Spencer Long retires three days after signing with 49ers

[NoHuddleKelly12]

There’s retirement, and then there’s Favre style “retirement”...there’s always a market for experienced Olinemen and I’m sure his phone will probably still ring just to kick some tires and all, 2021. 

[Punching Bag]

Logically

 

• If Beane knew he was thinking of retiring he would have cut someone else, still signed Winters, waited for him to retire and recapture cap space.
• If he wanted to leave for he did not see chance of starting this year Beane may have agreed for his request but would have no reason not to say so in press conference and aid Bills reputation.
• Due difficulty of finding experienced lineman he would likely have had multiple choices and would have had to balance playoffs/superbowl chances, contract terms, facility, coaches, teammates and chance of starting. 
• Facility he would have to see for himself when he got there and compare to Bills who have the reputation of having one of the best facilities including handling of COVID19.  

It is likely it was not what he expected when he got there and decided better to retire rather try rather than try in a bad fit.  Players sometimes unretire.

 

[Doc]

2 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

Logically

 

• If Beane knew he was thinking of retiring he would have cut someone else, still signed Winters, waited for him to retire and recapture cap space.
• If he wanted to leave for he did not see chance of starting this year Beane may have agreed for his request but would have no reason not to say so in press conference and aid Bills reputation.
• Due difficulty of finding experienced lineman he would likely have had multiple choices and would have had to balance playoffs/superbowl chances, contract terms, facility, coaches, teammates and chance of starting. 
• Facility he would have to see for himself when he got there and compare to Bills who have the reputation of having one of the best facilities including handling of COVID19.  

It is likely it was not what he expected when he got there and decided better to retire rather try rather than try in a bad fit.  Players sometimes unretire.

 

 

A team can only recapture unamortized signing bonus.  Long didn't have any.  So there was no need to wait.

[stinky finger]

2 hours ago, NoSaint said:

I can’t make you get your eyes checked but I would suggest it

 

Could be any number. Could be a surprise on his physical. Could be an angry wife. Could be not wanting to move across the country for a new job during the pandemic. Could be he was shocked by how much he disliked the dude at the locker next to him and he said screw it I don’t want to be semi quarantined with strangers I don’t like.

 

Voice of reason. Thanks for making me see the light. 

[atlbillsfan1975]

So let me get this right, some people on here have now started to be contrarians about Beane? Jeesh, get a grip. He is the best GM the Bills have had since Polian, by far. If you can’t or don’t want to see that, I think that’s a you problem. May want to ask yourself what is YOUR problem? 

[Aussie Joe]

He has been paid $10 Million in the last 2 years...I’m assuming a lot of that is invested wisely...

 

Maybe he just woke up one day recently and thought that was enough and he didn’t have to punish the body any longer..
 

 

Edited August 17, 2020 by Aussie Joe

[Gugny]

4 hours ago, HOUSE said:

Should change his name to Spencer Short

 

Since he's now retired, I guess "Spencer for Hire" is out.

[Big C]

4 hours ago, Inigo Montoya said:

It could also be that he was still playing because he liked the culture, locker room, and coaches in Buffalo.  Maybe when he got to San Fran and got a sense of the team he realized that he wasn't going to enjoy it as much as he had in Buffalo. He probably already has more than enough money to retire comfortably (the Jets gave him a big contract when he left the Washington Football Team) and simply decided to call it a day.

 

Either way, he is a part of the Bills' family now and I wish him all the best in retirement.

 

 

That's the #process effect

[JoPoy88]

2 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

So let me get this right, some people on here have now started to be contrarians about Beane? Jeesh, get a grip. He is the best GM the Bills have had since Polian, by far. If you can’t or don’t want to see that, I think that’s a you problem. May want to ask yourself what is YOUR problem? 

Some (not many) people were questioning Beane on this move, yes. Best to ignore those  folks and spare your sanity. Lazy contrarians aren’t worth anyone’s time.

[Thurman#1]

7 hours ago, Doc said:

 

Not really.  Retiring is a pretty big decision that one doesn't arrive at quickly.  And often-times quietly.

 

 

I'd agree with him on that one. Sometimes it goes the way you're saying. Other times you're coasting along expecting to take one fork of the road and you suddenly pass a giant red flashing sign that makes you change your mind.

