Five reasons on why the Bills should do the Hard Knocks series

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.

Top 5 Reasons: Why we should be optimistic about Buffalo's quarterback situation...huh??????

Trust me, I didn't slip and hit my head on the toilet while hanging a clock and then envisioned the Flux Capacitor (That's Back to the Future humor for you). Speaking of movies, I know the Bills quarterback situation looks like the Friday the 13th Anthology. It just seems like a horror movie saga that will never die.

However, in the interest of being able to live in NYC and not have the look that my puppy just died when someone asks me about the Bills chances for next year, I've decided to try and look for any way to at least raise our curiosity level with these quarterbacks. Hey, I always try and give myself, and the reader options before we decide to commit to an asylum with the thought of watching these guys play.

And for the record, I don't think the Bills quarterbacks are going to play well, but at least, I want to try and tell you something that you may have not thought of.

5) A fine wine gets better with age

I'll be honest, I think at times, some fans, media members and yours truly have a tendency to write off younger players a little too early in their careers. Yes, Aaron Maybin was terrible last year, but he's not a bust...yet.

Look, quarterbacks aren't like stock options that have a specific date for maturity. It's not an exact science when your signal caller is going to see the light. For instance, take Drew Brees. Brees was selected in the 2nd round of the draft in 2001. He had three forgettable years to start out as a pro. The Purdue product passed for 28 touchdowns and 31 interceptions during those years.

By all intense and purposes, Brees was a bust. The Chargers decided to draft Phillip Rivers, who ended up being a rookie holdout which opened the door again for Brees. The rest was history. Brees passed for 27 touchdowns in 2004 and is now considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. I assure you, watching Brees play from 2001-2003 didn't give you the idea that this guy was going to become a star. No hints. It just happened. Actually, experience happened. The Chargers didn't add Terrell Owens or Chan Gailey to the team. Brees just got it.

There are a number of other quarterbacks over the last 25 years that have started their NFL careers on shaky ground and were left for dead. Steve Young, Kerry Collins, Alex Smith and Doug Flutie are ones that come to mind. In the end, Trent Edwards is still a young player and if he starts opening day, it would only mark his 31st career start. That adds up to less than two seasons. Maybe Edwards just needs some more time. Maybe that light switch will turn on.

Sometimes you have to be a little patient with certain players. Hey, at one point, fans were thinking that this guy was going to be the franchise. The journey to becoming an NFL quarterback has peeks and valleys. Edwards should look at Drew Brees career as an example to not give up when everyone else already has.

4)The unknown

This category is more geared towards Brian Brohm. Look, I've repeated the notion that I would rather have Brohm start because we don't exactly know what we have with this guy. If you think about it, and this is as big of a reach as Yao Ming picking up his sneakers, Brohm has the elements of being an NFL quarterback that has a rags to riches type career. Kurt Warner was bagging groceries before he was bagging touchdowns by the dozens. Tony Romo wasn't hooking up with Jessica Simpson or the country singer girl when he was an undrafted free agent. Guys have come from crazier football backgrounds than what Brian Brohm is coming into.

Here's what we know about Brohm. He started exactly one NFL game and really didn't do much. Of course, he played against Atlanta in week 16 and at that point, all of the Bills were looking at their tee times for January. However, the guy at one time was slated to go number 1 in the NFL draft.

Brohm had a stellar 2007 college season, throwing for 29 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. I've read scouting reports online that Brohm's pros are that he's a very accurate passer and learned in a pro style offense for three years at Louisville.

For whatever reason, his stock went down before the 2008 draft and he dropped to the 2nd round. From what I read on the Internet (They are always right), Brohm had question marks about durability and concerns about coming from a pass happy offense. As for Brohm's career in Green Bay, well, it was a nightmare. He pretty much was drafted as a safety net in case Aaron Rodgers failed as a quarterback. Well, Rodgers didn't fail, but Brohm sure did. Brohm was regulated to the practice squad in 2009 and was picked up by the Bills in mid-November.

Brohm seems to have that rags to riches story. You can easily make the case that he has better credentials at this point than Tony Romo, Kurt Warner and Tom Brady had when they all started their first NFL game. Yes, that's the Yao Ming reach I was talking about.

Bottom line: We have no clue what Brohm will bring to the table, but if you were to just judge by his college career, he seems to have a lot of upside. Then again, this ain't college.

3)Doomed from the start

Lets flashback to a year ago at this time. What were your thoughts on Trent Edwards? I'm assuming you didn't hate him as much as you do now. He had an up and down second year, but played well in two of his last three games he started (Against KC and Denver). For the most part, a lot of people believed he was going evolve. Throw in T.O. and the rebirth of the no-huddle offense and some people slated Edwards to become a breakout star for 2009.

Unfortunately, the thing was doomed before the regular season even started. Think about what happened between April and August of last year. Lets start with the offensive line. The Bills traded their starting left tackle (Jason Peters), started two rookie guards, and had Brad Butler and Langston Walker play at positions that they have never played at before at the NFL level. Yeah...that sounds like a recipe to remake The Hogs.

Then the Bills decided it would be the perfect time to adapt the no-huddle offense. Look, I loved the K-Gun offense, but to have an inexperience offensive line involved? Sorry, not going to work.

Then in late August, the Bills decided that Langston Walker wasn't the answer at left tackle and cut him for a guy that never started an NFL game. Look, I know Walker stunk, but he was definitely a better option than Demetrius Bell. And of course, the cheery on top, lets fire our offensive coordinator and promote a guy that had been a position coach for just one season.

Sorry, but as much as we may dislike Edwards, there had to be a small part of you that felt bad for the guy. It was as if he was told to take the wheel of the Titanic while it was sinking.

Now as for today, I can only assume that Chan Gailey isn't going to be fired before the season starts. Plus, it looks on the surface that the offensive line is going to be mostly in tack from last year (Cornell Green being the newcomer). Hey, I know keeping the line the same comment will offer a long eye roll from you, but at least this line has played a down in the NFL unlike last year's.

