GaryPinC

If Clay turns down a great offer to go play in the train wreck that is Cleveland then I don't want him. I do believe at least some players would like to win and compete in the playoffs and if absolute top dollar is #1 then... see ya!

Even in his best days Freddy could never outrun the defense, he is a step slower but he still is a smart, shifty runner and throughout the year fought for extra yardage. I certainly don't feel he fell off the cliff last year. I think this 2015 will be his last but that he will still be effective when needed. I also think Freddy's a man of principle and if he sees on tape that he's not getting it done, he'll retire or go elsewhere.

I think you're right on with why it's done this way. It allows the player and current team to gauge the actual market while allowing the opportunity for each to adjust their compensation position before free agency. Marginalizes the transition tag even more.

Great Job front office! Thanks for walking the walk. Hughes is a talent but most importantly he's driven to succeed. That's who you build a team with. And it must be recognized that the front office is competitive on their bids. I'm sure Dogra had contact with all the other interested teams and other than Jacksonville, none stood out. Kudos to Hughes on being more than just about top dollar. Fantastic day to be a Bills fan!

My assumptions here are that both sides wanted to get this done, and that now it's not going to get done. I also assumed that Hughes would be pissed if the hard offers were not matching management's optimism about getting a deal done, management under-appreciating his drive/work ethic and I assume management could have done more to make this happen. The rest of my statements you have bolded are simply conjecture. We do not know how much they really tried to get a contract done in the spring. Whaley's quote from the following article didn't inspire confidence in me: http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/74872/jerry-hughes-has-proven-worth-but-bills-must-be-cautious-with-their-coin "I know J.O. has been in contact with his representatives and started the process," general manager Doug Whaley told WGR 550 on Thursday. "We're excited and we want him back. He's a great addition to our defense and hopefully we can get this thing done sooner than later." "Thursday" refers to January 15th, 2015. This quote makes me wonder if management really did all they could to sign him in the spring or at any time during the season? Hughes is 26, also sacked Tom Brady 1.5 times last season. He's still got upside, but I do respect the view that he may not be as effective on another D-line. All I know is he's a talented, driven guy who was very effective for us. In the future we need to keep guys like him, IMO

I certainly don't assume they just sit on their hands, and you've made that point quite well with your examples. This article came out in December. This speaks volumes about who Jerry is: http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-3/Commitment-to-routine-makes-Jerry-Hughes-special/32bb2737-c80e-4019-94b7-c7001cf0a4f3 This guy's a worker and management needs to recognize that. I just don't think they took that all into account or they were blowing smoke about Hughes this entire offseason. They shouldn't be so effusive and confident about resigning him because if their offer isn't good enough then it just pisses Hughes off. This is a guy I want(ed) to keep on this team, he's a talented, driven, player. Doug and Rex sounded like they wanted him too. Rex told the scouts to just find me people who can play, I think Hughes has proven himself. Doesn't inspire confidence in Rex's "plan". "Hometown discount" comes into play when management takes a chance and rewards guys early with a new contract before their old one runs out. I wonder if the contract numbers discussed last spring were as high as they are now?

Exactly, and sure there's a lot of unknowns. I'm just not convinced our management was doing everything they could to build that bridge and hope they do better with Dareus.

It is just you. The tone this franchise takes with their upcoming free agents can make a difference. If the Bills are content to simply feel out Dareus' demands this spring and let him play out the season, he is most likely gone. Give him a nice raise for 2015 and lock him in if you believe in him. None of my posts have anything to do with that garbage you're shouting. Big bills fan, Whaley fan, but IMO they need to learn their lessons about how to treat their in-house talent.

I didn't see much about this last spring. How serious was the effort? Any efforts you know of during the season?

Who the hell said it was all the Bills fault? Stop over generalizing and making assumptions! Doug Whaley's gone on the record about being confident and optimistic this deal would get done. He waited till the last minute to try and get this done and most likely didn't. I don't blame Hughes one bit and wish him well if he leaves. In Hughes' case it's a valid point. But the Bills could have worked their asses off to get him signed during the season and they didn't. They've been effusive in praising Hughes in the press and talking about how much they want him back but didn't go "all in" like they do for Rex, Mario, etc. That sends a message your actions don't back up your words An inside source I used to have with the Browns once told me that impact starting players consider it disrespectful to make them play out their contract year. I certainly understand their feelings. Of course. Being somewhere you clearly feel wanted has to factor in though. They need to get it right with Dareus. If they wait until end of 2015 season to open negotiations he's gone too.

Doug better learn his lesson and not make the same mistake with Dareus. If you really want him here you pay him the year before his contract expires. Actions speak louder than words.

I think the scope of the program is amazing. Good for them. Trying to educate on healthy living, social skills, self evaluation and accountability. Sex ed program is interesting. Theoretically the kids aren't responsible to understand "fertilization" until grade 7 but starting to teach basic differences between male and female starts 5th grade and gets more detailed every year. I'm sure it won't all go according to plan but I hope it works. I have a girl on my soccer team who has a fair amount of talent and acceleration but her increasing obesity is holding her back. That's not a conversation I particularly want to have with her parents. At least a curriculum like this could provide an environment to have that type of discussion. I'm like many in that I feel our primary schools don't teach enough practical, real world skills and at least Ontario's really trying to do something about it.

