Tim Graham - "Rest of AFC East leaving Bills Behind"

[PromoTheRobot]

They still have to play the games. If they gave out SB rings for the off-season the Redskins would be reigning champs.

 

PTR

[Conch]

Rest of AFC East leaving Bills Behind

 

I bet Bill's relieved.

[Doc]

I like Tim, but I thought some of the comments were interesting. In this article, Tim says the Bills have made some "prudent" front office moves. However, when Nix was hired, he commented on how the Bills didn't look outside the doors to OBD. Secondly, right after the Gaily hire he called Chan a "retread" coach, however now he calls him "perhaps not inspirational, but solid."

 

Is Tim finding these guys likeable now?

Clayton said that the Bills looked extensively outside the organization. Given his time as an "insider," I'll believe him. Unless by "look" TG meant that they didn't hire outside the organization (although they did, with Whaley, who seems like a forgotten man amid all the kvetching). And again, having been with the Bills for one year out of the past decade, as a scout, hardly qualifies Nix as an "insider."

 

As for Gailey being a "retread," is Shanahan a "retread?" He's on his 3rd NFL HC'ing gig, didn't made the playoffs his last 3 coaching seasons and hasn't won a SB in over 10 years? Gailey had 2 years as a HC, both playoff seasons with a team that was bad the year before and several years after he left, and then had a sweet gig in college for 7 years, before returning as an OC. But I guess saying "retread" is easier than saying all that.

 

I just don't see how the Pats haven't taken a massive step back. And Marshall and Dansby weren't the key additions they needed, in lieu of losing Porter, likely Taylor, Ferguson being suspended for half the season, no secondary, and Ronnie Brown being injury-prone.

[BUFFALOTONE]

Clayton said that the Bills looked extensively outside the organization. Given his time as an "insider," I'll believe him. Unless by "look" TG meant that they didn't hire outside the organization (although they did, with Whaley, who seems like a forgotten man amid all the kvetching). And again, having been with the Bills for one year out of the past decade, as a scout, hardly qualifies Nix as an "insider."

 

As for Gailey being a "retread," is Shanahan a "retread?" He's on his 3rd NFL HC'ing gig, didn't made the playoffs his last 3 coaching seasons and hasn't won a SB in over 10 years? Gailey had 2 years as a HC, both playoff seasons with a team that was bad the year before and several years after he left, and then had a sweet gig in college for 7 years, before returning as an OC. But I guess saying "retread" is easier than saying all that.

 

I just don't see how the Pats haven't taken a massive step back. And Marshall and Dansby weren't the key additions they needed, in lieu of losing Porter, likely Taylor, Ferguson being suspended for half the season, no secondary, and Ronnie Brown being injury-prone.

 

Attica....attica.....attica!!

[JimS]

Rest of AFC East leaving Bills Behind

 

I bet Bill's relieved.

 

 

LOL!

[Thurman#1]

Did any of you read past the first two lines? It was actually an encouraging and optimistic article.

 

 

Exactly. I was reading through and virtually none of them actually read the article. Unbelievable.

 

Don't know if I'd have called it encouraging or optimistic, but certainly wasn't attacking the Bills by any means.

 

You have to remember, Preston, it's far more important to register your opinion than to, you know, spend time learning stuff or anything. Wouldn't want to take time out for that. It was a really good article.

[Thurman#1]

The truth can be painful sometimes, but the way I see it the Patriots/Brady are finally showing chinks in their armor so at least we have a chance now at winning our division. The AFC East will always be strong and the one team that comes out on top is already a playoff caliber team that just went head to head twice with some of the best teams/defenses/offenses in the league.

 

Its easy to look at Buffalo and predict us to be the Cellar dwellers of the AFC East. Myself personally, I think Buffalo is loaded with talent when it comes to shutting down the pass and If we can concentrate on shoring up our run stopping capabilities and play smash mouth football on the opposite side of the ball we can compete for the division title.

 

It might not look very possible right now and the odds are against us, but that's why they play the game...

