BillsVet

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.

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.

I would tend to agree with this assessment. Patrick Willis seems like a great pick, though 12 may be high. LB is a position of need because after Crowell, the talent drops off dramatically. We hope Spikes can return to near what he was like pre-injury and Ellison is still young. After that we have very little but UDFA's and late round picks. LB is a definite position of need. IMO Buffalo is looking for their 1st Rounder to start this season. They simply have a need for new talent at certain positions, including LB. It's still so far off though.

It's simply wishful thinking that Buffalo's LB Corps will be able to make tackles and "attack" the LOS. I hope he can make the conversion, but MLB is simply the most complicated position to play in the Cover-2. Just hoping and praying he can do it isn't enough to me. I think physically he can play the position, but should he move to the middle, Ellison (at this point) becomes the WLB. And despite what some say, I believe Spikes will be served his walking papers. Should Spikes remain, we're still unsure how Ellison can perform as a starter for a 16 game season. After Ellison, Spikes, and Crowell, our LB's are extremely weak. When your options after the starters are Mario Haggan, Coy Wire, Josh Stamer, Roy Manning, and John DiGiorgio, you'd better hope no one gets hurt. The Bills have no margin for error at LB. Crowell must make the conversion, or Donte Whitner might make more tackles than he did last season.

Marv relies on other people to do what other team's GM's do. Overdorf, Modrak, those guys do things Marv should be doing. Face it, Marv's a figurehead with a desk. He's doing what Ralph Wilson wanted when he hired him-put a good face out there for the organization. And with the dealing of Willis he's started that. Spikes has been rumored to be a disruptive force in the locker room, especially with his comments in the wake of Vincent being released. Marv will handle that in due time. You have to figure that Jim McNally had a big hand in getting Dockery and Walker and advised Marv. IMO DJ had a big hand in going defense in the draft in 2006. Marv never ran the Cover-2 as a Head Coach. He was new to the system and DJ already knew it well, having run it in Chicago. One thing about DJ, he got some players in Chicago like Urlacher and Briggs. So if he's advising Marv that's not an altogether bad thing. GM's and coaches aren't crazy about scouts historically and so that coach-GM relationship is important.

Again, let's not give Marv credit for being Marv. When they decided on a head coach they went looking for someone with previous experience. Good idea after the previous 2 HC's. How do we know how much talent evaluation Marv did back in the late eighties and nineties? Didn't we have Polian, Butler, and AJ Smith? Those guys did the scouting and personnel work. Marv provided input but didn't make the decision. Now Marv's doing the work those guys did. Marv has admitted himself he didn't have a lot of knowledge about the draft last season. He relied on Modrak and Jauron's insight because they'd been in the league those 10 seasons Marv was out of the game. Marv was hired in early January and the draft took place in April. Marv is not a scout, but he ultimately makes personnel moves. However, the off-season in 2006 was a completely new experience simply because he was a brand new GM. You don't become a great GM overnight. Some would argue we still don't have one. Marv does not get the benefit of the doubt. I don't go along with what those ESPN people say, but they're not wrong all the time either.

I gather DJ holds a lot of sway over Levy regarding personnel issues. I'll wager he was behind the Whitner, McCargo, and Simpson selections last year. While I won't assess the picks one way or another, I think it's safe to say we go defense in the first round. Despite all the posturing teams do leading up to the draft, DJ will advise Marv to go defense in Round 1 and/or 2. Now, I could be wrong, but DJ is a defense first coach and there's no way Marv totally blows off his head coach. Offensive weapons are a "want" right now, with defense being a "need." Especially considering there's CB, LB, and DT issues. Then again, they might surprise us all and take Sepulveda the punter from Baylor with their first pick. Who knows with this bunch.

I'd agree with that as well...but let's not give the coaching staff/front office too much credit after one season and draft. They made changes at the bye week that strengthened the OLine and gave the team a chance down the stretch. They beat a JAC team that was pretty good. They weren't blown out by the likes of SD, Indy, and BAL like Chicago did. But they also didn't hold the lead against Tennessee in the 4th. I wasn't crazy about clock management in the SD game, nor the two timeouts on the Price non-catch. To wager 2 TO's on one play in inexcusable. I also didn't like the game plan for Indy. Conservative play calling can go too far. Granted hindsight is 20/20, but outside of the McGee return at Indy we didn't score a TD in yet another game. Not going to get worked up over the team in March. But I still say you put the pieces together personnel wise in March and April for mini-camp and training camp in July and August for the regular season in September. The OLine revamping was a great start, but we're not finished.

