Darius Slay claimed on waivers by Buffalo

[SCBills]

3 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

I'm not a huge Beane guy but I am a fair guy and there's a ton of bad takes in this topic.

 

With what I believe to be a vocal minority, Beane just can't win and any roster move is simply an opportunity to pile on the hate.

1. The Bills wanted to improve their depth at a position that has proven thin in previous postseasons.
2. The Bills play the Eagles in 3 weeks.
3. The Bills could end up playing the Eagles in the Super Bowl.
4. The Eagles have an exploitable weakness in cornerback Adoree Jackson.

I couldn't care less what Slay or Rosenhaus think or want... and nor should Beane. His job is to try to improve this team.

 

JaMarcus Ingram? Really? Would anyone care to guess at what his career earnings are?

 

Should we take up a collection and buy him a sympathy card?

 

Couldn’t care less about Ingram.  
 

Do think perception around the league matters and im not sure blocking a vet from playing his last year with a team/city he and his wife love, is the greatest karma. 
 

On Beane.. I’d be interested to see the age breakdowns of his critics and defenders. 
 

From what I see on social media, older folks tend to defend him more and think he’s still doing a good job, whereas younger folks are just about done with him or are close enough to the ledge with him that their belief is he’s done some good but his act has grown stale.  

[NeverOutNick]

17 minutes ago, Mark Long Beach said:

 

Many QB's look like Stroud, and Herbert, but the team around them sucks.   Both COULD be top tier QBs, but we don't know, because the team around them isn't good enough and that's the GM's fault.    Look at Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnald.   Both sucked when they were on poorly run teams with poor personnel, and both have now been good on well run teams.   Both could have been much better for much longer if they had the support (and players) that Josh has had.

 

 

Stroud has a great team around him now and so does Herbert but neither of them can carry a roster like Allen has had to. Mayfield has always been a good QB but played through a torn RTC his final year in Cleveland and was recovering the following year and had a down year but has a team that believes in him now and is thriving. Darnold has ALWAYS made horrible decisions with the ball in college and at every stop in the NFL. He’s got talent but upstairs I don’t think he’ll ever have it but man has he had some nice weapons the last couple years of his career. All this to say NONE of these guys are Josh Allen talent and if Josh was on the chargers, Texans, Bucs or Seahawks those teams would be the overwhelming favorites to win the Super Bowl so NO Josh doesn’t have a good supporting cast. The McBeane regime has consistently prioritized Defense over weapons for Josh in the draft and Beane has more often than not wasted those premium defensive selections with subpar talent evaluations. Look at tonight Flournoy went in the 6th round of a loaded 2024 NFL draft for WRs but Beane went one and done and chose multiple defensive busts instead like DT Dwayne Carter, LB Edefuan Ulofoshio and CB Hardy. He will always be McDs puppet and after his embarrassing explosion at the beginning of the year “this isn’t fantasy football we don’t need WRs I’m the one who drafted Josh Allen rant” I’m done defending him for his ability to fill holes and be a good poker player with trades. He’s missed more often than he’s hit and he’s left the best QB in the league hanging out to dry. Hopefully we win it all this year but we should be where the patriots are coasting to a 1 seed and home field throughout with no chiefs to face along the way but instead we will be clenching are teeth in hopes that McD doesn’t blow a high scoring nailbiter at home against Cincy this Sunday. 

[Sierra Foothills]

42 minutes ago, SCBills said:

Couldn’t care less about Ingram.  
 

Do think perception around the league matters and im not sure blocking a vet from playing his last year with a team/city he and his wife love, is the greatest karma. 
 

On Beane.. I’d be interested to see the age breakdowns of his critics and defenders. 
 

From what I see on social media, older folks tend to defend him more and think he’s still doing a good job, whereas younger folks are just about done with him or are close enough to the ledge with him that their belief is he’s done some good but his act has grown stale.  

 

Perception around the league is that the Bills are a model franchise.

 

In the NFLPA's annual survey of teams, the Bills are currently the 4th highest ranked franchise as reported by the players.

 

Guys like LeSean McCoy and Shawne Merriman are taken up for the Bills.

 

The only people who think the Bills have a "perception problem" are Beane haters.

 

Edited 55 minutes ago by Sierra Foothills

[gobills1212]

2 hours ago, SCBills said:

It doesn’t look good.   Beane claims a vet who was hoping to finish his career in Philly.  Releases a depth piece who is claimed by the best defense in the league and then the vet he claimed won’t report and threatens to retire. 
 

He looks like a clown.  
 

