yungmack

All this discussion about what the Bills offered Byrd, or how they should have tagged him, or signed him early is irrelevant and based on supposition. The fact is that Byrd wanted out of Buffalo. How do I know this? Because he said so! What could be more definitive than his own words? Go back to the article where he talks about choosing NO because it is in a better position to succeed at an elite level, and how Byrd is concerned with his legacy. My supposition is that the Bills could have offered Byrd a much better deal that NO and he still would have left. And I believe that if he was wavering at all in the last twelve months, the failure of the Bills to improve their record and Pettine taking a powder were the nails in the coffin. The man wants to be remembered as one of the greats and he concluded that his chances for that happening in Buffalo were much poorer than in NO.

Very enjoyable. Thanks for posting this.

Oh, that's good.

Kolb cut, Caussin and Carpenter re-signed.

Nicely done, Tipster.

...and emancipation ruined the cotton plantations...

This is for my own information...Considering the Bills already have SJ, Woods and Goodwin, not to mention Graham, Easley, Hogan and about 15 other guys, how does Watkins fit? I thought the idea for drafting a WR at #9 was to add a big/tall one, in which case, wouldn't Evans be the logical choice? With all the other needs the Bills have, taking another mid-sized WR at #9 looks a bit like a luxury pick. Okay, someone who's a Watkins supporter, set me straight.

This is not a criticism of you per se, but I did want to address this idea of letting Byrd go and replacing him with a quality free agent. First off, there has to be a so called FA safety available. Secondly, that FA would have to choose Buffalo. And third, just how much is that quality FA going to cost? It seems to me that a Byrd in the hand is much better than a pig in a poke.

Comparing Wilson to Borland is disingenuous. And I doubt Zach Thomas would be anywhere near a top pick in today's NFL; the trend is away from smaller LBs throughout the league. Where the Bills are headed, I think, is towards the Steelers model on defense, especially at LB.

Excellent analysis. Keep posting. BTW, are you a UNLV alumnus?

The Byrd situation is repeated every time a player rises to elite status. Is your solution then that every time this happens to one of the Bills draftees, the team should get rid of them? If so, know that this is a recipe for eternal mediocrity.

Somebody will make him the highest paid FS in league history, but probably not the Bills. Do you think $8.5 million would be fair? Because supposedly the Bills could have signed him long term for that amount last year but they thought it was too much. Now this year it looks like a "fair" price. Another FO screw up if true. He'll get 10 or close to it somewhere for a 5 year contract

It seems like the top money for FS is now north of 8 million a year, and that's based on previous contracts. Going forward, the price will continue to climb. So if Parker is looking ahead 4 or 5 years, he's probably anticipating that the price will be up another 2 million per annum and wants to lock his client in now. If, as has been suggested, Parker wanted 8.5 last year, then the Bills blew it by not jumping on it because this year it seems it's going to cost close to 10. There is a way to avoid any future Byrd-like problems: make sure you keep your roster clear of elite talent.

If a multi-billionaire doesn't have enough dough to buy the Bills, then who does?

No they're not. Unless by inner city you mean anywhere a large number of black people live, including suburbs and more rural areas of the south.

I know, I've relied on your posts, and on Mrags as well. On the plus side, it seems that most posters know what they're talking about.

I knew Lyle and he was a hell of a decent guy, a good father and without a trace of the Richie I A-Hole gene. He was rather beastly on the field though.

From reading through this thread and the other 8000 "Cut SJ13" threads, it has finally penetrated my thick head that there are some people who just plain don't like ol' Stevie. Some call them "Stevie Haters" which seems harsh. May be it's accurate but harsh still. Because another a light is slowly warming up in my -- as previously noted -- thick head: the Haters aren't so much haters as they are innocents, unexposed to the wider world of the NFL. They must not watch other teams or, if they do, their minds must wander. Because, and I know this will be shocking, every receiver in the NFL drops passes -- some at critical times even!!! -- and every receiver sometimes fumbles. I know, I know, it's crazy. But it's true. Somewhere around here in the last few months, someone posted the stats on all the receivers: number of passes, number of catches, number of drops, number of fumbles. I wonder if one of the Stat Monsters might be able to post that again. And here's a project for these dull days of winter, especially for those Innocents who haven't watched other team's receivers with the kind of intensity they've devoted to SJ: Watch the ALL 22 or other video of all the games of 4 receivers. I'll give you two, Megatron and Larry Fitzgerald. You pick two others. Watch them carefully then report back. I can already picture the Innocents, eyes wide as the moon, faces chalkened in shock, muttering "They all drop passes, they all drop passes, they all drop passes."

What I find most interesting in all this is the peek into the mental makeup of TBD posters. No surprise that most are sane and rational, but it is kind of depressing that there are still such a number of antediluvian types roaming the savannahs of WNY. I mean, the "locker rooms are for real men not pussys" attitude, the "if you can't take racism, psychotic threats and extortion, it's because the world is too damned PC," and the classic "they're making a big deal out of nothing but some good ol' boys having fun." Whoa!

Excellent post, QB

What's your grandma's 40 time?

Hysterical.

If Todd Downing is truthful in his assessment of EJ -- and let's hope he is -- then it seems he believes Manuel is going to be one of the really good ones. Fingers crossed.

If we could extend this topic to the in-studio guys, I'd pretty much wipe out the NFLN. It's such a target-rich environment. That sportswriter, the woman and Eric Fisher from the morning show: gone. Anthony Siciliano, Heath Evans, Deion Sanders, Warren Sapp and Michael Irvin: gone. Mooch, Casserly and most of the former coaches: gone. I do like Jamie Dukes, TD, LT and a few of the other guys but, man, that place is a clown show.