X-Era
05-02-2007, 06:53 AM
This is my post from 12/25/2006, its a offseason look before our offseason, my comments now are in red. I think the thoughts that we are worse dont seem to fit:
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So what now?
Well lets take a look at whats liekly to happen. I think a major part of what the Bills will do will be based on Jaurons say and Marvs. A friend made a good point that Marv has said the best FA's to sign are your own. I seem to remember him saying that back in the day. As far as Dick goes, I t hink our moves at the bye, and keeping all our draftees speak volumes. I originally wanted us to make huge sweeping moves, but I really dont see that happening and I explain why in each case. I think our late surge may have Dick and Marv not wanting to mess with a good thing. Ralphs comments about money make me think he isnt likely to break the bank. I honestly believe what JP says which is the personnel is already here to be a SB team, but he also has never been to win so does he really know what it takes. Anyways, I ccan easily see another conservative offseason.
Heres the sensible (hopefully Marv and Dicks) version of what we do:
QB- Nothing, KH can be a backup, he wasnt a cancer so he can stay, 3rd can be had just about any way- We traded him and drafted Edwards, if nothing else we got a draft pick out of this and appear no worse off
RB- Nothing, Willis can be great, but at the minimum is solid- We traded him and drafted even better in Lynch IMO
TE- Maybe a youngster to push Royal. Royal made a late surge and may continue. We drafted Schooman to compete
FB- Maybe a youngster to push Shelton. May not be necessary, but Sheltons long in the tooth Cut him and will no longer have a FB
LT- Nothing, we have a stud here. Backup can be manned by any of the current prospects
LG- Depends on Gandy, hes a FA. Hes been part of a successful unit after the bye, hes an x-Bear, hes done pretty well in his new position. Youngster to push him would be nice, but I can easily see Gandy getting resigned to a modest second tier OG contract, and being handed the job next year. Take a look at our success running the ball vs. which side we run to, we are doing very well on the L side, Gandy may stay. Reyes is likely cut.- Reyes was cut, Dockery is a huge upgrade
C- Fowler is a Jauron brought guy. I would love to see a big upgrade here. I honestly havent watched the middle that closely, but in the Titans game I did notice Fowler getting destroyed. I think a Mangold/Mawae type C could make this line great. But, since Fowler is a Jauron guy I could see us giving him the job too.
RG- Preston has played well, Villarial is likely going to be cut. But an upgrade here would be great. The previously stated run stats about success vs. side of the line shows our line on the right side is weak as far as run production goes. Steinbach is a LG, but a switch may be easy. Jauron had Preston as a backup, Villarial (even though he was a Jauron guy) was part of the pathetic pre-bye OL, I can see us heading in a new direction. Womack is another guy I like alot but Im not sure Jauron likes the bigger, fatter types. I think a change is likely. Villarial was cut, Jason Whittle will compete for starting job, Pennington or Walker could move inside
RT- Pennington is a Jauron draftee and was promoted to being a starter and stayed there. He also has done a decent job, considering his youth. I could easily see Pennington getting the job outright. With Butler as a backup, we may look for either another mid to late rounder or a second tier backup just for security. I think Jaurons move to start TP telegraph what we will do next year as well A suprise move was spending big money on Langston Walker to upgrade the position
WR- #1 and #3 is set. Peerless played well in the 2nd half and was brought in by the current regime. Josh also played well. Parrish had some sparks, but also some dumb plays. I see Josh and Peerless staying and playing, Parrish may be a bubble guy. The big question is whether Peerless can be all we need as #2, I think Jauron, and especially JP may argue he is just fine due to his post-bye surge. I can also see us grabbing a early draft day guy who drops into our laps. It would be a "greatest value at the pick" type pick a.l.a. Willis. Maybe a guy who could be the new punt returner or even kick returner if Clements bolts and we dont want to risk McGee to injury. A guy like Ginn Jr might make sense, Paul Williams may be another. We didnt make a move here
