First off, it wouldn't work between the fans and Leinart. I can already picture fans b!tching up a storm whenever Leinart would struggle. I'm talking, "Oh, the guy is from California and he can't possibly play in the cold. He's Hollywood and he only cares about being a celebrity. He's not blue-collar enough for me and Jim Kelly must be rolling over in his grave." It would be a disaster waiting to happen.
Secondly, Leinart is a media whore, who is in love with being a celebrity (C-List, of course), because he can goto clubs and hang out on red carpets (Think the opening of ESPN Zone in Omaha). He is all about getting his mug plastered on the back pages of US Weekly. Sorry, but Matty boy isn't going to get that sort of coverage in Buffalo.
On a side note: You know how you always hear experts say that NFL franchises should be cautious in drafting college players from the University of Texas and Penn State? Well, I'd throw USC into that mix. The whole mentality of that University is to try and make their athletes embrace a world of entitlement. Sorry, but you may play in LA, but you're no different than the athletes who play for The University of Michigan. Check your ego before you enter the NFL. Sorry, but you shouldn't be on GQ or Rims Magazine until you make a pro bowl.
Lastly, and probably the most important issue, Leinart isn't any good. The guy has been benched more times than Jeff George and has wasted a number of chances in the desert. The organization tried to spoon feed him the starting job on multiple occasions, yet, he has always managed to barf up the opportunity.
Leniart's career stats go like this: 57.1 comp, 3893 yards, 14 TD, 20 INT, 70.8 rating in 29 appearances (15 games started). That's not good. And considering that he played with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and AnquanBoldin, and couldn't even muster up a decent passer rating, should tell you more than enough about Leinart. Plus, he's making five million dollars each of the next two years, which is way too much for the Bills taste. Not to mention, he's not worth the money.
Anyways, I probably shouldn't have wasted my breathe on this post; since the Bills already denied the report. However, since this was the talk of the day, I thought I should throw in my two cents. BTW, had to love the pissing battle between Adam Schefter and the Bills regarding the report. Frankly, I'm glad the Bills called Bupkus on Schefter. Sorry, but I still haven't been able to get over Schefter planting the Shanahan seeds of interest to come to Buffalo, when we all knew he was just trying to up the ante with the Redskins.
Look, I'm not a fan of the Bills current quarterback situation and if I were to place a bet on the future, I'd think that Edwards will be gone by next year. However, the Bills next quarterback has to be someone with a clean start (2011 draft pick) or an established quarterback. Leinart doesn't fit that criteria.
BIG NEWS!!! You know how I've been teasing my big announcement regarding this site? Well, the announcement should be made by Friday. Pretty much, I'm moving to a BIGGER platform. Stay tuned.
Nothing against Drayton Florence, the guy can play and was arguably the best cornerback for the Bills last year. However, when you're going into your contract year and the other party is two years from being a 1st round pick, you have to go with youth. Before training camp, the only assumption I had towards Leodis McKelvin fighting for a job was so the Bills could get a 100% effort from him in training camp. You know, light a fire underneath him. Now that we are less than two weeks away from the start of the season, Chan Gailey hasn't blinked on giving McKelvin the job. If you look at both players statistics for the preseason, they are relatively the same. They are close in tackles and pass breakups, and really haven't made enough plays to separate themselves from each other.
Prediction: Flip a coin for this battle, but I'm going with Florence. If it was going to be McKelvin, he would have started by now during the preseason. I'll say this though, fans shouldn't get up in arms about McKelvin not starting. Sure, it's not a great sign and would signal another questionable draft choice under Tom Modrak, but it's not like he's going to ride the bench. This is a throwing league, where offenses play with 3-4 wide receiver sets. McKelvin will get on the field and should eventually take over the spot.
2) Will James Hardy get cut?
I wrote earlier in August that I felt the Bills should give Hardy every opportunity to win a job on this team. I happen to come from the old-school when it comes to being patient with draft picks. Especially when high draft picks are wide receivers. However, things aren't looking quite becoming for the former 2nd ride pick. Hardy has struggled this preseason with injuries and competition from other wide receivers like Chad Jackson and David Nelson.
Prediction: I think Hardy survives, barely. Something tells me that because Chan Gailey is an offensive minded coach, he's going to elect to have more wide receivers on the roster than normal. Dick Jauron used to be known for keeping a large amount of cornerbacks, why? Because he's a defensive back coach by trait. When Mike Mularkey was the head coach, he had seven wide receivers on the roster at one point, why? Because he's an offensive minded coach. Not to mention, it's not like there's a wide range of outstanding wideouts on this squad. Really? Are you that impressed with Stevie Johnson? Besides Lee Evans, the majority of these wideouts don't seem to have much upside and because of Hardy being a former 2nd round pick, it should allow him to stay.
Rapid fire questions
3)Will Aaron Maybin start a game this year?
Seriously? Chris Ellis and some dude named Torbor are playing ahead of Maybin? Something tells me that with the injury history of Ellis and the fact that Torbor is a journeyman, Maybin will eventually start a game.
4) Will a Buffalo defensive player get more than 10 sacks?
Marcus Stroud's career best for sacks in a season was 6.5 for the Jags during the 2002 season. Doesn't seem like a lot, does it? Well, that tops the most sacks by anyone for a season on the Bills roster. Judging by the Bills no-named outside linebackers, which are normally the players that would lead the team in sacks in a 3-4 defense, the Bills won't get past 10.
5) Will CJ Spiller get over 1,100 yards rushing?
Yes! Spiller is the talk of the preseason and because of his talent, I can't see the Bills not giving him 15-20 carries a game. When he was first drafted, I thought the Bills were getting their version of Reggie Bush, a guy that would return kicks and catch passes out of the backfield. I know it's still early, but Spiller looks like our version of Chris Johnson and I think he's the type of back that can average almost five yards a carry.
I hate the New York Jets. I hate their wannabe GQ, overrated quarterback. I hate their stupid, young, immature fans, who act like the franchise has set the foundation for winning, even though they haven't won a title in 40 plus years. I hate the Fire Marshall Bill guy and the stupid J-E-T-S chant. Can you tell I have a lot of built up anger towards them?
Now, there is one thing that I do like about the Jets and that's the show "Hard Knocks" on HBO. It's a funny and compelling, albeit, probably half-fixed show. However, the one thing the series accomplishes is that it gives the team a higher profile. Considering how much I hate the preseason, the show would give me something to look forward to in August, which leads me to the premise of my article: Why should the Bills be featured on Hard Knocks?
Now, before I get emails that the Bills and the NFL wouldn't want to do business with each other, lets just pretend that both parties involved were chomping at the bit. So, without further ado, here are five reasons why HBO and the Buffalo Bills should get together.
5) Storyline
Normally for the Hard Knocks series, the show always has a tendency to make the 52nd and 53rd man on the roster resemble a "Rudy" type character. However, do we really care about that roster spot? Its not like the guy is going to do anything for your football team. Frankly, the underdog teammate has been played out and beaten to death on the series and in every lame football movie made. However, with the Bills, you wouldn't have to endure the "Rudy" crap. Of the Bills 22 starting positions, five of those jobs (QB, tight end, wide receiver, OLB and corner) were up for battle this training camp. That would make for some compelling television when it comes to team evaluation meetings. Not to mention, you'd have a few versions of Vernon Gholston on the team (James Hardy and Aaron Maybin). Do I even have to mention Marshawn Lynch's popularity with the city? Trust me, there are some subplots on this team that could get exploited.
