Paup 1995MVP

I completely agree. Tyrod has played well in spurts. But when the game is on the line, he has gone in the tank time and time again. He had chances against NE, KC and Philly to lead us down the field to tie the game with plenty of time, and he could not even get us a first down, when the opposition is always going to give you some underneath and medium range stuff. His awareness of what to do in a given situation is sorely lacking. That being said he does have ability to make big plays. And hopefully will get better in crunch time going forward. However, to even think about an extension at this point in time is pure stupidity. He should be the starter going into this coming offseason. But he should have competition from a veteran and a draft pick. He should have to show that he is trending upward this offseason and into next season before he is given a fat contract. Because if this year is TT's ceiling, we are not going anywhere as a team. A lot of you may not follow him, because he is not flashy. But Jake Rudock at Michigan had an excellent season. He is smart, mobile, good accuracy, has an above average arm and understands how to play the QB position. With some solid coaching he will be a good NFL QB (better version of Kirk Cousins and Nick Foles) within a couple of seasons. I have watched every Michigan game this year, and he has gotten better as the season went along. And was a great leader of the offense. I would draft him with a 4th or 5th round pick, and give him a shot. I am a huge Michigan fan, so I may be biased. But the guy has game.

Did you not watch the game? Karlos ran like his hair was doused w gasoline, and someone was chasing him w a welding torch. In other words he ran hard and fast. The kid has got game. He will end up being an excellent pick for the Bills. He makes Fred look like he is running in reverse on a treadmill.

Anyone who is not concerned about Ronald Darby starting for us, has not watched Ronald Darby's performance trying to cover an NFL receiver one on one. He looks athletic, but looks absolutely lost when trying to stay with his receiver. His instincts look a little suspect, as he always seems a bit slow in reacting to ball and receiver. But if we all see this, I am sure Rex and his coaches do as well. And will create a scheme that will protect Darby as much as possible. And hopefully, Luck will be running for his life from our pass rush, and be totally uncomfortable the entire game. I like our chances to prevail. A nice start to the Tyrod and Rex era...Bills 31-20.

I think there is a pretty fair chance that Moats and/or Batten do not EVEN make the team. Don't see a lot of upside with the athleticism of either player. We can find a lot better.

Totally agree. Bell is soft and never dominates. He is decent, but he always is getting beat up. We can do better in free agency or the draft. I would be happy with him as a depth player. I think the Bills agree. That is why we did not sign him before free agency started. We do NOT view him as the long term solution at LT. We will let him sort out any offers, and find his value on the open market. He will than be much easier to sign, if he does not get a good offer from anyone else, which I am thinking will be the case. Elite NFL teams do not have starting LT's like Demetrius Bell.

We have oodles of cap space. Part of the reason we have sucked for so long is because we are always "a young team". We need good veteran players. Every team does. If he gave us 2 or 3 solid years, how is that bad? He and Merriman rotating at DE sounds like a pretty lethal combination to me if healthy.

I certainly do. He brings an aggresive attitude that is sorely lacking from our secondary. In fact it is lacking from our entire defense. I think Buddy is going to step up, and pay what he has to, to bring in the necessary talent.

Great getting Stevie J in the fold. Sends a very positive message around the NFL that we are not a bunch of clowns any longer. And you have got to be at least mildly excited that our GM says we will be AGGRESSIVE in free agency. To me that means we are not going to wait around, but will be going after solid NFL starters at positions of need immmediately after the bell rings. So what if we don't get Mario Williams. There are plenty of solid other DE's to go after that will improve this team. I predict at least three very solid signings in free agency. How many of you want Marcus Colston? The man is AWESOME. What a compliment to Stevie J. I think we will go after a DE and someone who can be a number one cornerback like Courtlan Finnegan. (some nastiness at the position) We get 3 studs at DE,WR,CB and than we open up so many possibilities on draft day. I see OT in first round if we can get a very solid WR in free agency. Maybe even trading down to fill a bunch of needs, Including getting a QB,a TE who can RUN, and some LB's who are actually players, not slow moving pylons like Danny Batten and Arthur Moats. You all have GOT TO BE EXCITED!! I sure am.

