Coach Gailey's Presser

[Nanker]

Saying the right things IMHO.

[Amstel]

I have no sound on my computer at work. Could you give me a few points on what he said? Thank you!

[Nanker]

He talked mostly about his coaching staff and what he thinks they can do. I can only paraphrase what I remember him saying.

 

Reiterated that he is the OC in addition to being the HC. Modkins is here and will be an asset to him.

 

He knows Edwards and they both think alike - but on different sides of the ball. Will start with a base 3-4 and go from there because it causes the Offense headaches to game plan for.

 

DeHaven was the only coach he had no past history with - but it was happenstance that he was available and they thought he was a very good fit for Buffalo.

 

Talked at some length about hiring two S&C coaches. Seems we're at the forefront on this. Said, we're specializing in all areas in football and he thought these two guys are excellent coaches and leaders. They'll help the team a lot.

 

QB is very important. Was very non committal about how he was going about getting one, e.g., Draft or whatever.

 

Said he spoke with Schobell and does not know if he'll retire or not, but clearly it is Aaron's choice.

 

That's what stood out in my mind. Take a listen when you can.

What I like about him is his poise. He's got experience and seems very solid. The proof will be in the pudding called the Season of 2010, but so far, so good in my book.

[MartyBall4Buffalo]

I'm gonna have to evaluate what he said and than go from there. I don't want to speculate, but there's a certain time one should evaluate by, and once the evaluation is complete we can proceed ahead.

[Bob in STL]

Saying the right things IMHO.

 

Agree on that. He seems excited and energized. Can't wait for opening day.

[GrudginglyPessimistic]

Sounds very good from what I can tell. Nothing dramatic but fairly solid reasoning. I have relatively low expectations for Gailey as my sense is the true limiting factor for this team is the owner using his capitalistic right to meddle and this proving consistently toxic in relationships with his GMs and HCs.

 

My expectations are that Mr. Ralph has made another non-inspiring choice at KC but ironically this may be the saving grace for this team if the HC and GM do not go rolling off into foolish attempts to force square JP, RJ. and Bledsoe pegs into a round hole left by the Mr. Ralph mis-read years ago about how much time Jimbo had left.

 

If this team runs off chasing rainbows and likely blows its first round pick on Bradford or trading resources away to step up a few notches and get Claussen this team is likely to be mired in loser land another ten years.

 

Slow and steady is unlikely to get the job done but probably is the only way to get the job done with Mr. Ralph having the ultimate call.

[Amstel]

Thank you for taking the time to post those points. I look forward to listening but just from reading what you wrote I tend to agree with you.....

[In-A-Gadda-Levitre]

One thing that stood out for me, and I guess it's intuitively obvious, but in response to a question as to whether he saw the draft as a way to get "his QB guy", he said you have to look at 4 areas; who's on the roster, who's available in the draft, who's available in FA, and who's on the trading block. Good answer!

[DarthICE]

I wish we had Nix/ Gailey years ago.

[DarthICE]

One thing that stood out for me, and I guess it's intuitively obvious, but in response to a question as to whether he saw the draft as a way to get "his QB guy", he said you have to look at 4 areas; who's on the roster, who's available in the draft, who's available in FA, and who's on the trading block. Good answer!

 

He was dead on for all but the bold part.

[Nanker]

I'm cautiously optimistic about the new regime. They definitely have a different approach and what stands out to me is that it seems very common sensical.

 

Go Bills!

[GrudginglyPessimistic]

One thing that stood out for me, and I guess it's intuitively obvious, but in response to a question as to whether he saw the draft as a way to get "his QB guy", he said you have to look at 4 areas; who's on the roster, who's available in the draft, who's available in FA, and who's on the trading block. Good answer!

I think the answers to those questions are actually pretty much agreed by most fans as being:

 

1. Current likely roster-

 

No likely solid starter quality player on current roster at QB, but almost certainly a quality back-up or two are already here. Specifically:

 

Fitzy- Was in fact our best choice as starter at the end of last season, but not a talented enough athlete to likely lead the team to the playoffs. A good choice to be our #2 as he likely could play the Frank Reich role of being a credible starter for 3 games or so but pretty unlikely to lead a team to the playoffs unless it was a situation like Trent Dilfer had with the Ravens when they won the SB. Needs to be in a more productive O and maybe he can do more and a player who likely will not make mistakes unless you ask him to win games for you but that is why he likely is not the long-term answer at starter.