+1 Thank-you! Whaley's been pretty distinct about chances of Hughes, Searcy, and Spiller being re-signed. IIRC he was very optimistic about Hughes. To me, that meant both sides were close enough in valuation that it was going to happen. Things can change a la McCown but I'm with you and not worried.

Too bad for McCown his new system is not organized nor been around awhile.

I can see it another way. McCown had a choice between going to a winning team on the rise and one that's an utter tire fire. He chose the latter. He felt it was the best situation for him so he doesn't care about winning. I would bet the extra year on the contract was at least a factor. But who cares, it worked out for the best. We have to dumpster dive for QB's, at least give me the guy who wants to win. Personally I would like them to bring in Mallett. He did well in the Browns game, obviously not so well with Cincy, but with our run oriented offense and good receivers he doesn't have to be the focus. By what I can see, Houston is trying to keep him: http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/6470/ryan-mallett That's the type of mediocre QB we should get. We'll have to out pay Houston, and hopefully Mallet's open to a significant raise to move here. It sucks but our options are limited. I would be open to Hoyer also if Roman could find a way to cover his weaknesses/tendencies. I do believe scouts outed his weaknesses last year to make him ineffective. He does want to win and compete though.

maybe open water seems a little shallower than his agent would like? Let's be real, I'm a fan of CJ and his heart, talent, but he doesn't follow his blockers well and his vision is horrendous at times. He's a situational guy, not a workhorse. I do hope we can keep him though.

The guy has no motivation to succeed nor does he take his job very seriously. Indy's grown tired of it.

I have a friend who worked with Trent when he played for the Browns. Trent was getting hurt all the time, muscle strains, etc. Beyond the official injury report. He was also unmotivated to succeed, unreliable, and all over the place in his personal life. Beyond the offered first round draft pick, these were a big part of why Banner pulled the deal. His lack of commitment was becoming obvious within the facility. So, no thanks.

Thanks for the heads-up, yea I stop by infrequently and post even less. There's a few items to interest me that pop up infrequently. Politics is mostly a waste of time but I am hoping the Republicans can find someone decent because as much as Obama was a disappointment to me, Hillary would be the disaster. After 2 posts I have to agree with you about lybob. A lot of drama queen mouth-breather there.

Wow, you are quite the extremist, and no I am not saying any of that garbage in your head. Go get some counseling for that. Scott Walker quit college and seems to be having a successful career. Kudos to him for having the courage to decide what's best for him. If either of my kids have the passion and a plan to go after a successful career that avoids a college education and the 10s of thousands in debt, I will encourage them to go for it. Higher education is always available. I'll tell you where Scott Walker didn't quit: In clipping the wings of the Wisconsin's teacher's unions to enable the education system. He risked it all and stood tall. Such horror for the union to have to finally contribute to their own pension and doctor's co-pay while "only" collective-bargaining salary. So terrible for them to join the rest of us working folks. Wah. The out of wedlock story surfaced in the midst of the 2012 recall election and had no legs to it. Supposedly a reporter talked to the mother in question who denied Walker as the father. https://bdgrdemocracy.wordpress.com/tag/walker-illegitimate-child-controversy/ I don't know the truth, but given the animosity towards Walker, the truth's been proven already and denies your hopes. As far as Hillary, she is a good political whore and best kept in Congress. From keeping her marriage intact, to 9/11 and everything since, she has shown me to not possess the backbone necessary to lead this great country. She's the Dick Jauron of politicians.

If the best the media can do is go off on the fact that Walker didn't finish college, then (1) he's a pretty clean candidate and (2) they are scared to death of him. Just pathetic though. But, they've got to do it because they're stuck trying to help Hillary-whore get elected. Last time I checked Bill Gates and Steve Jobs never finished college either.

Cleveland's winter was fairly average in terms of temperature and snowfall until about the last week+ when we got a nice dumping of snow and the temps took a dump too. Pretty damn cold right now!

Why not ask your future employer what's available as far as phone/internet/tv where you will be housed? From page 3 of this publ: http://www.nps.gov/crla/parknews/upload/Crater-Lake-Reflections-Summer-Fall-2012-Low-Res.pdf Internet Wireless internet is free for guests of Crater Lake Lodge and The Cabins at Mazama Village. Public Wi-Fi is available at Crater Lake Lodge and the Annie Creek Restaurant for $4 per hour or $10 for 24 hours. Lost & Found Contact a ranger at either visitor center or call 541-594-3060. Phones Cell phone coverage in the park is unreliable. Reception depends on your location and provider. Pay phones are located outside the Mazama Village Store and inside Crater Lake Lodge.

I understand where you're coming from on this, but EJ needed to take a seat. Marrone made the right move on that one. EJ had become very tentative and his receivers were almost at the point of rebellion because of their frustrations. He was not leading the offense and it was a quagmire. From all accounts, Orton was very driven to succeed in practice/preparation. Hopefully the upside from Orton's time was that EJ got a chance to observe, circle back and learned how to properly prepare and lead the offense. Obviously the offense never got fully untracked and I think Marrone made the wrong move not at least giving EJ the second half of the New England game.

+1 This. A first class, dominant O-line and talented skill position players is our best chance to get adequate QB play from a non franchise quarterback. Any quarterback looks worlds better when he has all day in the pocket to make a decision. OP needs to change the misleading title of his thread.