Buffalo Bills 2013

[nfreeman]

I was skeptical of the hiring of Doug Whaley and Doug Marrone at first. From listening to various interviews over the summer I am interested to see where this leads to. I've been more interested in the Bills this summer than I have been in some time. There's a refreshing newness to the Bills. I have a feeling things will definitely be different.

 

I hope you're right but both the president and the GM have been on the team for the past few years during which the Mickey Mouse nature of this franchise has continued unabated. The latest new regime has started off by failing to get Byrd signed, which is a very familiar story with this team.

 

I'm not optimistic.

[TrueBlueGED]

I guess good for them. I'm scared sh**less they are going to be disgusting for awhile, but the youth infusion seems to work for the fans. Eish....Buffalo needs a spelling bee champ or something to tide us all over.

.

 

They've been disgusting for 15 years. What's a few more if the end game is better? Not saying it will be, but I see upside for the first time in several regimes.

[deluca67]

I hope you're right but both the president and the GM have been on the team for the past few years during which the Mickey Mouse nature of this franchise has continued unabated. The latest new regime has started off by failing to get Byrd signed, which is a very familiar story with this team.

 

I'm not optimistic.

I would be more concerned if the Bills were willing to overpay for Bryd.

[inkman]

I would be more concerned if the Bills were willing to overpay for Bryd.

I don't care what they pay Byrd, I'm just not sure it's worth keeping a high paid safety on a team that's going to be terrible.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

.

 

They've been disgusting for 15 years. What's a few more if the end game is better? Not saying it will be, but I see upside for the first time in several regimes.

Nix and Gailey were believers in building a base with good football IQ, even if the talent wasn't elite. This group seems to feel they can go young and athletic, and coach them up. Considering the same staff was .500 in a mediocre college conference, not so sure what they can do with essentially a college team in the pros. When you add up the names, Fitz, Barnett, Wilson, Kelsay, Levitre and Nelson are a lot of football IQ which is gone now and replaced by Manuel, Alonso, A. WIlliams, Covington, Brown?, and Graham and Woods. More athletic at this point in time, but it can make for a cluster-f of even greater proportions if this coach isn't top notch. I want to like Marrone, but so far it seems like a lot of Stewart Smiley's positive thoughts of the day.

[shrader]

Nix and Gailey were believers in building a base with good football IQ, even if the talent wasn't elite. This group seems to feel they can go young and athletic, and coach them up. Considering the same staff was .500 in a mediocre college conference, not so sure what they can do with essentially a college team in the pros. When you add up the names, Fitz, Barnett, Wilson, Kelsay, Levitre and Nelson are a lot of football IQ which is gone now and replaced by Manuel, Alonso, A. WIlliams, Covington, Brown?, and Graham and Woods. More athletic at this point in time, but it can make for a cluster-f of even greater proportions if this coach isn't top notch. I want to like Marrone, but so far it seems like a lot of Stewart Smiley's positive thoughts of the day.

 

How much of it is the same staff? I didn't pay too much attention to the hirings, so pretty much all I'm aware of is that the DC wasn't a part of that Syracuse group.

[nfreeman]

I would be more concerned if the Bills were willing to overpay for Bryd.

 

It's just a continuation of a trend in which the Bills continually let their best players walk in FA and then have to use draft picks to replace them. Byrd isn't Ronnie Lott but he's a good player and a ballhawk on a team that has historically lacked that factor and in an era in which turnovers are critical. They will unquestionably be a worse team without him.

[That Aud Smell]

Right - Pettine wasn't part of the SU contingent. But a large portion of the new coaching staff came from Marrone's group at SU. I think Ghost's diagnosis of what's going on, and what used to go on, is fairly accurate.

 

I have no idea what sort of talent Marrone had managed to recruit when he did what he did at SU. We'll see what he and his staff can do with a stable of elite young talent. (I'm not saying that the team has assembled a roster of elite young talent; I'm saying that Marrone certainly didn't have this sort of talent when he was at SU.)

 

I have a very strong feeling that this team could be quite terrible. But in today's NFL, that could mean another 6-10 record. :wallbash:

[That Aud Smell]

It's just a continuation of a trend in which the Bills continually let their best players walk in FA and then have to use draft picks to replace them. Byrd isn't Ronnie Lott but he's a good player and a ballhawk on a team that has historically lacked that factor and in an era in which turnovers are critical. They will unquestionably be a worse team without him.

 

They're worse without him, no doubt. But it's valid for Whaley and Brandon to take the position that they don't want to commit overly big money and a too long term to that position. That's no slight against Bird; the team may just take the view that FS isn't a position worth over-paying for.

 

Which calls to mind: Where are the Bills with their spending? I'm sure they're not bumping up against the cap.

