Nix Keeps Reiterating that We're Not Playoff Ready This Year or Next

[raphael120]

Pretty much we're not trying to win now. I ask, why the hell should I care about the team if we're not going to even worry about competing for something substantial? Way to set the bar low. I know we have a lot of issues all over the board but at the same time, how the hell can you sell this team to people right now? He just admitted that fans will be seeing the same kind of mediocre product out there for the next two years and HOPEFULLY after that we'll have a successful team. So, hey fans, sorry bout the last 10 years, you're going to stomach 2 more before you can even hope to have a competitive product.

Replace Nix with Levy and you got a time machine back to '06. Can they even attempt to get some impact players in here because we have 2. Fred Jackson and Byrd. And don't tell me Evans is an impact player, he's a borderline #2 WR.

[ChanGailey]

Pretty much we're not trying to win now. I ask, why the hell should I care about the team if we're not going to even worry about competing for something substantial? Way to set the bar low. I know we have a lot of issues all over the board but at the same time, how the hell can you sell this team to people right now? He just admitted that fans will be seeing the same kind of mediocre product out there for the next two years and HOPEFULLY after that we'll have a successful team. So, hey fans, sorry bout the last 10 years, you're going to stomach 2 more before you can even hope to have a competitive product.

Replace Nix with Levy and you got a time machine back to '06. Can they even attempt to get some impact players in here because we have 2. Fred Jackson and Byrd. And don't tell me Evans is an impact player, he's a borderline #2 WR.

Under promise

Over deliver

[raphael120]

Under promise

Over deliver

At least have the confidence and enthusiasm to tell me you're trying to building a winner and you want to win now.

[Mahdi]

Pretty much we're not trying to win now. I ask, why the hell should I care about the team if we're not going to even worry about competing for something substantial? Way to set the bar low. I know we have a lot of issues all over the board but at the same time, how the hell can you sell this team to people right now? He just admitted that fans will be seeing the same kind of mediocre product out there for the next two years and HOPEFULLY after that we'll have a successful team. So, hey fans, sorry bout the last 10 years, you're going to stomach 2 more before you can even hope to have a competitive product.

Replace Nix with Levy and you got a time machine back to '06. Can they even attempt to get some impact players in here because we have 2. Fred Jackson and Byrd. And don't tell me Evans is an impact player, he's a borderline #2 WR.
Yeah those statements annoy me. Many teams have turned it around quicker than that coming out of worse situations.

[ChanGailey]

At least have the confidence and enthusiasm to tell me you're trying to building a winner and you want to win now.

I feel like Nix has said he plans on doing what's best for the team, regardless of what's the "sexy" choice...

Let's at least give the guy a chance. Just because he's not coming in flinging empty promises everywhere like Donte Whitner doesn't make us any less likely to make the playoffs.

[mrbojanglezs]

thats the way to sell tickets...russ will have a chat w/ nix real soon

[The Spaz]

Our roster pretty much sucks balls. It's hard to swallow but it's going to take at least 2-3 years IMO.

[Cleve]

I think it is a very realistic statement by Nix. It took the Bills a couple seasons to get it together even back when the Polian/Levy era began. The team was in shambles when Jauron was finally canned. There's no good core team for anyone to build on to turn things around quickly - Nix and Gailey are starting fresh.

I'll be looking for better fundamentals on the field in September, and perhaps a somewhat better record. That would make me optimistic for 2011.

[shelby]

Our roster pretty much sucks balls. It's hard to swallow but it's going to take at least 2-3 years IMO.
i have to disagree that the roster sucks....we do have some true talent on this team. Jackson, Byrd, and Wilson, to name a few. But we have huge holes to fill, especially the O Line, and we need a freaking real quarterback.

[Dr. Pepper]

i just dont know why earlier he said we were only a couple pieces away from being a great team, and that no one knows how close all the NFL teams are talent wise, blah blah blah and now all of a sudden we're years away from the playoffs.

[Buddo]

Actually, I think that Nix should get some credit for honesty. With the possible (and only possible) exception of a top flight, proven QB, like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady or Drew Brees, there is no one move we could make that would transform this team into immediate contenders - even for the playoffs.
Like it or not, we are rebuilding, and Nix's comments are merely a reflection of that process.
How well that process goes, will be a function of how well Nix continues to draft, and mine FA for solid role players.
If all the players we have already, could stay fit for a complete season, with around a half dozen solid pick ups, in the draft and FA, we could easily be competitive, providing Gailey works his magic with getting production from average QB play.
That wouldn't make us a great team, by any stretch, but it would show that we are going in the right direction, and just another draft/FA with similar results, could well see us genuinely up there as a playoff level team.
At least with the current setup, I'm relatively confident that we will have a chance to achieve this, as the people now making the decisions, are people I see as being worthy of trust, from a talent evaluation pov - and btw I include Modrak in that.

