Gailey bullish on Fitzpatrick for 2011

[justasportsfan]

Buy on Ryan Fitzpatrick and a "multiple-front" defense.

Sell on Aaron Maybin and Donte Whitner.

................

"And I think our offensive line is going to be a lot better next year. I think we're going to be able to do better things with C.J. Spiller next year. ...


* On the offensive tackles: "I thought Demetrius [Bell] had an OK year. I didn't think he had a great year. And I know the injury, he couldn't practice Wednesdays at all the whole year, and again I'm not trying to make excuses for anybody but I'm just stating facts, he didn't practice on Wednesdays.


http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article301327.ece

[YardRat]

He stated on the radio this AM that he 'loved' Fitz, but if a QB is there when we pick and you're convinced he's a 'franchise-type guy' you gotta take him.

[X-Era]

He stated on the radio this AM that he 'loved' Fitz, but if a QB is there when we pick and you're convinced he's a 'franchise-type guy' you gotta take him.And again, if you look at the comments, he simply is saying he can't (right now) picture anyone else starting the year off as the starter.

Even if we take a QB, I think that would still be true. That's not the same as saying Fitz is all we need and we won't take a QB.

http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2011/01/05/chan-on-fitzs-future-2/

Here was Gailey’s answer when asked if he could imagine a scenario where Fitz is not the starting QB next year?

“I don’t see that,” Gailey said. ”He’s played extremely well. He did an excellent job in the facets, not only playing, but leadership, the toughness that he brings to the game. Even if you looked at another scenario it doesn’t make a lot of sense right now. With what he has done for this football team and where we think we are headed as a football team I think he’ll be the starting guy when we get going next year.”

[Nighthawk]

Fitz is not the answer at QB...PERIOD! I'm hoping that this organization knows that too.

[Forward_Lateral]

If nothing else, Gailey's answers are a breath of fresh air. He doesn't sugar coat things, and he doesn't beat around the bush. He tells it like it is.

[Forward_Lateral]

Fitz is not the answer at QB...PERIOD! I'm hoping that this organization knows that too.

Short term, yes he is. Long term, probably not, but that remains to be seen.
Even if the Bills draft Luck, I don't see him being the opening day starter, unless Fitz gets hurt in preseason.

[SquishDaFish]

I totally agree with you on this FL. When we draft a rookie he will learn behind Fitz for this year. Fitz will be the starter this year barring injuries and IMO he deserves it

[Tbuffalobills]

Fitz 2011- Cam Newton 2012

[X-Era]

Fitz 2011- Cam Newton 2012He's given several indications that he's declaring.

[Nighthawk]

Wow, some people on this board are either very ignorant or just plain can't read. I said he isn't the answer to our QB problems, not that he won't be the starter at that beginning of next season. IMO, even if we did take a QB, Fitz would be the starter come the start of the season next year. After that, I want nothing to do with Fitz being the QB of this team...he has absolutely no upside.

Ehh...I'm not too sure why so many on here are so excited about this guy?

[SquishDaFish]

Wow, some people on this board are either very ignorant or just plain can't read. I said he isn't the answer to our QB problems, not that he won't be the starter at that beginning of next season. IMO, even if we did take a QB, Fitz would be the starter come the start of the season next year. After that, I want nothing to do with Fitz being the QB of this team...he has absolutely no upside.

Ehh...I'm not too sure why so many on here are so excited about this guy?

We are excited over him because hes done more at the QB position then we have had in years. Hes at least an upgrade to what we have had here in Buffalo. Do we need a franchise young QB to groom behind him hell yes but Fitz doesnt suck by any means

[Nighthawk]

We are excited over him because hes done more at the QB position then we have had in years. Hes at least an upgrade to what we have had here in Buffalo. Do we need a franchise young QB to groom behind him hell yes but Fitz doesnt suck by any means

This is no reason to just assume we can pass on potential franchise QB at #3, just because Fitz sucked less then what we've had in the past. Also, go look at Fitz's stats towards the end of the season...those are more Fitz like and should tell everybody what we have. I'm sorry, I can't get excited over a less mediocre QB then the other mediocre QBs we've had.

[TacklingDummy]

Many people are going to be disappointed when the Bills don't select one of the top 5 QB's.

