What's the plan to fix the offense?

[enoff]

I am sure I missing something, because from all outward appearances it seems the front office is counting on drafting a number 2 receiver and a pass catching tight end and having both of them beat the odds by being effective right from the opening game. Relying on one rookie seems risky, depending on two seems unrealistic. How can hope to make the playoffs, if that is the plan.

 

 

 

I fully expect better play calling, improved QB play and a more effective ML, but all that won't amount to much if defenses only have to put 8 in the box and double team Lee to close down the offense. We were awful offensively last year not only because of bad play calling but also because we did not have enough good players. That has not changed.

[Beerball]

I am sure I missing something, because from all outward appearances it seems the front office is counting on drafting a number 2 receiver and a pass catching tight end and having both of them beat the odds by being effective right from the opening game. Relying on one rookie seems risky, depending on two seems unrealistic. How can hope to make the playoffs, if that is the plan.

I fully expect better play calling, improved QB play and a more effective ML, but all that won't amount to much if defenses only have to put 8 in the box and double team Lee to close down the offense. We were awful offensively last year not only because of bad play calling but also because we did not have enough good players. That has not changed.

Lynch & Edwards led us to success last season.

[JStranger76]

I'm quite optimistic we'll add "good players" on the offensive side of the ball. It will be on the defense to keep us in games for a while though until the many young skill position players learn and grow together. Hey, at least the Oline will have had some time together for once so that could help make things go a little more smooth. I'd like to add that Will James guy so offense and one more DE/DT can be the focus of this draft.

[Rubes]

Lynch & Edwards led us to success last season.

 

Define "success".

[Beerball]

Define "success".

s-a-r-c-a-s-m

 

I like the heck out of Lynch. Edwards is a wildcard.

[apuszczalowski]

Just adding a new OC will probably help the offence more then just adding new players. There really haven't been many quality guys on the offensive side of the ball in FA this year that could help the Bills. The WR's were mostly mediocre (removing Moss since he probably was never going to actually test the market) and the best TE available was someone who has not been healthy or close to his former self in a couple years. Those are really the only 2 areas the Bills needed to address this offseason with the offence, WR and TE, and then find a FB since they want to use one again, all the other positions are adequate for a playoff team, and they just need their QB to work out, and a co-ordinator that actually understands that the point to the game is to score as many points as possible, and that FG's should be a last resort for points, not the focus of the offence

[Got_Wood]

Patience fellas, the offseason is still young...

[BuckeyeBill]

Another year for the Offensive line to gell. Another year for TE and ML to learn and grow in the system. And an offensive coordinator who will use Lynch and our receivers better will immediately make our offense better. That doesn't even bring in the fact that it is a certainty we will have young rookie talent at our #2 receiver and hopefully Tight End.

[John from Riverside]

I commend the front office for not signing people just for the sake of doing it.....they didn't feel the widouts in free agency were better then what we have or better then what we can get in the draft.......

 

This offense actually looked decent when they had Schoumen in there (yeah he got hurt the first game he played I think) but I have full confidence that we are going to take both a WR and a TE high. This will open things up for Lynch (who is a fricken stud) underneath and I have confidence TE will take the next step this year because we are going to give him big targets which he needs.

 

There just wasn't a lot ot choose from on the offensive side of the ball in free agency

[ganesh]

Lynch & Edwards led us to success last season.

 

I would love us to run the ball better especially in critical series. We should be able to dominate the line of scrimmage. On 3rd and 1 or 4th and 2, the defense knows that we are going to run the ball and we should be able to make that 1 or 2 yards. That is what makes teams dominant. When a defense knows the play and yet is unable to stop causes mental breakdown on the defense. Last year in spite of Lynch having a terrific year, we were unable to move the chains on 3rd and shorts often. I hope we can change that this season.

[BillsVet]

Just adding a new OC will probably help the offence more then just adding new players. There really haven't been many quality guys on the offensive side of the ball in FA this year that could help the Bills. The WR's were mostly mediocre (removing Moss since he probably was never going to actually test the market) and the best TE available was someone who has not been healthy or close to his former self in a couple years. Those are really the only 2 areas the Bills needed to address this offseason with the offence, WR and TE, and then find a FB since they want to use one again, all the other positions are adequate for a playoff team, and they just need their QB to work out, and a co-ordinator that actually understands that the point to the game is to score as many points as possible, and that FG's should be a last resort for points, not the focus of the offence

 

It's a wing and a prayer that an OC who's never done the job after 12 years coaching in the NFL will get this team to being average offensively. The question might be: will DJ let him do the things he wants to do? DJ HC'd teams have never been powers offensively, undoubtedly due to his reliance on making each side of the ball support the other so much. We've seen it time and again how the offense (both in 06 and 07) cannot score, forcing the defense to remain on the field and subsequently yield in the second half.

