Prediction: Nathan Peterman will be starting this year...

[Goobylal]

Huh? The next draft is 2018.

Doh! I meant 2019.

[Arm of Harm]

We had a decent offense last year. The reason we lost games was because the defense couldn't stop ****. We went from a top 5 defense to a bottom 5 defense in 2 years under Ryan.

I agree with your implication that our defensive coaching was much better under Schwartz than it was under Ryan. Of that there is no question.

However, we do not now have the same talent on defense we had with Schwartz. Mario Williams, for example, was a star player for the Bills defense, both before and during Schwartz's time here. This past season Mario Williams had 9 tackles and 1.5 sacks for the Miami Dolphins. Mario Williams is done. Nothing left in the tank.

The Bills tried to build a top-5 defense without having drafted particularly well on the defensive side of the ball. For a while it worked. Superstar free agents like Mario Williams, and free agents on one-and-done contracts, came in and contributed at a high level. But that talent infusion on defense proved transitory. Of the free agents we acquired to build the Pettine or Schwartz defenses, most are either done (like Mario Williams) or else are no longer with the team. Free agent signings helped conceal the fact that the Bills weren't adding much defensive talent via the draft. But now that the Pettine/Schwartz free agents are mostly gone, our main building blocks for our current defense are what our past GMs have acquired through the draft. Those past GMs didn't acquire much defensive talent on draft day, at least not recently enough to do us much good today.

[endzone]

The Bills seem to have gone out of their way to distance themselves from Tyrod. I also believe that our new OC isn't that impressed with Tyrod in his new scheme.

Peterman is a coach's player. He'll do what you ask of him. I think Tyrod is on a short leash and the coaching staff isn't under any threat to "win now" based on the front office clean out.

I think you'll see Peterman on the field this year.

I THINK you're jumping the gun!

[stuckincincy]

Hanging one's hat on a 5th round QB falls in line with the last 17 years of QB and playoff frustration.

[Skooby]

Hanging one's hat on a 5th round QB falls in line with the last 17 years of QB and playoff frustration.

Brady was what drafted in what round ? He's about 17 years in the NFL right? See the correlation? I don't.

[Arm of Harm]

Brady was what drafted in what round ? He's about 17 years in the NFL right? See the correlation? I don't.

For every Tom Brady story, there are at least a couple dozen Levi Brown stories. I'm not saying Peterman can't succeed, and I'll admit that he seems to have more to offer than I'd typically expect from a 5th round QB. But the odds are stacked against him.

My sense is that the long-term plan at QB is to use a first round pick in 2018 on a QB, trading up if necessary. That first round pick would become the starter, and Peterman would be the long-term answer at backup.

[Goobylal]

I agree with your implication that our defensive coaching was much better under Schwartz than it was under Ryan. Of that there is no question.

However, we do not now have the same talent on defense we had with Schwartz. Mario Williams, for example, was a star player for the Bills defense, both before and during Schwartz's time here. This past season Mario Williams had 9 tackles and 1.5 sacks for the Miami Dolphins. Mario Williams is done. Nothing left in the tank.

The Bills tried to build a top-5 defense without having drafted particularly well on the defensive side of the ball. For a while it worked. Superstar free agents like Mario Williams, and free agents on one-and-done contracts, came in and contributed at a high level. But that talent infusion on defense proved transitory. Of the free agents we acquired to build the Pettine or Schwartz defenses, most are either done (like Mario Williams) or else are no longer with the team. Free agent signings helped conceal the fact that the Bills weren't adding much defensive talent via the draft. But now that the Pettine/Schwartz free agents are mostly gone, our main building blocks for our current defense are what our past GMs have acquired through the draft. Those past GMs didn't acquire much defensive talent on draft day, at least not recently enough to do us much good today.

They still have Kyle, Marcel, and Jerry on the DL, and Lawson is a far better fit at 4-3 DE (where he played in college) than 3-4 OLB. IMHO the DL is set, and they have some depth there. At LB they'll probably have Brown back at WLB, where he played (well) under Schwartz, and probably Ragland at MLB and LorAx at SLB. Throw in some competition from some younger guys and maybe a FA pickup.

[swiper]

Peterman signs with the Bills today.

[swiper]

http://www.wgr550.com/articles/news/...athan-peterman

[Arm of Harm]

They still have Kyle, Marcel, and Jerry on the DL, and Lawson is a far better fit at 4-3 DE (where he played in college) than 3-4 OLB. IMHO the DL is set, and they have some depth there. At LB they'll probably have Brown back at WLB, where he played (well) under Schwartz, and probably Ragland at MLB and LorAx at SLB. Throw in some competition from some younger guys and maybe a FA pickup.

