Uncle Meat--You seem to wanna talk some football, which is why I am here. The fact that you are a member of another team's fanbase, means absolutely nothing to me. We're all football fans in some way.
Thanks for that. I'm with you.
Starting with your coach---I actually thought that the HC you had last yr did a decent job of rallying the troops, so to speak. I was impressed with the fact that they were playing some tough-nosed, inspired football. I'm not sure I wouldn't have kept that coach, instead of Gailey.
You're talking about Perry Fewell. He was our defensive coordinator under Jauron. He's now the defensive coordinator of the Giants. The Bills were 3-4 under Fewell. Two of the teams we beat were the Chiefs and the Colts' scrubs (they laid down to us, too), so hooray to that. The other team we beat under Fewell was Miami, another team with a losing record. He DID show more fire than Jauron, but that's not saying much...although, he did a good job under the circumstances. I think that some of players started worrying about their jobs after Jauron was fired, and that had something to do with playing better.
Personally, I'm glad we didn't make Fewell Head Coach. We needed to clean house. He might have wanted certain coaches to stick around or stick with schemes that weren't working. The thing that pissed me off the most about Fewell was that, while jockeying for the job, he didn't just put Brian Brohm in there at QB at the end, especially against the Colts' scrubs. We had nothing to lose, and it would have been nice to see more of that kid. I don't blame him for doing it, but I didn't like it. Fitzpatrick is NOT the future at the position.
Anyway, at least the front office and the coaches are all on the same page now. Nix helped to scout and build the San Diego team, and Gailey made the playoffs both years he was an NFL head coach. We got Doug Whaley from Pittsburgh to groom at GM of the future. That's the positive spin.
The rush defense wasn't too good, but the secondary was great, as they were top 5 there for a while. An obvious bright spot was the rookie Byrd, and I still believe Whitner is a decent player too. Yes, injuries hurt them. The secondary + turnover causing defense has reason for optimism. The fact that they have decided to go 3-4 gives me concern, as I think they may have set themselves back a few yrs possibly--at least until they get the proper personnel in there to run a good 3-4.
The pass rush was bad, and the run defense was terrible. That's all on the front seven, so I think that switching to the 3-4 right now makes all the sense in the world. Let's face it, they didn't really have the personnel to play a decent 4-3, either. Switch to the 3-4 now and find out exactly where they stand with that, so they'll be in a better position to know what the weaknesses are there after having seen it...and know where to go in 2011. It's a process. Anyway, we got Dwan Edwards from the Ravens and have Marcus Stroud to start at DE...we also drafted Alex Carrington in the third at DE. We have Kyle Williams (who is underrated) and drafted Troup in the second to play Nose.
Our DEs were mostly undersized, so the idea was to get bigger on the line, clog it up, and let the linebackers make more plays. A lot of our DEs are now LBs. To me, switching Aaron Maybin to OLB is like getting another first round draft pick. If he belongs anywhere, it's at that position. Kawika Mitchell and Andra Davis both have experience in the 3-4. Posluszny will be fine in any scheme, but I think he'll do better in this one. Schobel might retire, too, so that would be losing one of our best lineman.
Like I've said before, we'll switch things up and show different looks, including the 4-3. I don't see switching schemes affecting the secondary too much. They ended the season ranked #2. 28 INTs and only 14 TDs allowed. Thank Jauron for that...a former DB himself. Our depth in the secondary is pretty great, too.
We'll see what happens.
The QB--I think I would've gone out and been a bit more proactive in search of an established vet (Delhomme, McNabb) or maybe have traded for someone or something a bit more hopeful (Bulger? even). I'm not sure that the QB position is too hot, at least IMO.
Hard to argue against this at this point. We tried for McNabb, or at least that's the rumor. Dunno about Delhomme after what he did last year...and he's 35. Bulger had a couple of good years, but I don't know what kind of contract he would want...not sure if he would be a waste of time...probably. I was thinking about Jason Campbell as a stop gap, but that didn't happen. The pickings were slim. Gailey has a reputation for doing well with not-the-best QBs. I knew going in that the QB situation would less than ideal.
We have Brian Brohm, who was picked in the second round by Green Bay as insurance in case Rodgers didn't pan out. He was projected to go in the first round until he decided to play his senior year, where his stock dropped. He ended up on their practice squad, as they decided to only keep only 2 QBs on the roster. They tried to keep him when we nabbed him, but he decided to come to Buffalo, where he has a shot to play. Anyway, that's a lot to say about a guy that is a shot in the dark. Levi Brown was a great value pickup in the 7th. A lot of guys really like this kid...he's obviously a developmental project though. Fitzpatrick is a backup at best, and I think he might be the odd man out this year. I'm still holding onto a shred of hope for Edwards, who has shown potential...I think he was thrown to the Lions too soon. Anyway, it's a four-way competition for the spot. LOL.
We'll see what happens. If it all goes to ****, we'll probably go QB in the first next year...or at least should.
Skill position players--Jackson and Spiller are obvious bright spots, and maybe even Lynch can add to a decent RB group. I thought that the WR position should've been used a little more last year, and that the depth itself (1-4), was actually better than ours before the season started. Lee Evans is a beast, and James Hardy should be at least a viable option. Not sure if Reed is still there or not, but they may be able to pick up some type of established vet sometime before the season starts.
I happen to think that Lynch is better than Jackson, if he can get his head out of his rectum. All three of our running backs can catch the ball very well, too. About time that we actually design decent screen passes with blockers out front...basic things like that which we haven't been doing. Look for two RBs in the backfield a bit. Spiller can line up anywhere and make plays on his own. I'm a little excited about Shawn Nelson's potential at tight end. Again, we have some pretty good prospects as WR. Little known is Stevie Johnson, who has looked good with little opportunity. Reed is gone. I think Roscoe Parrish was never utilized the way he could be, so maybe we'll see him in the slot a lot more. Hardy had a major injury at the end of his rookie year, which basically shut him down last year, too. Let's see if he can pick it up. Our 4th round pick, Marcus Easley, is developmental. We also have your Chad Jackson, who the Pats thought enough of to trade up 16 spots in the second round to get. I hope you were wrong in letting him go...one can hope.
This should be enough of a start for discussion. To bottom line it, I actually thought that BUF was on their way after a few 7-9/8-8 seasons, and that they could've been a WC contender maybe. Now with another change at HC + the wrong personnel for a 3-4 change at defense, I'm not so sure they didn't actually take steps backwards.
Well, I obviously have a bias for my team, as many people do. I think Jauron absolutely needed to go, and our GM, who didn't even really have that title, was a marketing guy. Something had to give, and not a moment too soon. We'll see if any of these changes pan out, because it's all speculation at this point. Keep in mind that it's a process. Buddy Nix said something like they only let us pick one guy at each spot in the draft...we needed about three.
