A Few Thoughts about our Front Office Moves

[billsfan714]

1. Say whatever you want pro/con about Buddy Nix but the fact remains this team has not improved 1 game in 3 years.

2. How is Buddy different from past front offices? Under NIx we have used 3 of the 6 first and second round picks on runningbacks and corners

3. How has this team managed to extend Kelsay and Fitz but has not managed to extend Byrd and Levitre? If the Bills let either of these guys get away, its just another sign this team doesn't know what it is doing.

4. Speaking of Kelsay, didnt people who defended that contract say he will never see the last couple of years of it. Well we are in the last 2 years in 13 and 14, so I pray you are right and he's finally cut this year.

5. Where would the the Seahawk's offense be without Buddy Nix? A probowl runningback for a 4th and a 6th, the Bills and inept Jags selecting Graham and a punter right ahead of Russell Wilson and throw in a 7th for a QB they would of cut anyways.

6. If Fitz, Thigpen and Jackson are the answer, then the question has to be quarterbacks you will never see in the playoffs in the future.

 

 

I like the Marrone hiring. I like that we are getting younger, more foward thinking coaches. I just wish we turned the FO over to Whaley now. In 3 years Buddy has shown me enough evidence that he is not the man to select our QB of the future.

[I'm Spartacus]

I am hoping that this year's draft will be decided by "committe".

Marone and Whaley need to have a BIG say in final decisions - not just leave it up to southern hick SEC boy, Nix.

Aside from a few picks here & there, Nix has not been too impressive on draft day IMHO.

[Dr. Trooth]

1. Say whatever you want pro/con about Buddy Nix but the fact remains this team has not improved 1 game in 3 years.

2. How is Buddy different from past front offices? Under NIx we have used 3 of the 6 first and second round picks on runningbacks and corners

3. How has this team managed to extend Kelsay and Fitz but has not managed to extend Byrd and Levitre? If the Bills let either of these guys get away, its just another sign this team doesn't know what it is doing.

4. Speaking of Kelsay, didnt people who defended that contract say he will never see the last couple of years of it. Well we are in the last 2 years in 13 and 14, so I pray you are right and he's finally cut this year.

5. Where would the the Seahawk's offense be without Buddy Nix? A probowl runningback for a 4th and a 6th, the Bills and inept Jags selecting Graham and a punter right ahead of Russell Wilson and throw in a 7th for a QB they would of cut anyways.

6. If Fitz, Thigpen and Jackson are the answer, then the question has to be quarterbacks you will never see in the playoffs in the future.

 

 

I like the Marrone hiring. I like that we are getting younger, more foward thinking coaches. I just wish we turned the FO over to Whaley now. In 3 years Buddy has shown me enough evidence that he is not the man to select our QB of the future.

 

1) Buddy ain't gonna be here next year.... maybe even right after the draft he's gone.

2) see #1

3) You don't know until about 2 months from now if they will be re-signed.

4) Bills won't save any salary cap $ by cutting Kelsay. In 2010, what were Buddy's options?... Remember... Schoebel was on the fence (and eventually retired).

5) Biggest game of Lynch's career, 16 carries, 46 yds., and 1 fumble. He aint Jereome Bettis. Lynch lost his job & had to be moved. The two picks turned out to be Brooks & Asper. (Buddy took the day off after the 4th round).

6) What was the question? Fitz?, yeah, that was way stupid. Worst case, let the season play out and franchise or transition him if he playes well. As it turned out, he sucked and Buddy would have had to draft a QB and who knows where Fitz would have ended up

[JPS]

I can't fight the Kool Aid wave again. Instead I'll just agree. I wish the Bills actually made FO changes instead of throwing a marketing smoke bomb and announcing "We're different (don't let the same faces fool you)".

[thebandit27]

I can't fight the Kool Aid wave again. Instead I'll just agree. I wish the Bills actually made FO changes instead of throwing a marketing smoke bomb and announcing "We're different (don't let the same faces fool you)".

 

It probably wouldn't be so difficult for you if you didn't take the "us versus them"/"enlightened versus kool-aid-drinkers" mentality about it....

 

Just sayin'

[Captain Hindsight]

The talent level is totally different than when he got here. The mere fact we kept guys like Stevie and Fitz and Fred (kept our own draft picks) and showed were willing to spend (Mario) makes this job far more attractive than it was 3 years ago. He missed on Gailey, but it sounds like we didnt have many options.

[billsfan714]

1) Buddy ain't gonna be here next year.... maybe even right after the draft he's gone.

2) see #1

3) You don't know until about 2 months from now if they will be re-signed.

