After hearing about the firing of George Edwards, promotion of Wannstedt and the signing of LB Scott McKillop, it got me thinking about what our defense will look like next year.

Although Buddy Nix would prefer to run a traditional 3-4, our roster doesn't have the personnel to fit into it. As it was previously mentioned, Wannstedt has always run a 4-3. Being from, and living, in Pittsburgh all of my life I am obviously a Pitt fan. McKillop had a very good Senior season as Wannstedt's starting MLB and I believe he will bring very good depth to the LB's.

This is how I feel the defense will look if we stay with a 4-3:

• DE - Chris Kelsay
• DT - Kyle Williams
• DT - Marcel Dareus
• DE - Dwan Edwards
• OLB - Nick Barnett
• MLB - Kelvin Sheppard
• OLB - Arthur Moats
• CB - Aaron Williams
• FS - Jairus Byrd
• SS - George Wilson
• CB - Drayton Florence

Myself and a few friends and family will be making our annual trip from the Pittsburgh area to the Bills / Jets game next weekend. I was hoping you guys would be able to give me a some ideas on what we can make at our tailgate party.

A staple at all of our tailgates is always some type of shrimp so we already have that covered but are looking for a main course and possibly another side.  Any ideas are greatly appreciated and of course Go BILLS!

I'm not sure if I should thank NFL Sunday Ticket for allowing me to watch the game yesterday or not.  It was almost as entertaining as the Bills / Browns game from last year...almost.  Anywho, below you will find my breakdown of the game from what I saw.

Offense:  Oh boy where do I start?  The play calling and formation selections were absolutely mind boggling.  Idk why Chan didn't run the ball more with our 3 headed monster but Im sure everyone is asking themselves that today.  The score could have easily gotten out of hand if the Dolphins defense would have held onto the 2 pick 6's they had in their hands.  Trent was indecisive most of the time and looked rattled even when he had a somewhat decent pocket to throw out of.  We had a few encouraging drives that were hindered by penalties (3rd and 30 is not good).  I was impressed with the way Lynch ran when he actually had the opportunity and I wish we would have run the pro set formations and pounded the rock more.  Very disappointed in our starting tackles because they gave up constant pressure and blown assignments.

Defense:  In my humble opinion I feel the defense played quite well.  They definitely kept us in the game and gave us many opportunities to win if our offense could have cashed in.  Although they didn't force any turnovers, they came out in the second half and shut the Dolphins down.  McKelvin on Marshall was a great match up to watch and McKelvin showed glimpses of why he was a 1st round selection.  Chris Ellis really impressed me.  When he was shown in the starting line up my brother and I were both very skeptical.  He played well and even recorded a sack.  I think he has some upside and will develop more as the season rolls along.  On the other hand, I still absolutely despise Chris Kelsay and cannot for the life of me understand why he wasn't benched at some point during the game.  I know Maybin was about the only one left to play but PUT HIM IN!  He cannot have done worse then Kelsay did.  Maybin played well when he was in the game and even recorded a few QB hurries and made a nice 3rd down tackle to force a punt.  Another think I noticed was that Whitner was out to lay the lumber.  He was throwing his body around like a mad man and I loved it!  I would have liked to see him get the opportunity to blitz or get a clean shot on Marshall but that didn't happen.  I'm sure he will be looking out for Marshall though next time they play since Marshall got the better of him on that outside run where he got de-cleated.

Special Teams:  Brian Moorman was again a superstar in switching field position and pinning the Dolphins in their end.  Lindell made a nice FG to get some points on the board and was surprisingly close to making that 63 yarder at the end of the half.  Roscoe looked good returning punts as always and unfortunately we didn't really have any KO return opportunities.

I obviously WAS NOT impressed with the way the Bills played, but hopefully after watching game film Gailey and Co. can see their obvious mistakes and make adjustments from there.  Go Bills!

Woodley's contract is up at the end of this season and it has been made clear that no extension will be discussed during the season.  That has always been the Steelers philosophy and they have also stated that no extension will be made even before training camp starts.

Since I am from Pittsburgh and actually grew up right down the road from where they hold their training camp I am very familiar with them even though I dont like them.  It is highly unlikely that he makes it to free agency, especially if he has another monster Pro-Bowl year.  But with us having Whaley in our front office does anyone think he would possibly look at playing for the Bills in 2011?

He would obviously become an immediate starter and if Maybin turns into the beast we pray he will, that would be one dynamic duo at OLB.  What do yinz think?  Yes I said yinz haha

Does anyone know the full list of free agents we have this year?

I know Gonchar, Poni and Fed are on that list but I was wondering about the rest.  Also, what is the likelihood of those players getting resigned?

I know Gonchar is going to b the hardest to resign if they try it at all and Im not sure that Poni showed us enough to give him a long term contract.  I will add more of a response once I know who all the FA's are.

Thanks!

The 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers schedule has already been released, even though it's not "officially" due out until this evening.

DVE.com, a rock station in Pittsburgh and the flagship home for the Steelers, has their schedule posted on their website.

According to their schedule the two teams are scheduled to meet Sunday, November 28th @ 1pm.  In my opinion that's a perfect time for them to play because that is my birthday weekend and will probably be the weekend of my annual trip to see a Bills game.