OK, not to quibble with your assessment here, but just because a guy is a first round pick doesn't mean he's starter grade. The jury's still out on McCargo...I keep hearing he showed flashes but I didn't really see them. Seemed to me the games he did play in I didn't even know he was there and I was watching the interior DLine. And with a potentially chronic foot problem, I'm still seeing big question marks. Even if he does start, who knows at what level. DJ does defense better than anything else, and if they've got faith in Crowell at MLB, great. But let's not put him there because DiGiorgio is the only option. Now we're trying to fit the players to the system and that doesn't always work. I'm not convinced on Ellison. Don't want to shut him out, but he's not got that much playing time. Of course we'll see what the off-season has done for him. I hope he can become a Cato June type player who can tackle better. Who knows? I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on that one. I think the OL is going to be a strength. There's good starters and good depth, at least on paper. But a below average running back is our starter right now. Here's why: 1. backed up McGahee in 06...against the NFL's worst run defense (Indy) ran for 109 yards on 28 carries...not real impressive but of course the line wasn't great. 2. hasn't run for 1000 yards or started either since that 2003. I can't get over those facts. If they go by committee, I think there are some fine running backs available out there in the 2-3rd, but I don't like putting faith into a rookie. And neither does Marv. His track record prior to 06 demonstrates that, and last season was out of pure necessity.

I'm glad you are optimistic for this season, but I figured you were already writing off 2007. 10 wins will be tough to come by in the ultra-competitive AFC East. Granted, we're playing only 6 divisional games, but getting out of the AFC East will be a challenge. And with NFL teams changing so much from year to year, maybe a repeat of 06 happens in that we get a very tough schedule that going into the season no one expected. I believe this team is weak because we're going into draft weekend in need of starters. And we need starters at multiple positions. RB, LB, DT, and CB need continued personnel improvement. I completely understand needing an infusion of talent at 1-2 positions, but four is too much to still be hopeful of 10+ wins. A lot of people on here are quick to point out that we were poor against the run with LFB and NC. That's accurate, but so is the opposite. We were poor with them, and it's entirely possible that we'll be poorer without them. To be fair, we do not know what this team, particularly the defense, will be like minus those two. The Bills will need unproven players to become proven in a hurry. If not, it could be a long 2007 season. Then again, here's to 2008 and waiting until the season after next.

How much time should we give the current Bills Braintrust? Two seasons? Three seasons? To me, talking about 2008 is even worse than all those 40s and 50s Brooklyn Dodgers fans who said every season after they lost in the World Series, "wait until next year." I don't think too many fans want to even consider that type of rationale. Another season, off-season, and regular season to a playoff appearance is a lot to wait for. I want Buffalo to win now, not next year, not two years from now. This year. And if my patience is short, well, I think I have a reason. We're 46-66 in the last seven seasons. We can talk about who was in charge and what players we had, but the fact remains the same, we've had 0 playoff appearances in 7 seasons, and only 2 in the last 11. And one playoff win since 1995. It's not about who's in charge, it's the organization that's experienced failure comparable to teams like Detroit and Arizona. To ask to have a winner now is certainly within bounds.

I think it's safe to question this team when there are a lot of, "ifs." And here are the biggest ifs. 1. Defensive Tackles. If McCargo, Tripplett and/or K. Williams significantly improve from last season then the DLine will be in good shape. If not, you might see some long possessions from opponents and lots of big rushing performances. Eerily similar to 2006. 2. Running Back. If Anthony Thomas and/or a possible draft pick can be effective both inside and outside the tackles. Thomas is a between the tackles guy and no one knows if we even go with a RB in the first 2-3 rounds of the draft. If we do, can that player provide the depth and speed to give us a running attack. 3. If Crowell can make the adjustment to MLB. This is the most demanding position physically and mentally in the defenseive system. The Mike is called on to drop into coverage and attack the LOS. Not for the feint of heart. Besides, IF Spikes is let go, we'll need another LB to play in addition to Ellison, a former 6th rounder with little game experience. But that's just if. 4. If K. Thomas or Youboty can become adequate options as a starting CB. Thomas is a career backup/nickel corner. Now in all probability he's the starter in his eighth NFL season. Youboty's development is still in question because of family concerns. One game is not enough to tell what his future holds. 5. If J.P. Losman continues to develop. It appears he'll be a good NFL QB with decent talent around him. Should be a better bet with an improved OLine on paper. 6. If Lee Evans can play as well in 2007 as he did in 2006 it'll make Losman's development that much easier. The more ifs, the more chances for failure. Those aren't opinions, they're fact. Rationalize it all you want, teams like NE and NYJ don't have that many significant problems-at least on paper going into Draft Weekend. Sure it's early, but I don't know many teams that add starters to their roster in July or August. You get them now in March or April. And when you go into the draft needing immediate impact starters, that's not a good formula for success. Besides, it's OK to question your team when 28 other NFL clubs have been to the playoffs since the last team your team went. But that might be too negative for some.

