Punch

So, like Derek in VA, you also know the specifics regarding the difference in contract offers between the Bills and Falcons? Please, enlighten us on how short the Bills offer fell.

Derek in VA says it's comical that the Bills don't understand they need to pay more than other teams. That says he must have inside info regarding the specific difference in contract offers between the Bills and Falcons. In other words... I fully understand that details are completely unknown at this time.

How much did the Bills offer Clabo? How much did he agree to in re-signing with Atlanta? Do you know?

http://twitter.com/#!/Buccigross/status/96525097518628864

I think he literally meant literally. As in, Tyson Clabo is a big man.

My fear is that he does like what we're offering him, and he's merely using that as a bargaining tool to squeeze as much as possible out of the Falcons. It's a good sign the Bills are targeting their needs, though, and for the moment it appears that it's not necessarily on the cheap.

Clearly, a fan has no business making "assurances". Predictions, perhaps, but using a phrase like "assurance" is kind of ridiculous. Why would you make promises you can't possibly keep? Also, citing old timers like Jack Ham & Shane Conlan and an UDFA signee like Wake is exactly what I was getting at... It's been a long time since PSU was known with any credibility as Linebacker U.

If the Bills really did match that ridiculous contract then I'm disappointed... not only in Nix but also in Poz, who obviously was talking out of is a$$ about being committed to Buffalo. If the money was the saem, why walk? If he didn't feel comfortable in a 3-4 then why make public comments about wanting to stay? Then again, if Kelsay is "worth" $6 mil/per, Poz is certainly "worth" $7 mil.

Who was the last great Penn State linebacker? And how exactly are you making these assurances? Fans have been making assurances about Poz and other Bills for years.

He didn't demand a profit--- he simply wanted to break even. At the time he purchased the team, this directive was made public, and to be honest I was ecstatic at the thought, figuring it would make the team competitive in free agency (to an extent) and spend up to the new salary cap. This came to pass, and it was relatively commendable. Then again, as Terry Pegula stated in his initial press conference: " If I wanted to make money, I'd drill an oil well." Billionaires generally don't purchase sports teams to make money, but to satisfy some kind of ego trip. My only real issue with Golisano is that he trusted a snake oil salesman like Larry Quinn, completely. Golisano didn't know anything about hockey and (wrongly) beleived Quinn was advising him well on the matter. I mention the profit Golisano made in the operation and sale of the team only to point out that he didn't exactly make a huge sacrifice to purchase the Sabres, and in fact, profited not only monetarily, but also earned the goodwill and adulation of an entire community. It wasn't enough to put him over the top for his NY State Gubernatorial bid, but it rehabilitated the state of the franchise and paved the way for a better hockey corporation. I will always respect him for that but also regret his bringing Quinn back into the organization. Quinn is truly one of the all-time great villains in Sabres' history--- in the pantheon with Brad Park, Bobby Clarke, and Brett Hull.

This isn't really true--- Golisano himself vetoed a relatively modest contract extension to Chris Drury which Darcy Regier had negotiated (and Drury agreed to) in December 2006. By stalling with Drury and then ignoring Briere altogether the Sabres wound up with neither, and were then forced to agree to the ridiculous offer sheet the Edmonton Oilers' Kevin Lowe created for Thomas Vanek. The policy of not negotiating contracts during the season was something he believed in strongly, until it completely backfired.

Anyone that doesn't have a problem with how Golisano ran the Sabres was simply not paying attention. There's a reason Pegula and his executives have taken great strides to publicly declare there will be no restrictions or interference on/with the Hockey Dept.---- "hockey people" were not making the decisions in the Hockey Dept. Larry Quinn was not a hockey man, and he held sway over too many important hockey decisions. The budget wasn't a problem in principle, but refusing to negotiate contracts in-season and lock up key players (not only Drury/Briere, but also JP Dumont and Jay McKee and others) is what ultimately tore apart what was arguably the best Sabres' roster in the history of the franchise. Of course Golisano's wealth would contribute mightily to an ownership group (it's not vast enough for him to go it alone, anyhow), but that's the extent to which I'd feel comfortable regarding his involvement. Furthermore, the NHL would have never allowed the Sabres to leave Buffalo, unless there were absolutely no suitors. The League bent over backwards to keep the team in Western NY, just as they have done for the Coyotes in Phoenix (a much worse situation than Buffalo's circa 2002-03). He deserves credit for stepping in, but he made a pretty big profit in the long run---- it's not as though he martyred himself for the good of the team.

