Green Lightning Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 If they took the money they p*ssed away on Cornell Green and Kelsay, they could sign a starting RT. They don't have to be huge spenders in FA, but to ignore a significant signing that will improve this team and instead sign a few stiffs for the same money in aggregate, would be such an opportunity lost and money wasted. I remain hopeful they can bring in people to contribute in a few key areas. Hell, I would be happy if they could sign one starter who would improve on what we have. I have faith in Nix to draft well and fundementally build the team in that way. But to brush off any significant FA signings is a blind spot in his vision for this team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingon Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 How much is Dareus and the rest of the rookies going to get? Cam Newton is getting around 4 years $22 million, so I would assume Dareus will get around $4-4.5 million a year. The rest of the rookie class salary's are negligible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost of Rob Johnson Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Cam Newton is getting around 4 years $22 million, so I would assume Dareus will get around $4-4.5 million a year. The rest of the rookie class salary's are negligible. But it's 8 guys, so for the total draft class you're probably looking at around $11M total. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingon Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 But it's 8 guys, so for the total draft class you're probably looking at around $11M total. Not really. I doubt most guys will get above the league minimum for rookies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondo in seattle Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Nix has said since he got here that he believes in building through the draft. Just because the Bills won't sign a bunch of big name FAs doesn't mean they aren't committed to winning. Nix and Co. are just philosophically opposed to it. Many great teams are built primarily through the draft. Hopefully Nix can make Buffalo one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 (edited) No but it's less likely to succeed than developing your own draft picks. If free agency was such a magic bullet then the team that spends the most would win the Super Bowl every year. PTR You're missing the forest for the trees. No one is saying go on a spending spree and bring in 8 new starters. But FA definitely has its place to supplement what you can do in the draft. You can't build just through the draft, not when its only 7 rounds long. Its not unreasonable to expect the Bills to pick up 3 decent starters in FA, specifically at RT, TE, and then 1 in the defense (S or LB). If they don't, i won't be happy with the team. Especially after the Sabres have shown the willingness to do what is needed to improve the team. Completely ignoring FA is just as bad as what Danny Boy does in washington. Frankly, if the Bills sit out most of the FA period and don't make a significant attempt to better the team, thats exactly the same as showing they don't really care about winning. Edited July 26, 2011 by Ramius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wiz Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 From the PC this morning: Which, if you have been listening, is what he has been saying all along. No surprises here. So basically when Poz, Florence and Whitner all go to different teams he can say he wasn't talking about previously drafted players, but the players he drafted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDaDdy Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Who was coming off a bad shoulder injury at the time. Brees was hardly considered a big-time free agent. In fact if the Bills had signed him everyone would have said we were dumpster diving for a QB. The Saints lucked out. PTR I don't know which drew brees you were watching but take a look at his steadily improving stats in San Deigo before he became a Saint. Other free agents include Shockey, one of our old defenders at CB and likely other guys along the lines. You're missing the forest for the trees. No one is saying go on a spending spree and bring in 8 new starters. But FA definitely has its place to supplement what you can do in the draft. can't build just through the draft, not when its only 7 rounds long. Its not unreasonable to expect the Bills to pick up 3 decent starters in FA, specifically at RT, TE, and then 1 in the defense (S or LB). If they don't, i won't be happy with the team. Especially after the Sabres have shown the willingness to do what is needed to improve the team. Completely ignoring FA is just as bad as what Danny Boy does in washington. You Frankly, if the Bills sit out most of the FA period and don't make a significant attempt to better the team, thats exactly the same as showing they don't really care about winning. I couldn't agree more with you today. Planets must be aligned or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsfaninFl Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Why are we even discussing this? Who said the Bills will not be active in free agency? Also can you point out a single team that won a Super Bowl going out signing big name free agents? We are doing it the way the Steelers have done it for years. PTR Except that the Bills don't draft as well as the Steelers. They will never be a top team if they do not also use free agency as more than a chance to grab other teams' castoffs. The times when they went after someone like James Lofton are long gone. And so are the drafts for guys like Bruce Smith, Jim Kelly, etc. How can you keep thinking they are doing anything different year after year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagon Circler Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 The OP is right of course. But most people here seem happy just to have a team. I hope this year's draft was good because this GM hasn't done much else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Long Beach Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 You're missing the forest for the trees. No one is saying go on a spending spree and bring in 8 new starters. But FA definitely has its place to supplement what you can do in the draft. can't build just through the draft, not when its only 7 rounds long. Its not unreasonable to expect the Bills to pick up 3 decent starters in FA, specifically at RT, TE, and then 1 in the defense (S or LB). If they don't, i won't be happy with the team. Especially after the Sabres have shown the willingness to do what is needed to improve the team. I mostly agree here. I don't demand 3 starters, but I do expect 2. Our depth is pretty poor in many, many places so I'm happy with any decent quality player to give competition. What I'm really hoping is that our young players beat out most or all of our signings because they're developing into good players. IMO we don't have many good players at TE and RT so I don't see much to develop... Completely ignoring FA is just as bad as what Danny Boy does in washington. You Frankly, if the Bills sit out most of the FA period and don't make a significant attempt to better the team, thats exactly the same as showing they don't really care about winning. I don't expect the Bills to ignore FA. For two reasons. We didn't last year, and we have to reach the salary floor. Last year was an uncapped year (no floor or ceiling) and we were in the middle of a youth movement with organizational & coaching regime change. So they didn't spend much (wisely IMO) Yet they still signed FOUR free agents that were intended to be starters. Sadly three got hurt very early in the season (Andra Davis & Sean Merriman) and the other was both hurt and sucked (Green). