Buffalo Bills

Deskchair Quarterback – Bills vs. Bears

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In an attempt to bring a fresh look at each Bills game this season, I’ll try to use this space to offer some analysis and a breakdown of the team’s effort from the last game.

The Bills’ first effort of the preseason ended up as I expected, although there were some high and low points that surely stood out to everyone. Aside from the fact that the NFL preseason is a complete waste of time, the exhibition schedule always catches my eye because I enjoy seeing some of the young talent carve a niche on the roster. For example, Antonio Coleman really stood out as an effective OLB last year and was – and still is – far more effective that Aaron Maybin at the same position.

Saturday night showed me a few things. The most glaring issue is that the Bills’ offense has the potential to be REALLY bad this season. Even before the idiotic trade of Lee Evans, I felt like this would be a down year for the offense. After watching on Saturday I feel like my fears are all but confirmed.

The Bills have no tackles. They have some big guys who are listed as tackles, but they’re not very good at the position. If this team tries to play 16 games with Demetrius Bell, Erik Pears and Ed Wang as the top three bookends, Ryan Fitzpatrick will die. This was the second biggest need for the Bills to address this off season and they failed to do so.

It seems as if this will be a season full of three-and-out, sacks and clogged running lanes.

On the bright side, C.J. Spiller appears to have improved patience and additional duties in the passing game. His rushing numbers didn’t reflect his play, another indication of the porous line, but he looked much better after seeing a handful of plays. Brad Smith also looks like a wise acquisition as he is a true run/pass threat out of the wildcat. Josh Nesbitt was equally impressive in that scheme, it would be cool if they could utilize him as a two-way guy (safety and QB) but there is no need for two wildcat quarterbacks.

Defensively it would seem as if the Bills had adopted the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Marcel Dareus was beyond disruptive and Shawne Merriman was scary good coming off the edge.

The secondary is still good, the Bills are crazy deep at corner and it will only help if Terrence McGee is going to be healthy all year. The safeties are a little average for my liking. I suppose the organization is hoping Da’Norris Searcy comes along fast and is able to start at strong safety. If that is the case there should be no worries, if Bryan Scott is playing all the time it could get ugly.

The special teams didn’t look good, but there are no set responsibilities yet in the system. There are still guys adjusting to kick coverage who have never done it before. I will say that Bruce DeHaven’s crew was pretty average last season and the results on Saturday didn’t inspire much faith. After years of Bobby April’s brilliance, I worry about the mediocrity of this new system.

The second and third preseason games are always the most entertaining for fans and also offer the most insight as to which players are really going to stick around. The next two Saturdays will tell a whole lot more in regards to what kind of team the Bills will have this season.

Lee Evans traded to Baltimore

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Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the Bills have traded Lee Evans to the Baltimore Ravens for a 4th round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

This is a major move for the Bills as they are trading away one of their most lethal offensive threats, well at least on paper. Evans hasn’t been the same threat since J.P. Losman was removed as the starting quarterback. Since then Evans has seen his number dwindle -blast year he recorded a career-low 37 receptions.

That is pretty much the end of the reasons why it made sense to trade him. Frankly, he is a highly paid decoy. He doesn’t do much other than run a mean nine route, but he freeze up plenty of coverage for Stevie Johnson.

Now Johnson and David Nelson become the top receiving threats for the Bills as they hope that Marcus Easley and, San Diego castoff, Buster Davis can produce. All of that for a fourth round pick next season.

The main need for the Buffalo Bills is to fill their holes at tackle. They continue to ignore that need and the years pile up since the last time they had a true duo of NFL tackles (Howard Ballard and Will Wolford by my count). Instead Nix opted to remove a veteran talent for a draft lick that will turn into a guy like Dwayne Wright, Shawn Nelson, or Ko Simpson. Forgive me for not jumping out of my chair for this trade.

It seems like the Bills are turning into the Cleveland Indians from Major League, just get enough players to fill the roster and play the games. No need to worry about winning in these parts I guess.

Brad Smith listed as a QB, Moats moved to ILB

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The Bills opened training camp today and there are already a few interesting tidbits floating around.