[SquishDaFish]

This is no reason to just assume we can pass on potential franchise QB at #3, just because Fitz sucked less then what we've had in the past. Also, go look at Fitz's stats towards the end of the season...those are more Fitz like and should tell everybody what we have. I'm sorry, I can't get excited over a less mediocre QB then the other mediocre QBs we've had.

Like I said I agree we need a good young stud QB to groom. But if Luck is not there for us to pick or we dont trade up to get him then we cant just reach for a QB because we could use one. Get one in the 2nd round or trade back into 1st to get one

[Nighthawk]

Many people are going to be disappointed when the Bills don't select one of the top 5 QB's.

And so will you and every other fan when Fitz proves to be a backup and we have nobody to play behind him. Oh, and when the defensive player doesn't have the major impact that many believe he will...it just doesn't usually happen.

[Nighthawk]

Like I said I agree we need a good young stud QB to groom. But if Luck is not there for us to pick or we dont trade up to get him then we cant just reach for a QB because we could use one. Get one in the 2nd round or trade back into 1st to get one

I'd love to believe that this organization is smart enough to move back into the 1st to get one, but I don't know...this is the Bills we're talking about.

[TacklingDummy]

And so will you and every other fan when Fitz proves to be a backup and we have nobody to play behind him.
I won't be disappointed if Fitz sucks next year. That should mean the Bills are picking high in the draft again and then they can select their franchise QB.

More pieces to the puzzle. Defense this year, franchise QB next year.

[Nighthawk]

For the record, I'm reserving judgement on whether there is a QB worthy of the #3 pick until I see Newton play and the combine. Philips, Roethlisberger and Flacco all shot up draft boards after the season was over, so unlike many believe, there may just be a QB worthy of drafting and grooming to be the Bills QB of the future.

[Nighthawk]

I won't be disappointed if Fitz sucks next year. That should mean the Bills are picking high in the draft again and then they can select their franchise QB.

More pieces to the puzzle. Defense this year, franchise QB next year.

You're making assumptions that you cannot do when building a team. I for one do not hope to be drafting high again next year and from what I see, there are no sure things at QB coming out next year...that, of course, could change. Defense can be built via FA and that is where I hope the Bills attack it. Why was TB so good this year? Oh, it wasn't because of the 2 DTs that drafted...one very high in McCoy...it was because of the QB they took in the 1st round. The QB is and always will be the most important piece to the puzzle when building a winning/championship team. You have to do anything in your power to get one and you should never stop trying to get that QB until you are 100% sure that you've got it.

[BuffaloBlitz83]

Newton or Mallet at 3. FITZ is FITZ.

[TacklingDummy]

Why was TB so good this year? Oh, it wasn't because of the 2 DTs that drafted...one very high in McCoy...it was because of the QB they took in the 1st round. The QB is and always will be the most important piece to the puzzle when building a winning/championship team. You have to do anything in your power to get one and you should never stop trying to get that QB until you are 100% sure that you've got it.
They beat ...

Cleveland 5-11
Carolina 2-14
Cincinnati 4-12
St. Louis 7-9
Arizona 5-11
Carolina 2-14
San Fran 6-10
Washington 6-10
Seattle 7-9
New Orleans 11-5

Yeah they were great.

The Bills also beat the bums they faced, Lions, Bengals, Fins, and Browns. Besides Miami (7-9) everyone else (11) they lost to had a .500 or better record. And the Bills would have beat Miami the 1st game with Fitz at QB.

[better days]

They beat ...

Cleveland 5-11
Carolina 2-14
Cincinnati 4-12
St. Louis 7-9
Arizona 5-11
Carolina 2-14
San Fran 6-10
Washington 6-10
Seattle 7-9
New Orleans 11-5

Yeah they were great.

The Bills also beat the bums they faced, Lions, Bengals, Fins, and Browns. Besides Miami (7-9) everyone else (11) they lost to had a .500 or better record. And the Bills would have beat Miami the 1st game with Fitz at QB.

I think you are forgetting about New Orleans 11-5. The Bucs beat them the last game of the Season to get to 10 wins & without McCoy who was injured. They also came very close to beating the Falcons in both games they played. And the NFL admitted they made a mistake & the Bucs should have beaten the Lions which would have given them 11 wins.

[Nighthawk]

They beat ...

Cleveland 5-11
Carolina 2-14
Cincinnati 4-12
St. Louis 7-9
Arizona 5-11
Carolina 2-14
San Fran 6-10
Washington 6-10
Seattle 7-9
New Orleans 11-5

Yeah they were great.

