Darius Slay claimed on waivers by Buffalo

[HOUSE]

Any guy afraid of the snow is not for me.

Pass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[newcam2012]

2 hours ago, davefan66 said:

Regardless of who the players are in this mix, Beane should have guessed Slay wanted to go back “home”.  He’s had a few players want to do the same thing. Even had Jordan Phillips say publicly if he played it would only be for the Bills.  Shouldn’t be a surprise to him.  Couple this with the PED twins, and it’s a bad look for Beane…it just is.

 

As for the waiver claim. Was Slay worth the pickup this late in the season? Learn a new defense and be a more viable option versus what we have? Would he have inserted himself into a decent amount of playing time? Not sure he had enough time left in the season to do so.  We may never know. 

 

 

Hard to really know. I think he was worth a shot for basically free. Slay is or was a better zone CB so he might have done well under McD. I guess we will never know. 

[SirAndrew]

4 hours ago, Joe Marino said:

That’s pure blather.

 

Why would you ever “pack up your family” to go live in Buffalo at this point?

 

There’s a couple of months left in the season. Go find a nice hotel or live with one of the guys. Maybe try to win a Super Bowl.

 

That reason was fake. Not sure what’s up, but he didn’t want to come play.

I don’t if it’s been mentioned here but I’ve heard elsewhere. I think Slay might have thought a deal was setup with Philly. The Bills swept in amidst the tampering, and he was surprised where he ended up. 

[davefan66]

3 minutes ago, newcam2012 said:

Hard to really know. I think he was worth a shot for basically free. Slay is or was a better zone CB so he might have done well under McD. I guess we will never know. 

Correct.

 

Speculation on what could have been. 

[DaggersEOD]

5 hours ago, reddogblitz said:

 

I'm just going by what I read on TBD.

 

And let's not also lose sight of the fact that he couldn't even get on the field for that horrible defense that was Pittsburgh last Sunday.

 

Imagine how bad the guy they want to replace him with is. 
 

Why are we mad that we stopped an upcoming opponent from getting better?

[gobills1212]

6 hours ago, SCBills said:

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. 
 

 

These are the trials and tribulations that any team faces though. Beane has taken swings. Some were hits, some were misses - all were done in the available frame work. 

 

This team is better than the Chiefs who are having a bad year. They understand sometimes you just have a bad yr due to injuries etc. Most arent trying to run Andy out of town. I think the issue arrises when everything is all negative. Only two or three teams each year might not have glaring issues. 

 

If youve been through the drought, you know how bad it can be. I think the disconnect is, some fans act like this is a 3 win team and as fans we are dealing with utter incompetence from the coach and/or GM. 

 

Take the Slay situation... he tried adding depth with someone who's been there and won before and is a year removed from a meaningful contribution with a pic in the WC game. Instead of realizing this is an attempt to improve the team, people act like he had his choice to sign Chase or Watt and chose Slay instead. 

 

Now, with hindsight we can make a stink and criticize him for doing it and it not working and losing a player. I guess losing Ingram sucks, but he wasnt the reason we were or weren't going to make it to a SB. Full picture and hindsight these aforementioned fans are going to rail on him, but like I said yesterday, they are the same fans who would be moaning and complaining if New England signed him bc they added a gritty piece of depth with SB experience.

 

 

You dont become one of the best regular season teams in the last 5 yrs based solely on JA. Its a culture, and as we know it could be a whole lot worse. Im not saying be content w making the playoffs, but if a new coach or GM comes in you arent guaranteed the playoffs or to advance further.  

 

You have JA as your QB, let the man try and fix the issue now that its clear band aids arent working. We act like they are just sitting on their hands. Heck, Id have been annoyed if they did land Waddle bc that's not the #1 I wanna roll with for the next 3 yrs. It wlda been helpful this year, but we can and hopefully will do better now we know they know as contructed its not good enough.

 

Football fandom has changed and now its we want everything right away. Fans voices are louder than ever before and while this obviously isnt the best version of this club in the past few years, the people who want to fire Beane for it is just asinine.  They dont need to be coach/GM forever, but they haven't even bottomed out which is why all this is a bit much and just impatient fans being impatient fans. Injury gets old to continuously hear people who have never worked a day in the league keep complaining bc they think their GM is a bummer. Id venture to guess they are both well respected around the league. Neither of them has committed something thats a firearm offense YET.