 

Buffalo will, in all probability now, draft a WR and TE in the first three rounds. However, don't discount the DJ notion of drafting defense early and often. In the past two seasons, the Bills have selected 3 defensive players out of four picks in rounds 1 and 2. It should change, but with DJ having as much say as he does, it may not. Either way, we're again hoping that current players dramatically improve, because the scheme should work, and the players should get better. This very concept was echoed last season, particularly on defense. It didn't work then, and outside of getting a rookie WR to catch 60 balls, it won't happen this year either. There aren't enough options offensively to diversify the scheme like Schonert wants to.

[Mikie2times]

DJ HC'd teams have never been powers offensively, undoubtedly due to his reliance on making each side of the ball support the other so much.

Each year he's coached he's had substantially more defensive talent then offensive talent. While many view him as a conservative coach he may just be a coach devising the best formula to win and cover up his teams shortcomings. You can't say this for sure, but you can't say it's not true either. He needs a team with more offensive talent to really tell why his teams play the way they do.

[Buffal0 Bill5]

It is early in the off-season. I pointed out in another thread, and will do so here as well, the TE and WR don't produce early in their careers thing is a little bit of a fallacy. Will they put up huge numbers? Probably not. Could they put up better numbers than what we saw last year? Most likely. Most of the Bills best receivers, with the exception of James Lofton have come to Buffalo through the draft. I am all for seeing the playoff drought end, but not at the expense of good long term planning.

 

I still believe that you will see some veteran players supplanted by younger players as teams cut down their rosters. If we draft a good wide receiver for the long term, we may find a veteran released by another team that can give us a decent year while the new guy learns. Probably nobody useful at TE will come that way, but we could expect to see some receivers that end up being cap-casualties. A trade is still a possibility. I am just not seeing good value for the dollar at WR or TE, Bryant Johnson included.

[BillsVet]

Each year he's coached he's had substantially more defensive talent then offensive talent. While many view him as a conservative coach he may just be a coach devising the best formula to win and cover up his teams shortcomings. You can't say this for sure, but you can't say it's not true either. He needs a team with more offensive talent to really tell why his teams play the way they do.

 

I've got no problem with how DJ wins games, but the record shows Jauron's team's haven't been on the winning side nearly enough as a HC. In 7 NFL seasons (career record of 50-67) he's improved little, if any at all. He's never even demonstrated the ability to pick a QB and go with that guy alone. I hope it's not musical chairs this season if Edwards struggles.

 

I don't really don't agree with the defensive talent thing either. Since arriving in Buffalo, the front office has jettisoned Clements, Fletcher, and a wounded and overpaid Spikes. Meanwhile, they've used rookies to fill their places. If anything, the Bills had less defensive talent in 2007 than 2006. Hopefully the young players improve, but banking on rookies to provide the margin for winning is dangerous.

 

One other thing about DJ: Only 10 coaches in NFL History have a worse winning percentage with at least 100 games coached. They are: Marion Campbell, Bart Starr, Bruce Coslet, John McKay, Dan Henning, Ray Perkins, Dom Capers, Norm Van Brocklin, Joe Kuharich, and Leeman Bennett. Hardly the company of coaching greats.

 

NFL Coaches Winning Percentage

[keepthefaith]

I am sure I missing something, because from all outward appearances it seems the front office is counting on drafting a number 2 receiver and a pass catching tight end and having both of them beat the odds by being effective right from the opening game. Relying on one rookie seems risky, depending on two seems unrealistic. How can hope to make the playoffs, if that is the plan.

I fully expect better play calling, improved QB play and a more effective ML, but all that won't amount to much if defenses only have to put 8 in the box and double team Lee to close down the offense. We were awful offensively last year not only because of bad play calling but also because we did not have enough good players. That has not changed.

 

There is no plan to fix the offense. Dick Jauron does not like offense. He has said it many times. It's hard to win in the NFL. You hope to keep the game close until the end and win by not making mistakes. Same crap he spewed in Chicago. That looks like a good 6-9 win strategy. When Jauron is replaced, there might be a plan to fix the offense.

[The Rev.Mattb74 ESQ.]

It is early in the off-season. I pointed out in another thread,

You mean that other similiar posts to this one. Quick someone better start a thread about trading down, or a mock draft quick before those ideas are taken.

[ax4782]

We don't need the new WR and TE we are likely to draft in the first and second round to come in and post Randy Moss or Kellen Winslow type numbers. What we need them to do is be good enough to force defenses to respect them and take some pressure of Evans. Look, if the new #2 receiver can make some solid strides, say 45 or 50 catches, not great, but respectable, and the new TE gets 25 to 30 catches to stretch the middle of the field, over the course of the season, that will allow Evans to get more man coverage and excel. Also, that will allow Reed and Parrish to get more looks and spread defenses out. That allows our well above average O-Line to open holes for Lynch, who will likely be a new threat in the passing game.

