SoggyHog Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 OVERVIEW The Bills enter the 2011 season with expectations of turning around a lackluster 4-12 2010 season. The addition of Dave Wannstedt as Assistant Head Coach/Inside Linebackers Coach to help 2nd year Defensive Coordinator George Edwards manage the hybrid 3-4, 4-3 defense has Bills fans excited to end a 10 year playoff drought. With a solid 2011 draft focusing much on the defense, the Bills should have more success in stopping the run which ended the year ranked last in the NFL and forcing the offense to scrap it's gameplan for much of the season. QUARTERBACKS GRADE B- 10 Levi Brown 14 Ryan Fitzpatrick Positives: Ryan Fitzpatrick assumed the starting position after Week 3 of the regular season and never looked back. After posting career numbers in passing yards (3000), touchdowns (23) and a average 81.1 passer rating (ranking 22) in only 13 games, he enters the season as the undisputed starting QB. Fitz has the poise and intelligence to be an above average QB for years as he is only 28 years old and entering his prime. Levi Brown is still developing. Negatives: While it seems the Bills are content entering the 2011 season with Fitz at the wheel, many believe his short-comings will be uncovered. He has never been the most accurate passer and lacks a top-notch arm. Add to that, there is no proven QB behind Fitz in-case of an injury and the Bills are certainly gambling with the most important position on the team. RUNNING BACKS GRADE A- 30 Jehuu Caulcrick FB 22 Fred Jackson 38 Corey McIntyre FB 21 C. J. Spiller -- Johnny White Positives: Freddy Jackson and C.J. Spiller provide the Bills with a nice 1-2 punch in the backfield. While some fear Spiller may be a bust thus far in his career, his potential may speak differently. Entering only his second year in the League, the former 9th overall pick showed glimpses of why the Bills made the selection. Corey McIntyre provides veteran leadership and a desire to lay the wood to wood-be tacklers. Johnny White was drafted for his change of pace potential and short yardages abilities. Caulcrick is a fringe talent. Negatives: The Bills running game proved to be a heart-breaker last year. Chan Gaileys' attempt to pound the rock backfired as Spiller was unable to make the difference they anticipated. With one year under his belt, I expect this to be a strength of the offense this year, especially in the later weeks as bad weather may force the Bills to run more. However, how this position produces as a unit relies directly on the development of Spiller. WIDE RECEIVERS GRADE A 81 Marcus Easley 83 Lee Evans 17 Paul Hubbard 13 Steve Johnson 19 Donald Jones 86 David Nelson 11 Roscoe Parrish 18 Naaman Roosevelt Positives: This is the most complete position on the offensive side of the ball. With Stevie Johnson setting career bests in catches (82) and yards (1073) he also tied a franchise record with 10 TD grabs. He became a fan favorite last year and his ability to find the seam in the defense makes him a reliable number 1 go-to receiver. Lee Evans can still stretch the field allowing Johnson and Parish to work underneath. Jones, Nelson and Roosevelt stepped-up when injuries sidelined Parrish and Evans and played admirably. Easleys' potential has fans watering at the mouth after an early injury ended his season. Negatives: While Johnson and Parrish increased their production last year, Evans involvement decreased for the second year in a row providing just 578 yards and 4 TD's. The Bills will keep a close eye on him this year. Parrish, although started the year strong, has yet to make an impact since joining the Bills in 2005. If Jones and Nelson cannot continue to develop and the injury-bug rears it's ugly head again, this unit could be an area of concern. TIGHT ENDS GRADE D- 82 Mike Caussin 80 David Martin 89 Shawn Nelson Positives: Ummmm, they have a few on the roster? Negatives: The ones they have on the roster. The Bills have yet to address one of the key positions on the offense. Having a big-man with the ability to run, block and catch is priceless and the Bills are missing the boat on this one. Aside from QB and LT, I believe having a versatile TE that can read man or zone coverages and pick-up the blitz is the most important positions on the offense. Until the Bills grab a "Franchise-TE" they will continue to live in the bottom of the offensive rankings. OFFENSIVE LINEMEN GRADE C- 77 Demetrius Bell T 74 Colin Brown T -- Chris Hairston T 63 Geoff Hangartner C 68 Cordaro Howard T 67 Andy Levitre G 79 Erik Pears T 76 Chad Rinehart G 60 Kraig Urbik G 71 Ed Wang T 66 Jason Watkins T 70 Eric Wood C 61 Mansfield Wrotto T Positives: Two positions on the OL should be set-in-stone with Eric Wood manning the Center position and Andy Levitre as Left Guard. Wood (28th overall pick in the 2009 draft) was moved to the center (his natural position in college) position after Hangartner went down in week 13 and shined. Levitre was bounced around early in his career, but has become a mainstay at LG. Bell, although undersized and inexperienced, continues to get it done at the Left Tackle position not allowing a sack in his first 8 games in 2010. Both Bell and Wood battled back from season ending injuries in 2009 and played all year. Negatives: With Wood moving to Center, the right side of the line is a large liability. Urbik assumes the starting position after being brought in mid-year last year and struggled to learn the offense. Once highly touted, he must continue to develop to hang on to the RG spot. Right tackle was a lost cause last year while Gailey failed to find anyone to stick. Pears, Wrotto and Howard split starts while Wang only found the field in 6 games and didn't start. The Bills drafted Chris Hairston in the 4th round of the 2011 draft with the hopes of him finding a home at RT. Brown, Watkins and Rinehart provide little depth in terms of experience. