rstencel

Your point is good for the league, but not the owner of the team that depends on the local revenue to pay the coaches and front office people, beside cover the debt payments and provide the profit for the team. Also have to have enough cash flow from profits to cover the bonuses paid out to sign players. Even though for salary cap reasons, that money is spread out over the length of the contract, it has to be paid up front. The small market teams that don't have enough of a high salary fan base to fill the luxury boxes, and stadiums with higher ticket prices will have even more trouble making profits if bring in more large cities to boost the average income to point where the network deal no longer covers the player salaries even.

Been in a very similar situation. Have to say there is no good way out of it. The maturity level of the people you are dealing isn't very high. They are self centered and only see their own point of view. Its probably too late to save those relationships, but in future may want to be less accommodating in early stages with roommates. Not saying to be a jerk, but don't try and go out of your way for them, unless they will expect that every time. Have to make them suffer some in beginning to get them to appreciate it when you do go out of the way. Think of it like coaching. When start out as a hard-ass can always get softer, but if start out nice and soft, cant try and be harder on them, unless will loose the team. Best thing to try and not let it show that it bothers you when being ignored, and not cave to demands for awhile. By saying hi every time to the guy that wont talk, its showing him that its getting to you, and spurring him on to continue. If try and stay to your own, and don't go out of way to communicate with him, he will stop putting effort into it, and will come around eventually. For the guy making the demands, once you got him the 6 pack, it showed him he can push you. That is probably going to get worse before it gets better. Would try and avoid dealing with him as much as possible, since he is a 5th year senior, should be a roomie past the end of year. By staying away from confrontation for awhile and taking away all the driving around from them for awhile, you can probably recover some of the relationships, by slowing going back to driving them occasionally when they start treating you with more respect. But till they are civil would try and go out of way not to help them, and if they questioned why, would tell them that not going to help someone who is disrespecting me. Is a way to go, and is a way the worked for me for the most part. Had the one guy, similar to the one threatening you for beer money that never did, but rest of people came around, and one ended up being my best man.

How do you post a link of someone shouting from the rooftops? Unless someone got it on video, i guess.

Think the early 70's teams where much worse, because there wasn't even any hope of the teams being good at any point in the season. This team at least looked good for 2 games, at the start of the season, before the cracks started. Even as bad as they are now, they still have parts in place to recover enough to be in most of the games, and even possible go on a winning streak. Would take allot of luck, and the removal of the No-huddle offense, and some serious improvement in the blocking department, but they are completely devoid of talent like those teams. Plus the whole decade of loosing to the Dolphins still has me depressed.

Well most of the Braves had very good success. Of course that because the stars where sold off to buy the team year before they moved, like Mosses Malone to Houston, and their center Bob McAdoo to New York. And when the owners of the Celtics and Braves swapped teams most of the Braves (including all their starters and young talent) to the Celtics for their bench. Ex-Braves team was also offered the number one pick as part of the trade but declined to talked it, since didn't want the large contract on the books. That pick turned out to be Larry Bird. So the real braves team became a good part of the foundation for the Celtics dynasty. They did OK. What was left of the braves team, and the ex-Celtics owner didn't fare very well though, and still haven't

I have found myself watching less and less games as well. When I cant see the Bills play, I find myself with the game on, and not really watching it. Becomes background noise almost. Not sure its that product is worse, maybe my memory is only of the good games from past. I happen to love watching a good running game, and just don't see many teams run first and 3 straight downs much anymore. Allot run on first down, and 3rd and 1, but seems like the good portion of the league passes to setup run, and only runs to slow down the rush. And teams that try and run allot get allot of 8 in the box, forcing them to throw anyway. Shoot even Pittsburgh seems to be pass happy. Pass game is great and exiting, when it is down field move the chains type. Not a big fan of the 3 yard dink and dunk style. Running the ball for same yardage make more sense to me, as O-Linemen love it, and defenses have to respect it and get beat down as game goes on. Most of the good backs need to get allot of carries and get stronger as game goes on, since they see the way defense defends thing, and defense gets worn down as well. Dink game just doesn't have same effect, and doesn't keep my interest as well. Not even going to mention the No-Huddle we are using now, as am not a fan at all. Guess saying not a fan of the evolution of the passing game taking away teams willingness to stick to the run. I miss watching the line battles, and the RB's skills on display for things other than sweeps, draws and traps that seem to make up the majority of allot of teams running games.

Hopefully they address the LB core as well. If Bell gets back on the field and continues to develop, and the guards get better with a season under their belt, Defensive line and LB's may be a bigger issue than O-Line. Bell would have another offseason worth of strength and conditioning as well. Although taking some OL in mid-late rounds so they have some depth would be nice as well, rather than more DB's.

I am guessing that is saying this because he is looking for people that don't show passion, and defining them as real fans. My definition of fan, is not blind emotionless devotion, but passionate following of team, through good and bad times. If follow with passion, then bad times are going to hurt, and cause you pain, thereby causing you to complain or moan about team. While the casual fan wouldn't be as affected, since it doesn't bother them much, and they can maintain their objectiveness even in tough times.

