Sign our FA's already (Ralph is cheap)

[CBD]

I understand your point, John and nowhere did I disagree.

 

I just wanted to point out that in this case, the "loss" of Hangartner really didn't hurt.

Hangartner was getting burned repeatedly in the preseason, they shouldn't be criticized for cutting him, but rather for putting Levitre in a poor position when Urbik proved able and on the roster.

[JohnC]

Several posts here make excellent points. Yet there are still people who think the future may be bright. I like their "hope springs eternal" attitude in the face of no real evidence of improvement.

 

But the facts are that each year the Bills have as many holes to fill as the year before.

To the dreamers who respond with their annual "I've got a feeling we are headed in the right direction," go back and look at the comments each off-season. For every good player added, there is generally a position weakened. Whether you believe the Bills are two, six or twenty players away from being a playoff team, Looking at the big picture shows they are no closer now than they were at the millenium.

 

I think most sober minded people recognize the futility of this Wilson owned franchise. The way many people have adapted to this never ending cycle of mediocrity is to lower one's expectation and be satisfied with merely having a team in the NFL. The looming disturbing thought is that the team could be uprooted when a very aged owner who has an insatiable thirst for money auctions his asset when he leaves the scene. It's very sad that a very loyal fan base that has enriched him beyond his own imagination have to be subjected to such foolishness.

 

What is perplexing and also maddening is when one is in their 90s and in the twilight of their existence why not aggressively try to put out an exceptional product? How much is enough? How about showing some pride and make a serious effort to be a serious franchise instead of being a laughing stock organization.

 

Hangartner was getting burned repeatedly in the preseason, they shouldn't be criticized for cutting him, but rather for putting Levitre in a poor position when Urbik proved able and on the roster.

 

How can he get burned when he didn't play? They didn't play him in the preseason because they were afraid that he would have gotten hurt and would then have to give him an injury settlement. It was well known that he was going to be released before the season started. Paul Hamilton of WGR stated during the preseason that he wasn't going to make the roster. It came to pass.

Edited January 16, 2012 by JohnC

[bowery4]

John C and a few of the others here, I see your agenda and disagree. I don't love RW or many of the moves this franchise has made in past years (excluding the BN years so far) and I do see your points. I don't understand though why you would even follow the team anymore if you felt that way about them. I get you, you are waiting for RW to die and the team to be sold and moved. I really don't know how you can go through life with your thinking, really what is the point? Why bother?. I can only say wow, must suck being you.

 

The miserable have no other medicine, But only hope.~William Shakespeare

Hope never abandons you, you abandon it.~George Weinberg

Sanity may be madness but the maddest of all is to see life as it is and not as it should be.~Don Quixote

[JohnC]

John C and a few of the others here, I see your agenda and disagree. I don't love RW or many of the moves this franchise has made in past years (excluding the BN years so far) and I do see your points. I don't understand though why you would even follow the team anymore if you felt that way about them. I get you, you are waiting for RW to die and the team to be sold and moved. I really don't know how you can go through life with your thinking, really what is the point? Why bother?. I can only say wow, must suck being you.

 

The miserable have no other medicine, But only hope.~William Shakespeare

Hope never abandons you, you abandon it.~George Weinberg

Sanity may be madness but the maddest of all is to see life as it is and not as it should be.~Don Quixote

 

 

I'm commenting on how this organization is being managed. If I'm being unfair and inaccurate then I'm receptive to a rebuttal. Your position that I shouldn't follow the team because I'm critical of the way it operates makes little sense to me.

[Bruce]

I was thinking about this as I walked my dog this morning.

 

Scott Chandler, Roscoe Parrish, and in some ways Fred Jackson are all in the same boat with the Bills.

 

I, first of all, want all 3 back. However, as Nix indicated when talking about Chandler, the player needs to see his success for what it is...he's valued because of his role in the BILLS offense. Trying to chase down the money with a "grass is always greener" mentality may serve as a crude wake up call.

 

With the exception of Jackson- who if cut or waived would be quickly picked up and paid- Chandler and Parrish have their greatest value WITH the Bills.

 

For our sake, I hope that both Chandler and Parrish realize this when they are speaking with the Bills, and get their contracts locked up at reasonable rates for years to come.

[CBD]

How can he get burned when he didn't play? They didn't play him in the preseason because they were afraid that he would have gotten hurt and would then have to give him an injury settlement. It was well known that he was going to be released before the season started. Paul Hamilton of WGR stated during the preseason that he wasn't going to make the roster. It came to pass.

He played in the preseason, it was well known because he was getting his reps during the 3rd and 4th quarter of preseason games and playing poorly.

