Bills bench Buggs, move Mitchell, promote Palmer
by Brian Galliford on Oct 7, 2009 12:46 PM EDT
in News
184 comments
Yesterday, in grading the performances of each Buffalo Bills positional unit after the first quarter of the regular season was completed, I gave Buffalo's linebackers a big, fat F for their unspectacular performances in the team's 1-3 start.
The Bills' coaching staff, much to their credit, has become acutely aware of their defense's biggest shortcoming.
Paul Posluszny is still out indefinitely as he recovers from a broken arm. Marcus Buggs replaced him for two weeks, but the second-year player has been benched - in favor of Kawika Mitchell.
Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com reports that Mitchell is taking first-team reps at middle linebacker on Wednesday, the first day of practice in preparation for Buffalo's must-win Week 5 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Mitchell, a veteran addition from 2008 who has played on the weak side in his time in Buffalo, is easily Buffalo's biggest linebacker, and has experience playing inside from his days in Kansas City.
Replacing Mitchell on the weak side in Wednesday's practice setting was undrafted rookie free agent Ashlee Palmer. Aided by strong performances in mini-camp, training camp and the pre-season, Palmer snuck onto the roster despite not being selected this past April out of Mississippi. Now, it appears that he'll see playing time as a starter for this defense - at least until Posluszny returns from injury.
Keith Ellison will remain the strong-side linebacker.
Kudos to Buffalo's coaching staff for at least making the attempt to remedy their bleak situation at linebacker. Mitchell is capable of playing inside, and Palmer has considerable upside. Still, I feel compelled to say this again: get well soon, Poz.
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Why give kudos to the coaching staff, when this is really the only move – in terms of the LB-corps – that makes any lick of sense. Marcus Buggs was awful in the middle and constantly overran plays, which meant a lot of big gainers for New Orleans and Miami. Something needed to happen, and for once this coaching staff realized that; hopefully the changes will continue (by cutting Chambers and signing Runyan/Levi Jones)…
by BillsfanfromDenmark on Oct 7, 2009 12:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Why give kudos to the coaching staff, when this is really the only move – in terms of the LB-corps – that makes any lick of sense.
… because they realized it.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Oct 7, 2009 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I get your point and
applaud your attempt to find a positive regarding the coaching staff, but aren’t they supposed to be smarter than us? This move really was a no brainer.
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
by Joe P. on Oct 7, 2009 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not sure I’d even call it a positive. More like an “OK, good. Thanks.” :)
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Oct 7, 2009 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think Mitchell can be an upgrade
I’ve been wanting to see Mitchell at Mike or SAM since he got to Buffalo, given his size and ability to stymie the run as well as his blitzing capability, I’ve always thought that his weakest attribute was his pass-coverage skills.
If he does very well at Mike, then maybe, just maybe we could see Poz switch to SAM, where I think he’d be able to reek havoc!
Either believe in your team or don’t coach it
FEED the BEAST!
by keysh67 on Oct 8, 2009 8:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kudos not warranted. This doesn’t “change” anything. All they are doing is shifting parts around. This “solution” is eerily similar to how OBD addressed the offensive tackle position.
If they really wanted to fix the problem, they would go out and find players not currently on the roster to fill these gaping holes. One thing has become evident over the last couple of weeks, OBD’s lack of ability to adequetly address depth at positions is clearly evident. Presumably these players we are moving around were of lower quality than the players they are replacing (otherwise they would have started at the head of the depth charts).
I beleive the primary reason we are in the position we are in now is a direct result of OBD’s lack of ability to talent evaluate. It blows my mind that comments still come out that this is the most talented team Dick Jauron has had.
"You play to win the game, you don't play to just play it" - Herm Edwards
by Jason from OH-IO on Oct 7, 2009 12:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Oh yeah, and playoff caliber football teams don’t typically exist with rookie free agents starting at linebacker (or any other position for that matter).
But your right, we should give the coaches credit for realizing that the linebacking corps are horrible. I thought they were doing an amazing job this year, shows what I know about football ;-)
"You play to win the game, you don't play to just play it" - Herm Edwards
by Jason from OH-IO on Oct 7, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Palmer
If Palmer has “considerable upside” wouldn’t he have been drafted.
C’mon Brian, seriously.
"You play to win the game, you don't play to just play it" - Herm Edwards
by Jason from OH-IO on Oct 7, 2009 12:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
why isn't Nic Harris getting a chance
he was teh 5th round pick right? What is this?