I'm not sure how important this is to everyone else but being that I come from a family of Steelers fans I figured I would share.

According to NFL.com writer Jason La Canfora, free agent LB Larry Foote has signed / resigned with his original club the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Foote signed a 3yr deal worth $9.3mil and a $1.8mil signing bonus.  According to La Canfora, Foote was receiving interest from the Redskins and Cardinals.

With Foote off of the market, hopefully the Bills can make some type of move to add a veteran LB.  With FA LB Andra Davis visiting today and tomorrow maybe he is a serious option for depth and experience.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that the San Diego Chargers are looking to trade Pro Bowl CB Antonio Cromartie to acquire a RB.  LaDainian Tomlinson's career is all but over in San Diego and Darren Sproles is a pending Restricted Free Agent.

Tomlinson stated after the season had ended that he believes his career in San Diego is all but over and Sproles has stated that he is interested in testing the market but is also interested in returning to San Diego.

Mortensen also reports that Cromartie has fallen out of good graces with the Chargers organization, plus they have 2 other 1st round draft choices in Quentin Jammer and Antoine Cason.  Many individuals at Buffalo Rumblings feel that Lynch has falling out of favor with the Bills organization as well and we already have Fred Jackson spearheading our rushing attack.

Would a straight up Cromartie / Lynch trade work for the Bills or possible add a mid - late round draft pick?  Cornerback is not a huge need for the Bills this offseason but McKelvin has struggled at times, McGee is aging and Florence is in the final year of his contract.  Corner has proven very inconsistent after a some what promising rookie season and Lankster is just depth in case of injuries.

This trade could be a win / win situation for both teams if the two sides could come to an agreement.  The Bills will be getting a quality starting cornerback with experience in the 3-4 man coverage schemes and will be able to dump a troubled Lynch in the process.  The Chargers will be able to dump a cornerback that they feel they do not need and will receive a Pro Bowl caliber running back that is from the Oakland, CA area.  I think the Chargers stable OL could really do wonders for Lynch's game and a change of scenery for Cromartie could make all the difference for him; plus he would be reunited with former teammate Drayton Florence.

If the Bills feel Jackson can consistently put up numbers like he has the past 1 1/2yrs and plan to look for more of a complimentary back in the draft, is this trade worth a shot?

According to the Buffalo Bills' team website, the new regime at One Bills Drive released seven players on Tuesday: TE Derek Fine, DE Jermaine McGhee, LB Ashlee Palmer, DT Marcus Smith, S John Wendling, WR Justin Jenkins and C Marvin Philip.

It looks as though the new regime isn't going to keep many players around that are only special teams contributors, being that they let go of Palmer, Wendling and Jenkins. All three were key contributors on the team's coverage units under former special teams coordinator Bobby April.

The team had significant investments in two of these players, as Fine was a fourth-round pick in 2008, while Wendling was a sixth-round pick in 2007. McGhee, Smith and Philip were placed on IR prior to the season beginning. Palmer is not a good schematic fit for the team's new 3-4 defense, and Jenkins may have been the casualty of a numbers game at receiver.

It's nice to see the roster overhaul begin! (Hat tip to silverstreak3k for breaking it first here.)

I'm not sure if this has been discussed or not yet but do you think it would be a good idea for the Bills to go after Joey Porter?

He's obviously stated that he has played his last game in a Dolphins uniform and being that George Edwards is our new DC I thought George might have a swing.  Yes I will say Joey is past his prime but he can still be a decent performer with glimpses of dominance if kept healthy.  If we could trade a mid to late round pick for him I wouldn't be opposed to it because he could help us transition into the 3-4 more easily and brings a fiery attitude to our D.

I've obviously watched him throughout his Steelers career and always had a love / hate feeling towards him...love to have him on your team but hate going against him.  Yes he's a little controversial at times but I think that could be to our benefit to help fire up our team after spending the past few years with an emotionless sideline.

With the new coaching regime starting, we all should assume some of the players on the current roster will not be back next year.  I've taken a look at the current contract statuses and have come up with my own list of players that I think SHOULD not return.  I obviously have no inside information, just a lot of wishful thinking.   *Players I think that won't be returning will be struck through.

QB:  Brian Brohm, Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Gibran Hamdan

Analysis:  Look for the Bills to add another QB either during FA or the Draft.  If a potential Rookie starter is drafted look for Edwards to be realeased during training camp.

RB:  Justise Hairston, Fred Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, Corey McIntyre

Analysis:  If Lynch's off the field issues continue he may be trade bait; especially if the Bills feel they can find a speed back to compliment Jackson in the draft.

WR:  Lee Evans, James Hardy, C.J. Hawthorne, Justin Jenkins, Steve Johnson, Terrell Owens, Roscoe Parrish, Josh Reed

Analysis:  Jenkins did sign an undisclosed contract but he serves no purpose in terms of offensive production and hopefully with Bobby April gone the new coaching staff won't keep players around for ST purposes only.  I would love to see T.O. resigned because I think he can do a lot of good on our team with a new HC.  Roscoe is a huge question mark, he could easily be kept but I think sometime during the off season he will be traded for more draft picks.  Look for the Bills to add a veteran WR for depth and possibly one during the draft.

