Bing Bong Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 16 hours ago, dayman said: If he isn't in bad pain and doing serious damage to his body why the hell wouldn't he go out there again next year and take home a few more million. Seems like he enjoys playing and being on the team. The money is excellent and gone forever the moment he stops. I expect he'll be back (provided, again, his body isn't telling him to stop immediately). Can't see why he'd come back for this year and not see part of this rebuild out (primarily for an improved team next year being his last). The time to retire if he doesn't have any injuries, or general football fatigue, was last year for many of the vets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LABILLBACKER Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 17 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said: If he believes 2019 is another rebuild year, I think he'll retire. I agree, but I'm very conflicted over Lorax and Kyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 17 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said: If he believes 2019 is another rebuild year, I think he'll retire. Well if he has any balls, he'll wait to do it at halftime early next season like real men do. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabel Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 (edited) 19 hours ago, LSHMEAB said: Will be interesting to see what they do this offseason with Williams and Alexander. As much as the Bills need to add young talent in the front 7, both players are still producing. Yeah, this is a good observation. We know they are all in on the youth movement but I think it's pretty clear that McBeane places a pretty high value on having experienced leaders in the locker room. The way they've set things up for the future is what makes me hopeful for the whole process. In 2017 they went out and signed a handful of veteran players that are still under 30 (i.e. Hyde, Poyer, etc.) and then they brought back Kyle and Lorenzo as like the "elder statesmen" or whatever, and finally, they headed into this season with a super high percentage of the roster being made up of first, second or third year players. They keep a good mix of experience, leadership, and youth. And I'm pretty sure the whole point of having those veteran leaders around is to show the youngins how to conduct yourself as a professional, provide leadership, and get these kids ready for the "passing of the torch" that'll inevitably happen. And those two guys, #95 and #57, I'm pretty sure they have a "you have a job here for as long as you want" type of situation. Gotta respect that. Obviously McBeane haven't hit on every decision (no team does) but I can certainly see the reasoning behind their team-building methods at this point. Edited December 27, 2018 by blacklabel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSHMEAB Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 21 minutes ago, blacklabel said: Yeah, this is a good observation. We know they are all in on the youth movement but I think it's pretty clear that McBeane places a pretty high value on having experienced leaders in the locker room. The way they've set things up for the future is what makes me hopeful for the whole process. In 2017 they went out and signed a handful of veteran players that are still under 30 (i.e. Hyde, Poyer, etc.) and then they brought back Kyle and Lorenzo as like the "elder statesmen" or whatever, and finally, they headed into this season with a super high percentage of the roster being made up of first, second or third year players. They keep a good mix of experience, leadership, and youth. And I'm pretty sure the whole point of having those veteran leaders around is to show the youngins how to conduct yourself as a professional, provide leadership, and get these kids ready for the "passing of the torch" that'll inevitably happen. And those two guys, #95 and #57, I'm pretty sure they have a "you have a job here for as long as you want" type of situation. Gotta respect that. Obviously McBeane haven't hit on every decision (no team does) but I can certainly see the reasoning behind their team-building methods at this point. You make solid points, but it's not really a simple decision. The organization is trying to get younger but both are still be productive. There's also a chance given their respective ages that we see a decline. I could see them keeping both, one, or neither. If I were GM, they'd both be back but it's not an easy call per se. Beane gets paid the big bucks to make the right call. In a perfect scenario, they add QUALITY youth and KW and Lorax still produce at the level they're producing now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted December 27, 2018 Author Share Posted December 27, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted December 27, 2018 Author Share Posted December 27, 2018 Kyle Williams: "I Feel I Can Continue To Play" (1:33) Defensive Tackle Kyle Williams spoke to the media inside the locker room topics include; playing the Dolphins, his production this year, and his future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiderweb Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 From what I've seen from KW over the years and more so recently, his run stuffing ability has never been great. Where he seemed most effective is when he could penetrate and blow up plays. He also was a sometimes decent pass rusher. I think he could still be effective in a reduced role at a reduced salary but only one more year. With that said, he's