 

Brohm- Perhaps the highest upside of the prospects based on his college stats, but he failed miserably in a bad situation in GB and in the end they let him go rather than make him even their #2. In his sole outing for us he really only had a short time here to practice which may explain his mediocre at best showing. Maybe a reasonable #2 but likely a #3 at best.

 

Edwards- Nice start here and impressive against bad competition early last year. However, reasonably can be labeled as injury prone given that he has missed gametime 3 times in 2 years to different types of injuries and got knocked out of the line-up in college as well. A pretty talented guy actually who was likely victimized by poor development and the ineffective Buffalo offensive scheme. It is probably not cost-effective to declare him a bust right now particularly without another alternative for the roster in camp.

 

Overall- We want a real candidate to be our starter for the future here and likely the best we can do with this roster is have a reasonable #2. Maybe (and even this is a big MAYBE) if the 3-4 revolutionizes into an effective D (which would take something like getting a stud FA DL player AND drafting an ILB like McCLAIN AND successfully shifting Pos to the OLB position he played well in college AND finding another OLB by converting Maybin) this D might be good enough to carry a non-mistake making Fitzy as your starter but this multi-rail billiard play is a long shot.

 

2. The Draft-

 

Not a good probability at all for a long term starter and virtually no chance for quality QB play in 2010. 3 likely first rounders in this crew but all have significant enough flaws as to make them to high stakes gambles for the Bills to opt for one of them over instead building the OL (likely Buluga will still be there) or solidifying the D an deal with the switch to the 3-4 putting additional LB talent as a critical need (a reasonable chance McClain drops to us and we then switch Pos outside)

 

Specifically:

 

Bradford- Probably the most talented of the three who has shown the ability to make all the necessary passes and to be a canny player. However, he also may be the most likely to drop to us at #9 as he has twice injured his shoulder and the same fear that may make other teams not pick him should count double for us, as if we take him and stall reinforcing the OL til the later rounds he likely is gonna take a pounding learning for us. A high risk idea that obviously appeals to some but picking him likely condemns this team for sure to 11 years without the playoffs as Bradford runs for his life and tries to learn the NFL game at the same time.

 

Claussen- Also a talented player though I like Bradford's play more as I think Claussen likely could have used another year of good college ball but given that it was questionable whether another year at ND would be good, I think he got out while the getting was good rather than stepping up because it was undeniably time. Even worse, you might have to trade up to get the first QB in this draft and the disaster of making a rookie learn the game without a 1st to augment the line might even push getting OL reinforcements to the second day if we have to trade our 2nd choice to move up.

 

Tebow- A likely first round choice due to a great story and the hype but again a serious commitment to waiting a year (or more for QB development without the benefit of spending the 1st rounder on the OL.

 

Drafting a QB in the first is likely a strategy for us where we continue to miss the playoffs as we chase after the next Jim Kelly. Some folks seem to think the FACT this is a QB oriented league means we must take a QB in the first, but folks need to realize that franchise QBs in the real world have been acquired though methods such as FA and trades which allowed folks like NO to get Brees, the Vikes to get Farve, AZ to get Warner and even later round picks like Brady. For every Manning there is a Ryan Leaf. And even though one can make bad tackle choices like Mike Williams this is actually less likely than results like the choice of Harrington before Williams. Drafting a QB in the first may work but almost certainly will not an likely is a bad idea for the Bills.

 

3. FA-

 

The two best answers here are for QBs who pretty undeniably failed for the teams which drafted them but with solid development and a change of scenery might be a long term answer (which actually speaks to why one should look elsewhere than the 1st round of the draft to find your franchise QB). Jason Campbell out of the Skins and Kyle Orton from Denver look like the two best questionable options. Particularly if one is not going to reinforce the OL then you almost certainly need to go for a vet to play behind this learning OL. There is also the potential to get a cheap vet who can make good judgments but does not have the physical tools like a Pennington (but if this is your strategy you already have Fitzy so why bother looking for another vet without the tools to be a consistent #1

 

4. Trade

 

It takes two to tango so who knows for sure.

 

Overall- I think you see if you like a QB prospect you can pick up on the second day and develop into your eventual starter. I do not think that the WNY media or a small but vocal group of fans who have their panties all up in a wad and desperately want a savior QB in the first will allow a young athlete with immediate expectations of production to actually develop.

 

I'd go with Fitzy as a not mistake prone limp along choice and try to rev up the D to carry him, Campbell if he can be had cheaply but doubt he can be. I like Brohm as a project but Edwards gets a chance to duel with him for the #2 slot unless I like a second day of the draft QB choice in which case I likely say good bye to Edwards.