Which is what he’s turning into lately.  Sideshow Beane.  Since drafting Allen, which is the only reason he’s still here…  Meh draft after meh draft.   Awful contracts all over the roster.  Arguing with morning show hosts and then going on a victory tour with Pat McAfee.  
 

The dude has Josh Allen fighting for his life because of a horrible Knox contract, horrible Samuel contract, horrible Palmer contract, bust of an early 2nd in Keon and yeaaaa I’m gonna say it, a bust of a trade up 1st rounder in Kincaid.. always hurt and with an organization that barely plays him when he’s healthy because he can’t block anyone but WR’s. 
 

Oh, but the injuries on defense!!! How could anyone ever foresee that coming??

 

Undersized DT. Undersized LB.  Injury prone DE we had to sign because he keeps missing on draft picks.  DE coming off PED’s.  Does anyone know what PED’a put you at risk for?… yup, tendon/ligament injuries. It’s not surprising.  He’s built a roster made of glass.  Most of these injuries aren’t bad luck.   Samuel & Palmer have injury histories… 20M tied up in those two hospital frequent flyers.  
 

Beane is a joke.  And if being wildly mediocre in surrounding our freak show QB with a team he can win a Super Bowl with wasn’t enough.. he’s now making a fool of himself, not once… but twice

this year. 

THIS post deserves to go on a plaque as its everything wrong with current toxic fandom that soaked in 20/20 hindsight from a Monday morning quarterback. Id wonder if its actually from a Bills fan but there is definitely a small but vocal contingent of fans who choose to wear goggles that see their team this way. A lot of whats said isnt even wrong, its the context and lens in which its said that makes it gross and out if touch. Im surprised he couldn't find a way to fit former Panthers players in too...

[SCBills]

12 minutes ago, gobills1212 said:

A lot of whats said isnt even wrong, its the context and lens in which its said that makes it gross and out if touch. 

Ok. 
 

Glad you acknowledge I’m correct. 
 

I’ll try to be nicer next time.  Maybe put a glitter emoji ✨ next to Beane’s name for you. 
 

So what IS the context?

 

I grew up and all I knew of the Bills before Josh Allen was the drought. 
 

I want one, just one, Super Bowl while my Dad, who raised me in Bills fandom, is on this earth with me. 
 

We have the most talented QB, maybe, to ever play the game. 
 

And his GM has gotten worse and worse in recent years to the point where most unbiased folks would admit this is the worst Bills team Allen has ever had around him in our contending years. 
 

KC might not even make the Playoffs.  Yet we’re in a dogfight for a Wild Card. Last year of Highmark, likely zero home playoff games. 
 

New England has caught up and has a ton of cap space next year.  Divisions are no longer a given. 
 

We have 20M tied up in two WR’s we knew had injury concerns.. and they’re both never healthy.  We seem to have missed on our last two highly drafted weapons.. one bc of talent/immaturity and the other due to injuries and an inability to be a complete TE.  We extended a chess piece to play slot, but he’s really not a reliable slot player.  
 

Credit for the OL and RB room. 100%.  Kromer is amazing and they can draft, sign and develop OL like few others.

 

But the weapons, for the investment, might be the worst rate of return in the league… for Josh Allen.  The guy most of us have waited our whole Bills lives for. 
 

Not rehashing Defense anymore.  You should know where I stand by now.  I hate the scheme and philosophy.  Think they’d be pretty good if healthy, but could see that not having any chance of happening a mile away. 
 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by SCBills

[NeverOutNick]

2 hours ago, SCBills said:

Get to a Super Bowl and I’ll change my mind. 
 

He gets credit for Allen and his OL build.  
 

A+ on both accounts.  
 

He found, or via multiple trade backs, lucked into Cook, but drafted him

and extended him.  A+
 

The defense is built in a way to constantly have injury issues and, what do you know, we always do. 
 

The weapons are hilarious.  Bust in Coleman.  Bust, for different reasons, in Kincaid.  Lit money on fire with injury prone Samuel and Palmer.  Insane contract for Knox. And while im at it, Shakir is a luxury contract.  Hes not a primary slot and is holding us back because he’s paid to be such.  He’s a move around chess piece, not some Amon-Ra lite.  We need an actual slot WR. 
 

And now we have Beane bringing the circus to Buffalo … again … for the second time in the same season. 