 

And being cut, along with perhaps not finding everything about the new team to be what you expected, could easily be that big red flashing sign.

 

Without talking to Long, nobody can say. The assumption that this has been coming along for some time isn't a fair one to make. It might have worked that way, yeah, but equally, it might not have.

[RobbRiddick]

9 hours ago, WMDman said:

See Beane knew something all along

I think Beane sent some of his muscle to see him. "if you're ain't playing for the Bills you ain't playing for anyone. " 

[apuszczalowski]

So basically, Beane knew this was coming so he decides to cut him when he brings in someone else, so Long then goes out and signs with someone else while leaning towards retirement that he's been contemplating for a while and takes a couple days into being with his new team to announce his retirement?

[Irv]

As long as he doesn’t have his fathers head cut off for research, he should have a nice retirement.  

[Behindenemylines]

And to think, not too many years ago we would have given up picks  to send him somewhere, not been able to pull in anyone and had a UDFA fill in the gap while we hoped for the next draft.  How far we have come!  In Beane we trust

[Jauronimo]

18 hours ago, maddenboy said:

Or, maybe he took the post-deadline CoronaVirus opt-out.  As PFT has been openly encouraging players to do for a couple weeks.

 

Maybe next year when he's looking for a team, its better to say "i quit for health reasons" than "i was fired."

 

Or, maybe (small chance) that he got to SF, saw their Virus protocols in action, and said "aw hail naw"

So you think ALL white guys from Nebraska sound like Chris Tucker?

[NoSaint]

1 hour ago, Behindenemylines said:

And to think, not too many years ago we would have given up picks  to send him somewhere, not been able to pull in anyone and had a UDFA fill in the gap while we hoped for the next draft.  How far we have come!  In Beane we trust

wait- what?

[DrDawkinstein]

I cant find any info on whether he has a wife and kids or not, but assuming he does...

 

The guy has played on the East Coast his entire career. I'm sure the release and re-sign happened in a whirlwind of trying to stay employed. I'm guessing as things started to play out in reality, and with the way 2020 is going and people having to stay separated, they realized it probably wasnt the best time to try to move across country. And they are already financially sound.

 

I bet he would have played the season out in Buffalo. Maybe he tries a comeback next season if teams are desperate for OL depth.

[CLTbills]

19 hours ago, eball said:

But Beane was sleeping and should have gotten a draft pick!
 

Beane 1, know-it-all fans 0. 

Actually, I think the count is now up to Beane 68, know-it-all-fans 0.

[C.Biscuit97]

Wow, there are some wild stretches in here.  Too bad, he didn’t opt out.  Could have gotten a free check. 

Edited August 17, 2020 by C.Biscuit97

[eball]

37 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Wow, there are some wild stretches in here.  Too bad, he didn’t opt out.  Could have gotten a free check. 

 

That's not how it works.  Opt out payments are advances against future salary.

[Behindenemylines]

1 hour ago, NoSaint said:

wait- what?

Just sayin prior to Beane and Co., prior administration would have found a way to screw the pooch in a scenario like this.  Would just have been another in a long line of “Billsie” moves.  A term I’m thinking we have outgrown.  Maybe its a curse and we can place it NE....give new meaning to “Patsie!”

[Doc]

11 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

I'd agree with him on that one. Sometimes it goes the way you're saying. Other times you're coasting along expecting to take one fork of the road and you suddenly pass a giant red flashing sign that makes you change your mind.

 

And being cut, along with perhaps not finding everything about the new team to be what you expected, could easily be that big red flashing sign.

 

Without talking to Long, nobody can say. The assumption that this has been coming along for some time isn't a fair one to make. It might have worked that way, yeah, but equally, it might not have.

 

It's not an issue of fairness since there's no shame in doing what he did.  He wasn't being counted-on as a starter (which probably factored-into his decision) for the Bills and wasn't with the 49'ers long enough, so it's not like he screwed anyone over.  I just think it's highly unlikely that out of all the O-linemen Beane could have cut, he randomly chose Long when he was valuable to the team since he  played last year and there wasn't a cap issue, and that after signing with a contender, he retired.  

