REAL GM Bills Preview

[Omar Little]

This isn't the first time you've said that. Why the hatred? Is it his play or something else?

 

Heh, I just realized many of my offseason posts have been ones bashing Fitzpatrick. Nothing against him personally. I just don't see the franchise making any strides with him under center. He's a backup at best, and will never be anything more.

 

Conversely, I still think Brohm and Edwards have the potential to be molded into something better than that. We might as well find out. But we can't if Fitzpatrick plays.

[mpl6876]

The way I see it is that next year there could be a lot of crow to eat by all of these articles posted by "experts." If Brohm prevails in this battle than how good will our team be? I am not knocking Brohm as much as I am the past years of on the field play. Trent, Fitz, Brohm or someone else will take our snaps. When we do well next year no one will write down how wrong they were on this team. When we do not do well and all three fail do these guys just say "Well, it's Buffalo, they're just not that good, anyway." If Brohm becomes our starting QB he will fair no better than any of the other QB's on our roster. Gailey's offense, combined with the makeup of our team, will over shadow all of the talents of our QB.

 

I am an optomist and think we will win 8 or 9 games this year. I believe that every year.

 

Keep on believing and one year your gonna be right.

[mpl6876]

Conveniently, you're ignoring the fact that we're switching to a new system on offense and defense and that the defenders in particular don't fit the system. As the article points out, it's OLBs that are the key to a 3 - 4 defense, and we don't look to have any.

 

Also, you're overlooking that WR looked like a real strength last year. Not so much this year. And that we at least had one guy last year who was a genuinely good pass rusher, and none this year.

 

Throw in new systems and what looks like a significantly harder schedule this year, and 3 - 13 is very possible indeed.

 

This team doesn't look like it has the same weaknesses as it did last year. It looks like it has more.

 

I agree with your assessment. I guess we may have to take a few step backwards to go forward many steps. Time will tell if we keep backtracking with little forward progress.

[hondo in seattle]

Don't forget, the Bills are switching defensive schemes...whether they are better, or not, IMO, largely will depend on how smooth that transition goes.

 

You are right of course. But the run defense was so bad last year, it's hard to imagine it getting worse. And our secondary seems so well manned that I doubt pass defense will get worse either. Of course, I'm actually hoping for defensive improvements with the 3-4, though I wonder about some things - like who will play OLB?

[Orton's Arm]

The quote from this article that really stood out to me was this:

 

The team I was working with at the time had [John McCargo] as a 6th rounder, but that didn’t stop the Bills, which is a great representation of why this team is in such dire straits.

 

Both the Whitner pick and the McCargo pick are illustrative of Levy/Jauron's willingness to reach for players based on need.

[Thurman#1]

I liked the article overall, but there are some comments here and there that has me questioning if this is a very opiniated article or he knows something we don't.

 

1) Brohm having the upper hand and Edwards possibly being cut if he is not the starter.

With Gailey being very hermetic about this whole QB ordeal I doubt this guy knows more than me or you about it.

 

2) "He has asked to be traded but the Bills have found no suitors. Former Colts back Chad Simpson, who figures in the mix at return specialist, will be given every chance to take Lynch’s #3 RB job"

Nix was very clear in his intention to trade Lynch, with were zero, regardless of Lynch's wishes. He is in the plans for this year and the future.

 

3) about Bell: "His development is critical but also highly questionable, as he has not displayed the greatest work habits or maturity and has been slow to absorb coaching."

How the hell does this guy know Bell's work habits? How does he knows bell is well, dumb? For better or worse I never heard/read anything about him being that way.

 

 

 

This is the thing about this article. He either has sources or he doesn't. If he does, this article is sensational, telling us several things we didn't know. If he doesn't, he got several things wrong, but still has a pretty good grasp of things here overall.

[thewildrabbit]

He lost me on the part of how disappointing it was last season that Trent Edwards didn't develop into a franchise QB, how could any QB develop under Dick Jauron/AVP?

 

If anything all the QB's development was stunted playing for that staff of clowns, and all the QB's should look significantly better this year.

 

I could care less who starts at QB and who doesn't, as I don't see much success this season and agree with the writers assessment of 3-13.

[mpl6876]

He lost me on the part of how disappointing it was last season that Trent Edwards didn't develop into a franchise QB, how could any QB develop under Dick Jauron/AVP?

 

If anything all the QB's development was stunted playing for that staff of clowns, and all the QB's should look significantly [/b]better this year.

 

I could care less who starts at QB and who doesn't, as I don't see much success this season and agree with the writers assessment of 3-13.