4) Ralph Wilson
Since the series debuted with the Baltimore Ravens, the ownership of every team that has been featured has had a prominent role on the show. Guys like Jerry Jones, Woody Johnson and Mike Brown have been viewed as the Snooki of the series. The show is pretty much dictated around the coaches and upper management. They are the ones that set the tone for the series. So, with that being said, wouldn't you be interested in seeing how Ralph Wilson would act around his coaches and players? The Bills have pretty much hid Ralph Wilson from the general public and some have viewed him as being a guy that just doesn't care anymore. Something tells me that if Ralph was put in a situation where we would see him at work, many fans would be able to see that he actually cares. Hey, you never know, maybe Ralph Wilson can be viewed in the same light as Betty White. You gotta understand, old people are in right now for television shows.
3) Do you really like this team?
Here's the biggest accomplishment that the series has done for each player featured: You actually get to know them beyond the bogus press clippings that they offer to the media. I don't know about you, but how many players on this Bills team do you like? Lee Evans, CJ Spiller and Eric Wood....maybe George Wilson? That's really all I can come up with. So, I think if you were to see players open up about their interests off the field and what they would want to contribute to the team, a Buffalo fan would really be open to it.
Let me just put it this way: The other day on Twitter, Chad Ochocinco was tweeting about his take over of an Apple Store at the Galleria Mall. Fellow Twitter members from Buffalo were going ape sh#t about it. Hell, you would have thought Obama was going to Duffs and buying wings again. I've always said, the best way for an athlete to get to the heart of the typical Buffalo fan is to just blow up the city as if it were Las Vegas. So, wouldn't it be cool if someone like Stevie Johnson or Trent Edwards decided to hangout on Chippewa street and enjoy the finer things in life? I think if that content makes air (PG-13 version), fans would like this team a whole lot more.
2) Sell tickets
OK, lets be honest: If you were a Jets fan watching Rex Ryan swear up and down the sideline, it would make you want to go out and buy tickets. The HBO series is the epitome of what I hate about training camp and preseason football: It's pure hype beyond control. It's all about having the 45th guy on the roster look like a million bucks. Hell, the first episode of the show made some damn rookie fullback, named The Terminator, look like a billion bucks. That's hype.
Now, just think of the ways Chan Gailey has enhanced football in August for fans. He told a bunch of kids to get lost by defending his long haired, sideburn quarterback. He must have broken out the 1950's manual on "How to have an intense training camp." In a nut shell: Fans have reacted quite positively towards Gailey's methods.
Can you imagine if we had a weekly show dedicated to Gailey reaming out his players? Telling his guys that they were sloppy? Telling them that they have to get better?
As someone who works in television, I can tell you from firsthand experience that those soundbites would be exploited to the max. Hell, forget about the T.O. hype from last year, this would surely get Buffalo fans excited about the upcoming season.
1) Boosting the popularity
Face facts: The Buffalo Bills aren't even a blip on the radar of the national media. No one cares about us. Not ESPN, not Sports Illustrated, not even the NFL. I know that most Buffalonians may not care if they aren't getting the plug nationally (Think NHL to ESPN), but I like to talk junk to fellow New Yorkers about the Bills. If I could go up to them and look for respect (which they don't give anyway), maybe they would tell me that Chan Gailey really impresses them through the Hard Knocks series.
OK, I know what you're thinking: Who cares about your damn banter with New Yorkers?!!?
Fine. However, the bottom line would be that the TV show would make the Bills become a focal point during the preseason. There always seems to be a water cooler moment for football fans when it comes to the Hard Knock series. Sure, a lot of it has to do with mega markets like Dallas (twice featured on the show) and New York, but if the show is produced to its fullest in hype, then maybe the Bills could get that sort of PR. Hell, any publicity is good publicity.
Since Trent Edwards all but wrapped up the starting quarterback job for the Bills (Even though it wasn't much of an open competition), the biggest question now on the QB depth chart is deciding who should be the back-up. From the looks of it, Ryan Fitzpatrick seems like the guy that is going to get the nod. Now, I'm sure Gailey is going to give a very long look at Brian Brohm on Thursday against the Lions. However, I think it makes sense to go with Fitzpatrick as the #2 quarterback when the season starts.
I know, all summer I've been hoping for Brohm to take the #2 job because he represents the unknown. However, I'm now changing my tune and it has to do with Trent Edwards. If the Bills are as confident in Edwards as they seem to be regarding his preseason performance, then the job should go to Fitzpatrick.
Statistically speaking, both quarterbacks have almost the same stats for the preseason (Brohm: 14 of 22 for 125 yards. Fitzpatrick: 15 of 23 for 138 yards). The only difference is that Fitzpatrick has guided the Bills to touchdowns (3), while Brohm has been getting Rian Lindel some kicking work (2 FGs).
However, the stats have nothing to do with why I'd go with Fitzpatrick.
When you have an unquestioned #1 quarterback and lets be fair here, Edwards has totally outplayed the field, then you would want the back-up to give you every opportunity to win if called upon because of injury. That's a role that Fitzpatrick is better at. Even with Brohm being billed as the unknown, the unknown would now hurt the Bills if they see Edwards as being the true starter, because he now has the most upside. When your starter has upside, then there's no need to have the back-up posses the same quality. Fitzpatrick is a sure thing, albeit, not a great option, but he's still someone that can win a game or two. I'm not sure if you'd get that with Brohm.
Now, I want everyone to understand that I'm still skeptical about the quarterback situation. Everything looks good so far, but we are judging their performances by preseason accomplishments. If the quarterbacks play like they did last year, then the quarterback depth chart is meaningless because everyone will more than likely have a chance to play.
However, in the meantime, if Edwards is the unquestioned #1 option, you would want a veteran to be the back-up. As for Levi Brown, I couldn't even tell you a highlight he has had during the exhibition season, besides his Twitter page. Look for him to be on the Bills practice squad come September.
Now, there have been some reports that the Bills may just cut one of the two options in Brohm or Fitz, but I just can't see them doing that. Especially with Trent's injury history.
