Christian Kirksey is retiring

[JakeFrommStateFarm]

This shocking

[Sierra Foothills]

7 hours ago, Blank Stare said:

I have to question your reading comprehension here my dude. Wtf does counting or 5th grade math have anything to do with my post? Chill out man. Not that serious. 

 

7 hours ago, Limeaid said:

 

You exaggerate Klein's age - I exaggerate your ability to subtract current year from year Klein was born. 

 

 

 

I think the miscalculation of his age had to do with an error in the "order of operations."

 

Remember PEMDAS: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, and Division (from left to right), Addition and Subtraction (from left to right).

 

[without a drought]

I'll always remember him as the Bills future starting MLB.

[JohnNord]

6 hours ago, Success said:

I don't know.  If my job description was "hang out on the practice squad, don't get hit, make money" - I think I'd stick it out.

 

I don’t get how he signs with the Bills and then retires three weeks later

[T master]

6 hours ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

He wasn't released, he retired.  He's a 9-year veteran and could have signed with any team, anytime, on or off a practice squad.

 

I know he wasn't released . I guess i should have worded it differently meaning that after his paper work was done with the Bills and he was free to if he wanted to that including the possibility of changing his mind to then sign again with another team that he could .

 

But i didn't want to write all of that so i worded it the way i did . But thanks for giving me the info about him being able to sign with who ever i figured that he may have been able to but usually other teams come looking for the player not the other way around most times .

[BigAl2526]

That's too bad.  I think he would have been at the very least a decent backup for Bernard.  Klein can play, but McDermott will have to tweak the defense if Klein has to start for an injured Bernard at some point.  Klein's skill set is different from Bernard's and he can't do some of the things the Bills are asking Bernard do.  At least he can't do them as well.  I wonder how Dorian Williams fits in the Bills' plans now.  Has that changed with the departure of Kirksey?

[KDIGGZ]

5 hours ago, JohnNord said:

I don’t get how he signs with the Bills and then retires three weeks later

He must have been a ranch guy but the cafeteria only serves blue cheese

[Mr. WEO]

His contributions will never be forgotten...

[Beck Water]

18 hours ago, maddenboy said:

i suspect it might also be that whatever McBeane told him he needed to do (to improve himself) in order to pass Bernard, Kirksey just decided he didnt have it in himself to do all that, at this point in his career. 

 

Because otherwise, he might have (and he might have behind the scenes) asked to be cut or traded so he could catch on somewhere else.

 

 

Kirksey doesn't have to ask to be cut or traded or go behind the scenes to catch on somewhere else.  He's on the practice squad.  He's a free agent.  Any other team can sign him to their 53 man roster at any time.

 

I think a vet player like Kirksey doesn't have to be told what he needs to do.  He has eyes.  He watches the same film as the coaches.  He gets feedback and GPS data after every practice, I think the players have access to this routinely.   Remember when he came here, Bernard was a big unknown.  He hadn't played in any pre-season games due to hammy.  So Kirksey looks over the Bills MLB roster and says "I can beat out this Dodson guy, who else they got?  I'll be elevated to the roster and playing by week 3 if not week 2, easy peasy."

 

But after 2 weeks, Bernard has played pretty well and his arrow is trending up.  Kirksey goes "hmmmm, I might be on this practice squad for a while and it's not for me."  All 31 other teams could have signed him before and after he joined the Bills PS, so his agent is telling him "no interest, sorry".

 

So he retires.

Edited September 22, 2023 by Beck Water

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

On 9/21/2023 at 9:29 AM, Dablitzkrieg said:

 

 

Bc Bernard took his job pretty much. Sucks not having the depth, but Klein should be adequate 

9 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

Kirksey doesn't have to ask to be cut or traded or go behind the scenes to catch on somewhere else.  He's on the practice squad.  He's a free agent.  Any other team can sign him to their 53 man roster at any time.

 

I think a vet player like Kirksey doesn't have to be told what he needs to do.  He has eyes.  He watches the same film as the coaches.  He gets feedback and GPS data after every practice, I think the players have access to this routinely.   Remember when he came here, Bernard was a big unknown.  He hadn't played in any pre-season games due to hammy.  So Kirksey looks over the Bills MLB roster and says "I can beat out this Dodson guy, who else they got?  I'll be elevated to the roster and playing by week 3 if not week 2, easy peasy.