Good points. However, I'd point out that Mario Williams has hit the wall, and is done. Kyle Williams was drafted in 2006: the same year as Mario. How much longer can the Bills realistically expect to get solid contributions from Kyle Williams, before he too hits the wall?

Dareus is working through his own issues. Hopefully he'll be able to put them behind him, and have a strong season this year.

Jerry Hughes had 10 sacks in 2013 and another 10 in 2014. That's solid. But he had only 5 sacks in 2015 and 6 sacks in 2016. Granted, that decline could be because of coaching: because Rex Ryan wasn't using him as effectively as Pettine or Schwartz had. But it could also be a case of a player playing significantly above his usual level for a time, before going back to his norm. I'll be interested to see what he does in McDermott's defense.

Lawson was drafted just a year ago, and was not on the team when we had Pettine or Schwartz as our defensive coordinators. At this point, he's just a guy with 10 appearances and 7 tackles for his entire NFL career. I certainly expect him to be given every opportunity to prove himself this upcoming season. We'll see how he does with that opportunity.

[Arm of Harm]

To add to my earlier post: I looked up the Bills' projected depth chart for 2017. Their projected starters for their defensive secondary are Ronald Darby and Tre'Davious White at CB, Michah Hyde at SS, and Jordan Poyer at FS. None of those players were on the team under Pettine or Schwartz.

Their projected starters at LB are Reggie Ragland, Lorenzo Alexander, and Ramon Humber. None of those players were on the team under Pettine or Schwartz.

Their projected starters at DL are Shaq Lawson, Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams, and Jerry Hughes. Shaq Lawson wasn't on the team under Pettine or Schwartz. Of the three (out of 11) defensive starters we retained from the Pettine/Schwartz defenses, one (Kyle Williams) might not perform at the same level due to age, and another (Marcell Dareus) might not perform at the same level due to other issues. The third (Hughes) has also seen a step down in his level of play.

The fact Schwartz had a top-5 defense is no longer relevant, because almost none of the players he used to achieve that defense are still with the team.

[swiper]

The fact Schwartz had a top-5 defense is no longer relevant, because almost none of the players he used to achieve that defense are still with the team.

Which underscores Pegula's failures as Bills owner.

[Goobylal]

Good points. However, I'd point out that Mario Williams has hit the wall, and is done. Kyle Williams was drafted in 2006: the same year as Mario. How much longer can the Bills realistically expect to get solid contributions from Kyle Williams, before he too hits the wall?

Dareus is working through his own issues. Hopefully he'll be able to put them behind him, and have a strong season this year.

Jerry Hughes had 10 sacks in 2013 and another 10 in 2014. That's solid. But he had only 5 sacks in 2015 and 6 sacks in 2016. Granted, that decline could be because of coaching: because Rex Ryan wasn't using him as effectively as Pettine or Schwartz had. But it could also be a case of a player playing significantly above his usual level for a time, before going back to his norm. I'll be interested to see what he does in McDermott's defense.

Lawson was drafted just a year ago, and was not on the team when we had Pettine or Schwartz as our defensive coordinators. At this point, he's just a guy with 10 appearances and 7 tackles for his entire NFL career. I certainly expect him to be given every opportunity to prove himself this upcoming season. We'll see how he does with that opportunity.

To add to my earlier post: I looked up the Bills' projected depth chart for 2017. Their projected starters for their defensive secondary are Ronald Darby and Tre'Davious White at CB, Michah Hyde at SS, and Jordan Poyer at FS. None of those players were on the team under Pettine or Schwartz.

Their projected starters at LB are Reggie Ragland, Lorenzo Alexander, and Ramon Humber. None of those players were on the team under Pettine or Schwartz.

Their projected starters at DL are Shaq Lawson, Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams, and Jerry Hughes. Shaq Lawson wasn't on the team under Pettine or Schwartz. Of the three (out of 11) defensive starters we retained from the Pettine/Schwartz defenses, one (Kyle Williams) might not perform at the same level due to age, and another (Marcell Dareus) might not perform at the same level due to other issues. The third (Hughes) has also seen a step down in his level of play.

The fact Schwartz had a top-5 defense is no longer relevant, because almost none of the players he used to achieve that defense are still with the team.

Schwartz is no longer relevant because he's no longer with the team. There are other coaches who can coach defense.

- - - Updated - - -

And the Bills just signed LB Gerald Hodges. He will start.

[Arm of Harm]

Which underscores Pegula's failures as Bills owner.

I agree that Pegula's mistakes played an important role in the Bills' defensive decline. Under Doug Marrone, the Bills had inadequate coaching on the offensive side of the ball, and excellent coaching on the defensive side. Once Marrone left, the obvious move would have been to bring in a new head coach from the offensive side of the ball. The kind of guy who would fix the Bills' offensive coaching problems, while leaving Schwartz and his defense intact. Instead, Pegula (with help and advice from Russ Brandon) chose to hire Rex Ryan. Schwartz was shown the door. This was Pegula's main contribution to the problem.