Someone posted an interview on this board a while back where Goodell referred to himself as a Baltimore Colts fan as a youngster. A quick google search turned up this Ravens Insider post: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/blog/2010/08/goodells_ties_to_baltimore_run_deep.html "Affirming a strong, long relationship with Baltimore, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday that he grew up a fan of the Baltimore Colts and Orioles, that he went to Memorial Stadium at least 10 times during his childhood growing up in the Washington area." I have no idea how long he lived in Western NY, but I had absolutely never heard he had spent any significant part of his youth, let alone "grown up" in the Washington area.

Steve Young

This explanation doesn't hold water, at all. Having the "national stage" doesn't add quality to a broadcaster's skills. FWIW, Rick has been wooed by national networks over the years and refused because he prefers Sabres' broadcasts. His calls are so well regarded by ESPN that they've been regularly included in highlights, despite the fact he is "only" a local PBP man. He is also an unquestioned Hall of Famer in his sport (ie, the Elmer Ferguson award) whereas Gus Johnson is not in that conversation, at all. Perhaps he will be someday (I personally doubt it) but certainly not now.

It's really disheartening that Allen Wilson of the Buffalo News cites Walterfootball and some dude from Bleacher Report in the same article he quotes Draft reactions from the likes of Don Banks, Rich Gosselin, Kiper, McShay, etc... As if Kiper and McShay weren't unqualified as it is to accurately "grade drafts" while the body's still warm, we need to give validation to know-nothings like Walter Cherupinsky? http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article411134.ece

That's true, but like Joe the 6 pack mentioned earlier in this thread, there was a huge clamor for the Bills to get a a big physical receiver. Desean Jackson was seen as another Smurf, of which we were loaded at the time. Obviously, he turned out better than Lee, Roscoe (whom I really like, especially his role in the offense in 2010) or Peerless.

This assessment rings true. Adding up the grades, it comes out approximately a D-, which sounds pretty close.

WOW. Donte's been generally disappointing, particularly considering where he was picked... and that's not his fault, per se, but he's definitely not making the defense any better while he's out there. Having said that, the crybaby act has worn thin. In fact, it was already worn thin about a year or so ago. That pretty much makes his dismissal a slam dunk. Good for Buddy to speak plainly.

Anyone willing to pay Donte "top 5" safety money is crazy. Even at a reasonable price I'd prefer the Bills upgrade the position if they can. Searcy is projected as a starter at SS in the NFL--- it doesn't mean he will be nor does it mean he'll be better than Whitner; time will tell. As others have noted, I think they'd like to re-sign Florence. That group would look pretty good going into training camp, IMHO.

@DonteWhitner TWHITNER I'm gone... And happy :-) http://twitter.com/#!/DonteWhitner/status/64719009362354177

It sounds like a child wrote this assessment. He clearly has no sense of the Bills' overall needs... nor does he have any clue what other draft analysts actually feel about the Bills picks. He makes it sound like all the "experts" agree with his opinion that Buffalo again screwed up royally, which is obviously not the case. It looks like a terrific draft, the day after... we'll know for sure over the course of the next few years. The only thing I can say for absolutely certain right now is that I can't wait to find out!

Interesting notes on Jasper by Tim Graham--- a Bills scout had been tracking him for a year, and it was the Bills that asked him get below 400 lbs. Seems that all this hard work and training for the draft was initiated by the Bills' interest: http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/28617/bills-draft-pick-weighed-448-in-january

Remember a week or two ago when SI's Peter King referred to the Bills as a "black hole" of draft information? I bet it's possible the Bills not being included may have something to do with their reluctance to communicate more openly.

Why?