Nix

[User Manuel]

I am a bit confused by many of our board members concerns about Buddy Nix's lack of free agent action. I recall him saying, succinctly, that he is not a free agency guy and that is not how he envisions building this team.

I understand that for some here raising these concerns and beating on the Nix, Gailey connections is part of their earning the daily bread, but it is a non-story.

I am not sure if Nix or Gailey are the guys or not, probably not. But.... Buddy Nix is doing exactly what he said he was going to do which, in my opinion, is a nice change from the haphazard methodology of Marv, Russ and our recent off-seasons. I imagine we will see a few depth signings, such as the Green signing, bringing in people who can play if necessary and stopgaps. Maybe an underpriced steal. The reality is that this team is going to be built by Draft and Undrafted Free agents for the next season or two. That is the real story.

[zone]

Re: Nix

I am a bit confused by many of our board members concerns about Buddy Nix's lack of free agent action. I recall him saying, succinctly, that he is not a free agency guy and that is not how he envisions building this team.

I understand that for some here raising these concerns and beating on the Nix, Gailey connections is part of their earning the daily bread, but it is a non-story.

I am not sure if Nix or Gailey are the guys or not, probably not. But.... Buddy Nix is doing exactly what he said he was going to do which, in my opinion, is a nice change from the haphazard methodology of Marv, Russ and our recent off-seasons. I imagine we will see a few depth signings, such as the Green signing, bringing in people who can play if necessary and stopgaps. Maybe an underpriced steal. The reality is that this team is going to be built by Draft and Undrafted Free agents for the next season or two. That is the real story.

Well said, people have been clamoring for this team to be built properly for years. Now that they are finally doing that they still are not happy.

[Jeff1220]

Re: Nix

Its more the fact that they have so many changes, and holes where there seems to be no viable starters already on the team, and the draft doesn't give them enough spots to fill all those holes. And that's with the assumption that most of those picks will play well and play right away.

[Buddo]

Re: Nix

One area of 'difficulty', is that nobody knows how many 'holes' the coaching staff feels it needs to fill. An assumption has been made, that particularly due to switching to the 3-4 front, the Bills have a boatload of holes.
That could well be the case, but it also might not be as bad as we think, depending on how the coaches see us lining up.
Many people around here aren't looking at the 'splashy' signings, but they are looking for mid tier guys who should be able to plug some of what is perceived as our largest areas of concern. In this respect, not a lot appears to be happening, which inevitably leads to frustration. You also still have people who believe that the Bills could, and should, sign any 'big name' FA out there.
I'm of the opinion that this year, FA will be a more 'drawn out' process, mainly due to the cancellation of the CBA, which has lead to many more RFAs than expected. Some of those guys, who have been tendered, could help us, and it isn't a stretch to think that quite a few will still end up as cuts.

[Beebe's Kid]

Re: Nix

I am a bit confused by many of our board members concerns about Buddy Nix's lack of free agent action. I recall him saying, succinctly, that he is not a free agency guy and that is not how he envisions building this team.

I understand that for some here raising these concerns and beating on the Nix, Gailey connections is part of their earning the daily bread, but it is a non-story.

I am not sure if Nix or Gailey are the guys or not, probably not. But.... Buddy Nix is doing exactly what he said he was going to do which, in my opinion, is a nice change from the haphazard methodology of Marv, Russ and our recent off-seasons. I imagine we will see a few depth signings, such as the Green signing, bringing in people who can play if necessary and stopgaps. Maybe an underpriced steal. The reality is that this team is going to be built by Draft and Undrafted Free agents for the next season or two. That is the real story.

Whoa!!! Wait a minute....so what you're saying is Nix is doing what he, pretty matter-of-fact, told everybody he was going to do? Are you also saying that blowing your load on aging veterans cashing in on their performances in the prime of their football career, so they are comfortable while the ride into the sunset, are not good investments?

Well if I was GM I would have signed Peppers, Boldin, Bruce Matthews, and Ronnie Lott. Then I trade Lynch and a 5th for two 1st rounders, then I trade Whitner for Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews...and a 3rd. I would also trade Kelsay or Schoebel for a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Adrian Peterson. Then I draft Tebow, Bradford, Mt. Cody, Baluga, Williams, Berry, and Spiller.