 

YOU might not agree w his moves, but this isn't madden. Let him come out of the weeds and see how they fix this before hanging them in town square. You do you, but not living on the edge and wanting to blow everything up while having a bit more of a measured and realistic view makes for a much more enjoyable season. They are aware the idea is to win. Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. Come back off the ledge and let it play out.

Edited 3 hours ago by gobills1212

[26TrapDraw]

18 hours ago, NewEra said:

It’s going to get even better when an afc team claims Ingram. Especially when it’s NE 🤣 

 

this really sucks

Nostradamus is that you?

So now go poach a receiver who can help us off someone’s PS roster now that we have the slot.  

[FireChans]

11 minutes ago, gobills1212 said:

These are the trials and tribulations that any team faces though. Beane has taken swings. Some were hits, some were misses - all were done in the available frame work. 

 

This team is better than the Chiefs who are having a bad year. They understand sometimes you just have a bad yr due to injuries etc. Most arent trying to run Andy out of town. I think the issue arrises when everything is all negative. Only two or three teams each year might not have glaring issues. 

 

If youve been through the drought, you know how bad it can be. I think the disconnect is, some fans act like this is a 3 win team and as fans we are dealing with utter incompetence from the coach and/or GM. 

 

Take the Slay situation... he tried adding depth with someone who's been there and won before and is a year removed from a meaningful contribution with a pic in the WC game. Instead of realizing this is an attempt to improve the team, people act like he had his choice to sign Chase or Watt and chose Slay instead. 

 

Now, with hindsight we can make a stink and criticize him for doing it and it not working and losing a player. I guess losing Ingram sucks, but he wasnt the reason we were or weren't going to make it to a SB. Full picture and hindsight these aforementioned fans are going to rail on him, but like I said yesterday, they are the same fans who would be moaning and complaining if New England signed him bc they added a gritty piece of depth with SB experience.

 

 

You dont become one of the best regular season teams in the last 5 yrs based solely on JA. Its a culture, and as we know it could be a whole lot worse. Im not saying be content w making the playoffs, but if a new coach or GM comes in you arent guaranteed the playoffs or to advance further.  

 

You have JA as your QB, let the man try and fix the issue now that its clear band aids arent working. We act like they are just sitting on their hands. Heck, Id have been annoyed if they did land Waddle bc that's not the #1 I wanna roll with for the next 3 yrs. It wlda been helpful this year, but we can and hopefully will do better now we know they know as contructed its not good enough.

 

Football fandom has changed and now its we want everything right away. Fans voices are louder than ever before and while this obviously isnt the best version of this club in the past few years, the people who want to fire Beane for it is just asinine.  They dont need to be coach/GM forever, but they haven't even bottomed out which is why all this is a bit much and just impatient fans being impatient fans. Injury gets old to continuously hear people who have never worked a day in the league keep complaining bc they think their GM is a bummer. Id venture to guess they are both well respected around the league. Neither of them has committed something thats a firearm offense YET.

 

YOU might not agree w his moves, but this isn't madden. Let him come out of the weeds and see how they fix this before hanging them in town square. You do you, but not living on the edge and wanting to blow everything up while having a bit more of a measured and realistic view makes for a much more enjoyable season. They are aware the idea is to win. Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. Come back off the ledge and let it play out.

Highlighting the Chiefs’ season when discussing patience with this regime is apples to orangatuans.

 

They have been to 5 Superbowls. We have been to zero.

 

Man I wonder why KC fans aren’t screaming “fire Andy.”

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

At least he didn't retire at halftime.

[boyst]

9 hours ago, RyanC883 said:

it does.  But it was widely reported in Pittsburgh papers that Slay wanted to start and that was why he was released.  Not sure how Bean missed that. 

Beane's job is to make a football team, not pander to some soft ass football players emotional feelings.

 

further, if doing this move can impact another team without truly impacting your team - than go for it. keeping slay off the Eagles roster may be a decent move since Ingram was not contributing.

 

regardless, Slay is a soft ass chump

8 hours ago, Kelly to Allen said:

 

 

 

 

 

Would be cool if we get a draft pick out of this lol

 

 

 

 

ew gross so that's what those guys look like. makes sense they'reo n radio.

[SectionC3]

11 minutes ago, boyst said:

Beane's job is to make a football team, not pander to some soft ass football players emotional feelings.