Bottom line: Whoever the quarterback is, at least they are walking into a situation where continuity shouldn't be a problem like it was last year. Maybe fans attacking the quarterback was a byproduct of things out of their control. You saw what Edwards and Fitzpatrick had to deal with last year. The line and coaching was at Pop Warner level, injuries mounted up on the offensive line, and Terrell Owens was more interested in his reality show than getting better on the field. Sorry, but I don't think half the quarterbacks in this league could have succeeded with those problems.

2) It can't get any worse, can it?

OK, I'll be honest, I only came up with four legit reasons to feel optimistic about the quarterback situation. However, if you think about it, can it really get an worse than last year? Hate to open up old wounds, but do you remember some of the passing numbers from last year? Please, turn away from your computer screen and put the kids to bed when I read to you the following: Ryan Fitzpatrick's individual games from last year go like this in yardage: 116, 123, 117, 297, 246, 98, 86, 178 and 155.

U-G-L-Y.

And to think that Fitzpatrick was the best quarterback on the roster?! I could go over Edwards numbers, but I wouldn't want you to gouge your eyes out. The Bills haven't had a quarterback pass for 300 yards since 2006 and the last time a QB threw for 20 plus touchdowns in a season was 2002. They have ranked 25th or lower in passing offense for the last 8 years. You would at least think it can't get any worse, right? Then again, we said it last year and the year before....and the year before that...and you get the picture.

1) A teacher

Look, I wasn't a big fan of the Bills hiring Chan Gailey. Judging by his coaching credentials and what others have said about him, he seems to be the offensive version of Dick Jauron. However, Gaily is an upgrade over previous Bills offensive coaches like Steve Fairchild, Turk Schonert and Alex Van Pelt. I've always said that one of the main reasons the Bills have been so poor over the last 10 years have been the lack of offensive coaches. Maybe the Gailey hire will be different.

I'm sure we have all studied what Gailey did at his previous jobs in football. We know he helped make Kordell Stewart into a 1-year phenom. We know he made Jay Fiedler into a serviceable quarterback. Hell, Tyler Thigpen threw for 18 touchdowns in 2008. All of these quarterbacks were unknowns before Gailey got his hands on them. You've always heard members of the media mention that Gailey thinks he can turnaround any quarterback that he touches. The quarterbacks that I've mentioned haven't been all-pros, but they have had their better years with Gailey.

He's also been a coach whose been able to develop schemes in protecting the quarterback. In Gailey's years with the Dolphins, the offensive line only gave up 28 and 27 sacks each year. If you look at Miami's offensive lineman during those years, none of the names are going to jump out at you. No high first round picks or all-pros.

In the end, Gailey thinks he can make chicken s#$t into chicken salad. He also represents the major reason to have some confidence in what this offense can do. He's Buffalo's best offensive coach since Kevin Gilbride and before that, you can go all the way back to Ted Marchibroda. Yes, it has been that bad with the offensive coaches for the Bills.

Gailey has always taken pride in being able to turn junk into gold. Well, he's going to have his work cut out for him with these quarterbacks.

The top 5 list: Players that need to get out of Buffalo

5) Derek Roy
Honestly, I've never understood why so many fans hate Derek Roy. Seriously, the guy plays all 82 games a year. He only costs about 4 million per. He gets you 25-30 goals a season. All I ever hear from fans and media members is that Roy doesn't play the right way. Whatever the hell that means. I guess the right way is Lindy Ruff's way. I really think if the fans didn't like Ruff so much, Roy wouldn't be such a major punchline. Everyone knows that the two guys can't stand each other.

Now, I do understand the logic of what the "bad" Derek Roy does. He's a turnover machine. He constantly whines. He has a tendency to dive more so than Greg Louganis. And from what I gathered on the web (They are always right), he parties a little too much.

Here's the bottom line: If the Sabres really want to improve the core of their team, they have to trade someone of value. Roy is that valuable chip. You're not going to get much for Drew Stafford and Tim Connolly besides cap relief and getting rid of a serious case of herpes. Roy has a very modest salary and would be better suited for being a number 2 or 3 center some where else. In my view, Roy's failure in Buffalo is mostly due to him being viewed as a number one center. Sorry, but he doesn't fit that mold.

4) Drew Stafford
Michal Grosek. That's who Drew Stafford reminds me of. Both guys are listed at the same height and weight. Both players have very similar playing styles. Both guys were touted as being legit prospects that had 20 goal seasons on their resumes. Both seemed to have a lot of promise in them. However, both guys tended to disappear for 10 game stretches throughout a season.

In 1999, Grosek was coming off a 20-goal season and was only 24 at the time. Unfortunately, Grosek had an awful season and was traded at the deadline to Chicago for Doug Gilmour and JP Dumont. At the time, Chicago's GM was very high on Grosek and was said to be obsessed with his size and talent. Hmmmmm, doesn't the Blackhawks fetish with Grosek sound a little like Edmonton's fixation with Stafford?

Now, I know there are some apologists out there that are going to say that Stafford is still too young to give up on. Yes, he's only 24 (Like Grosek's last year with Buffalo), however the biggest thing going against Stafford is his demeanor. I've heard from a few media types in Buffalo that Stafford doesn't have that drive to become a legit NHL player. I keep hearing that he'd rather be working on his Guitar Hero skills than his skating skills. Sorry, but if you don't have the drive to better your game, but would rather enjoy being a wannabe guitarist, then you are a lost cause for me.

3) Marshawn Lynch
It wasn't too long ago that Marshawn Lynch was a fan favorite amongst Buffalonians. He was doing funny stories with ESPN at Dave & Busters. He had the really cool comic book thing going during Bills games. Fans use to sport dreads at Ralph Wilson Stadium. He seemed to be the perfect remedy to the sickness of having Willis McGahee on the team. Well, that was then and this is now.

A couple of run-ins with the law have made Lynch public enemy number one. Look, I've made my feelings apparent on athletes getting in trouble off the field. In short: I don't give a rats ass. However, when you start playing like crap during Sundays, that's when I have a problem.

