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BillsVet

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Everything posted by BillsVet

  1. Every time someone like a new GM and/or coach arrives, we've got to give them a few years. At least that's what many on this board say. Well, we've done that a few times now. At which point do we say, "Win Now" to the new guy. Frankly I don't want to hear about 2008. It's too far off and the 07 season is still more than 5 months away. We had to play those five rooks last season because there was nothing else in the talent/warm body department. Having five rookies play doesn't mean you had a solid draft, it means your team had no depth. I'm concerned about a team that continually gets younger every season. You could potentially have starting on defense this season 7 guys who were drafted in 2004-2007. (CB Youboty, SS Whitner, FS Simpson, CB McGee, MLB/OLB Crowell, OLB Ellison, DT Williams/McCargo) Don't confuse youth with talent and it's not always a good thing.
  2. Sure, I'd want the team on solid footing for the long haul. But give me something this season like a playoff appearance and it'll make 2008 even more anticipated. But to a certain level you've got to spend money to remain successful. IMO, this whole cash to the cap thing comes not from "amortizing" the future but from an unwillingness to spend. Now some smart person out there will cite the Dockery and Walker signings, but with roughly 20 million left in free agency, are we going to be that one team with room to spare and an unwillingness to spend it? I think the answer is yes and that's why I'm questioning where this team is going. If we're not using the resources we're alloted, are we putting our best effort forward?
  3. Just as you want me to expect a reasonable amount of time for the Bills to develop, I need a reasonable amount of time to make Super Bowl predictions. That's too far off at this point. Indy, SD, NE certainly appear the front-runners in the AFC. The NFC is a little less clear, CHI still has excellent talent, but PHI and NO will be there with them. If Spikes is let go, I need to know it was for salary cap reasons. Just saying the guy isn't performing is an insult to my intelligence. The guy looked to be coming on last season and the key question here is: Do we have an alternative to Spikes? Or is there a guy on the free agent market who can play to position like a veteran with talent? The answer is no, not at this point. You're not going to get a Merriman in the draft most likely and without a veteran with talent, you're turning the reigns at WLB over to a 2nd year former 6th round pick, the MLB most likely to a converted OLB, and then whomever they draft at SLB. That's playing with fire. The Bills aren't on the right path if we get into the endless cycle of simply looking to the draft and rookies each season to replace veterans. I've said it before that I completely understand letting NC and LFB go. But you don't put rookies in their place or career backups and expect me to say nothing is wrong. And again, I think I have the right to voice concern because this team is 0-7 in making the playoffs the last 7 years. Of course Marv wasn't here, but then they'd better understand most fans want to win. Just telling me to patient isn't something I'm going to buy. They've got to win now.
  4. I think JP will continue to develop. The effect of having a better offensive line should help him grow. I wish he had some more weapons, but there's still draft day. The danger is saying the team is one way or another based on what they have on paper. I don't want to do that, but it just seemed like 07 was going to be the bridge to a successful 2008. I'd rather not wait that long, but it is what it is.
  5. For all we know, John McCargo will be the man this season at DT. We don't know. The reason guys go in the first is because they've got more upside and better physical skills. We had 2 firsts in 06, two in 04 under TD and I wouldn't rule it out. I like having an extra 3rd to play with. Looking down the 06 DT draft class, there wasn't much after Ngata and the underachieving Bunkley. I like Okoye because he's got tremendous talent and physical skills. And I think he's going to get better. Combine that with great character and he's my wish for Buffalo. If you trade down in the first, you should get another second, but of course whomever you trade with may not have that high 2nd pick you'd typically like. Even so, having 2 seconds is a nice addition to having a low first rounder.
  6. I'm looking for more than simply trusting in Marv. We won't fully be able to have ultimate confidence in Marv's drafting ability for another 1-2 years. It will take some time to evaluate Marv's decisions. Character players are good for the organization. Won't argue there because they're the face of the franchise and get people in the seats. Of course winning doesn't hurt either.