[H2o]

23 hours ago, WMDman said:

See Beane knew something all along

Beane has officially become the Minister of Magic, no more mere wizarding. 

[Thurman#1]

15 hours ago, Doc said:

 

It's not an issue of fairness since there's no shame in doing what he did.  He wasn't being counted-on as a starter (which probably factored-into his decision) for the Bills and wasn't with the 49'ers long enough, so it's not like he screwed anyone over.  I just think it's highly unlikely that out of all the O-linemen Beane could have cut, he randomly chose Long when he was valuable to the team since he  played last year and there wasn't a cap issue, and that after signing with a contender, he retired.  

 

 

Agreed that there's no shame, and it's not about fairness. But you say you think it "highly unlikely" that he wasn't planning it? I don't. Not for a second. Very possible, IMO. If Beane had known, he'd likely have given him a chance to retire publicly with the Bills. 

 

A guy who's comfortable one place gets cut ... he very likely rethinks his future. Particularly in the days of COVID, 

 

I believe what you've got there is a guess with very little evidence. Not that you're wrong. You could be right, but there's no particular reason to think so. My guess is that he had no intention of retiring, and that if he had, he wouldn't have signed with the 9ers, that the experience was a powerful one that caused him to reconsider his future. Again, without talking to him, nobody can reasonably say. 

 

And again, some people don't make this move quickly or quietly. Others do, particularly if situations change.

 

With the Bills he was signed for two more years and was going to get another roughly $7 mill if he'd made it through those two years. How much was he going to make with the 9ers? I know it was a one-year deal but I can't find figures anywhere. Could easily be that he signed for significantly less, didn't like the situation, thought he might even be cut later in camp, and especially with COVID as a factor, made the decision to pull the parachute.

 

Perhaps we'll have to agree to disagree, eventually.

Edited August 18, 2020 by Thurman#1

[GunnerBill]

34 minutes ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Agreed that there's no shame, and it's not about fairness. But you say you think it "highly unlikely" that he wasn't planning it? I don't. Not for a second. Very possible, IMO. If Beane had known, he'd likely have given him a chance to retire publicly with the Bills. 

 

A guy who's comfortable one place gets cut ... he very likely rethinks his future. Particularly in the days of COVID, 

 

I believe what you've got there is a guess with very little evidence. Not that you're wrong. You could be right, but there's no particular reason to think so. My guess is that he had no intention of retiring, and that if he had, he wouldn't have signed with the 9ers, that the experience was a powerful one that caused him to reconsider his future. Again, without talking to him, nobody can reasonably say. 

 

And again, some people don't make this move quickly or quietly. Others do, particularly if situations change.

 

With the Bills he was signed for two more years and was going to get another roughly $7 mill if he'd made it through those two years. How much was he going to make with the 9ers? I know it was a one-year deal but I can't find figures anywhere. Could easily be that he signed for significantly less, didn't like the situation, thought he might even be cut later in camp, and especially with COVID as a factor, made the decision to pull the parachute.

 

Perhaps we'll have to agree to disagree, eventually.

 

I agree with you. Going from an environment you know and are comfortable with to somewhere new even in normal times can trigger a re-evaluation. Let alone in covid times. Very possible he got to San Fran, underwent the covid tests, got given a new playbook and thought "I don't know if I can be all in enough to learn this from scratch and commit to a new process." And once you think like that, you are done. Chances are he just realised that.

[Doc]

9 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

Agreed that there's no shame, and it's not about fairness. But you say you think it "highly unlikely" that he wasn't planning it? I don't. Not for a second. Very possible, IMO. If Beane had known, he'd likely have given him a chance to retire publicly with the Bills. 

 

A guy who's comfortable one place gets cut ... he very likely rethinks his future. Particularly in the days of COVID, 

 

I believe what you've got there is a guess with very little evidence. Not that you're wrong. You could be right, but there's no particular reason to think so. My guess is that he had no intention of retiring, and that if he had, he wouldn't have signed with the 9ers, that the experience was a powerful one that caused him to reconsider his future. Again, without talking to him, nobody can reasonably say. 

 

And again, some people don't make this move quickly or quietly. Others do, particularly if situations change.

