This is my first fan post in a long time.  I am going to shed some optimism as I am generally a pessimistic Bills fan.  If they keep Edwards on the bench I have a little faith the season is salvagable.  Yes...I said salvagable meaning playoffs.  I even surprised myself as I wrote that.  Fitz got substantially better in Cinci as he grew into his starting role at the end of last season.  I believe he finished 3-0-1.  The D should get better, with Poz and Whitner getting more and more into game shape.  The D is fairly good already.  Maybin will learn he can't lineup in the other teams backfield and the coaching staff will eventually figure out they need to play Harris.  The special teams won't be as bad...why...because they just can't fumble that many more times (or have unlucky crap like the ball hitting Reed's leg happen).  If I am not mistaken I believe special teams has lost 4 fumbles on the season, all at critical times...McKelvin Week 1, Parrish v. the Saints, Parrish v. the Browns and whatever that was yesterday.  The D-line is playing solid, and so is the secondary.  Yes, yesterday we shut down only Mark Sanchez and the week before it was only Derrick Anderson but this D put the clamps on Brees too, and shut down Brady until the final quarter.  And really, give Fitz a week to prepare and a smart guy like him can do just enough to make the offense functional.  He doesn't need to be great, just functionable.

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I have been thinking about which offensive guard the Bills could take in the 2nd round to fill the seemingly open offensive guard spot.  Especially if they get someone's first and third for Peters.

My Question is:  Of all the offensive guards drafted in the top 3 rounds of the last 3 drafts does anyone know how many have become immediate starters or more importantly the percentage that become immediate starters?

I can easily find all the guards drafted in rounds 1-3 in the 2006/07/08 draft but where can I find if they were starters in week 1 of the respective season they were drafted. 

Thanks.

So for those of you who haven't heart Mr. Simpson was arrested for obstruction of justice or something of the sort in his home town. 

The quote will stick with him for the rest of his Bills career which might only be this offseason anyway.  However, I do think he has potential to be a decent FS. 

I am sure someone has more details all of my details came from the Associated Press release.

Below is a site for Free Agents for 2009.  Go over the guys who will be free agents.  In my opinion the Bills positional needs in order of priority are DE, LB, TE, C, SS.  This is obviously debatable as a Center could easily be argued to be our top need.  Other than the obvious names which the Bills wont get such as Julius peppers, haynesworth etc. who is feasable for us to obtain that would help those 5 positions listed above. 

http://www.kffl.com/static/nfl/features/freeagents/fa.php?y=2009

Not sure if the last name is spelled correctly...but I would love to see him as the next Bills coach.  Thoughts

Dick Jauron is not a winner.  Why they went for a 40 FG to be down by 4 on 4th and 5 is beyond me.  You play to win the game and he plays not to lose the game.  There was less than a half a quarter to play.  If it had put you down 3 I would have understood.  

He should be fired.   

Why does everyone give Trent Edwards a free pass.  I am tired of saying we are building for the future and afraid to hurt ego's.  We are not good enought to protect anyone's ego.  He turned the ball over 3 times in the 4th quarter against Miami, 3 times against the Jets.  Trent turns it over twice and until bascially McKelvin houses one to the 14 we put up 3 with GREAT FIELD POSITION.  Sorry, he deserves to have his job evaluated and I would hope JP would start next week.  Trent is supposed to control the clock, we are last in the NFL in drives of 10 plays or more with 9.  JP never had a line, now Trent is learning what that is like.  He needs to avoid the rush, he needs to make good decisions, he doesn't have the physical ability to be an avg decision maker...that is why he plays because he is suppose to think out there.   THis is the NFL and players need to be men and accountable.  Unfortunately for Edwards the QB is the most criticized position.

This is not a player who has done it before this is a 3rd round draft pick who threw a terrible pick against the Boys last year and could only score 3 points on the road against the Jets last year b/f JP came in.  Last year we gave him a free pass the last few games due to the weather.  Everyone wants him to be Brady but he isn't.  If you really break down his games this year the only game he was really solid was the Chargers.  Believe it or not hte Chargers might have the worst D in the NFL.  Seattle it was special teams and D, Jax he had a great opening drive and 4th quarter but an awful middle.  Rams he was nonexistant in the first half and we won thanks to a Greer int that changed the game.  He says the correct things...PERSONALLY I WANT HIM TO SUCCEED...I LIKE TRENT...but maybe the reality is he is just not that good.  Was he a winner at Stanford...NOpe.

Today's game he missed balls to Lynch, threw hard when he needed to place it is a spot, when he tried to be accurate he misplaced (I remeber bad balls to Parrish and Hardy).   He took sacks, he turned it over.  But it not just today's game it has been the last 3 and most of the Oakland games, 2.5 quarters on the Jax game, half the Rams game, and half the Seahawks game.  Again...If you say we are building for a future...OK...Trent stays on the fielf good or bad, but then accept this season is done.  I for one am tired of the execuse that we are building for the future.  I want to win now.  I think the D is good enough to get us a wildcard spot.  I want JP even if I know it stunts Trent's growth and knowing JP is gone next year because I think he gives us the best chance to win this year.  Maybe that is shortsighted but I am not convinced Trent is a quality QB or ever will be.

I was going to rant on the Shotgun formation, abandoning the run (was running for 7 yards on the first play not enough?), using a Timeout to punt when we could have used it at the end of the half, the botched challenge, but this post on Edwards was long enough already. 

Concerns

1.  Edwards:  Why did it seem like they were more comfortable letting JP throw the ball and not Edwards?  Maybe this was just me but seemed to have more faith in JP.  Where was Edwards looking when he almost got picked in the end zone.  Reminds me of Dallas game again.  I am sure I am in the minority when I say JP will have an important role in our season.   