DE- at RDE we are set, at LDE Kelsay and Denney are both UFA's. I can see one leaving. So that makes a LDE a big need due to the rotation theory. Jauron made no real moves, so theres no guys that would seem to be Jaurons guy to fill in. I can see LDE being a priority for a Tampa 2 style team. I can see this from either the draft or FA or both. If Freeney is allowed to leave, he plays in Tampa 2, is a Syracuse alumn, I would think we would COVET him. In the draft, I could see tweener types like Moses, Adams, Woodley fitting the Bill. We made no move other than resigning Kelsay and Denney, and drafting Ah You
DT- Mccargo will be back from injury and we moved up to get him, Williams was a real sleeper and nice suprise, Tripplett was solid but lackluster. Hargrove was a great mid season add that helped us get better pressure. I can see the need for one more rotation type, a run stuffer would be great, but we also cant get a strict situational guy due to giving away our D to the opposing O. I think another quick DT may be a move we make. We traded TKO for Darwin Walker, thats an upgrade to Tim Anderson at the very least
OLB- Spikes made a late surge as a very solid player, hes not a top 5 or even 10 guy as of now, but I think he still is hampered by injury. This is a big question mark. Hes not a Jauron guy, he makes alot of money, and hes had a so so year. There is likely to be great players/prospects available in FA and the draft. Briggs, June, Adalius Thomas, Puz, Blades, and more are going to be out there. I could see us going either way, hoping TKO steps up more, or getting insurance through the draft or FA. At the other spot, Crowell will be back and Ellison proved to be pretty solid. I can see 1 OLB being a spot we look at. We traded Spikes and drafted Puz
ILB- Fletch is the heart of our D, and has proven yet again that hes a stud (even if the idiotic pro-bowl voters cant get it right), hes not going to command big money at his age, and Ralph is rumored to be a huge Fletch fan. I see him getting resigned. The backup/insurance could happen but I think we may be looking at a mid or late rounder or second tier guy. We let him walk because he demanded big money and isnt worth it, we drafted Puz assuming Crowell not mans the middle
CB- Even though I want Nate back I think hes gone. McGee is locked up long term, Thomas made some decent plays, and Youbouty was a Jauron draftee that will be given a shot next year. I see this being one of our biggest priorities if you agree Nate is as good as gone. We just cant afford to let our pass D get worse and remain a playoff contender. Guys like Brady will pick us apart without a strong starting CB. FA is likely to cost us heavy. I could easily see the draft being our way to fix it (in the Bills minds). Its most likely going to be an early pick due to the need to have a very good one. Guys like Hughes/Hall would seem to be fits. We went with Youboty, we were willing to draft Revis first and foremost but we felt RB and LB were bigger needs, its Youboty or bust
S- Both are set for a long time, the rookies made mistakes but both started virtually from day one, both are Jauron draftees, and both played well enough to earn a 8th ranked pass D. We even have Bowen signed long term to be a backup. Bowen was cut being a guy that made decent money and rarely hit the field, we drafted Wendling who could easily be as adequate a bench sitter as Bowen was, or be an upgrade on ST, and situation play
P- Moormans not going anywhere and is a perrenial pro-bowler case closed
K- Lindell is a quandry. The team plays half its games in windy Buffalo. The kick that he admitted he could not make just cost us the playoffs. Hes made many FG's this year and even some game winners. But will Jauron and Co. after a bitter loss want a guy with a stronger leg due to the winds? I could see a change being made, the big question is, is there anyone better with a stronger leg? I just cant answer that. To me it could go either way. Lindell was resigned
I think backups/support/youngsters to push will rule our offseason. I do think we will make a few big moves but its only going to be a few. We did make a few big moves:
our OL is much better on paper
our RB is better on paper
our LB corp could be better if Puz plays up to snuff, how hard will it be to play better than an injury hampered Spikes?
our DL is better dueto the addition of Walker
our WR, and TE are the same
our only question mark is CB
Doesnt almost every team go into the year with at least one weak spot?