I agree with everything except the Shakir part. Can’t compare him to the best slot in the league (St. Brown). He’s getting paid fairly but doesn’t forgive Beane for so many overpays and misses. Just think if he took some more WRs in the later rounds every year maybe we’d have some other young cheap weapons to grow with Josh instead of who cares, never was players we overpay like Samuel and Palmer. Or heck maybe we actually go after players like Pickens or Devante Adams when they want to play with a winner. Pickens on his rookie deal and Adams basically playing for a one year $20 mil contract. 

Edited 1 hour ago by NeverOutNick

[HappyDays]

28 minutes ago, Kelly to Allen said:

Slay said in an interview with acho that he has nothing against buffalo but at this point in his career he didn't want to pack up his family to go somewhere new.

 

He did praise the bills organization.

 

Maybe he'll change his mind in a few days or couple weeks 

 

Mccoy said if this is your last year, go ahead and leave everything on the field with buffalo because they're a legitimate contender.

 

This is a whole lot of drama over a guy that we were trying to bring here as our CB4. He wasn't going to get a chance to "leave everything on the field" because he was barely going to play. He was replacing Ingram who has been a mainstay on the inactive list. What a waste of media attention this whole saga has been.

[SCBills]

7 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

This is a whole lot of drama over a guy that we were trying to bring here as our CB4. He wasn't going to get a chance to "leave everything on the field" because he was barely going to play. He was replacing Ingram who has been a mainstay on the inactive list. What a waste of media attention this whole saga has been.

I just think of it as this. 
 

For those defending us doing this.. how would they feel if Von asked for his release from the Commanders.   Everyone sensed he wanted to come

back to Buffalo.  We desperately need a DE right now.   
 

And the Eagles, who don’t even need him, claimed him before us as emergency depth. 
 

Would we want to Von to do what Slay is doing?

 

It seems this happens every year but nobody ever really does what Buffalo just did.  Vets like Slay typically go through waivers and then sign wherever they want. 
 

But, counterpoint, if we get to a point where this becomes more common, how does the league regulate competitive advantage if vets all over are just asking for their release on bad teams or if they aren’t playing in order to orchestrate their way back to former teams they wink wink want to play for. 
 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by SCBills

[mikemac2001]

6 minutes ago, SCBills said:

I just think of it as this. 
 

For those defending us doing this.. how would they feel if Von asked for his release from the Commanders.   Everyone sensed he wanted to come

back to Buffalo.  We desperately need a DE right now.   
 

And the Eagles, who don’t even need him, claimed him before us as emergency depth. 
 

Would we want to Von to do what Slay is doing?

 

It seems this happens every year but nobody ever really does what Buffalo just did.  Vets like Slay typically go through waivers and then sign wherever they want. 
 

But, counterpoint, if we get to a point where this becomes more common, how does the league regulate competitive advantage if vets all over are just asking for their release on bad teams or if they aren’t playing in order to orchestrate their way back to former teams they wink wink want to play for. 
 

 

Doubt it’d a problem it’s typically old vets on one year deals 

 

no cap hits and the player is really done with there team anyway it’s more about winning a chip or comfort then making money (since it’s likely already locked up)

[Buffalo716]

8 minutes ago, SCBills said:

I just think of it as this. 
 

For those defending us doing this.. how would they feel if Von asked for his release from the Commanders.   Everyone sensed he wanted to come

back to Buffalo.  We desperately need a DE right now.   
 

And the Eagles, who don’t even need him, claimed him before us as emergency depth. 
 

Would we want to Von to do what Slay is doing?

 

It seems this happens every year but nobody ever really does what Buffalo just did.  Vets like Slay typically go through waivers and then sign wherever they want. 
 

But, counterpoint, if we get to a point where this becomes more common, how does the league regulate competitive advantage if vets all over are just asking for their release on bad teams or if they aren’t playing in order to orchestrate their way back to former teams they wink wink want to play for. 
 

 

Adam thielen literally is a veteran on the waiver wires and was just claimed lol

 

Tons of veterans go through the waiver wire and are claimed every single year 

 

Buffalo did literally nothing odd

[BillsFanForever19]

50 minutes ago, Kelly to Allen said:

Slay said in an interview with acho that he has nothing against buffalo but at this point in his career he didn't want to pack up his family to go somewhere new.

 

He did praise the bills organization.

 

Maybe he'll change his mind in a few days or couple weeks 

 

Mccoy said if this is your last year, go ahead and leave everything on the field with buffalo because they're a legitimate contender.

 

Like a lot of your posts - this is an overly optimistic report on what we both just watched.

 

 

It's pretty clear to me after watching that interview that he simply doesn't want to come here. And he thinks he has hands to play, as evidenced by him saying things like "we'll keep working at this".