 

With the Bills he was signed for two more years and was going to get another roughly $7 mill if he'd made it through those two years. How much was he going to make with the 9ers? I know it was a one-year deal but I can't find figures anywhere. Could easily be that he signed for significantly less, didn't like the situation, thought he might even be cut later in camp, and especially with COVID as a factor, made the decision to pull the parachute.

 

Perhaps we'll have to agree to disagree, eventually.

 

I think we agree that it's at least very possible that Beane knew something was up with Long.  Hence the totally unexpected cutting of him when there was absolutely no need to do so.

[artmalibu]

1 hour ago, Doc said:

 

I think we agree that it's at least very possible that Beane knew something was up with Long.  Hence the totally unexpected cutting of him when there was absolutely no need to do so.

 

 

Yes!!!  right after a starting guard went down that was the backup center. We still dont have a clue who the backup center will be.  

[Mr. WEO]

who?

[GreggTX]

It seems pretty clear, doesn't it? He was playing very well, but suffered numerous injuries which severely reduced his effectiveness to that of a bubble player. Time for Spencer to give his aching body some rest and healing. I just hope he isn't one of the retired NFL players whose injuries seriously compromise his quality of life. Head and neck injuries are the worst though. I'm not aware of any concussions or spinal cord injuries in his past. I hope he'll be OK.

[Thurman#1]

18 hours ago, Doc said:

 

I think we agree that it's at least very possible that Beane knew something was up with Long.  Hence the totally unexpected cutting of him when there was absolutely no need to do so.

 

 

 

Right, no reason to do so ... except they almost certainly liked Winters better and were able to get him. But except for that, no reason. Winter had been cut before they cut Long.

 

Wait, that's a really good reason, isn't it?

 

And "very possble"? No. Possible? Sure, there's a wild outside chance, if you want to think that a guy seriously thinking of retiring soon is going to:

 

1) discuss it with his GM or someone who would report it to his GM

2) have the GM who thinks he's considering retiring tell him he's letting him go, and then not ask the GM to let him retire on his own terms

3) then very quickly sign with another team

 

Sorry, man, it doesn't make much sense at all. We can't rule anything out without talking to him but yeah, it's very unlikely that all that went down in that first he had strongly considered retirement, that Beane found out about that and that it all went down in that order. Yeah, pretty far-fetched.

 

But at this point, 'nuff said.

 

Edited August 19, 2020 by Thurman#1

[Doc]

10 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

Right, no reason to do so ... except they almost certainly liked Winters better and were able to get him. But except for that, no reason. Winter had been cut before they cut Long.

 

Wait, that's a really good reason, isn't it?

 

And "very possble"? No. Possible? Sure, there's a wild outside chance, if you want to think that a guy seriously thinking of retiring soon is going to:

 

1) discuss it with his GM or someone who would report it to his GM

2) have the GM who thinks he's considering retiring tell him he's letting him go, and then not ask the GM to let him retire on his own terms

3) then very quickly sign with another team

 

Sorry, man, it doesn't make much sense at all. We can't rule anything out without talking to him but yeah, it's very unlikely that all that went down in that first he had strongly considered retirement, that Beane found out about that and that it all went down in that order. Yeah, pretty far-fetched.

 

But at this point, 'nuff said.

 

Winters was signed to replace Feliciano, who was likely lost for the season.  Basically that was a swap of one starting OG for another.  Meaning nothing changed with the depth chart and Long stayed where he had always been: backup OG and C.  Again there was no need to cut him and if anyone should have been cut, it was UDFA OG Marquel Harrell.

 

And it's highly unlikely that the first time Long considered retirement is 3 days after signing with a SB contender.  If all he had been able to get was a deal from, say, the Bengals, I'd understand wanting to retire.  But if you can't get fired-up to a play for a team that went to the SB and has a real chance of going back, you lost it awhile ago.

 

Not to mention that the silence from Bills players about his release and retirement has been deafening.  You'd think someone, anyone, would have tweeted something about either of those 2 events.  Suggesting that the players knew it as well.

 

We'll agree to disagree.  The bottom line though is that the criticism directed at Beane for not getting something of value for Long before cutting him was misplaced.