[DMBcrew36]

It's fine because I'm not ready to buy tickets this year or next! The franchise is and has been a joke!

But, yes, at least he's honest. Russ Brandon has a tough task ahead selling tickets.

[zone]

Russ Brandon has a tough task ahead selling tickets.

Not to me, I will be renewing my seasons just like every year.

The only difference will be that the product that we see on the field this year will be tons better than anything we witnessed under the DJ era.

[Jan Reimers]

Nix is being smart, and realistic. He knows it's very difficult to reverse 10 years of decline in 1 offseason, so he is trying to not raise expectations to unrealistic levels.

At the same time, I believe he will do whatever he can to make the team better. If we improve our record over last year, we should all be happy to be going in the right direction.

[justasportsfan]

At least have the confidence and enthusiasm to tell me you're trying to building a winner and you want to win now.


He's said that. He knows the only way to sell tickets is to win. He also knows the only way to build a successful franchise is to build through the draft which will take time.

What do you want him to say, we will make playoffs this year and next with rookies? Last year they tried to sell us with playoffs talk. They didn't deliver.

Looks to me, the bills are dammed if they do and damned if they don't.

They won't sell tickets by talking but by producing. Until he produces I don't hae a problem with him being straight forward with the fans.

[DraftBoy]

i have to disagree that the roster sucks....we do have some true talent on this team. Jackson, Byrd, and Wilson, to name a few. But we have huge holes to fill, especially the O Line, and we need a freaking real quarterback.

I ahve disagree with you, you named one guy who is talented and really he is our only talented player that has some kind of league wide recognition.

Wilson is above average safety who has shown flashes of being good, Jackson is a hard worker but not a game breaker by any means, he is another one of those dime a dozen 1000 yard backs which is much better than his lazy backup.

We have plenty of guys with potential, Wood, Levitre, Meredith, Nelson, Maybin, Hardy, and some guys who are ready to really turn it on; McKelvin, Wilson. But we lack any true stars on this team and our depth is just plain laughable.

In summation, our roster sucks balls. If I could Id cut 35-40 players off the active roster and replace each and every one of them.

[DraftBoy]

Nix is being smart, and realistic. He knows it's very difficult to reverse 10 years of decline in 1 offseason, so he is trying to not raise expectations to unrealistic levels.

At the same time, I believe he will do whatever he can to make the team better. If we improve our record over last year, we should all be happy to be going in the right direction.

Ill go a step farther than that. I dont care about our record this season to be honest, if I see smart decisions made in FA, a good strong draft class, and players continuing their development (Maybin, Nelson, Levitre, Wood, etc...) then I don't care if we go 0-16 because the growth is happening. W/L means little to nothing to me this season.

[Syderick]

Pretty much we're not trying to win now. I ask, why the hell should I care about the team if we're not going to even worry about competing for something substantial? Way to set the bar low. I know we have a lot of issues all over the board but at the same time, how the hell can you sell this team to people right now? He just admitted that fans will be seeing the same kind of mediocre product out there for the next two years and HOPEFULLY after that we'll have a successful team. So, hey fans, sorry bout the last 10 years, you're going to stomach 2 more before you can even hope to have a competitive product.

Replace Nix with Levy and you got a time machine back to '06. Can they even attempt to get some impact players in here because we have 2. Fred Jackson and Byrd. And don't tell me Evans is an impact player, he's a borderline #2 WR.

What's wrong with Lee Evans?

[Mahdi]

I ahve disagree with you, you named one guy who is talented and really he is our only talented player that has some kind of league wide recognition.

Wilson is above average safety who has shown flashes of being good, Jackson is a hard worker but not a game breaker by any means, he is another one of those dime a dozen 1000 yard backs which is much better than his lazy backup.

We have plenty of guys with potential, Wood, Levitre, Meredith, Nelson, Maybin, Hardy, and some guys who are ready to really turn it on; McKelvin, Wilson. But we lack any true stars on this team and our depth is just plain laughable.

In summation, our roster sucks balls. If I could Id cut 35-40 players off the active roster and replace each and every one of them.
We literally have one star player on the roster. Byrd. The rest are hopefuls and disappointments.

[Jan Reimers]

What's wrong with Lee Evans?
Some posters on here completely undervalue Lee Evans. He has been a big time weapon for us, despite not having much help on the other side, and playing with a clown parade at QB.