We got your back Leodis!
by poz on Oct 7, 2009 1:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Nic Harris has taken reps exclusively on the strong side.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Oct 7, 2009 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
dang
I think we should get this guy on the field. I kind of agree with live6453 that moving Ellison and getting Harris in would have been a good move. I do like Mitchell inside though and Palmer had a good pre-season so this could help stem some of the defensive leaks.
We got your back Leodis!
by poz on Oct 7, 2009 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
he's our "utiltiy fielder"
need him to back up/spell the safety core as well as the LB’s right now, can’t risk him getting hurt. he has more value for his versatility
Starting a movement to draft Jimmy Clausen in april, he'll be the 2nd coming of Kelly, the saviour of the Bills
by J. Mackin on Oct 7, 2009 10:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I probably would’ve tried to first move ellison in the middle with Harris manning the strong side.
by live6453 on Oct 7, 2009 1:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I prefer their current method better. Mitchell is a far better fit in the middle than Ellison. Plus, he’s actually played there.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Oct 7, 2009 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am not familiar, beyond just watching the games, would it have been a stretch to put Ellison on the weakside, Mitchell at MLB and Harris at WLB?
I know that would probably be too much change for a temporary situation, I was just curious if there was that much of a difference between playing the weak and strongsides in our defense?
by syrbillsfan on Oct 7, 2009 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ellison has played weak side before – but not for a while. Pretty sure he replaced Spikes or Crowell there in ‘06 – whichever one played there. But he’s spent most of his time on the strong side.
And honestly – if I’m looking to move as few players as possible, I’m moving Mitchell before Ellison, simply because he’s a better player.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Oct 7, 2009 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Very true. Maybe Mitchell will engage his brain a little more playing a position he isn’t used to, and anything that keeps him out of coverage as much as possible is a good move by any means.
I still see the missed tackles from Sunday dancing in my head…. That is the main thing that bothered me, how did the team that in week 1, and 2 for the most part, that was so technically sound, turn into this jumble that we saw on Sunday?
Most of our games we’re so close, like a play or two away from that season-making victory, but on Sunday, it was bad play after bad play. I know the defense was tired, especially by the 4th quarter, but come on. Rely on technique, that’s all they need to do. That is on the players, not the coaches.
by syrbillsfan on Oct 7, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think it’s just you. Harris has come across well in publicity from Bills and seems to have gained a Steve Johnson like group of supporters. I’d love to see him play. And as of a couple weeks ago, Chris Brown was reporting that plan “B” was Ellison to MLB, Harris to Stronside. One of the reasons I liked this over playing Buggs was Harris’ larger size, but now I see that Palmer weighs 4 lbs. more than Harris. Hopefully, that means Palmer is less likely to get pushed around than Buggs. If he does, then we can whine about coaches again for another week.
p.s. Good to hear DBell is coming back.
by williamsDT on Oct 7, 2009 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am happy that they did something about the defense. The D hasn’t been put in many good situations the last two weeks with turnovers and 3 and outs, and I think Kawika will do a good job in the middle.
I also think that this situation the Bills are in is due to the Front Office and Coaches ignoring the fact that players get hurt. Why didn’t they just lower Walker on the depth chart instead of releasing him? Maybe the Miami game wouldn’t have been so ugly if Walker was at either tackle spot. And Buggs at MLB, did they really think he could come in and play at an NFL level coming out of training camp. I don’t see how they could think that of Buggs of Scott.
by louiethegent on Oct 7, 2009 1:14 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
so the next move on the table
is to sign Levi Jones?
We got your back Leodis!
by poz on Oct 7, 2009 1:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
D-Bell is practicing today, btw.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Oct 7, 2009 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
thank God!!!!!!
Its amazing how much more I appreciate him now!
We got your back Leodis!
by poz on Oct 7, 2009 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Does the dude they picked up off of GB’s practice squad go inactive again?
by Buffalo Mo on Oct 7, 2009 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I would assume. If we have four tackles he will be out probably.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Ignoring the grumblings on Rumblings.
by MattRichWarren on Oct 7, 2009 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
LOL – idk. I wouldn’t be surprised if they gave Chambers a “week off” on the sidelines.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Oct 7, 2009 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah! That actually makes me happy, he needs evaluation as we move towards next year… one thing we need for the rest of the year is him to play consistently.