I make that trade in a heartbeat. If we are "aggressive" in Free agency as Buddy says we will be. And can sign Stevie, another top receiver, and two pass rushers. There is absolutely no reason not to make the trade based on your terms. And we would still have a lot of draft picks over the next two years to fill in the other holes. Go Bills!! BE BOLD!!

Colston is a BEAST!! The Bills should do everything in their power to sign him. He has size and great hands. He is not a burner, but knows how to always get open. I would go after Colston and Meacham. And resign Stevie. Use Derrick Hagan and David Nelson as your 4th and 5th receivers. Donald Jones STINKS. He is not an NFL receiver. Worse hands I have ever seen. And if we can't sign Stevie, use the money to bring in 3 Free agent receivers. No reason not to. I like a trio of Colston with either Meacham, Manningham and Garcon. We have to go bold.

It is a brutal combination, which is one of the main reasons we have the longest playoff draught in the NFL. Our talent evaluation of NFL free agents has just been brutal for the past 5-7 years. (After we signed Takeo and Sam Adams) This is a big year for free agents. We have a ton of money under the cap. And we can transfer up to 21 million from last years cap to this years cap as well. There is absolutely no excuse for us not being in the bidding for every good free agent that is at a need position for us. This team needs at least 5 good free agents to mix into the offense and defense. (At least 2 playmakers on offense, and three playmakers on defense) We do that we can take the best offensive tackle with the tenth pick and hopefully take Hightower from Alabama in the second round, and than bring in depth with our other draft picks. Having drafted so poorly for the past decade, the top end talent on our roster is minimal. There is no way we will ever compete for the playoffs regardless of how well we draft, unless we fortify the roster with some strong free agents. So everyone who thinks that we "have to resign Stevie Johnson". That is only a small part of the equation. The guy who is throwing to him is not an NFL starting QB. The Defense has been dreadful the past many seasons. So let us pray that One Bills Drive cares as much as its fan base, and spends what it HAS TO to land some marquee talent. And btw, Drayton Florence STINKS!! He would not start for just about any other team in the NFL. The sooner he is cut, the better.

My god, Stevie Johnson must be the most popular Buffalo Bill to ever put on the jersey. I will be happy if we keep him. But that still is not UPGRADING the team from last season. He is a GOOD player. He is not a GREAT player. We will still need to bring in another VERY GOOD receiver to play on the other side. The herd mentality on this board is mind numbing. Fred Jackson is our best offensive player hands down, followed by Eric Wood. Where is all the ranting about giving Freddie a long overdue raise and extension. And what about extending Wood and Levitre as well? Do you think we are marching to the Super Bowl if we resign Stevie Johnson? What about taking that money and signing Marcus Colston, and Pierre Garcon, Dwayne Bowe, or Vincent Jackson? Stevie doesn't seem as great mentioned against those guys does he?

I sure disagree with your thinking. We have won how many games with Stevie Johnson the past 2 years? TEN!! How many big catches has Stevie made the last 2 years that have been game changing? Obviously not very many. Most of you on this board way overrate his numbers and the impact he has had on our team. Today's NFL is very pass oriented and many receivers have 1,000 yard seasons. He is a good receiver, but certainly not a game changer. Sure I would be happy if we resign Stevie. But he is NOT a dominant player in this league. The only game changer we have on offense is Fred Jackson. I bet if you put Derrick Hagan in Stevie's position and throw him the same amount of balls, running the same routes, his numbers would be almost as good if not equal or better than Stevie's. My point is that Steve Johnson is a GOOD receiver, but nothing special. Lets look at the makeup of the entire team after free agency and the draft is completed before most of you jump off a bridge when Stevie signs someplace else.

He is not pretty good. He is lousy. He commits penalties because he does not have any speed left to cover receivers down the field. (Watch Bills v. Giants) He is not an NFL starting cornerback at this stage of his career. I would be happy signing Finnegan and Rout, and than let Rogers, Williams, McKelvin, Mcgee and Florence fight it out for the 3rd, 4th and 5th corner spots. Competition at every position is what this team needs. And for those of you who say we can't sign two corners in Free Agency. We can carry over $21 million in cap money from last year to this. (see Buffalo Rumblings article) So we have room to sign both Finnegan and Rout AND still sign a DE, OLB and a top notch WR. (Hey a guy can dream can't he?)