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN GRADE B+ 92 Alex Carrington DE 99 Marcell Dareus DE 98 Dwan Edwards DE 72 Kellen Heard NT -- Michael Jasper NT 91 Spencer Johnson DE 96 Torell Troup NT 95 Kyle Williams NT Positives: The Bills run defense ranked dead last in 2010 leaving most fans chomping-at-the-bit for a "Big Man" in the middle. Well, they got it. Marcell Dareus was drafted 3rd overall this year (1st DL off the board) with the expectations of him "clogging" the middle and allowing the LB's to make the play. Dareus joins Kyle Williams, a two time Pro Bowler, and Dwan Edwards as one of the most complete D-lines in the league. Torell Troup (2nd 2010) and Alex Carrington (3rd 2010), received valuable playing time last year and will continue to develop. Spencer Johnson is a nice insurance police in case of injury. Enter JASPER. A 7th round pick that played well over 400lbs. in college last year has a chance to make the squad if his ability to digest the transition to DL equals his size. This group will be expected to play both 3-4 and 4-3 defenses and Edwards has the luxury to switch it up. Negatives: Opponents will be looking to capitalize on running the ball against the Bills again. With only 1 proven play-maker on the line (Williams) it has yet to be determined if the Bills can hold-up. With the "Lockout" still underway, it is hurting the young players from getting an early jump on learning the playbook. This will only hurt them. LINEBACKERS GRADE C+ 57 Danny Batten OLB 59 Antonio Coleman OLB 54 Andra Davis ILB 90 Chris Kelsay OLB/DE 45 Jammie Kirlew OLB/DE 58 Aaron Maybin OLB/DE 55 Shawne Merriman OLB/DE 52 Arthur Moats OLB/DE -- Kelvin Sheppard ILB 53 Reggie Torbor OLB -- Chris White ILB Positives: Running a 3-4 defense relies on heady play from your Linebacking Core. The Bills are using "strength-in-numbers" to achieve that goal. Shawne Merriman was signed in 2010 after San Diego waived him. His production for the Bolts was impressive, however, after using illegal substances and injuries, Merriman has an uphill battle. Moats was a nice pick-up and will be forever known for ending Brett Favres' consecutive game streak. Kelsay and Davis bring leadership and experience. Batten and Coleman will both have a chance to shine as injuries sidelined both all last year. Sheppard (3rd) and White (6th) were both drafted this year and will compete for playing time. Kirlew is on the bubble. Negatives: This unit relies on re-signing Paul Posluszny. Although not spectacular, he is the best they have. Without Poz, this unit grades at a D- IMO. Maybin is taking-up a valuable roster spot and the former 1st round pick as yet to live up to his draft status. The current "Lockout" is the worst thing to happen to Maybin in his young career as he is not able to take advantage of the Bills training staff and is certainly on the bubble. This unit has the potential to be much improved from last year, but I wouldn't put any money on it as too much relies on Merriman and Poz. DEFENSIVE BACKS GRADE C+ 31 Jairus Byrd FS 27 Reggie Corner CB 33 Jon Corto SS 24 Terrence McGee CB 28 Leodis McKelvin CB -- Justin Rogers CB 43 Bryan Scott SS -- Da'Norris Searcy SS -- Aaron Williams CB 37 George Wilson FS Positives: For the first time in years, it's hard to find positives in this unit. 11 INT's is hardly anything to get excited about, however it's better than 10. With an improved pass rush, the numbers should rise back to respectability. Byrd started 14 games last year and got valuable experience. Mckelvin is developing slower than expected, but developing none-the-less. If McGee can stay healthy he can be the shutdown of old. Wilson is the emotional leader and may be thrust into a starting spot if Whitner is not brought back. Williams should start sooner rather than later and Searcy will make the squad. Negatives: 11 Int's down from 28 the year before. Putrid! Corner, Corto (a converted LB),Scott and Rogers are all depth at best. Re-signing Whitner is a priority, however unlikely. If Williams fails to deliver, this will be the "Achilles Heal" of the defense. Byrd MUST return to the "Ball-Hawker" that we know he is! SPECIAL TEAMS GRADE B+ 9 Rian Lindell K 8 Brian Moorman P Positives: 2010 was a tough year for both Lindell and Moorman. Lindell missed his first extra-point attempt in his career and Moormans Net Avg dropped almost 4 yards, however both should be back on track in 2011. Spiller scored his first TD and showed signs of magical returns yet to come. McKelvin and Parrish both can return which gives Bruce DeHaven, Special Teams Coordinator options in the return game. Negatives: Both Lindell and Moorman are aging and the Bills have nothing behind them. DeHaven makes us miss April. Spiller must hold on to the ball and coverage units are lacking. COACHING STAFF GRADE