[apuszczalowski]

I think in Bell's case if they can get him at a decent price he would be a great depth player . One thing that this team lacks & both Chan & Buddy said it last year before the season started was good depth . Well here is a chance to sign a player that is good when healthy but the health part is the problem .

 

So sign him first and pick up a good tackle prospect in the draft while keeping Hairiston & developing him to see what he has & the teams depth just continues to get better . If Bell get's hurt again next season you trade him for a late round pick so you at least get some kind of return for him . Who knows you might get another Stevie in the 7th round !!!!

Whos gonna trade for an always injured Tackle that can't finish a season healthy? How many Roster spots are they gonna keep open for the LT position? If you sign Bell, he is either the starter or the backup to Hairston, they won't be trying to get another starter for that spot and have 3 LTs on the roster, and I think Buddy already said that Hairston is staying at LT and won't be moving to RT

 

I was thinking about this as I walked my dog this morning.

 

Scott Chandler, Roscoe Parrish, and in some ways Fred Jackson are all in the same boat with the Bills.

 

I, first of all, want all 3 back. However, as Nix indicated when talking about Chandler, the player needs to see his success for what it is...he's valued because of his role in the BILLS offense. Trying to chase down the money with a "grass is always greener" mentality may serve as a crude wake up call.

 

With the exception of Jackson- who if cut or waived would be quickly picked up and paid- Chandler and Parrish have their greatest value WITH the Bills.

 

For our sake, I hope that both Chandler and Parrish realize this when they are speaking with the Bills, and get their contracts locked up at reasonable rates for years to come.

WHY IS THIS EVEN BEING MENTIONED???????

 

The guy is under contract with the Bills. If he wants to sit out thats his choice, but it doesn't mean the Bills are forced to get rid of him, and you can have 2 productive RBs on a team. The Bills have never said that they won't renegotiate with jackson, they just said that its not the first contract on the list, they have guys that need to be re-signed first, they are the priority.

 

As for Johnson, HE was the one that broke off talks when the Bills came to him and wanted to renegotiate during the season. He was the one that told them he didn't want to negotiate during the year. They want to re-sign him and bring him back. They still have about 2 months to do that before he can sign with anyone else.

[ieatcrayonz]

What do you do with the ones lacking talent or easily hurt?

Leave boo boo foot out of this.

[2003Contenders]

Anyone who argues that the Bills missed the boat in not signing Stevie after his breakout 2010 season has a short memory. Does the name Jason Peters ring a bell? The Bills saw the talent in him early on and signed him to a contract extension that looked really good at the time. Once Peters started getting some recognition around the league, he wanted a new contract a year after signing his previous one.

 

As much as Ralph's penny pinchers may or may not understand this, the NFL is never a "buy low" proposition except for through the draft. The only solution to this is to provide an environment in which players will WANT to come and play for your team without having to demand top dollar. Since Buffalo isn't a luxurious town, the only way for this to happen is for the team to get better. Kind of a chicken and the egg proposition... That is why it is vital that the team has a strong 2012 draft and wisely attracts the free agents they can -- even if they are not the glamorous sort.

[UConn James]

WHY IS THIS EVEN BEING MENTIONED???????

 

The guy is under contract with the Bills. If he wants to sit out thats his choice, but it doesn't mean the Bills are forced to get rid of him, and you can have 2 productive RBs on a team. The Bills have never said that they won't renegotiate with jackson, they just said that its not the first contract on the list, they have guys that need to be re-signed first, they are the priority.

 

The way Nix was talking at that presser, they want Freddie to pass his physical in March and then in training camp before they get anything worked out on an extension/renegotiation.

 

Knee injuries for RBs aren't anything to screw around with. You know, Freddie's been great for this team and it's a shame that he never seemed to have any leverage when it came time for his contracts. If he can prove he's healthy, I'm sure the team will be willing to throw some more coin his way to make him happy. But paying a guy for what he's done for you in the past ain't the way the NFL works. If there's some hangup on the knee, that's not something the Bills (or any team in similar circumstances) can afford to be heavily invested in.

[apuszczalowski]

Anyone who argues that the Bills missed the boat in not signing Stevie after his breakout 2010 season has a short memory. Does the name Jason Peters ring a bell? The Bills saw the talent in him early on and signed him to a contract extension that looked really good at the time. Once Peters started getting some recognition around the league, he wanted a new contract a year after signing his previous one.

 

As much as Ralph's penny pinchers may or may not understand this, the NFL is never a "buy low" proposition except for through the draft. The only solution to this is to provide an environment in which players will WANT to come and play for your team without having to demand top dollar. Since Buffalo isn't a luxurious town, the only way for this to happen is for the team to get better. Kind of a chicken and the egg proposition... That is why it is vital that the team has a strong 2012 draft and wisely attracts the free agents they can -- even if they are not the glamorous sort.

