If You Had A Chance To Say One Thing To Front Office

[BuffaloBaumer]

What would it be? For me, and I really thought about this - it would be this:

 

My family has been an original season ticket holder since 1960 and at this point in time, we are really not asking for much. We are not aking you to do the following:

 

Win the Super Bowl

Make the Super Bowl

Win a playoff game

Get to the playoffs

 

What I am asking you is to just make it to a game in December where the outcome of a game could determine a playoff spot. Does THAT really seem like it is too much to ask. Put together a team where the WHOLE season actually means something. Make home games in December just the slightest bit enjoyable for us fans that continue to show up through thick and thin. It really seems almsot impossible to go almost 12 years while giving us only one of these games (which you lost to a bunch of back-up Steelers).

 

Join The Charge, One Team, all of those other crappy slogans your team comes up with - screw it. How about

 

Make December Count! Now go out and freakin' beat a team where everyone else says you don't have a chance. You want to play a big game in December? Go beat the fukking Niners on Sunday.....

[papazoid]

get a franchise QB....

[stevestojan]

You owe me $250 for Sunday Ticket.

[mrags]

It's a tough one. Probobly to fire Chan and offer the highest salary ever to a HC that will come in and play smash mouth football. That doesn't mean run the ball more, but someone who won't play/coach reactively, and someone who has noboroblem sticking it in the other teams face. Not sure if those rumors were true at all of Harbaugh back in the day, but he's what I want.

[macaroni]

I want my team ...... no I DEMAND my team be agressive ... I don't really care if we lose a game because the other team is better than we are but I never NEVER want to lose because we are ill prepared or too timid to be agressive.

 

We need to ATTACK ... ATTACK ... ATTACK, both on offense and defense ... on offense go for the score on EVERY drive no matter if we are winning by 10, 20, 30, or 40 points ... no trying to "protect a lead" or playing conservative to avoid mistakes.

On defense impose OUR will on them, do not ever EVER sit back on our heals thinking we will counteract what they want to do ... force the issue ... make them think in their heads and their hearts they CAN'T do anything.

 

For GODS sake, stop trying to be cute .... punch them in the mouth ... stop trying to cover up our weakness with your fancey little gameplans ... highlight those players who don't measure up and cut their sorry butts and get somebody here willing or able to play hard for 60 minutes.

[May Day 10]

The front office and head coach is the last front office under Wilson IMO. What you see is what you get.

 

I still feel better about this team than I have in a long time. I dont think they are far off.

[birdog1960]

sell the team to someone committed to keeping it in buffalo, wilson. make a very gracious final act as the bills owner and ensure a decent legacy. we could then see an atlanta like rebuild in short order.

 

yeah, like that's gonna happen....

[BuffaloRebound]

get a franchise QB....

 

+1. I'd tell them that I see improvement but it's an uphill battle without a franchise QB. Gotta know who you are and what you're up against. With Ralph as the owner, we'll never have a better organization than the Pats, Steelers, Giants, and other winning franchises. Only thing that can over-come that is a franchise QB.

[The Big Cat]

Thank you.

 

They don't owe me ****.

[Saint Doug]

Do ANYTHING to obtain a franchise QB. Trade future 1st round picks to get one. I'm sick of this "poor man's"...

[1billsfan]

Did you make a serious play for RGIII? and if you didn't why not?

 

BTW, I'm on record for asking them to pull the trigger on a deal giving St. Louis a boat load of high draft picks for that RGIII 2nd overall 2012 pick. I bet Gailey and Nix are kicking themselves now.

[BringBackFergy]

I want my team ...... no I DEMAND my team be agressive ... I don't really care if we lose a game because the other team is better than we are but I never NEVER want to lose because we are ill prepared or too timid to be agressive.

 

We need to ATTACK ... ATTACK ... ATTACK, both on offense and defense ... on offense go for the score on EVERY drive no matter if we are winning by 10, 20, 30, or 40 points ... no trying to "protect a lead" or playing conservative to avoid mistakes.

On defense impose OUR will on them, do not ever EVER sit back on our heals thinking we will counteract what they want to do ... force the issue ... make them think in their heads and their hearts they CAN'T do anything.

 

For GODS sake, stop trying to be cute .... punch them in the mouth ... stop trying to cover up our weakness with your fancey little gameplans ... highlight those players who don't measure up and cut their sorry butts and get somebody here willing or able to play hard for 60 minutes.

 

Thank you. Yes.

[mattsox]

Why didn't we patch up some of the big holes with the New 3-4 D with FA in 2010. Julius Peppers? Carlos Dansby? Are you telling me they wouldn't have helped in 2010???