TE:  Derek Fine, Joe Klopfenstein, Shawn Nelson, Derek Schouman, Jonathan Stupar

Analysis:  Even though Schouman is still signed until next off season I don't see him making the roster with his average at best skill set and injury riddled short career.  I think a FA TE may be brought in as more for depth and blocking purposes unless there is an amazing snag in the draft.

T:  Demetrius Bell, Brad Butler, Kirk Chambers, Nick Hennessey, Jamon Meredith, Andre Ramsey, Jonathan Scott, Jason Watkins

Analysis:  The Bills NEED to upgrade this position in the 1st or 2nd round.  If more then 1 elite tackles are available I would suggest they draft them.

G:  Richie Incognito, Andy Levitre, Seth McKinney, Kendall Simmons, Eric Wood

Analysis:  I personally like Incognito as long as he can keep his cool.  He did as good as a job as you could ask for when being thrown into the starting line up just a few days after joining the team.  I look for them to possibly add a veteran back up which may mean McKinney not making the team.

C:  Christian Gaddis, Geoff Hangartner, Marvin Philip

Analysis:  I think this entire position needs fixed.  I just don't see Hangartner as an every down starter.  Possibly move Wood to C and either draft or sign a guard to fill that void.

DE:  Chris Ellis, Ryan Denney, Chris Kelsay, Jermaine McGhee, Aaron Maybin, Aaron Schobel, Marcus Smith

Analysis:  I cannot wait to see Denney gone.  He has never been worth a roster spot in my opinion.  Kelsay isn't a FA until next off season but I'm hoping not to see him play for the Bills next year either.  I have never liked him nor will my feelings for him change; he is terrible as a pass rusher and always get sucked inside when teams rush or run reverses to his side.  Ellis just hasn't shown enough to me to keep him on this list.  I look for the Bills to add a DE during the draft.

DT:  Rashaad Duncan, Lonnie Harvey, Spencer Johnson, John McCargo, Marcus Stroud, Kyle Williams

Analysis:  Even though McCargo is still signed through this year he just hasn't shown anything that would want to keep him.  I also think Johnson may not make the roster if the Bills address their small DT's during the draft or FA.

LB:  Marcus Buggs, Jon Corto, Chris Draft, Keith Ellison, Nic Harris, Kawika Mitchell, Ashlee Palmer, Paul Posluszny, Josh Stamer

Analysis:  This position is one of the spots that needs the most over hauling.  I have waited years to put that line through Ellison's name!  He is the one person on this team that I absolutely HATE.  I won't be suprised if either Draft or Harris doesn't make the roster.  We definately need a new starter along side Mitchell and Posluszny.  I'm hoping someone in the draft will be added along with a back-up or 2.

CB:  Reggie Corner, Drayton Florence, Cary Harris, Ellis Lankster, Leodis McKelvin, Terrence McGee, Ashton Youboty

Analysis:  This has been a problem position for the past few years in regards to injury so I wouldn't be suprised if Youboty or Lankster are brough back as well as either a FA or a draft pick.

S:  Jairus Byrd, Bryan Scott, John Wendling, George Wilson, Donte Whitner

Analysis:  I love Wendling because of his ST prowess but like I said before, it's nice to see a few players go that serve no purpose on offense or defense.  Wilson is a wild card player for me.  He's a ST Captain and plays OK on defense but I think the Bills could upgrade the back-ups with either a FA signing or a draft pick.

ST:  Rian Lindell, Brian Moorman, Garrison Sanborn

Analysis:  I have no faith in Lindell.  I have never been more scared when a player steps onto the field then when he does.  He is signed through the next few seasons but I would not be heart broken at all if someone is brought in to compete for his spot.

There it is folks.  My purging of the roster according to contract statuses and a one trade of Parrish.  If I was a part of the Bills FO I would resign T.O. cut Kelsay and Lindell but lucky for those players I'm not.  Read, digest and react please :-)

Per the Bills website, HC Dick Jauron hasn't decided who the starting QB will be this week against the Jags.  Is there really a question as to who the starter should be?  Yes, Trent has underperformed compared to the expectations that were set for him but is Fitz really a better choice?

Fitz has proven to be an OK backup at best and Trent hasn't really proven anything besides being inconsistent and Captain Checkdown.  We can basically put this season in the books because we're not making the playoffs.  We might as well see what Trent has and make a decision in the off season.

Stats have shown that both QB's are similar so why make a change and really take away time from Trent's possible development when we know Fitz isn't our long term answer?  Reading the article really bothered me.  I mean we know Jauron is an idiot and couldn't coach a high school team but if he makes a switch now then we know he's really throwing the season away.

Any ideas?

Dick Jauron's offensive scheme has been called "vanilla" and "pop warner" from multiple people around the league, including former coaches.  I will agree and I feel that is one of the biggest problems this offense has.  The "No Huddle" was a bust and I'm glad to see it go.  Our offense is too young to not regroup and get a new play set in the huddle.  Below are a few things I think the Bills coaching staff needs to do to try and improve this offense.