-Wohoo!!! 2nd to last preseason game in the record books!!! Did I ever tell you that I hate preseason football? OK, for a preseason game, it became a statement game. It's still preseason and in order to write about the game, I must pretend that I care about the exhibition season. Alright, I'm lying, I cared about tonight's game and was very impressed with the offense. Hopefully, this will be a prelude for things to come, but I remain skeptical because it's...well, you know--
-Love him or hate him, you gotta give it up to Trent Edwards for his play during the preseason. Over the last two games, he went from Captain Check down to Captain Jack Sparro; guiding the Bills to five preseason touchdowns. He capped off tonight's outing by completing 13 of 17 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. When Edwards can work those 10-12 yard routes, he's pretty affective. Now, two of Edwards touchdown drives went against some second-teamers, but he still played well against the Bengals starters earlier. Another stat going for Edwards was how he averaged over 10 yards a completion, which is impressive for a quarterback not known to stretch the field-
-Beyond the stats, the Trent Edwards that we saw tonight was a guy that was full of confidence, who stepped into the pocket and didn't stare down the pass rush like last year. He also didn't get flustered by looking at one read and then dumping it off to the running back. He took his time in the pocket and completed passes to his 3rd and 4th reads. That's progress, folks-
-After a strange start for CJ Spiller, who was running backwards instead of forward, he ended up putting on a show for the rest of the half by gaining 85 yards in total offense (52 rushing and 33 receiving) and two touchdowns. The guy is so explosive that when he gets the ball in his hands, look out! Something tells me that I'm going to need a dictionary to figure out more ways to describe Spiller's running ability. The guy is a gamer and I can't recall a rookie having a better preseason for the Bills-
-On a side note about Spiller: He touched the ball for a total of 14 times in the first half, which would be the around the number I would expect him to get during a regular season game. Have to wonder if the Bills plan on adding to that number when the regular season starts. I'll admit, seeing the guy run, makes me want to see him play every down. However, I think it would behove the Bills to bring him on slowly-
-To think that Spiller had minus 16 yards on his first three carries and was still able to get to 52 yards by halftime is quite impressive. What is even more impressive is that Chan Gailey didn't lose confidence in his back and just kept feeding him the rock. Something tells me that if Dick Jauron were still the coach, he would have taken Spiller out of the game for not wanting him to lose confidence or get hurt-
-I'll be damned! The Bills ran two successful screen plays! And these weren't crappy 4-5 yard gains or check downs. We are talking about gains of 22 and 18 yards. To think, slow ass Corey McIntyre got 18 yards on a screen pass. That should tell you that the Bills executed the play to perfection-
-I'll be damned #2?!? Roscoe Parrish finally showed something in the passing game by catching 4 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. What made Parrish more affective tonight was being put in position to make plays after the catch. That's how the Bills have to use the Miami product. He's not going to be a possession receiver, but if he's put in position to make runs after the catch, he's going to be dangerous. Just get the guy in open space and you may have found a nice slot receiver-
-I'll say this: I'm so looking forward to see what the Bills will do with the wildcat offense when Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch return from injury. The biggest reason why the formation worked in Miami had to do with defenses not being sure who would get the ball in the backfield. When you have two dynamic backs like Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, it makes it difficult for defenses to hone in on two players who might get the ball. I can't think of a reason why the Bills running backs can't duplicate the same success-
-So...who is still excited about the Bills 3-4 defense?! Yeah, me neither. Look, preseason or not, allowing six touchdowns against the opposition's first team offense isn't something you can just chalk up to August football rust. The Bills biggest weakness on defense are their linebackers, who can can't cover tight ends or rush the passer. My advice: If you have a tight end on your fantasy football and he's going against the Bills, you should start him....immediately! Other than my fantasy advice, it's going to be a long learning process for the Bills to transition to a 3-4 defense-
-Memo to Bills secondary: Maybe when Drayton Florence compared himself to Mr. Freeze, he didn't realize that the 4th Batman film was a complete flop and that The Terminator didn't do justice in playing the role of the villain. The Bills secondary got burned tonight by Palmer and company and should probably ease up on the trash talking on Twitter-
-Are you a little concerned that Lee Evans caught only one pass?
-Jordan and Carson Palmer= Johnny Drama and Vincent Chase (Entourage)-
-You know things are going great for the Bills when you read the box score to see that James Hardy caught a pass for 30 yards and Aaron Maybin had a sack. Good job, boys! It's just too bad that you can't play against second-teamers, who will be bagging groceries when the regular season starts. All kidding aside, good showing from Maybin-
-OK, can we please stop with the name calling of the kids who decided to make immature comments about Trent Edwards' California and hair roots? For god sakes, I heard WGR's Paul Hamilton mention the following: "The action of these kids are a testament to the youth of America for lacking respect." HUH!? Really? Hasn't your station made a killing off of trashing teams, athletes and callers? Talk about lack of respect. Can you say kettle calling the pot black?-
-The big controversy on Twitter yesterday was how the NHL is trying to kill off bloggers from going to the visiting locker rooms after games. Yeah, that's a great way to kill off a media source that actually loves to cover your sport. The NHL are lucky to have such a strong blogging community and should realize that main media outlets don't give a crap about the sport. God forbid if ESPN gives the NHL five minutes a day on Sportscenter-
-I've never been one to get into this whole New Media vs Old Media war. I really don't get it-
-So, I watched ESPN's 30 for 30 on Michael Jordan playing baseball in the summer of 1994. I have to say, that was the biggest Michael Jordan kiss ass spectacle since fans and critics told the world that MJ's cologne smelled great-
-Someone may have wanted to tell the director that Jordan stunk in baseball and that he wasn't Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders. Hell, he wasn't even Drew Henson, Jeff Samardzija, or Fox's Celebrity Boxers-
-Gotta give Buddy Nix credit for coming out and being direct about his review of Trent Edwards: "Trent had the best camp and has the most talent." At least he's shooting from the hip, even though I'm not sure I agree with him on the talent part. Alright, he's probably correct-
-I'm sure you all know that I hate preseason, but there is just something about this game against Cinncy that I'm actually intrigued about. I think it has to do with Owens and OchoCinco going up against the Bills trio of McKelvin, Florence and McGee. Of course, knowing that this is the 2nd to last preseason game may be the reason why I'm looking forward to it-
-Would I be a tool for deciding to buy the Jill Kelly book??? (Thinking)...Forget it! I'm not doing it-
-Am I the only person in America that hasn't seen the movie Inception? It's weird, because I wanted to see it for over a year after I saw the original preview. I just have to motivate myself to get to a theater-
-The more I think about it, the more I think Lee Evans can be a steal in fantasy football drafts. Remember, there's no T.O. to take away catches and looks from Evans. Plus, having a real offensive coordinator calling the plays shouldn't hurt-
-You want a sleeper for Fantasy Football? Donovan McNabb. OK, he's not much of a sleeper, but he's listed as the 11th QB on Yahoo, and considering what Shanahan has done with QBs, you should take a stab at him. Hell, under Mr. Fake and Bake, Bryan Griese and Jake Plummer passed for 24 and 27 touchdowns in a season. Imagine what he can do with #5?-
-Alright, let me give you one more: Malcom Floyd. It doesn't look too promising that Vincent Jackson is going to show up in San Diego any time soon, which means Rivers is going to have to throw the ball to someone other than Gates-
-I'm in a good mood, so here's one more sleeper: Chris Chambers. He played pretty well for the Chiefs down the stretch last year; catching 17 passes for 278 yards in his final four games. He's actually going undrafted in a lot of leagues, but I still think he'd be a good pick-up late-
-I can't wait till the season opener for the Bills. Look, I know I haven't given the team a snowball chance in hell at making the playoffs, but I truly do love football. I get butterflies just thinking about Week 1. It's awesome and I just love the scene more than anything in sports-
- For week 1, I'm going to a Bills backers bar in NYC called McFaddens. It's on 42nd and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan. If you're ever in NYC during football season, you have to check the place out. It's literally like walking into a bar in Buffalo. Labatt Blue on tap (No NYC bar has Blue), cheesy 80's rock playing on the loud speakers, and all you can eat wings and beer for 25 bucks. Not to mention, they have like 14 TVs that only plays Bills games-
-Hey, did you know that you can hear me on show called "BSN After Hours" on Tuesday nights at 10:30? Well, now you know and your job is to spread the word. Make sure you save the link-
-BTW, I have to give props to BSN and Sal Capaccio for having me on their Justin.TV channel. You can of course listen to Coach Sal's show every Tuesday at 9:30, where he talks about Bills happenings.