You don't even have to go that far back, just look at Fred Jackson now. Signing a player to an extension early is fine, but the problem with the league is that once a player feels they have been playing better, they want a new deal and will threaten to sit out

 

The way Nix was talking at that presser, they want Freddie to pass his physical in March and then in training camp before they get anything worked out on an extension/renegotiation.

 

Knee injuries for RBs aren't anything to screw around with. You know, Freddie's been great for this team and it's a shame that he never seemed to have any leverage when it came time for his contracts. If he can prove he's healthy, I'm sure the team will be willing to throw some more coin his way to make him happy. But paying a guy for what he's done for you in the past ain't the way the NFL works. If there's some hangup on the knee, that's not something the Bills (or any team in similar circumstances) can afford to be heavily invested in.

I didn't remember hearing anything about the physical, but thats understandable. Your not going to want to renegotiate a bigger, longer term deal with a player who could have health issues now. But the thing the fans seem to be forgeting is that the Bills are not saying they won't give him more. They have been trying to work out a deal with Stevie (He keeps pushing negotiations off til the offseason), they have never said they wouldn't be willing to sit down with Freddie and work out a better deal, just that they have a couple of priority deals (ie. time sensitive ones with players at the end of their contracts) that need to be worked out first

[stony]

The way Nix was talking at that presser, they want Freddie to pass his physical in March and then in training camp before they get anything worked out on an extension/renegotiation.

 

Knee injuries for RBs aren't anything to screw around with. You know, Freddie's been great for this team and it's a shame that he never seemed to have any leverage when it came time for his contracts. If he can prove he's healthy, I'm sure the team will be willing to throw some more coin his way to make him happy. But paying a guy for what he's done for you in the past ain't the way the NFL works. If there's some hangup on the knee, that's not something the Bills (or any team in similar circumstances) can afford to be heavily invested in.

 

1. Freddy broke his leg. Nothing is wrong w/ his knee.

 

2. Disagree. Teams do reward players who have outperformed contracts (see Chris Johnson). Its not common, but it happens. Unfort the NFL is more known as the league that screws guys over instead of rewarding them when they play well. Brady took less 5? years ago and got his big payday this year too.

[gobillsinytown]

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article710405.ece

 

To win in the NFL today you need a bunch of skill position players on offense. Ralph, please sign SJ and Chandler all ready. They aren't gonna get any cheaper - you missed that window.

Also Bell - Good tackles are prime finds. He has a history of injury, but 1/2 a season of good LT play is better than any other option.

 

And yes you are going to have to overpay your stars to get and or keep them on losing team in a small market. Once you build a winner again, then you can get the chance to deal for players willing to play for a chance to play for a contender at a lower wage (like in Green Bay now).

 

Ralph is cheap

Buddy and Chan are old, fire them now.

We should hire ________insert coach currently on ESPN or CBS or FOX here_____, no amount of money is too much.

We will never win

Sell the team

We should sign _____insert free agent I've heard of here______, and sign him NOW.

We should move up to the number one pick.

 

Did I miss anything?

[CodeMonkey]

Ralph is cheap

Buddy and Chan are old, fire them now.

We should hire ________insert coach currently on ESPN or CBS or FOX here_____, no amount of money is too much.

We will never win

Sell the team

We should sign _____insert free agent I've heard of here______, and sign him NOW.

We should move up to the number one pick.

 

Did I miss anything?

Yes. Resigning SJ and giving FredEX a new contract.

Also making sure fans buy seasons NOW so the team does not move.

Edited January 16, 2012 by CodeMonkey

[MikeSpeed]

Color me off the Nix band wagon if SJ signs with another team at a "reasonable" rate. Nix has been preaching from day 1 "you build through the draft an resign your own".

SJ maybe unreasonable and therefore the Bills can't sign him, but if he is signed by another team at or near his $7.5/yr then it is all just political BS from the Bills GM in my mind.

[bowery4]

John C I am sorry, you have every right to be a fan and be as critical as you like. But IMO you sound like a broken record about the RW issue (and really it is so played on this board that I just tire of it). I even some what agree with some of your assessment but I genuinely feel things have changed. I don't listen to talk radio of any kind and can't comment on the folks at WGR (but is that where shup and bull **** work?) or what they said (I would guess speculated) about the inside of Bills FO operations. We will have to agree to disagree, no disrespect.

[dogbyte]

The problem with Peters, was he was OK with his contract until they signed Walker and Dockery to contracts that paid them twice what Peters was making. Peters was the ProBowl left tackle and they were just average.

RW will pay for 22 starters but not for good backups. This is why when a starter goes done there is nothing to replace him with. The Bills lost Wood and the whole OLine fell apart. NE lost thier starting center in the first game and other backup centers and still competed.