4) Bills won't save any salary cap $ by cutting Kelsay. In 2010, what were Buddy's options?... Remember... Schoebel was on the fence (and eventually retired).

5) Biggest game of Lynch's career, 16 carries, 46 yds., and 1 fumble. He aint Jereome Bettis. Lynch lost his job & had to be moved. The two picks turned out to be Brooks & Asper. (Buddy took the day off after the 4th round).

6) What was the question? Fitz?, yeah, that was way stupid. Worst case, let the season play out and franchise or transition him if he playes well. As it turned out, he sucked and Buddy would have had to draft a QB and who knows where Fitz would have ended up

 

Thats kind of my point, if Buddy is on his way out, why let him pick our QB of the future if he isnt part of the future.

Marshawn has 59 carries in the post season for 311 yards, 5.27 ypc and 3 TDs. Since the trade Lynch has 3843 yards from scrimmage with 32TDs, CJ has 2973 for 15TDs.

Kelsay has a base salary of 3.73 million next year not including any bonuses, I would say there is money to be saved by cutting him.

What could the Bills do about Kelsay? How about not extending him in 2010 for 4 more years. In the first two seasons of this new contract, he has a total of 37 tackles and 7 sacks. Per season thats 18.5 total tackles and 3.5 sacks, or in other words thats Kyle Moore who this season had 24 total tackles and 3 sacks while making around the league minimum while Kelsay is averaging about 5 million a season.

Buddy has signed some of our own, but not the 2 guys coming up who are IMHO as important as anyone on this team. One is a rock on the line, who has played every game and the other is one of our few play makers on defense, yet both are UFA's next year.

[JPS]

It probably wouldn't be so difficult for you if you didn't take the "us versus them"/"enlightened versus kool-aid-drinkers" mentality about it....

 

Just sayin'

Even though I HATE the "Just Sayin" thing, you're probably right.

 

But the thing is...I AM enlightened...

[thebandit27]

Even though I HATE the "Just Sayin" thing, you're probably right.

 

But the thing is...I AM enlightened...

 

lol in that case, carry on

[CardinalScotts]

revamped the entire roster, much much much more talent the arrow is point up, 3 years ago - marginal talent was old arrow pointing way down

this is a bigger job than 3 years needed another year, although after the philosophy change im thrilled with their new approach

Nix is a great talent evaluator, but he's not a miracle worker-

[Speedy G]

It's obvious Buddy is done very soon... When is the question? Whaley will take over very soon, I'm thinkin after the draft. Buddy still has some strings attached so to speak..kind of there for support. I love the coaching changes, young, aggressive minded, hungry dudes that want to win! We all want forward thinking, not conservatism... That's why it's been 13 years... If all Buddy leaves us with(the baby), is getting Ralph out of the way so things can start getting done the right way, then thank you Buddy! There's no kool aid here, just optimism about the reigns being given to winning minded people from todays world, instead of some old relics from the netherworld that have one foot in the grave. All I'm sayin is that I'm hoping this reshuffled F/O, minus a few old wrinkled cards that have been replaced, or will soon be replaced by new ones, is finally free to let the necessary moves be made to bring us what we all crave..... A dominate winning team that is fun to watch.... A team that may one day bring us a championship.... Go Bills!!!

 

[BuffaninATL]

I am hoping that this year's draft will be decided by "committe".

Marone and Whaley need to have a BIG say in final decisions - not just leave it up to southern hick SEC boy, Nix.

Aside from a few picks here & there, Nix has not been too impressive on draft day IMHO.

 

feel free to criticize Nix for his record/performance, but your "southern hick" slam is a bit over the line. It makes you look petty, small, and provincial. And your critique of him as an "SEC boy" is illogical, since the SEC is the best conference in college football.

 

BTW, I say this completely removed from where I live - Atlanta. I was born and raised in BUFF, but I can spot class/demographic garbage a mile away.

[John from Riverside]

I doubt very much that the bills will allow another Brandon Flowers type draft

[PromoTheRobot]

Absolutely nothing has changed....

 

Except no more Ralph

We have most of our staff hired before some times even found a head coach

The staff is younger than ever

We didn't have coaches declining interviews, some even traveled to speak with us.

Our DC and other coaches actually walked out on the Jets to join us.

 

Other than that nothings changed.

 

PTR

Edited January 15, 2013 by PromoTheRobot

[brenty]

5. Who cares who we traded lynch too. Glad we got rid of him. I rather have C.j. Spiller and Jackson. Ya we got T.J. but let us see if russel wilson gets the sophmore blues. Every year you have a great QB that does something, but then after that, game over for their season. I will admit he was good after half the season. But I will wait till year 2 and 3 to say if T.J was a better choice or not. For year 1.. yes, russel was better.

