The last time the Buffalo Bills made the playoffs, the Twin Towers were still standing high in New York, nobody had ever heard of Facebook, Bill Clinton was still fielding awkward questions in the Oval Office and Tom Brady was still playing his home games in Ann Arbor for the University of Michigan. Only the Cialis Professional Detroit Lions have gone as long without a playoff game to hang their hat on, with the total for both franchises about to hit 11 seasons and counting. Not many people outside of western New York expect the Bills to change that this year due mainly to a gap in talent and coaching turnover, but a new front office needs to begin to move the franchise in a positive direction or risk alienating one of the most dedicated fan bases in the NFL.

As the other teams in the AFC East have made big splashes this offseason, the Bills’ moves have been largely underwhelming. Instead of bringing in a coach like Brian Billick or Marty Schottenheimer, two coaches reportedly interested in the position, the Bills reached out to relative unknown Chan Gailey, who was formerly the head coach for Georgia Tech in the ACC. While the Bills were involved in numerous rumors involving Donovan McNabb and Jason Campbell, they have so far kept the same sub-par roster of quarterbacks that they ended the season with.

As the Jets and Dolphins have traded for risky but talented players like Santonio Holmes, Antonio Cromartie and Brandon Marshall, the Bills have yet to make a move that is likely to bring them closer to contention in 2010. Heading into the No prescription cialis unknown future, it’s unclear at this point which direction the Bills are headed. As the rumors of the franchise moving to another city swirl around the team, Buffalo needs to find a glimmer of hope, and they need to find one soon.

The one thing that can help the Bills get back to contention certainly is the NFL draft, which is rapidly approaching. No one expects the Bills to be able to solve all their problems in one draft class, but the Bills are in desperate need of finding one or two viable players that they can in turn start to build around. What they need to do more than anything, however, is realize where they are as a franchise and build accordingly. To be truthful, the Bills are not one piece away from challenging the New England Patriots or New York Jets in the division; they are in actuality several pieces away.

While many fans may clamor to take the flashy draft pick like Tim Tebow or Jimmy Clausen, the new front office needs to stand up to the pressure of taking a big name and begin to build from the ground up. Quarterback is still the essential position in the NFL, but the offensive line is so porous right now that no quarterback could have success behind it, let alone a rookie quarterback fresh out of college.

More importantly than selecting good players in this upcoming draft, though, the Bills need to establish an identity moving forward. They have developed a reputation as a team that will consistently reach for draft picks and also as one that is afraid to take a risk on bringing in players who might be able to help their team. Some may point to the signing of Terrell Owens, but everyone knows that he was just a ploy to sell Buffalo Bills tickets and it’s hard to imagine that anyone thought he would stay longer than one year.

On the contrary, the Patriots brought in Randy Moss, who has been one of their best offensive players for the Pats over the past three seasons. The Jets just traded for Santonio Holmes, who also should be a part of the Jets offense for several years moving forward, and the Dolphins look to have a dominant receiver in Brandon Marshall for a while after recently obtaining him from Denver.

This draft will be the first chance the new regime will get to prove their worth. In order to reverse the negative stigma currently associated with the Buffalo franchise, Chan Gailey and new GM Buddy Nix need to avoid the flashy pick and look for safe, smart players who can be good for the Bills for a long time. They could learn a lot from a guy like Dolphins President Bill Parcells, who has made a name for himself by building the offensive and defensive lines and drafting safe picks instead of going for the homerun. With the Bills in desperate need of some positive momentum, a lot will be riding on this year’s draft. The nice thing for Bills fans is that Gailey and Nix have a blank slate to work with. Hopefully they can use it their advantage.

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