OK, So for those of you that support this Front Office, ...

[FLFan]

LMAO!!! Even though I don't really appreciate the sarasm directed towards the Bills, I gotta admit this post made me laugh. In all seriousness though, are you really a Bills fan? Is there anything that you do like about the team?

 

I have to agree. The Peters situation is unfortunate, but the fact is the Bills showed a major commitment to him two years ago. Now the guy quits on the team. I have no sympathy for him. I wish he were in camp, but he will show up eventually despite all the hand wringing from fans who can not seem to understand the big picture. He will show up, because he has no choice. Hopefully he will show up in time for the O line to get enough reps together before the season starts, but if not, Chambers will gain valuable experience. The Bills hold all the cards here and should not cave or they will only create an unmanageable situation for any future players finding themselves in this position. Chill out KrazyKat. Go Bills.

[nucci]

The salary cap from a percentage standpoint hasn't escalated anymore than it has in past years perhaps less than in most. Get the facts on that.

 

But in our case our team salary is escalating due to player extensions to guys like Brad Butler who hasn't proven a damn thing yet, Spencer Johnson a backup to date, Kyle Williams a very nominal starter tops, Derrick Dockery making over twice what Peters is a G, and Walker who plays RT making significantly more also.

 

It cracks me up, the ones of you claiming to want this team to do the best seem to be the ones that think that this situation isn't unreasonable.

 

You should all join the Front Office because you think identically and make excuses with the best of them.

Are you kidding? Check how much the cap went up since the new CBA was signed. Especially the 1st year.

[elegantelliotoffen]

That's not my point at all. In fact, I would typically agree with you. BUT...

 

You cannot have a team that signs all of these players to such ridiculous deals and then expects the best players to suck it up.

 

Kyle Williams, Brad Butler, Chris Kelsay, Dockery, Walker, Price last year, Tripplett then, Royal two years ago, Spencer Johnson now, etc., etc., etc. all got more money to play their positions than they are worth. Some of them will be backups. Johnson or Williams for example as there's only one open spot next to Stroud. j

 

You cannot spend money like that for backups, rotational players, and marginally above average players otherwise and expect Pro Bowlers on your team to be happy.

 

I mean let's take one case. One and a half years ago or so they extended Schobel. Fine, good. But then within 12 months after that they pay Kelsay even more per year than the extremely generous deal that Schobel got. What message does that send other than that your FO apparently doesn't know what it's doing by paying barely adequate starters money like they gave Kelsay which put him high up the list of what DEs get joining far more productive ones and ones that at least have a knack for making big plays in big games instead of only against the sorriest of defenses?

 

What did anyone expect Schobel to say? Frankly he got more than he deserved given his age, but that contract to Kelsay was flat out stupid! I would have let him walk before paying that. We could have gotten that performance with half the loot.

 

It has nothing to do with Peters in a vacuum, so please don't think that way. That's the way the team thinks.

 

As well, Peters situation is a bit unusual too. He wasn't "planned" or drafted in round 1 or 2 as a top OT prospect. He was an UFA TE that learned to play RT, then LT, and has grown and emerged.

 

Frankly, I probably will say that when Peters gets a new deal that it was too much also, IDK yet as I haven't seen it. But that really is an indictment of a franchise now known for overpaying players. The proof in the pudding on that one is look at where we are and what kind of players are getting the big bucks on this team.

 

Our total contracts are right in line with most of the other 32 teams, yet we suck. Ranked dead last or very close to it last year almost across the board except in special teams and McGee's, Lindell's, and Moorman's contracts are relatively tame in contrast.

 

Good teams for the money that we're spending get much, much more from them. But hey, that entails having a decent GM like Polian, OOOPS, whom we once had but saw the wisdom to fire. Not as if he's had much success around the NFL or anything.

 

Viva La Donahoe/Levy/Brandon!

 

These guys don't know WTF they're doing keepthefaith. It's that simple.

 

How many times are you going to repeat yourself?

[elegantelliotoffen]

Are you kidding? Check how much the cap went up since the new CBA was signed.

 

EXACTLY! Remember when half the league would go into an offseason above the cap? Not anymore!

[Zulu Cthulhu]

For example, two seasons ago we extended Schobel our best DL by a long shot. The following offseason they give Kelsay more on a per season basis necessarily causing issues with Schobel, and rightly so.

 

Then they do the same thing last year with Dockery and Walker who aren't close to what Peters is.

 

No J.O. they didn't do the "same thing" with Dock and Walker. The first instance was extensions of players under contract, the second was signing free agents on the open market -- two entirely different situations. I don't think you should be throwing around the term "idiocy" when you obviously suffer from it yourself quite severely.

[Billadelphia]

LOL, you challenging me on fan status! LMAO

 

Oh, sure, I'll answer that.

 

I tremendously enjoyed leaving sports bars early last year after watching the team put up 120 yards, 2 1st-downs, and convert 1 3rd-down converstion through 3 quarters. I thought that was very impressive.

 

I really loved the way we couldn't even get into the red zone. I thought that was exilerating and entertaining. You?