Well, if take into account the money the players are paid to be there, and fact that fans pay to watch it, unless fans are being like the Eagles fans have been know to be (throwing batteries/snowballs/other items at players and refs), has to be team. Pretty much the only job the fans have is to fill the seats, and don't disrupt the game with stupid acts. As for saying fans aren't holding up their part for complaining about the product, they have to see it to complain about it most of the time. So that fact they are taking their time to see the game, even if only on TV, is helping put money in the owners pockets, so can afford to put the team on the field. When people stop complaining, and the site only has the people that just sit back and pretend everythings great, thats when its in trouble, as most likely that means team is about to move, since they lost the real fans.

Not sure anyone but Peters can say more than they think on what he was really feeling. I see the statistics, but don't understand why the Bills couldn't run behind him very well if he was such a great run blocker. Yes the statistics looked good from him. The isolation tape I watched of him on runs to his side, he didn't look like a great run blocker. Yes his guy didn't make the tackle most of the time, but his guy was able to seal the edge effectively most of the time, and that is usually what the ends job is, to seal the edge and for the running back to the LB's, He did look real good in the isolation for pass block on most of the plays however. Basically I am not trying to discount him as a player, he is a very good player. I agree with you there. I don't think he is a great run blocker, however, but is not a bad one either. He just happened to play on a line with a few horrible run blockers last year.

He may not have said it explicitly, but she sure sounded like he implied it. I don't remember the quote, but he said something about giving up a sack because he was thinking about how underpaid he was rather than about the play. May be misquoting, but something to that affect. Guess could look it up, but spent enough time talking about Eagles players already.

Feel its rehashed because the off-season is over. Time to move on from players that aren't on the team anymore, and talk about the team you have. Ok point out how good he was all you want. I don't think he wanted to be here, and I'm ecstatic that hes not. Keep loving the ex bills all you want, I'll enjoy watching the current ones. I do understand why allot of people that wanted to stay though. He has a ton of talent, and has had moments of greatness even in his worst games. I personally do not like people who don't give 100 percent while there on the field, when they are being paid good money to be there. If your ego is more important than you team mates, then you know where the door is. Yes he was underpaid, that was a good reason to hold out. But if you report and step on the field, you should play your best while your out there, and I do not think he gave solid effort for most of the season. Even with his talent, I feel very comfortable in saying I am glad he is gone. He needed a change of scenery as bad as the Bills needed to get rid of him.

We have 1 LB that's at least average, and no one to play NT (only one even capable would be better fit at end in 3-4). Very small DE's, so would have to play DTs in the end positions, benching or moving positions of 2 of highest paid players on team. 3 other division teams playing same defense with better personal and practicing every day against same defense we would play. Yeah we could compete so much better. 4-5 years from now they maybe able to compete if do that. When they finally finish bringing in the right type personnel to play that defense, since they just about finished getting the right type of player for a cover 2 defense, with the obvious exception of lack of LB core.

He would have made Brady's through easier on those 2 4th quarter touchdowns that Ellison at very least. With no training camp, and making a position switch, cant see him being very much help in coverage. If he would have signed on time, and we would be playing a defense that sends a LB rushing often, then yeah, he has a shot of not being a liability on the field playing LB.

I just don't get why there seem to be more people posting positive things about players we used to have than ones we do. Peters is long gone, and he did not want to be here anymore. Why is this subject rehashed every other week. He has talent but isn't always motivated. He may be great for them, but highly doubt he would have played well if buffalo kept him, because he wouldn't have cared. Hes gone, lets move on and talk about how good Bell has looked when healthy instead.

Now that he has been on his own for a few weeks, do you really think he will be in game shape. He probably put on at least 20 pounds since was let go. Unless they are planning on changing the offensive style, no reason to call him in. Don't think he can keep up with pace of offence, of course would require team actually getting a few first downs in a row once in awhile. We also are doing more traps and screens which require him to be able to get out and block in open field, or quickly move across the formation. If he was in the condition that was last year, then heck yeah, but not the condition he showed up this year in, even before sitting home for a month. I say pass, and lets see what the young lineman on team can do, so we can gage thier future. At worst may improve depth for next year. Hopefully then Bell continues his rapid developement and is a good LT by then, I dont expect him to be an allpro, but think he can develope into a solid starting LT if he continues to develope at current pace. I was OK with the RT position before Butler went down, so if he come back strong next year we should be OK there. The interior of the line just needs more time working together and an offseason with strength and conditioning coaches to be good IMO. I think that they have the pieces in place to have a good line next year, if they can stay healthy and continue to develop. But they are horrible without Bell and Butler, and don't think anyone on free agent market is much of an upgrade. The bigger names out their are there for a reason, either do to conditioning, or health issues. And the only person that I though had potential that was out there they already signed, but he is at least a year away from helping. Basically what I am saying, is that I don't see Walker coming in an contributing at this point. Not like he was exactly gun-ho about being here this off season before he was cut anyway.