 

 

Rabbit your one of my favorites posters. I was just wondering how the heck are the QB's gonna look better with a 3-13 record. (Not to mention a porous OL and inexperienced WR's?) Seems like a contradiction?

 

Other than that I completely agree with a 3-13 season give or take...

[starrymessenger]

This article is a cut above the usual drivel we get from the national media (especially at this time of year) and reflects a legit, reasoned view - dont agree with his season record prediction however. I expect a better team than last year, especially in the later stages of the season. That is what we should be looking for and what we should see - noticeable improvement by years end, and an idea of what this team will actually look like when it is truly competitive again.

[Leonidas]

http://football.realgm.com/src_wiretap_arc..._buffalo_bills/

 

QB: A lot of the disappointment of 2009 centered on Trent Edwards’ failure to develop into a franchise QB. Rather than seek out an upgrade via trade or in the draft, the Bills enter camp with a three-headed monster of Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Brian Brohm.

 

Early reports indicate Brohm has the upper hand, though that is more a reflection on how little Fitzpatrick and Edwards have performed than anything Brohm has done. Brohm is a 2008 2nd round pick of the Packers who quickly washed out of Green Bay, and he looked pedestrian in limited duty last year. But he has the best touch and most upside of the group, and showed off a quicker release during OTAs. I held him in high regard during that draft, and the anticipated offense here in Buffalo is similar to what he ran at Louisville.

 

Fitzpatrick and Edwards put up eerily similar lackluster numbers while juggling the starting job last year. The team clearly responded better to Fitzpatrick, a workaholic who buzzes with enthusiasm and is more likely to produce something dramatic. Bills insiders maintain that Edwards must win the starting job or else he’s not going to make the team, and the latter sure seems the most likely outcome. His lack of arm strength and failure to show any sort of leadership or passion are not going to change in Buffalo.

 

Ideally, all three QBs on the roster are backups on good teams and this position must be addressed next offseason, barring an unexpected breakout from Brohm. But Coach Chan Gailey has found NFL success in the past by tailoring his offense to what his limited QBs do well (see: Quincy Carter and Tyler Thigpen, whom is available via trade). As long as the turnovers are kept to a minimum and whoever wins the gig can complete 60% of the passes, not to mention stay poised and upright behind a seriously deficient OL, the Bills have enough explosiveness at RB to stay competitive.

 

Read more: http://football.realgm.com/src_wiretap_arc.../#ixzz0tyJ8W2Ew

 

Great find, interesting read. Thanks for posting.

[thewildrabbit]

Rabbit your one of my favorites posters. I was just wondering how the heck are the QB's gonna look better with a 3-13 record. (Not to mention a porous OL and inexperienced WR's?) Seems like a contradiction?

 

Other than that I completely agree with a 3-13 season give or take...

Well, the QB's should actually look better then last season as they are now being taught properly, and when they make mistakes Gailey will be able to correct them. The offense overall should look better in terms of scheme and technique and should score more points. Better passing yardage and completion percentage and more yards gained. So yea, the offense and QB's should look better then last season.

 

The offense will be limited to a short passing game and will run the ball more effectively, if Gailey can wear his O line coach hat and help the young inexperienced O line develop they should improve as a unit as the season goes on instead of imploding like they did last season. The problem with the offense is that they will have no deep passing game until the tackles learn to play better, which could happen during the season as the line gains continuity.

 

Another problem I see is the defense is learning an entire new scheme and although they have some great players in that secondary, they will still be unable to stop the run or stop opponents from scoring until they learn that defense. Dom Capers is in GB and Mike Nolan is with the Dolphins, who is teaching this team the 3-4... oh yea, the LB coach from the Dolphins.

 

 

 

 

Most Bills fans never realized the "gifts" that was handed to them the last few years in the division and with a moron for a head coach in Dick Jauron the Bills were unable to exploit those "gifts".

 

GIFT-Tom Brady going from an almost undefeated- unbelievable passing season to being knocked out for the year and being replaced by a guy who hadn't played football since high school. Then last season with Brady still somewhat rehabbing and with his brilliant young OC now coaching in Denver, the Bills still can't get by weakened Patriot teams.

 

GIFT- Miami Dolphins go 1-15 and turn over the entire staff, then they hire Bill Parcells. But still with the Dolphins changing coaches-players-schemes you would think the Bills could easily exploit them and dominate them, oh wait I forgot...DJ was the HC and not Marv.