I agree with you my friend. Fitzie just does not have the physical tools to be a good starting QB in the NFL. His accuracy and arm strength are not NFL caliber. It is as simple as that. He has grit and smarts. But that does not beat good NFL defenses, and will not beat mediocre defenses a lot of the time as well. I agree that our O line was very solid last year. Easily good enuf to make the playoffs, even with the injuries. Our defense needs work, certainly at pass rush. But Fitzie will need to be a whole lot better if this team is going to contend for the playoffs.

I agree with you 100%. Not audibilizing away from the 4th and 1 handoff to Fred down inside their 20 when the Jets had the line stacked in the home game against them, after we had already taken a timeout was pure stupidity. (a QB sneak was the call right there) Worse than that, the guy is just not that good. And what upside does he really have? Someone explain to me why my thinking is wrong. I want to believe in our starting QB, but after watching him the past couple of seasons, I come to the conclusion that he is a solid backup at best on his good days.

I disagree that Sheppard is a slam dunk starter next season. Where is all the love coming from for him? I thought he did next to nothing last year. He was either out of position, or was being swallowed up and being put on his back by an O lineman on many plays. I would want to see a whole lot more out of him before I annoint him as a starter. Our defense was terrible last year. We have three solid NFL starters in the front seven in Barnett, K Williams and Dareus. Kelsay is decent enuf to be a solid rotational guy at DE. But we need some major upgrades at LB and DE, Whether from the draft or free agency. I just did not see much from Sheppard that shows me he has upside to be a constant difference maker at the NFL level. I agree that Aaron Williams looks like he has starter potential at CB. But we need to get rid of Florence. He is terrible. We can keep McKelvin as depth. And McGee can still make plays if healthy. But that is probably too much of a question mark at this stage of his career judging by the past two seasons. My god, I sure hope we are active in free agency because we have LOTS of HOLES to fill, kind of like we do EVERY SINGLE year.

I agree Jon. We need two studs on Offense preferably at WR and TE. The Saints have Graham, Colston, Meacham, Henderson, Sproles, Thomas and Lance Moore when healthy for Brees to throw to. Stevie Johnson (who a whole lot of you think is unbelievable) is nowhere near the threat that Colston and Graham are. And he doesn't have the speed that Henderson, Meacham or Moore have. He is just not big and physical. The 49ers have Vernon Davis, and the Pats have Gronkowski and Hernandez. We have nooone at WR or TE who creates matchup problems for the defense. That has to change for us to compete. But that is nothing compared to how weak our defense is compared to most other teams. We need physicality!! Justin Smith is a beast for the niners-simple as that. A lot of you get caught up in where defenses are ranked. For the Pats, Packers, Saints it really doesn't matter. They outscore just about everyone they play. And regardless of where they are ranked, their defenses have a whole lot more playmakers than the Bills. This team needs an infusion of meanness and talent at so many positions, before we can even begin to think about the playoffs. And that comes down to the organization caring about winning. Bottom line. Other than at RB and Center (and possibly guard) this team needs upgrades in talent at EVERY other position on the roster. Including QB.

I think everyone is missing one thing here. Sure it will be great for Buddy to disappear. (Fired, retire, be a consultant-to what is my question) And promoting Whaley to running the show has a twinge of excitement, because he supposedly knows football and is not pushing 100 years old. But if he gets to run the show, I am hoping he gets rid of our piss poor head coach Chan Gailey. I am surprised that not many of you on here are blaming Chan for the big mess, that is pretending to be an NFL team. We SUCK right now. Sure the talent level is not stellar in the slightest. But the guys we do have, are nowhere near playing up to their potential. In all phases of the game. (we can not even cover a punt for god's sake) That has to fall on the coach. We have lost seven straight. Most likely soon to be nine straight. We have not been in 5 or those games by halftime. The Titans game, we were down by 13 before we scored late, and the second Jets game we blew at the end. This team is NOT competitive. That is unacceptable. We have been outscored in the last 7 games by 124 points!! That is almost 18 pts/games. Are you kidding me?!! Gailey has done nothing to change what we are doing, even though his gameplans continue to not work. The guy just does not get how to gameplan from week to week, or half to half, or motivate in the slightest. If he goes 9-23 in two years, why should he be given a third year? I just do not see it.