"You play to win the game, you don't play to just play it" - Herm Edwards
by Jason from OH-IO on Oct 7, 2009 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
sign jones, cut chambers
most of my posts get deleted :(
by dzil on Oct 7, 2009 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
it is the right thing to do
Scott isnt cutting it
We got your back Leodis!
by poz on Oct 7, 2009 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Jonathan Scott was actually acceptable at RT against NO
and definitely our best lineman that day.
by live6453 on Oct 7, 2009 1:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
any chance
Nic Harris goes back to playing SS?
most of my posts get deleted :(
by dzil on Oct 7, 2009 1:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
He’ll keep taking reps there until either Scott or Whitner gets healthy, because we only have three healthy safeties as it is. And one of them – John Wendling – stinks.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Oct 7, 2009 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’d like to see Harris at SS. In pre-season it seemed he was flying all over the field, in on most every tackle. Seems he has the mobility, despite his size, to be a decent SS for now.
most of my posts get deleted :(
by dzil on Oct 7, 2009 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agree on Wendling
He had two absolute whiffs on Sunday.
by jpheff on Oct 7, 2009 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Didn’t practice today, was in attendance. Same with Bryan Scott and Poz.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Oct 7, 2009 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
wish they could just put a cast on Poz and let him play. A one-armed Poz is better than a 4-armed Ellison.
most of my posts get deleted :(
by dzil on Oct 7, 2009 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Haha – I don’t necessarily disagree with that.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Oct 7, 2009 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Would that just mean 4 times as many busted arm-tackles?
by Posluszny Pollocks on Oct 7, 2009 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I bet the 4 armed ellison would be a beast in short zone coverage though.
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
by JPH on Oct 7, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You dont want to know
:)
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Oct 7, 2009 2:57 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
Ellison Started the year out great at SSLB.
When Poz went down, is when we started to see the decline from that Position. I am sure the thinking is kill two birds with one stone, lets get keith back home and draw off of Mitchells experience in the middle. Wilson and Byrd will have to help pick up the slack on Palmer if needed. I am sure he will need some help. Florence also can pitch in on the edge as well.
Excuses are a sign of weakness!!!!!!
by VanScottM on Oct 7, 2009 1:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I think ...
it says alot of Ellison can’t play well unless Poz is in there.
Ellison would not start on any other team in the league. He’s a huge weak link on a potentially good defense that’s being wasted by shoddy LB play.
by sabre74kkn on Oct 7, 2009 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ellison is 4th in the league in tackles. The guy would find a spot to play.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Ignoring the grumblings on Rumblings.
by MattRichWarren on Oct 7, 2009 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That doesnt mean he's a good player
He’s been on the field probably 90-95% of the snaps. Of course he’ll rack up tackles especially when teams consistently get their)’s to the second level against us.
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Oct 7, 2009 3:00 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
haha exactly right K, ellison is horrible, easily our worst starter on D
by csc06258 on Oct 7, 2009 3:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree… Not a big Ellison fan… At least as a Starter.
"You play to win the game, you don't play to just play it" - Herm Edwards
by Jason from OH-IO on Oct 7, 2009 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
the tackles argument is always a strawman, IMO
Linebackers tackle people. I’d bet the for the most part tackles and playing time are correlational.
That being said, Ellison looked great early on. But so did most people.
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
by JPH on Oct 7, 2009 5:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Tackles are definitely relative
I think really, from a team prospective, you’d want tackles in this order DL > LB > DBs but usually a middle linebacker ends up with the most on each team, except when they’re really bad, then it’s usually the safeties.
by syrbillsfan on Oct 8, 2009 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, but it means he’d find a job somewhere.
Mmmph rrgh prrmf! - someone with his mouth gagged
by Dyl on Oct 7, 2009 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Poz covered up a lot of deficiencies in the run defense with his sideline to sideline mobility, awareness, and sure tackling. We definitely know that now.
by syrbillsfan on Oct 7, 2009 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Can't argue Poz's loss, it is HUGE!!!!!
Ellison did lead us in tackles in game one and had some awesome defensive stops on third and fourth downs, early this year. We have been looking into depth at LB since the off season and I realize that Ellison may have had something to do with this but he has shown signs of quality play and improvement from his past, such as Kelsay. He is being spread very thin right know and his weaknesses are beginning to show through. We are only lacking the qualtiy depth that most teams have. Poz doesn’t get replaced by depth, he is at another level. That kind of depth we have in our secondary. MO
Excuses are a sign of weakness!!!!!!
by VanScottM on Oct 7, 2009 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Poz doesn’t get replaced by depth, he is at another level
Digi would have been serviceable if he wasn’t already injured.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Ignoring the grumblings on Rumblings.
by MattRichWarren on Oct 7, 2009 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
the biggest loss when digiorgio went down
was that we couldn’t keep saying “it’s not delivery, it’s digiorgio.”
that was my favorite part of the season 2 years ago.