B- Chan Gailey George Edwards Curtis Modkins Dave Wannstedt Bruce DeHaven Positives: Gailey did a nice job of play-calling as you rarely saw head-scratching calls. The addition of Wannstedt is HUGE and should help Edwards progress in his second year as Defense Coordinator. If the defense struggles, expect Wannstedt to assume play-calling duties. Negatives: Edwards was certainly over his head as a first year DC. DeHaven disappointed in his first year back and Modkins is invisible. The Bills need strong coordinators if they are ever going to make the next step. FRONT OFFICE: GRADE B+ Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. President Jeffrey C. Littmann Treasurer Russ Brandon Chief Executive Officer Buddy Nix General Manager Doug Whaley Assistant General Manager/Director of Player Personnel Positives: Wilson clearly gave Nix the reigns and he is putting his plan in motion. Promoting Whaley to Asst. GM is a positive step in the right direction. Brandon is a master at filling the stands and continues to promote the Bills with pride. Negatives: Until the first snap, the Bills are still 4-12. Not good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Rob Johnson Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) Missing Chandler on the TE depth chart, not that he's anything great, but I think he's the current starter. Is Stupar gone as well? Edit: seems like you don't have any of the RFAs or unsigned UFAs, which makes sense. I just don't think they're planning on going into camp with that bunch as their TEs. Edited May 31, 2011 by Ghost of Rob Johnson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills1960 Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Yeah, Chandler has a chance to be a solid TE, at least on the level of Stupar. Defensive line I still wouldn't give more than a B yet. I like Dareus and Williams obviously but the other DE spot is very questionable. Although it does depend on how Troup and Carrington progress, if they can become factors then maybe a B+ isnt that crazy. As for Linebackers, I think the ILB core is much better than the outside. Id give the ILB a B- and the OLB a C if I could break them up. A for WR may be pushing it, Id say more of a B to B+, you never know if Steve Johnson becomes a one year wonder, although I don't think he will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEra Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 My grades QB- C. Fitz showed promise last year. Levi has shown nothing. We don't have anything else. I view Fitz as a C+ and Levi an F RB- B+. I'm a big fan of Fred and CJ. The addition of white is a good one IMO. This unit could turn out to be an A or A- WR- B. Before last year, I viewed this unit as a C. After watching the young guys produce, I'm very optimistic that we have a nice core of players. If Nelson and Easley can show improvement like Stevie did this past year, I think we are set at WR for awhile. TE- F. We have the worst TEs in football. I really hope we can sign Miller or Boss. OL. C. I think we have a solid nucleus on the interior. If Bell and either Hairston, Wang, Pears or Wrotto can show they can play, we may have a decent group. Decent isn't very good though. DL. B+. I'm very happy with our guys on the DL with the addition of Dareus. Dareus lined up with Williams makes a formidable tandem. Carrington and troupe should continue to improve. Their growth will determine if the unit goes up to an A. LB. C. Hard to say what we have here. I love Sheppard and I think he'll be our best LB in a year or 2. Moats has good upside. Poz needs to be resigned or we may be a D. Who knows about Merriman, batten, Coleman or maybin? We may have a good player in the lot, we may have 4 bums that get cut. If poz returns, moats improves, Merriman returns to be productive and Sheppard starts all year, we could be a B....but I doubt it. DB- B-. If we resign Florence, I'd give us a B+. I think mcgee, Florence, McKelvin and Williams would be among the leagues best CBs. Only if McGee and Mckelvin could stay healthy. I'm a big fan of our CBs, especially with the additions of Williams and searcy. I think Byrd will rebound this year, and Wilson, Scott and searcy will all he valuable at the SS. ST- A-. Big fan on moorman and Lindell. I think we have the deepest bunch of returners in the league. I'm upset about the kickoff changes. I think it really hurts our team. Coaching- B-. I like chan alot. I dislike Edwards alot. Adding the stache is a great move. FO- Ralph- d- can't wait til we have a new owner. The only reason I didn't give him an F is because he's kept the team in buffalo. Nix- b+. Like him Whaley- b+. Like him. I think he'll be the GM for a different team after this season. Brandon- d-. Don't like the guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyjustbcuz Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 OVERVIEW The Bills enter the 2011 season with expectations of turning around a lackluster 4-12 2010 season. The addition of Dave Wannstedt as Assistant Head Coach/Inside Linebackers Coach to help 2nd year Defensive Coordinator George Edwards manage the hybrid 3-4, 4-3 defense has Bills fans excited to end a 10 year playoff drought. With a solid 2011 draft focusing much on the defense, the Bills should have more success in stopping the run which ended the year ranked last in the NFL and forcing the offense