 

I thought it was very exciting watching us convert fewer red zone TDs than teams like San Francisco, Oakland, Detroit, Kansas City, and even Miami, and the Jets. I mean who wouldn't get all wet over that.

 

And by all means, how can anyone knock a team that ran fewer plays than any other team including those mentioned above. Not much room for criticism there.

 

I thought it was great watching Edwards lead the offense to absolutely no points in over half of his games while being poised.

 

I thought it was also great watching Edwards throw zero TDs in two of every three games. I mean hell, most other teams have to watch ten or twelve games to see a passing TD, but here in Buffalo we got one every third game. I'm getting all wet just thinking about the offensive power as I write this.

 

I enjoyed watching us beat all those really good teams. (List follows on the next line)

 

 

I enjoyed watching Dick Jauron extend his losing streak to six straight seasons. It's not easy getting six season long streaks going. I hope he makes the Wall of Fame one day, he definitely deserves it.

 

I immensely enjoyed watching our D allow more 3rd down conversions than any other team in the league. Didn't you.

 

And let's not forget how enjoyable it was having a team with the 27th ranked most yards per play allowed. Nothing like offensive action in a game.

 

I thought that all that and more was really great. I'm looking forward to a lot more of it this year, aren't you.

 

 

So what youre saying is that you enjoy the Bills when they're good. I'm not saying that you shouldn't criticize them, but the blatent negativity is just annoying.

 

Heres a thought, stop posting/watching until they're deemed good by you. Then start again.

[krazykat]

Give me a break dude. The Bills are in negotiation with Evens currently, RB stated that getting LE signed is their number one priority. Peters contract has 3 years left, Evans expires at the end of this year. Let's use a little logic here! I have faith that the Bills will come to an agreement with Evans, then they can move onto the next priority which may or may not be Peters. I think the new Bills brass are doing a fine job! Let's give them a chance here and not jump all over them because there is one hold veteran hold out, which has had no direct contact with the Bills regarding his situation.

I'll bet you anything that Evans isn't even on the team next year. If the Bills were serious and Evans wanted to stay, a deal would have been done by now. I'm guessing that he wants out. He's probably waiting to see if Schonert's head is up his a$$ too.

 

give them a chance here and not jump all over them because there is one hold veteran hold out

 

Again, you miss the point entirely.

 

Leave it for our team to take care of all the mediocrity on the roster and to overpay the marginally beyond average, but for the top talent on this team they don't fork it over.

 

Peters and Evans are arguably the two best players on the offense in addition to Lynch.

 

Guys like Brad Butler, Kyle Williams, and Spencer Johnson haven't proven a damn thing and they're getting handsomely paid/rewarded.

 

And Peters is a massive exception to this team. He never had the ability to negotiate a contract as a top LT prospect even like rookies do, much less seasoned LTs entering their prime. You guys are ALL missing that point entirely.

 

Otherwise I jump all over this team for being a bunch of morons.

 

When we manage to get ourselves out of the bottom 25% of teams any given year then perhaps your suggestions will make some sense.

[krazykat]

So what youre saying is that you enjoy the Bills when they're good. I'm not saying that you shouldn't criticize them, but the blatent negativity is just annoying.

 

Heres a thought, stop posting/watching until they're deemed good by you. Then start again.

Do me a favor please.

 

Whip up a chart in excel or whatever contrasting the positives about this team and its play and the negatives. You can start with the negatives that I listed.

 

When you're done, let's see how they stack up against one another.

 

You sound like a camp guard at Ausschwitz telling a prisoner there who's as thin as a nail that he's lucky to have the bread you are giving him because many people throughout Europe don't have any bread that evening.

[elegantelliotoffen]

Do me a favor please.

 

Whip up a chart in excel or whatever contrasting the positives about this team and its play and the negatives. You can start with the negatives that I listed.

 

When you're done, let's see how they stack up against one another.

 

You sound like a camp guard at Ausschwitz telling a prisoner there who's as thin as a nail that he's lucky to have the bread you are giving him because many people throughout Europe don't have any bread that evening.

 

Si being a Bills fan is the same as being a Jew in the Nazi concentration camps?

[krazykat]

Are you kidding? Check how much the cap went up since the new CBA was signed. Especially the 1st year.

No, I'm not kidding. Cap went up 7% from '07 to this year. It went up just under 7% from '06 to '07. It went up almost 20% from '05 to '06.

 

You were saying...

 

Since you know so much about the cap, if there is a reason why it's going up for later years in contracts down the road, it has absolutely nothing to do with the current cap. It has to do with the notion that '10 becomes an uncapped year and there's evidence that there are enough owners to keep it that way as the CBA dissolves permanently. So some clubs are signing deals apparently with this in mind and teams for which money is actually no issue.

 

But once again, we're in the weeds on this one. Signing Brad Butler, Spencer Johnson, Kawika Mitchell, Kyle Williams, etc. to more money than Peters is getting is just wrong!