I reminds me of those old NFL Films productions after the season that highlighted every team in the league. The year the Jets went 1-15 after watching their 1/2 hour production, you'd have thought they went 10-6 and made the playoffs. You can convince yourself that all the Bills question marks will be solved through the draft/free agency/divine intervention/whatever. But, with lackluster depth at RB, LB, and CB, it's not comforting knowing we've got so many holes and so few dependable options to fill them with. When you absolutely depend on the draft for players, something is seriously wrong.

Good depth signing...but totally agree. There are several better backs, regardless of whether they're in a two-back set or not. Thomas stuck around because he wasn't in demand by the rest of the NFL. I don't know if his relationship with DJ helped here with the potentially low price, but it probably did given their familiarity. This is a guy who rarely played in 05, even after Deuce McAllister went down. That tells me a lot about him. And then to get 109 yards against Indy's swiss cheese defense made me wonder about his everydown back abilities. Let's not get too excited about A-Train. He will do the things mentioned above, but won't provide us with a dominant back. Sorry to raise the rational flag here, but he's just part of the solution, not close to all of it.

I'm not going to knock down someone who chooses to feel positive about the off-season SO FAR. But reality rears its ugly head at some point. While we can't ascertain what the effect of these moves is right now, we will know in September. And I'm less inclined to believe what comes out of OBD after last season. I heard all off-season how Royal, Reyes, Bowen, and the like were described in more glowing terms than they played. Bottom line: don't believe the hype. With that in mind, I don't feel optimistic about the season SO FAR in free agency. The offensive line is better, but anyone who thinks the RB position SO FAR is better has another thing coming. Anthony Thomas lost his starting job to Thomas Jones in Chicago and did not start here. For Buffalo to pass him off as a starter is laughable. Now, they may choose to go RB in Round 1,2, or 3, but whomever they pick is still a rookie and most likely won't be providing a huge impact. Some fans might drop names like Addai or even Jones-Drew, but those guys are few and far between. McGahee was a bad attitude and team disease, but you've got to have a solution before voluntarily opening a new problem. The defense SO FAR is not better than last year, and we weren't all that great in 2006 anyway. Sure, Clements and F-B were gone, but there's been no one with starting NFL experience even in for a visit on defense. To say the draft will solve the problem is too much because rookies aren't normally going to be impact players. Maybe a 2nd or 3rd year player, but rarely rookies. Cato June is probably the best defender available along with Ken Hamlin and neither are going to Buffalo. Again, speculation, but after looking at the salary cap page, there's little room for quality players but enough for depth type guys. SO FAR of course. Last year's picks are on the team for one reason, we had nothing in the way of depth. Keep feeling good about Pennington, Merz, and Butler, but these guys could be done this season in Buffalo. Sure, that's obvious speculation, but getting two big name guys means they don't have the luxury of being options like last season when Reyes and Villarrial didn't cut it or were injured. I don't care for Bob Matthews' opinions. He doesn't attend many sporting events but writes about almost all of them. But he's got the guts to say something that isn't partial or negative, just observation. If you don't like it, ignore him. SO FAR, the Pats have improved, albeit on paper. But any team that goes to the AFC Title game and adds Adalius Thomas along with to a lesser degree Welker and Stallworth makes me wonder. They've got a good defense already and have more weapons on offense. Go ahead and minimize what they've done, but don't dare come back and say how our players will improve. Anyone heard of the sophomore jinx? If you're going to be positive, have a reason. 5th, 6th, and 7th round picks rarely become dependable NFL starters. That's the odds, but many players have defied the odds in NFL history. Still the pieces to the Bills puzzle will most likely be coming from the draft. And relying on the draft for starting grade NFL players isn't something I'm taking to the bank. Talk all you want about Whitner and Simpson, but they were the only options remaining. I hope they play well, because they've got no options after those two. Same goes for LB where Crowell, Spikes, and undersized Keith Ellison are the only options outside of new LB Coy Wire. Those names aren't reassuring at the position.

