BornAgainBillsFan

This is why the Player's Tribune was created, so players don't have to talk to (and be judged by) reporters.

Your 2nd sentence is exactly what I meant by reasonable. As in: reasonable in the eyes of Brandon Beane. And Spain is an older player, but I've heard ZERO speculation about who should start at LG this year. Giving up zero sacks last year means the job is his to lose.

He's absolutely a keeper. But only if his bottom line asking price is reasonable, when the time comes. Spain took a discount when he re-signed, presumably to stay on an up and coming team with a great environment. I'm not suggesting that all players should do that. I wish all our guys could get what the market dictates. But that's just not possible for a talent-laden team like ours.

I could be wrong, but I suspect there will be some players who volunteer to take a 1 year pay cut next year, if it guarantees that they won't be cut.

The deadline for those who want to opt out.

Until the season starts it's hard for my excitement to penetrate the anxiety I feel over whether there will be a season at all. But once it starts, I'll be glued to my TV, tempering my frustration over the hapless level of play in the first few games. As the game rhythms improve, and the Bills keep winning, my excitement will grow throughout the season.

Ah, but what if the mystery box cost 1/10 of a boat AND it could still be a boat???

Leave it to the NFLPA to unify the players......through PARANOIA!!

Both of these guys need to spend an hour, sitting alone in a comfy arm chair in a quiet room, and contemplate this question: "Why does it matter?"

I didn't mean to imply that I thought Beane was perfect. There's been misses here and there, although I can't agree with 3 of your 4 examples. Star and Trent may have been paid handsomely, but they've been starters/contributors on a Top 3 defense since they've been here. Gore was signed primarily as a locker room leader, and the ultimate mentor for a stud rookie RB. Over-using him in the 2nd half of last season was due to the inexplicably ultra-conservative philosophy and play-calling by the HC and OC. And Vontae Davis...well, you got me there. Somebody should have seen that he was a petulant child at some point before the Big Bail. Anyway, Beane's hit to miss ratio when it comes to finding the right players in FA and the draft has to be in the neighborhood of 10:1. And his overall cap management is among the effective in the league. I'll take the bad with the good with this guy, because there ain't a whole lot of the former.

I trust Beane and his staff implicitly. How long has it been since I could say that? Polian?

THIS!!!^^^^^^^ The owners, front office, coaches, players and fans of the Super Bowl winning team should get the "Intestinal Fortitude" Award!

I'm fine with his decision either way, as long as he doesn't drag it out. We're all dealing with decisions to protect our kids. That makes you a father, not a humanitarian.

Words to live by...for the foreseeable future.

Back in '89, I was the sports director of the campus TV station at SUNY Cortland. (Not much glam, but gave me something else to do besides drinking.) I sent letters to every sports team, pro or college, with any kind of national or state level juice, to see if we could interview some of their players for a show we were producing at the time. I heard back from 2 teams. The Syracuse University football coach, Dick MacPherson, assigned a grad student to arrange for a few interviews with some players with aspirations of going pro. (I think he wanted them to get some added interviewing experience, before it meant anything.) So that was nice. The only other call I got was from the Buffalo Bills, and it was from Marv Levy himself!! I almost swallowed the phone in my crappy Cortland apartment when I heard that gravelly voice I'd heard 100 times before on the other end. Of course he was calling to let me know he wouldn't be able to arrange any interviews with Bills players. But he did it in such a classy, appreciative way, along with the fact that it was coming from the man himself, I hung up the phone feeling like I'd just gotten an award, rather than a gentle brush off. Marv became a hero of mine that day, and that memory has mentored me ever since.

"Their" money????? How do you think you get YOUR money??

When he can't get open anymore, the NFL will agree with you.

Agreed. If there's one thing football doesn't need more of is pontification! Riddick is great. He should be the next commish. The other two? We'll see...

Great player MUCH greater headache Pass

This is crushing. I mean, I'm not trying to point fingers, but are these guys not following the mask/distancing rules? Do they not know that a full year of salary is on the line for every one of them? Again, I don't know the details of what's going on there, but 5 positives in 4 days means the ball's being dropped somewhere.

Game plan??? You mean the one where you did nothing for 8 months, assuming the pandemic would do as it's told and go away before August? I'm stunned at how unprepared the NFL is to combat this situation. They were handed a gift when Covid showed up as soon as the 2019-2020 season ended, giving them a full off-season to come up with a plan to keep their money train rolling, and it turns out they had their heads in the sand the whole time??? WOW!!

Hard choice. I'd like to see the whole team be able to practice together, but I also don't want to see any of our guys jettisoned before they get a chance to prove themselves. I have faith in McBeane to do what needs to be done.

I think all of the younger guys are going to see decent playing time. In fact, there's a good chance Vosean will be the starting LB over AJ. This coaching staff seems to favor a platoon system on defense, over heavy time from the starters. Tremaine is the only one that stays on the field, for the most part. And part of the reason for that is to see who can step in to start as we lose our veterans to salary cap consequences.

This is terrific! No suspension looming for Ed. Our QB is improving every day. All areas of our team are better and deeper than they've been in years. Our front office and coaching staff are among the best in the league. Now I'm sure there'll be no season!!

I'm with you. 2 and 16 would be great. But the owners aren't going back to less than 20 games total. Reducing revenue streams aren't in their metabolism.