Last year, Lynch didn't look like the tough running back that would break multiple tackles and stiff arm his way for 5-10 yard bursts. He danced way too much and looked to be avoiding contact at all possible. Mix that in with the emergence of Fred Jackson and the drafting of CJ Spiller and you have one too many tailbacks.

Plus, the writing is already on the wall in Lynch's camp. When your agent comes out and says that Buffalo has racist rogues as cops, you know that Lynch wants to get out of town.

2) Trent Edwards
You wouldn't think it, but if you were to take away the off the field issues and the quality of depth at the position, Trent Edwards' career is kind of a mirror image of Lynch's body of work. At one point, Edwards was a fan favorite and was helping people get over the bad taste left with the endless number of Jim Kelly heir apparents. Remember how well Edwards played during the first six games of the 2008 season?

Peter King tabbed him as the first quarter MVP of that season. It seemed as if the Bills endless search for a franchise quarterback was coming to a merciful end. However, just like in the horror movies where you think the killer is dead and all is going to end well; Freddy Kruger comes back and everyone dies. Well, that's what happened to Edwards and the nightmare continued for the Bills quarterback carousel.

Edwards looks to be shot and should be counting his blessings that the Bills decided not to draft or sign a quarterback. I've said it before, even at the lowest of the lows, guys like Drew Bledsoe, Rob Johnson and JP Losman would always find a small group of fans that had confidence in their abilities. I haven't even come close to finding that sort of sentiment with Edwards. No one likes the guy. I haven't even heard the argument that Chan Gailey is going to provide something that Edwards has never had...a legit quarterback teacher. It's as if fans are expecting the worse and are inclined to believe that Edwards is just keeping the seat warm for the next guy.

Honestly, I'd rather have Brian Brohm winning the starting job than having to go through another year with Captain Check Down.

1) Tim Connolly
I really can't think of a player in Buffalo sports history that has lasted longer under the scrutiny of the fans and media then Tim Connolly. The so-called play making center was under a ton of scrutiny and pressure from the first day he walked into a Sabres locker room. It was warranted because a ton of fans weren't happy with trading away captain Mike Peca.

Connolly showed some flashes of being a player, but his first three years with the club were nothing short of disappointment. The former first round pick only averaged 10 goals a season during that 3-year stretch. This was at a time when Connolly played over 80 games during those seasons. Fans were clamoring for the team to get rid of Connolly because of his disappointing play and the fact that fans weren't over Peca leaving the Sabres.

Then came the lockout and the rule changes. In the 05/06 season, Connolly bounced back with his best year with 16 goals and 39 assists. He finished off the year with a playoff year that some in Buffalo still can't let go. Connolly scored 11 points in just 8 games. However, his season was cut short due to a concussion he received in the Ottawa series. This lead to Connolly's years of battling injuries. Of course, his injuries were used as an excuse to keep pulling for the guy; "Oh, if he stays healthy, he will be a point a game player and the ex-factor for the team." It also become kind of comical when it came to Connolly recovering from his concussion. I only say comical because at times, the Sabres acted as if he was returning in a week or two, when it took him almost a year to get back on the ice.

Then came the idiotic contract extension and raise that Darcy Regier gave to him after playing less than 50% of the regular season games over a 3-year stretch. I just thought it was time for the Sabres to pull the plug on relying on Connolly to become their number one centerman. Like Roy, if Connolly played on a team where he was the number 2 or 3 center, he would be a lot more successful.

Now came this year. Connolly played 73 games and scored 65 points, to go along with a nice 17-game point streak. Seems like a pretty decent year for him. However, the thing that has always been the guy's Achilles heel is his failure for coming through in the clutch. Zero goals in your last 23 playoff games is totally unacceptable. I can't think of the last big time goal this guy has scored.

I guess if you are a Tim Connolly fan you are going to remind me of the Flyers series in 2006. Then after that, you will remind me that he's a point a game player...when healthy. Then you will remind me of his point streak from this past season. There always seems to be an excuse to believe in this guy. Sorry, but those excuses have run its course.

It just seems that when the going gets tough, Connolly ends up going home. The guy is a soft player and cannot be counted on to be a top line center. The Sabres have to stop kidding themselves in paying their top center 4.5 million dollars. If you want a true center, you either have to groom one from the minors or pay 6-7 million dollars for one. Sorry, but you're not being smart investors when it comes to Connolly.

The Top 5 List: Which young players I'd like to step up for the Bills

Now that the Bills 2010 roster has been mostly finalized, I thought it would be a perfect time to hand out expectations for some of the young core players that need to step it up. Yes, 7-9 seems to be out of the question for this bunch, but there are ways to find a silver lining with a non-playoff team. All I'm saying is that if the Bills go 4-12, we can always find some solace in individual players. Unless, those guys don't step up.

5) Wood-Hangartner-Levitre
Yes, the Bills didn't really address their tackle situation this offseason. I could have put Cornell Green and Demetrius Bell in this category. However, I'm not going to waste my time, because I have absolutely no confidence in the duo. I've seen enough from Bell to know that I have seen enough. As for Green, the guy had more penalties than starts last year. So if my confidence is shaken by the tackle situation, you then have to look for others to pick up the slack. This is where the interior line comes into play.

Both Eric Wood and Andy Levitre are high draft picks that had pretty solid rookie years. Geoff Hangartner was a really nice surprise at center for the team last year with his toughness and grit (Sounds like Adam Mair). Hell, at least he was better than Tutan Reyes and Melvin Fowler. However, if offensive line is suppose to be a collected group effort, the end results were quarterbacks getting sacked and running backs getting tackled behind the line of scrimmage. If the Bills didn't feel like adding legit tackles, they are then telling me that their interior line can carry the load for this team.

Obviously, the biggest question mark for the Bills line is how effective will Eric Wood be in returning from a devastating leg injury. Hopefully, he'll be back because I haven't gotten a clue who would replace him. Do we even have back-up guards on this team? I guess they plan on calling the Green Bay practice squad if someone gets hurt. I'm sure if the offensive line plays like it did last year, the tackles are going to get the majority of the blame.

