Pretty early but...

[HHURRICANE]

This team is going to be dreadful in 2010.

Just a recap so far:

1) At WR we have Lee Evans and nobody, absolutely nobody. Does it really matter who the QB is? Seriously?

2) Our o-line is guaranteed to bring back some losers from last year while plugging in more rookies. I didn't think the o-line could get worse but all indications are that it will.

3) Kelsay and Schobel have sucked for 3 years and we are going to bring them back again. Enough said.

4) Kyle Willaims is going to become the next Langston Walker. A decent player put in a position to fail.

So the Bills are bringing back a losing team with less talent than last year and we are expecting the draft to get us what?

[Pinkerton Security]

Sadly, at this point it is really looking that way. Even Gailey has basically said we're in full on rebuilding mode, so when your coach stresses that, its gonna be a long year. I just hope we start adding key pieces to the few remaining pieces worth holding on to.

[HHURRICANE]

Sadly, at this point it is really looking that way. Even Gailey has basically said we're in full on rebuilding mode, so when your coach stresses that, its gonna be a long year. I just hope we start adding key pieces to the few remaining pieces worth holding on to.


There was no reason fo this. None.

This mess started last year. We had a decent pass blocking o-line. We weren't in any danger of being over the salary cap.

We could have won 10 games by keeping Dockery, Walker, and Peters. The o-line led to a mess on a offense. Edwards didn't have to be great, just efficient. This is a cheap owner and that's the bottom line.

[Dr. Lecter]

There was no reason fo this. None.

This mess started last year. We had a decent pass blocking o-line. We weren't in any danger of being over the salary cap.

We could have won 10 games by keeping Dockery, Walker, and Peters. The o-line led to a mess on a offense. Edwards didn't have to be great, just efficient. This is a cheap owner and that's the bottom line.

10 games?

Are you nuts?

There was no way this team was winning ten games. Winning 6 was luck and overacheivement.

And, while the replacement for Peters was a lesser player for sure, Dockery was terrible. You are a smart guy, but your love affair for Dockery is odd. He was terrible.

[jdbillsfan]

This team is going to be dreadful in 2010.

Just a recap so far:

1) At WR we have Lee Evans and nobody, absolutely nobody. Does it really matter who the QB is? Seriously?

2) Our o-line is guaranteed to bring back some losers from last year while plugging in more rookies. I didn't think the o-line could get worse but all indications are that it will.

3) Kelsay and Schobel have sucked for 3 years and we are going to bring them back again. Enough said.

4) Kyle Willaims is going to become the next Langston Walker. A decent player put in a position to fail.

So the Bills are bringing back a losing team with less talent than last year and we are expecting the draft to get us what?

They are definitely going to be dreadful. It doesn't even seem like they care. There are no dynasty teams anymore, so a team that actually makes an effort should be able to make a run at the playoffs. Buffalo is going backwards.

The talent is so bad, that they have to make moves to be competitive and they aren't. They keep bringing back the same old losers.

It's extremely frustrating.

[Griz78]

I think they are tanking to get Jake Locker

[jdbillsfan]

I think they are tanking because they don't know how to run a franchise.

[Ebenezer]

10 games?

Are you nuts?

There was no way this team was winning ten games. Winning 6 was luck and overacheivement.

And, while the replacement for Peters was a lesser player for sure, Dockery was terrible. You are a smart guy, but your love affair for Dockery is odd. He was terrible.


6 wins...they beat an Indi team that didn't care in the snow...they beat a terrible TB team that was more disorganized than anything in week 2...the Jets gave them a game...KC? ugh. They could have been 3-13 easily and even with Peters & Co. they were not going to win 10...8 at best.

HH, sorry man. Wood, Levitre and Hentgartener played very well last year. Nobody could have foreseen the injury/retirement of Butler. There is a very good nucleus there. They would have been better with Peters but from everything we have seen he didn't want to be here and the Bills didn't want to renogitiate his contract for a second time. I don't blame them on that - they should have been able to get more for him is what disappointed me.