[K-9]

"Thank-you, sir. May I have another?!"

 

GO BILLS!!!

[DaGimp]

Are you really stupid enough to think Fitz is a legitimate starting QB?

[2003Contenders]

get a franchise QB....

 

That is so much easier said than done. I keep hearing this, but let's take a moment and do 2 things. First let's look at how many frnachise QBs there really are in the NFL right now. Within our own division Brady is the only one. Tannehill may evolve, but right now I would have to say that Fitz may very well be the 2nd best QB in our division. Looking at the league as a whole, here are the guys that I would call true frnachise QBs:

 

Tom Brady

Ben Roethlisberger

Peyton Manning

Eli Manning

Aaron Rodgers

Drew Brees

 

I count 6 of them. Now, there are a couple more that I think are close -- and are certainly guys who I would rather have over Fitz:

 

Matt Ryan

Joe Flacco

Philip Rivers

Tony Romo

Matt Stafford

Cam Newton

 

Stafford and Newton may even be pushing it a bit, as both are coming off one big year and have struggled some this year. Certainly from a talent perspective, they are franchise QBs. I have liked what I have seen from Luck and RG3 so far, but it is still too early to tell. So I count 6 franchise QBs, 6 who are close -- and 2-3 where the team is trying to figure out whether they have one or not. That means that half of the teams in the NFL are in the same boat as the Bills -- on the lookout for an upgrade at the position. Oh, and when you factor in that all of the 6 elite QBs I referenced have been in the league for 8+ years -- well their respective teams are on the lookout for heir apparants as well.

 

Now, the second question I have... Many people on this board seem to believe that the Bills really have not even TRIED to upgrade the QB position. That simply is not true. Where exactly could and should they have upgraded? Really, since Kelly left -- and going back thru prior adminstrations -- the front office HAS tried:

 

John Butler

1. Drafted Todd Collins, who turned out to be a career backup

 

2. Made the trade for Billy Joe Tolbert, who had a big arm but a two-cent brain

 

3. Brought in Doug Flutie. That turned out to be a positive move, as it was the last time that the team made it to the playoffs. However, Flutie was long in the tooth and it did not take defenses long to devise solid game plans against him.

 

4. Made the big trade for Rob Johnson, which was ballsy but clearly a poor choice.

 

Tom Donahoe

1. Made the big trade for Drew Bledsoe. For half a season that looked like a GREAT trade. Bledsoe actually brought some credibility to Western New York, and that credibility even aided Donahoe in signing some big defensive free agents in th next off-season. But Bledsoe rolled over the hill FAST.

 

2. Offered to trade away multiple picks to move up in the 2004 draft for Roethlisberger. However, none of the teams picking in the top 10 would bite. When he missed out on that trade he pacicked, and (with Sam Wyche whipering in his ear after having been wowed by private workouts), made the questionable decision to trade away the #1 pick in 2005 and the #2 pick that year (plus, I believe an additional late-round pick) to move up to get Losman. Obvioulsy that was a mistake. Who knows how the draft board may have changed, but a certain Aaron Rodgers would have been on the board for the Bills' 1st round pick, which went to Dallas, in 2005. Losman never worked out; he simply never learned to read a defense and was not much better than Rob Johnson in terms of getting the ball out of his hand quickly. If e could take the best characteristics of Losman (big arm and nice touch on the deep ball) and combine them with Fitz's best attributes, it would be just what the doctor ordered.

 

3. When Donahoe unceremonioulsy gave Dre his walking papers, he replaced him with journeyman Kelly Holcomb. Emphasis on the word journeyman.

 

Marv Levy

1. Eschewed the chance to draft Jay Cutler and instead decided to give JP one more shot. Cutler would have been an upgrade -- but he would not have been the long term answer either. He has more talent but is as inconsistent as Fitz -- and far less likeable. A year later they spent a late 3rd rounder on Trent Edwards. He had his moments -- but just never developed the art of throwing the ball BEFORE his receiver came out of the break. Captain Checkdown.

 

2. This was after Levy left, but since Jauron was still around and there was no real GM, I consider it part of the same adminsitration. But the front office tried to get Michael Vick -- and rumor has it that they were very close to doing so, when "someone" intervened and made thepsuh for him to go to Philly.

 

Buddy Nix

Now, the current regime has made all of the following moves:

1. Made a serious push to trade for Donovan McNabb, but McNabb chose to play in Washington instead and the Eagles' accomodated him.

 

2. Reportedly tried to trade up for Tebow. The front office denied this attempt, so who knows if it is true? Instead, they waited until the 7th round and drafted Levi Brown, who failed to make the final roster. The team brough him back later when injuries kicked in, but he was never able to stick.