[TrueBlueGED]

 

Nix and Gailey were believers in building a base with good football IQ, even if the talent wasn't elite. This group seems to feel they can go young and athletic, and coach them up. Considering the same staff was .500 in a mediocre college conference, not so sure what they can do with essentially a college team in the pros. When you add up the names, Fitz, Barnett, Wilson, Kelsay, Levitre and Nelson are a lot of football IQ which is gone now and replaced by Manuel, Alonso, A. WIlliams, Covington, Brown?, and Graham and Woods. More athletic at this point in time, but it can make for a cluster-f of even greater proportions if this coach isn't top notch. I want to like Marrone, but so far it seems like a lot of Stewart Smiley's positive thoughts of the day.

 

Getting Syracuse to 500 from where they were as a program is a modern miracle. I have a couple of friends who went to Syracuse and they were crushed to lose Marrone. And I never said they'd be good this year, there's still some huge holes on the roster. But you can't hitch your wagon to a bunch of players with average or worse talent, that give your team a ceiling of mediocrity regardless of football intelligence. The new approach may well fail miserably, but at least there's a chance for something better than the treadmill of mediocrity.

[LGR4GM]

Hows Manuel looking? As a first round pick he should be starting to show that he is better than Kolb right?

[Lanny]

How much of it is the same staff? I didn't pay too much attention to the hirings, so pretty much all I'm aware of is that the DC wasn't a part of that Syracuse group.

Mostly the offensive staff came over with Marrone. OC Nate Hackett, WR coach Ike Hilliard, RB Tyrone Wheatley and TE Greg Adkins.

[TrueBlueGED]

Hows Manuel looking? As a first round pick he should be starting to show that he is better than Kolb right?

 

I know you hated the pick, but don't be like DeLuca with Hodgson.

[LGR4GM]

I know you hated the pick, but don't be like DeLuca with Hodgson.

fine ;) ... how does he look though? I think Kolb should be starter at first until about game 7-9 or so when Manuel can start getting starts. I am a big fan of him working his way in slow and learning as he goes.

Edited July 29, 2013 by LGR4GM

[TrueBlueGED]

 

fine ;) ... how does he look though? I think Kolb should be starter at first until about game 7-9 or so when Manuel can start getting starts. I am a big fan of him working his way in slow and learning as he goes.

 

No clue how he's looked, but I do agree with bringing him along slowly.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Getting Syracuse to 500 from where they were as a program is a modern miracle. I have a couple of friends who went to Syracuse and they were crushed to lose Marrone. And I never said they'd be good this year, there's still some huge holes on the roster. But you can't hitch your wagon to a bunch of players with average or worse talent, that give your team a ceiling of mediocrity regardless of football intelligence. The new approach may well fail miserably, but at least there's a chance for something better than the treadmill of mediocrity.

I don't blame them for switching gears.....but the NFL is a different ballgame. Aaron Maybin, James Hardy.....those guys were athletic as well. New England has made a living forming a roster of high football IQ guys first and foremost. Many of them are talented, but not oozing it. Look at Brady's top receivers over the years.....Troy Brown, Deion Branch, Kevin Faulk, Wes Welker.....guys that understand the field and can get open. None of them are elite talents. The 2 TE's are a recent thing for them that they rolled with. And the biggest thing is they assembled a smart offensive line that had longevity and chemistry, allowing Brady to do his thing. That's why Billy has been able to plug 'n play so many RB's over the years. They are just bodies to him, except the 3rd down back who needs to have a head on his shoulders to pick up protection. Heck, he loved Sammy Morris for that. Know when to stay home and take out a knee, or when to chip and flare. Only when you have a dedicated base of fairly talented, high IQ guys.....then you can take a chance on a Moss or a Chad Johnson.....sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Even on defense.....Bruschi, Vrabel, Law....guys like that. Wilfork is a beast, but he is no dolt. It's such a simple formula for longevity of success that I have no idea why more teams don't do it. I guess the Bills tried and failed, so maybe it isn't foolproof.

[TrueBlueGED]

I don't blame them for switching gears.....but the NFL is a different ballgame. Aaron Maybin, James Hardy.....those guys were athletic as well. New England has made a living forming a roster of high football IQ guys first and foremost. Many of them are talented, but not oozing it. Look at Brady's top receivers over the years.....Troy Brown, Deion Branch, Kevin Faulk, Wes Welker.....guys that understand the field and can get open. None of them are elite talents. The 2 TE's are a recent thing for them that they rolled with. And the biggest thing is they assembled a smart offensive line that had longevity and chemistry, allowing Brady to do his thing. That's why Billy has been able to plug 'n play so many RB's over the years. They are just bodies to him, except the 3rd down back who needs to have a head on his shoulders to pick up protection. Heck, he loved Sammy Morris for that. Know when to stay home and take out a knee, or when to chip and flare. Only when you have a dedicated base of fairly talented, high IQ guys.....then you can take a chance on a Moss or a Chad Johnson.....sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. Even on defense.....Bruschi, Vrabel, Law....guys like that. Wilfork is a beast, but he is no dolt. It's such a simple formula for longevity of success that I have no idea why more teams don't do it. I guess the Bills tried and failed, so maybe it isn't foolproof.