Arthur Moats was deadly at OLB last season, apparently the Bills prefer him as an ILB

The first comes from Mark Gaughan’s report in The Buffalo News. Right now, Brad Smith is listed as a quarterback on the roster. This means two things to me. One, they do not want to sacrifice one of their wide receiver positions on Smith when they can “hide” him elsewhere. Basically, Smith can play a variety of positions and you can’t necessarily pigeon-hole him into one. I was concerned after his signing because NFL teams have such ridgid numbers set as they enter camp and the regular season. It is a safe bet that the Bills will not have more than six receivers on their roster entering the year meaning Smith would have likely forced out either Marcus Easely, Donald Jones, David Nelson or Naaman Roosevelt. Now that he is listed as a QB the Bills won’t likely have to part with one of their youngsters.

The second thing this points out to me is the fact that they must really like Easley and Nelson. They are my favorites to secure the final WR spots behind Lee Evans, Stevie Johnson and Roscoe Parrish. I was particularly worried that Nelson would be cut due to the signing of Smith. Now it seems as if he may be safe. That being said, Jones and Roosevelt are likely the odd men out in the grand scheme of things. Smith can run out in kick and punt coverage like these two did last season. They became expendable when the Bills signed Smith. Continue reading →

Bills opt for fringe signings as camp approaches

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Surely the Bills are working towards some bigger free agent signings to address the holes they have at linebacker and offensive tackle. However, they have yet to sign any players at those positions. Rather, they have signed a back-up quarterback and a utility receiver/returner.

Brad Smith wouldn't be a bad signing if the Bills didn't have other glaring needs

Buffalo opened free agency by declaring their desire to get Paul Posluszny signed only to have him leave for more money and a better playing situation in Jacksonville. Buddy Nix was able to get Drayton Florence re-signed for three more years, a big signing considering the loss of their former middle linebacker.

They followed the Florence signing with back-up quarterback Tyler Thigpen. The three-year deal was necessary but extremely underwhelming considering some of the glaring needs on the Bills’ roster. However, I like that they pursued a player who is familiar with Chan Gailey and his offense. It is reassuring to know that the back-up quarterback will know the system and can have success if called upon.

The second free agent signing Buffalo made isn’t as impressive to me. Brad Smith is an exciting player and a valuable weapon. This is why I was happy to hear the Bills signed him. However, a third or fourth wide receiver is the last thing Buffalo needed. I guess the Bills are hoping to sport the greatest roster of kick returners ever assembled. Continue reading →

Tom Modrak sent packing

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The Buffalo Bills made a personnel decision many thought should have been made at least a year earlier. Tom Modrak was relieved of his duties as VP of College Scouting.

In fact, Mr. Modrak will no longer be with the organization at all. This ends a decade of average drafting based, at least partially, on advice from the team’s former number one scout.

Just to highlight some of his handiwork, Aaron Maybin, Donte Whitner, John McCargo, J.P. Losman, Mike Williams and three different running backs. Of course, not all of these picks can be saddled squarely on Modrak’s shoulders. But it is safe to say his scouting staff and influence in the war room had something to do with it. Add to that the fact that the Bills haven’t had a largely successful draft class under his watch; you’re eventually led down the road of termination.

This is a strong move by the organization. Many have pointed out that this is the time (after the draft) that scouting staffs see turnover. Additionally, many have said that the reason he wasn’t fired last year was due to the fact that it was the first year under Chan Gailey and Buddy Nix. Basically Modrak was given a grace period before being shown the door.

Fans should be glad he is gone. There is little doubt that he orchestrated a great deal of the poor drafts the Bills have had in the past decade. Obviously the new regime has identified the people they should keep and the one they need to jettison. While this won’t expedite the rebuilding process, it does offer a ray of hope that the team will begin to draft well once again.

The only depressing part of this story is that this guy was able to stick around for 10 years. Perhaps if this move had been made a few years earlier the fan base wouldn’t a massive gray cloud hovering over them in the form of a three year rebuilding project.

This Nix guy seems to know what he is doing

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Two days of drafting and the Buffalo Bills appear to be a much better tam than they were on Wednesday.