Some people panic about the positions of need. If we go into the draft with 1 RB w/NFL experience, 3 signed CB's, only one of whom has decent NFL experience, and a LB corps that consists of Crowell, Ellison, and Wire, I'm going to be nervous. But we're not at that point. Should Spikes be released, and that's up in the air, we've got to have an excellent draft with guys who can step in. There is no option there. DT is a position of need, but at this point it's not the priority. RB and CB are. LB comes in a close third. I'd like Okoye, but as far as getting picks I can't see them keeping #12 and using it on a player. I think they're going to stockpile picks, particularly 2nd's and 3rd's like they've already started to get more of a chance to draft good players.

You're not supposed to be negative around here. Haven't you heard? Marv and Dick have a plan. I call it, "Fun with Dick and Marv." The 2007 Off-season brought to you by Ralph Wilson. Coming to a football stadium near you.

I wanted something to represent the Army Battalion I was with in Iraq...that was all I had for the moment. I was kidding about the piercings, it's prob something Marv doesn't care about as long as the guy doesn't beat his wife or throw singles at strippers and start gun battles. Those are not fun.

Oh yeah, Chris Brown is not someone I want to put too much faith into. He's got talent, but there's no amount of talent that can calm my concerns about his durability. Anthony Thomas is out there, and yeah I've got to believe the front office knows he wants to return unless someone comes along and gives him ridiculous money. I think they'll take their chances and wait for him to re-sign here in Buffalo. There are some good backs that people are projecting going in the third. Maybe Antonio Pittman is available, I don't know. But it's a risk waiting until draft day period to clear up your running back situation. I guess we'll have to wait and see. I know trades aren't popular in the NFL like they are in other major pro leagues, but I wouldn't doubt Buffalo trying to engineer something. The question is, with whom and for what player.

Those were eight options, all of them pretty poor. Sure, there will be cuts, but who's going to cut a quality back for us to have fall into our laps for a low price? I'm not even going to rely on the Bills relying on an NFL Europe Player. (Right now someone is desperately saying Brian Moorman, but totally different position) Let's get real here. 1. Ron Dayne was not retained in Houston because he's a poor option. Despite playing well at the end, he doesn't have the speed and cannot run outside the tackles. A one-dimensional back. 2. Kevan Barlow was cut by the Jets. End of story. 3. Anthony Thomas filled in admirably for Buffalo, but against the NFL's worst run defense (Indy) could not average 4 yards per carry. Of course the line had hand in that, but a back-up type player. 4. Correll Buckhalter has had serious injury concerns and never could come close to supplanting Brian Westbrook, a UDFA. 5. Corey Dillon has either said thanks but no thanks or Buffalo told him he can take his attitude back home. I've got no problem with him not being here. 6. Chris Brown is the option that reminds me of a politician you don't agree all the time with, but against the other options on election day you vote for because there's nothing better. So, what you have are castoffs that other teams don't want vying for a starting job in Buffalo. Again, it's early, but too late to be opening another position. If Chris Brown signs, fine. But there should be another guy in the mix should he get hurt. Someone who can handle the load if need be. I don't take your post as belittling at all...I like having informed discussions with people in a civil manner. RB is an easier solution than QB, OT, or even DT. But you've got to have A solution at some point. Marv might get it done, but using a first or second on a RB takes away from using that on the defensive side of the ball. The defense needs help now, and I don't see it coming in free agency.

I'm not trying to be a smart aleck, but who's still out there? I know Chris Brown is there. So are Corey Dillon, Ron Dayne, Correll Buckhalter, Anthony Thomas, and Kevan Barlow. Those are the top choices remaining in free agency. These are not options I'm crazy about, but I do feel better about taking a Chris Brown and putting him behind a much improved line. Having Anthony Thomas share time with Brown isn't a bad thing. Sure it's early, but the availability of backs in free agency combined with some coming off the free agent list is limited. I don't see any backs being cuts from their team. Perhaps Clinton Portis will get the boot in Washington as the Skins have re-signed Ladell Betts. Beyond that I'm not sure. Notice, I've only supplied UFA options. I don't think Turner is leaving SD for less than a 1st or maybe a 2nd and a 3rd, despite the tender he received that equals a 1st and a 3rd compensation. I'll be fine with Chris Brown and A-Train for a year. But there needs to be a long term solution from the draft either this year or next.