KD you get it my friend!! We have backups playing as starters almost everywhere on the field. Watch any of the decent to good teams in the NFL. The difference in talent is stagering. Aaron Williams is the only corner on the roster who has potential to be a solid starting CB with NFL talent. Justin Rogers will make a good nickel. But we still need two more guys who can play like A. Williams. As for safety's do not even get me started. We do NOT have one starting NFL caliber safety on the roster. Byrd is a backup who can't tackle and has no instincts on getting to the receiver where he can break up the deep pass. Scott is not even backup material. He is a black Coy Wire. And Wilson looks like his feet our stuck in glue. Byrd, Scott and Wilson have absolutely no upside. (Just like MOST OF OUR PLAYERS!!) Maybe Searcy will develop.

Stevie is an excellent receiver. He is not top 5 in the league because he is just not a physical specimen (Eric Moulds type build) But the guy can play. The Bills would be stupid not to keep him, and they should go out and get a big receiver to play opposite him. But why for the life of me would Stevie being an unrestricted free agent want to stay with the Bills, especially if Fitzie is throwing him the ball (if you can call it that)? The guy gets open. And Fitzie almost never hits him in stride. The Bills should have made him and Fred their first priority. Instead they give a new contract to a career mediocre backup QB, and to a very average rt. tackle. Can't wait for this season to end. Isn't it amazing how Gailey and Nix took a pretty marginal roster talent wise, and made it much worse? I honestly did not think it was possible to run things worse than Jauron did. But Gailey and Nix have done just that!! Unbelieveable.

There you go. I agree. Hagan is an NFL caliber WR. He has size and can run. I would definitely keep him around for next season as one of our top 5 receivers. Where are all the man crushes coming from for Stevie? Sure he is a GOOD receiver. But with him being SO Good, our record is 9-20. He is not a great receiver. He makes the catches all receivers are supposed to make. He is NOT a burner. He is NOT big. And he certainly does NOT make the spectacular catch. That being said, we should try and resign him. But we need another bigtime receiver to complement him if we are to improve on offense.. My biggest point is that on a team as bad as ours, I can not see being so emphatic about resigning anyone on this roster short of Freddy. How many of you think that Stevie would even be in the top three receivers on Green Bay or New Orleans? And I am being serious. If the Bills had any savvy, they would make a solid offer to Stevie. If he doesn't want it let him go and bring in at least 3 top flite guys. That happens and everyone is saying Stevie who. But knowing Buddy Nix, I doubt that will happen.

Perfect description...The guy does not suck. But his athleticism certainly does not stand out. He looks awfully small to be playing in the middle. And does not seem to have a lot of instincts about where the play is going. Plays tentative, but that can be expected for a rookie. I really hope we can upgrade there. I think Kirk Morrison would have played better at the position. For a third round pick coming from a program as solid as LSU, I was expecting a whole lot more. We definitely need another stud at inside LB next to Barnett.

he asked the question because it is an interesting point if it is in fact accurate. Nothing more, nothing less. Does questions that have to do with race make you uncomfortable?

That is an awesome idea. This team will NOT move forward with Nix and Gailey at the helm. They have no clue how to evaluate football talent, and to mesh that talent into a winning team. When Gailey comes out and says he is absolutely positive that Fitz is the guy to lead this team, he loses ALL CREDIBILITY with the fan base as far as I am concerned. It shows that he has no idea what it takes from the QB position to build a winner in this day and age. For the most part teams do not run the ball 50 times a game anymore. A talented QB is needed to win consistently. Fitz is NOT TALENTED. Bring in a fresh mind in the front office PLEASE. What in gods green earth were Buddy Nix's qualifications to be a GM of a football team? Does anyone know?