 

But after 2 weeks, Bernard has played pretty well and his arrow is trending up.  Kirksey goes "hmmmm, I might be on this practice squad for a while and it's not for me."  All 31 other teams could have signed him before and after he joined the Bills PS, so his agent is telling him "no interest, sorry".

 

So he retires.

Excellent breakdown. 

Edited September 22, 2023 by ChronicAndKnuckles

[Beck Water]

20 hours ago, T master said:

Well that's a huge change from what he was saying when they brought him aboard I wonder if it was because they kept him on the practice squad & didn't bring him up ASAP ?? 

 

I guess we will find out if after he is released he signs with another team ... If that be the case then the Bills didn't need him around anyway !! 

 

If another team he wanted to sign with made him an offer, he didn't need to wait.  He could have signed right off the Bills practice squad.

[Beck Water]

11 minutes ago, ChronicAndKnuckles said:

Bc Bernard took his job pretty much. Sucks not having the depth, but Klein should be adequate 

Excellent breakdown. 

 

Thanks!  Yep this.  Bills looked at him and said "as a backup stashed on the practice squad, Christian Kirksey >> AJ Klein.  Kirksey, you willing, you in."

 

Fans made it all into "We signed Christian Kirksey!  Yeah, he's on the practice squad, but that's just until he learns the calls.  He's better than Bernard, he's gonna be our new MLB!" ignoring that if a team really wants to be able to count on a guy, they usually find space on their 53 man roster. 

 

Vet players typically (not always) wind up on practice squads because no other team in the league wants to roster them.  See Beasley, Cole.

 

 

Edited September 22, 2023 by Beck Water

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

2 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

His contributions will never be forgotten...

wall of fame?

[Punching Bag]

2 hours ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

wall of fame?

 

Yes one in bathroom - splatter guard.

[Utah John]

First Shell, now Kirksey.  Who knows what's behind this.  Could be both those guys were just tired of the physical punishment and the challenges of staying in shape.  Could be they didn't want to back up someone, they wanted to play.  Maybe it was their wives, who were tired of moving and were not looking forward to seeing just how interesting a Buffalo winter might be.

 

I don't blame Beane for this unless he had inside info that we don't, that whispered that either or both were likely to retire.  There does seem to be a dearth of OTs and MLBs for whatever reason.  

[ColoradoBills]

5 minutes ago, Utah John said:

First Shell, now Kirksey.  Who knows what's behind this.  Could be both those guys were just tired of the physical punishment and the challenges of staying in shape.  Could be they didn't want to back up someone, they wanted to play.  Maybe it was their wives, who were tired of moving and were not looking forward to seeing just how interesting a Buffalo winter might be.

 

I don't blame Beane for this unless he had inside info that we don't, that whispered that either or both were likely to retire.  There does seem to be a dearth of OTs and MLBs for whatever reason.  

 

Guys retire while on team rosters all the time.  The Patriots have had 3 players retire this year, the Jets 2 and Dolphins 1.

Tampa leads this year with 4 retirees leaving the team.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/transactions/retired/

 

This is no big thing.

[T master]

So i have a question about Kirksey's retirement . How much do the Bills have to pay him & of the money that he signed in his contract how much of that money do the Bills have to claim against the cap ??

[Rocky Landing]

On 9/21/2023 at 8:17 AM, Logic said:

I think it was more so the "I was just waiting for Bernard to get hurt and Kirksey to take over" wording that I objected to.

Also, Kwon Alexander is 227. Fred Warner is 230. Lavonte David is 233. Matt Milano is 225.

Bernard is a bit slight, yes, but he's not tiny. His size compares reasonably well to some top flight linebackers around the league who have managed to have good to great careers.

I remember several seasons ago, early in Milano’s career, a color commentator referring to him as “… the undersized linebacker, Matt Milano.”  Of course, no one calls him that now. 

[Since1981]

McClappy PR was overly positive and supportive of him and the retirement. It was quite an endorsement for the suddenness.  Must have really been on stellar terms and helped with Bernard. 

[Since1981]

Wall of fame!

Thurman Thomas is on Miami Wall Of fame. 
 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Miami_Dolphins_in_the_Pro_Football_Hall_of_Fame