Formation Variety:  Over the first 5 weeks of the season while the no huddle was employed, the offense used about 2 different formation types.  Either double TE's or 3 WR's.  Those are good base formations to either pound the rock or spread out the defense but you need to switch it up more.  Even this past weekend when we did huddle they didn't offer much variety and that HAS to change for the offense to start to be effective.  We have a wide array of WR's and RB's so why not use them?  4 and 5 WR sets, bunch WR's, motions and movements.   Buffalo's coaches have to do something more to get our playmakers on the field...Johnson, Parrish and eventually Hardy.

Pound the Rock:  Marshawn Lynch made his first Pro Bowl last season.  How?  Because Buffalo was committed to running the football despite the inconsistent play of their offensive line.  We have one of the best, if not the best, RB duo's in the league and our coaches are waisting their talent by running vanilla and predictable plays.  This past weekend it was either a run up the middle or a sweep to the outside.  How about try some counter traps, draws and stretchs?  Let the RB's use their talent to make a play...we all know they can!

Stretch the Field:  My favorite type of offense is to run the football, move the chains and take your shots down field and our offense hasn't done a good job of any of those.  Yes, they have gone deep a few times and look at the results!  We get defensive penalties and score TD's (TB and NYJ games).  Common sense says continue that attack but obviously our coaching staff didn't receive the memo.  Play action passes, sluggos and just taking shots downfield on 2nd and 3rd and short will move the safeties back and open up lanes for the RB's.

Now I know this all seams elementary in regards to fundamentals, but it's obviously something our coaching staff hasn't figured out how to do.  We have the offensive weapons to be a very dangerous team, unfortunately we have a defensive minded coach who is more about not losing the game then trying to win the game.

As I had stated a few weeks ago I would be attending last night's game in Pittsburgh since that is where I live.  Needless to say there was about 10 Bills fans and almost all of them, including myself, had on Poz jerseys.  That was about the highlight of the evening because as everyone knows the Bills sucked it up big time.  Below you will find some points I want to discuss as I watched the game last night.

Trent Edwards - HORRIBLE!!!!!  I can't express that enough.  He looked like a lost puppy dog in the middle of road with traffic wizzing by him.  Terrible throws, terrible reads, terrible execution.  I'm getting sick of his inconsistent play real fast.  I also noticed that he checks down to backs and flat routes waaaaaaaaay too much.  There was a play in the 2nd quarter I believe that he ended dumping it off to his RB in the right flat when Lee Evans was running down the middle of the field WIDE OPEN!  And when I say wide open I mean the Steelers safeties were 20yds BEHIND HIM!!!  Throw the ball downfield!!!!!!!!

Defense - Again it was another "bend but don't break" kind of night...too bad it BROKE!  There did have a few promising signs...Williams' forced fumble and Maybin's sack...but other than that it was the usuall scared Fewell's defense that we've come to know and ditest.  Big Ben had little pressure, if any, on him outside of Maybin's sack and Johnson's QB hurry.  The Bills couldn't even generate pressure when they blizted, but what else is new?  I do have to say that when the Bills ran man coverage McGee and McKelvin had the receivers blanketed.  Yes they made a few nice catches but there aren't many QB's in the league that could have made some of those throws.  Poz was the best player by far on the field.  He was making stops everywhere, in the run game and on pass plays.  He just needs better coverage skills and he'll be just fine.

Special Teams - Why were there so many penalties on the "NFL's best ST Unit?"  The Bills had either Holding or Block in the Back penalties almost every time they returned the ball...it was ridiculous.  Besides the penalties they weren't getting any return yards and we all know that the Steelers ST is always middle of the pack AT BEST.  We should have had a huge advantage over them in that area of the game but once again they found a way to screw that up.

Coaching Staff - Plain and simple...I HATE THEM.  Turks play calling was pathetic (just like Trent's execution), Fewell's defense is vanilla and useless, and Jauron's gameplan and decision making was just as bad as everything else.  I was super excited for the season with the draft picks we've made and the FA's we brought in but after watching last nights, and the other games, I'm not so excited anymore.  The Bills need to pull something out of their butts real fast to impress their fan base or they'll again be calling for Jauron's head, and probably Trent's too.

All in all the game sucked last night.  I did, however, get some pretty sweet pictures of the players as they walked into the tunnel after the game.  They also slapped hands with fans and threw their gloves / wrist bands into the stands.  Hopefully they know something that we don't and this preseason is just an illusion for what is to come once opening day arrives.

All though there are many topics that didn't go well for the Bills this past Sunday, I'm going to give my view point on the things that did go well for us.

Trent Edwards - Although he threw the interception, he did show command of the offense and effectively ran the no huddle.  His chemistry with Owens is obviously strong at this point in camp.

Xavier Omon - According to buffalobills.com, Omon has shed a few points since last season and he impressed me during his action on the field.  Especially his 3rd and 8 draw up the middle.  He mad a few nice cuts and kept his pads low to move the chains.  He will be interesting to watch during the remainder of camp to see if he still gets a spot.

Paul Posluszny - MAN BEAST!  He had a few nice takles and a nice pass break-up on a Collins' pass.  If he can keep it up and stay healthy again this year he may be one of the best LB's in the league.  PS...I just got his white AFL jersey!!!