If the departure of Schwartz was Pegula's fault--and it was--then other aspects of the situation were Ralph Wilson's, or the fault of Ralph's employees. A number of key contributors on the Pettine/Schwartz defense were aging, such as Mario Williams and Kyle Williams. That defense was relatively lacking in young talent, and was poised for a decline.

Not only did that defense lose player talent due to the advancing age of some of its players, it also lost talent because of Whaley's mismanagement of the salary cap. If you're looking at the combination of youth + proven accomplishment, one of the top three players on that defense was Gilmore. Gilmore is now a New England Patriot. Pegula inherited Whaley from Ralph, which makes it a little difficult to determine how much of the blame for Whaley's incompetence should be laid at Ralph's feet versus Pegula's.

[Luisito23]

Need to stop looking in the past...

It's a dark...dark place.

[Albany,n.y.]

I agree that Pegula's mistakes played an important role in the Bills' defensive decline. Under Doug Marrone, the Bills had inadequate coaching on the offensive side of the ball, and excellent coaching on the defensive side. Once Marrone left, the obvious move would have been to bring in a new head coach from the offensive side of the ball. The kind of guy who would fix the Bills' offensive coaching problems, while leaving Schwartz and his defense intact. Instead, Pegula (with help and advice from Russ Brandon) chose to hire Rex Ryan. Schwartz was shown the door. This was Pegula's main contribution to the problem.

If the departure of Schwartz was Pegula's fault--and it was--then other aspects of the situation were Ralph Wilson's, or the fault of Ralph's employees. A number of key contributors on the Pettine/Schwartz defense were aging, such as Mario Williams and Kyle Williams. That defense was relatively lacking in young talent, and was poised for a decline.

Not only did that defense lose player talent due to the advancing age of some of its players, it also lost talent because of Whaley's mismanagement of the salary cap. If you're looking at the combination of youth + proven accomplishment, one of the top three players on that defense was Gilmore. Gilmore is now a New England Patriot. Pegula inherited Whaley from Ralph, which makes it a little difficult to determine how much of the blame for Whaley's incompetence should be laid at Ralph's feet versus Pegula's.

Get real.

You don't hire a new head coach & leave 1/2 the old coach's staff in place-it just isn't done. The head coach brings in his own guys.

The only way the Bills would have kept Schwartz & his D staff would have been to hire Schwartz as head coach. He was such a stellar HC in Detroit, owners have been falling all over each other trying to get him to sign on as their head coach. So far none have gotten back up off the floor & been able to put the contract in his hands.

[Arm of Harm]

Get real.

You don't hire a new head coach & leave 1/2 the old coach's staff in place-it just isn't done. The head coach brings in his own guys.

The only way the Bills would have kept Schwartz & his D staff would have been to hire Schwartz as head coach. He was such a stellar HC in Detroit, owners have been falling all over each other trying to get him to sign on as their head coach. So far none have gotten back up off the floor & been able to put the contract in his hands.

You are wrong. It is done. For example, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed (traded) for Jon Gruden, an offensively oriented head coach. He left the Bucs' defensive coaching intact, making no change to their defensive coaching staff, scheme, or defensive philosophy.

Tony Dungy was fired from the Bucs because he was a defensively-minded head coach who did a mediocre job with the offense. He was hired by the Indianapolis Colts. While he was the Colts' head coach, he left their offensive coaching staff and offensive scheme intact. The only coaching changes he made were to the defensive side of the ball.

Both Gruden and Dungy led their teams to Super Bowl wins.

If you interview an offensively oriented head coaching prospect, and if he articulates his idea of firing Schwartz and bringing in his own guy, then maybe he's not the right choice for head coach.

[BillsImpossible]

Which underscores Pegula's failures as Bills owner.

Stop your Swining.

The Pegulas have not won a Championship for Buffalo yet, but it's not like they aren't spending the money to get there.

They're totally invested in Buffalo. I don't think the people of Buffalo give Terry and Kim Pegula enough credit.

They saved 2 sports franchises from the abyss, and are the lone reason why Buffalo is booming for the first time in 60 years.

[Turf]

I've criticized the Pegula's, but they've gotten it right this time around with both clubs.

[swiper]

Stop your Swining.

The Pegulas have not won a Championship for Buffalo yet, but it's not like they aren't spending the money to get there.

They're totally invested in Buffalo. I don't think the people of Buffalo give Terry and Kim Pegula enough credit.

They saved 2 sports franchises from the abyss, and are the lone reason why Buffalo is booming for the first time in 60 years.

You are an idiot. You prove it just about every day on this board.