As far as some of your other points:

1. Schobel has not sucked. He had a terrible season when he was hurt but it is hard to do anything when you have no LBs behind you.

2. WR has been addressed - nobody knew Hardy would get hurt.

3. Kyle Williams at his position is head and shoulders about LW at his.

4. As far as not filling the voids...at some point chickens come home to roost. The team has nobody to blame for its woes than RW. He chased away Butler and Smith. He chased away Wade. He yanked power back from TD. He had the right to do all those things but it was the way he did all that. People talk. There can be two guys out there trying to get dates. One can fail because he is awkward and unsure of himself. The other can fail because when he does get a girl he treats her like crap and then she talks to her friends....RW lives in the latter.

[DraftBoy]

This team is going to be dreadful in 2010.

Just a recap so far:

1) At WR we have Lee Evans and nobody, absolutely nobody. Does it really matter who the QB is? Seriously?

2) Our o-line is guaranteed to bring back some losers from last year while plugging in more rookies. I didn't think the o-line could get worse but all indications are that it will.

3) Kelsay and Schobel have sucked for 3 years and we are going to bring them back again. Enough said.

4) Kyle Willaims is going to become the next Langston Walker. A decent player put in a position to fail.

So the Bills are bringing back a losing team with less talent than last year and we are expecting the draft to get us what?

1. We have this thing called a draft still to come.
2. The point is beyond idiotic
3. I dont disagree but with the position switch we don't know how they'll play
4. This point just doesn't make sense

[ChanGailey]

I'm so sick of people acting like the draft is this secret weapon we have that no other teams use. Hello? Everybody else drafts, too!

Not only that, but the 3 teams in our division are way better at it that we are! Even Nix last year picked Maybin over Orakpo. Instead of a strength, we have a weakness. Why will 2010 be different?

We are being out classed and out smarted by almost every team in the league! We have the least talent, yet do the least to acquire some!

At least we'll win the thrift award. Taking clearance rack garbage players nobody else wants.

Stop saying the draft is going to bridge any gap between us and the rest of the division. The Pats will get the next Jerrod Mayo and we'll get the next McFumblin.

The other 3 teams in the divison are just flat out superior to us. In every stage of prpo football. Better owners, GMs, stadiums, coaches and players.

[SABURZFAN]

I think they are tanking because they don't know how to run a franchise.


i am 100% confident that we could have ran polls in here for our draft picks and have done a better job than they did.

[DraftBoy]

I'm so sick of people acting like the draft is this secret weapon we have that no other teams use. Hello? Everybody else drafts, too!

Not only that, but the 3 teams in our division are way better at it that we are! Even Nix last year picked Maybin over Orakpo. Instead of a strength, we have a weakness. Why will 2010 be different?

We are being out classed and out smarted by almost every team in the league! We have the least talent, yet do the least to acquire some!

At least we'll win the thrift award. Taking clearance rack garbage players nobody else wants.

Stop saying the draft is going to bridge any gap between us and the rest of the division. The Pats will get the next Jerrod Mayo and we'll get the next McFumblin.

The other 3 teams in the divison are just flat out superior to us. In every stage of prpo football. Better owners, GMs, stadiums, coaches and players.

How do you know the bolded part?

[madness]

Nix didn't pick anybody in last year's draft and had very little input, if any.

[Mathja]

This team is going to be dreadful in 2010.

Just a recap so far:

1) At WR we have Lee Evans and nobody, absolutely nobody. Does it really matter who the QB is? Seriously?

2) Our o-line is guaranteed to bring back some losers from last year while plugging in more rookies. I didn't think the o-line could get worse but all indications are that it will.

3) Kelsay and Schobel have sucked for 3 years and we are going to bring them back again. Enough said.

4) Kyle Willaims is going to become the next Langston Walker. A decent player put in a position to fail.