However, line play is all about being a cohesive unit. It's about having anchors on the line that can make the crappy guy playing next to you look better than what he is. It's not too much to ask for Levitre and Wood to make their teammates better. OK, maybe it is with the likes of Bell and Green. I just want to see this interior line gel and open up holes for Spiller and Jackson. Too many times last year we saw running backs getting hit 0.9 seconds after a hand-off.

NFL coaches always talk about having the ability to run between the tackles. The running game is going to be very key for the Bills next year. Hell, is there even an argument that it's the team's strongest point of attack? The trio of inside guys are going to have to carry the load for this team. God knows they aren't going to get much help from the outside.

4) James Hardy
Man, it seems like it was 10 years ago when we saw James Hardy catch the game-winning touchdown pass against the Jaguars. The Bills were down by six points with a little over four minutes remaining in the game. The team drove down the field and were inside the Jags 10-yard line with Trent Edwards lined up in shotgun. Edwards took the snap, looked over the middle and then threw a perfect ball-in traffic-to Hardy in the right corner of the end zone. Touchdown, Buffalo! Trent Edwards is a star and we are going to the Super Bowl. Seriously, that's how I felt at that moment. Gosh, how the start of the 2008 season was such a tease.

Trent's perfect pass and Hardy's size are what made that touchdown possible. That kind of play was exactly what the Bills wanted from their rookie wide receiver. The Bills basked in Hardy's size and wanted him to be the go to guy in the red zone. That's all we heard about the guy when the Bills used a second round pick on him. Well, that was the last play Hardy really made for the Bills. Of course, the guy had a season ending injury late in 2008 and couldn't supplant T.O. or Josh Reed on the depth chart in 2009. With Owens and Reed gone, Hardy, once again inherits the 2nd wide receiver spot on this team.

However, unlike his first year, the pressure is really on him. The Bills decided not to go out and sign or draft a legit number two receiver for this upcoming season. At times during Hardy's rookie year, he seemed to really have problems getting off the line of scrimmage and gaining separation from defensive backs. I remember during a home game against the Jets in 2008, Trent Edwards lobbed a jump ball in the end zone for Hardy, which was intercepted. Hardy was completely out muscled by the corner back and looked as if he could only jump two inches off the ground in trying to catch the pass.

Hardy is entering his 3rd season in the NFL, which represents a year that wide receivers tend to blossom. Just check out Eric Moulds and Lee Evans 3rd year stats. Now, I'm not asking for Hardy to be a 1,000 yard wide receiver this season. However, a nice 50-catch, 700 yards and 6 touchdown year would be an accomplishment. Hey, I'm not asking for a lot. I'm only asking for a former second round pick to achieve his draft status.

3) Paul Posluszny
I'm not going to sugar coat this, but I truly feel that Paul Posluzny is vastly overrated. First off, two of his three years in the NFL have been mired in injuries. Secondly, he plays poorly against the pass and doesn't have the side to side movement that you would want from your best linebacker. And lastly, he just doesn't make enough plays. Sorry, but take away his Polish name and his Penn State background and the guy's jersey wouldn't even be sold at Bills.com.

Now, I'm probably going a little overboard on the Poz bashing. He's an OK player, but he needs to step up his game. It should only help him going into a 3-4 defense, because it means that he will only have to cover half the field with Andra Davis playing right next to him. Poz really needs to work on his coverage ability and make some plays behind the line of scrimmage. You know, be a play-maker.

Look, I know there are other players on this defense that I should be more worried about. Hell, besides Poz, it seems like everyone else is playing a new position on the front seven. However, like James Hardy, I want Poz to live up to his 2nd round selection. If Poz looks average this season, the Bills are going to have to add inside linebacker to their wish list for next year.

2) Leodis McKelvin
Everyone seems to want to scrutinize Marshawn Lynch, Donte Whitner and Aaron Maybin as being 1st round disappointments. But what about Leodis McKelvin? Lets flashback to the corner's first year with the Bills. Even before the fumble against the Patriots, a lot of fans were calling out McKelvin for the start of his rookie year. It took McKelvin almost half the season to even make it into the Bills nickle package.

After Jabari Greer went down with an injury, McKelvin finally got his opportunity to start and really only had one stellar game against the Chiefs...which isn't really saying that much. At the end of his rookie season, McKelvin started six games and recorded two interceptions. I'll admit, it was an OK season for a rookie, but not the type that is going to make you think he's a star in the making.

Then there was last year. Now, I'm not going into preambles about McKelvin's opening night fumble or his lawn care needing miracle grow. Besides those two incidents, I saw McKelvin and the secondary get torched by Tom Brady and company the first week of the season. Yes, McKelvin's year was cut short after just three games, but you have to wonder whether this guy is going to be an elite corner back.

Now, he has shown some glimpses of being a good player. However, after just starting nine NFL games, I really need to see more from this guy. McKelvin was the 11th overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. For being that highly drafted, I need to see a shutdown corner. Not an elite kick returner or someone that bobs his head like Merton Hanks. I want a guy that can shut down Braylon Edwards, Randy Moss and Brandon Marshall.

1)Aaron Maybin
I assure you, I'm going to have a very large microscope planted on Aaron Maybin's crappy Leonard Smith wannabe hair cut during this season. I don't have to get into Maybin's rookie year. In short: it was like a cross between Eric Flowers and Raffi Torres. By some reports, the Bills switching to a 3-4 defense was in the works even before Chan Gailey or Buddy Nix were hired. I don't care what anyone says, but the reason the Bills decided to switch to a 3-4 defense was to try and jump start Aaron Maybin's career. Whether it was inexperience or being undersized, Maybin just didn't look like a true defensive end.