-HUGE plans are coming up for my blog, and that's all you get for now-
-OK, lets just say that I'll be moving on up...so, stay tuned.-
Judging by the headline you probably think I'm going to bash Wilson's spending habits. Well, not today, but I may have a blog about that in the near future. However, this blog is about whether Ralph Wilson's vision of creating a football team is up to date. Actually, it's more like dissecting the way Ralph Wilson would construct his team.
Before I get into Ralph's blueprint for a football team, I just want to make one thing perfectly clear: Ralph Wilson will always have a say in personnel. Jerry Sullivan has mentioned it a bunch of times on how Ralph was all over the drafting of Marshawn Lynch and Trent Edwards. Plus, there's a reason why Tom Modrak is still with the organization: He gets along with the owner. Bottom line: Ralph has a major say.
From one owner to another, fans and media members who follow the Oakland Raiders have mentioned that Al Davis always sticks to his guns for the way he builds his teams. Since the 60's, the emperor of Raiders Nation has always been in love with the following:
1) The vertical passing game.
2) Strong armed quarterbacks.
3) Loves speed more than a drug addict and Richard Petty.
4) Loves cornerbacks.
Now, over the years, Davis has been getting a ton of backlash from fans and media for being hard headed with his ways. Seven straight seasons of 10 losses or more will do that to you. I can only assume that Davis won't change his ways because he has three Super Bowl rings as the architect of the Raiders. So, who would know better to construct a Super Bowl team than someone that has multiple championships? I'm sure that's Al's thought process. It's funny when you listen to the owner's interviews. For instance, he spoke to reporters on how Jason Campbell reminds him of Jim Plunket. Al always seems to reach into the old memory bank to compare his players of today to yesteryears. I can't help but think that maybe another original AFL owner might have the same thought process.
Like Davis, Wilson has been around football for over five decades and I think his criteria of building a football team may have stayed the same. Here are a few football philosophies that I have come up with about Wilson:
1) Ralph Wilson loves running backs. Since 1997, the Bills have drafted five running backs in the first two rounds of the draft (A. Smith, Travis Henry, Willis McGahee, Marshawn Lynch and CJ Spiller), which ties for the most backs selected by a team (Carolina Panthers) in those rounds.
2) Ralph Wilson doesn't care about tight ends. Since 1985, the highest the Bills have drafted a tight end was in the 2nd round (the immortal Lonnie Johnson)
3) Ralph Wilson doesn't use first round picks on quarterbacks as much as you think.
4) Ralph Wilson use to NOT pay for cornerbacks.
My View on Wilson's love for running backs I'm sure we all know how many experts and fans have spoken up about running backs being a dime a dozen. I could give a list of pro bowl running backs that have been selected on day two of the NFL draft. So, why do the Bills continue to draft running backs in the 1st round and give $31-million in guarantee money to Lynch and Spiller?
Maybe, because Ralph Wilson selected OJ Simpson with first pick of the 1969 NFL Draft. Think about it, before Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas walked onto the field at the Stadium, OJ Simpson was "Thee Guy" in Bills folklore. He made a lot of money for Ralph Wilson and was the sort of player you would pay to see. Wilson may think that lightning may strike twice by drafting running backs so high.
Now in fairness, Wilson has actually had a nice track record with picking up running backs early in the draft. Now, when I say that, I'm disregarding off the field issues (OJ with the missing glove and Marshawn Lynch with the missing license plates). Joe Cribbs and Thurman Thomas were former 2nd round picks who played exceptionally well for the Bills. Say what you will about McGahee, but when he started for the Bills in 2004, he was as dynamic of a running back as you can get.
Bottom line: Even though you can find a running back off the streets or late in the draft, Mr. Wilson isn't about to test that theory.
My view on Ralph Wilson not caring for tight ends I could go on forever about my disdain towards the way the Bills have treated the tight end position. Do we even know who our starting tight end is this year?!! The Bills have never had a tight end go over 70 catches or 700 yards for a season and I couldn't even tell you the last time one went over 100 yards in a game.
Now, back in the 60's, 70's and 80's the tight end position hardly ever made a impact in the passing game. Hell, I couldn't even name you five tight ends that played during that time frame. The reason being is that tight ends were hardly used in the passing game and were mostly used for blocking.
Did you know that up until 1994, only four tight ends had gained over a 1,000 yards in an NFL season? Like..EVER?! I'm talking 70 years worth!
Those players were Kellen Winslow Sr., Ozzie Newsome, Joe Senser and Todd Christensen. Not to mention, there were no tight ends that went over 1,000 yards during the 70's. Last year alone, three tight ends went over the 1,000 yard mark. Do I even need to really dissect the history of the tight end for the Bills? Robert Royal? Lonnie Johnson? Mark Campbell? Keith McKellar?
And I'm sorry, I know there are some Pete Metzelaars fans up in here, but the guy was awful in the passing game. He would do the same thing every time he caught a football. You know how in school they would teach you that if you get catch on fire, you should just fall to the ground and roll? Well, that's how Metzelaars would react after catching a pass. He'd make a reception 5-7 yards down the field and then he'd just drop to the ground and roll. Yes, I know, he's a great blocker and Jim Kelly loved him.
Back to the present, and in a nutshell, lets just say that if you play fantasy football, more than likely, a Bills tight end isn't going to be on your roster. I don't know what gives with the Bills, but the team has failed to utilize their tight ends. One would assume that drafting guys in the 5th round or cutting Joe Klopefenstein 10 times aren't the answers. Again, I'd like to think that RW understands that the tight end position has evolved over the years. However, judging by the production, it doesn't seem like he does.
My view on Ralph Wilson using first round picks on QBs Honestly, this is probably the weakest reason for figuring out Wilson's methods of building a team. The Bills owner has had mixed results in using first round picks on quarterbacks. However, when he hits on them, it's blackjack and when he doesn't hit, it's a HUGE bust.
Here's the strange thing about Wilson and the history of starting quarterbacks for the Bills: If I were to ask you to take a guess on "how has the franchise found their starting quarterbacks?" I'd bet that 7 out of 10 people would say that the team has mostly drafted a QB in the first round.
Actually, it's not really the case.
In the Bills 51 years in existence, they have only drafted three quarterbacks in the first round: Richie Lucas (1960), Jim Kelly (1983) and JP Losman (2004). Now, the Bills had traded two first round picks for quarterbacks (Rob Johnson in 1998 and Drew Bledsoe in 2002). So really, the Bills haven't addressed the quarterback via the first round as much as we have probably thought. I'm not sure where the thought process is nowadays for the Bills. They haven't drafted a quarterback in the first round since 2004 and NFL teams for the most part, besides the Saints and Patriots, have starting QBs who were drafted in the first round. My view on Ralph Wilson NOW paying for cornerbacks I use to always give Wilson crap for using first round picks on cornerbacks; only to let them leave after their rookie deals expired. Guys like Antoine Winfield, Nate Clements, Thomas Smith, and Jeff Burris were all first round picks that didn't see 2nd contracts from the Bills. You can also include Nate Odomes and Jabari Greer in that mix.
That changed last year. Wilson did the unthinkable by giving Terrence McGee a multi-year contract extension. I don't know what made Wilson decide to change things up. It's interesting, because this day and age, the referees are calling a lot more illegal contact penalties down the field and cornerbacks are now being pushed to the back burner of team requirements. Bill Parcells (Who I hold a candle to) said that he would never spend a high draft pick on a cornerback because of how the NFL rules are now more in favor of the receivers than the corners. Hey, the NFL wants a passing league and will do everything to get the job done.
