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NFL free agency rumors: Bills’ Dion Dawkins recruiting Richie Incognito


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3 hours ago, BarleyNY said:

Cleveland has to be BS.  The Browns have two top 10 guards in Bitonio and Teller so they don’t need him.  Also he’s a terrible fit in their zone scheme so they wouldn’t even want him for depth. 

I’m pretty sure it was a JJ watt joke 

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On 3/7/2021 at 10:03 AM, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

That would, indeed, be strange.

 

We all have that friend.  Everyone thinks he's a nice guy.  But he screwed us over once, intentionally or not.  We don't bad-mouth him to our friends, we're civil when we encounter him, we don't put our friends in that awkward "him or me" position, but we will not ever again put ourselves in a position of relying on this guy. 

 

Incognito admitted he was using and drinking and showing up at the facility "under the influence" his final year with the Bills.  His quality of play suffered.  He renegotiated.  Then he went nuts in public, got released, and left the Bills with a hole at LG and a pile of dead money.

 

Screw me once, Shame on You, Screw me twice, Shame on Me

 

Yeah, I agree, it's not really ascended to the status of a "rumor".

 

I don't "get" the last part about working together

Do you have links/sources about him using/drinking while at the facility? (I believe you :), I just never saw/read that)

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I am not going to say flat out no way to this. If Richie comes back and proves to the coaches he is in his form and can play better then another starting guard on the team then I am all for it. Maybe a little grit and meanness is what this line needs.

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24 minutes ago, letsgoteam said:

Do you have links/sources about him using/drinking while at the facility? (I believe you :), I just never saw/read that)

 

Fair ask.    I saw several interviews where this came up after Incognito signed with the Raiders. 

 

Here's one I found on a quick search just now.  It's based on a Bernie Goldberg interview that aired on HBO in "Real Sports with Bryan Gumbal"

https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/hey-listen-im-ok-incognito-addresses-mistakes-time-with-bills-on-real-sports/article_95251e90-6f09-58d9-985c-474df5ebd575.html

Quote

“For a while the Buffalo Bills were pleased with their investment … even giving Incognito a $15 million extension,” noted Goldberg. “But by his third year with the team, the old Incognito began to re-emerge …

“I'd fallen into a trap of drinking and drugging again during the 2017 season,” said Incognito. “I was showing up to team functions high, I was not as motivated, I was overweight. A lot of red flags had went up. And in seeing that, they asked for me to take a pay cut.”

“And you said, ‘I'm leavin,' ” replied Goldberg.

“I said, ‘That's it, I'm retiring, I'm outta here. I'm done. I'm moving on,’ ” replied Incognito.

 

"Showing up to team functions high" doesn't exactly translate to "using/drinking while in the facility", but what "team functions" are there during the season except practice/meetings? 

 

Some of the other interviews I can't find right now were less ambiguous. 

 

Eric Wood, while he'd never throw a teammate under the bus, pretty clearly implied that there was something behind the paycut request other than "Beane is Cheap"

 

The article notes

Quote

At that point, it would have been nice to know if the Bills were aware of Incognito’s drinking and drugging during the 2017 season that led him to being asked to take a pay cut. No Bills executive is interviewed.

 

I doubt any Bills executive would speak on the record about a player's personal issues and I would respect them less if they would, but "a lot of red flags had went up, and in seeing that, they asked for me to take a pay cut" pretty clearly implies that.

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54 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

Fair ask.    I saw several interviews where this came up after Incognito signed with the Raiders. 

 

Here's one I found on a quick search just now.  It's based on a Bernie Goldberg interview that aired on HBO in "Real Sports with Bryan Gumbal"

https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/hey-listen-im-ok-incognito-addresses-mistakes-time-with-bills-on-real-sports/article_95251e90-6f09-58d9-985c-474df5ebd575.html

 

"Showing up to team functions high" doesn't exactly translate to "using/drinking while in the facility", but what "team functions" are there during the season except practice/meetings? 

 

Some of the other interviews I can't find right now were less ambiguous. 

 

Eric Wood, while he'd never throw a teammate under the bus, pretty clearly implied that there was something behind the paycut request other than "Beane is Cheap"

 

The article notes

 

I doubt any Bills executive would speak on the record about a player's personal issues and I would respect them less if they would, but "a lot of red flags had went up, and in seeing that, they asked for me to take a pay cut" pretty clearly implies that.

 

Yup.  At the time I and everyone else was wondering why the Bills would approach their best O-lineman for a pay cut and risk pissing him off.  Then the incidents happened and I figured that the Bills had an idea they were coming.  Then Ritchie's mea culpa in the interview cinched it.

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2 hours ago, PrimeTime101 said:

I am not going to say flat out no way to this. If Richie comes back and proves to the coaches he is in his form and can play better then another starting guard on the team then I am all for it. Maybe a little grit and meanness is what this line needs.

 

Here's the problem: he may prove that he's in form and can outplay the other guards in camp, and to start the season.  But will he stay there, or as the pains and stresses of the season mount up will addiction rear its head?

 

He's the past.  Look forward.