 

You left out the part where he talked about the cold and the snow here being "different". And that his wife carries a lot of weight and that he came to this decision after "discussing it with his family". His wife clearly said "hell no!".

 

Then there was his reaction to "would you have shown up if the Eagles claimed you?" - which was a smile, laugh, and a "we'll see" (as if he still thinks he could end up there). He seems to think he can dictate where he wants to go. Thems ain't the rules!

 

This whole "I didn't want to pack up and move" doesn't track. He was going to have to do that for whomever claimed him. If he's comfortable where he is and didn't want to pack up and leave - why did he ask for his release instead of just retiring?

 

I hope Brandon Beane tells him "you play for us or we put you on the "Did Not Report" list and you play nowhere". We lost Ingram over this. If we waive him and he goes unclaimed, pretty sure we're on the hook for the rest of his deal with Pittsburgh.

 

Nah - this is bullsh-t. He says he's comfy at home and enjoying his time with his family? I hope that's the case. Bc if I'm Beane, I'd be damned if he plays somewhere else this season.

Edited 57 minutes ago by BillsFanForever19

[SCBills]

8 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

Adam thielen literally is a veteran on the waiver wires and was just claimed lol

 

Tons of veterans go through the waiver wire and are claimed every single year 

 

Buffalo did literally nothing odd

Did Thielen have anywhere he wanted to go?  
 

If it was just a contender.. I guess Pittsburgh could suffice.  
 

Im just saying, Beane clearly knew Slay was trying to get back to Philly.  It wasn’t a secret.  
 

If that wasn’t the case, I’m 100% on board with Slay over Ingram.  But it was… and I just don’t think this was ever worth it because it seemed clear, within an hour of this move, that this was a possibility.   And while I’m pretty much done with Beane, I think he’s smart and is more connected to NFL circles than X users and Philly beat reporters. 
 

Edited 54 minutes ago by SCBills

[Kelly to Allen]

23 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

This is a whole lot of drama over a guy that we were trying to bring here as our CB4. He wasn't going to get a chance to "leave everything on the field" because he was barely going to play. He was replacing Ingram who has been a mainstay on the inactive list. What a waste of media attention this whole saga has been.

 

You're probably right. I just wanted the depth tho. 

[Buffalo716]

4 minutes ago, SCBills said:

Did Thielen have anywhere he wanted to go?  
 

If it was just a contender.. I guess Pittsburgh could suffice.  
 

Im just saying, Beane clearly knew Slay was trying to get back to Philly.  It wasn’t a secret.  
 

If that wasn’t the case, I’m 100% on board with Slay over Ingram.  But it was… and I just don’t think this was ever worth it because it seemed clear, within an hour of this move, that this was a possibility.   And while I’m pretty much done with Beane, I think he’s smart enough and more connected to NFL circles than X users and Philly beat reporters. 

I have said three times on this thread 

 

It is a privilege to play in the NFL.. plenty of talented players not on NFL rosters for certain circumstances.. it has never been a right 

 

It is not your American right to play in the NFL... Darius slay has the privilege to play in the league 

 

If it was as what you're trying to make it then any single veteran could force their way out of any bad spot and just go to winning teams.. that's why there's a waiver wire... You don't get the force where you go 

 

And he went to a very good team.... If von Miller said he wanted to come to the bills and he got claimed eighth on the waivers well guess what that is what the NFL is 

 

You don't have a right to play in the NFL let alone a right to  choose your destination outside of free agency 

 

It is a privilege to be picked in the NFL draft and you cannot pick where you go and it is a privilege to be picked up on waiver claims

Edited 49 minutes ago by Buffalo716

[folz]

 

1. Beane was trying to improve the roster. That is not a bad thing, that is what I hope he is always trying to do.

 

2. Beane can't control whether Slay wants to play for Buffalo or not.

 

3. While I hate to see a homegrown guy in Ingram leave, he only had 8.97% of defensive snaps and 23.9% of special teams snaps this year. He has 6 total tackles on the year. His overall team snap count is 13.6%. He was active for 7 of 12 games this year, but only played a defensive snap in 5 games. Even if there are injuries, he wasn't going to be the piece to propel us or prevent us from anything in the post-season.

 

4. Most likely, after the Chiefs game, or when Houston's guys get healthy again, or in the off-season, or at cutdown next camp Houston will release Ingram (because he is a fringe player) and he'll find his way back to Buffalo anyhow.

 

Anyone blaming Beane or saying this is a bad look for him is obviously just looking for something negative to pin on him because they already have a certain opinion about him and want to back it up. It's much ado about nothing, imo. 