If you look at Maybin, he has outside linebacker written all over him. He's got a nice first step and his game is all about speed. That's exactly what you want from your outside linebacker. Maybe a full training camp and the experience he learned last year will help him avoid back-to-back terrible seasons. Now, I'm not asking Maybin to become the next Lawrence Taylor for his 2nd year. I'm just looking for a sack or two. Maybe a defensive play behind the line of scrimmage. How about a celebration from Maybin that doesn't involve a special teams tackle. I'm just looking for anything that shows progress.

If you want some optimism for Maybin, consider the career of Terrell Suggs. Suggs started his career kind of like the opposite of Maybin. Well, sort of. Suggs played defensive end in college and seemed to be a little undersized when entering the NFL. The Ravens moved Suggs to outside linebacker during his rookie year and he was named ROY with his 12 sack performance. A couple of years later, the Ravens moved to a 4-3 defense and Suggs really suffered from the move to defensive end. Whenever Suggs is playing at end, he hasn't come close to eclipsing his 12 sack rookie year.

All I'm saying is that even if you have all the talent in the world, you have to be put in a position to succeed. Hopefully, Maybin is in the right position to take a run at being a game changer for the Bills. If Schobel retires, the sack leader on this team becomes Chris Kelsay (5.5 sacks last year). Hell, there's no telling if Kelsay will even make it out of training camp with his salary and age. Even with Kelsay in the fold, Maybin has to be the guy to get pressure on quarterback.

Overall
If there's one thing that most of these players have in common, it's that they were high draft picks. Since the Bills decided to keep Tom Modrak and the same scouting staff, it's very important for me to see these younger guys make progress this season. If they don't, it's is going to cast an even larger storm cloud over One Bills Drive. How can we give Buddy Nix the benefit of the doubt when these scouts that are helping him pick players have this sort of track record? All you need is for one cook in the kitchen to burn down the whole thing. If these players can take the next step this season, my expectations would have been met for the Bills. If not, status quo all over again.

Honorable Mention

1) Brian Brohm: At one point, some scouts thought he would be the number one pick in the NFL Draft. BTW, I'd rather have Brohm win the starting job in camp over Fitzpatrick and Edwards; only to have him lose it to Jake Locker in 2011. Hence the reason why I don't want Brohm to break out. :P

2) The entire 2010 rookie class: Hey, we need all the help we can get this season.

3)Donte Whitner: Pssh, that ship has sailed already.

4)Trent Edwards: See: Donte Whitner

Top 5 Reasons: Not to like the Sabres chances in the playoffs

5) Lindy Ruff
What? How the hell can you have Ruff on both lists? Yes, even the Teflon Don can have his own bad days. For one, Ruff has always been a coach that is fixated on giving his four lines almost equal playing time. How many times this season have we seen Adam Mair and Matt Ellis on the ice with two minutes remaining in a tied hockey game? Too many for my taste. At times, it seems like Ruff has more confidence in Mair than he does in Vanek.

We all know that if you're struggling during a game, Ruff is going to cut your ice time. It doesn't matter if you're Roy, Ellis or Vanek, he's going to go with someone that he finds to be playing well at that particular moment. Sorry, but I've made no bones about seeing the fourth line in crunch time; don't want to see it.

Speaking of playing time, we all know that Ryan Miller is the key to the Sabres success in the playoffs. If Ryan Miller struggles in the postseason, a lot of fans are going to blame Ruff for tiring him out and screwing up the goalie rotation during the regular season. Hey, I wouldn't exactly think it's a big deal, but everyone keeps on talking about Miller possibly wearing down.

4) Injury bug
I swear, the last two weeks for the Sabres season have looked like the Hurricanes series in 2006. Don't look now, but for the first time all season the Sabres have some serious injury questions. Yes, Thomas Vanek came back from injury with a vengeance against the Senators. But the injuries to Tim Connolly, Pat Kaleta and Jochen Hecht have to be a concern. The Sabres have been very hush-hush about the extent of the injuries.

We all know the injury history of Tim Connolly. Hell, he was suppose to make it back for the start of the 2006 season and we didn't see him until the playoffs. So there's no telling when or if he will return. As for Connolly the player, the guy can look like the real deal for a 10 game stretch, only to disappear for the next month. However, we know when he gets hot, he can be a game-changer on the ice. Thinking of Paul Gaustad as the team's second line center, doesn't exactly yell roll the highlight reel.

Pat Kaleta (Who returned against the Devils) can be a game changer in his own way. He can get under the skin of the opposition very easily and enrage them into taking stupid penalties. Plus, he can hit like hell. Hecht is Lindy Ruff's pet...more like teacher's pet. He does everything that Ruff wants out of a hockey player. He's a great two-way player and never really gets the credit he deserves. Those three players bring a dynamic to the Sabres roster that at times have been lacking this season. Sure, they may be ready at the start of the postseason, but you have to wonder if they will be a 100%.

Lets not forget that their replacements are guys that have only played a handful of NHL games. You could have afforded to have the likes of Tyler Ennis or Nathan Gerbe learn on the fly during the regular season. However, one rookie mistake in the postseason, and it can cost you a series.

3) If the east is weak, then are the Sabres weak?
I know a lot of fans have spoken about the East taking a step back this season. There's no denying it. However, if the East is so weak, wouldn't you think that the Sabres should have dominated it? The Sabres have had their issues against the weak Eastern Conference. Going into Sunday's game against the Devils, they are 14-15-4 against playoff teams in the East. That's not exactly a great record against a less than superior conference.

Not to mention, it gets worse against the top seeds. The Sabres are 5-10-2 against the Capitals, Devils, Penguins and Senators on the season. Yes, I know, the Sabres finally beat the Senators on Saturday Night. However, lets be honest, they were playing against the Senators 2nd string goalie and a team that had already clinched the 5th seed. Hell, the Sens were too interested in giving Daniel Alfredsson his painting and staring at his hot wife. Of course, there were positives you could take out the game. Vanek finally coming out of his shell comes to mind. But to say that the Sabres got the Senators monkey off their back? Sorry, more like a banana peal.