been a great Bill and deserves to be able to out on his own terms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabel Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 (edited) 48 minutes ago, LSHMEAB said: You make solid points, but it's not really a simple decision. The organization is trying to get younger but both are still be productive. There's also a chance given their respective ages that we see a decline. I could see them keeping both, one, or neither. If I were GM, they'd both be back but it's not an easy call per se. Beane gets paid the big bucks to make the right call. In a perfect scenario, they add QUALITY youth and KW and Lorax still produce at the level they're producing now. I hear you. Basically I just meant that when it comes to wanting to return for 2019 or not, the ball definitely seems to be in their court. They value both guys pretty highly and clearly they're still effective. What's great about it is that both have seen their snap-count drop a fair amount compared to last year. I think if they do come back both guys will continue to play in rotational and situational roles. If I had to guess I would say Kyle hangs it up before Lorenzo. Kyle has been a starter playing a high percentage of snaps for most of his career while Lorenzo made his living on special teams and as a backup until earning a full-time starting role with the Bills. Despite his age, he doesn't have the same mileage on him that Kyle does and I think he's driven to show he can still produce despite his age. And Beane basically said that it's all up to Kyle if he wants to come back. The job is his if he wants it. I think the same goes for Lorenzo. Edited December 27, 2018 by blacklabel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Duffy Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 He has had a very good career. He has stayed relatively healthy throughout and I have enjoyed watching him grow from the start of his career. Age will always catch up to you at some point or other, so if he retires it will be completely understandable. He will be missed and have loved watching his high motor and IMO he definitely deserves a spot on the wall at the very least. So whatever he decides he will honestly always be one of my favorite Bills players of all time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 (edited) I think the way Kyle acts at the end of the game will tell us a lot. Edited December 27, 2018 by Binghamton Beast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
technobot Posted December 27, 2018 Share Posted December 27, 2018 He's in decline, no doubt about that, but even still he's been productive this year. We're not really sure if we have his replacement yet; I'm obviously hoping Harrison Phillips can step up but he's still a work in progress. If they can manage Williams' rep count like they are doing this year, I think he's still valuable. Not quite in the tier of Lorenzo Alexander (who has been great most of this year), but still more than a solid player who brings even more in terms of veteran leadership and being a process guy. And from what little coach film I've seen, he truly buys into the team defense concept. Williams working a pick and roll with Hughes to set up a Hughes sack was one of my favourite Kyle Williams career highlights... he looked so happy that the play worked, and didn't seem to give a damn that he didn't get the statistical sack. Hughes was pumped up pointing in Kyle's direction, making it clear that the play was a true team effort. It's up to Williams, but I'd like to see both him and 'Zo return for another year to bridge us to (hopefully) happier days. And yes, go draft both their replacements so they can be mentored up this year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 Kyle Williams to Retire with Sunday as his Final Game! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChevyVanMiller Posted December 28, 2018 Share Posted December 28, 2018 A great career and a great ambassador for the city of Buffalo. A definite Wall of Famer. Enjoy retirement #95 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted December 28, 2018 Author Share Posted December 28, 2018 Kyle Williams to Retire After the 2018 Season Finale Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams took a few months last offseason before deciding to return to play in 2018. Making a similar decision about his playing future this time around took considerably less time. The five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle has decided that his 13th NFL season will be his last. In an open letter to Bills fans, Williams explained why now is the time for him to call it a career. There’s no perfect time to retire from a game, a franchise, and a city that mean so much to me and my family. But it’s time to hang up my cleats. A singular word sticks out when I look back on my NFL career. Grateful. To have spent this much time with one team. To have had the opportunity to get to know this organization, this community, and more importantly, the people. To have raised my family here. To have made countless memories and friendships, on and off the field. Thank you to the Pegulas, to the Wilson family, to my teammates, to Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane, to my family, and to the fans. I’ve been at this a really long time but it doesn’t feel like it, and that’s a testament to your unwavering support. I could not be more grateful to retire as a lifelong Buffalo Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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