[billsfan714]

revamped the entire roster, much much much more talent the arrow is point up, 3 years ago - marginal talent was old arrow pointing way down

this is a bigger job than 3 years needed another year, although after the philosophy change im thrilled with their new approach

Nix is a great talent evaluator, but he's not a miracle worker-

 

If asking for a team to improve a game or 2 in 3 years is asking for miracles, your standards aren't low, they're non-existent..

Edited January 15, 2013 by billsfan714

[Malazan]

Hey, I haven't seen this same exact thread before!

 

Why are you looking at me like I am lying?

[peteski]

1. Say whatever you want pro/con about Buddy Nix but the fact remains this team has not improved 1 game in 3 years.

2. How is Buddy different from past front offices? Under NIx we have used 3 of the 6 first and second round picks on runningbacks and corners

3. How has this team managed to extend Kelsay and Fitz but has not managed to extend Byrd and Levitre? If the Bills let either of these guys get away, its just another sign this team doesn't know what it is doing.

4. Speaking of Kelsay, didnt people who defended that contract say he will never see the last couple of years of it. Well we are in the last 2 years in 13 and 14, so I pray you are right and he's finally cut this year.

5. Where would the the Seahawk's offense be without Buddy Nix? A probowl runningback for a 4th and a 6th, the Bills and inept Jags selecting Graham and a punter right ahead of Russell Wilson and throw in a 7th for a QB they would of cut anyways.

6. If Fitz, Thigpen and Jackson are the answer, then the question has to be quarterbacks you will never see in the playoffs in the future.

 

 

I like the Marrone hiring. I like that we are getting younger, more foward thinking coaches. I just wish we turned the FO over to Whaley now. In 3 years Buddy has shown me enough evidence that he is not the man to select our QB of the future.

 

Can't argue with anything you said except for the rb,cb picks. Spiller is a game changer and Gilmore looks like he could be legit. It doesn't really matter who you pick as long as they turn into special players. Lets not talk about Aaron Williams tho...lol

[ganesh]

 

Buddy has signed some of our own, but not the 2 guys coming up who are IMHO as important as anyone on this team. One is a rock on the line, who has played every game and the other is one of our few play makers on defense, yet both are UFA's next year.

 

The choice of signing Levitre and Byrd may not be in the hands of Buddy but with Overdorf who does the cap. I am sure Buddy would want to re-sign both these outstanding players.

 

The signing of Kelsay was seen as keeping leadership. Something I never understood. The problem was that the poor leadership of Gailey let this team down.

[Shoutbox]

1) Buddy ain't gonna be here next year.... maybe even right after the draft he's gone.

2) see #1

3) You don't know until about 2 months from now if they will be re-signed.

4) Bills won't save any salary cap $ by cutting Kelsay. In 2010, what were Buddy's options?... Remember... Schoebel was on the fence (and eventually retired).

5) Biggest game of Lynch's career, 16 carries, 46 yds., and 1 fumble. He aint Jereome Bettis. Lynch lost his job & had to be moved. The two picks turned out to be Brooks & Asper. (Buddy took the day off after the 4th round).

6) What was the question? Fitz?, yeah, that was way stupid. Worst case, let the season play out and franchise or transition him if he playes well. As it turned out, he sucked and Buddy would have had to draft a QB and who knows where Fitz would have ended up

 

According to various salary cap resources on the internet, cutting Kelsay actually saves $4.175 million on this year's cap while only leaving $0.800 million of dead cap money.

 

I more or less completely agree with billsfan714 (the OP). About the only nice things I can manage to say about Buddy Nix as a GM:

 

1. He didn't completely screw up his 1st round draft picks.

2. He was able to convince an elite free agent like Mario Williams to come here.

3. He kept Stevie J from going to a more competent franchise.

4. He brought in some nice under-the-radar free agents on offense like David Nelson, Donald Jones, Craig Urbik, Erik Pears, Chad Rinehart, Colin Brown, Scott Chandler, and Lee Smith.

 

But the bottom line is that after three years, Dick Jauron's gold standard of 7-9 was never met and has now been replaced with Chan Failey's 6-10 franchise metric. The poor coaching staff selections, sticking with Fitz, the inability to create an identity on defense, and the terrible drafting beyond the first round (a few exceptions: Glenn, Carrington, and Searcy) are what should have already done Nix in.

 

But I will stay optimistic and assume Whaley takes over after the draft, Kelsay and Fitz will be cut, Byrd and Levitre will be re-signed, and a new glorious era in Buffalo Bills history already began a couple weeks ago. Hey, but that's just me: Marc Miller, eternal optimist.