Ask NE about letting Ty Law leave, Lawyer Milloy, and then starting no namers (at that time) like Asante Samuel and Randall Gay
---------------------------
So what now?
Well lets take a look at whats liekly to happen. I think a major part of what the Bills will do will be based on Jaurons say and Marvs. A friend made a good point that Marv has said the best FA's to sign are your own. I seem to remember him saying that back in the day. As far as Dick goes, I t hink our moves at the bye, and keeping all our draftees speak volumes. I originally wanted us to make huge sweeping moves, but I really dont see that happening and I explain why in each case. I think our late surge may have Dick and Marv not wanting to mess with a good thing. Ralphs comments about money make me think he isnt likely to break the bank. I honestly believe what JP says which is the personnel is already here to be a SB team, but he also has never been to win so does he really know what it takes. Anyways, I ccan easily see another conservative offseason.
Heres the sensible (hopefully Marv and Dicks) version of what we do:
QB- Nothing, KH can be a backup, he wasnt a cancer so he can stay, 3rd can be had just about any way- We traded him and drafted Edwards, if nothing else we got a draft pick out of this and appear no worse off
RB- Nothing, Willis can be great, but at the minimum is solid- We traded him and drafted even better in Lynch IMO
TE- Maybe a youngster to push Royal. Royal made a late surge and may continue. We drafted Schooman to compete
FB- Maybe a youngster to push Shelton. May not be necessary, but Sheltons long in the tooth Cut him and will no longer have a FB
LT- Nothing, we have a stud here. Backup can be manned by any of the current prospects
LG- Depends on Gandy, hes a FA. Hes been part of a successful unit after the bye, hes an x-Bear, hes done pretty well in his new position. Youngster to push him would be nice, but I can easily see Gandy getting resigned to a modest second tier OG contract, and being handed the job next year. Take a look at our success running the ball vs. which side we run to, we are doing very well on the L side, Gandy may stay. Reyes is likely cut.- Reyes was cut, Dockery is a huge upgrade
C- Fowler is a Jauron brought guy. I would love to see a big upgrade here. I honestly havent watched the middle that closely, but in the Titans game I did notice Fowler getting destroyed. I think a Mangold/Mawae type C could make this line great. But, since Fowler is a Jauron guy I could see us giving him the job too.
RG- Preston has played well, Villarial is likely going to be cut. But an upgrade here would be great. The previously stated run stats about success vs. side of the line shows our line on the right side is weak as far as run production goes. Steinbach is a LG, but a switch may be easy. Jauron had Preston as a backup, Villarial (even though he was a Jauron guy) was part of the pathetic pre-bye OL, I can see us heading in a new direction. Womack is another guy I like alot but Im not sure Jauron likes the bigger, fatter types. I think a change is likely. Villarial was cut, Jason Whittle will compete for starting job, Pennington or Walker could move inside
RT- Pennington is a Jauron draftee and was promoted to being a starter and stayed there. He also has done a decent job, considering his youth. I could easily see Pennington getting the job outright. With Butler as a backup, we may look for either another mid to late rounder or a second tier backup just for security. I think Jaurons move to start TP telegraph what we will do next year as well A suprise move was spending big money on Langston Walker to upgrade the position
WR- #1 and #3 is set. Peerless played well in the 2nd half and was brought in by the current regime. Josh also played well. Parrish had some sparks, but also some dumb plays. I see Josh and Peerless staying and playing, Parrish may be a bubble guy. The big question is whether Peerless can be all we need as #2, I think Jauron, and especially JP may argue he is just fine due to his post-bye surge. I can also see us grabbing a early draft day guy who drops into our laps. It would be a "greatest value at the pick" type pick a.l.a. Willis. Maybe a guy who could be the new punt returner or even kick returner if Clements bolts and we dont want to risk McGee to injury. A guy like Ginn Jr might make sense, Paul Williams may be another. We didnt make a move here