 

I expect that the Bills offense will be much improved even with just a few additions in the draft. The D should be much better and expect our above average secondary to look a hell of a lot better with an improved pass rush on the outside thanks to Stroud and McCargo drawing double teams in the middle. A little optimism is warranted. The offseason is going well. Let's see the team in action before we doom them to failure.

[BuffaloBilliever]

I am sure I missing something, because from all outward appearances it seems the front office is counting on drafting a number 2 receiver and a pass catching tight end and having both of them beat the odds by being effective right from the opening game. Relying on one rookie seems risky, depending on two seems unrealistic. How can hope to make the playoffs, if that is the plan.

I fully expect better play calling, improved QB play and a more effective ML, but all that won't amount to much if defenses only have to put 8 in the box and double team Lee to close down the offense. We were awful offensively last year not only because of bad play calling but also because we did not have enough good players. That has not changed.

 

... I'm sorry, I would've taken this seriously if you hadn't said "More effective ML"

 

My guess is you meant Marshawn Lynch, and if you think he NEEDS to be more effective? You must not've watched many Bills games last year.

 

I'm sorry, you can take a shot at any player on the team, but to say that Marshawn wasn't effective is just pure stupidity...

 

gah... I read it all, some is true, but that statement ruined all credibilty.

 

Marshawn WAS the offense, to ask more of him is unrealistic. He can do better, he can pull of Adrian numbers, but to ask more is like asking a sweat shop worker to work more overtime than they already do.

[Steely Dan]

I am sure I missing something, because from all outward appearances it seems the front office is counting on drafting a number 2 receiver and a pass catching tight end and having both of them beat the odds by being effective right from the opening game. Relying on one rookie seems risky, depending on two seems unrealistic. How can hope to make the playoffs, if that is the plan.

I fully expect better play calling, improved QB play and a more effective ML, but all that won't amount to much if defenses only have to put 8 in the box and double team Lee to close down the offense. We were awful offensively last year not only because of bad play calling but also because we did not have enough good players. That has not changed.

 

The front office is building a team to win by making a very strong defense. D wins championships and O sells tickets. There is nothing this offseason I can think of that Buffalo could have done better when contract terms of potential players are figured in too.

 

IMO, the only thing on offense Buffalo needs is a big receiver or two. TE's that block are a lot more important than TE's that catch. It seems that most of the teams that have great TE's don't have great WR corps. A great WR corp is better than having a great pass catching TE.

 

 

I commend the front office for not signing people just for the sake of doing it.....they didn't feel the widouts in free agency were better then what we have or better then what we can get in the draft.......

 

This offense actually looked decent when they had Schoumen in there (yeah he got hurt the first game he played I think) but I have full confidence that we are going to take both a WR and a TE high. This will open things up for Lynch (who is a fricken stud) underneath and I have confidence TE will take the next step this year because we are going to give him big targets which he needs.

 

There just wasn't a lot ot choose from on the offensive side of the ball in free agency

 

 

 

I don't know what people think they should do on offense.

 

QB not a need other than a backup. They have a rookie that they have to run with in times of feast or famine. No other choice here in FA and even if there was they would cost too much and a team has to develop a QB by letting him play.

 

RB If anyone thinks this needs anything go back and watch the Bills games last year.

 

OL Backup players are all that's necessary here.

 

TE Not as important as the upgrades made on the defense in FA and could be made on defense through the draft. IMO, a great pass catching TE isn't that necessary. There weren't any TE's that were worth it on FA. They are all guys banged up or on the downside of their careers.

 

WR This is the biggest need and there weren't any WR's worth what they were asking that were a significant upgrade for Buffalo. The Bills should be able to get a great guy in the draft, hopefully Limas Sweed.

 

What else should they have done? I can't think of anything in FA that would have greatly upgraded the offense.

[Buffal0 Bill5]

You mean that other similiar posts to this one. Quick someone better start a thread about trading down, or a mock draft quick before those ideas are taken.

I'm not certain what the point was here. Did you object to my post in a specific way. I did not lead out with I have a breaking news flash. I did not start a new thread of my own to propogate a wild new idea, I simply added a thought. I will postpone my criticism of the front office and their "failure" to fix the offense, until the offseason is over. Passing on Bryant Johnson, Bubba Franks, Ben Troupe, etc. seems like good management to me. Yes the offense needs help, and it will be extremely diheartening if nothing is done going into the season. We are a long way off, so a few of us need to come in off the ledge and watch the rest of the plan unfold. Thank you for your insightful response to my post.