 

 

[Mark Long Beach]

3 minutes ago, SCBills said:

Did Thielen have anywhere he wanted to go?  
 

If it was just a contender.. I guess Pittsburgh could suffice.  
 

Im just saying, Beane clearly knew Slay was trying to get back to Philly.  It wasn’t a secret.  
 

If that wasn’t the case, I’m 100% on board with Slay over Ingram.  But it was… and I just don’t think this was ever worth it because it seemed clear, within an hour of this move, that this was a possibility.   And while I’m pretty much done with Beane, I think he’s smart and is more connected to NFL circles than X users and Philly beat reporters. 
 

 

 

I agree with you here.   I just look at as a win either way.  If he comes, he's better than Ingram.  If he doesn't, we keep him from a soon to be opponent where he would definitely improve a weakness in Philly.

[HappyDays]

23 minutes ago, SCBills said:

For those defending us doing this.. how would they feel if Von asked for his release from the Commanders.   Everyone sensed he wanted to come

back to Buffalo.  We desperately need a DE right now.   

 

My honest take on this is that you shouldn't be relying on washed up vets to force themselves onto your team, and washed up vets shouldn't act like they can skirt the rules. We claimed him, he decided he didn't want to play anymore, so be it. We tried to upgrade the backup to the backup and it didn't work out. I really don't get all the drama over it. Ja'Marcus Ingram and Dane Jackson are the same player as far as I'm concerned. I don't want to see either of them getting real snaps for this team. I wish Slay had worked out but it has zero real impact on our season. And no I wouldn't release him just to let him go to Philly where he might start against us in two weeks. He made his choice and that's that.

 

23 minutes ago, SCBills said:

It seems this happens every year but nobody ever really does what Buffalo just did.

 

Slay's contract made it easy, we would have been on the hook for only $300K. Every veteran is different. Brandin Cooks for example would have cost I think at least a couple million this year and the team that claimed him would have absorbed his salary and cap hit for 2026 too. Adam Thielen was just claimed by Pittsburgh. Would that have been his first choice? Probably not but that's the rule.

[SCBills]

1 minute ago, Buffalo716 said:

I have said three times on this thread 

 

It is a privilege to play in the NFL.. plenty of talented players not on NFL rosters for certain circumstances.. it has never been a right 

 

It is not your American right to play in the NFL... Darius slay has the privilege to play in the league 

 

If it was as what you're trying to make it then any single veteran could force their way out of any bad spot and just go to winning teams.. that's why there's a waiver wire... You don't get the force where you go 

 

And he went to a very good team.... If von Miller said he wanted to come to the bills and he got claimed eighth on the waivers well guess what that is what the NFL is 

 

It doesn't have a right to play in the NFL let alone a right to play on the bills if he wanted to be here

From a purely business standpoint, you’re correct.  
 

I think there’s a bit of a honor code in the NFL when it comes to these situations.  

 

Maybe Beane violated it, maybe Slay violated it.  Maybe both.   
 

My honest opinion.. this is way more on Slay throwing a temper tantrum.  I’d just rather not be the team involved in that. 

[NeverOutNick]

1 minute ago, folz said:

 

1. Beane was trying to improve the roster. That is not a bad thing, that is what I hope he is always trying to do.

 

2. Beane can't control whether Slay wants to play for Buffalo or not.

 

3. While I hate to see a homegrown guy in Ingram leave, he only had 8.97% of defensive snaps and 23.9% of special teams snaps this year. He has 6 total tackles on the year. His overall team snap count is 13.6%. He was active for 7 of 12 games this year, but only played a defensive snap in 5 games. Even if there are injuries, he wasn't going to be the piece to propel us or prevent us from anything in the post-season.

 

4. Most likely, after the Chiefs game, or when Houston's guys get healthy again, or in the off-season, or at cutdown next camp Houston will release Ingram (because he is a fringe player) and he'll find his way back to Buffalo anyhow.

 

Anyone blaming Beane or saying this is a bad look for him is obviously just looking for something negative to pin on him because they already have a certain opinion about him and want to back it up. It's much ado about nothing, imo. 

 

 

Completely rational way of looking at this. I like Ingram more than most and think he’ll actually be good with Houston but here’s hoping Benford, Hairston and White stay healthy because we don’t want Lewis forced to play outside. Things will get real ugly. 

[Buffalo Ballin]

Slay is not officially a Buffalo Bills player. And never will be. He's not reporting. He doesn't want to be here.

 

Beane didn't do anything wrong in this situation.