 

 

This year? Seriously? Wow, well, I guess we'll see.

[Thurman#1]

It's all about the QB.

 

If we hit on a franchise QB in the draft, we're right back in the mix.

 

 

 

Franchise QBs, unless they are surrounded by superior talent on all sides, take two or three years to get a clue. And our QB is NOT going to be surrounded by superior talent on all sides.

[Thurman#1]

I like Tim, but I thought some of the comments were interesting. In this article, Tim says the Bills have made some "prudent" front office moves. However, when Nix was hired, he commented on how the Bills didn't look outside the doors to OBD. Secondly, right after the Gaily hire he called Chan a "retread" coach, however now he calls him "perhaps not inspirational, but solid."

 

Is Tim finding these guys likeable now?

 

 

IMHO he was right both times. You can be a non-inspirational but solid retread, and you can make a prudent move even without having examined all the options by looking outside the doors to OBD.

[Thurman#1]

BOOOO-RING.

 

 

Call me when training camp starts. Or else have Tim Graham fax me next week's winning Illinois Lottery numbers.

 

And another thing, enough with the "spitting my coffee," "spraying my Cheerios," etc. Seriously, I'm certain everyone's keyboard/monitors remain in tact, in spite of TSW's hilarity. Looking for a clever way to say "I found this funny?" Then think of a clever way to say "I found this funny."

 

/offseason crankiness.

 

Go Bills.

 

 

First time I've ever used that turn of phrase, because it happened to be true. Had some paper towels close at hand, and it was a fairly fine mist, so no disaster, but I rarely laugh out loud at the computer and thought this was really funny. The first line amused me mildly, but the second line caught me by surprise so well that I sprayed. What can I say?

 

Having said that, I definitely understand offseason crankiness, not to mention inseason crankiness in years like last season.

[The Big Cat]

First time I've ever used that turn of phrase, because it happened to be true. Had some paper towels close at hand, and it was a fairly fine mist, so no disaster, but I rarely laugh out loud at the computer and thought this was really funny. The first line amused me mildly, but the second line caught me by surprise so well that I sprayed. What can I say?

 

Having said that, I definitely understand offseason crankiness, not to mention inseason crankiness in years like last season.

 

Well, as it turns out, Yuengling is an awesome cure for crankiness. GOOOOOOO BILLS!!

[Doc]

Exactly. I was reading through and virtually none of them actually read the article. Unbelievable.

He was optimistic about the future of the Bills. But he made it sound like the other teams did something to improve themselves over the off-season. I'd argue the Dols and Pats did not while the Jets essentially traded Holmes for Jones, and they'll be without him for the first 4 games.

[spartacus]

He was optimistic about the future of the Bills. But he made it sound like the other teams did something to improve themselves over the off-season. I'd argue the Dols and Pats did not while the Jets essentially traded Holmes for Jones, and they'll be without him for the first 4 games.

 

of course, what you conveniently forget, is that the Jets are already a contender with a stable lineup while the Bills have gaping holes everyone. The Bills need to add free agents and draft picks just to field an OL and a front 7 now shifting to a 3-4.

 

The Jets already replaced Jones with Shonn Green and added LT for good measure.

Their WR corp will have Edwards for a full season in addition to Holmes, Keller and Cotchery.

You are right, we have Hardy and Johnson and Chad Jackson- no upgrade needed there for the Bills.

they have a top 5 OL, we have a retread at RT and nobody at all at LT - no upgrade needed there either for the Bills.

We are switching to a 3-4, the front 7 has never played it and we don't have an NFL caliber NT on the roster - smoke and mirrors should suffice - no upgrade needed

 

so I guess you are right, we are right there with the Jets

[The Big Cat]

of course, what you conveniently forget, is that the Jets are already a contender with a stable lineup while the Bills have gaping holes everyone. The Bills need to add free agents and draft picks just to field an OL and a front 7 now shifting to a 3-4.

 

The Jets already replaced Jones with Shonn Green and added LT for good measure.