  7. I keep hearing about pursuing versus attacking LB's. My question is, how much of the LB's success depends on the DT's holding O lineman at the LOS? If they can't do that, LB's will be making a lot of tackles down-field. Ergo, attacking LB's become the pursuing version after the snap. You take away Tommie Harris and Tank Johnson and Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs don't seem as great as they are.
  8. With free agency 3 weeks old and the draft still a long month away, I get the feeling Buffalo is looking further down the road than 2007. Although the season is still almost half a year away, it appears the Bills will not acquire any starting caliber free agents the rest of the way. There may be some players available later in the off-season, but I rarely hear Buffalo is interested like we heard when Dockery visited OBD on opening day of free agency. The question is this: do Bills fans think Buffalo looks toward 2008 or will they go out of their way to win in 2007? And what qualifies for success in 2007? Is it merely being .500, making the playoffs, or winning a post-season game? Do they have a sense of urgency for 2007 with the franchise missing the playoffs each season since 2000?
  9. We don't need a SLB. We also don't need a MLB. We're going to go with the Crowell and Ellison as the two backers in the 5-2 defense. Nah, seriously. They'll draft a LB and expect him to step into start if Spikes is cut. If Spikes goes, you're top LB's are: Crowell Ellison or Rookie Haggan/Wire/Stamer/Later picks or UDFA's Not something that gets me excited when we go up against NE, NYJ, et al. Teams will be circling Buffalo on the schedules, especially the RB's.
  10. If Amobi Okoye is gone at #12, drop down, pick up Posluszny and grab another pick or two. Minimum should be a second rounder if not another 4th or 5th for dropping down. I don't see Buffalo trading up, they're trying to acquire as many picks as possible. #12 is kinda in no-man's land, but certainly carries the potential of getting a solid player. Extra picks equal a less chance of missing on the second or third players. For this team to succeed, they need to have as many chances to get hits and replace the players they can't afford to re-sign.
  11. What am I going to do about it? That's the question asked when we run out of options to support our opinion. My posts are directed toward what I perceive as weaknesses on the team. So far, we have not upgraded any of our defensive positions of weakness from last year. We're heavily relying on now-2nd year players (K. Williams, Ellison, and McCargo) and a former backup (K. Thomas) to be the answer. That's wishful thinking. Offense I think will be better because we made a significant addition or two on the line. Who do I think will win the Super Bowl? The team that can plan for the future and still upgrade enough from season to season. And we're only meeting the first half of that statement.
  12. OK, I'll go along with that. Fair enough. Providing a definition about holding your own is helpful in the dialogue. Most guys aren't stars in the NFL. I'd like to be at least average to above average at every position. DJ seemed to echo that sentiment lately, but I don't have the link saying it. I think Whitner will become a good player. Same with Simpson who had a chip on his shoulder seemingly from being drafted in the 4th. Only time will tell. And there's some time left for evaluation.
  13. The central question is, when can we at least get to the playoffs and be in a position to win one game in the post-season? Because now it seems enough people are saying to wait some more, another season and a draft to be exact. That's not acceptable. How many years of building to get to a level where we can see playoffs? 2 more? 3 more? If I'm waiting until after three Levy (read Jauron) drafts, I'm looking at the 2008 season! I don't think a lot of fans have that much patience. The NFL is always a win-now mentality. I think you've gotta have patience, but only to a certain degree. At some point you've gotta wonder when. And if it takes Marv three years to get the team to the playoffs, what is in the water down there at the Meadowlands that allows the Jets to make it to playoffs the same year they hired Mangini?
