Q: Do you think Dick Jauron wanted to cut Langston Walker? — Bill Austin, Buffalo

A: We'll probably never know the answer for sure, because Jauron never will say. But

I say Jauron wanted to keep Walker as a backup.

Jauron and Walker are represented by the same agency, Yee & Dubin, of Los Angeles. (Don Yee

also is Tom Brady's agent.) I just don't think Jauron would have put Walker out of work if it

were strictly up to him.

Did Jauron put up a big fight over it? I doubt it. I think once the coaches decided Walker

was bombing in preseason and Demetrius Bell should be the left tackle, Russ Brandon, Jim

Overdorf and Jeff Littmann decided, "We're not spending $3 million on a backup tackle."

Even if I'm right and Jauron would have kept Walker, it doesn't take Jauron off the hook in

any way. Jauron (and the entire football department) made the disastrous decision in March

that Walker could handle the left tackle spot, and he was wrong. So he's responsible for the

tackle disaster.

In fact, Jauron's insistence on running the no-huddle helped torpedo Walker. Walker, given

his weight, never has been in good enough physical condition to play at his best in an

up-tempo, no-huddle offense. Fatigue prompted him to play worse than his normal level (which

still wasn't good enough to excel at left tackle).

So there's another way in which the no-huddle idea was inherently flawed. Furthermore,

Jauron could have demanded the Bills draft a tackle with the 11th overall pick, and he would

have gotten his way, in my opinion.

Q: The futility of the Bills' offense after turnovers could lead to a new stat kept by

the league: punts off turnovers. It would be counted every time the drive immediately after a

turnover results in a three-and-out. What do you think? — Phil Krause, Dallas

A: Good creativity. Actually, if it weren't for defensive takeaways we'd be talking

about the Bills getting the No. 1 overall draft pick. The Bills have six of their 12

touchdowns off turnovers, and two of those were on return scores, by Aaron Schobel and Donte

Whitner. Discounting those two, the offense has taken the field 14 times after takeaways by

the defense. It has turned those chances into four touchdowns and three field goals.

Q: Why is there no talk about Jeff Garcia anywhere in the press? No one's asking the

coaches (at least publicly) about that option. Your thoughts? — Daniel Guliano,

Londonderry, N.H.

A: He's 39. He's a West Coast offense quarterback, and the Bills aren't a true West

Coast offense. The Bills' pass protection problems are bigger than the quarterback. The scheme

problems are bigger than the quarterback.

Yes, Garcia might be able to execute some third-and-makeable pass plays better than Trent

Edwards. But what's the point? The Bills need to see how Edwards executes them the second half

of the season. Then there's the issue of Garcia's ugly parting of the ways with Terrell Owens

in San Francisco. It's not the answer.

Bills beat reporter Mark Gaughan answers your football questions every Friday, online and

in the paper. Send your e-mails to mgaughan@buffnews.com, or join his live chat at 11 a.m. on

the BillBoard blog.