shelby
01-22-2010, 06:03 AM
The phrase "the future is now" typically implies that a franchise has amassed talent in such quantities that it's well-positioned for a breakthrough. For Buffalo Bills fans the adage means that time is growing short.
The realists among us recognize that the Bills probably aren't all that long for Buffalo. Whether we're talking one year, three or five, the fact is the franchise is ultimately destined for the auction block. And nothing but a magnanimous billionaire with deep and abiding ties to Western New York will prevent it from moving elsewhere. That narrows the list down to ... ?
The idea of rebuilding this franchise through the draft, of adhering to an orderly progression, no longer suffices on the local front. The time to develop a raw quarterback has ended. The promise that young players will evolve into stalwarts is dismissed by anxious hearts. Every season from here must be approached as playoffs or bust if the franchise expects to keep the interest of its jaded and fretful fan base. The clock is ticking.
How far are the Bills from turning the corner? Maybe not as far as suggested by 6-10 on the heels of 7-9 so long as a competent quarterback is brought into the fold. Trouble is, the free- agent market is filled with the unproven or the unwanted. Does Denver's Kyle Orton grab your interest given how the Broncos went down in flames? Do you believe the Bills can wring out of Jason Campbell something the Redskins couldn't? Kyle Boller anyone? An aged and tattered Daunte Culpepper? Surely David Carr could be had for 75 percent off the going rate.
To satisfy their greatest need the Bills will have to think outside the free-agent wire, and aggressively so. Never mind what's freely available. The question is, what might be obtained? Which teams have the makings of a quarterback controversy and might want to spare themselves the looming headache? What teams have a backup with credentials that deem him worth a shot? What must the Bills do to build anticipation both inside and outside the locker room because it'll take more than Ryan Fitzpatrick, Trent Edwards and Brian Brohm to stir the imagination and raise expectations.
read more.... (http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/columns/bobdicesare/story/931009.html)
The realists among us recognize that the Bills probably aren't all that long for Buffalo. Whether we're talking one year, three or five, the fact is the franchise is ultimately destined for the auction block. And nothing but a magnanimous billionaire with deep and abiding ties to Western New York will prevent it from moving elsewhere. That narrows the list down to ... ?
The idea of rebuilding this franchise through the draft, of adhering to an orderly progression, no longer suffices on the local front. The time to develop a raw quarterback has ended. The promise that young players will evolve into stalwarts is dismissed by anxious hearts. Every season from here must be approached as playoffs or bust if the franchise expects to keep the interest of its jaded and fretful fan base. The clock is ticking.
How far are the Bills from turning the corner? Maybe not as far as suggested by 6-10 on the heels of 7-9 so long as a competent quarterback is brought into the fold. Trouble is, the free- agent market is filled with the unproven or the unwanted. Does Denver's Kyle Orton grab your interest given how the Broncos went down in flames? Do you believe the Bills can wring out of Jason Campbell something the Redskins couldn't? Kyle Boller anyone? An aged and tattered Daunte Culpepper? Surely David Carr could be had for 75 percent off the going rate.
To satisfy their greatest need the Bills will have to think outside the free-agent wire, and aggressively so. Never mind what's freely available. The question is, what might be obtained? Which teams have the makings of a quarterback controversy and might want to spare themselves the looming headache? What teams have a backup with credentials that deem him worth a shot? What must the Bills do to build anticipation both inside and outside the locker room because it'll take more than Ryan Fitzpatrick, Trent Edwards and Brian Brohm to stir the imagination and raise expectations.
read more.... (http://www.buffalonews.com/opinion/columns/bobdicesare/story/931009.html)