to scrap it's gameplan for much of the season. QUARTERBACKS GRADE B- 10 Levi Brown 14 Ryan Fitzpatrick Positives: Ryan Fitzpatrick assumed the starting position after Week 3 of the regular season and never looked back. After posting career numbers in passing yards (3000), touchdowns (23) and a average 81.1 passer rating (ranking 22) in only 13 games, he enters the season as the undisputed starting QB. Fitz has the poise and intelligence to be an above average QB for years as he is only 28 years old and entering his prime. Levi Brown is still developing. Negatives: While it seems the Bills are content entering the 2011 season with Fitz at the wheel, many believe his short-comings will be uncovered. He has never been the most accurate passer and lacks a top-notch arm. Add to that, there is no proven QB behind Fitz in-case of an injury and the Bills are certainly gambling with the most important position on the team. RUNNING BACKS GRADE A- 30 Jehuu Caulcrick FB 22 Fred Jackson 38 Corey McIntyre FB 21 C. J. Spiller -- Johnny White Positives: Freddy Jackson and C.J. Spiller provide the Bills with a nice 1-2 punch in the backfield. While some fear Spiller may be a bust thus far in his career, his potential may speak differently. Entering only his second year in the League, the former 9th overall pick showed glimpses of why the Bills made the selection. Corey McIntyre provides veteran leadership and a desire to lay the wood to wood-be tacklers. Johnny White was drafted for his change of pace potential and short yardages abilities. Caulcrick is a fringe talent. Negatives: The Bills running game proved to be a heart-breaker last year. Chan Gaileys' attempt to pound the rock backfired as Spiller was unable to make the difference they anticipated. With one year under his belt, I expect this to be a strength of the offense this year, especially in the later weeks as bad weather may force the Bills to run more. However, how this position produces as a unit relies directly on the development of Spiller. WIDE RECEIVERS GRADE A 81 Marcus Easley 83 Lee Evans 17 Paul Hubbard 13 Steve Johnson 19 Donald Jones 86 David Nelson 11 Roscoe Parrish 18 Naaman Roosevelt Positives: This is the most complete position on the offensive side of the ball. With Stevie Johnson setting career bests in catches (82) and yards (1073) he also tied a franchise record with 10 TD grabs. He became a fan favorite last year and his ability to find the seam in the defense makes him a reliable number 1 go-to receiver. Lee Evans can still stretch the field allowing Johnson and Parish to work underneath. Jones, Nelson and Roosevelt stepped-up when injuries sidelined Parrish and Evans and played admirably. Easleys' potential has fans watering at the mouth after an early injury ended his season. Negatives: While Johnson and Parrish increased their production last year, Evans involvement decreased for the second year in a row providing just 578 yards and 4 TD's. The Bills will keep a close eye on him this year. Parrish, although started the year strong, has yet to make an impact since joining the Bills in 2005. If Jones and Nelson cannot continue to develop and the injury-bug rears it's ugly head again, this unit could be an area of concern. TIGHT ENDS GRADE D- 82 Mike Caussin 80 David Martin 89 Shawn Nelson Positives: Ummmm, they have a few on the roster? Negatives: The ones they have on the roster. The Bills have yet to address one of the key positions on the offense. Having a big-man with the ability to run, block and catch is priceless and the Bills are missing the boat on this one. Aside from QB and LT, I believe having a versatile TE that can read man or zone coverages and pick-up the blitz is the most important positions on the offense. Until the Bills grab a "Franchise-TE" they will continue to live in the bottom of the offensive rankings. OFFENSIVE LINEMEN GRADE C- 77 Demetrius Bell T 74 Colin Brown T -- Chris Hairston T 63 Geoff Hangartner C 68 Cordaro Howard T 67 Andy Levitre G 79 Erik Pears T 76 Chad Rinehart G 60 Kraig Urbik G 71 Ed Wang T 66 Jason Watkins T 70 Eric Wood C 61 Mansfield Wrotto T Positives: Two positions on the OL should be set-in-stone with Eric Wood manning the Center position and Andy Levitre as Left Guard. Wood (28th overall pick in the 2009 draft) was moved to the center (his natural position in college) position after Hangartner went down in week 13 and shined. Levitre was bounced around early in his career, but has become a mainstay at LG. Bell, although undersized and inexperienced, continues to get it done at the Left Tackle position not allowing a sack in his first 8 games in 2010. Both Bell and Wood battled back from season ending injuries in 2009 and played all year. Negatives: With Wood moving to Center, the right side of the line is a large liability. Urbik assumes the starting position after being brought in mid-year last year and struggled to learn the offense. Once highly touted, he must continue to develop to hang on to the RG spot. Right tackle was a lost cause last year while Gailey failed to find anyone to stick. Pears, Wrotto and Howard split starts while Wang only found the field in 6 games and didn't start. The Bills drafted Chris Hairston in the 4th round of the 2011 draft with the hopes of him finding a home at RT. Brown, Watkins and Rinehart provide little depth in terms of experience. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN GRADE B+ 92 Alex Carrington DE 99 Marcell Dareus DE 98 Dwan Edwards DE 72 Kellen Heard NT -- Michael Jasper NT 91 Spencer Johnson DE 96 Torell Troup NT 95 Kyle Williams NT Positives: The Bills run defense ranked dead last in 2010 leaving most fans chomping-at-the-bit for a "Big Man" in the middle. Well, they got it. Marcell Dareus was drafted 3rd overall this year (1st DL off the board) with the expectations of him "clogging" the middle and allowing the LB's to make the play. Dareus joins Kyle Williams, a two time Pro Bowler, and Dwan Edwards as one of the most complete D-lines in the league. Torell Troup (2nd 2010) and Alex Carrington (3rd 2010), received valuable playing time last year and will continue to develop. Spencer Johnson is a nice insurance police in case of injury. Enter JASPER. A 7th round pick that played well over 400lbs. in college last year has a chance to make the squad if his ability to digest the transition to DL equals his size. This group will be expected to play both 3-4 and 4-3 defenses and Edwards has the luxury to switch it up. Negatives: Opponents will be looking to capitalize on running the ball against the Bills again. With only 1 proven play-maker on the line (Williams) it has yet to be determined if the Bills can hold-up. With the "Lockout" still underway, it is hurting the young players from getting an early jump on learning the playbook. This will only hurt them. LINEBACKERS GRADE C+ 57 Danny Batten OLB 59 Antonio Coleman OLB 54 Andra Davis ILB 90 Chris Kelsay OLB/DE 45 Jammie Kirlew OLB/DE 58 Aaron Maybin OLB/DE 55 Shawne Merriman OLB/DE 52 Arthur Moats OLB/DE -- Kelvin Sheppard ILB 53 Reggie Torbor OLB -- Chris White ILB Positives: Running a 3-4 defense relies on heady play from your Linebacking Core. The Bills are using "strength-in-numbers" to achieve that goal. Shawne Merriman was signed in 2010 after San Diego waived him. His production for the Bolts was impressive, however, after using illegal substances and injuries, Merriman has an uphill battle. Moats was a nice pick-up and will be forever known for ending Brett Favres' consecutive game streak. Kelsay and Davis bring leadership and experience. Batten and Coleman will both have a chance to shine as injuries sidelined both all last year. Sheppard (3rd) and White (6th) were both drafted this year and will compete for playing time. Kirlew is on the bubble. Negatives: This unit relies on re-signing Paul Posluszny. Although not spectacular, he is the best they have. Without Poz, this unit grades at a D- IMO. Maybin is taking-up a valuable roster spot and the former 1st round pick as yet to live up to his draft status. The current "Lockout" is the worst thing to happen to Maybin in his young career as he is not able to take advantage of the Bills training staff and is certainly on the bubble. This unit has the potential to be much improved from last year, but I wouldn't put any money on it as too much relies on Merriman and Poz. DEFENSIVE BACKS GRADE C+ 31 Jairus Byrd FS 27 Reggie Corner CB 33 Jon Corto SS 24 Terrence McGee CB 28 Leodis McKelvin CB -- Justin Rogers CB 43 Bryan Scott SS -- Da'Norris Searcy SS -- Aaron Williams CB 37 George Wilson FS Positives: For the first time in years, it's hard to find positives in this unit. 11 INT's is hardly anything to get excited about, however it's better than 10. With an improved pass rush, the numbers should rise back to respectability. Byrd started 14 games last year and got valuable experience. Mckelvin is developing slower than expected, but developing none-the-less. If McGee can stay healthy he can be the shutdown of old. Wilson is the emotional leader and may be thrust into a starting spot if Whitner is not brought back. Williams should start sooner rather than later and Searcy will make the squad. Negatives: 11 Int's down from 28 the year before. Putrid! Corner, Corto (a converted LB),Scott and Rogers are all depth at best. Re-signing Whitner is a priority, however unlikely. If Williams fails to deliver, this will be the "Achilles Heal" of the defense. Byrd MUST return to the "Ball-Hawker" that we know he is! SPECIAL TEAMS GRADE B+ 9 Rian Lindell K 8 Brian Moorman P Positives: 2010 was a tough year for both Lindell and Moorman. Lindell missed his first extra-point attempt in his career and Moormans Net Avg dropped almost 4 yards, however both should be back on track in 2011. Spiller scored his first TD and showed signs of magical returns yet to come. McKelvin and Parrish both can return which gives Bruce DeHaven, Special Teams Coordinator options in the return game. Negatives: Both Lindell and Moorman are aging and the Bills have nothing behind them. DeHaven makes us miss April. Spiller must hold on to the ball and coverage units are lacking. COACHING STAFF GRADE B- Chan Gailey George Edwards Curtis Modkins Dave Wannstedt Bruce DeHaven Positives: Gailey did a nice job of play-calling as you rarely saw head-scratching calls. The addition of Wannstedt is HUGE and should help Edwards progress in his second year as Defense Coordinator. If the defense struggles, expect Wannstedt to assume play-calling duties. Negatives: Edwards was certainly over his head as a first year DC. DeHaven disappointed in his first year back and Modkins is invisible. The Bills need strong coordinators if they are ever going to make the next step. FRONT