 

We could lose three of those guys and not have it make the impact that will occur if Peters doesn't play.

 

Peters would have been making much more than he is now with a rookie contract had he come into the league as one of the top two ranked LTs. He came in as mystery meat and as a TE/OL tweener with no experience.

 

HE'S AN EXCEPTION!!!

Hello!

[krazykat]

Si being a Bills fan is the same as being a Jew in the Nazi concentration camps?

Are you dense?

[krazykat]

How many times are you going to repeat yourself?

LOL I suppose if I were repeating myself on completely unviable or unsustainable arguments in wishlist fashion it would be fine, huh. LOL

 

Otherwise, IDK, how many people are going to ignore what I've already written and re-ask the same questions over and over again and ignore the real crux of the issues?

 

Answer that and you'll have your answer. Actually it's less than that, but hey, who's counting.

[Billadelphia]

Do me a favor please.

 

Whip up a chart in excel or whatever contrasting the positives about this team and its play and the negatives. You can start with the negatives that I listed.

 

When you're done, let's see how they stack up against one another.

 

You sound like a camp guard at Ausschwitz telling a prisoner there who's as thin as a nail that he's lucky to have the bread you are giving him because many people throughout Europe don't have any bread that evening.

 

You sound like a whiney little b*tch who wants to root for the Pats because they're good right now.

 

They've got a great front office. Why not go cheer them on?

 

You know what the positives are? They're from Buffalo, same as everyone on this board. You shouldn't need anything else. I'll be positive and hopeful about them until I'm gone or they're gone.

 

There is a difference in criticizing them when they make bad decisions and just being a negative person about everything.

 

My guess is that you're the type of person who will never be happy, even though you'll respond to this that you are.

 

So keep up the tirade and see how many sympathetic souls you'll find here. I completely understand that you're frustrated with the lack of production that we've seen the past few years, but being a complete d*ck on a message board won't change the situation.

 

It's sort of like a marriage, good times & bad.

[nucci]

No, I'm not kidding. Cap went up 7% from '07 to this year. It went up just under 7% from '06 to '07. It went up almost 20% from '05 to '06.

 

You were saying...

 

Since you know so much about the cap, if there is a reason why it's going up for later years in contracts down the road, it has absolutely nothing to do with the current cap. It has to do with the notion that '10 becomes an uncapped year and there's evidence that there are enough owners to keep it that way as the CBA dissolves permanently. So some clubs are signing deals apparently with this in mind and teams for which money is actually no issue.

 

But once again, we're in the weeds on this one. Signing Brad Butler, Spencer Johnson, Kawika Mitchell, Kyle Williams, etc. to more money than Peters is getting is just wrong!

 

We could lose three of those guys and not have it make the impact that will occur if Peters doesn't play.

 

Peters would have been making much more than he is now with a rookie contract had he come into the league as one of the top two ranked LTs. He came in as mystery meat and as a TE/OL tweener with no experience.

 

HE'S AN EXCEPTION!!!

Hello!

Is there a reason you can not make your case intelligently without trashing anyone who has a different opinion than yours? I don't like name calling on message boards, but you have issues.

[krazykat]

I suppose that the bottom line is that many of you here prefer the way that this team's management has run the team over the last 8 years without a playoff appearance, with only one pathetic 9-7 winning season, and without a playoff win for 12 seasons.

 

That's OK. But a lot of people aren't satisfied with it, including me, and we see exactly why it is occurring and continues to occur since nothing has changed to correct those things besides more of the same.

 

I guess some peoples' standards are just higher than others. Again, which is OK I suppose although difficult to understand in sports where winning and championships are key.

[krazykat]

Is there a reason you can not make your case intelligently without trashing anyone who has a different opinion than yours? I don't like name calling on message boards, but you have issues.

I don't see any name calling in the post you cite.

 

Thin skin?

 

I mean it was intelligently stated and if you are offended by that, then a message board environment probably isn't for you.

[Kelly the Dog]

I was under the impression that Lee Evans' contract expires after next season. When they were drafted, didn't Evans sign for a year longer than Losman (who is still under contract...).

The discrepancy is due to the way the contract was written. It does end after next season, not this one, as you stated. BUT, the last year is a player voidable year, and everyone thinks that Evans will decide to void that year and enter free agency if he is not re-signed by then.

[elegantelliotoffen]

No, I'm not kidding. Cap went up 7% from '07 to this year. It went up just under 7% from '06 to '07. It went up almost 20% from '05 to '06.

 

What's your source on these numbers?

[nucci]

I don't see any name calling in the post you cite.

 

Thin skin?

 

I mean it was intelligently stated and if you are offended by that, then a message board environment probably isn't for you.

I did not mean to imply you were name calling. I was going to but I stopped. Message boards are fine with me and I don't have thin skin. It's people who go on rants and will not accept other's opinions that bother me.

[Kelly the Dog]

What's your source on these numbers?

He's right. They may not be completely accurate but the numbers skyrocketed. Some sources said it jumped 34% in 2005. Mostly all due to the new TV contracts the NFL signed that year.