BillsFan1 Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Winning, stability, weather, culture, money, the city, and recruiting all make a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLTbills Posted January 5, 2018 Author Share Posted January 5, 2018 9 hours ago, DC Greg said: Making the playoffs, yes... but much more than that, the publicity we’re getting for breaking the drought, the celebration videos, the airport welcome, the locker room after the Dalton TD, the Dalton foundation donation, and everything else is going to get players’ attention. I think the word is starting. to spread about how Buffalo has a intimate football culture that no other city has. The money for a player is always going to be the primary factor, but we may be gaining a better edge for the right type of “process” free agents. Exactly. What if Dalton doesn't make that throw? What if we had gone 9-7 and missed the playoffs? How much does the cloud of a now 18-year playoff drought discourage FA's from coming here vs. a team that just made the playoffs, even though they might have had the same record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Hopefully Micah Hyde has influence across they league and he'll be able to recruit a few quality Free Agents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royale with Cheese Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 10 hours ago, MAJBobby said: I bet the media coverage of the Fan Base this week will help as well. Without a doubt. 2,000 fans in 1 degree weather at 1:00 am to greet the team....what player who is passionate about football wouldn't want that? When Kyle Williams scored his TD....the entire sideline looked like they came to celebrate with him. When Brandon Tate picked up that huge 3rd down against Oakland....the entire sideline looked like they came to celebrate with him. Seems like a really great lockeroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 It can't hurt. Nor can the look that for the first time in seemingly forever the Bills might be a pretty stable organisation. The #1FA destination for a QB this offseason though will be Denver. Elway, a defense you can still sell as being Superbowl ready, and a reasonably big market. Also I am convinced Denver wants to go the FA route rather than the draft route. They tried the draft with Lynch and that hasn't worked. They will be hoping a Kirk Cousins season can eek one last run out of that defense. I think that if Cousins leaves Washington he ends up at Mile High. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 (edited) 10 hours ago, CLTbills said: Question for you guys.. I didn't see anything like this posted, if there is, mods feel free to merge. But does the Bills ending the drought make Buffalo a "sexier" destination for free agents, or more importantly, FA Quarterbacks? Think about it if if you're a guy like Kirk Cousins, or (please, God) Jimmy G. If you're getting offers from QB starved teams like Cleveland, Arizona, the Jets, the Giants, or Buffalo, which looks the most attractive? Had the Bills missed the playoffs yet again, I would say, of course, either of the NY teams. But does the Bills being a playoff team skew that? I mean, wouldn't a QB want to come to a place that's ready to win now, with a coaching staff that's proven to be able to lead a team to success (and coming off of a playoff season) over a team that's rebuilding or coming off of a 3-win season and is searching for a coach, or at least has a lot of uncertainty about who's going to be the coach after this year or next? I think so. The winning record (which correlates to playoffs), and the just general atmosphere that the Bills are a team on the move. Please don't pray for Jimmy G. Your prayers are wasted. He's staying in SF. Edited January 5, 2018 by Hapless Bills Fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlimShady'sSpaceForce Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 One would think so. Not much more to say (on page 2) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wiz Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 10 hours ago, CLTbills said: Well and that's what I'm getting at. What if the Bills had gone 8-8 or even still gone 9-7 but missed the playoffs? Does the fact that they're in the playoffs change that perception of the Bills the way it may or may not have had we had the same record and missed the playoffs? I think that if they missed the playoffs it might have hurt a little but the fact that this team traded away key players and were predicted to win 5 or less games, ended up exceeding expectations shows that they are heading in the right direction. I think players would likely look at this and be motivated to sign here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweats Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 It's tough to say.............i think most players would want to play in a bigger market exposure, but i guess if the money's right, then i'm sure it could entice players to come here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJBobby Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 2 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said: Without a doubt. 2,000 fans in 1 degree weather at 1:00 am to greet the team....what player who is passionate about football wouldn't want that? When Kyle Williams scored his TD....the entire sideline looked like they came to celebrate with him. When Brandon Tate picked up that huge 3rd down against Oakland....the entire sideline looked like they came to celebrate with him. Seems like a really great lockeroom. Very college like atmosphere. Been described like that many times. Players do like playing in that atmosphere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solomon Grundy Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 12 hours ago, MAJBobby said: I bet the media coverage of the Fan Base this week will help as well. That's my feeling too. The love of this team from the fan base will bring FAs. Just ask Takeo Spikes. Love the message Takeo sent out too. Go Bills!! 