So, maybe Ralph is done with the whole drafting corners in the first round and that's why he extended McGee. Then again, if corners are being downgraded, then why give a lucrative contract extension to McGee?
BTW, I'm sure a lot of you would have mentioned paying mega bucks for coaches and more scouts, but for this blog, I decided to go about it on the field.
Moments after the Bills' final practice at training camp, head coach Chan Gailey walked over towards the stands and chewed out a group of teenage fans that were heckling some of the players, most notably quarterback Trent Edwards.
After telling the fans the players wouldn't be signing their autographs, he offered this parting shot:
"You dog one of us, you dog all of us!"
Gailey also told the fans, who stood in stunned silence, the players would not be coming to sign autographs for them.
”They said some things during practice that were derogatory to a couple of our players,'' Gailey explained to the media a few minutes later. "And if you say something derogatory to one of us you say it to all of us, so I told [the players] not to sign for that group.''
Perhaps Gailey would have been wise to rise above the taunts, but he defended his position.
"In my opinion, if you do something you tell people why,'' he said. "When we make a decision with our football team, I tell them why. I told [the players] why we weren't going to [sign autographs] and I told [the group of fans] why we weren't coming over there.” -Allen Wilson of the Buffalo News-
Mind of Joe Well, Chan Gailey decided to do his version of the Soup Nazi by saying "No autographs for you!?!" When I first heard the news, I was a little disappointed in Gailey for telling a bunch of kids to pipe down. It just reeked of being thin-skinned. Then, after I thought about it, I just couldn't help but think, "Seriously, you're going to practice to boo these guys?" That was just a little bit too much for me. I mean, we are talking about practice here ( Allen Iverson's voice).
BTW, I don't think it was a isolated situation either. If you don't follow Kawika Mitchell on Twitter, he actually tweeted about not liking it when fans boo the Bills during training camp sessions. So, this was probably building up for weeks with this squad. So, if I'm forced to pick a side in all this, I'll go with Gailey. Fans shouldn't be booing players during practice.
Hell, these guys are going to end up giving autographs to you; so, you should be a little nicer to them. Now, when the regular season starts and the team is playing like complete garbage and you paid your money for a ticket, then all bets are off. I just hope that this episode wasn't about Gailey being thin-skinned and more about showing team unity. Gailey better understand that when November hits and the Bills might be struggling, the catcalls from Ralph Wilson Stadium are going to be much worse than some teenagers heckling Trent Edwards' hair.
Now, here is where you and I will probably not see eye to eye. All this talk about loving this move because Gailey is preaching team unity or whatever, is kind of a little overkill. Sure, it's cool and all, but some fans and media memembers were acting like they were listening to Knute Rockne telling his players "to win one for the Gipper." I know it's preseason and a lot of Bills fans are looking for any silver lining to be optimistic about this season. Yes, Gailey's training camps are harder than his predecessors, which has been the battle cry. However, to say that this is going to bring the team together?
Seriously?
Don't we remember the last three years? Didn't all the players love Dick Jauron? Didn't the players talk about the team being a big old happy family? Didn't all the players want to fight for Dick Jauron's job? Didn't Dick Jauron defend his players? And what did team unity get us?
Nothing.
Yes, call me "Mr. Negative" all you want, but I'm waiting for the season to start to pass judgement. Hell, I'm waiting till year two of Chan Gailey's regime to see if progress is being made. Sorry, but for me, it's a rebuilding job and we haven't even seen a regular season game yet to really call what we have here. Trust me, I'm not trying to crap on Gailey, but I just want to reserve judgement till later.
Now, if these are the sort of qualifications that get Bills fans excited about the team, then I think I'd be a good coach during the preseason! Hell, I'm fiery! I can tell a bunch of punks to get lost and not to mess with my guys. I can make my players practice until they drop. Again, talk to me down the road. I think it's fair for me to grade Gailey when the season actually starts.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't buy or sell training camp hype. I could go over a 100 stories in the last 10 years that have made fans glow with optimism over things they saw in August. From Gregg Williams being a X's and O's coach to Rob Johnson looking good in the west coast offense, it's all a bunch of PR fluff.
Bottom line: The Bills can sign camp fires all they want, but they still need the talent.
I'm back at BSN doing my weekly spot on "BSN After Hours." It's broken up into two parts...Here's what we tackled: 1) Do you miss T.O.? 2) Buffalo Bills memories 3) Even "Coach" Sal Capaccio comes through with some of his favorite memories 4) My rant on games in Toronto
Admit it!...OK, even I can't admit it, but don't you kind of miss Terrell Owens? Yes, I'm writing a blog about him because he and Chad OchoCinco are coming to town for the preseason tilt this weekend. Look, I'd be the last person to feed into T.O.'s gigantic ego. I totally think he used Buffalo as much as we used him for football by suckering our city into being his opening montage for his reality TV career. Honestly, I was pretty much cool with the guy until his whole ditching of practice to venture into Toronto for a autograph session. However, even though I dumped T.O., like many jilted lovers, I still think about him once in a blue moon (Cue the tears).
Yes, I'll admit, I had flashbacks after watching T.O. do his best self-promotion with OchoCinco on ESPN and during their preseason game. Even still, that really didn't get me going that much. What got me was when he wrote a personal letter to the city of Cincinnati a personal; telling fans to mark February 6th (The Super Bowl) on their calender. He also mentioned a number of other pleasantries, but that was the one that stuck with me.
Ah, yes....the hype machine is in full effect in Ohio and I kind of miss that for WNY.
Look, anyone who says that they were the sole voice of reason against Owens signing here and didn't envision a more exciting offense are full of it. Sure, some will claim that the offensive line was in flux going into last season. However, in 2008, the Bills biggest problem was easy to dissect: The offense didn't put enough points on the board and were easily defended in the passing game. Owens seemed like a missing ingredient.
In all honestly, all the hoopla you hear from people in media about how the Owens signing was a waste were just pissed off because he didn't give them any sort of bulletin board material that they were all hoping for. Now, these people weren't saying that in December, instead, they were going full anti-Owens in the fall. Frankly, Owens was dull as s#!t with the media and was highly resented by the press core because of that.
Another thing that I kind of missed about the old battle axe was how he made Buffalo seem more relevant. Yes, I know, by November of last year, Owens was nothing more than a after thought in the national media. However, from March to September, I could actually carry a conversation with these damn idiot New Yorkers, who didn't know diddly pooh about the Bills.
You have to understand, I'm envious of most of my readers who are living in Buffalo. They can go to their jobs or schools and just turn around to their fellow classmate or worker, and just shoot the s#$t about the Bills. You think I can talk to anyone about Chan Gailey or Buddy Nix? Hell, no, because everyone wants to talk about Rex Ryan swearing his brains out on HBO. T.O. was my only way to carry a conversation with these idiots. I miss being able to do that.
There's a reason why I'm in every single Buffalo News chat. I know most of you will think that I'm just trying to stir s#$t up or be heard, but it's really about hearing people talk about the Bills. That's honestly the thing I miss the most about not living in Buffalo: it's being able to talk local sports. Besides the whole conversing with New Yorkers, I didn't mind being able to turn on ESPN and hear the talking heads speak about Buffalo.