Well said. It is brutal trying to keep up with what is going on. I didn't expect a whole lot, but it makes it worse wading through 15 pages of **** to see what is new.

The daily proclamations of resigned fan-hood, and essays written on how this team is getting worse, and on and on ad nauseum. The counter arguments, which usually end with "get out," followed by a "free speech" retort from the above mentioned malcontents.

There have been some pretty intense essays written here in the last few days, and now that we are in the 5th day of free agency, I am sure it will only pick up steam from here.

[OpIv37]

Re: Nix

I am a bit confused by many of our board members concerns about Buddy Nix's lack of free agent action. I recall him saying, succinctly, that he is not a free agency guy and that is not how he envisions building this team.

I understand that for some here raising these concerns and beating on the Nix, Gailey connections is part of their earning the daily bread, but it is a non-story.

I am not sure if Nix or Gailey are the guys or not, probably not. But.... Buddy Nix is doing exactly what he said he was going to do which, in my opinion, is a nice change from the haphazard methodology of Marv, Russ and our recent off-seasons. I imagine we will see a few depth signings, such as the Green signing, bringing in people who can play if necessary and stopgaps. Maybe an underpriced steal. The reality is that this team is going to be built by Draft and Undrafted Free agents for the next season or two. That is the real story.

Here's the problem: we have literally no one who can play DL in the 3-4- maybe Stroud as DE but that's it. The only OLB's we have in the 3-4 are Schobel, who has never played LB, and Maybin, who hasn't proven anything yet. And that's just starters- I haven't even mentioned the lack of depth.

So, forget about Dansby and Peppers and other big names- why aren't we at least bringing in people who can play the 3-4? We switched D's and have done NOTHING as far as switching personnel. It's not necessarily about getting big names in here- it's about getting guys who are suited for the D we want to run. When we're short 4-5 starters on D alone and all-around depth, it's absurd to blow off FA entirely and say "Meh, we'll fix it in the draft."

[Jeff1220]

Re: Nix

Whoa!!! Wait a minute....so what you're saying is Nix is doing what he, pretty matter-of-fact, told everybody he was going to do? Are you also saying that blowing your load on aging veterans cashing in on their performances in the prime of their football career, so they are comfortable while the ride into the sunset, are not good investments?

Well if I was GM I would have signed Peppers, Boldin, Bruce Matthews, and Ronnie Lott. Then I trade Lynch and a 5th for two 1st rounders, then I trade Whitner for Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews...and a 3rd. I would also trade Kelsay or Schoebel for a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Adrian Peterson. Then I draft Tebow, Bradford, Mt. Cody, Baluga, Williams, Berry, and Spiller.

Well said. It is brutal trying to keep up with what is going on. I didn't expect a whole lot, but it makes it worse wading through 15 pages of **** to see what is new.

The daily proclamations of resigned fan-hood, and essays written on how this team is getting worse, and on and on ad nauseum. The counter arguments, which usually end with "get out," followed by a "free speech" retort from the above mentioned malcontents.

There have been some pretty intense essays written here in the last few days, and now that we are in the 5th day of free agency, I am sure it will only pick up steam from here.

We hear this sort of sarcastic response every year (heck, I probably made it a few years ago myself), but the fact is that the Bills own no benefit of the doubt anymore. Their decision making in evey facet of creating a winning team has been horrible. What they've been good at is doing just enough to keep most fans hopeful and filling a stadium. The team needs to make a few good moves to just be competitive, and they haven't. I don't think anybody was expecting Peppers or Dansby, but the team has problems that the draft alone will not solve.

[justasportsfan]

Re: Nix

NIx is trying to build a team that can stay intact for years to come. YOu do that via the draft. Sure, every now and then you plug in an FA. If there is an FA that definitely blows their mind then they would go for it. Right now all I see are a bunch of stop gaps.

NIx said it will take years.

The Pats , Colts, Steelers , Chargers have been competitive for years because they built through the draft. The fins and Jets are also building through the draft. I don't think the Redskins way of doing things is going to keep up with our rivals for years to come.