So the Bills are bringing back a losing team with less talent than last year and we are expecting the draft to get us what?

1. Lee Evans is an above-average receiver. the offseason isn't over. Hardy could develop -- he was a great college player with a lot of physical gifts. Other teams are succesful with worse #1 receivers than Evans...bottom line is the passing game will improve when QB play improves -- we're not sure yet who that will be.

2. This is the point i disagree with the most. Why would it get worse? Levitre has a season under his belt. Wood, if healthy, has most of a season under his belt. They were both highly-regarded draft choices that showed a lot of promise. If anything they will improve. Hangartner isn't going to get worse. Butler didn't play last year anyway. The tackle position was in total shambles last year -- just about any move, whether it's through the draft, through free agency or through trade would seemingly improve the tackle situation. It's certainly not an ideal situation, but it's just as easy to conclude that the line will improve as it is to say it will get worse.
Let's say they draft Bulaga at #9 and he plays well. That's 3 highly productive early draft picks on the line -- that would be a huge step in the right direction.
The only argument that the line will be worse than it was at the end of last season is if you believe incognito was much better than the player that will replace him (which might be wood).

3. I don't think Schoebel is definitely coming back. And, nobody knows for sure what Kelsays role will be. But if the logic is that the Bills will suck because they brought these guys back -- why doesn't the same logic dictate that the Bills will be great because they cut Ryan Denney?

4. I'm not sure how Kyle Williams will be in the new defense. I know coming into last year, i didn't expect him to be the defensive MVP of the team. And, he was (along with Byrd). Most believe he's just a productive football player and will find a way to contribute no matter where he is. It's true, that a player can be out of place and less productive because of it. The comparison to Langston Walker is off because Walker didn't even get a chance to struggle after the position change -- he just got cut. Let's see how KWill does, wherever they put him.

I don't think there was a whole lot that could have been done in free agency. many of the younger, high-impact free agency lost their unrestricted status. Why throw a lot of money at free agents that are past their prime. They'll take up cap space next year (if there is a next year). I think they could improve through trades and we'll need some time to see if that pans out. Obviously, the draft is key. and we're 45 days away from that (roughly).

[Mathja]

i am 100% confident that we could have ran polls in here for our draft picks and have done a better job than they did.

i agree with this -- 100%. The one good thing is that someone else is making the final decision now -- assuming Ralph isn't making the call on every draft pick.

But yes -- last year, orakpo would have won a poll. Ngata would have won a poll over whitner. i'm sure there are plenty of other examples.

[trapezeus]

reality needs to set in. Last year brought most of the people predicting anything above 7-9 to the stark reality that 8 years of botched drafts and bad FA pick ups have left us with a complete waste of a roster. A couple free agent pickups aren't going to get it done.

This team has no core. There is nothing to build around. The young players like Lynch, poz, the corners, etc, aren't that great. they aren't even the coaches choices. So this team needs to figure out:

1. how do we get the two most important pieces on this team, the OL and the DL.
2. how do we get the most important position filled: QB.
3. How do we get WR's to fill in?
4. If lynch is on the last year of his contract and has two strikes on him from a full year suspension, do we want another RB, OR with jackson being 30 is he really part of this rebuild?
5.We have no linebackers. we have some stopgaps, but we need one stud. Perhaps they give maybeline a chance. He's the only guy they'll truly give a real chance since we know nothing about him.
6. Secondary is the best of all the positions for now, but they will need to replace Mcgee if their 2-3 rebuild works because he'll be too old in 3 years.

They have to dismantle everything to get to the root of the problem. Anyone who thinks that we'll fix it this year and have a great season must really have a strong sense of faith.

[Goobylal]

The offense, even without TO, will be much better than last year's. For starters, they won't be cutting their OC on the eve of the season and replacing him with a guy who isn't ready to be one. Gailey knows how to run an offense.

