DON’T GET ME STARTED notices that there’s a lot of work to be done in the off-season by the Bills.  First, before the April draft, they should replace the offensive coordinator Nate Hackett.

Most everyone knows I’ve been critical of Hackett and after watching New England take care of the Bills on Sunday, let’s include the Special Teams coach to join Hackett looking for work.

The Special teams were brutal against the Pats.  Doug Marrone’s buddy-buddy system has to end.  One sequence shows that Hackett shows why he should be ousted.  The Bills had had a 4th and 1 between the 40 yard-lines. Hackett calls a QB sneak but it was noted that the Pats called time out just before the snap.  So what does Hackett call again?  A QB sneak that the defense knew was coming and Lewis was stuffed while two burly backs in the Bills backfield watched.

Thank goodness I won’t have to think about Hackett’s failures as a game planner and game caller in the off-season.  I hope Marrone sees what I see.  A predictable offense and lackluster, no imagination play caller.

So now attention focuses on the draft.  I believe the Bills have 11 picks including the 9th in the draft.  Fingers flailing at the computer for mock drafts, I notice that one player available at #9 is a wide receiver that’s listed by several mocksters as the one the Bills will take.

He’s Mike Evans.  He hails from Texas A & M and was on the receiving end of Johnny Manziel’s tosses.  His big positive is that he’s 6 ft 5 in tall and weight 225.  That will likely make it easier for him to out-jump the smaller defensive backs.  The Bills have quite a stable of receivers in Woods – Goodwin – Graham who with Evans would form quite a quartet. Many fans are already planning to play without Stevie Johnson.

Here’s what Evans has done with his college team:

Last year he had 65 catches for 1322 yards and 12 touchdowns.  That’s about a 20-yard per catch average which is great.  The year before he grabbed 82 Manziel throws for 1105 yards and 5 TDs.  So in the last 2 seasons, Evans had 147 catches for 2427 yards and 17 touchdowns. Those are great numbers.

Now if a good offensive coordinator called more deep passes than Hackett did, rather than the short stuff that was used for most of the season, the Bills pick of Evans might be sound
Yet, there will be need for a tight end and, especially, some offensive line help (especially at guard and right tackle)  If EJ Manuel stays healthy and has someone knowledgeable to help him develop as an elite QB, playoff hopes might be dancing around the Niagara Frontier.

So while fans are marveling at the change in the Buffalo Sabres under Teddy Nolan, they will be fidgeting for 4 months waiting to see how well the Bills fare in the draft, hopefully to say goodbye to the woes of the past 14 years on Don’t Get Me Started.

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