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
by JPH on Oct 7, 2009 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
and i thought i was the only clever person using that catch phrase lol
Starting a movement to draft Jimmy Clausen in april, he'll be the 2nd coming of Kelly, the saviour of the Bills
by J. Mackin on Oct 7, 2009 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
easy now...
poz played 16 games last year and we were 10th worst in the league in run defense.
And Maroney was picking up 8 yards whenever they gave him the ball while Poz was in the game.
I’m not contesting that Poz was a huge step up from where we are now, but he’s not single-handedly holding opposing defenses at bay.
I would say Whitner was the bigger asset in runstopping….
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
by JPH on Oct 7, 2009 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Poz was injured basically the entire season last year.
"You play to win the game, you don't play to just play it" - Herm Edwards
by Jason from OH-IO on Oct 7, 2009 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Massaquoi
Anyone else worried about this guy going off in Braylon’s absence Sunday?
They are hard to play but not hard to beat.
- Mike Lombardi on the Buffalo Bills
by Sluss88 on Oct 7, 2009 2:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I was wondering how long it would take someone to grab that pic as a n avatar.
No weekend spent pantsless is a wasted weekend.
by sireric on Oct 7, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yup, couldn't resist, it goes well with my signautre...
They are hard to play but not hard to beat.
- Mike Lombardi on the Buffalo Bills
by Sluss88 on Oct 7, 2009 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
maybe, but the bills can game plan for him – something the bengals couldn’t.
by quantumuprising on Oct 7, 2009 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
true, but does game planning ever help the bills?
If it did, you would think that Brown/Williams wouldn’t have run all over us…
They are hard to play but not hard to beat.
- Mike Lombardi on the Buffalo Bills
by Sluss88 on Oct 7, 2009 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Massaquoi already has been going off. He was targeted 13 times last week.
Twitter: helping to make anti-social people anti-socially social.
by TheAfghanTwilight on Oct 7, 2009 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
only because Bungles
rolled coverage to Braylon Edwards all day
Maasquoi won’t have him drawing the safeties again this week
by freddyjj on Oct 7, 2009 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
and it was the first game he’s played in…
by quantumuprising on Oct 8, 2009 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
As the resident UGA fan
No…. I’m not worried about Massaquoi.. Don’t get me wrong, luv the guy, but his inconsistency is the reason he wasn’t a first rd pick, though I admit, I would have taken a flyer on him in the 4th or later in the draft.. All the intangibles, size, speed, leadership ability…. But after one big game, always expect 2 or 3 really bad ones… And at UGA, those good games were few and far between. Again… I like him, but I don’t think he will ever live up to his status as a second for the Brownies….
by Cinga on Oct 7, 2009 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
anyone else having trouble?
Despite the fact that I’ve checked here numerous times today, everytime I come back it tells me that all the comments are unread and I have to “z” button through everything all over again. Anyone else having this issue?
We got your back Leodis!
by poz on Oct 7, 2009 2:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
you could just unmask them all.
but no, not having that problem
by quantumuprising on Oct 7, 2009 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
although, i couldn’t reach the site earlier…
by quantumuprising on Oct 7, 2009 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’ve tried that. Even after I unmask them. Logged off and on, they still appear as “new”
by Zumone on Oct 7, 2009 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
what is "unmasking"?
We got your back Leodis!
by poz on Oct 7, 2009 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Instead of pressing “z” press “shift” + “A”
by Zumone on Oct 7, 2009 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yup
still marking as unread though, very annoying…
We got your back Leodis!
by poz on Oct 7, 2009 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
dang, now it is doing it for me too.
by quantumuprising on Oct 7, 2009 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
SBN is having some minor server issues. The techs are working on it.
Buffalo Rumblings. On Twitter.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Oct 7, 2009 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I really wish the coaching staff at SBN had planned ahead for this and had some extra depth at line-item IT techs; the rest of us knew before this happened that they were very thin at this position and if anyone went down with the flu we could be in for some rough times.
by quantumuprising on Oct 7, 2009 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Yeah. This.