2) Heart for the playoffs?
On the surface, if you were to look at the Sabres roster, you'd come away with being very impressed with their playoff game experience. The Sabres have nine forwards that played on the team's back-to-back playoff births after the lockout. The defense has Craig Rivet and Henrik Tallinder, who have both tasted playoff hockey. Of course, we all know that Ryan Miller has extensive playoff and international experience. All and all, the Sabres have 14 players (Including Raffi Torres) on their roster with playoff experience.

The only problem in my view is that these 14 players haven't exactly had to "be the man" in the playoffs. Take Ryan Miller. Yes, Miller has had some nice postseason games, but if you were to look at the success of the Sabres playoff games from 05-07, Miller really wasn't the focal point of winning games. The same goes for the nine forwards. I hate to bring up you know who (or them), but the backbone of those teams were Briere and Drury. Guys like Vanek and Roy were complimentary players to those guys. Dont forget, Briere had the most points in the playoffs from 2006-2008. I'm sure we don't have to google Chris Drury's playoff performances to see what he brought to Buffalo.

This time around, the Sabres aren't riding the coattails of Briere and Drury. Guys like Roy and Vanek have to step up and become the focal point of the offense. Over the years, we've seen some of the team's core players come up short when adversity hits them. Now, the pressure is really on. You can't rely on Drury or Briere for the playoffs anymore. It's time for those kids that we saw on those early playoff teams become men. If the Sabres aren't successful in the playoffs, the vultures are going to be swarming around some of those core guys.

1) Scoring inconsistency
It's really hard to believe that the Sabres are ranked in the top 10 for scoring in the NHL. It kind of boggles my mind. However, even with the high ranking, the Sabres have had there issues with scoring consistency. There have been a number of moments during the season that we have scratched our heads and wondered, "where has this top six forward been over the last five games?"

Now, it should be noted that over the last 2-3 weeks, guys like Pominville, Roy and Vanek have found their scoring touch. However, we have seen this song and dance before. The top six forwards have a knack for showing up for three week stretches and then disappearing for another three weeks. I know a number of fans have been using Miller as the reason to like the Sabres chances in the playoffs, and you should. However, this isn't the era of Devils hockey that ruled the NHL in the late 90's and early in the 2000's.

Since the lockout, three of the four teams that have won the Stanley Cup didn't really have ideal goaltending. Sure, goaltending can win you a series or two, but you still need to have guys that can put the puck in the back of the net. The success of the two previous Stanley Cup champions should tell you that. The Sabres can't count on winning every game by the score of 2-1 or 1-0.

We all know what the Sabres are getting with Ryan Miller. However, we really can't say the same about the top six forwards. Even if Miller struggles in the playoffs, fans would be certain to forgive him and place blame on Ruff and Lalime for tiring him out. Now, if the top six forwards falter, I don't think the Buffalo fan base is going to be as remorseful.

The Top 5 Reasons: Why we should like the Sabres chances in the playoffs

5) The East is weak

To give you an idea about how weak the Eastern Conference has become, if you were to take the Sabres point totals of the last two seasons and compare them to this year's standings, the Sabres would be in the driver seat between the 6th and 7th spots for the playoffs. All of the playoff teams have weaknesses. And we aren't talking about whether the 4th line can produce. From the Capitols and Senators goaltending issues to the Flyers duct taping together their injured ridden roster, everyone has a major weakness.

Even though the teams seem to be weak, the one thing the majority of these teams aren't lacking is star power. From Kovalchuk, to Crosy, to Ovechkin, if any of these players get hot, look out. Of course, the Sabres have their own superstar in Ryan Miller (more on him later). In the end, in such a weak conference, all you need is a couple of players to get really hot to make a run for the cup.

4) The Sabres haven't hit their stride

To me, the beauty about the NHL playoffs is that you can have an individual that has shown very little during the regular season, but takes off when the stakes become higher. I can remember during the 2001 playoffs, when Chris Gratton of all people, played like a man possessed against the Flyers. Gratton scored five goals and three assists during the six game series. Besides Gratton's new found scoring ability, he was hitting everything in sight. You name it, the guy did it. As much as I've been on the Sabres for their inconsistency, Gratton couldn't hold a candle to the Sabres top six forwards. In other words, Gratton sucked in comparison to them. But, he did turn it on for that specific series. Now, if Gratton can do it, why can't Derek Roy or Jason Pominville do the same?

How in the world can a team that has been in first place for the majority of the season, haven't really hit their stride? Easy, if you look at the Sabres individually, you can only really name a handful of players that have had a better than advertised year. The top six forwards seem to be the heart of the inconsistency. Yes, there were spurts this season when Derek Roy or Thomas Vanek would go on a 4-5 game tear, but they seemed few and far in between.

However, you can't ignore what some of the top six forwards have done in the past. Vanek is a two time 40 goal scorer. Tim Connolly has the ability to take over a game or a series. If you look at the history of the Sabres roster, they have proven that they have guys who can put the puck in the back of the net. If there's one thing we haven't seen this season, it's having a duo like Derek Roy and Thomas Vanek put together great performances in the same game.

It always seems that (Insert top six forward's name) goes on a hot streak and then cools down; only to have (Insert top six forward's name) take over where he left off. If the Sabres can actually have a series of games where their top six forwards can collectively work together, the team is going to be playing hockey in May.

3) Sabres defensemen

Yes, Lindy Ruff has kind of made it a revolving door between the 4th and 6th defensemen for the Sabres. But, as much credit as we give Ryan Miller for his stout play, some of that credit has to goto the Sabres blueliners in helping Miller have, at times, an easy night behind the pipes. To me, this is the best the Sabres defensemen have looked in their own zone since the 05/06 season.

It all starts with the rookie phenom, Tyler Myers. Yes, besides being very tall, Myers has far and away been their best blue liner this season. Its as if every game, Myers does something that you never thought he could do. Whether it's skating coast to coast, breaking up a 2 on 1 break, or pinching in on the offensive zone, Myers is dressed to impress. To think that the guy has one less point than Thomas Vanek is remarkable...or scary for Vanek.