2.  Offense Predictability:  2 running plays to start?  Hope that was just to get Lynch some touches in the preseason.  Did we even run a counter?  Did we run a screen? 

3.  If either Lynch or Jackson go down who can run the ball without fumbling.  Lets say Lynch misses 3 games...and Jackson needs a break for a drive...do you trust Wright or Omon not to fumble.

4.  O-line:  Fall starts signify lack of concentration.  However great protection when Edwards got the ball batted down on a dump off to Jackson.  I am not as concerned as others as I truly believe and have been saying from day 1 that Peters will come to camp btw Preseason week 3 and 4.

5.  TE's;  DId any of the TE's play in the first half.  Joking but man I didn't see them do anything until a late drive in the 2nd half where Fine caught the ball and then Anderson. 

5.  Backup SS.  Scott is just not gonna cut it if Whitner goes down.  Whitner could be the difference between an below avg D to an above avg D.  Scott is great in run support but cant cover the swing pass and doesn't get to the spot fast enough in zone coverage.

Non Concerns

1.  Lynch:  Enough Said

2.  The Bills D as a whole.  The first drive the Bills stopped the Skins, after Corner got beat...thats ok he is really a 2nd stringer anyway.  Portis couldn't run when Stroud and Schrobel were in the game.  The second drive the Skins had all there starters in and the Bills did not have Schroel, Stroud, Crowell, Whitner, and Mckee on the field.  THat is arguably the 5 best defensive players on our team.  I would hope the Skins O could move the ball against us missing those guys.  And they still needed 4 downs to punch it in.  Maybe I am being naive but I am not worried about the starting D.  Any D that loses there best 5 players will be awful..including the Chargers, Pats, Vikings or whoever.  Reggie Corner was starting at nickle, that wont happen during the season.

3.  CB's.  Youbouty looks like he will be on the team and that is great for Bills fans.  I think you will see either Youbouty or McKelvin as the nickle back except they will play outside and Greer will move inside.  Corner was ok...he is young...James was banged up but I'll give him another game b/f I judge too harshly.

4.  Special Teams:  Who will return the punts...Parrish or McKelvin?  That a good choice to have.

5.  WR's:  No reed, a banged up Hardy...I think Parrish is taking the next step as a slot WR...I'm ok with them.  Im much more worried about Edwards getting the WR's the ball then the WR's making plays.  As we predicted Hardy makes a red zone impact.  Jenkins and Johnson both caught a ball too.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp08/news/story?id=3514962

I dont know what Tubbs injury is but the article says he is out.  Bryant is out which will hurt any DL rotation.  We might see Triplett starting against us Week 1.  THat is obviously good news as we all know.  Getting off to a fast start is important and it looks like the Seahawks have some DT issues which can help Lynch and Co.

First, I do NOT think we should make any trade until at least August 20th or so to see if we get any injuries and to determine what we have at the CB and TE position. 

However, if Reggie Corner can be a respectable 5th corner and it does not look like any of our TE's are cut to be NFL starters then I would hope the Bills would look to bring in Browns TE Heiden for Ashton Youboty via trade.  It seems to make sense for both teams. 

Thoughts?

I also believe as posted elsewhere that if Youboty is not traded he will be on the roster.

Let me say, I am optimistic, probably too optimistic for the upcoming season as I have already stated I am predicting a 11-5 season and a wild card birth. 

Yet I started thinking about who might be at fault if we do not win minimum 9 games.  Let me re-fresh what everyone already knows.  We were a 7 win team last year, and very few people will dispute the schedule should be easier this year.  We will start with the offense. 

O:  QB are better b/c they have 1 more yr of exp; RB's are better b/c LYnch is going into yr 2 and Jackson will be the #2 from the beginning; TE's are virtually the same; O-line (assuming Peters is there) is better b/c they are all young or relatively young guys with a year together; WR added Hardy lost nothing of substance.  Therefore, offense should be better.

D:  DT Stroud and Johnson and a run stuffing and good depth DE to go with our young guys Williams/McCargo who should be getting better in year 3.  LB's better our starters from last year our now the backups at weak and middle.  CB's we added Will James and the 2 draft picks McKelvin and Corner so much more depth than last year, safety Ko comes back healthy.

S:  Kicker/Punter same.  Drafted lots of guys to play special teams, maybe have a slight fall off but shouldnt be substantial.  Still have solid athletes such as Whedling, the WR (forgetting his name as I type) who is prob our #5 or 6 WR, Banks, Fine McGee, Parrish etc. 

In addition, the schedule has a lot of advantages for the 2008 Bills.  Look at the SD game for ex, we come off a bye get the Chargers at home right after they play the Pats right before they go to Europe.  We get Oakland, Seattle, SF, and SD at home and have less travel to places such as St.L, Denver, KC & Zona as the 4 who travel to Blo have that long unwanted  trip across the country.  We get possibly our most even matchup, Cleveland at home on Monday night (Cant beat that).  We get NE in Week 17 (if there is any chance a game would mean nothing to the Pats it would be in Week 17).  For once the schedule maker did the Bills some favors...I cant believe I just typed that but I did and I actually meant it. 

So a lot of you see what I am getting at.  If the team has a repeat performance of 7-9 or even gets worst does that mean Jauran has got to go?  I for one fear the idea of starting over, but what more can we provide him with in terms of talent.  I suppose the season could theoretically get blamed on the QB but Jauron is suppose to be a Defensive guru and he now has the talent for a top 5 D.  Therefore, no matter how bad the QB play ends up being (not saying it will just the possibility exists), the D should still bring us to 9 wins minimum.