bills7834 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 The Bills are getting better IMO. Each off season post TD they have addressed the weaknesses of the previous year. While I was disappointed after last years FA and draft that we did not address the DT's weakness I still am confident in the front office. There were many holes to fill and many of them were. The FO will address the WR,TE,CB shortages as well as adding value picks at other areas that need depth. Will they make the playoffs this year? God, I hope so, but my guess is as good as anyone's. Has every move been perfect, no, but I am very confident that this team is improving each year. When I hear them talk about needs and areas that need improvement I realize they are on the right track. Under TD the draft was a complete crapshoot and the glaring weaknesses were ignored or addressed with free agents that were out of football for a year. I am fairly excited about the FA moves this offseason. I am like all of us on this board very anxious to see how the draft works out. If everything works out we will have a great and I mean a team that goes deep into the playoffs next year. Lets hope for a reversal of luck on the injury front for this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 They can only go with whats available, and try to over pay as seldom as possible. If what they need isn't available, they just have to wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamOnDan Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 They can only go with whats available, and try to over pay as seldom as possible. If what they need isn't available, they just have to wait. I couldn't say it better. I'll add, "Get guys that fit what you want to do" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 They can only go with whats available, and try to over pay as seldom as possible. If what they need isn't available, they just have to wait. For the most part true, except when it comes to developing a young QB. When you have one you like, you need to focus on making sure that guy has protection and targets immediately. There wasn't a great WR or TE available in FA but they should have over spent to get at least one of the many decent big targets available. If Edwards falls flat on his face this year it's back to the drawing board for the whole organization and being $30M under the cap again isn't going to be any consolation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 For the most part true, except when it comes to developing a young QB. When you have one you like, you need to focus on making sure that guy has protection and targets immediately. There wasn't a great WR or TE available in FA but they should have over spent to get at least one of the many decent big targets available. If Edwards falls flat on his face this year it's back to the drawing board for the whole organization and being $30M under the cap again isn't going to be any consolation. Why not? Its better to get saddled with a contract of a mediocre player that will prevent you from signing good players? Either way, you don't improve your team. Waiting for a guy thats worth the $$$$ is the smart move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwight Drane Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 The Bills are getting better IMO. Each off season post TD they have addressed the weaknesses of the previous year. While I was disappointed after last years FA and draft that we did not address the DT's weakness I still am confident in the front office. There were many holes to fill and many of them were. The FO will address the WR,TE,CB shortages as well as adding value picks at other areas that need depth. Will they make the playoffs this year? God, I hope so, but my guess is as good as anyone's. Has every move been perfect, no, but I am very confident that this team is improving each year. When I hear them talk about needs and areas that need improvement I realize they are on the right track. Under TD the draft was a complete crapshoot and the glaring weaknesses were ignored or addressed with free agents that were out of football for a year. I am fairly excited about the FA moves this offseason. I am like all of us on this board very anxious to see how the draft works out. If everything works out we will have a great and I mean a team that goes deep into the playoffs next year. Lets hope for a reversal of luck on the injury front for this season. You say it as well as anyone I have seen. 2 years ago, 70 % of the threads on this board weren't "Let's Draft This Guy!", simply because we needed so much help that it didn't matter who we drafted because it was going to be a position of need except for Punter. Last year we had more specific needs, but still didn't have any depth. A blessing in disguise was that there were so many injuries, as we have seen Trent Edwards look good enough to trust running the show, and guys like DiGeorgio, Greer, Scott, Wilson, and Freddy Jackson prove they are NFL players and we can rely on them to spell starters, or take over in case of a future problem. This year we had specific needs. A big WR, TE help and a redzone target, a true starting DT, an upgrade at OLB, and a CB that can be a nickle at worst and develop into a #1 at best. Well, after FA we really only need that big WR, a starting TE, and another nice CB. We signed Anderson as a redzone TE, and added a veteran CB in case we can't find our CB in the draft....but it is quite possible that we fill our only true needs #1-2-3 in the draft. There are also going to be veteran cuts in July/August that can be patchwork if we don't hit big in the draft. Marv Levy took over what was left of our troops that had been ambushed, has fortified the platoon and drawn up a plan, and after the Draft and training camp, we are going to roll out a polished War Machine. I am so confident in what these guys have done the past 2 years and the quality people we have on the team, that I am adding extra season tickets expecting more people will want to be at the stadium and I shouldn't have problems selling extras. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ax4782 Posted March 22, 2008 Share Posted March 22, 2008 For the most part true, except when it comes to developing a young QB. When you have one you like, you need to focus on making sure that guy has protection and targets immediately. There wasn't a great WR or TE available in FA but they should have over spent to get at least one of the many decent big targets available. If Edwards falls flat on his face this year it's back to the drawing board for the whole organization and being $30M under the cap again isn't going to be any consolation. Your first statement is correct. You have to find a young QB and commit to developing him. I think the Bills have done that with Trent. Last offseason, the Bills realized that the O-Line was horrendous and spent 75 million in total contracts to bring in some big name free agents. They did their job and protected Trent. They also resigned Reed and brought Price in to help in the WR department. The problem was Price got hurt and was done for the season and the Bills didn't have much success with Reed at the #2. WR was a big problem. This offseason they had a need for a solid WR, but also had to fix the DT position and add a solid OLB. Buffalo saw to the defensive problems first, addressing each of the need positions with star talent. First, they signed Mitchell at OLB, who is a solid upgrade from Ellison, who can now be a very solid backup. Then they added Stroud and Johnson. That helps not only the DT position, but the DEs as well. Then they resigned Scott and added Williams James at CB. That left WR. Bryant Johnson was not going to sign more than a one year deal. Buffalo knew that if they signed him and he played well they were going to have to offer him huge money to stay next year, which would prevent them from signing LE to a long term deal. Would you have wanted Bryant Johnson as your #1 receiver next year? I don't think so. Buffalo was very smart not to do a one year deal. The end result was the same. You are going to have to address the position next year if you sign him, whether he pans out or not. If he does, you have to pay him or LE, but you won't be able to afford both, or he gets cut as a failure and you are back on the market. NOT overpaying at WR in FA was the best thing the Bills could have done. They can draft two WRs in the draft and solidify the position and provide Trent some targets and still have enough money left to work out a deal to keep LE in Buffalo, which will be a key to moving this team back into the elite in the AFC. Buffalo will get targets for Trent this year in the draft and I believe they will be able to contribute not only this year, but next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obie_wan Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 Why not? Its better to get saddled with a contract of a mediocre player that will prevent you from signing good players? Either way, you don't improve your team. Waiting for a guy thats worth the $$$$ is the smart move. Paying $2 mil for 1 year to Bryant Johnson is not exactly breaking the bank - and would have been the smart move to provide a big, veteran in 2008. The Bills would not be forced to draft a rookie WR too early and any rookie drafted in 2008 would play when ready Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steely Dan Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 The Levy/Polian draft strategy is really easy to understand and I don't get why more teams don't figure this out. 1. Is the player of high character on and off the field? 2. Is the player self-motivated? 3. Is the player smart? Smart players get better just about all of the time. Those three things seem to be the only secret needed IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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