Official ledge-talker-offer of the Buffalo Bills.
by WhyBillsWhy on Oct 7, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Classic.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Ignoring the grumblings on Rumblings.
by MattRichWarren on Oct 8, 2009 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Figured that was it
I haven’t been able to log on w/my desktop a few times in the last day or 2… Sometimes that happens because of my own security, and the trackers through the SB Nation site.. But not often and never this bad… Y’all need to do something about those trackers though, it’s annoying…
by Cinga on Oct 7, 2009 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Glad they are giving Palmer a shot. He can’t be any worse than Buggs. That guy was awful.
This situation again highlights the lack of depth/talent on this team. They really thought an undersized player like Buggs was going to succeed if forced into action?
We were concerned all offseason about LB depth and sure enough, its killed us so far. I hope this next regime cares about building quality depth on the lines and at LB. We obviously need it!
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Oct 7, 2009 3:06 PM EDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs
you had me at
This situation again highlights the lack of depth/talent on this team
"You play to win the game, you don't play to just play it" - Herm Edwards
by Jason from OH-IO on Oct 7, 2009 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
the problem is
we had decent depth in that DiGiorgio could have started nearly anywhere at LB and been a decent fill in and he went down. The bigger problem is that as much as everyone likes Ellison all of a sudden he too should have been our excellent depth and we should have signed an OLB in free agency. It all comes back to being satisfied with Ellison as a starter in my opinion.
We got your back Leodis!
by poz on Oct 7, 2009 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Which is exactly an example of poor talent evaluation
Relying on Digi was just stupid. They knew he was trying to come back from injury and wasn’t ready to go all summer. Then he had his setback early in camp and they did nothing to replace him, which was a problem in itself.
Well Ellison won’t be a starter next year, I’m quite confident in that. Too bad this staff kept thinking he could be even an average starter…
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Oct 7, 2009 4:50 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
Why is it that the unintelligent eye (fans) seem to see the obvious things OBD can’t. It is extremely painful.
"You play to win the game, you don't play to just play it" - Herm Edwards
by Jason from OH-IO on Oct 7, 2009 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dumb
Harris should start over palmer and he should def start over ellison
by csc06258 on Oct 7, 2009 3:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Really
What has Harris proven other than a few pre-season plays?
"Next time I get the opportunity I am going to hold on and make a better decision." ~ Leodis McKelvin. (Can't ask for anythitng more than that)
by NolaBillsFan on Oct 7, 2009 5:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
well, as Jason from OH-IO pointed, he was drafted there for he is obviously the better player…duh.
No weekend spent pantsless is a wasted weekend.
by sireric on Oct 7, 2009 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for sticking words in my mouth! Obviously my point was if a player has a considerable amount of NFL talent he does not go undrafted.
"You play to win the game, you don't play to just play it" - Herm Edwards
by Jason from OH-IO on Oct 7, 2009 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
OMG
5th round draft pick, 5th round draft picks are far from a lock to even make the team. You guys seem touchy today.
"Next time I get the opportunity I am going to hold on and make a better decision." ~ Leodis McKelvin. (Can't ask for anythitng more than that)
by NolaBillsFan on Oct 7, 2009 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The sarcasm-o-meter must be on the fritz….
No weekend spent pantsless is a wasted weekend.
by sireric on Oct 7, 2009 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sarcasm
It all makes so much more sense when I read it now.
"Next time I get the opportunity I am going to hold on and make a better decision." ~ Leodis McKelvin. (Can't ask for anythitng more than that)
by NolaBillsFan on Oct 7, 2009 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
wait a minute...
On the fritz, means not working……….fritz……not working……….There is a connection there. What am I missing?
No weekend spent pantsless is a wasted weekend.
by sireric on Oct 7, 2009 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
symantics
seems like this post, and I am playing a large role in it, has degraded to a discussion of symantics.
"You play to win the game, you don't play to just play it" - Herm Edwards
by Jason from OH-IO on Oct 7, 2009 8:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I got the connection, Eric, even if no one else did!
I remain convinced that somehow Drew Rosenhaus negotiated a playing time deal for Roscoe into the contract for TO.
by thefourwinds on Oct 7, 2009 9:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am still waiting for him to reply…..
No weekend spent pantsless is a wasted weekend.
by sireric on Oct 8, 2009 1:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Deja Vu all over again
Maybe it’s just me, but don’t the causes of our problems at linebacker seem eerily similar to the ones at O-line? O-line: we get rid of our best lineman—Jason Peters—and cut Langston Walker, claiming that we don’t need them and our young guys are better. Now, we have no depth on the line, and it’s easily the weakest part of our offense.