[EDS]

Re: Nix

I am a bit confused by many of our board members concerns about Buddy Nix's lack of free agent action. I recall him saying, succinctly, that he is not a free agency guy and that is not how he envisions building this team.

I understand that for some here raising these concerns and beating on the Nix, Gailey connections is part of their earning the daily bread, but it is a non-story.

I am not sure if Nix or Gailey are the guys or not, probably not. But.... Buddy Nix is doing exactly what he said he was going to do which, in my opinion, is a nice change from the haphazard methodology of Marv, Russ and our recent off-seasons. I imagine we will see a few depth signings, such as the Green signing, bringing in people who can play if necessary and stopgaps. Maybe an underpriced steal. The reality is that this team is going to be built by Draft and Undrafted Free agents for the next season or two. That is the real story.

Let's just hope Buddy Nix knows what he is doing. Given the Bills recent history of futility, and the way he was hired, I think a good amount of skepticism is warranted.

[ChanGailey]

Re: Nix

Uh the fins and jets building through the draft? Then explain to me cromartie, bart scott, dansby, leonard, braylon edwards, ryan clark, chad pennington, anthony fasano, kris jenkins, joey porter, jason taylor...probably more. Those are FA additions or trades by the jets and phins the last 2-3 yrs. Don't tell me winners don't sign free agents.

Saints: brees, hargrove, greer, sharper, vilma, shockey, henderson, fujita...all FA or trade.

U don't give 100 mil to the hot guy of the year, but to do nothing is just wrong. Dwan edwards would be a huge addition to this team. Joey porter would at least bring some attitude to the team. I agree with drafting, but every team drafts and we have a worse track record of it over the last 10 yrs.

[justasportsfan]

Re: Nix

Uh the fins and jets building through the draft? Then explain to me cromartie, bart scott, dansby, leonard, braylon edwards, ryan clark, chad pennington, anthony fasano, kris jenkins, joey porter, jason taylor...probably more. Those are FA additions or trades by the jets and phins the last 2-3 yrs. Don't tell me winners don't sign free agents.

Saints: brees, hargrove, greer, sharper, vilma, shockey, henderson, fujita...all FA or trade.

U don't give 100 mil to the hot guy of the year, but to do nothing is just wrong. Dwan edwards would be a huge addition to this team. Joey porter would at least bring some attitude to the team. I agree with drafting, but every team drafts and we have a worse track record of it over the last 10 yrs.

the jets OL was built through the draft. The OL that made their running game no.1 .Their qb comes from the draft.

Like I said,teams will bring in FA's now and then but the core of the team comes from the draft. We don't have a core that fits the 3-4 and thats not Gailey's fault.

The fins' brought in Long. Henne is from the draft. I'll give you the saints but compared to the colts, steelers , chargers , thats one team compared to the others. Shockey is not an elite TE anymore.

Another thing to consider is that where is there a Brees in this years FA?

I don't see the jets, fins and Saints trading their top draft picks for players either.

We brought in Dockery and co. and they didn't do anything

We've brought in FA's in the past with Spikes, Fletcher and co and now they are no longer with the team. The reason why that blew up on our face is because Donahoe tried to start over again offensively with JP. That made the vets on this team pissed because they didn't have time to wait.


I am not against starting all over again with young players that can grow together for years to come. The FA pool sucks anyways.

[EDS]

Re: Nix

the jets OL was built through the draft. The OL that made their running game no.1 .Their qb comes from the draft.

Like I said,teams will bring in FA's now and then but the core of the team comes from the draft. We don't have a core that fits the 3-4 and thats not Gailey's fault.

The fins' brought in Long. Henne is from the draft. I'll give you the saints but compared to the colts, steelers , chargers , thats one team compared to the others. Shockey is not an elite TE anymore.

Another thing to consider is that where is there a Brees in this years FA?

I don't see the jets, fins and Saints trading their top draft picks for players either.

