NFL Live just murdered the Bills offseason moves

[Oneonta Buffalo Fan]

I was really wanting to wait and see what the draft brings us before I said this but....

 

I am saying right here right now.....THE BILLS WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR. It might be a one and done in a wildcard.....but we ARE going to make it.

 

Why on earth would I make such a claim

 

- Despite the fact that we couldn't stop the run to save our lives

- Despite the fact that the team got off to a HORRIBLE start...they weren't even supposed to be in contention after that horrible spot....but they clawed back into it and at the end of the year the bills were still mentioned as a possible wildcard

- Despite the fact that we couldn't control the game with the run with our horrible run blocking line even though we had the great WM and his wonderful yard per carry average

 

WE WERE STILL IN IT

 

TWO GAMES....there were two games that we lost that we should have won....those were the difference in us getting a wildcard.

 

What are the improvements over last year?

 

- Better team chemistry?

- Better run blocking line?

- How many rookies did we play last year that will now have a year under their belt? How many players in their first year of the offense and defense?

 

This team WILL make the playoffs.....it is being forged into the Marv Levy mold.....character TEAM players who wont fold when the going gets rough

 

Book it.....you heard it hear first.

I think they will too, but they got a huge uphill battle to come. I didn't expect out division to become so strong so quickly.

[PNW_Bills_Fan]

What makes sense is we are getting younger and more talent. It is hard to keep the talent you have and build your team. I agree with what ML and DJ are doing. We are one or two more years away from being favored to win anything, but we are not trying to win now with old players, we are trying to win now with talented young players.

 

WM a cancer to our team

 

Nate: a great CB that performed well half the season

 

London: Good middle linebacker, but getting old

 

Let's see how this off season progresses before we start predicting what we are going to do next year. The sports casters need something to talk about. They can rip on the Bills all they want, but until we see what the final product is for our team, they cannot make an educated sports cast.

[BoondckCL]

A good RB--how about average. An average MLB and a very good CB. If you lose the 20th or so ranked RB it will not matter. Adam Schein on his Sirius NFL show said exactly that today. They were actually very complimentary of the Bills and said it was a good move and A-Train will get you 990 yards, so you do NOT lose a thing with losing Willis.

 

990 yards. Takeaway the Jets games and what do you have? a back that averages 60 yards a game. I think the Billsmade a tremendous move by dumping McGahee to the highest bidder. Case Closed!

 

As for ESPN, Sean Salisbury, John Clayton, and any other their douche bag reporters...enough said.

[Acantha]

No - We have wasted 9 years with retards running things. We have one year under Marv&DJ that clearly demonstrates improvement. This is another year, and I don't see any reason, based on last year, to be thinking things won't continue to improve.

 

Here's a dose of REALITY for ya:

 

We are 38-58(from 2001) with Clements, Fletcher, McGahee,(hate to do it but Spikes too) all starting on this team. Those are the results of our "playmakers". Hmm what's that about the definition of insanity again? Oh yeah, that's right: doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Clearly it's time get some real playmakers in here and cut/trade/ignore the FA of these posers - who are, and always have been, the real reason we were getting told "we are 2 years away".

For starters, you can check my post history and see that I fully support Marv and DJ and think that this team is finally in good hands and on the right track.

I don't agree with your argument about Fletcher, Clements, and McGahee, but I also think that letting them go was the right thing to do. Clements got way more than he deserved, Fletcher, while I loved him, didn't fit the system, and I wanted McGahee gone no matter what the price.

 

My response to LSI was said mostly tongue in cheek, but I really am sick of hearing that we are just two years away. We need to start competing now! I really hope Marv and company keep playing in FA and can bring in a player or two to fill our gaping holes.

[PNW_Bills_Fan]

IMO I think they will address more of their needs in FA after the draft

[OCinBuffalo]

I love this type of reasoning. Why not just cut the entire team as none of them have produced a winning record during their tenure with the Bills.

Um, that was not my reasoning at all. And, in effect, that is what is happening over the last two years. Think about the guys that have been cut/released/traded/ingored. Also, think about the "stars" amongst this group. Are you gonna start crying over Posey? How about Sam Adams? Milloy? Deadslow? Vincent? If you think about it, we basically did "cut the entire team" over the last 2 years.

Evans? His overall record with the Bills is a losing one. Same with JP, Peters, Schobel, etc.

These guys are the new guys - I'm taking about the old "veteran playmakers" who are supposed to be the "reason" we win.

Perhaps it's not Clements that was the problem. Perhaps it was (gasp) some of the other parts of the team?