  14. Here goes in no order: I like the phrase, "holding your own." But it leaves too much open to question. Call me negative, but I just like to have a reason for an opinion. I sure as heck hope that the players Buffalo is confident in will work out this season. Kyle Williams ended up teaming with Tripplett as the 1 and 3 tech respectively, but I can't believe for a second that McCargo and Tripplett won't be teamed together at some point either. I think Buffalo will adapt their scheme a little more to the players they have and their talents. Holding your own last season got us a defense porous against the run. Actually, I don't think that's holding your own. Not trying to be a smart aleck, but that's my take. ***I know most people say you can't grade a draft or a player until they've been in the league 3 years. But we shouldn't say they're good OR they're bad after one season. I'm fine with them holding their own, but at some point they've got to produce. And here's to hoping they can. If we're using our drafted players so much, using this mantra becomes less relevant. With so many rookies playing, so go the Bills. And that's when you can say something about rookies and their play.*** One thing about tackles, a stat cited in excess on this board. I don't think they tell the true nature of a player. It's a purely subjective assessment of a player's abilities. Lots of tackles doesn't always mean good things...especially from safeties. We talk about Fletcher's tackles downfield. Well, where were Whitner and Simpson making theirs? I'm willing to bet they weren't within the first three yards of the LOS or in the backfield. They were downfield, sometimes way downfield. And I'm never going to need a rookie to be a Pro Bowler. That's just insane, unless you've got that rare talent who can adapt to the NFL and use their physical tools. Marcus McNeill was one heckuva a LT last year for SD. He's the exception. But I would expect that down the road we're going to have a Pro Bowler or 2 in the next three years from the 2006 draft class. It's not the end of the day if we don't, but with all the talk Whitner gets, I hope he becomes one. The question is, where are we going to get improvement to take this team from where it was last season to being a playoff team this season? If you're not trying to get into the playoffs every year, you're not trying.
  15. Where did I talk about Super Bowl there? I do think it's reasonable to ask for a playoff appearance at some point. It's true free agency has thinned the talent of the league, not to mention the addition of 4 teams since the 1995 season. That's 4 team's worth of players which 20 years ago would have been spread across the 28 teams before expansion. So yeah, the product is obviously cheapened. I completely understand NC and LFB going in free agency. But did we acquire someone with a combination of experience and talent that can step into the position? We really didn't...Crowell we hope can play MLB and either K.Thomas/Youboty are supposed to be the solution at one CB position. We're calling on Ellison to play WLB after only a few NFL starts. And let's not even go RB now. The point is, guys let go for extremely legitimate reasons. But who replaces them? Sure you can find options within the team, but not all the time. And I don't think it's right to splurge in Free Agency every season. You build through the draft, but those picks aren't always going to be big time contributors their rookie seasons. I'm not one to select best player available just because you've got so many areas to make better. That's not a good thing no matter how you slice it. RB, CB, LB, DT, take your pick. All need improvements. And as for the "some" who critique the moves the team has made, we all can make our own opinions. I don't care what one lone voice in the forest says about Buffalo. Guys like Peter Kind slobber over the Pats all off-season, but there's nothing that says what you have on paper wins games. But it's apparent to me we're relying too much on rookies to make our team better.
  16. Sure, every team has weaknesses. And it's up to the other team to exploit them during the game. But it's a widely held belief that depth at RB, CB, LB, and DT is thin at best. With the salary cap comes limitations. We all know the Bills can't have the caliber of teams they had in the early nineties when you could have players backing the starters up who could play relatively well. Some people have said they're fine with the team, particularly how Marv and DJ (emphasis on DJ's opinion given to Marv) draft. Still, I think the biggest lie is that they'll feel comfortable taking another year's worth of rookies and plugging them into play and feeling confident about it. I just don't believe it. Marv didn't like playing rooks back when he coached, and I don't believe he does now. Last season they played rookies because they had little else to work with. That's continued this season with the departures (NC and LFB I completely understand) in FA. But if every season we're forced to play rookies, how far can this team go? Not all draft picks succeed and sometimes they're high picks. Marv does not have the Midas touch, no matter what anyone on this board says. And neither does DJ.