OFFICE: GRADE B+ Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. President Jeffrey C. Littmann Treasurer Russ Brandon Chief Executive Officer Buddy Nix General Manager Doug Whaley Assistant General Manager/Director of Player Personnel Positives: Wilson clearly gave Nix the reigns and he is putting his plan in motion. Promoting Whaley to Asst. GM is a positive step in the right direction. Brandon is a master at filling the stands and continues to promote the Bills with pride. Negatives: Until the first snap, the Bills are still 4-12. Not good. I really liked the effort that you put into this post! Outstanding! This is one of the best posts I've seen all off-season/lockout period! I agree with a lot of your overview first off, and of course I disagree with some small segments as well. That's just life and the life of a Bills "know it all fan" like myself...haha I'll just kind of shoot around some things I don't fully agree about.... I think the special teams are graded a little high and I really feel there was a big slippage with B. Moorman, and a tad with Lindell as well. I think special teams will be more challenging this year with rule changes and less time to adequately prepare. Based on last year's performance with nothing noteworthy as far as upgrades I would give the Bills a solid C on special teams which is a slight difference from a B+ I felt in comparison to other teams in the NFL that your grades were a little high generally "maybe a little hometown fan favorite" upgrade that isn't on par with the true grades the Bills should receive. You weren't way out of bounds or anything on most of your grading, I just thought you were a little generous, which I can understand as far as objectivity goes as a fellow Bills fan. I do think the Bills front office has improved some since Russ Brandon sticks more to the marketing side of the business now. But, I think as long as Ralph Wilson is the owner he will have a big influence of course on several matters including the draft, and also free agency. I really felt like there was no chance at us landing a QB in the first two rounds regardless of who was available. I really feel like the Bills don't want to pay the money required for a QB when they already feel that they have one "on the cheap" compared to your top tier. Just my view and it can't be changed until they prove otherwise. I remember last season when Ralph mentioned that he was sending Buddy Nix and his boys out there in the field to scout college QB's and that it would be first priority. I didn't forget, but everyone else has seemed too! I think we got lip service when needed and then Fitzpatrick had a midling season that was reasonably productive and all the sudden we are set at QB! I don't think a B- properly grades are QB position unless we pickup or trade for a key free agent QB that is young enough to develop like Kolb, or someone that is seasoned w/talent left? (Like McNabb a few years ago..lol). Are list of QB's over the years is far from impressive...and it is a direct result of ownership! Good organizations regenerate when crumbling, bad organizations regurgitate crap like the Bills, Lions, Browns, etc...Yeah, the Lions are getting better and may have a playoff year coming down the road, but they will get themselves right back to ground zero again as good organizations are consistently good, and bad ones are consistently bad! Based on more than a decade where do we fit in from an unbiased National perspective???? (See what I mean)..... Look at Indiapolis (Polian), New England (Belicheck), Pittsburgh (Cowher and then the current guy..) All impressive coaches or GM's that the owner allows to do their jobs, and supports them however needed. When Greg Williams was here he really "wanted" to draft Drew Breeze which the Bills were in a position to do! He was over ruled by the Tom Modrak and Ralph Wilson and you know the rest of the story!!!!! Polian succeeds with his winning formula everywhere he goes! Here, Indy...and that's all because he's the cream of the crop, while we've had the cream of crap! Look at the coaches....Jauron, Williams, Mularkey...here they were lousy! Williams has done pretty well for himself, but the other two hasn't done much of anything still..... I think the culture may be changing and that the Bills got Doug Whaley seems like a prudent move...and based on this draft alone..(I didn't like the 2010 draft much..) the Bills may be heading in the right direction (somewhat) but unless the Bills get a future franchise QB soon for Gailey to groom...we will be going through coaching changes AGAIN in another year or two! Nix said that now was a smart time to get a QB as it's smart to get one when you don't need one..and if you wait until you need one it may be too late!!!! I don't know why he didn't take his own advice???? I also think that Buddy Nix foolishly projects by what he often say's (except in Dareus's case...) what picks he's going to make and he did that extremely so in C.J. Spiller's case! I think I would hold on to B+ Grades on this positon until season's end,,,,and if they finish 4-12 again I don't think you can justify a B+ and not be known as a total homer! I think a C is okay right now...a C- to D+ if they finish 4-12 and to earn a B+ I think your looking at 7 wins with some close games lost. I mean a B+ is almost an A, and even 7 wins is less than average