 

further, if doing this move can impact another team without truly impacting your team - than go for it. keeping slay off the Eagles roster may be a decent move since Ingram was not contributing.

 

regardless, Slay is a soft ass chump

ew gross so that's what those guys look like. makes sense they'reo n radio.

Agree with every word, especially after Slay ran his mouth yesterday. 

[Psautcsk]

1 hour ago, HOUSE said:

Any guy afraid of the snow is not for me.

Pass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Slay exists for the snow.

[HOUSE]

The Bills would owe Darius Slay approximately $350,000 for 2 months work.

I wouldn't go either.

 

[quincy]

I would hope that the players are motivated by this saga, they have lost their team mate of three and a half years and his replacement isn’t going to show up! Maybe this situation can galvanize them and not distract them for the upcoming game at Cincinnati and the rest of the season.

 

From an overview type of perspective, the thing that bothers me is the “player X does not want to come and play in Buffalo” is now again in the media cycle. Will this ever change?!

 

As Slay is quoted, “I talked to them,” Slay added. “It was a neutral talk. I just said, “Hey, man. I’m 34. I know ya’ll be watching tape, but I’m trying to relax with my family and kid. I ain’t feel like packing up, moving.’ And then, on top of that - no offense to Buffalo — it’s cold as hell in Buffalo. I’m from the south.”.

 

Yet Philadelphia is fine!

 

https://x.com/jennwilliams23/status/1996267499256774713?s=20

 

Brandon Beane's latest blunder causes Bills' embarrassing CB screw-up

 

 

 

 

 

 

[newcam2012]

1 hour ago, gobills1212 said:

These are the trials and tribulations that any team faces though. Beane has taken swings. Some were hits, some were misses - all were done in the available frame work. 

 

This team is better than the Chiefs who are having a bad year. They understand sometimes you just have a bad yr due to injuries etc. Most arent trying to run Andy out of town. I think the issue arrises when everything is all negative. Only two or three teams each year might not have glaring issues. 

 

If youve been through the drought, you know how bad it can be. I think the disconnect is, some fans act like this is a 3 win team and as fans we are dealing with utter incompetence from the coach and/or GM. 

 

Take the Slay situation... he tried adding depth with someone who's been there and won before and is a year removed from a meaningful contribution with a pic in the WC game. Instead of realizing this is an attempt to improve the team, people act like he had his choice to sign Chase or Watt and chose Slay instead. 

 

Now, with hindsight we can make a stink and criticize him for doing it and it not working and losing a player. I guess losing Ingram sucks, but he wasnt the reason we were or weren't going to make it to a SB. Full picture and hindsight these aforementioned fans are going to rail on him, but like I said yesterday, they are the same fans who would be moaning and complaining if New England signed him bc they added a gritty piece of depth with SB experience.

 

 

You dont become one of the best regular season teams in the last 5 yrs based solely on JA. Its a culture, and as we know it could be a whole lot worse. Im not saying be content w making the playoffs, but if a new coach or GM comes in you arent guaranteed the playoffs or to advance further.  

 

You have JA as your QB, let the man try and fix the issue now that its clear band aids arent working. We act like they are just sitting on their hands. Heck, Id have been annoyed if they did land Waddle bc that's not the #1 I wanna roll with for the next 3 yrs. It wlda been helpful this year, but we can and hopefully will do better now we know they know as contructed its not good enough.

 

Football fandom has changed and now its we want everything right away. Fans voices are louder than ever before and while this obviously isnt the best version of this club in the past few years, the people who want to fire Beane for it is just asinine.  They dont need to be coach/GM forever, but they haven't even bottomed out which is why all this is a bit much and just impatient fans being impatient fans. Injury gets old to continuously hear people who have never worked a day in the league keep complaining bc they think their GM is a bummer. Id venture to guess they are both well respected around the league. Neither of them has committed something thats a firearm offense YET.

 

YOU might not agree w his moves, but this isn't madden. Let him come out of the weeds and see how they fix this before hanging them in town square. You do you, but not living on the edge and wanting to blow everything up while having a bit more of a measured and realistic view makes for a much more enjoyable season. They are aware the idea is to win. Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. Come back off the ledge and let it play out.

I'll try to make a few points. 

 

I am grateful Beane and McD came to Buffalo. They absolutely turned around a losing team and organization. There's no denying that and any football fan has to acknowledge that. 