Bryan Scott - He's like a 4th LB in our 4-3 defense.  He was consistently making tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage.  I wouldn't mind seeing him at SS and Whitner at FS on opening day and on passing downs White at SS and Byrd at FS...just a thought.

Although they lost preseason game #1, there were a few good things that came out of it.  However, there's still a lot of work to be done and I couldn't be more happy to have football season upon us!  PS...I'll be attending the Bills / Steelers game on the 29th if any one else is going.  If not, I'll be taking notes and bringing back my analysis!

Chris Brown reported that the Lions cut TE Michael Gaines and wondered if he would be an option for the Bills to bring in for extra TE depth during training camp and OTA's.  After reading his report it made me think of that option as well.

He's a good blocker with a decent set of hands and I would have rather had him last year then Royal.  He's durable and is a veteran of the league, as well as knowing the coaching staff and their schemes.  We've all seen how Schouman gets hurt quite easily and he would even been a good tutor for Nelson on blocking. 

Your ideas?

Todd McShay has given the Bills the best grade of day one!  He said we took the best edge pass rusher in the draft as well as 2 of the best interior lineman and one of the best zone coverage / ball skills corner.

Watching the draft I wanted to pull my hair as I watched Maualuga drop and dop and drop just wishing the Bills would pull the trigger.  Obviously that didn't happen so I sure hope they grab a LB on day 2.

Overall, I think they did a great job.  I have a feeling they may trade a few more late round picks to get back into the 3rd to pick up a TE or a LB.  In my opinion those are the last 2 positions we need to try and find a starter.  The rest of our draft picks should be taking the best player available and building depth.

Just as a long shot...I wouldn't mind seeing the BIlls taking WR Ramses Barden...6'-6" baby!!!

I've been reading a lot of the fan posts lately and have noticed there are tons of opinions floating around about TO, Lynch's suspension, Peters' contract and so on.  Well I decided to throw my 2 cents in and see what kind of discussions we can bring up.

Free Agency started out with a boom when the Bills signed Mr. Diva himself.  At first I was mad and suprised at the same time, but thinking about it and taking in all the "experts" opinions I LOVE it!  He's going to bring a dynamic option to our offense that Buffalo hasn't seen since Reed and Lofton teamed up with each other.  I also think it's a good risk signing him to a 1 year deal.  If he performs as we all expect, the Bills will be a better team and will be able to compete for a change.  If it fails, then oh well...we get another high draft pick, hopefully a new coaching staff and TO moves on.

Even though it's going to suck not to have our #1 RB for the first 3 games of the season he deserves it.  I am a huge Lynch fan but if you're going to put yourself in that kind of situation then you deserve to pay the consequences.  I admire The Commish for sticking to his guns as various player personnel issues arise.  Hopefully Lynch will live up to his words and change.

I'm pretty happy with the additions of Fitzpatrick and Hangartner.  They're both veteran players with starting experience.  Fitz will obviously serve as a back-up and mentor to Edwards and Hangartner will most likely bring his versatility and experience to the starting line-up.  Drayton Florence is an ok pick-up.  Obviously he was a huge disappointment for the Jags last year but hopefully in the nickel and dime packages he can return to his old Charger form and contribute consistently.  McKinney is also a versatile addition that helps bolster our depleted O Line.  I would have liked to see the Bills add one of the various LB's to the team that toured the facility but it doesn't seem like that will happen.  I also think they need to add a RB via FA and get someone with experience to help ease the load from Jackson as Lynch is out.  In the limited action Omon saw last year, I am pretty confident he's not our answer.

The hot button as of late...I'm not going to go on and on about Peters I'm just going to put my opinion out there and end it.  TRADE HIM...yes he's a good player but is inconsistent (Jets game...sack...fumble...TD...loss) and isn't worth the problems he's causing or the negative media attention he's drawing.

I absolutely love the announcement of the NFL schedule.  It gives me the chance to plan my trip from Pittsburgh (boooooooo) to Buffalo to see my 1 Bills game for the year and go to the Bar Bill in East Aurora for wings and beef on weck.

And my post will end with my draft needs list.  In the 1st round we need to address 1 of 3 positions...OL (if Peters is traded) DE or LB.  Depending on which one is addressed the remaining 2 fall into the 2nd round for consideration.  Round 3 - 7 is usually filled with developmental players and hopefully a diamond in the rough or 2.  In those rounds we need to address a possible starting TE as well as depth at OL, LB, DL and we all know Jauron will draft at least 1 DB.

So there you have it...my opinion of the Bills offseason to this point.  Thank you for reading and fire away!

For those of you who were hoping to have June as a post-draft option to fill our OLB need, that won't happen.

As reported on NFL.com, June signed a 1 year / $1.5million contract that could reach $2million.

I don't see many FA options available to fill our need and I feel that Ellison CANNOT be our starter come opening day or we'll be in for another long season (not playoff long).  Hopefully the Bills Brass will be able to draft a starting OLB within the first few rounds.

As I was bored at work today I came across Yahoo.com's most recent Mock Draft and to my suprise I'm actually pretty happy if it would go this way...