No one was saying that in first half of season, when Bills had the good record, and Phins were near the bottom. 2nd half of season they were there, but everyone was still talking Pats till last couple of games. Don't think they ever got the credit of recognition they deserved for the solid season they had, because they weren't really that good of team, lived off the gadget plays, and line play. Most teams looks to have caught up to their gadget offense, so they will have to actually outplay teams to win this year. They have some very good running backs, but aren't great at other skill positions on either side of ball. Would surprise me if they are not picking in top 10 of draft next year.

That's funny, exactly the way we look at the dolphins on the schedule this decade. We swept them 2 years ago, and last year looking at the schedule before played them, most people where expecting another sweep, but happened the other way, they swept us. Since its been pretty much 500 ball between the 2 teams if I am remembering right this decade, its probably going to be another split at worst, as the Dolphins are looking like the worst team in the division at this point, and other than chiefs, browns and raiders, probably the worst team in the AFC.

http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/seahawks/2...ice_squad_rules There is no protection for practice squad players. They can choose to go to the team they are with and see if they will match/beat the offer made from another team to sign them, but they don't have to. The Bills lost a corner-back a couple of years ago to the 49er's that they did not want to loose. They tried to make him an offer, but he wanted to go to them, rather than stay on our practice squad. They don't elevate players from practice squad per-say, they sign them to a new contract.

Please no. The guy cant read defense and runs at first hint of pressure. With our tackles hurt we wouldn't need wide-outs at all with him a QB. Plus wouldn't want a crime boss on any team I am rooting for. For the person stating how well he did as a starter, he was never an accurate passer, but kept defenses off balance with his athlectisism. He never was good at reading defenses, but the defense having to use a spy for him, helped simplify the reads for him. He hasn't played for over 2 years, and will take awhile to relearn how to read defenses. He isn't as fast or athletic as he was, so some of that advantage has been taken away as well. His main target was one of the best receiving tight ends in the game at the time, and he relied on that short save throw to get him going. Bills don't have that TE dependability yet, although have one with potential. Even if he wasn't a crook and scoundrel, don't think he is a good fit, and think TE is a much better QB than he is at this point.

Considering he broke his leg, we will get a chance to see what the defense looks like without him. I think he is a good corner who takes some chances, and gets burned because of that once in awhile. The fumble probably didn't help with his confidence however, and Corner backs are only as good as their confidence, which is why most of the good ones are so cocky. Really don't think he was the weak link on the defense, however. The line-backing core isn't great, and they have allot of responsibilities in coverage. The Safeties also haven't done a great job with their over the top help. This type of defense doesn't leave the corners on an island much, or at least in not supposed to. So the corners have allot of room to take chances as they are supposed to be getting help either inside or deep on almost every play. Not sure what play was being run, but he may have been expecting over the top help and that is why he bit so hard on the double move. Also have to put some of that on the D-Line, double moves take time to develop usually, and the line should be putting good pressure on the QB by the time he is getting ready to let it go. They did better against the Saints than had first couple of weeks, but wore down by end of game, just like against the Pats. I blame that on the offense partially, since they have played a big part in the defense having to play allot of minutes.

For the team getting tired in the 4th quarter, the defense is undersized based on current standards, so expect them to get worn out if the offense cant sustain drives consistently. The offense needs to hold up their end in order for the defense to be able to be successful in the 4th. While I do feel that the No-Huddle does contribute to the disparity of time of possession, if the offense cant constantly move the ball, it doesn't matter what type of offense they have the defense will tire out by the 4th. I do think the loss of Rusty Jones is a big factor in the injury front. While not all of the injuries are related to conditioning, Jones is a master of both structure a program to a person, and a diet. He was a big reason why the Bills of the K-Gun era were so successful, and his loss was huge in my opinion. While the Bills didn't do well after Kelly left, and he was still here, they were consistently one of the healthier teams at the end of most seasons while he was still on board. The last couple of years, they have been at or near the top of the league in missed games due to injury. So think the current Strength and Conditioning coaches have to shoulder at least part of the blame.

Dont think so, did not see any pictures with him wearing a blue shirt even.

Plus the fact they already waved him once. Not greatest way to keep players loyal to you. If they wanted him, and had him in plans for team, most likely they would have kept him and he'd be being paid a 5th rounders contract, rather than practice squad money. If he get an offer from a team that has a need, and is willing to increase his pay substantially, do you think he is going to say, no let me see what the Pack's have planned for me first, or jump on the money. He is a free agent for all intents and purposed, so if he wanted, he could have had his agent work the phones, but I doubt he doest that, since there are not allot of positions available at this point, and who knows if they sign someone else rather than wait for an answer.

So the players can develop, and the teams have enough bodies to run scout team. Plus it is nice to have a few players that know your system available to be signed quickly and get in games if needed. Also keeps some young warm bodies in game shape to be signed in case of injury, by any team that needs them. Is closest thing NFL has to a development league, although its not really a league, and they cannot play in games, as no one owns their rights. The can practice with the team, and are paid, but usually are used to simulate the opponents teams for practices.