Again, you can't be a "playmaker" and go 38-58. It's one or the other=you can have a bad year, but you can't have 6 bad years. If you are a good player on a bad team, fine, you might be a good player. You are not a GREAT player - who simply cannot be parted with because he elevates the players around him(Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter). Fletcher had 5 years to be a GREAT player, I didn't see it - did you? Of course not. So why are we crying about losing a 32-year-old good player, when we can replace him with a 22-year-old good player in the draft? Moreover, if Nate is such a GREAT player? Why are you talking about the rest of the team? If GREAT players make others good, then other players being bad should not affect them, unless they aren't actually GREAT - merely good. If they are merely good - again the draft.

It's great that the Bills went out and addressed the OL but doing that and not retaining their good players doesn't make the off season a successful one. It just creates more holes to fill...which will make the perpetual rebuilding process that much longer.

What's a bigger hole - a guy like Clements who suddenly turns it on the last 5 games of his 6-year relationship with a team, and not much to lose due to FA? Or getting rid of that guy and putting a rookie/young player there who has everything to play for and everything to lose? Nate had a whopping 4 INTs last year - do you need me to list the people who had more? How's about we talk London Fletcher's tackle for loss stats? Or are you done?

[generaLee83]

I believe many of the fans on this board have too high of an expectaction for the Bills next season and also believe this off-season has been more productive than it truly has been. Let me just recap: The Bills lost one of the best DB's in the league, a decent MLB, and a good RB. In return we have signed one good offensive lineman, and an offensive lineman that Raiders fans have called a "turnstile." Therefore I must pardon the media for believing that we have had a sub-par off-season.

 

 

Been waiting to see your initial reaction to the offseason moves Daq, I feel the same way.

 

My view is that the Bills have lost more than they've gained by far. At absolute best the general direction could be characterized as 'lateral' but one would have to drink 100,000,000 gallons of Marvs kool-aid to even believe that.

 

What concerns me the most is that the defense now has no "leader" or however it needs to be said. To sign Langston Walker to the same deal that L-FB was given in Washington spoke volumes to me. L-FB should have been kept around if for nothing other than his locker room presence. The front office took a potential huge bust over a player that was going to guarantee some solid leadership for a team that grows younger every year.

 

I hope the draft goes very very well because otherwise I have very little confidence in an 8 win season next year.

[John Adams]

Bills almost universally got an "F" for last year's day 1 draft. Now people think the Bills had a good draft. Meh.

 

If Walker doesn't work out, he's a 1 year bust--NFL doesn't have guaranteed contracts so who cares? That's the possible bad move this off-season. The rest seem fine. Most people don't realize how unproductive WM was here; they believe the hype (by Willis) and the storyline (Comes back frmo a knee injury) and think of him like he played in 2005 (never repeated).

[dib]

It isn't slander if it's true

[patamunzo]

They said because of signing Dockery and losing Clements, Fletcher, and McGahee, (all 3 guys we weren't going to pay for the price they were asking) we made the worst offseason moves. They just called the Bills, indirectly, the one worst teams heading into this season.

 

In the meantime, Baltimore without Jamal Lewis (2,000+ yds in his golden year is a better resume than McGahee's) and without Adalius Thomas and without other more or less important pieces of their O are a contender, of course.

 

Obviously if you are a journalist and you want to show some balls, you must criticise. And the easy way to do it is to go against the Bills, or similar "small market" teams.

 

I'm still waiting for some journalist to say that the Patriots and allmighty BB did a stupid thing releasing all their quality WR, or paying a draft pick (if I remember well) for a WR then released. Someone even considered the late-season acquisition of Vinnie Testaverde a great move! Or some of them take responsibility for what they said in the last offseason about the Dolphins as 2006 contenders...

[zonabb]

Let's remember, anytime someone goes against conventional wisdom, they're scoffed at by those who fail to understand.

 

And secondly, reporters, columnists and other so-called experts (can you be an expert in something you;ve never actually worked on?!!!) are basically playing fantasy football with fantasy dollars and making decisions based just on football and not on economics or other organization efforts.

 

So, it's ease to blast away at decisions that you don't underestand. These people are no more qualifed to make decisions about the Bills moves than they are about what Coca-Cola does.

 

Everyone laughed at Darcy Regier for loading his team with fast, skilled players. Who's laughing now.

[stinky finger]

Um, that was not my reasoning at all. And, in effect, that is what is happening over the last two years. Think about the guys that have been cut/released/traded/ingored. Also, think about the "stars" amongst this group. Are you gonna start crying over Posey? How about Sam Adams? Milloy? Deadslow? Vincent? If you think about it, we basically did "cut the entire team" over the last 2 years.

 

These guys are the new guys - I'm taking about the old "veteran playmakers" who are supposed to be the "reason" we win.