Rd 1:   Robert Ayers, DE Tennessee

Rd 2:   Duke Robinson, OL Oklahoma

Rd 3:   Shawn Nelson, TE Southern Miss

I am still very torn between wanting a LB or a DE in the 1st round.  I think Chris Ellis will contribute more in his 2nd year and we can probably get a player like Hunt out of Houston in a later round.  I would absolutely love to see Ray Maualuga strap on a Bills helmet and we all know Ellison is not starting material for ANY team in the NFL...and I even mean for the Lions :-)

Ask any Bills fan and all of them will say that this afternoon's game against the NY Jets was a crucial game in our hopeful season.  After the outcome, I'm sure many Bills fans are irrate!

I would like to point out, in my opinion, the 2 biggest problems our beloved team had today...the O-Line and Perry Fewell's defensive calls.

Anyone else thing we've done better w/o an offensive line playing at all today?  We couldn't run the ball and Trent was running for his life.  Yes, Trent did hold onto the ball for too long a few times but overall he had no time what so ever to make something on offense happen.  Langston Walker and Derrick Dockery are the 2 best lineman we have thus far.  Peters is underacheiving like no other and our back-up RG and C are proving to me why they're back-up's.  For the love...the Jets rushed 3 and Edwards had less then 2 seconds to get the ball out of his hands!  The O-Line consistently got blown off the ball, allowed holes to be clogged for our running game, and gave Edwards no time what so ever to make plays for this promising team.

And now for Fewell's defensive calls.  Brett Favre is 39yrs old...why did we not pressure him the entire game!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!  Blitzes were working great in the 1st quarter and the Jets could not get anything going.  Why did Fewell change his play calls up the rest of game.  On crucial downs we were only sending our 4 D-Lineman and Favre had all the time in the world to pick us apart.  Our run defense was stellar in the 1st 3 quarters but then disappeared in the 4th when it mattered the most.  We have amazing talent on our defense and they're just playing up to their potential and I'm going to point the finger at Perry Fewell and his conservative and often times pathetic play calling.  Greet made an outstanding play to help keep us in the game but again it was our run defense who allowed our team to be gashed in the final minutes of the contest.

I sure hope they pull their heads out of their butts for next weekends game against the Patriots because we cannot afford to go 0-3 in the division!

Another week goes by and still another game that the Bills defense cannot cause pressure on the opposing QB.  Our D-Line/LB's does a fine job stopping the run...we know this already; buy why can't we pressure the QB?  We've blitzed in previous games to cause pressure and it's turned out relatively good for us in either a sack, pressure, and even forced fumbles!

I was very disappointed in Fewell's approach to this week's game in terms of pressuring the Dolphins.  He only dialed up about 2 blitzes and Scott was able to get a sack on one of those.  If that's what it takes to pressure the QB don't you think that is something we should do more often?  2 of our 3 LB's are phenominal and are able to put pressure on the QB if they're allowed (excluding Ellison because he's a bum!)

McGee...WTF?  Why was he even allowed to give up 160 some yards to Ginn Jr?  Why wasn't he taken out earlier in the game when it was obvious he was having coverage issues?  I've noticed it for a very long time that he gives up too much of a cushion making it easy for WR's to run hooks and sprint screens.  His play today was very questionable.  His heart/mind was in the right place but swallow your pride and let the coaches put someone in who can play 100%.

Those were the 2 major issues I had with todays game.  This was supposed to a way to ease into our divisional games, instead we got embarrassed by a mediocre Dolphins team.  We've always had Pennington's number but for some reason we couldn't pressure him to save our lives.  If this is the way our Defensive Coordinator is going to continue to put together gameplans then this promising season is going to come in for a crash landing!

Earlier I had posted a blog about how terrible of a game Losman played this afternoon in the absence of Edwards.  I know this is not the biggest issue that we had today, it was just one of many we can point out.  Obviously some people had a problem with even bringing his name up in the debate when there were bigger issues to discuss.  Well, here it goes then, my opinion of what went wrong today outside of Losman's performance.

Defense:  This has been a consistent problem through the entire season, not just today, but our defense cannot tackle well (outside of a few standouts like Youboty and Poz).  Our defense is usually in position to bring the offense down for a short gain or even losses and they are constantly breaking away for extra yardage.  Our front 4 consistently cannot get pressure on the QB w/o extra blitzers.  They do one hell of a job against the run with Stroud anchoring the line but are pathetic when they need to rush the passer in any situation.  The one time we got pressure on Warner was when Mitchell was blitzing and ended up bloodying his chin.  He's almost 40 yrs old...why in the world did we not blitz him more?  I know it leaves the DB's on an island but nothing else seemed to work today so why not try it?  I was very disappointed in Fewell's adjustments, or lack there of, after halftime and even on the fly.  Our defense was flat and played with no emotion.

Offense:  I believe, as most others do, that it all begins up front.  Our O-Line is the same as last year but they're playing like they just met each other.  Peters' is consistently getting beat, causing penalties, and overall they're not making any holes for our running game.  Thank goodness that Lynch and Jackson are hard runners because they have to fight for every yard they gain.  I would have to say that I was most impressed with our WR's today.  They made nice plays and really bailed us out of some touch situations.  Evans provided the only spark of the day showing us once again that he is a great deep threat.  You could tell the game was all but over once Edwards got knocked out.  There was no emotion from anyone but scared defeat.