 

3. Gave Trent Edwards one last shot to start -- and ended up releasing him after 3 games into the season.

 

4. Acquired Brad Smith as a Wildcat QB. The only pass I remember him throwing was intercepted, so I do not even truly consider him a QB.

 

5. Acquired Tyler Thigpen who had familiarity with Chan's pistol offense in KC. He has yet to see any serious action and renotiated his contract in the off-season to avoid being cut.

 

6. Brough in Vince Young, who struggled to pick up the offense.

 

7. Traded for Tarvaris Jackson, who has yet to be active in a single game since signing with the Bills. jackson did at least lead the Seahawks to a playoff berth 2 years ago.

 

So clearly, the team has not sat back and ignored the position. Just since Buddy and Chan took over 2 1/2 years ago they have made 7 moves (or near moves).

 

You could make the argument that they could have drafted Joe Flacco in 2008 instead of Maybin, but there were some questions about Flacco coming out and many thought the Ravens reached for him at the time by taking im in the middle of the first round. Josh Freeman was there for the taking in 2009, but aside from a strong 2010 season has looked awful. The QB class from 2010 looks terrible; Bradford may stick, but Tebow, Clausen, McCoy... The team was right to pass on those guys. (Too bad they wasted that 2nd rounder on Troup.)

 

Last year they hoped that Cam would afll to them, but he didn't. They though long and hard about Gabbert -- and thus far appear to have been smart about letting him go. I suppose they COULD have drafted Andy Dalton, but I do not see much upside there. I do not see him as a long-term upgrade over Fitz. Serviceable but hardly a franchise QB. This year Luck was as good as gone before the 2011 regular season was over. Look what it cost the Redskins to move up a few spots to get RG3!

[Keukasmallies]

Sayonara....

[The Big Cat]

 

Last year they hoped that Cam would afll to them, but he didn't. They though long and hard about Gabbert -- and thus far appear to have been smart about letting him go. I suppose they COULD have drafted Andy Dalton, but I do not see much upside there. I do not see him as a long-term upgrade over Fitz. Serviceable but hardly a franchise QB. This year Luck was as good as gone before the 2011 regular season was over. Look what it cost the Redskins to move up a few spots to get RG3!

 

Your post is spot on, with the exception of the bit about Gabbert. I don't think they would have drafted him in a MILLION years. The whole Gabbert-craze had my head spinning. He was nothing more than the white dude trumped up by the hapless media to fill the Luck void. I said as much then, and it has clearly come to fruition since.

 

I think our guys were Ponder and Dalton, though I agree it would have been Cam, had he fallen to us.

 

Ponder and Dalton just had Nixley written all over them.

[papazoid]

That is so much easier said than done. I keep hearing this, but let's take a moment and do 2 things. First let's look at how many frnachise QBs there really are in the NFL right now. Within our own division Brady is the only one. Tannehill may evolve, but right now I would have to say that Fitz may very well be the 2nd best QB in our division. Looking at the league as a whole, here are the guys that I would call true frnachise QBs:

 

Tom Brady

Ben Roethlisberger

Peyton Manning

Eli Manning

Aaron Rodgers

Drew Brees

 

I count 6 of them. Now, there are a couple more that I think are close -- and are certainly guys who I would rather have over Fitz:

 

Matt Ryan

Joe Flacco

Philip Rivers

Tony Romo

Matt Stafford

Cam Newton

 

Stafford and Newton may even be pushing it a bit, as both are coming off one big year and have struggled some this year. Certainly from a talent perspective, they are franchise QBs. I have liked what I have seen from Luck and RG3 so far, but it is still too early to tell. So I count 6 franchise QBs, 6 who are close -- and 2-3 where the team is trying to figure out whether they have one or not. That means that half of the teams in the NFL are in the same boat as the Bills -- on the lookout for an upgrade at the position. Oh, and when you factor in that all of the 6 elite QBs I referenced have been in the league for 8+ years -- well their respective teams are on the lookout for heir apparants as well.

 

Now, the second question I have... Many people on this board seem to believe that the Bills really have not even TRIED to upgrade the QB position. That simply is not true. Where exactly could and should they have upgraded? Really, since Kelly left -- and going back thru prior adminstrations -- the front office HAS tried:

 

John Butler

1. Drafted Todd Collins, who turned out to be a career backup

 

2. Made the trade for Billy Joe Tolbert, who had a big arm but a two-cent brain

 

3. Brought in Doug Flutie. That turned out to be a positive move, as it was the last time that the team made it to the playoffs. However, Flutie was long in the tooth and it did not take defenses long to devise solid game plans against him.