On the O-line, it will undoubtedly be better. Wood, Levitre, and Meredith won't be rookies, and Hangartner won't have to cover for their (at least Wood's and Levitre's) mistakes. Sure they need a LT, but they needed one last year, after making the mistake of a) putting Walker there and not grooming Bell from the beginning or b) cutting Walker just days before the season started. Running backs will be better, assuming trouble doesn't find Lynch yet again this off-season. Tight end should be better with Nelson's rookie year being behind him and hopefully a full off-season adding strength, conditioning, and flexibility, and Schouman coming back. At WR the Bills are definitely weaker with the departure of TO. Allowing him to leave was a huge mistake and all we can hope for is Hardy and/or Johnson to finally step-up, or for a rookie to surprise. I do think that Gailey can do things to get Evans open an find a use for Parrish in the slot, but a proven #2 would really help things out. Finally WRT QB, there were no easy fixes available this off-season. Again I'm expecting Gailey to get the most out of Trent/Fitz/Brohm, as he has proven he can do in the past. Trading/acquiring Tyler Thigpen is a possibility.

As for defense, the DE's will be Stroud and Johnson, with Schobel, Kelsay, Maybin, Ellis, Mitchell, Harris, and Poz fighting it out for the 4 LB spots as well as the first 4 being available for 4-3 looks. Kevin Williams may be the NT, but I think they address that in the draft. The secondary is good and deep.

The keys for the team will be getting a LT and NT in the first 2 rounds. Anything else will be gravy. There are some good prospects at QB and WR in the later rounds.

[Mathja]

I don't think it would take much to build a core around the defense. I feel really good about the secondary -- they have a playmaker back there in Byrd and I think Mckelvin has the talent to make some plays as well. mcgee is an above-average pro. and there is depth at safety.
At LB, I think Poz will play better as a 3-4 ILB, especially if there is a run plugger in front of him. And (despite the naysayers) i think Maybin will actually contribute as a 3-4 OLB -- i'll go out on a limb and say he even becomes a strength.
So, this defense could become the core of the team with some help on the D-line.
That said -- they won't contend until they find their QB -- everything seems to fall in place after that. Just look at the QBS for all the teams that made the playoffs last year.

[HHURRICANE]

Did I miss something here?

1) Who is replacing Owens and Reed? Hardy? By the way Evans was our 2nd rated WR, not number one.

2) Wood played well. Levitre and Hangarnter both struggled at times mightily. Meredith is now a starter? The o-line was terrible so acting like they played well and will be better is absurd.

3) Kyle Williams is going to become an underszied nose tackle. I'm not sure why being concerned here is unwarranted.

Last point. For all of the crap that Peters, Dockery, Butler, and Walker get around here at one point in 2008 they were allowing the fewest sacks in the league. They were not a great run blocking o-line but they were an above average pass blocking line. We could have brought Hangartner in and drafted Levitre and built behind the line instead of dismantling it. Why bring in Owens if you couldn't get 4-5 seconds in the pocket to let the deep ball go??

This team was getting ripped in the papers before the season began.

[Cntrygal]

Wow. Pretty early for an early predictions thread.

[Pinkerton Security]

Wow. Pretty early for an early predictions thread.

Sadly though, we are not going to be any good at all unless some major, major, MAJOR developments unravel.

[ServoBillieves]

With what little left in the Free Agency market, it blows my mind we've had only 2 visits so far. Both being mediocre to inefficient offensive linemen is the biggest disappointment.

Wide Receiver is an issue. Putting a #2 like Johnson or Hardy immediately in to the mix would have been OK... had they seen decent time last year. We all know Roscoe doesn't want to be here, and behind them... oh wait, no one. Sure, there isn't much out there in FA, but ANYONE would do at this point.

I am interested to see how Kyle Williams does in the 3-4. Could he tank? Absolutely, but a 3-4 front line is much more demanding than a 4-3... Switch ins at the end position, heck, look at Justin Bannan for the Ravens. He did quite well as a rotational.