Now, the big question, what could Owens bring to the Bills this year? Well, I'm sure he'd be a better option than Stevie Johnson or whoever the hell is going to be the 2nd option on this team. However, the Bills are rebuilding and with Owens being at the end of the line, starting him would only stunt the growth of the other young wide receivers. Plus, you don't add a guy like Owens to your team when you are rebuilding a team.
So, there. I miss the hype of Owens, but I totally get why it's better for the Bills to move on and retool without him. I still think he used the city of Buffalo to propel his reality TV star to the heavens, but at least he kind of made it fun...up until the start of last season.
--Well, that was an entertaining preseason game. The Bills 1st team finally got off the snide by scoring their first preseason touchdown in two years. Yes, TWO FRICKEN YEARS!? The defense got an interception return for a touchdown and Trent Edwards actually completed a deep throw to Lee Evans. Oh, and that guy CJ Spiller, he can change direction faster than a blind man driving a car. All in all, it was a lot better effort than last week's debacle--
--Look, before we get into the quarterbacks, I just have to say that I didn't understand the coverage of this being "Brohm's last stand." First off, how the hell would you give the starting job to Brohm after playing with a bunch of 2nd and 3rd string guys? Sorry, but you needed to see what Brohm would look like with the starters. Like I wrote earlier this week, this quarterback competition has been completely flawed from the get go. It's going to be Edwards starting against Miami, and that decision was made a looooong time ago--
--For Trent, he played OK. He finally completed a long touchdown pass to Lee Evans. It's so funny for fans to be able to see a long bomb completed by the Bills because it reminds me of a cavemen discovering fire. Its like, "Wow, the forward pass!?" Edwards was also able to work the 10-12 yard pass patterns to Roscoe Parrish and he didn't seem to let the pass rush affect his game this week. Hey, it's baby steps for Edwards and for one week, his biggest antagonists (me and everyone in Buffalo) will have to give it a rest--
--As for Brohm, he played well and showed that he can make some NFL throws (He had great touch on the long completion to Chad Jackson towards the end of the first half). However, you still have to get touchdowns and that's something that Fitzpatrick was able to get against the Redskins. You know who Brohm reminded me of? What Trent Edwards looked like two years ago. He was able to complete a bunch of passes, but he just didn't stretch the field enough. Brohm was effecient, completing 14 of 21 passes for 125 yards. Again, though, he has to get the team in the endzone...or better yet, have him start a preseason game so we can see what he looks like against NFL starters--
--Overall, I really don't know who the Bills are going to pick as their #2 or #3 quarterback. And frankly, I'm not sure what I would do either. I know they have a couple more weeks before they make final cuts, but if it were up to me, I'd go with Brohm over Fitzpatrick. You gotta go with the guy that has more upside. We already know what we get with Fitzpatrick and that's a career backup. As for Levi Brown, I still don't know what the Bills have with him and even though he has a real funny Twitter page, he's still a 7th round rookie. Honestly, I'd just try and keep all the veterans, then try and sneak Brown onto the practice squad--
--OK, enough about the quarterbacks, let us get to the guy that really got our blood pumping tonight: CJ Spiller. The dude has some killer moves. Just hooking, jiving and changing direction on a drop of a dime. Like I've said all along, he's that homerun threat for the Bills, who can take it to the house at any time. Spiller's 31-yard touchdown run, where he avoided three would be tacklers, was just sick. He carried the ball 10 times for 54 yards and proved that he may be able to carry the load. Yes, it was only 10 carries, but Gailey didn't try nursing his carries and gave it to him a bunch in the first half, which may prove that the coach may see Spiller as being more than just a change of pace back. Again, it's going to be interesting to see what the Bills are going to do with the carry distribution for their running backs when Jackson and Lynch get back--
--Thought the first team defense played...eh...OK? I guess. Yes, Manning did guide the Colts to two touchdown drives and the offense was money on 3rd down, but the Bills did make some nice defensive plays. Throw in a Terrence McGee 78-yard interception return for a touchdown and some nice run stuffing plays by Kyle Williams behind the line of scrimmage and it didn't go too bad. I still would like to see more pressure on the opposing quarterbacks, but I'm not holding my breath on that--
--Memo to Bills defensive coaches: I don't want to see Paul Posluzny cover running backs 30-yards down the field. That's my biggest fear for the Bills defense: How are their linebackers going to do in pass coverage? It scares me to think of Chris Kelsay and Poz covering backs and tight ends--
--2nd Memo to Bills defensive coaches: Please teach Donte Whitner how to tackle. There is just no excuse for Whitner to whiff on Addai's 17-yard touchdown run. If Donte wants to come out and say that the 3-4 defense is going to make him into a more aggressive safety, then please, back your talk up--
--Have to say that Chad Jackson is really making a name for himself this preseason. The catch he made before the end of the first half was one for the highlight reel. Jackson had a team-high 5 receptions for 52 yards. As of now, if you are excluding James Hardy, who we haven't seen much of, Jackson would be my pick for the Bills 4th wide receiver. I still think Hardy deserves to make this team--
--Was it just me, or didn't the main camera for this game seem a little out of whack? Normally, when you are watching an NFL game, you don't really see the near sideline (The one at the bottom of the TV screen), but for this broadcast, I practically saw the player's benches and a ton of Gatorade buckets. What am I getting at? Normally, you would see the crowd, but for this broadcast, you didn't. Something tells me that the Bills broadcast team didn't want the fans at home to see the stadium half full--
--Thought Kyle Williams played a great game. He sniffed out a screen pass on the first drive and he buried Joseph Addai on a running play about 4-yards behind the line of scrimmage. If Williams can become a legit nose tackle, then this 3-4 experiment won't be looking too bad--
--Look, this has nothing to do with the first two preseason games being nothing short of a disaster for special teams. However, I warned people after the hiring of Bruce DeHaven that you shouldn't all of a sudden think that the Bills were going to resemble the early 90's version of special teams supremacy. Bruce isn't coaching Steve Tasker or Mark Pike. Plus, the Bills got rid of some of their special teams aces like Jon Corto and Justin Jenkins. I'm just saying that it is going to take time for the players to adjust to DeHaven's coaching methods. Also, it should be noted that once Tasker started to get old, DeHaven's special teams started to take a turn for the worse. Remember when Chris Berman use to say, "Oh, those Bills special teams!!?" He didn't say that as a compliment, he said it because the Bills special teams of the mid to late 90's started to go down hill. Do I even need to get into the "Music City Miracle?"--
--Ray Bentley? Gosh, how I miss the days of Gus Johnson!--
--BTW, preseason is still a complete farce. So, since the Bills got killed by the Redskins last week and most fans were ready to sell their season tickets, what is the reaction going to be after the team beat down the reigning AFC Champions? Are the Bills going to make the Super Bowl? Is Trent Edwards going to become the next Drew Brees? Again, if your attitude towards the Bills is positive or negative, don't let preseason football influence your choice. Frankly, the way I view it, having preseason football is better than not having any football...So, enjoy it--
--Lastly, there were a lot of publications in Canada declaring the "Bills in Toronto" series to be a complete disaster. Yet, the Bills came out and scored 34 points in a pretty exciting exhibition game. Hmmm....gotta wonder if Ralph Wilson told the troops that they better be entertaining since the Rogers Group ponied up 78-million dollars for these games. Something tells me that when this agreement expires, Wilson, would be lucky to even get a tour of the CN Tower--
***Also, check out my co-hosting duties with my good friends at BSN for the show known as "BSN After Hours." Scroll to the 3:30 mark. Let me know what you guys think!***
Is it just me or weren't we suppose to have a quarterback competition during Bills training camp? I'm sorry, but if I remember correctly, all I heard coming out of mini-camps was how impressive Brian Brohm looked for the Bills. I don't know about you, but when I hear the words "Quarterback competition," which is something that has been spued by Bills coaches and media members, the first thing that goes into my head is that each quarterback is going to have equal reps with the first teamers.