if you think about it...I think a 8-8 would put them in the middle of the standings...and get them a B+ considering where they have been! I really can't see justifying a "A-" at the RB positon...the Bills weren't didn't have any great performances in the running game last year. When the Bills needed a first down on short yardage, most of the time they didn't get it..C.J. Spiller didn't have a good season last year and has not proved one thing yet in this leaugue. His career is better than James Hardy's and Aaron Maybins to date, but such an important part of the running game seemed non-existent most of the year and in my opinion would be at best a "C". I just don't know why we are talking the letter A in any way! Johnny White has not got one yard in the NFL..May be the next Xavier Omon for all we know..who was extremely productive in college...Johnny White was inconsistent at N.C. and has quite the downside, with some upside as well...He may never get past special teams in the NFL. Anyways, Caulcrick...I've heard of him...can't say I remember much about him? Who else? McIntyre...as far as the running game goes? Oh well, I don't get it! Well I'm close to you with WR's and I like our group...lets see how some of their sophmore seasons go...but based on last year I like our guys, but I think we need a true number 1 guy...and I think that Stevie Johnson is a good #2 guy and that Evans would be better in the middle like Josh Reed used to do for us as he may be starting to get heavy legs. I would probably grade our WR's with a B as we need one Calvin Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald to order! I'm not going to rip on the grades anymore as I did say I liked what you did..just felt you were a little forgiving at positional shortcomings and a lack of depth at key positions. I still think the Bills tendancies are that the roster seems to sustain more than the average amount of injuries and would contribute that to strenght and conditioning and early in the season it seemed that once the second half came about that they were out gameplanned when it comes to adjustments, and not having enough stamina to keep up with the other teams. Once their conditioning started to improve it seemed like they were playing with teams longer late in the season and even went to overtime against some very good competition like Baltimore & Pittsburgh. One of the reasons that Jairus Byrd did not produce as much in 2010 wasn't just because of a sudden inability to intercept passes like he did in 2009, but also because teams didn't pass in his direction nearly as much as '09. One of the reasons why is that they could run the ball down our throats and it wasn't necessary to test our secondary much. I think this is where you will see the greatest improvement with Byrd, McGee (if healthy) and McKelvin provided that Dareus stays healthy and is able to have the impact that I think he will have on the opponents running game. I also wonder if the Bills will pursue Vince Young as I realize he is a head case...but I also realize with the right therapist..lol...and a coach like Chan Gailey..that Vince Young is young still and has all the tools to become a franchise QB. I think you can get Young for a few nickels on the dollar and it may be worth investigating that fire sale and see what he can do? K. Kolb will cost you though as he is a wanted man..probably by Arizona....I think you go after someone instead of getting just undrafted free agent QB's from the past year's graduating class, because all you are doing is just filling the numbers with little hope of landing a potential player. It will be interesting to see what the Bills will do...oh yeah,,,one more thing about front office grades: The Bills organization made a choice to stop pensions and different cutbacks for staff, coaches etc...that they were not required to make. Some of the personnel that are normally hard at work for the Bills organization are going to be in dire straits fairly soon if this lockout is prolonged. With the County paying for renovations, and the Stadium being paid for..it was not a move that the Bills organization or Mr. Wilson should've made! I think I will revise my grade for the front office to a "D" or at least the miser owner who will die with Millions upon Millions as the Bills load up their moving trucks in due time. So much for my optimistic approach, as reality took over! Da'Bills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 (edited) Positives: Freddy Jackson and C.J. Spiller provide the Bills with a nice 1-2 punch in the backfield. To date Spiller doesn't provide anything. Edited June 1, 2011 by TaskersGhost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paintmyhouse Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 QB ranked 22 in the NFL with a backup who is a 7th round pick with no experience sounds more like C- to me than a B-. If Bills are a B- at QB then so is the 49ers with Alex Smith, Titans with Kerry Collins, Lions with Stafford and Hill, and Raiders with Campbell and whoever as backup. You are a generous grader. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AthensThunder Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I too think you tend to be a little generous with your grades.If you were a teacher the kids would love you. Here are some of my thoughts for the coming year. First,I believe our TE situation will be a lot better this year as the two guys that Nix got late in the year have some good roots before they got to the NFL.I believe that Chandler will be our starter and Caussin and Martin will be the back ups. With the type of problem Shawn has he is at best a part time player and we just cannot afford a part time player. When we started last year I had no confidense with our O_LINE.Here agin Nix got some impressive replacements.I do think that when Nix and Chan said we need a tackle they were talking about LT and not RT.We have at least 3 guys that can play RT now but LT is not like any other of the O_LINE positions. I think we may have one of the best D-Lines in the league.The only questions are Jasper and Heard.I personally am pulling for both these kids but the reality is we can't keep everybody.(here's hoping the league will allow us a bigger roster to compensate for having no time to evaluate our new guys)I don't think McCargo will make this team of hungry young guys. Dave Wannstedt is a HUGE addition.A good coach can make a differance.I don't see anyone running for much gain in this coming year against us. The thing is CJ is a tremendous athlete,I believe he will show something this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan89 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 QB- C I like Fitz but there is no backup Brown is a third string QB. If the team can sign a decent backup QB it will go up to a C+ or B-. RB- B- Freddie is a quality NFL RB. Spiller has a lot of potential and White is a nice depth move. BUT Spiller needs to show more for the rating to go up because Freddie is the only proven commodity. OL- C+ Good interior lineman with Wood and Levitre and a lot of competent depth with Hangartner Urbick and Rinehart. Bell has shown he can play as a competent NFL LT and there is reason to think he can get better. BUT there is a lot of concern with the RT spot. WR- B- Stevie is a beast. Lee is a solid vet. And there is a lot of potential with the rest of the staff, Roosevelt, Nelson, and Easly. Also Roscoe is a competent slot guy. Still Lee needs to show more now that Stevie has arrived and the young guys need to develop. TE- D- Chandler is a decent blocker not much else. Hopefully something is added in free agency. DL B Kyle Williams is a pro-bowler, Dareus is a high prospect who can make an impact, Edwards is a vet who can play competently but is hurt often, Troup and Carrington are high draft picks who have a lot of potential, and Jasper and Heard are interesting projects. LB D Merriman is injured often, Poz is also injury prone, Kelsay isn't much, Moats shows promise but he has to develop, Davis is old and injured, Torbor is a decent backup but not a starter, Sheppard is a solid pick up in the draft but can he be counted on to make an impact? The rest of the staff like Maybin isn't very impressive. Hopefully Nix signs some quality backups in free agency and there is some injury luck. Secondary B (B- if Florence isn't resigned) This is assuming Whitner is gone but Florence is back. McGee, McKelvin, Williams, and Florence are solid but not elite at corner. Byrd will hopefully be more comfortable in his 3rd year at safety and second year in this system. Wilson is a solid SS and Scott and Searcy provide depth at safety as well. Coaching staff C- One year and only 4 wins. Doing all the right things but it has to happen on the field. The stash does help to improve the defensive staff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldTimer1960 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 While I think the team is finally on the right track, I really think that your "grades" are very very lenient for a 4-12 team. For example, giving the QB position with a journeyman starter and 2nd year 7th round pick a B is very easy grading. How the DL and LBs come out with even passing grades is quite surprising given that the team was dead last in stopping the run last year. To be clear, I see reasons for optimism. I like Nix and Gailey and I think that last year's rookies will continue to develop. I like this year's group of rookies, too, but every team likes their rookies a lot. This is a team (IMHO) that will have to inch its way up in a very good division. I think that they could take another step towards the playoffs this year, but I do think that: 1. the lockout will hinder a very young team like the Bills more than veteran teams like the Pats and Jets 2. the Bills still have a lot of unaddressed holes including both OT positions, OLB, TE and starting QB. 3. I think that the WR corp is highly over-rated. They have Lee Evans on the downside of his career, one-year producer Stevie Johnson, undersized niche player Roscoe Parrish and some guys who showed a little, but not enough to call them good bets. Your description of Marcus Easley is highly inflated. What potential? He played a bit in training camp and was hurt early in the preseason. He was not a productive receiver in college until the 2nd half of his last year. All in all, I want to be optimistic and to some extent share some of your enthusiasm, but I can't escape the fact that this team was 4-12, has a lot of young players missing valuable coaching during the lockout and has questions at most positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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