Linebackers: We don’t re-sign Angelo Crowell, yet he was our most productive linebacker before Poz got here. (Yeah, I know he got hurt again in Tampa, but that’s not to say he would have gotten hurt again had Buffalo resigned him). We put a lot of faith in our rookies (I vividly recall a DJ interview late in the offseason about how much the coaches thought of Buggsy), and they can’t get the job done, and now our linebackers are easily the weakest part of the defense.
See a pattern? Seems another flaw at OBD is their tendency to grossly overestimate the talent of our rookies/young players while getting rid of proven veterans.
by McGee24 on Oct 7, 2009 3:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I thought I was over the loss of Crowell. I still miss him.
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by TheAfghanTwilight on Oct 7, 2009 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why? The guy can’t stay healthy. I don’t know how you can miss a guy who can’t see the field.
by hightower_mc on Oct 7, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Crowell was clearly not the same player he was before the injury. He wasn’t even going to be starting for Tampa before he got hurt.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Ignoring the grumblings on Rumblings.
by MattRichWarren on Oct 8, 2009 9:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Supposedly, he was only 50/50 to make the team. Tough to think considering how good he was a few years ago.
I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. In my Second Life I was also a paper salesman and I was also named Dwight. Absolutely everything was the same. Except I could fly. - Dwight Schrute
by kaisertown on Oct 8, 2009 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Knee injury + lack of football IQ = not good choice.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Ignoring the grumblings on Rumblings.
by MattRichWarren on Oct 8, 2009 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Another Example
Another ex of the coaches taking too much time to make a decision. If it’s not the waiting to throw the challenge flag, it is waiting to fire the O-Coordinator, if its not firing the coordinator it’s not getting Bell as many reps as possible at LT early in the preseason before he gets hurt etc etc etc.
The coaches are not reactionists. They are intelligent people with good deductive reasoning if you give them a lot of time to figure it out. Unfortunately, the NFL is a reactionist league.
This move was two weeks too late just like every other thing this team has done.
by Berg79 on Oct 7, 2009 3:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
When Palmer doesn’t cut it Harris will be in next week…a week too late…again.
A decision like this makes me sad…because the coaches should be ahead of the fan base.
I kinda hope we lose to Cleveland because sometimes things can’t be fixed until you sink to the bottom and maybe the worst thing to happen to this franchise was have an easy schedule last year and go 7-9 as oppose to 4-12.
by Berg79 on Oct 7, 2009 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was just thinking about how good Jauron’s record is after bye weeks and to start the season. If he only had two weeks to prepare for every game, we’d be golden. Too bad it doesn’t look like we’re going to make the Super Bowl. (On the serious side, I wonder how much of this time delay is due to having a young team and constantly having to rebuild because of injuries and changing regimes.)
by williamsDT on Oct 7, 2009 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Seriously, how does Buggs ever even get a look at LB to begin with. Dude is virtually the same size as Josh Reed.
most of my posts get deleted :(
by dzil on Oct 7, 2009 3:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Well, in a basterdized version of 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon: Josh Reed was a RB at one point in time, and many LBers also play RB. Buggs is a LBer and is sized near Josh Reed, who played RB.
This is how I envision the Benny Hill Gang (Inner Circle) evaluated Buggs.
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by TheAfghanTwilight on Oct 7, 2009 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gee. don’t know why I didn’t see that, myself. Was so obvious :)
most of my posts get deleted :(
by dzil on Oct 7, 2009 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I bet you have the Benny Hill theme song in your head now, don’t ya? Whenever I think of that group of fellas, I know I do.
Twitter: helping to make anti-social people anti-socially social.
by TheAfghanTwilight on Oct 7, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
LMAO. Careful, Brian’s gonna snap.
most of my posts get deleted :(
by dzil on Oct 7, 2009 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’d pay big money to hear the Benny Hill song play at the Ralph during the game. I’d just die.
most of my posts get deleted :(
by dzil on Oct 7, 2009 3:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You’d never heard it though. Well if it was played following a Bills INT you would.
Twitter: helping to make anti-social people anti-socially social.
by TheAfghanTwilight on Oct 7, 2009 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
play it during a pick-6. classic
most of my posts get deleted :(
by dzil on Oct 7, 2009 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
i go to vanderbilt where buggs went to college. i talked to people here about him when he became the starter and they loved him. Unfortunately, he had a reputation as physically overmatched but smart enough to be a good SEC player. His intelligence is nice, but when he’s too small/slow for college, you know he’s going to be in trouble playing middle linebacker in the NFL.
