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LABills08

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Posts posted by LABills08

  1. Not upset, just informed.

     

    And fair point, no indication as to what was on the table last week. My only point is, if it is true that Carroll has been in pursuit of Marshawn since August, it just seems bizarre that the trade happens now. And to learn that a press release had been drafted before the trade was pulled off seems a bit strange. I'm also making these points against the back drop of the other decisions OBD has been making recently.

  2. I urge you to all take a look Link

     

    Once again demonstrates the erratic decision making that worries me about whoever is running this team. I am absolutely 100% now more than ever that Ralph or his minions are getting tangled up in Nix's affairs again. Nix might not be the astute talent evaluator that everyone wants him to be, but he is definitely a man of conviction. He does not strike me as the type of guy who will make a trade and then pull it off the table at the last second. Now, of course he could have pulled the trade off thinking that the Packers or Eagles wanted to get involved, but the reporting doesn't seem to indicate that. Anyways, take it for its worth.

     

    And yes, Ross Tucker, I remember when Edwards and Lynch were going to lead the Bills out of the abyss too.

  3. It will be interesting to hear what the consensus around the league is over this, but looking forward, its not a bad trade. RBs are probably the hardest position to get value for in terms of a trade. They are an easily replaceable commodity, in fact, does anyone know when the last time was that a RB was traded for 1st or 2nd rounder?

     

    Now, looking backwards, its obviously a bit disturbing. We drafted this guy only 3 1/2 years ago. And he was a top 15 pick. Trading him for a 4th round pick isn't anywhere near what we got back for Willis McGahee. And Lynch is probably the more talented back! So, one has to ask, could they have gotten a higher value for Lynch prior to the draft? Even if they weren't positive Spiller would fall to them, they did have Fred Jackson. And as I've already noted, productive RBs can be found late in the draft and all over waivers.

     

    Overall, I can live with this. More draft flexibility is never a bad thing. I hope the conditional aspect of the pick is about whether or not the Seahawks finish in the top half of the draft or the bottom half. Because, if the Seahawks make the playoffs, this pick is pretty useless.

     

    Can we trade Evans now too?

  4. Thanks to Tim Graham (good work Tim - keep it up) I can beef up my case for a complete revision of the FO personnel department. How do you spell whiff?

     

     

     

    Tim Graham Halftime Observations

     

    This goes beyond the CEO, GM and Coach. This is a corporate problem. IMO.

     

    I imagine that if its a corporate problem, it doesn't go much past the CEO, but regardless I agree. Can Ralph Wilson please sell the team?

  5. Seriously??? Could you compare the 2006-2009 drafts to Donahoe's 2001-2005 run? If anything they are comparable.

     

    PTR

     

    Yea. They are. Sadly. I don't think you can underestimate how big of a role whiffing on Mike Williams and JP Losman played in setting the Bills back.

  6. Not to mention how bad the O line and protections were in those first two games...an offense still learning a new scheme, players still learning their jobs.

     

    My take is Gailey jumped the gun on Edwards, but then again this is the same head coach and GM that think Cornell Green is worth 3 mill a year at RT. This same head coach thinks there is very little difference between Edwards Fitz and Brohm. I can't wait for this season to play out so you guys see what I already know.

     

    I know I'm wasting my time, some are so sold on Gailey and Nix that no amount of logic will sway you at this point. Let me just say it won't be to long before i start reading Fitz sucks, lets get Brian Brohm in there. Then I'll be reading Brohm sucks, lets get Levi Brown in there... this same scenario happened last year

     

    This team is destined to win 2 games this year no matter who is at QB, they will trade away Lynch and perhaps even Lee Evans in a purge to "rebuild' the team. Just think, next year we can look forward to a team filled with more players in the likes of Cornell Green

     

     

    I agree to a point. The blind faith in Nix and Gailey is IMO, unwarranted. I don't think the recent failures all fall on their shoulders though, I think it is always the higher ups who cause this franchise the most problems. Nix and Gailey were hired in large part because they would not command total control over all football related decisions. In fact, both of these guys were desperate for one last chance to take on each of their respective jobs. Maybe desperate is too harsh, but my point is, there wasn't much coaxing involved in getting these two to jump on board. And the way I see it is, having both of these guys in place still guarantees that Ralph Wilson and his minions have 100% control over the organization. When RW wants Edwards released, its going to happen. You think if Holmgren, Shanahan, Cowher or Gruden were coaches that Ralph Wilson's interference would be tolerated? Doubtful.