After Myers, you then have to give it up for Henrik Tallinder. The Sweden born player has to be the Sabres comeback player of the year. The guy had really struggled over the last 2-3 years and wasn't exactly the most popular player amongst Sabres fans. Whether his play has improved because of his pairing with Myers, you can't ignore how he's played some very tough stay at home defense this season. It's a tough match-up for him to go against the opposition's best scoring line, but Tallinder and Myers have done a great job with that responsibility.

Tallinder is going to be heavily counted on in the playoffs, because he's only one of two defensemen to have post-season experience. All due respect to Craig Rivet, but I'm counting on Tallinder more so than you. On a side note, lets hope the Sabres decide to resign him in the off season.

After Tallinder and Myers, it has been kind of an up and down rotation for the Sabres defensmen. Steve Montador is kind of the epitome of the rest of the squad. At times, Montador looks like the Sabres best defenseman on the ice, but at other times, he looks like a reincarnation of Mike Wilson and Dmitri Kalinin.

But lets be honest, even though some of the individuals on the blue line have struggled at times, you really couldn't tell, because they play such great team defense. The blue line shouldn't be an issue for the Sabres in the postseason; only a positive.

2)The man behind the bench

You could always make the case that Lindy Ruff is the face of the Sabres franchise. He's the conscious and Teflon don of the team. No one would dare call for Lindy Ruff's job and I'm not going to start either. He's coached 88 playoff games for the Sabres, winning 10 playoff series during that span. Ruff has won every which way possible in the playoffs. He's done it with either a superb hard hitting defense or a fast pace offensive style.

Ruff is the type of coach that can adapt his coaching philosophy to his opponent. If the Sabres are playing the Penguins, Ruff would more than likely play a defensive hockey style to slow down the likes of Crosby and Malkin. If the match-up is against an offensively challenged squad, I'm sure Ruff would try and have the Sabres open it up and take some offensive chances.

The other thing going for Ruff is that he's coached teams deep into the playoffs that weren't really high on talent. The Sabres teams that made it to the EC Finals in 98' and the Stanley Cup Finals in 99' were a one man show with Hasek and a couple of decent role players. Hmmm..kind of reminds me of this year's version of the squad. If there are any coaches in the NHL that can do the most with very little talent, it's Ruff.

1) I don't need a 4-year degree to tell you this

Look, I get that a lot of Sabres apologists are trying to make themselves feel better about this team by including other players as an intricate part of the team's success. Lets stop with the non-sense. Ryan Miller is the lone reason this team has a division title. Without him, my blog would be a daily bashing of Tom Golisano, Larry Quinn and Darcy Regier. Miller is the backbone of this team. He has proven that he can carry a team when the stakes are at its highest.

He's the MVP of the team and is the best goaltender in the world. If you believe the formula that great goaltending can carry your team to the Finals, then you have to love the Sabres chances in the playoffs. From the Jersey teams to Jean Sebastien Giguere, great goaltending can trump the star power of offensive players.

The biggest question going into this season was whether Miller could handle the physical and mental pressure of being the Sabres key to success. Obviously, he's succeed with his regular season and Olympic performances. If Miller can play like he did in the Olympics, the Sabres are going to do some serious damage in the playoffs. The question is...can Derek Roy or Thomas Vanek do their best Zach Parise?

Coming Up: Top 5 Reasons: Why we should NOT like the Sabres chances in the playoffs.

The Top 5 Reasons: Why the Buffalo Bills WON'T draft Jimmy Clausen

I thought this would be the perfect time to dust off the series that I started back in July, only to give up on it a month later. Now, for this specific topic, I'm going to write two versions of it. This will be the reasons why the Bills WON'T draft Jimmy Clausen, and in a day or so, I'll have the top 5 reasons why the Bills WILL draft Clausen. Got it? So without further ado, lets get right into the reasoning.


5) All about the Benjamins
Ah, yes. The old dollar, dollar, dollar billz, yo. Now, before you start emailing me about how salaries of NFL draft picks are dictated by draft order, just hear me out. The franchise quarterback is by far the most expensive position to pay out in the NFL. It's also the one position that if you show enough promise in your first or second year as a starter, you're going to get a BIG ass extension.

For instance, former first round pick Aaron Rodgers, only started seven NFL games and was awarded with a new contract that averaged 11 million dollars a year. You really think Ralph Wilson would pay that much for a quarterback?

I also believe that whenever a late round quarterback blossoms, he tends to not get his big extension until the end of his rookie contract. Tom Brady didn't get his first big deal until 2005. Drew Brees didn't get his first big pay day until he arrived in New Orleans.

As for the Bills, trust me, they have been adapting under a different NFL salary base for the last four years (since the CBA was signed). If you were to look at the Bills signings over the last five years, the one position they didn't give an enormous amount of money to is at quarterback. Drew Bledsoe was the last QB that the Bills paid a large amount of money to and that was six years ago.

If that doesn't convince you, lets go back to when the Bills decided to bench JP Losman for Trent Edwards. There was a lot of talk in league circles that the main reason for the benching (besides his erratic play and the owner having a man crush on Edwards) was because Losman was going to be due a new contract extension (Just search Losman on the page)

Remember, Losman came off a pretty decent 3rd year with the Bills; passing for 19 touchdowns and over 3,000 yards. At the time, Matt Schaub had just received his new deal with Texans for almost 50 million dollars and had only started two NFL games. So, there was a lot of talk entering the 2007 season that Losman was looking for that type of deal (Losman's contract was up the following year).

Unfortunately for Losman, he lost his job (for the first time) to Edwards after getting injured in week three against the Patriots. Chris Mortenson reported that Ralph Wilson had input in the benching. On the surface, the benching was more about Edwards play, but I still can't put it past Wilson that the possible contract extension for Losman was in the back of his mind.

In the end, never underestimate the dollar when it comes to the Bills. By finding a franchise quarterback, you're going to eventually pay him 10 million a year.

