the one moment they should have run, their HC made a brain dead call to negate all their hard work. Dockery and Walker are very slow. Butler is not very athletic. The center position is a black hole. Peters is their best OL, but didn't play up to his level this year. Greg Easterbrook pointed out that Buffalo ran 30 out of 31 times (non-scrambles) between the tackles against NE. With that kind of offensive innovation, it may not matter how well the OL blocks. The coaching staff was so predictable that it's hard to run the ball.

I'll play fact checker for you. Runyan turned 35 in November and Thomas is 34 as of the same month. Philly isn't going to hand over top picks because Peters is available. Secondly, Carolina has Jordan Gross hitting UFA, with Travelle Wharton and Jeff Otah their other under contract tackles. Otah is more suited for RT, but Wharton is more of a LT. I don't think Carolina has much to offer, considering they traded their first last year to move up and select Otah. I doubt they'd use that many resources on tackles when they have other needs. Detroit is in rebuilding mode (as always) and will not hand over multiple picks for a franchise LT. I'm thinking they'd use one pick on one LT and hope that player performs like a Sam Baker or Ryan Clady.

The 2006 draft has caused as much controversy as any one subject I've seen. I thought it was finally time to apply grades to the players Buffalo took on Draft Day 06. Player grading criteria included the following: 1. The quality of play that player has demonstrated. 2. Place where the player was drafted. It's absurd to apply the same expectations to a 1st rounder as you would a 7th rounder. I did not take into consideration which players were available after a given player was selected. However, there can be no question that better options were available nearly each time Buffalo was on the clock. 1A. Donte Whitner. S Ohio State (8th overall) Whitner has played in 43 games while starting 42 in three seasons. Whitner has played both SS and FS, and appears destined to play FS for the forseeable future. Has recorded 2 INT's, 2 FF, 0 FR and 1 sack in that time. Per PFR, has 185 solo tackles and 70 assists. Whitner's 08 prediction that Buffalo would make the playoffs did not come to fruition. Whitner transitioned to the FS role with Bryan Scott taking his spot when Ko Simpson faltered. He has not shown ball-hawking skills commensurate with a safety, though some argue it is how he is used in Buffalo's defense. Cannot be considered a bust, although he is not the playmaker Buffalo anticipated he would be at this point in his career. One of the few vocal leaders on the team. Grade: C+ 1B. John McCargo. DT North Caroline State (26th overall) McCargo injured his foot after a handful of games in 2006 and was IR'd. Returned in 07, though did not start any games, and went on to collect 2.5 sacks and make a few good plays. Began 2008 as a backup DT and had little impact. IR'd late in the season. Bills traded a 2nd and 3rd to Chicago for the chance to move up and get him. Those picks were sorely needed as the Bills rebuilt after TD's era. Early in 2008, DL Coach Bill Kollar questioned his work ethic, and McCargo was again relegated to backup status. Bills attempted to trade the underachieving DT, but McCargo did not pass a physical. Thereafter, he was IR'd again in 2008. He will not return in 2009, and should be considered a bust. Grade: F 3. Ashton Youboty. CB Ohio State (70th overall) Youboty missed much of 2006 after the death of his mother. Played sparingly on special teams late in the season. Began 2007 buried on the depth chart, but started 3 games before being injured. Has 1 INT, and 1 FF in three seasons. Played nickel CB during 2008, but was IR'd late in the season. Youboty has not been able to remain healthy in 3 seasons. As a result, he's only been able to start 4 games and play in 19 at CB. Jabari Greer took over as starting CB when Youboty went down in 07 and never relinquished the job. Youboty showed improvement in 08, and won the nickel CB job. May return in 2009, the final year of his contract. Must stay healthy if he has any future in the NFL. Grade: C 4. Ko Simpson. S South Carolina (105th overall) Simpson took over for an injured Troy Vincent early in 2006 and played in all 16 games, starting 15. 2 INT's and 1 FF in his rookie season. His 2007 season ended with a broken foot during the first game of the year. Simpson returned in 2008, but lost his job when Whitner moved to FS and Bryan Scott took over at SS. Simpson's ball skills are underwhelming. He has not replicated his play from 2006 and is often very late arriving in coverage. Arrested recently and his future is in serious doubt. Reportedly, "worth millions." Grade: C- 5A Kyle Williams. DT LSU (134th overall) Williams has started at DT for Buffalo since his rookie season. Has four sacks and one forced fumble. Outplayed McCargo in training camp to win the job. Signed to a contract extension in July 2008. Williams has short arms with less athleticism than McCargo. Makes a few plays, but isn't a playmaker. Seems to get lost in the phone booth. Probably best served in a depth role, but with Buffalo's lack of depth on DL he must start. Williams is a hard worker but lacks the physical capabilities to be a good player in the NFL. Grade: B- 5B Brad Butler OL Virginia (143rd overall) Butler sat on the bench in 2006, but received the starting job in 07 after missing most of the preseason. Began 2008 as the starting RG. Injured for a few games in 08 and line played somewhat better with him in the lineup. Butler got the starting job over Jason Whittle and Duke Preston before 07 season began. Butler can be engulfed by larger DT's. An average NFL guard, Butler inked a contract extension recently as well. Grade: B 6 Keith Ellison LB Oregon State (178th overall) Ellison was touted as a smart player when drafted in 06. Began season behind Takeo Spikes, but became starter when injuries mounted. Started in 2007 and 08 at times when more injuries occurred. Ellison is an undersized LB who is better in pass coverage than against the run. He consistently is overwhelmed by tight ends and takes poor angles. Best suited for a backup role, and doesn't have the frame to get bigger. Received playing time because Buffalo's depth at LB was so poor in all three seasons. Grade: C 7A. Terrance Pennington OT New Mexico (216th overall) Pennington was forced into play midway through the 2006 season when Buffalo made moves to their OL. Struggled in run blocking. Cut after 2006 and went to Atlanta. Now out of the league. Pennington was a late attempt to improve the OL. His play was substandard and physically was not able to match up in the NFL. 7B. Aaron Merz OL California (248th overall) Merz was a former walk on at Cal who did not translate into the pro game at guard. Missed entire 2007 season and was cut before 2008. Currently out of the league. Overall, Buffalo used their top 5 picks on defenders, although 3 of their first four were DB's. The 2006 draft was panned by experts, but after the first season looked very good. After three years, these players have not formed the base that Marv Levy and Dick Jauron expected them to be. It also must be questioned why the Bills allocated so many picks to the secondary when huge holes existed on the OL and DL. Overall, this draft is probably no better than average with much of that depending on if Whitner, Butler, and Williams can improve in year 4.