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Why are we even discussing this? Who said the Bills will not be active in free agency? It's always better to state your outrage right up front rather than waiting for any actual justification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mousetrap08 Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Why are we even discussing this? Who said the Bills will not be active in free agency? Also can you point out a single team that won a Super Bowl going out signing big name free agents? We are doing it the way the Steelers have done it for years. PTR Buddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpberr Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 I don't think many successful teams build through FA. That seems to be a strategy for the guys who think the NFL runs on Madden rules or run the Washington Redskins. Successful teams have successful drafts and development of thoroughbred players and organizational consistency. That's where championships are won. The Bills are recovering from nearly a decade of crap drafts with no thoroughbreds in the mix and a rotating door of coaches, GMs and different philosophies every other year. I'm not one of the fans that will be panicking at low FA activity. I feel we had a blockbuster haul on draft day this year after a solid draft last year, and that's where it counts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitz's Beard Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 I mostly agree here. I don't demand 3 starters, but I do expect 2. Our depth is pretty poor in many, many places so I'm happy with any decent quality player to give competition. What I'm really hoping is that our young players beat out most or all of our signings because they're developing into good players. IMO we don't have many good players at TE and RT so I don't see much to develop... I don't expect the Bills to ignore FA. For two reasons. We didn't last year, and we have to reach the salary floor. Last year was an uncapped year (no floor or ceiling) and we were in the middle of a youth movement with organizational & coaching regime change. So they didn't spend much (wisely IMO) Yet they still signed FOUR free agents that were intended to be starters. Sadly three got hurt very early in the season (Andra Davis & Sean Merriman) and the other was both hurt and sucked (Green). Merriman was picked up mid season off of waivers. He wasn't technically a free agent. I expect us to sign a few names, as we do every year, just not HUGE T.O. type names that make ESPN highlights. I think Buddy and Chan need another year to develop their philosophy more, but I think they are heading in the right direction the way they are doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 No but it's less likely to succeed than developing your own draft picks. If free agency was such a magic bullet then the team that spends the most would win the Super Bowl every year. PTR There is a happy medium. The last time the Bills were good was right after they signed UFAs Bryce Paup and Ted Washington. These 2 (and Wade Phillips) transformed the Bills defense into one that was feared, and suited for the climate, as opposed to the Jauron philosophy of running away from scrimage and playing "not to lose." They filled 2 HUGE holes on our defensive front. Of course, the OL sucked but what else is new? Well guess what? We now have at least 2 HUGE holes on the offensive front, and we need a TE. I would be happy if they make an honest attempt to sign Boss and an OT. Fans deserve this. They have spent 3 early picks (including the #3) on the DL in the last 2 years and I applaud this. It's time to stop, once and for all, ignoring the OL. Or, we can just keep on losing football games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 There is a happy medium. The last time the Bills were good was right after they signed UFAs Bryce Paup and Ted Washington. These 2 (and Wade Phillips) transformed the Bills defense into one that was feared, and suited for the climate, as opposed to the Jauron philosophy of running away from scrimage and playing "not to lose." They filled 2 HUGE holes on our defensive front. Of course, the OL sucked but what else is new? Well guess what? We now have at least 2 HUGE holes on the offensive front, and we need a TE. I would be happy if they make an honest attempt to sign Boss and an OT. Fans deserve this. They have spent 3 early picks (including the #3) on the DL in the last 2 years and I applaud this. It's time to stop, once and for all, ignoring the OL. Or, we can just keep on losing football games. Correct, they don't have to spend a ton but there are some good veteran players available that could come in and help this team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 I don't think many successful teams build through FA. That seems to be a strategy for the guys who think the NFL runs on Madden rules or run the Washington Redskins. Successful teams have successful drafts and development of thoroughbred players and organizational consistency. That's where championships are won. The Bills are recovering from nearly a decade of crap drafts with no thoroughbreds in the mix and a rotating door of coaches, GMs and different philosophies every other year. I'm not one of the fans that will be panicking at low FA activity. I feel we had a blockbuster haul on draft day this year after a solid draft last year, and that's where it counts. You can be happy there to sit and wait, or hope that Hairston and/or Wang develops into a good enough RT. As for me, i'd just as soon they go out and spend money to get a good proven OT, such as Clabo or Doug Free. Then, if Hairston and Wang develop, you have a surplus of good OTs, instead opf praying for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 You can be happy there to sit and wait, or hope that Hairston and/or Wang develops into a good enough RT. As for me, i'd just as soon they go out and spend money to get a good proven OT, such as Clabo or Doug Free. Then, if Hairston and Wang develop, you have a surplus of good OTs, instead opf praying for one. You make an excellent point. As it stands what happens if Demetrius Bell gets hurt at LT? There is no replacement. The same gaping hole occurred when the Bills traded Jason Peters with the inexplicable belief that Langston Walker could replace him at LT. That was a predictably disasterous maneuver. As you and others have noted no one is expecting a number of big splash free agent signings. What this backwater franchise needs to do is not run this franchise with its hands tied behind its back while all the other franchises have their limbs untied. Free agency is part of the personnel system in the NFL. It shouldn't be the mainstay approach in putting together a roster. But it should be a complementary tool that allows you to compete with the rest of the league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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