 

GIFT- The Jets fire Eric Manginni, the mangenius... even though he took his team to the playoffs and built a very solid O line with the best running game in the NFL. The Jets have Brett Farve as QB and can't understand to limit his throwing when he is injured, and even with the best running game in the NFL they can't stop trying to make Farve win games for them. So with the team in turmoil after the HC is fired and with a rookie QB starting the Bills easily sweep the Jets...oh wait I forgot again.

 

The only reason the Bills even came close to a winning record under the moron Jauron is because the other teams in the division were going through some serious changes. Those gifts to the Buffalo Bills have stopped and now they face some really improved teams with some very bright coaches leading them.

 

Patriots with Brady are still the team to beat in the division, Bill Belichick will soon train his new OC up to par, and if ever given the chance again to focus completely on the defense and rebuilding that unit properly the Patriots will again rule the AFC.

 

The Dolphins under Parcells are about to explode into national attention with wins as that offense now has one of the best passing weapons in the AFC in Brandon Marshall, AND the defense now has Mike Nolan running his amazing 3-4 scheme. So the phins not being able to score and stop other teams in the red zone will now reverse their fortunes.

 

The Jets will improve as Mark Sanchez gains experience and the only doubts I have about that offense is if they will still be the dominate running team in the division as they let go their best RB's. There is no question that their defense will be stifling and should dominate like the Raven's do.

 

So in summation, the Bills offense will improve stat wise this season even with some serious flaws in the O line and receiver corps. The defense will play less then great as teams will still run on them and score until that defense gets it together, if they can under a new DC.

 

The Bills went from some of the weakest schedules under Jauron to one of the hardest under Gailey, 3-13 seems about right.

[DrFishfinder]

Conveniently, you're ignoring the fact that we're switching to a new system on offense and defense and that the defenders in particular don't fit the system. As the article points out, it's OLBs that are the key to a 3 - 4 defense, and we don't look to have any.

 

Also, you're overlooking that WR looked like a real strength last year. Not so much this year. And that we at least had one guy last year who was a genuinely good pass rusher, and none this year.

 

Throw in new systems and what looks like a significantly harder schedule this year, and 3 - 13 is very possible indeed.

 

This team doesn't look like it has the same weaknesses as it did last year. It looks like it has more.

You neglected to mention the single most significant improvement to the team in the last 4 years:

 

Jauron is gone.

 

Addition by subtraction.

[DE Bills Fan]

Great Points. Totally Agree! Hopefully, we will bottom out this year and be in a position to draft a franchise QB in the next draft. This is a QB and passing league and without it, this team will go nowhere (like it has done for the past 10 years). I actually like some of the players that they have brought in, so hopefully this year will be a "bottoming out" period from which we can start to move forward, but if anyone is thinking that any of the 3 QB's is the answer, than I have some land in New Orleans by the levee that I want to sell you......

[SuperKillerRobots]

http://football.realgm.com/src_wiretap_arc..._buffalo_bills/

 

QB: A lot of the disappointment of 2009 centered on Trent Edwards’ failure to develop into a franchise QB. Rather than seek out an upgrade via trade or in the draft, the Bills enter camp with a three-headed monster of Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Brian Brohm.

 

Early reports indicate Brohm has the upper hand, though that is more a reflection on how little Fitzpatrick and Edwards have performed than anything Brohm has done. Brohm is a 2008 2nd round pick of the Packers who quickly washed out of Green Bay, and he looked pedestrian in limited duty last year. But he has the best touch and most upside of the group, and showed off a quicker release during OTAs. I held him in high regard during that draft, and the anticipated offense here in Buffalo is similar to what he ran at Louisville.

 

Fitzpatrick and Edwards put up eerily similar lackluster numbers while juggling the starting job last year. The team clearly responded better to Fitzpatrick, a workaholic who buzzes with enthusiasm and is more likely to produce something dramatic. Bills insiders maintain that Edwards must win the starting job or else he’s not going to make the team, and the latter sure seems the most likely outcome. His lack of arm strength and failure to show any sort of leadership or passion are not going to change in Buffalo.

 

Ideally, all three QBs on the roster are backups on good teams and this position must be addressed next offseason, barring an unexpected breakout from Brohm. But Coach Chan Gailey has found NFL success in the past by tailoring his offense to what his limited QBs do well (see: Quincy Carter and Tyler Thigpen, whom is available via trade). As long as the turnovers are kept to a minimum and whoever wins the gig can complete 60% of the passes, not to mention stay poised and upright behind a seriously deficient OL, the Bills have enough explosiveness at RB to stay competitive.