  17. When are some people going to admit we played rookies last season out of sheer desperation and lack of depth? It didn't happen because these guys were the best option, in most instances they were the only option. Ellison, Simpson, Pennington, and to a lesser degree Whitner played because there were no other options. K. Williams played because McCargo was hurt and wasn't effective when he was in there. And it showed on defense when we were easy to run on and offense where we rarely ran much at all behind the right side of the line. The team's depth both last season and most likely this seaon is very weak, even glaring in some spots. I think it's a lie that they feel comfortable putting some of the players on the field they'll end up having to. This Youboty/K. Thomas thing is a little scary. Hoping Ellison is good enough to play WLB is almost as bad. DT, regardless of the 1st round pick last season still doesn't phase most O-Coordinators. During draft weekend Buffalo will try to cull 2-3 starters or regular contributors out of their picks. That's not comforting. Rookies can only be counted on for so much. Most likely, one of those will be a LB, and the others are unknown. Biggest lie? That they're comfortable at all with some of their 2006 draft choices as starters in 07. And that somehow they'll have enough depth, especially on defense, to be a playoff team. Not a contender at 6-7 in Week 15, but a definite playoff team.
  18. With all the talk recently about 2-back sets and surveying the RB position throughout the league, I'm not a big believer in selecting a RB in the first. I wouldn't be totally disappointed with a first round RB, but there are plenty of options available and this thread clearly indicates that. Irons, Pittman, B. Jackson, Hunt, and others provide a pretty good option that won't go in the first. Last season Addai was a late first round pick, Jones-Drew went late in the second and if I'm correct, Larry Johnson went after everyone's favorite back in 2003. You don't need to use a top-15 pick on RB, unless it's an LT or Reggie Bush type, and there's no one like that this season. Then again, there's Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams who are more underwhelming even though they were selected top-5. I'd rather the 12th pick be used for an instant impact type player on defense that isn't a CB. Then again, the Bills will decide what to do with the pick. If they were able to find someone to trade with, going LB in Round 1 late, picking up a second and using that pick on a RB would be excellent. Of course, who's to say they're going to trade.
  19. I think there are multiple reasons to take Pittman. First, he'll be available in the 2nd, if not the 3rd. Second, he's got some room to grow into his frame. Third, he comes from a large program. Now, of those three reasons, the least important is the last. Just playing in a big program doesn't equate into NFL success. But at least he's got experience in big games (e.g. Michigan each season) His downside is a lack of contribution to the passing game. I like Brandon Jackson as well, perhaps in the early second. Depends on how whether or not the Bills would like to use their 2nd on a RB. He's ahead of Pittman in the strength category but hasn't carried the load at Nebraska. Still, an intriguing pick.
  20. Sure, I agree...Leonard may not be an every down type back. And Bush has those injury concerns. But I'm sure Jacksonville didn't envision Jones-Drew or Indy with Addai being the same. Both were the complement to an established NFL veteran. But yeah, at this point neither looks to be consistent backs. I like Leonard's work ethic, but so many have said that his insistence on being a RB and not a FB scares teams. Bush is a between the tackles guy with injury problems. Probably not a good combination. Hunt or Pittman would do fine.
  21. If Tony Hunt can play DB, that clinches it. No, seriously, I'd rather go defense with the first pick of our draft, assuming it's a first rounder which I think is probable. Going RB in the 2nd-3rd round would be nice. Be nice to trade back into the 2nd after our first pick to grab a back who's capable of carrying 20+ times a game. Brian Leonard would be nice, but Michael Bush would be better. For some reason I like Antonio Pittman from OH St. Not a big guy but he'll put on weight and has very good speed. Might be available in the 3rd. But I must admit Chris Henry from Arizona is an intriguing option in the 5th-6th round. Anyone who weighs 230 and has 4.4 speed is worth a shot. But I suspect Buffalo will only select 1 RB in the 2007 draft. Who knows. So much can happen in the next 40 days.