[DraftBoy]

We literally have one star player on the roster. Byrd. The rest are hopefuls and disappointments.

Byrd's not a star imo, star players repeatedly get the job done, if Byrd plays the same way this year or close to it, he's a star.

[SABURZFAN]

i have to disagree that the roster sucks....we do have some true talent on this team. Jackson, Byrd, and Wilson, to name a few. But we have huge holes to fill, especially the O Line, and we need a freaking real quarterback.


no... this roster does suck. the defense is a complete mess with the transition from 4-3 to 3-4. behind Lee Evans is a lot of doubt at the WR spot and the TE spot doesn't light the world on fire either. throw in what you mentioned and we have a complete cluster****. this is why Nix keeps reiterating that this is not a playoff team.

[Mahdi]

Byrd's not a star imo, star players repeatedly get the job done, if Byrd plays the same way this year or close to it, he's a star.
I was actually going to say the same thing at the end of my post but then I figured I would throw us fans a bone.

[TedMock]

Personally, I'm thrilled with Nix's approach of building a team rather than the extremely impatient and foolish "win now" approach. Build and re-load throught the draft. That in itself takes time. Plug holes with free agents. Big names when you can, but more often quality players who won't break the bank. Cut dead weight and admit to mistakes. Ron Wolfe, Bill Polian and Rich McKay are examples of guys who share Nix's philosophy. We're all impatient as fans, but realistically this a new regime. They can't expect to be miracle workers either even if we are frustrated of 10 years of crap. It's not Nix's or Gailey's fault. They have to do their job the best way they feel and trust their gut, not worry about our feelings. Time will tell, but I find Nix to be a refreshing philosophical change.

[madness]

i have to disagree that the roster sucks....we do have some true talent on this team. Jackson, Byrd, and Wilson, to name a few. But we have huge holes to fill, especially the O Line, and we need a freaking real quarterback.

Oakland has just as many big names but take the rest of their roster and combine it with the rest of ours and you've got yourself one serious Pop Warner team.

Championship!

[Mahdi]

Oakland has just as many big names but take the rest of their roster and combine it with the rest of ours and you've got yourself one serious Pop Warner team.

Championship!
Oakland actually has a lot more talent than we do.

[ZAZusmc03]

I'd rather wait a few years for a consistent win team, instead of a win now, back to basement in a year or two. I'm backing Nix 100% on his building of a team. Painful now, but multiple years of winning will make it all worth it.

[madness]

Oakland actually has a lot more talent than we do.

I honestly can't begin to disagree with that.

[DMBcrew36]

The only difference will be that the product that we see on the field this year will be tons better than anything we witnessed under the DJ era.

Keep telling yourself that. There's a new supposed 'reason' to buy in every year.


If Nix is by some miracle able to turn this franchise around, it won't be happening this year.

[Ron Burgundy]

I honestly can't begin to disagree with that.

I can. They might be marginally better but that's it, and they've got the same quarterback issues that we have.

[Owen DeBoard]

Byrd's not a star imo, star players repeatedly get the job done, if Byrd plays the same way this year or close to it, he's a star.
Well I guess Aaron Schobel could be considered a star. To bad our best player on the team is thinking about calling it quits.

[Mahdi]

Well I guess Aaron Schobel could be considered a star. To bad our best player on the team is thinking about calling it quits.
Aaron Schobel is a solid starter. Never reached star status.

[OpIv37]

i have to disagree that the roster sucks....we do have some true talent on this team. Jackson, Byrd, and Wilson, to name a few. But we have huge holes to fill, especially the O Line, and we need a freaking real quarterback.

the roster is horrendous. Looking back at it, we were lucky that we even got to 6 wins.

[DrGraves]

**** this franchise. We haven't been ready for the playoffs in over 10 years. What the **** did we do to deserve this.

[DraftBoy]

I can. They might be marginally better but that's it, and they've got the same quarterback issues that we have.

True, but they have more playmakers (or playmakers in the making) then we do. I really like their nucleaus on offense with;
Bush
McFadden
Murphy
Miller
Schilens

If DHB becomes anything then they could have a very good offense in a year or two. Their D lacks some stuff but Trevor Scott and Nnamdi Asomugha are good to do along with Seymour.

[Mahdi]

I would add,


Thomas Howard is a top notch OLB

Chris Johnson has emerged as a very good CB

Robert Gallery has actually become one of the top LG in the AFC.

Matt Shaughnessy has shown a lot of potential

[Syderick]

Teams have turn around with bigger margins in a year. We went 6-10 last year, why can't they go atleast 8-8? They shouldn't go below 6-10 or clean house!