Is there a right side of 30? I'm trying to figure that one out. Adalius Thomas might be a system player, but who knows. He's played well in Baltimore with a good defense and I'm willing to bet with Belichick that he's going to be good for 2-3 years barring injury. But so what. Welker and a healthy Donte Stallworth are improvements over players like Doug Gabriel (who was released) Reche Caldwell, not to mention Jabar Gaffney. We all know Brady makes his wideouts better, and now he's got more to work with. Our offensive line is the foundation of a good defense. But having the best OL without some diversified set of weapons is not good. I think Losman will be better and Evans will play better than even last season. But you can't be an all pass team, because, and I might be wrong here, we don't have a legitimate RB on the roster and it's getting late. You can fall back on the whole, "we'll draft a RB in Round 1 or 2" rationale, but here's the scary thought, the defense needs some help too, as in now. So NE doesn't scare you? They're another team, but one with a track record of success. I suppose they didn't concern you last season in the fourth quarter there Week 1 or in that monstrosity in week 7.

We'll I find it funny we're saying who cares about Stallworth because he's not a sure thing and we accept that JP is a a sure thing. He improved tremendously last year, but it's one season. Let's not draw too many conclusions from one year. Sure, Fairchild may open it up more next year with a better line, but when you start assuming Stallworth won't be much of an impact for various reasons, you should use the same reasoning for Buffalo. I saw a lot of underthrown balls last season, both in person and on television. Regardless, JP's the starter and much is still expected from him. No need for huge panic. I was at the GB game that started the resurgence of the team. Losman threw for 82 yards. The next week against Indy produced 102. He did play well against Houston, but still is not a sure thing, though he's not going to be a bust. I don't think QB is an area of need on this team, but I'm using it to illustrate the absurdity of not keeping pace with the Joneses in the AFC East. You can stick your head in the sand and just ignore NE and NYJ, but that's not a rational response. They're getting better, we're sitting back and watching. But who knows, maybe they move again in free agency, though it's been said they'd bring in 4-5 free agents and we've already signed 3. WR has it's advantages and disadvantages. Evans is surely a #1 WR. Parrish, Reed, and Price are the other options at this point. Generally, they're similar players. Undersized WR, but all in all, I don't see Buffalo getting another starter grade guy here because they re-signed Reed and Price to bigger deals last season. WR is not a priority. I beg to disagree with the idea the CB position is better than we think. We've got 3 CB's on the roster right now. One who started and didn't play well (McGee) one who is a former 3rd rounder and dressed for 1 game at CB last year(Youboty) and another who is an undersized RFA (Jabari Greer) That doesn't make me too comfortable. That's not much depth. Sure, Jason David and Nick Harper are out there, and they may well sign someone, but their inactivity a week after the beginning of free agency is a little perplexing. If the coaches were so convinced with Youboty, they'd have dressed him for games instead of relegating him to the press box. Guys who can contribute dress, not the other way around. LB is not close to providing any depth. Crowell is the best of the bunch, Ellison may be the starter after some time starting last season, and Wire is a converted S after playing the position in college. Slim pickings there. Spikes in all probability will be cut. I'm in complete agreement about letting Fletcher and Nate go. They were not consistent with the avenue this team was taking for the long term for a host of reasons. But I'd like to see someone with NFL experience and decent talent there to replace them. Putting rookies and seldom-played 2nd year guys in there doesn't make me feel good about the defense next season. I'm not writing off the 2007 season, but I need to see some experienced NFL guys in here before I'm willing to hand the jobs at CB, LB, DT, and RB to rookies and less experienced players. It ain't a doomed season fella, but this draft isn't going to provide all the solutions some would have you think. Free Agency has to give us something to go on. And guys are coming off the board quicker than some might think.

I take it Lee Evans along with Peerless Price, Josh Reed, and Roscoe Parrish make you comfortable with a QB with maybe one and a half seasons as a starter? To each his own.

Marv might not like the piercings he's got in his team photo on the Bills Website. I'm sure he's coming to training camp, but it'll be interesting how much competition Buffalo brings in at RB.