Special Teams:  We didn't get many good returns but I'm going to give huge props to McKelvin for at least trying to make plays on kick returns.  Most people would think it's crazy for a returner to bring the ball out of the end zone from 7 or 8 yards deep but I'm going to praise Leodis for that because it seemed like he was the only one who tried to turn the momentum of the game.

It was an overall disappointment and I know it would have been a great shootout to watch if Edwards was able to stay in the game.  My faith in Schonert is still strong in regards to play calling (except for all of the draws he runs out of the shotgun formation...seriously...way too many), we just didn't have the right QB running them.  I'm glad the bye is coming when it is.  Edwards will get an extra week to recover, our O-Line will get another week to gel, and hopefully our defense will learn how to wrap up and tackle because LT is not going to be easy to bring down.  The Bills have a pretty decent record after their bye week so hopefully we'll get healthy and bring together an awesome gameplan to move to 5-1!

Today's performance is the exact reason why JP Losman was benched last year and should become a FA at the end of the season.  He is TERRIBLE and I've said it since day 1!

Yes...I will give it to him that he had a very nice play to L. Evans and they have good chemistry together; but besides that one play he is pathetic.  He held onto the ball way too long, took too many sacks, and of course had a few turnovers like he usually does.

I was really hoping to see Hamdem put in the game.  True, we don't know what he has to offer in a regular season game but I'm sure he can't be any worse then Losman.

I'm so glad I picked to go to this game as my 1 for the year!  The drive home to Pittsburgh is much better after a Buffalo victory.

I have never seen/heard the crowd so into the game as we were in the 4th quarter.  We were beating on the bleechers, screaming, clapping...it was amazing!  Needless to say I have no voice what so ever left but it was well worth it.  You could tell that the team fed off of our energy especially when Stroud and Whitner kept giving us motions of pumping it up!

Trent was poised in the last few drives, the defense came through when they needed to, and Ryan finished the deal with a sweet 38yd field goal to win it!  3-0 and atop the AFC East...oh it's a great day to be a Bills fan!

Today's game definately had multiple momentum changes...both good and bad for the Buffalo Bills.  During the second half it was all with the Jags.  They were able to run the ball and keep our defense on the field to tire them out...just like the Bills did in the 1st half.

Turk definately shown he has what it takes to be a successful coordinator in the NFL. He stuck to his gameplan and our smart QB led the offense down the field for a game changing TD to Hardy.  To be honest, I was getting frustrated because we weren't taking shots down the field but Turk has proven to me that he knows what he's doing.  Take shots when it's open and use what works.  Edwards executed that drive to perfection and our WR's / RB's made outstanding plays.

2-0 BABY!  This Pittsburgh boy will be in Orchard Park next weekend to watch Bruce Smith go up on the Wall and to see the Bills run all over the Raiders!

Since Crowell was placed on IR yesterday there has been plenty of conversations going on regarding how the Bills Brass will address the void left in our LB corp.  Some people want Ellison to start, some people want DiGiorgio to start, others want a FA signing...and so on.  What about this idea?

Trade disgruntled OT Jason Peters for a starting caliber LB.  It doesn't look like Peters is going to report any time soon and it doesn't look like Crowell will be getting that contract extended at the end of the season.

We can kill multiple birds with 1 stone in this situation.  Peters' problems are gone from Buffalo and our O-Line continues to gell as they did throughout OTA's and Training Camp.  We can fill the void at LB with a QUALITY player instead of putting our worthless back-ups into the starting line-up.  And last, but certainly not least, we can possibly pick up an extra draft pick and set our sights on a LB in the 1st round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

Ellison and DiGiorgio are good back-ups and special teams contributors, but they do not deserve to be on the field on Sundays when the starting Defense is out there.  They're too small and get bulled over very easily by pulling linemen and lead blockers, and don't have the strength to bring the wood to anyone coming across the middle.  They're just not starting material!

Trade Peters for a quality LB and look towards the 2009 NFL Draft and snag a great LB prospect...hopefully James Laurinaitis!

This is one of the only times that I will get to watch the Bills play this year since I live in Pittsburgh so I took advantage of it and would like to pass a few observations that I made.

1st Team Offense:  They looked pretty solid against a stout defense of the Steelers.  Our O-Line was consistently picking up blitzes, stunts, and keeping Trent on his feet during the first half.  I loved seeing them gunning it down the field on the first play of their possession; I can already see the playbook being more exciting then it was last year.  Lynch ran hard with a lot of balance...I was very impressed (as I sported my Lynch jersey)!  Overall the offense looked good but it can always look better.

1st Team Defense:  They consistently shut down the running game of the Steelers.  I didn't like seeing Ellison in the starting line up again but you work with what you have since Crowell didn't play.  Watching his performance reminds of why he should never start again in the NFL...he's TERRIBLE!  Simpson and Whitner hooked up nicely for the INT conducting the ever so important tip drill.  Poz was everywhere!  The Pittsburgh announcers talked about him almost the whole game and during their pre-game coverage...they really think he's going to do great things this year!  Overall the defense did well and you can already see the impact that Stroud can have as the anchor of our D-Line.