We brought in Dockery and co. and they didn't do anything

We've brought in FA's in the past with Spikes, Fletcher and co and now they are no longer with the team. The reason why that blew up on our face is because Donahoe tried to start over again offensively with JP. That made the vets on this team pissed because they didn't have time to wait.


I am not against starting all over again with young players that can grow together for years to come. The FA pool sucks anyways.

The difference between the Bills and the Jets is that the Jets draft better (well, except for Vernon Gholston). They have hit a number of home runs with guys like Revis, Ferguson, Mangold, Harris, etc. The Bills have not hit a home run in the draft in a long time.

[justasportsfan]

Re: Nix

The difference between the Bills and the Jets is that the Jets draft better (well, except for Vernon Gholston). They have hit a number of home runs with guys like Revis, Ferguson, Mangold, Harris, etc. The Bills have not hit a home run in the draft in a long time.

I agree. Hopefully the new GM can do a better job than those that preceeded him. He hasn't even had his first draft as GM.

[Mad Bomber]

Re: Nix

Uh the fins and jets building through the draft? Then explain to me cromartie, bart scott, dansby, leonard, braylon edwards, ryan clark, chad pennington, anthony fasano, kris jenkins, joey porter, jason taylor...probably more. Those are FA additions or trades by the jets and phins the last 2-3 yrs. Don't tell me winners don't sign free agents.

You forgot Faneca and Woody.

[Beebe's Kid]

Re: Nix

We hear this sort of sarcastic response every year (heck, I probably made it a few years ago myself), but the fact is that the Bills own no benefit of the doubt anymore. Their decision making in evey facet of creating a winning team has been horrible. What they've been good at is doing just enough to keep most fans hopeful and filling a stadium. The team needs to make a few good moves to just be competitive, and they haven't. I don't think anybody was expecting Peppers or Dansby, but the team has problems that the draft alone will not solve.

Do not use my join date or post number as a barometer for my length of time as a fan. It has been a life-long problem. So, after 25 or so years, I am familiar with what is going on. I have suffered, like most of u, and I have been one of the ones that fills the Ralph every Sunday.

I think that the amount of moves that we need to make to be competitive are fewer than most think. This is not going to be the same team as last year. That would be the case even if there were no player changes. The coaching staff was a bunch of "nice guys" that didn't know a flying ****ing **** about game planning and leadership. They misused the entire roster top to bottom.

If Gaily can get the most out of the players that he has, we will will 3-4 of the games that we lost. The fact that we were in any of our games last year was a ****ing miracle. The fact that there were at least 4 we realistically could have won going into the 4th Qtr is obviously forgotten.

That is fine the mob mentality is to pile on, so flame away, but really this team doesn't owe me a thing. They don't kidnap me on Sunday, I could like any other team, if that is what I wanted to do...it's not.

The common conspiracy theory is a little off. I think this team has always tried to win. They have made poor, poor decisions in the off-season. Huge contracts to bums, and damn-near an O'fer in the first round, have held ths team back. People say that RW doesn't spend money...bull****. He is just usually spending on some FA that was cut 2 years ago, or some "savior" we picked up as an FA that sucks ass....and of course our multi-million, multi-year 1st rnd draft picks.

My sarcasm was more, specifically, pointed at all of the naysayers that pop off and post how they did this on Madden. Trade Whitner, trade Lynch, trade this pick that pick, then trade back up....that's all great, but then to get frustrated because it didn't happen is nuts.

We will sign a few FA's. It will not be the death of our cap, because there will be a cap again. It will be guys that, hopefully, are Kirk Chambers. We don't need a world changer, just real NFL talent, like Green, to take some of the positions.

As bad as this team has been, and as well known all of the HC/GM/FA/Draft blunders have been, the people still think there is a conspiracy. Listen the problem with Nix is that he ISN'T getting the fans that sexy signing to put people in the seats, he is trying to build a winning program and restore our pride, if you are in it for a wallet busting FA period...theh Skins would love to have you.

This team exceed expectations. I guarantee it. I would love all this negative press if I was Chan or Nix. I would clip all of the articles and save them. They would be fodder for the first team meeting, and every meeting after that. Accountability. He is what your past performance has people saying about you...what are you going to do to change it?

Go Bills