Brown's title is "Lead Journalist." It should be "Lead Propagandist." I realize he has to write those puff pieces about continuity and how the players love DJ therefore he should remain, but even he must scratch his head with some of the games this season.

The only thing stopping RW now is the minimum amount which must be spent as per the CBA. If it weren't for that, we'd be in Florida Marlins territory circa 1998.

I talked to the tooth fairy and Santa last night about DJ. Neither are really impressed. The Easter Bunny likes him, but not as a HC. Seriously, did you see Brett Favre's reaction to the play call a few weeks ago? He was doing everything he could not to laugh. No NFL person can take Dick Jauron seriously after this season. 62 coaches have survived to coach 130 games in NFL history. Only four have a worse winning percentage than he does.

You've missed the point entirely. The W/L column for DJ career is 57-77. 0-1 in the playoffs. That's not good. It's bad. (I'm typing slowly for you) DJ teams rarely overachieve and usually play below their talent level. The 2001 team received several breaks to win games. Read the game reports to see how they won. I'll give you a hint: Mike Brown and fumble recovery will be mentioned. W/L record for DJ has been bad. DJ is bad. DJ's teams are bad. DJ is mediocre. DJ cannot manage gameday clock, hence Chris Brown recommends a gameday manager. DJ hires bad assistants. DJ was a bad assistant. DJ is sticking around because minor league teams like Buffalo need a cheap coach. DJ revels in not answering questions about his suckitude on gameday. DJ hasn't met a FG in the RZ he doesn't like. DJ's teams lose in the most humiliating way. DJ's career record is among the worst in NFL history.

I

He should have been arrested for his play this season.

On point 3: DJ is considered a joke in NFL coaching circles. I'm sure you're aware that among active coaches, only Herman Edwards has a lower winning percentage. And I'm also certain that after losing the Jets game in true Joe Piscarcik fashion, that DJ is laughed at privately. Piscarcik's coach never again had a job in the NFL after that game. DJ got an extension. On point 5: It is expected that coaches will coach their players, especially the QB. Yet Edwards was not prepared for certain things and never seemed to deal with teams that dropped 7+ into coverage. The coaching staff did him no favors when things got rough. They failed to get creative. Case in point was against NE, when 30 of 31 non-scrambles went between the tackles according to Greg Easterbrook. On point 7: Depth has been a problem with this team the last few years. Because the team has drafted poorly and will not spend within 22M of the salary cap, you'll see bargain basement signings like Teddy Lehman, Blake Costanzo, and Jerametrius Butler when injuries happen. Contrast this with Baltimore who dealt with 17 guys going on IR, yet found the right players to win. One of them was old favorite Jim Leonhard. Ralph thinks, but it's about his pocketbook. I have no problem with an owner making money, after all that's what they're in it for. But to give approval to a man who cannot beat good teams (6-23 versus teams with .500 or winning records in three seasons) and exhibits poor gameday management is completely asinine.

It's hard to be optimistic when confronted with three issues: 1. An 90 year old owner who insists on making decisions. RW has proven he can't be trusted to make good choices. 2. The lack of a GM. I think it's fair to demand a person who runs the personnel side of the organization. 3. A HC with a combined record of 32-48 in his last five seasons. Those three items will not change for the forseeable future. Add in what looks like a brutal schedule next season, and I'm not sure there will ever be enough talent to overcome the people managing this organization.