jahnyc Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 The Bills did not make the playoffs last season. The Bills lost two solid starters (Williams and Jennings) and the team will be starting a second year qb with very little experience. I note these facts not to suggest that the sky is falling, but rather to question the efforts to improve the team this offseason. It appears that Teague may move to LT, Anderson and Edwards will fight to start at DT and there is talk that we will not be able to afford Clements after this season. These are not the moves a team makes when they were on the cusp of competing for a playoff spot the year before. I know that more moves will be made, which hopefully will include the trade of Henry, but we can't expect to fill all of our needs in the draft. We need a LT, center and better depth at almost every position. If we are not going to re-sign Clements, we will need a cb. We need some young players at safety that have potential (Vincent and Milloy are old), we need depth on the o-line behind our starters (who can step in and play) and we could use help at DT (Adams is getting old). The goal should not be to maintain the status quo and find inadequate patches for our losses, but to improve the roster from last year. JP will need help (particularly from the o-line), and I don't think the Bills have done enough for him or the team during this offseason (so far). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJPearl2 Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Not sure if you know but there is a SALARY CAP!! Further, we had the #2 Defense and #1 Special Teams. Get a clue! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fake-Fat Sunny Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Look. the off-season is not done by a long shot. In addition to drafting players we will see: 1. Several UDFAs signed who may well make the squad and even see significant playing time like Rashad Baker, Jabari Greer and Jason Peters did last year. 2. Additional FA signings after the June 1st cap cuts. 3. A player or two surprising in pre-season with their off-seaspn development. 4. Even a potential out of the blue late signing like the sudden opportunity which Lawyer Milloy gave the Bills. If one is worried about finding two replacement starters and some more depth I see no problem here. Complaints about inactivity this off-season given the Bills improvements under the partial implementation of the MM system which comes with any fisrt time HC sound like complaints that Tigher Woods will really prove he is good when he makes sure the Nike logo is horizontal rather than vertical when the ball hesitates before dropping into the hole on a long chip shot at the 16th hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jahnyc Posted April 13, 2005 Author Share Posted April 13, 2005 I don't think it makes any sense to compare the Bills to Tiger Woods. We all want to see the Bills play consistent playoff caliber football over an extended period of time and not return to cap hell, but I am not convinced that, at least as of today, the team is improved from last season. Are we so talented that this is not a problem? I am not sure. I think the real questions for the upcoming season are as follows: 1. Will JP upgrade the qb position this year? 2. If Gandy is our starting LT, can he handle the position and stay injury free? Is our o-line good enough? 3. Can Edwards and/or Anderson aqequately replace Williams? 4. Can the defense and special teams sustain their excellence? 5. Will another year with this coaching staff make a difference? 6. Do we have adequate depth since we have been relatively light in terms of injuries over the last number of years? 7. Are there players on the current roster who are ready to step-up significantly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ganesh Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I think the real questions for the upcoming season are as follows: 1. Will JP upgrade the qb position this year? 2. If Gandy is our starting LT, can he handle the position and stay injury free? Is our o-line good enough? 3. Can Edwards and/or Anderson aqequately replace Williams? 4. Can the defense and special teams sustain their excellence? 5. Will another year with this coaching staff make a difference? 6. Do we have adequate depth since we have been relatively light in terms of injuries over the last number of years? 7. Are there players on the current roster who are ready to step-up significantly? 303712[/snapback] 1. Hopefully. DB had a very average year...He was the 14th rated QB in a 16 team AFC. I think JP should be able to reach that level pretty quickly (especially considering that there are teams like Miami, Cleveland, Baltimore all have big ? marks at the QB position). 2. Gandy was hired to be a backup tackle. He is Price's replacement not Jennings. Jennings replacement should be either Trey Teague or Shelton or someone from the draft. 3. Anderson was taken in the 3rd round of the draft. You have to let you higher round draft players play the game before you can judge them. Remember Pat Williams was a undrafted player that the bills picked. And look at the Patriots....They get their drafted/undrafted players to play. 4. I feel coaching was a big part in how the Defense and ST shaped up last year. My problem with the coaching was that they did not show up for the big games (or did not have the D mentally prepared) against the Steelers, Ravens and New England. I hope they can go over the curve with a better offense to win games again teams with Winning record 5. I hope so. I am hoping the players will be more comfortable with the coaching system installed in year II. 6. Hopefully the draft will provide us the adequate depth that is ncessary at the RB, DL, OL and S positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndirish1978 Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 God I am SICK of people bitchin about us not making moves. We dont need to make huge moves. Go take a ritalin and grow some patience Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJPearl2 Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Exactly ND!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jahnyc Posted April 13, 2005 Author Share Posted April 13, 2005 No, I do not need meds, but yes, I am impatient. I have been a Bills fan for a long time. I want to see the team return to the playoffs and have a legitimate shot of making (and winning) the Super Bowl. The last five years have been tough, and I have clearly lost some of my patience. But I don't think there is anything wrong with expressing this frustration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 Gee, is it April already? Time to call the offseason a failure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndirish1978 Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 I dont mind frustration, I have my own, but the feelings of this topic are expressed even in OT posts. Donohoe is not making more huge moves until he thinks the time is right. No I dont think he's all knowing but he does have a better idea of how much money he can squeeze out of Williams restructuring blah blah in order to get more cap space. He also has the foresight unlike most posters to realize we have to re-sign-Milloy, Fletcher AND Clements next offseason. How about we save some cap space and at least TRY and retain a couple cornerstones of our #2 defense. But I mean if you prefer an overrated fat lineman to Flether or Milloy, be my guest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jahnyc Posted April 13, 2005 Author Share Posted April 13, 2005 No, I don't want an overrated fat lineman. I would like the Bills to re-sign Clements, Fletcher and Milloy. Are all of their contracts up after this year? But how are we trying to "save" cap space? We are right up against the current cap. Will things be better next year? I am not sure, but I agree with you that the strong preference would be to sign our own players. I also don't think we should restructure M. Williams if it means paying him his current level of compensation for an additional number of years. If the reference in your response to an overrated fat lineman was to M. Williams, then I agree with that as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d_wag Posted April 13, 2005 Share Posted April 13, 2005 He also has the foresight unlike most posters to realize we have to re-sign-Milloy, Fletcher AND Clements next offseason. How about we save some cap space and at least TRY and retain a couple cornerstones of our #2 defense. But I mean if you prefer an overrated fat lineman to Flether or Milloy, be my guest. 303907[/snapback] why don't you spend less time bitchin about people bitchin and more time checking your facts? fletcher and milloy are both signed through 2006...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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