 

I don't think the construction of a team featuring one of the best QBs in history is a model which teams should attempt to duplicate if they don't at least have one of the best QBs currently in the game, let alone Ryan freakin' Fitzpatrick.

 

Oh, and that Pats have won squat since Spygate :P

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

I don't think the construction of a team featuring one of the best QBs in history is a model which teams should attempt to duplicate if they don't at least have one of the best QBs currently in the game, let alone Ryan freakin' Fitzpatrick.

 

Oh, and that Pats have won squat since Spygate :P

Brady has more talent than Fitz by far....but in pure athleticism, there are at least a dozen starting QB's in the league far above. His head is his biggest asset. He can't move well but slides in the pocket. He knows his guys up front are going to get their assignments correct. It makes a huge difference. A lot of his long balls are wide open guys because they dissect coverage and he can read it in a split second. Billy asks Brady what he wants to do all the time. Fitz showed flashes and the offense worked for the first half of '11. Then it became obvious to the world he can't hit on a long ball and has no zip on outs. That's the difference. When the league was still sniffing things out, smart guys like Nelson, Freddy and Chandler could just find a seam. Now....Manuel looks like he has a good head on his shoulders AND top level physical talent.....so there is something to hope for. A lot of people who follow the game say he didn't progress through his reads in college, but I can't see why he wouldn't have the smarts to make that a habit in the NFL. That being said.....I would wager they are 3-13 this year over 9-7.

[K-9]

They're worse without him, no doubt. But it's valid for Whaley and Brandon to take the position that they don't want to commit overly big money and a too long term to that position. That's no slight against Bird; the team may just take the view that FS isn't a position worth over-paying for.

 

Which calls to mind: Where are the Bills with their spending? I'm sure they're not bumping up against the cap.

 

They've sported two historically bad defenses the last two years running. Just how much worse can they be without him? He's just not going to make or break their success on the D side of the ball.

 

As an opening in the negotiations, the Bills agreed to give him a guaranteed 6.9 for the year, which makes him the 4th highest paid safety in the game. That's right about where he should be, IMHO and why I agree with you that the Bills are doing the right thing here.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[deluca67]

Is it time to change Mario Williams number to #19? Seriously, his pic should be the default avatar over at TBD.

[TrueBlueGED]

They've sported two historically bad defenses the last two years running. Just how much worse can they be without him? He's just not going to make or break their success on the D side of the ball.

 

As an opening in the negotiations, the Bills agreed to give him a guaranteed 6.9 for the year, which makes him the 4th highest paid safety in the game. That's right about where he should be, IMHO and why I agree with you that the Bills are doing the right thing here.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

At some point you have to start retaining your best players, even if it means paying more than you want to. The Bills have one of the top FSs in the entire league, are they really in a position to let him walk even if keeping him costs $1 mil more than they want? In a QB-dominated league, I think safeties that can cover and ballhawk are much more important than in the past and worth the price premium if you have one who is elite.

[That Aud Smell]

Is it time to change Mario Williams number to #19? Seriously, his pic should be the default avatar over at TBD.

 

Un.funking.believable.

 

I have a colleague who's a born and raised Houstonian and a big football guy (he maintains that The Music City Miracle was payback for The Comeback (which does sorta make sense)). Like a lot of other people in Houston, he chuckled when we opened the vault for Mario. I sent him a drunken woo-hoo text about it the day the Bills signed him. He replied: "Just wait."

 

:wallbash:

[SwampD]

Is it time to change Mario Williams number to #19? Seriously, his pic should be the default avatar over at TBD.

Is this post because he is sitting out of training camp, or because of his one lack-luster season under maybe the Bills worst ever defensive coordinators?

 

Who cares if he sits out a couple of days of camp? They all find reasons to sit out this time of year.

Edited July 30, 2013 by SwampD

[shrader]

Is this post because he is sitting out of training camp, or because of his one lack-luster season under maybe the Bills worst ever defensive coordinators?

 

Who cares if he sits out a couple of days of camp? They all find reasons to sit out this time of year.

 

Especially the first few days of camp. How many times have we seen turf toe and other foot injuries completely hinder a guy's season (Kyle Williams)? There's no sense in screwing something up this early.

[LastPommerFan]

Is this post because he is sitting out of training camp, or because of his one lack-luster season under maybe the Bills worst ever defensive coordinators?

 

Who cares if he sits out a couple of days of camp? They all find reasons to sit out this time of year.

 

His #1 fault is his health. Sitting out camp indicates more Glass Tim complex. I just hope we didn't waste his one full season one last year's disaster.