     

    But, I digress. I think Gailey and Nix deserve a shot. And I know Bills fans want to believe in them so very bad. But, keep in mind the hurdles they're facing, both on the football field and up in owners box (does Ralph even go to the games anymore?). I hate to say it, but fundamental change won't happen until ownership changes. I just hope in the meantime that Gailey and Nix are able to put the pieces together to the best of their abilities.

  7. For all the critics of any related to Trent Edwards and how he was handled, this article puts it in the right perspective

     

    Bob DiCesare Buff News Opinion

     

    ... says it all and its the right sequence of events.

     

    Maybe. I agree with the part that if Edwards suddenly discovered brilliance on another team, there would be a lot of angry Bills fans.

     

    That being said, I think these two quotes are heavily exaggerated:

    But don't earlier tapes also show Edwards in command?

     

    Not really

    And because Edwards had shown a burst of brilliance early in his career, the first order of business had to be determining whether what was once there could be rekindled under new coaching direction.

     

    Burst of brilliance? No.

     

    Trent showed signs of potential. Maybe to some, signs of big potential. But, bursts of brilliance? The main qualities that make an average NFL QB a great NFL QB have always been missing in Trent. It was just assumed he could find them. Throwing down field, throwing over the middle of the field, throwing accurately into double coverage, etc, etc. At his best, he was picking apart a defense with 5-10 yard passes. I don't ever remember watching him make the big throws. He was toast the second Jauron dumped him last season and everyone knew it. I understand there wasn't much to lose, but there wasn't much to gain either.

  8. There is a new three headed monster at OBD. I'm starting to see more and more evidence that Nix, Whaley & Gailey (wow that sounds like a law firm) went to Ralph and said "we can build you a winner but it's going to take time and 2010 isn't going to be pretty". Wilson and Nix both made comments during the offseason that indicated that there would be massive roster evaluations and that it would be a long year. I believe Ralph said something about the fans keeping their hopes realistic and Nix said something about not expecting miracles. I sincerely believe that Nix and Whaley know what they've got and are content with a long term plan to fix it.

     

    If 2010 is truly the first year of a massive rebuild/restructure then I'm ok with a crappy season. I'd rather come out of this year knowing that 30 of the guys on the Bills roster are legitimate starters than continue to go through ****ty season after ****ty season. Simon was talking about this earlier and Jeremy suggested that maybe the 2010 season is just one giant preseason?

     

    If that's the case, I wouldn't be surprised to see more dramatic changes. Obscure players who didn't see the field like Roscoe get elevated and "names" like Hardy, Edwards and others get shown the door.

     

    One thing is certain, it's going to be an interesting year.

     

     

    I hope you're right.

  9. Certainly understandable. But if you simply criticize every move the team makes, because they have underperformed for years, you lose your objectivity as an observer. (I'm not suggesting you have, yet.)

     

    Knee-jerk negativity is as useless as knee-jerk optimism. I believe the criticism over the Edwards release is simply knee-jerk negativity.

     

    You might be right. I probably would think less of this if the Bills had demonstrated some semblance of competence in the past 10 years. I should probably cut Nix and Gailey some more slack. It could be worse, like when Jauron decided to stay overly loyal to players.