Of course, that hasn't been the case during Bills training camp. The pecking order (As some in the media call it) has consisted of Trent Edwards #1, Ryan Fitzpatrick #2 and Brian Brohm #3 (with both of them switching with the 2nd teams). Can someone explain to me why Edwards should be the number 1 guy? If you were to compare the stats of Edwards and Fitzpatrick over their careers, they are pretty much dead even. Now, don't give me Edwards vintage 2008 season, when he beat down some crappy teams like the Raiders, Rams and Seahawks. Sorry, but that's ancient history.
Not to mention, Edwards has a couple of strikes against him for losing his job and the confidence of his teammates. Plus, Fitzpatrick is the quarterback who guided the Bills to five of their six wins in 2009.
Frankly, if I am Fitzpatrick, I'd be pretty pissed off. Hell, he's been told it's a competition, yet, he's practicing with guys that might not even make the team. I may not be a football coach, but if you have a quarterback playing with lesser talent or the JV squad, then more than likely, he's going to have a harder time to succeed. Hence, the reason why this quarterback competition seems to be flawed. Fitzpatrick or Brohm completing passes to Lee Evans sure would make them look a lot better in practice than if they were trying to get their timing down with UB wide receivers or guys named Nelson.
Again, my assumption of having a quarterback competition resides on snaps being evenly distributed. Now, some people on my Twitter page have pointed out to me that this isn't a open competition, but rather a pecking order. Huh? What the hell does that mean? I have even had people tell me that it's not a open competition, but a regular competition. Oh, well that makes total sense! I guess an open competition means that Al Bundy can walk on the football field and gets an opportunity because he played quarterback at Polk High.
Look, I'm not the only one here who thought this was going to be a legit quarterback competition. Hell, The Buffalo News ran interviews with each of the three quarterbacks on the opening day of training camp. I'm sure if this wasn't an actual competition, those interviews would have been dwindled down to just one.
Now, let me tell you one thing: I don't care who wins the starting job. I think all three quarterbacks are mediocre and more than likely, one or three of them will eventually lose their starting jobs this season. However, the latest news is that Gailey is saying that the competition is still on, which made me wonder if this whole thing has been fair? Like I said earlier, it hasn't been. Hell, when Gailey said the competition was still on, I had totally forgetten that we were still having a QB derby.
How the hell can you justify giving the job to Brohm or Fitzpatrick, if neither has taken a snap with the first team? I remember during Dick Jauron's first year, Kelly Holcomb and JP Losman were battling for the starting job (There's a real QB controversy-ugh) and Holcomb started the first preseason game and pretty much bombed out, which left the door open for Losman to come in and take the starting job.
To me, that's how it should be settled, on an even playing field.
In all honesty, I think this whole quarterback competition was a fraud to begin with for two reasons:
1) I'm sure we all know that the Bills selling/marketing points this offseason have been about playing "tough football" (Gailey's voice) and having intense training camps. This is music to fan's ears because it's completely different than what Dick Jauron use to preach. Of course, having a open quarterback competition would only feed into the that mentality of "tough football." Plus, fans wouldn't have to stomach the inevitable of Edwards starting until the announcement was made in August, instead of May. Hey, buying season tickets might sound a lot better if you heard that the Bills were having a open competition, rather than just giving the ball to Edwards.
2) I was listening to Jerry Sullivan's appearance for WGR on Monday and he offered a very revealing comment about Ralph Wilson's thoughts on Trent Edwards. Sully said that during Edwards rookie year- when JP Losman was still the quarterback, Ralph Wilson told him that Edwards was going to be a star player and actually walked up to Trent to tell him that. Hmmm....sounds like someone in the Bills front office really wanted Edwards to succeed.
Bottom line: Sure, Edwards deserves a shot at the starting quarterback job, but it shouldn't be handed over to him on a silver platter. By having the other quarterbacks sit out preseason games and complete passes to 4th stringers, it will only help Edwards to succeed. Fitzpatrick and Brohm have every right to win the starting job. If this was legit competition, then Brohm or Fitzpatrick should be starting this Thursday against the Colts. Edwards had his chance and sucked complete ass against the Redskins. It's only fair to see what the other guys can do. Of course, it's all about smoke and mirrors for the Bills.
The Deal When the Bills announced that they were going to a 3-4 defense, I wasn't exactly enamored with the idea. Most experts believed that the Bills didn't have the personnel to make such a drastic change, especially at nose tackle. Frankly, I totally agreed with the experts because Kyle Williams doesn't seem to have the size to play as a legit nose tackle or "the fat guy" in the middle of the defense.
The nose tackle is the most important and most physically demanding position in a 3-4 defense. In other words, Kyle Williams better get a lot of ice after games. Now, before you all write me something stupid like "Jeff Wright was a small nose tackle in the Bills 3-4 defense of the 90's," I would suggest that you just save it. Sure, Wright was small, but he didn't have to battle double teams constantly because he had arguably the best defensive lineman to ever play this game lining up right next to him. Sorry, but Marcus Stroud and Dwan Edwards aren't up to that par.
I'm also not a fan of having 4-5 players on the front seven learn a new position; especially if those players are in their 30's. Plus, in order to have a legit 3-man front, you would want size to be their biggest attribute, because they are going to be facing more double teams than in a four man front. I just feel that the Bills aren't really that big up front, especially at nose tackle.
Now, the Bills coaching staff did come out and say that they were going to have different looks, mainly a 4-3 look at times. However, I still think the Bills just don't have the players yet to run an effective 3-4 scheme and frankly, even if they were still in a 4-3 defense, I wouldn't have that much confidence in the defensive line. Don't get me wrong, I think the trio of Dwan Edwards, Kyle Williams and Marcus Stroud are decent role players, but they are not game changers.
The Players
Marcus Stroud- Defensive end (Starter)
Last Year: 2.0 sacks and 56 tackles You have to give it up to Marcus Stroud for not falling into the trap that Albert Haynesworth had fallen into. Yes, he's one of the more higher paid players on the team, but when asked to make the switch from a defensive tackle to a defensive end, Stroud didn't complain and even shed weight to make the transition. Even though Stroud is taking the right steps forward in trying to fit in, the question is whether he can actually be an effective defensive end.
The pros going for Stroud is that his game is all about power and pushing offensive lineman off the ball. Those are two things that you need from your defensive ends to make a 3 down line work. You also want your defensive ends to control the run gaps, and since Stroud has made his money off being able to stop the run, he shouldn't have that big of a problem in continuing that trend.