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1 minute ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Here's the problem: he may prove that he's in form and can outplay the other guards in camp, and to start the season.  But will he stay there, or as the pains and stresses of the season mount up will addiction rear its head?

 

He's the past.  Look forward.

HBF this is why I respect you so much. you came at my post and disagreed in a positive meaningful way. And you changed my mind. I agree.

1 minute ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Spoken like a guy who has never had to work closely with a substance-abusing or impaired colleague including one who has "dried out".  Believe me, he could be everybody's problem and first and foremost, the problem of the guys who have to work closely with him and deal with him every day eg the OL, TE, assistant coaches, trainers, and everyone else at the grass-roots level on the team.

And more to agree with here. There is one thing to deal with a Diva.. another thing to deal with an adult "problems" that cant be fixed by words alone.

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On 3/7/2021 at 9:41 AM, Paul Costa said:

Ruchie’s time in Buffalo did not end well. Can’t remember all the details but wasn’t he throwing weights at people in a gym in Florida because he thought they were undercover spies? 

Who know's what is true...but I seem to remember stories of him calling the owners home and being pretty nasty, and also him being banned from the facilities in the days leading up to his release.  

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4 hours ago, Doc said:

 

Yup.  At the time I and everyone else was wondering why the Bills would approach their best O-lineman for a pay cut and risk pissing him off.  Then the incidents happened and I figured that the Bills had an idea they were coming.  Then Ritchie's mea culpa in the interview cinched it.

 

I was a Richie supporter but a pay cut is minimum he should have expected if he had been going into practices sauced.


Several players were part of his support network and apparently he dismissed their help during year.

 

Doin has a good heart but I doubt he can overcome what happened before.

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On 3/7/2021 at 9:02 AM, TailgateChef said:

Hmmm....what kind of odds will you give me?

I’ll bet you 40 dollars Beane doesn’t even look his direction 

On 3/7/2021 at 6:57 PM, billybrew1 said:

Sign him up, he's still better than Boetger....

No he’s a nut job and he burned his bridge here. He’s never coming here

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It's an odd situation.  From the interview it's like he does know he messed up.  Addiction and mental illness are tough birds to fight.  To sone degree I can respect him for admitting it.

 

I look at it this way...he knows.  And I think his skills could help.  Burnt bridges or no, I think there are really just two key related questions.  One, why did he relapse a few years back (apologies if I missed that in the interview)?  And two, the bigger one, could the Bills prevent it from happening again?

 

I think we can all agree that a Richie with his head on straight would be an upgrade to this team.  Just...can he keep it on?

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22 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Fair ask.    I saw several interviews where this came up after Incognito signed with the Raiders. 

 

Here's one I found on a quick search just now.  It's based on a Bernie Goldberg interview that aired on HBO in "Real Sports with Bryan Gumbal"

https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/hey-listen-im-ok-incognito-addresses-mistakes-time-with-bills-on-real-sports/article_95251e90-6f09-58d9-985c-474df5ebd575.html

 

"Showing up to team functions high" doesn't exactly translate to "using/drinking while in the facility", but what "team functions" are there during the season except practice/meetings? 

 

Some of the other interviews I can't find right now were less ambiguous. 

 

Eric Wood, while he'd never throw a teammate under the bus, pretty clearly implied that there was something behind the paycut request other than "Beane is Cheap"

 

The article notes

 

I doubt any Bills executive would speak on the record about a player's personal issues and I would respect them less if they would, but "a lot of red flags had went up, and in seeing that, they asked for me to take a pay cut" pretty clearly implies that.

Thank you!!! That never came across my radar back then so I appreciate that.

 

I am a fan of Richie but that being said, I am a fan, not a GM or owner of a franchise. I'll be happy to see him back in a Bills uniform, but understand if that doesn't happen as well!

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36 minutes ago, letsgoteam said:

Thank you!!! That never came across my radar back then so I appreciate that.

 

I am a fan of Richie but that being said, I am a fan, not a GM or owner of a franchise. I'll be happy to see him back in a Bills uniform, but understand if that doesn't happen as well!

 

The issue appears he threatened someone on team which required extra security.

It was likely due to mental illness compounded by him over indulging in alcohol and using some other substances as well.

He may also have been on prescribed medications which he might not have been taking.

 

Based on what we heard after the fact a request for a reduction in salary was reasonable but unfortunately he was not in a reasonable frame of mind.  But his actions resulted in Bills very unlikely in giving him another chance even with support from one of their key players.  He had support before and despite it he still regressed.  Even if he was willing to come back at veteran minimum and agreement to be under doctor, psychologist and therapist care it likely would not be enough for Bills.   

 

Fortunately for him he is apparently being let go for salary cap reasons.  IF he was willing to price himself at veteran minimum he would likely return to Raiders.  There will be competition for guard positions in reduced cap year and he needs to carefully select next position for he does not have many more seasons left.

 

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He's still playing at a very high level, but I really doubt this would happen. He'll be in high demand and his exit from Buffalo surely left some bad blood. Still, he cleaned up his act, so I won't say it's impossible, but my money is on him signing elsewhere.

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