I'm not going to go into the rest of the total offense/defense packages but I do want to point out a few players for good and bad reasons.

Youboty:  He looked really bad tonight...consistently getting beat by the receivers and it looked as if he was always a step behind.  That TD by Holmes was all on him...he wasn't even close to keeping up with him.  Holmes blew right past with and never looked back.  The good performance he had last week is totally wiped away by his awful outing this week and I think he's back on the chopping block of not making the 53 man roster.

Ellison:  I wish we could find a suitable back-up for him so he can finally be released.  His small statute and "speedy" nature is the exact reason our defense got run all over last year.  He doesn't come up and make plays he sits and waits for the RB's to come to him and then he'll tackle them.  He gets pushed around by lead blockers/lineman and is consistenly out of position on pass coverage.  If our LB's weren't so WEAK behind our starters I would like to see him go...along with DiGiorgio because they're like clones of one another!

Losman:  These first 2 games of the preseason are the exact reason why I can't wait to see him out of Buffalo...total inconsistency.  Last week he was on the money with his passes and his quick decisions helped the Bills offense move somewhat.  This week...nothing!  His throws were inaccurate, he held onto the ball too long, and he kept getting hit/sacked.  I'm going to be really happy when his contract is up and we can get a solid veteran QB!

Jackson:  He just keeps impressing me week in and week out!  He was running hard, breaking tackles, and gaining extra yardage.  I'm really glad to have such an explosive back-up to help spell Lynch.  Even the Pittsburgh announcers were raving about him!

Royal:  Now here's a guy who played like he was losing his starting job...oh wait he is or isn't he?  Tonight are the types of games that Royal is capable of having if he keeps his head in the game and stays focused on the tasked at hand while staying healthy as well.  I really hope he keeps this type of production going because he can be threat receiving and blocking!

McKelvin:  What can't I say about this man!  That kickoff return was amazing!  He made Earnster look like...well...a kicker trying to make a tackle!  It was quite hilarious though my Steeler fan cousin didn't enjoy it as much as I did!  Though his coverage/tackling skills leave much to be desired...I'm glad to see that we can at least use him on special teams while he gets more familiar with the NFL coverage schemes.  He's really something special and I'm excited to have him!

Overall I was quite impressed by the way our 1st and 2nd teams performed all around!  It's nice to see the Bills chalk one up in the win column...especially when it's one of those few times I actually get to watch them!

Throughout the Bills storied franchise, our beloved organization has strived hard to hold onto "high character" players and part ways with trouble makers and attention grabbers.  Players like Bruce Smith, Steve Tasker, and Jim Kelly not only did great things on the field, but kept their noses clean and held themselves to a higher standard then most.

With the era of Jauron and Levy all around us, the Buffalo Bills have had the same mentality.  Players like Donte Whitner and Brian Moorman are not only All-Pro's on the field but they reach out to the community and set great examples for the younger generation.  This is one area that makes me PROUD to be a Bills Backer, but with the recent Lynch Investigation has our strong moral fiber been shaken?

There's a strong argument to both sides.  On one hand it has taken a small piece away from our "high character" personality and "good guy" mentality.  Lynch obviously knew he was in the wrong after his accident but he didn't confess in the beginning and make the process as short as possible.  Instead, he chose to avoid investigators and string the process along while having fellow players and Buffalo Executives get involved.  If he would've stood up and took the wrap in the beginning would he have been considered admirable and courageous?  We'll never know, we just have to wait and see how the final judgement is delivered.

On the other hand, we have so many good influences around the locker room that our team leaders will take Lynch under their wings and keep him on the straight and narrow.  Now obviously this is the first issue that we've had in quite some time so did it really have that big of an impact?  Maybe...but again we'll have to wait and see what the final court decision is.

Overall, Buffalo has been blessed with great individuals within this organization.  No matter how the Lynch incident turns out, I think we're ahead of the curve because of all the "character issues" we don't have.  I'd much rather have this minor chink in our moral armor then have a cancer in the locker room like TO or Chad Johnson.  Thank you Buffalo for being the greatest moral driven team a fan could ask for!

I have been very happen with the FA's the Bills have added to their roster in the beginning in the beginning of the offseason.  With that said, I believe it is time for us to stop signing FA's unless it's our own.

With Mitchell, Stroud, and Johnson; we have added 2 starters and a solid reserve in a matter of 2 days!  I believe B. Johnson will want to much money when he has yet proven himself worthy of a starting position.  Granted he has been behind Fitzgerald and Boldin, I would imagine with those 2 infront of him he would've had more production.

With that said, I feel we need to finish out or roster spots with possibly resigning some of our own FA's and through the draft.  With no deal done while B. Johnson was at OBD today, I'm hoping it stays way as he visits Chicago.

We have signed key players the last few offseasons and I think we've accomplished that again this year.  Draft our big WR in the 1st round with M. Kelly or L. Sweed, a playmaking TE in the 2nd, and sure up some back-up positions and possible ST performers with the rest of the draft.

I believe in the saying that you build your future through the draft, not FA.