 

Again, you can't be a "playmaker" and go 38-58. It's one or the other=you can have a bad year, but you can't have 6 bad years. If you are a good player on a bad team, fine, you might be a good player. You are not a GREAT player - who simply cannot be parted with because he elevates the players around him(Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter). Fletcher had 5 years to be a GREAT player, I didn't see it - did you? Of course not. So why are we crying about losing a 32-year-old good player, when we can replace him with a 22-year-old good player in the draft? Moreover, if Nate is such a GREAT player? Why are you talking about the rest of the team? If GREAT players make others good, then other players being bad should not affect them, unless they aren't actually GREAT - merely good. If they are merely good - again the draft.

 

What's a bigger hole - a guy like Clements who suddenly turns it on the last 5 games of his 6-year relationship with a team, and not much to lose due to FA? Or getting rid of that guy and putting a rookie/young player there who has everything to play for and everything to lose? Nate had a whopping 4 INTs last year - do you need me to list the people who had more? How's about we talk London Fletcher's tackle for loss stats? Or are you done?

OC checking in with some very good posts in this thread. I believe in most of what you have stated. Good job.

[tennesseeboy]

We addressed our area of biggest weakness, offensive line. I think we were resigned to not being able to afford Clements, as he was going to get overpaid. We might have kept Fletcher, but I think the coaches must be seeing a lot in Crowell. We have gotten our picks for McGahee, and keeping him MIGHT have paid off, but with attendant headaches, bad kharma and a possible holdout. I think another point is that many if not most teams have shot their wad, and we're holding plenty of money to sign people who are or will become available as teams struggle later in the spring to come to terms with cap problems. Its a little early to evaluate off season moves. Two minutes into the superbowl the Bears looked like they had a lock.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

!@#$ those !@#$ity !@#$s. Championships aren't won in March.

[5 Wide]

Eh, the Bills have been a group of mediocrity mixed with good individual players. Marv is building a team. A team is a group of guys you would take to war with you. I don't think Clements or McGahee would be two guys you'd feel good about being in your foxhole when the moment of truth came. Fletcher was, but he was getting low on gas for the price. I like how the team is being built.

[Mike formerly from Florida]

They said because of signing Dockery and losing Clements, Fletcher, and McGahee, (all 3 guys we weren't going to pay for the price they were asking) we made the worst offseason moves. They just called the Bills, indirectly, the one worst teams heading into this season.

 

Not much better here

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10057091

 

RIDICULOUS! We aren't THAT bad.

 

I can't wait until the day were back in the playoffs. IT WILL BE THIS YEAR!

 

BLAH BLAH BLAH!

[VRWC]

The Bills had the hardest schedule last year (this coming year also) and played a lot of playoff teams including both SB teams. All said, they only got solidly whipped on one or two occations that I recall and were very competitive to say the least.

 

They will have an improved product on the field this year with a young, up and coming future. Marv and the staff have done a tremendous job purging this team of TD's over paid, under producing players. Another good draft like last year will have this team in the playoffs next season for sure and maybe this season. The AFC East is going to be very tough this year so expectations should be tempered. Look for steady progress from the players and coaches and we will become a very solid team for years to come.

 

The Bills had one of the youngest teams last year and losing, LF, NC, and WM we will even be younger. Marv and Juron are no dummies and they are building this team to be young, smart and fast but it will take more than two years to really see the progress on the field. The Bills will be in the dance by 2010.

 

GO BILLS AND KEEP THE FAITH

[Jack D. Ripper]

Smith is a Boston hack. NFL Live has shifted to B-list mode for the off-season. I've dropped it from my Tivo list.

[Gordio]

For starters, you can check my post history and see that I fully support Marv and DJ and think that this team is finally in good hands and on the right track.

I don't agree with your argument about Fletcher, Clements, and McGahee, but I also think that letting them go was the right thing to do. Clements got way more than he deserved, Fletcher, while I loved him, didn't fit the system, and I wanted McGahee gone no matter what the price.

 

My response to LSI was said mostly tongue in cheek, but I really am sick of hearing that we are just two years away. We need to start competing now! I really hope Marv and company keep playing in FA and can bring in a player or two to fill our gaping holes.

 

I think you will see them really competing this year. One thing noone is accounting for is that the younger players are going to get better. There is not going to be a learning curve for JP this year, the players will be more comfortable in the system. I think if the breaks go right & we have a decent draft, I think we are a 10 to 11 win team this year.

 

As far as the departures, I could care less if we loss Fletcher, I would of liked to kept Clements, but at that price, it was unrealistic, & as far as Willis goes, my eyes really started to open up on him @ the Indy game when it looked like Atrain was running better. He is an average back, it is no big loss. If by chance the bills could pick up Peterson or Lynch, you will see the difference between these 2 RBs compared to Willis.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I have a feeling we're not done upgrading our o-line. I bet Marv and co. draft an o-lineman in the first 3 rounds.

 

And everything else being equal, having a great o-line will mean better play from JP, our backs, and our offensive playmakers. It's going to be exciting to see this offense put up 28+ points a week. Hopefully we can make moves to our defense to be at least average on that side of the ball.