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
by JPH on Oct 7, 2009 4:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I see above in the post that Harris was taking strongside reps and that's why they went to palmer and not him
my question is this: is harris now taking reps weak side as well? It seems like he should.
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
by JPH on Oct 7, 2009 4:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
He’s making a position switch – didn’t want to overload him. Now he’s taking reps at his old position, too.
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"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. --Wayne Grezky" --Michael Scott
by Brian Galliford on Oct 7, 2009 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Let's put on our happy faces for the weekend!
No boo-birds! Support the team and motivate them and we will be 2-3 on Monday morning. No so bad. Maybe that will boost their confidence a bit and they can build on it.
I live in Nashville and the Titans could very well come out of the game against Indy at 0-5!!! That’s crazy! Their boo-birds and Jerks on the radio have already started their “Fire Jeff Fisher” chants. Insane.
Driving the 11 hours home this weekend for the game and I’m pumped!
NOTHING like being in the Ralph.
"A failure becomes just one time at bat if you refuse to let it defeat you." Marv Levy.
by SERGEANT MAJOR THOR on Oct 7, 2009 7:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Jills with pink pom poms. I’m happy
most of my posts get deleted :(
by dzil on Oct 7, 2009 9:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
your happy?
have you seen the jills? worst cheerleaders ever!!!
Starting a movement to draft Jimmy Clausen in april, he'll be the 2nd coming of Kelly, the saviour of the Bills
by J. Mackin on Oct 7, 2009 9:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I have to agree with this. The Jills are definitely sub-par looks wise when compared to other teams cheerleaders.
No weekend spent pantsless is a wasted weekend.
by sireric on Oct 7, 2009 9:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
alright then. miserable again. thanks guys
most of my posts get deleted :(
by dzil on Oct 7, 2009 9:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
They are organic
as opposed to regulars on nip and tuck.
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
by Joe P. on Oct 7, 2009 9:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
no, they look like they got hit in the face with a folding steel chair
i prefer the BC Eagles cheerleaders over any pro cheerleader. i prefer the girl next door look to the porn star look, but as far as pornstar looks go, the jills leave alot to be desired
Starting a movement to draft Jimmy Clausen in april, he'll be the 2nd coming of Kelly, the saviour of the Bills
by J. Mackin on Oct 7, 2009 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wanted to argue with you....then I looked at some of their pics
OK….so we are not dealing with a lot of 10s, but if most of them walked up to you in a bar, you would probably pee your pants :-)
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
by Joe P. on Oct 7, 2009 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
nah, if they walked up to me in a bar i’d order a round of shots to help make them look better ;)
Starting a movement to draft Jimmy Clausen in april, he'll be the 2nd coming of Kelly, the saviour of the Bills
by J. Mackin on Oct 7, 2009 10:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
LOL!!! Sounds like a Win Win situation.....which is better than we get watching the game :-)
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
by Joe P. on Oct 7, 2009 10:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
let the liquor help you get up on her ;)
Starting a movement to draft Jimmy Clausen in april, he'll be the 2nd coming of Kelly, the saviour of the Bills
by J. Mackin on Oct 7, 2009 10:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You guys are killing me.....
Stop it………
FOCUS……. focus………………
"A failure becomes just one time at bat if you refuse to let it defeat you." Marv Levy.
by SERGEANT MAJOR THOR on Oct 7, 2009 10:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Hey, at least we are not bashing Jauron :-)
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
by Joe P. on Oct 7, 2009 10:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
lol, see, just trying to help you guys out. at this point i’d rather debate cheerleaders then our LB’s
Starting a movement to draft Jimmy Clausen in april, he'll be the 2nd coming of Kelly, the saviour of the Bills
by J. Mackin on Oct 7, 2009 10:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's true Joe.......................
Okay then, keep talking about cheerleaders. Happy thoughts.
I like the Tampa ones. Very nice.