 

Beane hit a "Grand Slam" when he drafted Josh Allen. It was anything but a sure thing and it clearly had risks. However, I take exception to "let the man fix the issue..." Really? This is year nine of Josh Allen. It's not year 3, 4, or 5. How much success have the Bills had in the playoffs? Recently, what would you consider the about average moved that Beane has made? Is it draft choices, WR moves, contract extensions, and or defensive players? Imho, it mostly inadequate and poor moves. 

 

The Josh Allen factor really shouldn't be minimized. The guy from year 3 to year 8 literally carried the team on his back. Remember, how all the pundits would say too much reliance on Allen, he needs help, etc... Allen alone got gets this team almost to the playoffs a playoff birth yearly. It's really not a stretch to say that. As a result, changing coaches and a GM after a near decade of playoff failures isn't extreme. I'd add it really not all that risky. Remember, you have Josh Allen. 

 

Lastly, I take exception to the general theme of the drought years. It sucked big time. I think many accept the recent playoff failures because heck it's better than before. Many happy with regular season wins  and a playoff win or 2. The standards should be much higher. You have Josh Allen. Build around him. That's where the organization has failed. 13 seconds is a clear example of neglect and incompetence. I'd argue the team has never recovered from that disaster.

 

The time for change has long passed. The Beane and McD has stalled. It's lost its luster and glory. 

[Tanoros]

8 hours ago, SCBills said:

Completely disagree with you about Beane being considered a very good GM.  He’s getting dragged a lot this year and not just by fans like me or hot take artists.  
 

Vons injury was brutal.  He was a beast before it.  But that’s the risk you take when you can’t build a DL and have to pay a mercenary.  
 

Benford has been out in consecutive elimination games.  Yet we still paid him. Hopefully that doesn’t continue.  
 

My only issue with the “it’s the injuries” crowd.. because in fairness.. we’ve been bit in big moments whereas Kansas City, against us, has not…. My only issue is that yall think it’s all bad luck.  
 

… I don’t. 
 

I think a lot of our injury issues lately are scheme (undersized defensive spine), philosophy (ball control offense that can keep scores close) and personnel (older, past injury history and/or finesse, undersized)

One thing you may not be considering when you say ball control offense. Most of our injuries have occurred on defense, and the very nature of a ball control offense is to keep the defense off of the feild, which would mean less injuries, not more. A quick strike offense or just plain bad offense is what will put the defense on the field more. 
 

It was recently that we had some pretty good injury luck during the regular season. We all know that hasn’t been the case in the post season. But it’s only these last couple of years where things have been so rough during the regular season. I remember a time when people on this board were touting our awesome training facility as a reason we had less injuries. 
 

When it comes to injuries, I’m sure it’s a combo of many factors, and luck is certainly one of those factors. 

[Tanoros]

6 hours ago, newcam2012 said:

Both of you make fair points. The Beane and McD era has reached its peak and appears to be regressing. I don't really see much upside to having them continue here in Buffalo. They had a nice run but I think new blood is more than welcomed. We can appreciate their success and acknowledge that football has been a lot more enjoyable the last decade or so. Nevertheless, I believe their messages, style, decisions, drafts, coaching schemes ,etc... aren't in a direction of a super bowl win. That's the bottom line and goal here. The team is flawed and lots of that falls on Beane,McD, and the coaching staff. Doesn't mean they suck because both would get scooped up in a heartbeat.  It's time to move on and give the team some new hope, energy, philosophy, schematic changes, etc... Change is needed; don't fear it rather welcome it. 

 

Go Bills. 

A model franchise that can't even sniff a super bowl. I think the perception is the Bills can't get it done in the playoffs. Nick Wright mocks the Bills for winning their super bowl when the Bills beat the Chiefs in the regular season. I think you are really overstating the perception angle here. 

I’m not opposed to change if it truly makes us better, but I think we have to acknowledge that moving on from Beane and McDermott comes with a real risk, not of staying the same, but of getting worse. We talk about “wasting Allen’s years” now, but imagine falling back into being an 8 or 9 win team, or worse. That’s not some far-fetched scenario. That’s the most common outcome when teams start over.