DE- at RDE we are set, at LDE Kelsay and Denney are both UFA's. I can see one leaving. So that makes a LDE a big need due to the rotation theory. Jauron made no real moves, so theres no guys that would seem to be Jaurons guy to fill in. I can see LDE being a priority for a Tampa 2 style team. I can see this from either the draft or FA or both. If Freeney is allowed to leave, he plays in Tampa 2, is a Syracuse alumn, I would think we would COVET him. In the draft, I could see tweener types like Moses, Adams, Woodley fitting the Bill. We made no move other than resigning Kelsay and Denney, and drafting Ah You
DT- Mccargo will be back from injury and we moved up to get him, Williams was a real sleeper and nice suprise, Tripplett was solid but lackluster. Hargrove was a great mid season add that helped us get better pressure. I can see the need for one more rotation type, a run stuffer would be great, but we also cant get a strict situational guy due to giving away our D to the opposing O. I think another quick DT may be a move we make. We traded TKO for Darwin Walker, thats an upgrade to Tim Anderson at the very least
OLB- Spikes made a late surge as a very solid player, hes not a top 5 or even 10 guy as of now, but I think he still is hampered by injury. This is a big question mark. Hes not a Jauron guy, he makes alot of money, and hes had a so so year. There is likely to be great players/prospects available in FA and the draft. Briggs, June, Adalius Thomas, Puz, Blades, and more are going to be out there. I could see us going either way, hoping TKO steps up more, or getting insurance through the draft or FA. At the other spot, Crowell will be back and Ellison proved to be pretty solid. I can see 1 OLB being a spot we look at. We traded Spikes and drafted Puz
ILB- Fletch is the heart of our D, and has proven yet again that hes a stud (even if the idiotic pro-bowl voters cant get it right), hes not going to command big money at his age, and Ralph is rumored to be a huge Fletch fan. I see him getting resigned. The backup/insurance could happen but I think we may be looking at a mid or late rounder or second tier guy. We let him walk because he demanded big money and isnt worth it, we drafted Puz assuming Crowell not mans the middle
CB- Even though I want Nate back I think hes gone. McGee is locked up long term, Thomas made some decent plays, and Youbouty was a Jauron draftee that will be given a shot next year. I see this being one of our biggest priorities if you agree Nate is as good as gone. We just cant afford to let our pass D get worse and remain a playoff contender. Guys like Brady will pick us apart without a strong starting CB. FA is likely to cost us heavy. I could easily see the draft being our way to fix it (in the Bills minds). Its most likely going to be an early pick due to the need to have a very good one. Guys like Hughes/Hall would seem to be fits. We went with Youboty, we were willing to draft Revis first and foremost but we felt RB and LB were bigger needs, its Youboty or bust
S- Both are set for a long time, the rookies made mistakes but both started virtually from day one, both are Jauron draftees, and both played well enough to earn a 8th ranked pass D. We even have Bowen signed long term to be a backup. Bowen was cut being a guy that made decent money and rarely hit the field, we drafted Wendling who could easily be as adequate a bench sitter as Bowen was, or be an upgrade on ST, and situation play
P- Moormans not going anywhere and is a perrenial pro-bowler case closed
K- Lindell is a quandry. The team plays half its games in windy Buffalo. The kick that he admitted he could not make just cost us the playoffs. Hes made many FG's this year and even some game winners. But will Jauron and Co. after a bitter loss want a guy with a stronger leg due to the winds? I could see a change being made, the big question is, is there anyone better with a stronger leg? I just cant answer that. To me it could go either way. Lindell was resigned
I think backups/support/youngsters to push will rule our offseason. I do think we will make a few big moves but its only going to be a few. We did make a few big moves:
our OL is much better on paper
our RB is better on paper
our LB corp could be better if Puz plays up to snuff, how hard will it be to play better than an injury hampered Spikes?
our DL is better dueto the addition of Walker
our WR, and TE are the same
our only question mark is CB
Doesnt almost every team go into the year with at least one weak spot?
Ask NE about letting Ty Law leave, Lawyer Milloy, and then starting no namers (at that time) like Asante Samuel and Randall Gay