  22. With so many positions of need, I think trading down is a good idea. I won't speculate on which teams would deal with us, but I'm sure we could collect 1 or 2 first day selctions in making a move down in the first. I can't see Buffalo completely getting out of the first. So many people seem to be high on Youboty after seeing him play CB in one game. K. Thomas has never been a starter in his NFL career. Still, I'd rather see a LB, RB, and DT selected before CB. If Youboty is so good, the Bills won't be spending a first day pick at DB. If they do, it tells me Youboty isn't the sure thing some people think he is. LB is simply thin on this team. One injury with the current roster and we've got to look at Coy Wire or Mario Haggan being a starter. A frightening thought. And for all those Wire lovers, he's never played the position in the pros beyond a few games last season. And that was out of necessity. All of this though is worthless based on what happens to Spikes. If he returns at a high level we're able to concentrate on other areas and pick a LB later, perhaps Day 2. DT is still not something I'm thinking is going to be better next season. Hoping and wishing Kyle Williams can play the 1 consistenyl is just that. We've got to have a bigger body who can absorb blockers for those LB"s. Tripplett at 3 can't do it himself, and we saw that nearly every game last season outside of perhaps the Jacksonville game. McCargo as the X factor worries me with that broken foot problem. We've got to get some more depth at DT. RB in Round 2 or 3 is almost necessary now. Buffalo probably wants a young speedster to complement A. Thomas. Pittman from Oh St. comes to mind but I'm not sure he's there in the 3rd. Then again, who knows at this point.
  23. Let's condense the LB situation: 1. TKO's health is still a concern, though he could bounce back but we won't know for awhile. 2. Crowell is getting better, but it's up in the air how versatile he is to switch to MLB. 3. A draft pick of either Willis at MLB or Posluszny at OLB might be in order. It depends on retaining Spikes and Crowell's adaptation to MLB. There are other names out there including Siler, Timmons, Harris, and others who may fall into the 3rd. 4. The team likes Ellison, but he certainly needs to be bigger and stronger to attack the LOS. A smart player. 5. The remaining group (Stamer, Haggan, Manning, Wire, et al.) are merely ST's or backups. Not much to work with. Depth is an issue here. I'm sure the front office would love to dump Takeo for salary, performance and/or locker room reasons, but they're not in a position to do so yet. There are literally a host of options this team can take at LB. It's evident they won't pursue any free agents because they think they've got what it takes on the roster and or in the draft. That said, they must know something most people don't and are gambling that either a rookie or Crowell will be able to play MLB.
  24. Let's face it, the better the DT's can penetrate the gaps and create havoc the easier it'll be for Crowell or whomever plays MLB to make tackles. Brian Urlacher is a great LB, but without Tank "Jailtime" Johnson and Tommie Harris, the Bears aren't nearly the same caliber defense. IMO the DT's the are the most important position on defense next to the MLB. If they don't do their job, the MLB has to do more.
  25. All I can think of is we're taking a step back to take two steps forward. I like Dockery and to a lesser extent Walker. Making your offensive line better is the right move to take. Skill positions other than QB don't require big time picks all the time. But, you've got a WR in Evans who is the real deal. Opposite him there's a mix of several similar players. At RB you're going to have a committee and that isn't something I'm keen on, but they don't have much choice either. Defense is probably the name of the game in the draft again. On defense, we're hoping the young guys get better. Plain and simple. For guys drafted in the first or second that's fine. After that I'm concerned. Sure, we've got guys in the past from later rounds who performed, but the odds are against low round picks. On the DLine, we've got bodies at DT, but quality is another question. DE seems to be the foundation of this defense. At LB we're woefully thin, and should Spikes get the boot, even more. The safeties both have 1 year experience and the corners are shaky at best. Youboty/K. Thomas aren't big names while McGee had a rough 2006 campaign. Not saying you need name CB's, but I'm not comfortable with a 7 year veteran who's never started before and a super-rookie who has minimal experience no matter how high he was ranked last season. I don't like speculating about 2007 this early, but getting guys from the 07 draft to start appears the only option at certain positions. I can see a CB being taken, but I'd spontaneously combust as would many other fans. One thing I don't like is people asserting that we can find a RB in round 3 or 4 who can share time with A. Thomas and provide an adequate running game. That's more wishful thinking. Backs look good behind good lines, but they still need to see their blocks and get past the LOS. That's the hard part.
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