4) Oh the memories
JP Losman and Rob Johnson. Those quarterbacks have cost the Bills first round draft picks, money, time and a lot of frustration from the Buffalo fan base. You can probably include Drew Bledsoe in that equation, as he cost the Bills a first rounder.

Comparing Losman to Johnson are equivalent to describing the Flyers vs Senators, no goal vs wide right, Cowboys vs Patriots Monday Night Football games, the dentist vs the doctor, the Buffalo slug jersey vs the Buffalo goat jersey. The metaphors never stop when describing how badly Losman and Johnson performed for the Bills.

I always would get a big kick out of fans who think that the Bills should avoid drafting an offensive tackle because of the Mike Williams experiment. However, you can't ignore the fact that the Bills have wasted three first round picks on the quarterback position in the last 12 years. Hell, at least Ruben Brown and Eric Wood were nice first round draft picks.

Now, we can't just sit here and criticize the Bills for their first round blunders. Since Jim Kelly retired in 1997, 33 Quarterbacks have been drafted in the first round, and over half of them have been busts.

Busts
Jim Druckenmiller,Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch, Akili Smith, David Carr, Joey Harrington, Patrick Ramsey, Kyle Boller, Brady Quinn, Rex Grossman, JaMarcus Russell, Byron Leftwich, Daunte Culpepper, Jason Campbell, JP Losman, Mike Vick.

Hits
Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Donovan McNabb, Carson Palmer, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan, Jay Cutler.

OK or still evaluating
Mark Sanchez, Chad Pennington, Josh Freeman, Vince Young, Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford, Alex Smith, Matt Leinart.

Drafting a quarterback in the first round can either set-up your franchise for the next 10 years or set the franchise back for the next five. The Bills might be scared to pull the trigger on selecting a quarterback so early in the draft because of their previous failures.

3) We love our Trent

Ugh, the thought of having Trent Edwards starting at quarterback next year makes me want to gargle Drano. Unfortunately, this had to be the worst free agent quarterback class ever. Yes, I wouldn't have minded if the Bills added Jake Delhomme or Chad Pennington as a bridge-gap to a younger quarterback, but the Bills didn't see it that way.

Besides the poor free agent pool, there are a number of experts out there that think this year's draft class for quarterbacks are amongst the weakest in years.

As for Jimmy Clausen, there are a number of things about him that may scare off the Bills. For one, he's never won a big game in college (Haha, kind of like the Bills). Two, he's played at a school that may be the biggest over hyped entity in all of sports. Hell, people were anointing Charlie Weiss as the savior after one year. Three, there are questions about Clausen's attitude and leadership skills. Lastly, the Bills may just feel that Clausen isn't a good enough quarterback for the future.

Back to Edwards for a second, lets not forget that Ralph Wilson's finger prints were are all over the draft selection of Captain Check down. Wilson may still think that Edwards just needs a good offensive minded coach (Chan Gailey) to help him steer his career back on track.

With this year's draft not being deep at quarterback, the Bills may feel that giving Edwards another shot and waiting for next year's draft class (which is suppose to have 4-5 QB's in the first round) would be more beneficial in the long term rebuilding process for the franchise.

2) If a man can't stand, he can't play quarterback

Demetrius Bell is your starting left tackle. Need I say more? I've been a disciple when it comes to talking about the importance of having a good left tackle in the NFL. Bill Parcells said it best (Actually, Drew Rosenhaus said Parcells stated this), the left tackle position is the most important spot on a football team. That's why he selected Jake Long with the first pick in 2008 NFL Draft.

If Demetrius Bell is starting at left tackle, it's not going to matter if it's Jimmy Clausen or Jim Kelly sitting back there. You have to protect the the quarterback's blindside, because if you don't, the quarterback is going to go down and he's going to go down hard.

This year's draft is extremely deep at tackle in the first round. It would behove the Bills to finally get it right when it comes to their tackle situation. The Bills offesnive line hasn't been able to recover since trading Jason Peters.

By drafting a left tackle, it will set up the left side of the offensive line for at least the next 10 years. It will also mean that the Bills won't have to worry about addressing the offensive line for another decade. I mean, how many times have we gone into the offseason and stated that the Bills needed to address the line? Too many for my taste.

Now, if the Bills don't want to invest another first round pick in an offensive lineman, like they did with Eric Wood last year, then they could decide to find the best OLB or defensive end available.

Besides not having a legit nose tackle, another issue the Bills are going to have with the front seven is finding a pass rusher. If Aaron Schobel retires, Chris Kelsay becomes the sack leader for the Bills with an eyeopening 5.5 sacks (Insert sarcasm). Lets not forget, Kelsay is going to learn a new position. All I'm saying is that the roster has other pressing needs to deal with than just the quarterback position.

1) Gold can be found in those there hills (Buddy Nix southern drawl)

Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Drew Brees, Joe Montana and Tony Romo were either late round picks or players that weren't even drafted. NFL history shows that you can find quarterbacks late in the draft and develop them into franchise players. On the other hand, franchise left tackles seem to be found more exclusively in the first round rather than later in the draft.

Plus, if the Bills draft someone like Colt McCoy or Tim Tebow, they aren't exactly going to be married to them. If someone like McCoy struggles within a year or two, the Bills can decide to ditch him quicker than if they had invested a first round pick at QB. I remember how the Bills had to pass on guys like Jay Cutler, Aaron Rodgers and Matt Leinart because they had invested a first round pick in Losman.

Now, I know some people will say that the Bills need some sort of marketing tool to make the fans feel good about their team. However, some people feel that Tim Tebow is the type of player that will make you want to cheer for the team more so than ever (So says the Bulldog on WGR). So if that's the case, then I'm sure the Bills marketing team are thinking the same thing (Dumb minds think alike).

Now, the Bills don't exactly have a stellar draft history over the last ten years, so finding a quarterback in the later rounds may prove to be difficult. However, if Buddy Nix is suppose to be this big time draft evaluator, then it's not too much to ask him to find a diamond in the rough. Especially when history shows it can been done in the NFL.