"A failure becomes just one time at bat if you refuse to let it defeat you." Marv Levy.
by SERGEANT MAJOR THOR on Oct 7, 2009 10:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
always been partial to....
the panthers cheerleaders, but that may have something to do with 2 of them getting caught in the bathroom making out a couple of years back
Starting a movement to draft Jimmy Clausen in april, he'll be the 2nd coming of Kelly, the saviour of the Bills
by J. Mackin on Oct 7, 2009 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Bad kitties.....bad bad kitties :-)
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
by Joe P. on Oct 7, 2009 10:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sounds like a plan
Here is a good place to start the discussion :-)
http://www.spike.com/blog/top-10-hottest-nfl/68811
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
by Joe P. on Oct 7, 2009 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
as if it's not bad enough
the 3 afc east rivals have owned us for a decade, they have 3 of the top 10 cheerleaders? what happen to league paridy? i’m calling goodall!!
Starting a movement to draft Jimmy Clausen in april, he'll be the 2nd coming of Kelly, the saviour of the Bills
by J. Mackin on Oct 7, 2009 10:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
and major thor
good call on the tampa cheerleaders, the one in the middle disgustingly yummy
Starting a movement to draft Jimmy Clausen in april, he'll be the 2nd coming of Kelly, the saviour of the Bills
by J. Mackin on Oct 7, 2009 10:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeaaaahhh....now this is what I am talkin about
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otDO1zH1BUc&feature=fvw
Poor ball security leads to very painful outcomes
by Joe P. on Oct 7, 2009 10:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
this is great
I haven’t had this much fun blogging on a Bills sight in forever…..it’s a welcome change guys lol
Starting a movement to draft Jimmy Clausen in april, he'll be the 2nd coming of Kelly, the saviour of the Bills
by J. Mackin on Oct 7, 2009 10:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Happy thoughts....happy thoughts......
Nothing better than our women to make the world a better place.
Keep it positive and then next week we’ll all be happy and thinking about our “run for the playoffs”!!!!
"A failure becomes just one time at bat if you refuse to let it defeat you." Marv Levy.
by SERGEANT MAJOR THOR on Oct 7, 2009 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
at this point....
why don’t we get the cheerleaders to call the plays? couldn’t be any worse
(u didn’t think we’d stop bashing jauron for that long did u now lol)
Starting a movement to draft Jimmy Clausen in april, he'll be the 2nd coming of Kelly, the saviour of the Bills
by J. Mackin on Oct 7, 2009 10:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
we had a cheerleader call the plays in Buffalo for years.
Now he’s in Dallas.
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
by JPH on Oct 7, 2009 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
cheerleader calling plays
do u mean wade phillips.
by bills21 on Oct 7, 2009 11:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
for sure
he’s one in the long line of parade of losers we’ve had at head coach
Starting a movement to draft Jimmy Clausen in april, he'll be the 2nd coming of Kelly, the saviour of the Bills
by J. Mackin on Oct 8, 2009 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
But…but…but Phillips had a .604 winning percentage in Buffalo. He can’t be classified a loser.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Ignoring the grumblings on Rumblings.
by MattRichWarren on Oct 8, 2009 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
bills moves
I am okay with the moves because they realized that plan a wasn’t working and needed to change . I think hopefully the bills don’t allow jamal lewis to be them. And I think it will be a bills victory.
by bills21 on Oct 7, 2009 11:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Brandon Jacobs
Can you imagine 260lb. Brandon Jacobs running against the Bills featherweight division of linbackers in Ellison and Buggs. Look at the good defenses around the NFL and most of their linebackers are much bigger than the Bills lightweights:
Steelers
Lamarr Woodley – 265
James Farrior – 243
Lawrence Timmons-234
James Harrison – 242
NY Giants
Pierce, Clark and Blackburn are listed at 238, 245, and 247
by BuffaloWhiner on Oct 8, 2009 10:14 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Michael Boley starts for the Giants and is listed at 223. And you can’t compare the size of the Bills’ LBs to teams that play a 3-4. An OLB in a 3-4 is a lot closer to a DE than a 4-3 LB.
Tennessee:
Keith Bullock – 235
Stephen Tulloch – 235
David Thornton – 225
The Bills don’t need bigger players, they need better players.
I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. In my Second Life I was also a paper salesman and I was also named Dwight. Absolutely everything was the same. Except I could fly. - Dwight Schrute
by kaisertown on Oct 8, 2009 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So the Giants three starters at LB (Boley, Pierce, Clark) actually weigh a little less than Buffalo’s current starters (if you trust listed weights).
I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. In my Second Life I was also a paper salesman and I was also named Dwight. Absolutely everything was the same. Except I could fly. - Dwight Schrute
by kaisertown on Oct 8, 2009 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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