The Bills also beat the bums they faced, Lions, Bengals, Fins, and Browns. Besides Miami (7-9) everyone else (11) they lost to had a .500 or better record. And the Bills would have beat Miami the 1st game with Fitz at QB.

So, you're discounting the fact that the QB was a bigger piece then the defensive players they drafted? I'll have to disagree.

[TigerJ]

If Andrew Luck is sitting there waiting for a phone call after Carolina and Denver have unexpectedly gone in a different direction, he won't have to wait past the Bills' selection. Of course, that's not going to happen. Assuming Luck is gone, the Bills are not going to pick a QB at 3 overall, nor is it likely they will trade down to get one of the top 5 QBs later inb the first round. They will almost certainly draft a QB, and probably in the top half of the draft, but that will leave Fitz to start next year.

I hope Gailey is right in his optimism on Fitz. He was optimistic a year ago on Edwards, and that didn't turn out so good. No coaches or GMs are right all the time. It they are wrong too often, their teams tend to miss the playoffs for a decade or two. We don't need any more of that.

[BertSquirtgum]

you should never stop trying to get that QB until you are 100% sure that you've got it.

get real man, we have fitzpatrick. we are set for ten years.

[TacklingDummy]

So, you're discounting the fact that the QB was a bigger piece then the defensive players they drafted? I'll have to disagree.
I am proving the fact they beat a bunch of bums. The Bills would have had the same record playing those teams. Let's not forget all the close games the Bills had against good teams also.

[Beebe's Kid]

I think you are forgetting about New Orleans 11-5. The Bucs beat them the last game of the Season to get to 10 wins & without McCoy who was injured. They also came very close to beating the Falcons in both games they played. And the NFL admitted they made a mistake & the Bucs should have beaten the Lions which would have given them 11 wins.

Oh..then pencil us in for wins against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, KC, and Chicago. All Playoff teams...

So Fitz is the man, PERIOD.

[X-Era]

Oh..then pencil us in for wins against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, KC, and Chicago. All Playoff teams...

So Fitz is the man, PERIOD.Or, with an even tougher schedule than last year and with teams having a full season to breakdown how to beat us, we win even less games.

The only way to get significantly better is to get significantly better. To me, Fitz is average, and must be upgraded for long term success. When does that have to happen? That's debatable. To me, with the 3 year leash Gailey gets, with Fitz being a FA after the season, you better get your backup option and/or future ASAP.

I don't think the conservative Gailey will put all his eggs in the Fitz basket. At some level, the teams success and ultimately his job may be riding on it.

[better days]

I am proving the fact they beat a bunch of bums. The Bills would have had the same record playing those teams. Let's not forget all the close games the Bills had against good teams also.

You can only beat the teams on your schedule. The last game of the season in a game that meant a lot to both teams, the Bucs beat the Saints. You know the team that won the Super Bowl last year. They did so without McCoy their #1 pick in the last draft.

I agree the Bills played a harder schedule, but the Bucs are ahead of the Bills in the fact they have a very young franchise QB already, while the Bills have yet to find one.

[better days]

Oh..then pencil us in for wins against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, KC, and Chicago. All Playoff teams...

So Fitz is the man, PERIOD.

Well, Fitz is much more the man than Trent Edwards or JP Losman for sure. He had a career year. Can he improve on that next year or does he regress?

Josh Freeman in his 2nd year made a huge improvement from his rookie year. The Bucs have a franchise QB for a long time to come without question.

[T-Long]

just wrote up a big article on this whole process. I'll post it as soon as it gets published today. I touch on my opinions on Fitz, Fairley and Dareus, Newton and Gabbert, and even Peterson. Every day my opinion changes on where they should go, it's driving me nuts.

[EDS]

You can only beat the teams on your schedule. The last game of the season in a game that meant a lot to both teams, the Bucs beat the Saints. You know the team that won the Super Bowl last year. They did so without McCoy their #1 pick in the last draft.

I agree the Bills played a harder schedule, but the Bucs are ahead of the Bills in the fact they have a very young franchise QB already, while the Bills have yet to find one.