Obviously the selection of Marcell Dareus was an easy decision and will help the team from get go. However, Nix made two more choices on day two that appear to be wise. At least on the surface.

Aaron Williams, a versatile CB/S was Buffalo’s second round pick and it seems safe to assume he will fill the spot left by free agent, Drayton Florence. I didn’t love this pick. Williams was projected as one of the better safety prospects in the draft, but I have never been a fan of the “he can convert to safety at the next level” line. It doesn’t hold water for me. That being said, the Bills were in a bit of a tough spot with most of the big-name quarterbacks off the board. I am certain this pick would have been Christian Ponder had he survived. Continue reading →

Buffalo selects Dareus, lost their QB

Chris Ostrander1 Comment

The first five picks of the 2011 NFL Draft went pretty much according to plan. The Carolina Panthers selected Cam Newton first, to the delight of just about every Bills fan, and the following picks fell into order.

After Denver selected Von Miller second overall, the Bills were left with a fairly easy decision. They selected Marcell Dareus, the massive and agile DT from Alabama.

Dareus addresses a handful of needs for Buffalo. Chiefly, their inability to stop the run. I’ll leave the rest of the explanation up to Mark Gaughan, he has quotes and an in-look at the selection. Continue reading →

2011 NFL Draft: Who do the Bills take?

Chris Ostrander1 Comment

My love for pro football has seriously fallen off in recent years. It is a great game, but the NFL has become a business, not a sport. The No Fun League moniker certainly crops up a lot and it is hard to like the players when they all act like jerks. All the time.

However, free agency and the draft always peak my interest. Of course, the looming lockout/work stoppage put the kaibosh on free agency. The draft will go on. Why? I’m not quite sure, but it doesn’t matter and I am still looking forward to tuning in. The big question in tornado alley Buffalo is, who do the Bills select with the third overall selection?

Leave it to Buffalo to bottom out in a year with such a weak class at the top of the draft. Still, there are a few options available at the third pick. They have a plethora of needs starting at QB right on through DT. Outside linebacker and offensive tackle are also huge weak points for this team. However, they can’t address every need in the first round, only the most glaring one.

I see five players that the Bills could take a serious look at with the third selection. Marcell Dareus, Blaine Gabbert, Von Miller, Cam Newton and Patrick Peterson. Of those five, I wouldn’t touch Newton. He comes across as a huge phony, a cheater and a jerk. I think he will be a cancer to any locker room he gets put into. Miller and Dareus (even Nick Fairley) address immediate needs on defense. They are highly skilled and would be effective for a defense that desperately needs help. Gabbert and Peterson are pretty much safety valves for me, based on who is picked at one and two. Here is my breakdown of the prospects in the order I would take them:

Von Miller -OLB, Texas A&M

Von Miller would be my choice if I were the Bills. He is a bit undersized at 6’2″ 246 pounds, but he has a solid body of work in a competitive conference. Miller is a edge rusher who can play in both the 3-4 and the 4-3.  He has the style and skill that Aaron Maybin was supposed to bring. Buffalo has had a pretty horrific pass rush over the past few years, Miller would help fill that void and hopefully bump Chris Kelsay to a three point stance all the time. He is exaclty what the Bills need and there is no reason why he shouldn’t be available for the third pick. That is also why I chose him as a correspondent with the original, DC based, Two in the Box.

Continue reading →

Bills trim three from roster – prepare for final preseason game

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After a convincing 35-20 win over Cincinnati last Saturday, the Bills head into their final tune-up before the 2010 regular season debut.

Lonnie Harvey (#72) was among the first three players cut by the Bills.

The Bills defense and special teams were still shady but the offense looked impressive in toasting the Bengals for 28 points (Reggie Corner scored the final TD on an interception). Continue reading →

Where the Bills go from here

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Training camp is over. The preseason is not. However, there isn’t much time left before the cuts are made.

There are numerous darkhorses to make this team among the draft picks and undrafted free agents. Plus, there are numerous position battles still waging as the Bills come back to Orchard Park.

Continue reading →