 

The reality is that with Beane and McDermott, we do have a legitimate shot to win it all every single year. Last year’s playoff loss to KC is a perfect example, it was a game of inches, and the officiating took more than a few of those inches away from us. That doesn’t mean the team was perfect, but it shows how thin the margin is when you’re consistently in the fight.

 

Here’s how I look at it:

If you knew with certainty that Beane and McDermott would win at least one Super Bowl with Josh Allen, would you be willing to be patient? Because we already know, without question, that they field a team every year that can compete with anyone. And no, it’s not only because of Allen. He’s incredible, but there’s a lot more that goes into sustained competitiveness than just having a great quarterback.

 

If we decide to move on from this regime, the range of outcomes becomes much wider. Sure, we could luck into a duo that instantly elevates us. But there’s also a very real chance we stumble backward. There are far more franchises stuck in that cycle than there are consistently contending.

 

As for me, I’m honestly still figuring out where I stand. I’ll always want the Bills to win a Super Bowl, especially with Allen. But at the end of the day, football is entertainment. I’m not going to let it ruin my day, week, or year. I simply don’t have the time or energy for that.

 

What I do know is that since Beane and McDermott arrived, I’ve been thoroughly entertained. I appreciate having a team that’s competitive every week and always in the conversation. I’m content to see how it plays out while rooting for the best possible outcome.

[Tanoros]

1 hour ago, FireChans said:

Highlighting the Chiefs’ season when discussing patience with this regime is apples to orangatuans.

 

They have been to 5 Superbowls. We have been to zero.

 

Man I wonder why KC fans aren’t screaming “fire Andy.”

The reality is that even the best coaching staffs and front offices go through down years. That alone isn’t a reason to move on. And sure, no one is saying Beane and McDermott are on the level of Reid and Veach, but the truth is, almost no HC and GM pair in the league are. What we do have is a team that stays in the conversation every single year and consistently gets close. That’s not something to overlook.

 

The Bills have been right on the doorstep multiple times, and being that competitive for this long is incredibly rare in the NFL. It’s easy to take that for granted, but we shouldn’t.

 

If we decide to make a change at GM and coach, the odds are far greater that we take a step backward than instantly improve. That doesn’t mean change is never justified, but it does mean we have to be honest about what the risk truly looks like. There isn’t a ton of room for improvement at the top, this team is already operating at a very high level, even with flaws.

 

Assuming that a new GM and coach would automatically elevate us isn’t rooted in reality. It’s just not how the NFL works. 

[NewEra]

2 hours ago, 26TrapDraw said:

Nostradamus is that you?

So now go poach a receiver who can help us off someone’s PS roster now that we have the slot.  

 
Already on it captain!!   I started thinking about who Beane would be actually be interested in and got a head start:  i’ve been working out with Kelvin Benjamin for the last month.  I have him under 300 lbs for the first time since he was a Bill. He got some separation on me on one route.  Gains!

[Mr. WEO]

11 hours ago, Tanoros said:

I hear you on a lot of this, and honestly I agree that Beane could have done a better job in a few key areas. Early in Allen’s career, the whole conversation was about protecting him and building a real run game, and Beane absolutely did that. The O line is the best it’s been in decades and the run game is actually a strength now.

 

But I also think that came at the cost of the WR room. While we were investing heavily in the trenches and the defense, especially the D line, and O-line, the receiver group slowly fell behind. And you’re right: the D line drafting hasn’t been good enough for the amount of capital that went into it.

 

Where I think we differ is how much that overshadows the rest. Because even with the roster flaws, this team is still competitive every single week. We can beat anyone in the league this season, and we’ve done that for years, that’s not something I’m willing to dismiss.

 

And this year especially, the injuries on defense have been brutal. Losing guys like Oliver and Hoecht completely changes what the defense looks like. With both of them healthy, the front seven would look drastically different. Some of this season really has been bad luck, not just bad building.

 

So yeah, the roster could absolutely be better. Beane has real misses that deserve criticism. But I can recognize that and still appreciate that we field a team every year that’s capable of making a run. That’s all I was trying to get across, we can want better without acting like everything is broken.

 

The O-line, when healthy is bad at pass protection.  A nonmobile QB back there would be leading the league in sacks every season. 

 

Also, it's impossible to claim "losing Hoecht (a guy who has been a Bill for 64 snaps) completely changes what the Defense looks like".  Who knows how they would have looked had he not been busted for juicing and played the whole season to this point?