The Bucs are the youngest team in the NFL. Their QB is 22 years old. Their top receiver and rusher are rookies. They probably are not as good as their record, but they certaintly have a nice foundation for the future. The Bills, by contrast, were lead by a 28 year old journeyman QB, a 30 year old RB and a 3rd year wide receiver who every GM would happily trade for Mike Williams in a heartbeat.

[better days]

just wrote up a big article on this whole process. I'll post it as soon as it gets published today. I touch on my opinions on Fitz, Fairley and Dareus, Newton and Gabbert, and even Peterson. Every day my opinion changes on where they should go, it's driving me nuts.

I think we are all in the same boat.

[X-Era]

just wrote up a big article on this whole process. I'll post it as soon as it gets published today. I touch on my opinions on Fitz, Fairley and Dareus, Newton and Gabbert, and even Peterson. Every day my opinion changes on where they should go, it's driving me nuts.Seriously. I'm a huge draft fan and my team has the 3rd pick in the draft. The possibilities are crazy. It's going to be a long haul until mid April.

[djjimkelly]

Fitz is not the answer at QB...PERIOD! I'm hoping that this organization knows that too.


im sure they know that too

but for gailey to come out and say we want someone else before the draft or FA would be ridiculous

they want someone different but will keep quiet till it happpens

[justasportsfan]

the question about Fitz is, is he serviceable? Yes.

the next question is, can he get better? Maybe, maybe not.

I never expected him to play the way he did in a new system, with an OL that has struggled to run block, and not having continuity with a wr group due to inujries.

If Chan thinks Fitz can get better, I doubt drafting qb becomes a priority. I doubt NIx drafts a qb with our 3rd pick in Luck doesn't fall to us.

We already know that they think stopping the run is A PRIORITY.

[X-Era]

im sure they know that too

but for gailey to come out and say we want someone else before the draft or FA would be ridiculous

they want someone different but will keep quiet till it happpensExactly. I just can't see Gailey risking the teams long term success and therefore his job and Fitz without any backup plan. We should give Gailey credit, he won't pull punches and doesn't put on rose colored glasses with players by any means. For the first time in years, I feel like we have a guy who doesn't over value our players. I mean how many times has he used the phrase "he has a chance to be a great player" instead of saying "he is a great player".

[X-Era]

the question about Fitz is, is he serviceable? Yes.

the next question is, can he get better? Maybe, maybe not.

I never expected him to play the way he did in a new system, with an OL that has struggled to run block, and not having continuity with a wr group due to inujries.

If Chan thinks Fitz can get better, I doubt drafting qb becomes a priority. I doubt NIx drafts a qb with our 3rd pick in Luck doesn't fall to us.

We already know that they think stopping the run is A PRIORITY.I agree with most of this.

I agree Fitz outplayed my expectations. I think the answer to whether Fitz can get better or not is a maybe at best. I think his ceiling is limited and without a stellar defense, he can't carry this team far at all.

I agree that stopping the run is a priority. I just think it can be done without necessarily using the 3rd pick in the draft. Free agency could play a big part in what we do on draft day.

I think it's still too early to predict whether a QB is worth the 3rd pick or not, right now it seems unlikely but that can change as we get closer.

[justasportsfan]

I agree that stopping the run is a priority. I just think it can be done without necessarily using the 3rd pick in the draft. Free agency could play a big part in what we do on draft day.I think it's still too early to predict whether a QB is worth the 3rd pick or not, right now it seems unlikely but that can change as we get closer.


I agree completely. There's alot of things that will be going on in the next few months especially with the CBA. Not even Nix knows who will be available.

If the bills land a DT via FA'cy and Luck doesn't fall to us, we could be drafting Peterson with our no.3 and a qb in the 2nd or 3rd. while Ftiz holds the fort down.

[X-Era]

I agree completely. There's alot of things that will be going on in the next few months especially with the CBA. Not even Nix knows who will be available.

If the bills land a DT via FA'cy and Luck doesn't fall to us, we could be drafting Peterson with our no.3 and a qb in the 2nd or 3rd. while Ftiz holds the fort down.I don't know the full impact of the CBA issue to be honest. Is it possible that if we don't get a new CBA done before the draft that FA never started either?

That may potentially mean we have to go into the draft without having any free agents locked up since free agency never started. That coudl drastically change the landscape of how we want to approach the draft and what we need to get out of it.

Of course the team would also realize that at some point when the CBA does get done, that FA will happen and that we can still get players then.