2 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: I think so. The winning record (which correlates to playoffs), and the just general atmosphere that the Bills are a team on the move. Please don't pray for Jimmy G. Your prayers are wasted. He's staying in SF. Who knows??? Maybe Jimmy would want to come here just to stick it to the team that traded him?? Fairy tales can come true..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddo Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 I think it makes a good difference. One thing not mentioned, in respect of any potential FA QBs, is that the monkey of no playoffs, is off their back to begin with, which means a significant amount of pressure has been relieved. As to other players, well, the Bills are showing up as a decent enough team over the last few years, and they may be the guy(s) who can make enough of a difference. A new HC who has broken whatever 'curse' there might have been, and in his first season. As others have said, I think it gets the Bills into a lot more conversations, (with FAs) and possibly without having to dig as deep into their pockets to persuade guys to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddaryl Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 I would say it most definitely helps a bunch.. Especially for FA's that are on the fence about coming to Buffalo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Im thinking of all those so so free agents that used us to get a deal with other teams......it would be nice if that changed. There is certain one that is sitting home right now in Baltimore for example Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndirish1978 Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 Winning attracts players Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabel Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 I think it helps when guys like Hyde sign here. He left a consistent playoff team to join a franchise that hadn't seen the playoffs in 17 seasons. It helps that he was offered probably the best deal he could've hoped for during FA. And then they pair him with Poyer and the two have become a really solid duo at safety. It also doesn't hurt to see his comments from the other day about how he was apprehensive at first about joining the Bills but after meeting with McDermott and hearing his vision, he was sold. And he considers McDermott to be one of the most prepared and committed coaches he's played for. Players talk to each other all the time and we know they try to recruit for their teams where they can. I think McDermott has gone a long way in just one season in terms of changing the vibe in the locker room. It's a team mostly full of guys who have similar attitudes in that they wanna win, they put the team first, put their egos aside and prepare each week to do their job. It's a shame that sometimes the most talented players come with the biggest egos or the less than stellar attitudes. I hope McDermott and Beane won't shy away from drafting or signing a player that might not check off all the boxes for them in terms of character. Sometimes the talent outweighs the players attitude. And if McDermott has changed the locker room the way we feel he has then he and Beane should have some confidence in signing/drafting a player who needs a tune up in the character department as this locker room should be able to take a player like that under their wing and get them to buy in 100%. That's my one main buggaboo with Team McBeane... I understand they want high character players but I really hope they don't pass up on a super talented player because he isn't a boy scout or doesn't completely meet their character standards. That said, their stance on character makes it a little easier to predict/speculate on players they'll be interested come free agency and draft time. 2 hours ago, MAJBobby said: Very college like atmosphere. Been described like that many times. Players do like playing in that atmosphere Haha, it's interesting you say that because when Marrone was here, his approach to coaching was to run it like he ran the program at Syracuse. That obviously (obviously!) didn't go over well with most of the players. You can't go in as the new HC and start disrespecting veterans by trying to run things as if its college. Between that, his irritability and mood swings, I can imagine Marrone was not the most fun coach to play for. Dareus clearly did not admire/respect the guy and it's kinda hilarious that when he's traded, he's traded to the team with the coach he really doesn't care for. But I do understand what you mean here, the fans in Buffalo surely provide a very similar environment to what these guys experienced in college. And, I know each team in the league thinks they have the best fans ever but when it comes to Buffalo, I really think there's just something different about this team and town. I mean, how many other franchises out there would continue to sell out games losing season after losing season? How many teams have fans that'd stick with them through a 17-year playoff drought? How many teams would still sell-out games that are gonna be played in 12 degree weather? And that game is meaningless because the team is already out of the playoff race. Not many other teams have the type of dedication Bills fans provide. Said dedication has unfortunately driven some to turn the tailgates into an ECW event but hey, the dedication and commitment we fans show this team, to me, is unmatched anywhere else in the league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Beard Posted January 5, 2018 Share Posted January 5, 2018 A playoff team Many draft picks A head coach who likes to clap if I was a FA QB I would think this looks like a good place to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manther Posted January 6, 2018 Share Posted January 6, 2018 IMO making the playoffs helps entice FAs. Its part of the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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