However, two things going against Stroud is that he's getting older and may not be quick enough to make the transition to a defensive end. I would think that you would want your defensive ends to be able to get off the ball with quickness (Think Bruce Smith), and I just don't see Stroud having that first step to get around the guard or tackle on pass situations. Plus, Stroud is coming off a not so-Stroud like year. He just didn't seem to have the burst from his previous seasons, not to mention, the Bills front seven was a disaster against the run, and you can only look at your high priced players as a reason for the criticism.
Overall, I think this is going to be a very pivotal year for Marcus. He's 32-years old and is only a year removed from signing a 2-year, 16.5 million dollar contract extension. Of course, that contract was signed under a different regime and Stroud was playing in a 4-3 scheme. If Stroud struggles at defensive end this year and then you factor in his contract numbers, I think there's a possibility that he's not going to make it to year four with the club.
Kyle Williams- Nose tackle (Starter)
Last Year: 4 sacks and 66 tackles
Look, I like Kyle Williams. He was one of the few bright spots for the Bills front seven last year. He's a blue-collar type of player that plays hard on every down and is actually one of the few draft picks that made sense for Marv Levy. The Bills were smart in giving Williams a 3-year contract extension in 2008, which averaged less than $5-million per year.
With all that being said, I still think the Bills should have traded Williams in the offseason. Like I wrote earlier, most experts felt that Williams was too small to play a legit nose tackle. I just felt that if the Bills were going to overhaul their defensive scheme, they should have done the same with their personnel. Enough of this "Fit a square peg in a round hole" rhetoric that the franchise has used in recent years (Exhibit A: The position swaps of the offensive line from last year).
Well, the Bills didn't see it my way and decided that keeping Williams was the way to go. The biggest problem for Williams is that even at 300 plus pounds, his game isn't built around his power, which is something you want out of your nose tackle. KW's technique is mostly geared around speed and for him to handle the constant double teams, he's going to need more power than speed. Williams succeeding is key for the Bills to make the transition to a 3-4 work.
Dwan Edwards- Defensive end (Starter)
Last year: 1 sack and 47 tackles Edwards was the big free agent pick-up for the Bills last offseason and is coming from a loaded defense in Baltimore, where he was counted on to be nothing more than a role player. Now, with the money the Bills have given Edwards, he needs to be more than just another guy.
Edwards is considered to be a high-motored player, who plays well against the run. Again, the Bills seem to have a surplus of lineman that can play well against the run, which is good of course. However, he's not the type of player that is going to get 10 sacks a year and bring constant pressure on the quarterback. Of the three starters on the defensive line, Edwards seems to be the player that is going to be rotated the most of the lineman.
Spencer Johnson- Defensive end (Back-up)
Last year: 2 sacks and 43 tackles With the change to a 3-4 defense, Spencer Johnson now moves from defensive tackle to defensive end. Johnson is entering his third year with the Bills and has mostly played on passing downs. Look for that trend to stay the same. Johnson is a high-motored guy, who never seems to give up on a play. Of course, his problem is that he's a bit undersized and speed isn't exactly his forte.
Alex Carrington- Defensive end (Back-up)
Senior year: 9 sacks and 36 tackles Look, this isn't meant to be a knock against Carrington, but anyone who is expecting a rookie from the 3rd round to pay big dividends for the Bills this season, must be reading too many Mel Kiper books. Seriously, there are only a handful of rookies that make a legit impact during their first year and defensive lineman from the 3rd round are hardly on that list.
As for Carrington himself, a lot of draft experts felt that he was the steal of the Bills draft. He definitely seems like the heir apparent to someone like Stroud, who is on the wrong side of 30. Carrington's biggest strength is his pass rushing ability, which is something the Bills desperately lack. Look for him to be another situational player that gets playing time on passing downs. The biggest question mark involving Carrington is that he played at a small college and the competition obviously wasn't up to par because of that.
TorrellTroup- Nose tackle (Back-up)
Senior year: 2 sacks and 32 tackles Troup will probably get more playing time than Carrington because of his draft status and because he's more of a fit at nose tackle than Kyle Williams. The 2nd round pick out of Central Florida has impressive size and strength. Actually, Troup weighs almost the same amount as Williams, except he's more even proportion with his weight distribution (I have no clue what that means)
Troup can hold his ground against multiple blockers and is a very physical player, who has an excellent bull rush. From that description, he's the type of player you want to play at nose tackle. The one thing going against Troup is that he's coming from another small school and putting on weight has been an issue for him in years past. Troup isn't going to wow you with his play making abilities, but he is a space eater that the Bills desperately need.
John McCargo- Who the hell knows
0 sacks and 11 tackles
Do I really need to talk about McCargo? Here's the same guy that the Bills traded up to pick in the first round and he can't hardly get on the field. The same guy that was traded once before, but failed his physical and was returned to the Bills. Hell, I don't even know what position he would play in a 3-4 defense. He's too small to play nose tackle and he doesn't seem to have the physical presence to play at end.
Frankly, I don't even know why this guy is still on the team. Honestly, you could probably make the case that McCargo is the biggest first round bust in the last 25 years for the Bills. Yes, even bigger than Mike Williams and JP Losman. Think about it, since 1985, the Bills have drafted 25 players in the first round and 23 of them have started an NFL game for the team. Guess which two players haven't? It's Aaron Maybin (Who is only going into his second season) and John McCargo. Yes, McCargo still hasn't started an NFL game. This is the same guy that couldn't even start in front of Larry Triplett for god sakes.
Anyways, I think it would behove the Bills to just bench this guy and let the other young players (Carrington and Troup) get as much playing time as possible. Plus, he's a free agent at the end of the year and I doubt the Bills would resign him.
What to like about the defensive line
1) The Bills have a nice mix of youth and experience.
2) The starters all play well against the run.
3) They can definitely pull off a nice 6-7 man rotation; keeping their lineman fresh and giving the defense different looks.
4) The Bills should be better against the run.
What to NOT like about the defensive line
1) Marcus Stroud has the most sacks by anyone on the defensive line for a season (6.5 sacks in 2002). Not a good number.
2) Besides Carrington, none of the players are known to be pass rushers.
3) All three starters are playing in a 3-4 defense for the first time in their careers.
4) The defensive line lacks an impact player.
Overall
I think the Bills line would work so much better if they had that one guy that offenses had to game plan around. I'm talking someone like Joey Porter in his prime. They have a nice group of role guys, but they just don't seem like the type of players that are going to put the fear of god into offensive coordinators. They just need another all-pro to make this front seven work. I'll say this though, I do feel that the defensive line are much more talented than the linebacking core.
Another thing that I am worried about is that the defense is switching over to 3-4 scheme. That transformation takes time. I remember when Gregg Williams came to Buffalo and he decided to overhaul the Bills 3-4 for the "46" defense and it took the Bills two seasons to reap in the benefits of it. BTW, the defense that Williams had from 2001-2002 was just so deplorable against the run and the pass. The defense that Williams had inherited was ranked 4th in the NFL in 2000 and it bottomed out to 29th in points allowed the following year.
I think the defensive line will be much better at stopping the run than in years past, mainly, because it is the 3-4's speciality. However, I think the line will struggle at getting constant pressure on the quarterbacks. I'm talking, we would be lucky to have a defensive lineman get more than seven sacks this year.
Bottom line: I'm not looking for the defense to set records, but I'd like to see progress from the younger players. I'd like to see Carrington and Troup show signs that they can play at an NFL level; considering that they are the future of the Bills defensive line. Of course, they are rookies and that may be too much to ask for.