     

    For me, its not so straight forward. I'm happy that the Edwards adventure is over. But, the way in which it was done makes me worried. It leads me to believe that something weird is going on behind the scenes. I might be totally wrong, maybe it was simply a mistake by Gailey to so easily have entrusted Trent with the offense. But, it just doesn't add up to me. I wanted to see an executed vision put forth by Gailey and Nix. Maybe I'm living in fantasy land to think that transitions happen smoothly. And maybe this is just a case of Gailey and Nix making the hard decisions.

     

    But, at the moment it just comes off like more reactionary decision making. And, I felt essentially the same way after it was reported that Fitz was replacing Edwards, so it doesn't have to do with him being released. It just has to do with the erratic decision making and my suspicions that there is still unneeded tampering going on from those higher up than Nix.

  10. Huh? Why all this talk about how this looks bad for the Bills. We already look bad. The way to start looking good is by winning some damned football games. Getting rid of dead weight seems like an okay place to start.

     

    Repercussions, my ass. You mean all those free agents who so desperately don't want to play for us still don't want to play for us? What a catastrophe. The way you attract these guys is by fielding a decent football game, not by hanging onto worthless players to save face.

     

     

    I agree with all that. I just would have preferred Edwards were released back in August so that I could at least find reason to believe that the Bills had some semblance of new direction. Instead, it feels like more reactionary decisions. At least the Trent decision has a net neutral effect aside from locker room discontent.

  11. Wrong argument about starting or not starting Trent. This decision, as many have said in this thread, should have been made after camp and not until putrid performances 2 games into the regular season. For the record, I was bullish on TE until he lost the job in 2009. He's a good guy from what I can see, but he lacks the confidence of a starting NFL QB. Furthermore, I think he's been shell-shocked and was legitimately afraid of being hit. Guess that happens when the team depends on rookies and cheap UFA's for OLineman.

     

    Leinart was a first rounder who could not claim a job he was handed. Edwards was given the job without much challenge from anyone, despite proof that he wasn't better than Fitz.

     

    You correct these types of mistakes in the off-season and don't wait until losing 2 ugly games.

     

    Dean, I have plenty of reason to remain critical and you know the tale of the tape. 15 years since the last playoff win. 10+ years since the last playoff appearance. 66-94 in the 00s. Rumors that the owner or at the least non-football people still interfere. And they're in Year 0 of another rebuild. Critical? I guess I would like to see a winning season more than once in a decade. Results matter.

     

     

    +100. I'm all for optimism. For the past 10 seasons I've always thought the Bills are going to "surprise some people". And guess what, I'll have that same feeling next season.

     

    But, its about time this organization earns our faith. Fans have every right to be suspicious of the crap this organization pulls.

  12. Good point Promo. Despite the fact that I had high hopes for Trent, it was clear that he had to go. The only question I do have is whether or not they could have got anything for him in a trade, and I do mean anything whatsoever.

     

    If he is signed tomorrow, it would lead me to believe that they MIGHT have been able to salvage a late round pick. What do you think?

     

     

    I don't buy this preseason garbage. I'm sorry, this idea that "Trent Edwards had everyone fooled, again" just doesn't float. He played 2 decent games (1st game was awful and last game he didn't play). Nothing stand out, just decent. Sure, fans might have been like "okay, not that bad". But, if the coaching staff actually finished the preseason saying "yep, Trent's our guy", then I just can't see how they would see two bad games and release him.

     

    They knew what the fans knew all a long. That Trent just didn't have it. Evidence is in how fast they cut him in the regular season. The question is, why did they sell this whole charade?

  13. If you criticize the Bills for starting Trent, you should be rejoicing in their canning him. But to criticize them for BOTH shows malice on your part. They corrected their mistake. That's a plus in my book. The other stuff is all bulls#it.

     

    Leinart, a 1st round draft pick, was the Cards presumed starter at the start of preseason. He was cut a week before the season started. I see no real difference between that scenario and what the Bills did with Edwards, especially when Whisenhunt has had since 2007 to evaluate Leinart.

     

    Yes, the Bills are bad and have been for a while. But you are simply hyper-critical, and find any reason to bash them.