If Wood comes back healthy, then our inside is very, very formidable. Bell... well he's good, but if he can keep his damn hand in the dirt before the QB hikes the ball he could be better. Elite or Great in any way? No, but still young. RT was absolutely screwed over by Butlers career ending injury... Otherwise I would've been less-nervous about our O-Line.

Kelsay and Schobel coming back after mediocre seasons in a 4-3 defense means what to a 3-4 defense? Will they be playing their same positions in the new system? Last time I checked they are SEVERELY undersized for a 3-4 DE unless they want to add a ton of weight... Otherwise they are OLB's, which years ago so many people had hoped Schobel would be. Kelsay? Not so sure where he even fits on this team anymore. A Maybin/Posluszny/Mitchell or Buggs/Schobel LB corp is OK in my book.

The secondary is top of the line, a decent NT for our D-line makes the line solid at worst, whereas we all know the offense is going to have problems. RB tandem is good, TE tandem is good, WR's could be good, and the O-Line is mediocre at best, whereas the major question IMHO is quarterback.

Optimistic? Not in the slightest, but I calls em hows I sees em.

[bigbub2352]

I think HH is pretty much dead on at this point

when u are tendering guys that are proven losers.... letting a guy walk that would provide the depth and quality u want in an Olineman (Richie) starter or reserve and try to sign depth from 2 of the worst Olines in football (Smith and Green)

How do u expect the educated fan to feel?
explain how bringing back
Chris kelsay
Jon Corto
Chrisitian Gaddis
Keith ellison
Ashton Youboty
Derek Schouman
at all help this team? most are injury prone, dont fit the scheme we are transitioning too or are undersized for there position and plain suck

we are watching horrible decisions made by a new regime that are the same decisions that were made by the horrible regime that was here 1 year to long

Im sorry i never expected a big splash...but i do expect and did expect them to activily be bringing in people that would provide some real depth at our positions of need and maybe some stop gap starters so we can groom there reaplcements thru the draft...

how schobel, whitner, parrish, mcyntire, mccargo remain bills is a joke and they tie up alot of salary

how edwards is still here is ridiculous move on already like most other teams do

Start fresh new blood new philophies and new attitude and leadership

status quo never works and sure didnt the last 4 years were these bums can be tied too

if ur gonna rebuild then do it dont retain bums

[trapezeus]

i'm ok with them keeping the wasted players on the roster through the draft. perhaps they'll move some of them. who knows.

i just expect a 2-14 season coming based on the amount of work needed and the fact they are only getting about 9 new players. this team is in bad bad shape.

We need a godsend trade for the 9 spot to yield some more picks and still land a solid LT at the traded #1 pick.

[Akhippo]

Im expecting a horrible season. Actually hoping for one to be honest. But with some stipulations.

1. We get a good enough draft pick to actually get a real QB next year (Hoping there is a real QB in the draft next year)
2. We build the lines this year through the draft. (LT in the first, trade with SD - our second and Lynch for their first, get Terence Cody)
3. We play all of our young guys extensively (Brohm, Hardy, Johnson, Nelson). See what they have and if they can progress.

Im willing to wait and see if when the CBA gets renewed and all those RFA's become available, with (hopefully) two solid drafts if we can finish it off with some real FA talent.

[Goobylal]

What difference does it make if the Bills keep their previous players? It's not like anyone has been assured of a roster spot, much less a starting job. More players means more competition.

[Zero]

This team is going to be dreadful in 2010.


That's putting it mildly. LOL... That's like watching someone take a fall from the 10th floor of an office building and saying "that guy's gonna be sore in the morning".

This team will be an abject disaster in 2010, and I'm being generous. Call it rebuilding, cleaning house etc... this team ,at least on paper, appears much worse than last year's team. I am holding out hope for the draft but I am sadly expecting similar results as the previous drafts.

As always I hope I'm wrong...<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->