Clayton ranks the worst 5 offseasons

[QB Bills]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/stor...&id=5200777

[Jerry Jabber]

I'd wish Clayton, Mort & Barry Melrose would all drive off a steep cliff together

[Lothar]

Can't really argue with the assessment. I'd feel a lot better if I knew our OL was upgraded entering the season. Still, maybe it's good that expectations are at a rock bottom for us around the league.

 

FWIW, he says things look worse for us because our AFC East rivals have had 3 of the best 5 offseasons.

 

the mouse's blog

[BillsGuyInMalta]

Andra's playing OLB now, huh?

 

Good research there John.

[Pete]

I'd wish Clayton, Mort & Barry Melrose would all drive off a steep cliff together

I like Melrose. I can't defend the other two idiots though

[FluffHead]

Cryptkeeper thinks that johnathan scott was our starting left guard and that Andra Davis, a career middle linebacker, was brought in to play outside LB. How do people like this have jobs

[cale]

We have a lot of unknowns. I think he's spot on on all except as to how we will perform. That remains to be seen. Not sure even the coaches know. We probably won't have an idea until well into training camp.

 

C

[OrangeJuiceSimpson]

The Bills are the only team on this list that didn't make the playoffs.

[drewfla]

Sounds about right. Let's not drink the Nix-Aid all the time.

[CodeMonkey]

Sounds about right. Let's not drink the Nix-Aid all the time.

If you are going to drink it, now is the time.

[DarthICE]

His second sentance sums it up for the Bills approach to Free agency...

 

'Bad teams can't get that much better because the list of quality free agents was short.'

 

There ya go. Nix wasn't going to be Donahoe, Levy or Brandon and just sign guys to appease fans. The right guys weren't there so we signed who all might help this team with this system that was available.

[slyng1]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/stor...&id=5200777

 

The article is a regurgitation of conventional wisdom. He gets paid to do this... I've read much better analysis on TBD (then again, I've also read alot worse). Shame too, because I actually like Clayton, he usually has better insights than this drivel...

[birdog1960]

this is how it looks to any objective observer

[PromoTheRobot]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/stor...&id=5200777

Save this article. Either we will bow down to the Great Gazoo or tell him to deftly insert it into his bunghole.

 

PTR

[PromoTheRobot]

this is how it looks to any objective observer jaded reporter.

Fixed.

 

PTR

[birdog1960]

Fixed.

 

PTR

would be nice to fix the bills problems so easily

[Dr. Trooth]

Step outside your Bills hat for a moment and take a look from outside that bubble. If I'm a football writer looking at 32 teams, clearly the Bills had the worst offseason. The football writers of world believe the Bills two biggest short comings are Quarterback and Left Tackle. Neither position was adequately addressed in the offseason from their perspective. Levi Brown and Wang could become solid players, but it ain't happening this year or next year.

 

However... my understanding is that no team has ever, ever, ever won a game or made the playoffs in any offseason. So, we'll just have to wait and see what unfolds.

 

I don't blame anyone for casting doubt on this team. It has sucked for a decade. Hopefully, with a fresh set of eyes from a GM, coach, and player personnel director, there may be an actual building plan in place that works. In Sept., when the live bullets fly, I'll set back @ 1pm each Sun., flip on the TV, see what happens and draw my own conclusions. Until then... I ain't buying what they're selling. They'll need to prove it to me before I buy another ticket to a game.

[DanInUticaTampa]

Andra's playing OLB now, huh?

 

Good research there John.

 

that was my first "wtf" thought when reading it.

[drewfla]

Step outside your Bills hat for a moment and take a look from outside that bubble. If I'm a football writer looking at 32 teams, clearly the Bills had the worst offseason. The football writers of world believe the Bills two biggest short comings are Quarterback and Left Tackle. Neither position was adequately addressed in the offseason from their perspective. Levi Brown and Wang could become solid players, but it ain't happening this year or next year.

 

However... my understanding is that no team has ever, ever, ever won a game or made the playoffs in any offseason. So, we'll just have to wait and see what unfolds.

 

I don't blame anyone for casting doubt on this team. It has sucked for a decade. Hopefully, with a fresh set of eyes from a GM, coach, and player personnel director, there may be an actual building plan in place that works. In Sept., when the live bullets fly, I'll set back @ 1pm each Sun., flip on the TV, see what happens and draw my own conclusions. Until then... I ain't buying what they're selling. They'll need to prove it to me before I buy another ticket to a game.

 

Or a single $$ worth of merchandise and for the first time in over a decade for me The Sunday Ticket.

[CosmicBills]

Other than the two (glaring) research errors about positions, I don't see how any objective fan can find fault in what he said in this article.

 

The Bills missed on getting a big name coach. They missed on getting an experienced GM. They missed on getting OL help in FA or the draft. They missed on getting QB help. They missed on getting WR help. They're switching defensive philosophies and having to rely on untested, second round (and lower) rookies to man the most crucial spots on that new defense ...

 

All the while the rest of the AFC East got a whole lot tougher.

 

As it stands right now, looking at all the rosters in the league (and keep in mind it will change as camps go along), the Bills have the worst Offensive Line in the leauge (they might get a bump up if Wood can indeed come back in time for camp). They have absolutely the worst LB corps in the league (they had it last year too -- before they switched to 3-4). They have the league's most unsettled QB position (but not the worst). Last year they had one of the worst pass rushes in the league -- they didn't improve this year in terms of talent, but the hope is that the change in scheme will bump up the pressure (and it can't do any worse than last year to be fair). And they have, outside of Jacksonville, maybe the worst WR corps in the league as far as NFL proven WRs.

 

That's the doom and gloom rationale. And yet it's also the facts of the current situation. What the doom and gloomers (and Clayton) discount though is the ability for players to finally perform up to their expectations (Hardy, Trent/Brohm, Bell, Troup, Maybin). If the Bills are going to improve on their record of last year they're going to need all of those guys to take a massive step forward in their development. Which, is NOT out of the realm of possibility.

 

Still, the Bills are rolling the dice and leaving themselves no outs. Because if they don't take that step forward, this team will be everything the doom and gloomers are saying ... and worse.

 

But, to be fair, this is a rebuilding year. The painful thing is that the whole rebuilding process (probably 2 years, maybe 3 -- time which can be shorter or longer depending on how and when they finally address the QB situation) is going to be seriously delayed by the lockout in '11. That's what kills me. If this year's team tanks, then they have to sit out for a whole year ... meaning they don't get to develop. Our good players lose a year off their careers. And we start '12 in the same hole -- if not bigger. But that's just the nature of the lockout I guess.