Their WR corp will have Edwards for a full season in addition to Holmes, Keller and Cotchery.

You are right, we have Hardy and Johnson and Chad Jackson- no upgrade needed there for the Bills.

they have a top 5 OL, we have a retread at RT and nobody at all at LT - no upgrade needed there either for the Bills.

We are switching to a 3-4, the front 7 has never played it and we don't have an NFL caliber NT on the roster - smoke and mirrors should suffice - no upgrade needed

 

so I guess you are right, we are right there with the Jets

 

Rather than pick apart your half-wit points one ba one, I'll just simply add that nobody, anywhere, said we were "right there with The Jets."

[Doc]

of course, what you conveniently forget, is that the Jets are already a contender with a stable lineup while the Bills have gaping holes everyone. The Bills need to add free agents and draft picks just to field an OL and a front 7 now shifting to a 3-4.

 

The Jets already replaced Jones with Shonn Green and added LT for good measure.

Their WR corp will have Edwards for a full season in addition to Holmes, Keller and Cotchery.

You are right, we have Hardy and Johnson and Chad Jackson- no upgrade needed there for the Bills.

they have a top 5 OL, we have a retread at RT and nobody at all at LT - no upgrade needed there either for the Bills.

We are switching to a 3-4, the front 7 has never played it and we don't have an NFL caliber NT on the roster - smoke and mirrors should suffice - no upgrade needed

 

so I guess you are right, we are right there with the Jets

I said "we are right there with the Jets?" Really?

 

No, what I said is that Graham's assessment that the "rest of [the] AFC East [is] leaving the Bills behind" isn't quite accurate. And for all the Jets' success last year, they split with the Bills. I already acknowledged that they're the favorite to win the East, and likely only playoff rep from the division.

 

As for your other points, I agree that the Bills need to find a quality NT to make the 3-4 successful. But they have other pieces to the puzzle, with many of the guys having played it before and/or in college. On offense, they need to find a QB, LT, and 2nd WR. If they kept TO, that would remove the WR need, while they audition Hardy and Johnson at the #3 spot. They could conceivably find the NT and LT in this draft. The QB will likely have to be developed by Gailey.

[texas]

you are correct

 

Gailey's track record over the last 10 years of building an NFL contender through the draft have been astounding

 

same with Buddy-

for over 50 years, he has been making the key draft decisions as the head guy

 

the off-season has been just so impressive, the draft will be icing on the cake

agreed, we are overly optimistic about our FO and the direction we're heading

[billsfreak]

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/...ng-bills-behind

 

The first two lines of this article had me spraying my breafast cereal all over my computer screen. Great opening, Tim, and unfortunately, all too true.

It is really more sad than anything else. Nobody, no matter how big of a Bills fan can deny any truth in it at all, in fact, competing in 2012 like the article says might even be a little bit of a stretch, unless someone knows something about a new owner and isn't telling us.

[billsfreak]

He was optimistic about the future of the Bills. But he made it sound like the other teams did something to improve themselves over the off-season. I'd argue the Dols and Pats did not while the Jets essentially traded Holmes for Jones, and they'll be without him for the first 4 games.

For one, the Pats didn't need to improve themselves to be much better than the Bills, especially since the Bills have went backwards with their moves, or lack there of. And if trading for and signing possible the best WR in the NFL isn't improving your team, I don't know what is. I am a huge Bills fan, but face the truth, it is going to be at least a two team race (Pats, Jets) for the division with the Dolphins competing for a wild card possibly. All the while that happens, the Bills won't even be competitive with the rest of the division and will for all intense and purposes, be out of it by week 4 or 5.

[MattyT]

Anybody who thinks the Jets are going to miss Thomas Jones hasn't been paying attention to Shonn Green. Guy is a stud.

[JohninMinn.]

The only thing we need is a bonafide gunslinger with a swagger. If Trentative can step up the rest of the team will follow. This league is 99% mental and we are chock full of high draft choices. I'm done waiting. Let's Go Chan!