 

Read more: http://football.realgm.com/src_wiretap_arc.../#ixzz0tyJ8W2Ew

 

This arm strength thing is killing me! I heard not too long ago Mark Guaghan from TBN state that Edwards has the strongest arm of the group. Is that true? This guy seems to imply that he has the weakest!

 

Makes me wonder if any news outlets - TBN included - actually know anything about the Bills or watch the practices.

 

I guess no one will know anythign until training camp starts and we all learn the pecking order...

[SuperKillerRobots]

Yeah because I am tired of seeing this team suck. I am tired of the Bills putting **** out there posing as QB's and I am tired of wasting years on assclowns that obviously suck and everyone but the most ignorant homer can see it.

 

So which of the four sucky assclowns on our roster are you pulling for to start against Miami week 1? The one with the best stat line is Brown - he hasn't had a chance to fall apart yet.

 

Not to call you out on this, more just because it's freakin hilarious, but we are talking about starting one of the following QBs this year: a guy who had some chances, melted down, and never came back; a guy who was a high pick, cut in training camp, melted down in one game for us last season; and another guy who just isn't good enoguh (i.e. career backup) to have his bad games be called melt-downs because that's about as well as he can play. Toss in a 7th round pick from a small school and I have to know if it matters at all which one starts/plays/finishes this year.

 

I think they should each get assigned a quarter of football int he game and whoever plays the best in their quarter can play the 4th....

[Meark]

This is a more intelligent article than often appears in the national press but I do disagree with a couple points including the 2010 prediction.

 

The articles finishes, "I have major reservations about the passing offense, the OL, the pass rush, and just the overall level of talent everywhere except RB and DB... Buffalo finishes 3-13 and gets to pick in the top 3 in the 2011 draft."

 

All the reservations the author has were problem last year as well and the Bills still finished 6-10. With better coaching and fewer injuries (cross my fingers), the Bills ought to be better, not worse.

 

+1

[thewildrabbit]

http://football.realgm.com/src_wiretap_arc..._buffalo_bills/

 

QB: A lot of the disappointment of 2009 centered on Trent Edwards' failure to develop into a franchise QB. Rather than seek out an upgrade via trade or in the draft, the Bills enter camp with a three-headed monster of Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Brian Brohm.

 

Early reports indicate Brohm has the upper hand, though that is more a reflection on how little Fitzpatrick and Edwards have performed than anything Brohm has done. Brohm is a 2008 2nd round pick of the Packers who quickly washed out of Green Bay, and he looked pedestrian in limited duty last year. But he has the best touch and most upside of the group, and showed off a quicker release during OTAs. I held him in high regard during that draft, and the anticipated offense here in Buffalo is similar to what he ran at Louisville.

 

Fitzpatrick and Edwards put up eerily similar lackluster numbers while juggling the starting job last year. The team clearly responded better to Fitzpatrick, a workaholic who buzzes with enthusiasm and is more likely to produce something dramatic. Bills insiders maintain that Edwards must win the starting job or else he's not going to make the team, and the latter sure seems the most likely outcome. His lack of arm strength and failure to show any sort of leadership or passion are not going to change in Buffalo.

 

Ideally, all three QBs on the roster are backups on good teams and this position must be addressed next offseason, barring an unexpected breakout from Brohm. But Coach Chan Gailey has found NFL success in the past by tailoring his offense to what his limited QBs do well (see: Quincy Carter and Tyler Thigpen, whom is available via trade). As long as the turnovers are kept to a minimum and whoever wins the gig can complete 60% of the passes, not to mention stay poised and upright behind a seriously deficient OL, the Bills have enough explosiveness at RB to stay competitive.

 

Read more: http://football.realgm.com/src_wiretap_arc.../#ixzz0tyJ8W2Ew

I think in that one sentence the writer favors Brohm over the others. I admit I've not watched the OTA's or mini camps this year. However, I did watch all of them play in real games last year and from what I saw Trent Edwards has the quickest release and most accuracy when completely healthy.

Brohm has questionable deep arm strength as he drastically under threw TO on the long throws in that Atlanta game and was intercepted because of it, and Fitzpatrick can be wildly inaccurate at times.

 

Stating that, I could care less who starts and who doesn't, but I just don't see the Bills cutting Trent Edwards like the writer states, If any of the three get cut I could see Fitzpatrick going because of his errant wild throws.

 

Whomever starts this season might not actually be the lucky one as the QB's will all still be learning a new system, as will the RB's,receivers and O linemen. Meaning that the starting QB will most likely take a heavy pounding until that offense gains some cohesion.

 

Who really knows at this point if Chan Gailey has some magic he can work to improve the young QB's, time will tell.