 

4. Made the big trade for Rob Johnson, which was ballsy but clearly a poor choice.

 

Tom Donahoe

1. Made the big trade for Drew Bledsoe. For half a season that looked like a GREAT trade. Bledsoe actually brought some credibility to Western New York, and that credibility even aided Donahoe in signing some big defensive free agents in th next off-season. But Bledsoe rolled over the hill FAST.

 

2. Offered to trade away multiple picks to move up in the 2004 draft for Roethlisberger. However, none of the teams picking in the top 10 would bite. When he missed out on that trade he pacicked, and (with Sam Wyche whipering in his ear after having been wowed by private workouts), made the questionable decision to trade away the #1 pick in 2005 and the #2 pick that year (plus, I believe an additional late-round pick) to move up to get Losman. Obvioulsy that was a mistake. Who knows how the draft board may have changed, but a certain Aaron Rodgers would have been on the board for the Bills' 1st round pick, which went to Dallas, in 2005. Losman never worked out; he simply never learned to read a defense and was not much better than Rob Johnson in terms of getting the ball out of his hand quickly. If e could take the best characteristics of Losman (big arm and nice touch on the deep ball) and combine them with Fitz's best attributes, it would be just what the doctor ordered.

 

3. When Donahoe unceremonioulsy gave Dre his walking papers, he replaced him with journeyman Kelly Holcomb. Emphasis on the word journeyman.

 

Marv Levy

1. Eschewed the chance to draft Jay Cutler and instead decided to give JP one more shot. Cutler would have been an upgrade -- but he would not have been the long term answer either. He has more talent but is as inconsistent as Fitz -- and far less likeable. A year later they spent a late 3rd rounder on Trent Edwards. He had his moments -- but just never developed the art of throwing the ball BEFORE his receiver came out of the break. Captain Checkdown.

 

2. This was after Levy left, but since Jauron was still around and there was no real GM, I consider it part of the same adminsitration. But the front office tried to get Michael Vick -- and rumor has it that they were very close to doing so, when "someone" intervened and made thepsuh for him to go to Philly.

 

Buddy Nix

Now, the current regime has made all of the following moves:

1. Made a serious push to trade for Donovan McNabb, but McNabb chose to play in Washington instead and the Eagles' accomodated him.

 

2. Reportedly tried to trade up for Tebow. The front office denied this attempt, so who knows if it is true? Instead, they waited until the 7th round and drafted Levi Brown, who failed to make the final roster. The team brough him back later when injuries kicked in, but he was never able to stick.

 

3. Gave Trent Edwards one last shot to start -- and ended up releasing him after 3 games into the season.

 

4. Acquired Brad Smith as a Wildcat QB. The only pass I remember him throwing was intercepted, so I do not even truly consider him a QB.

 

5. Acquired Tyler Thigpen who had familiarity with Chan's pistol offense in KC. He has yet to see any serious action and renotiated his contract in the off-season to avoid being cut.

 

6. Brough in Vince Young, who struggled to pick up the offense.

 

7. Traded for Tarvaris Jackson, who has yet to be active in a single game since signing with the Bills. jackson did at least lead the Seahawks to a playoff berth 2 years ago.

 

So clearly, the team has not sat back and ignored the position. Just since Buddy and Chan took over 2 1/2 years ago they have made 7 moves (or near moves).

 

You could make the argument that they could have drafted Joe Flacco in 2008 instead of Maybin, but there were some questions about Flacco coming out and many thought the Ravens reached for him at the time by taking im in the middle of the first round. Josh Freeman was there for the taking in 2009, but aside from a strong 2010 season has looked awful. The QB class from 2010 looks terrible; Bradford may stick, but Tebow, Clausen, McCoy... The team was right to pass on those guys. (Too bad they wasted that 2nd rounder on Troup.)

 

Last year they hoped that Cam would afll to them, but he didn't. They though long and hard about Gabbert -- and thus far appear to have been smart about letting him go. I suppose they COULD have drafted Andy Dalton, but I do not see much upside there. I do not see him as a long-term upgrade over Fitz. Serviceable but hardly a franchise QB. This year Luck was as good as gone before the 2011 regular season was over. Look what it cost the Redskins to move up a few spots to get RG3!

 

see washington redskins.......i would make the same deal they did to move up and get a franchise QB......all they lost were #1 picks....NOT the salary cap space that goes with those unproven mid first round picks......they can use that salary cap space to sign a free agent instead.......all they did was essentially trade future #1's for future Free Agents.

[dogman]

One Word will do it...

 

Polian!