     

     

    Dean, I generally like your posts a lot. And find myself agreeing with you. But, I have to say, the fact that you don't understand the difference between the Leinart situation and the Edwards situation, is with all due respect, mind blowing.

     

    As long as Edwards is not starting, I don't really care one way or the other what happens. Whether he is on the bench costing the Bills money (which otherwise would be going straight into RW's pockets anyways) or off the team, isn't really a big difference.

     

    However, what does bother me is this constant cycle of dysfunction that comes out of One Bills Drive. I'm not saying the Bills need to do everything by the book. But, this strikes me as oddly out of place. Like I said, you cut him before the season, thats fine. Or you cut him before anointing him the starter fine. But, if you are going to endorse him as the starter and then cut him two weeks after the fact, I don't like it. Especially when you risk losing the locker room for further losing respect around the league. Some might say, "who cares what other players think" or "its a lie that players don't want to come to Buffalo". I strongly disagree. In fact, I don't have sources with the Bills, but I do know people involved with other teams. And the perception players have towards a franchise, whether accurate or not, do play a large role. Now, of course, it can't get much worse for the Bills. They can (and I believe will) turn this around. But, IMO, this is undeniably a bizarre turn of events all things considered.

     

    That's $1,358,824 in savings.

     

    Oh yea, thats pocket change. Dude, that covers every receiver we have not named Roscoe or Lee.

  14. Dean, I hesitate to say this, but I worry that you're getting Stockholm Syndrome. Without question, the move was very badly handled, and this current team is in a death spiral. I'll be very surprised if they win 3 games. People can talk all the want about bottoming out and looking toward the future (2012, 2013, etc. - I'm guilty of this myself on occasion because what else is there?), but to quote Keynes, in the long run we'll all be dead. Judging from the quotes in the News piece, Edwards was well liked and many people on the team aren't happy. Yeah, they'll get over it and many of them will be gone in a year or two, but the reputation of the team will take another hit. These things have repercussions. The Bills haven't been able to sign anyone decent for years, and there's a reason for that. The organization is terrible.

     

    Leinart is a horrible comparison, btw. That move has been on the horizon -- plain as day -- ever since Whisenhunt arrived.

     

     

    +100.

     

    Leinart lost the starting job in the preseason. He wasn't heralded as winning a non-existent competition and then released by week 3. Something is fishy and no matter what actually went down, the Bills, again....look completely out of their league.

     

    I'm telling you, there are some weird decisions coming down from Ralph Wilson.

  15. This was so abrupt that it seems that Edwards and his agent had to have some hand in the process. Timing is everything in professional sports and its stands to reason that TE would like to get out of Buffalo as quickly as possible. And Buffalo was only to happy to accomodate him.

     

    That's also a fair point. But, if that were the case, I think the Bills would have leaked it in order to save face. Even the Edwards camp would likely be in favor of that being the rumor.

  16. Last week, Sullivan states that the QB move to Fitz "smacks of desperation."

     

    This week, he wonders "what took [Gailey] so long" to make the switch from Edwards to Fitzgerald.

     

    Eh?

     

    http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/columns/jerry-sullivan/article202167.ece

     

     

    I don't think these two statements are contradictory. Or exclusive of each other.

     

    Sullivan said the move smacks of desperation (which, it did given as how Gailey and co. had anointed Edwards the starter long ago and then turned on him, rightfully so, after only 2 starts). And he wondered what took him so long, as in, why wasn't this figured out back in July. I mean, hindsight is 20/20 and you'll be hard pressed to find a positive Sullivan quote anywhere. He is a miserable dude. But, I mean, the Bills suck. The franchise has been mismanaged for a the better part of the last 15 years. And a common denominator of that is reactionary or erratic decision making.

     

    IMO, most fans should share Sullivan's irritation after how Ralph Wilson has run this team into the ground. Doesn't mean fans should share his bitterness, but I think a lot of his points are dead on.

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