Front Office: Vindictive, Harsh, Miserly

[nick in* england]

OK - I'm working overnight, I have some spare time, and I am going to break my 18month+ silence on TBD. Hello Everyone.

 

That Jason Peters was not in camp I was willing to overlook if reported.

That we have messed JP around royally the past few years I could live with, because he's bad more than he's great.

That the team has relocated temporarily to Toronto for 8 games or so I will try to understand.

 

But this Crowell situation is just bizarre to the point I cant even start to understand it. Even Chris Brown on the Bills own website(!?) obliquely questions the decision.

 

The way the Front Office are handling personnel decisions right now is odd - and it can't do much but p*ss off the players, make agents suspicious, and cement the Bills as a miscreant organisation on the fringes of the modern NFL.

 

They have GOT to shore this situation up and fast. If Brandon is being tested, in my view he is failing.

[Captain Hindsight]

OK - I'm working overnight, I have some spare time, and I am going to break my 18month+ silence on TBD. Hello Everyone.

 

That Jason Peters was not in camp I was willing to overlook if reported.

That we have messed JP around royally the past few years I could live with, because he's bad more than he's great.

That the team has relocated temporarily to Toronto for 8 games or so I will try to understand.

 

But this Crowell situation is just bizarre to the point I cant even start to understand it. Even Chris Brown on the Bills own website(!?) obliquely questions the decision.

 

The way the Front Office are handling personnel decisions right now is odd - and it can't do much but p*ss off the players, make agents suspicious, and cement the Bills as a miscreant organisation on the fringes of the modern NFL.

 

They have GOT to shore this situation up and fast. If Brandon is being tested, in my view he is failing.

We dont know the whole staory behing anything especailly crowell or perters. Lets take a wait and see approach here

[OCinBuffalo]

We dont know the whole staory behing anything especailly crowell or perters. Lets take a wait and see approach here

Agreed. Ladies and gentlemen, this season is just beginning. We have 4.5(maybe 5) months of this ahead. All this nervous energy, because we might actually be good, is making everyone including me, a little more on edge than normal at this time of the year.

 

With that said, we need to go out and kick the crap out of the Seahawks. "There is no substitute for victory". Bring your nervous energy to the game, and let it out when we are on D.

[Beerball]

OK - I'm working overnight, I have some spare time, and I am going to break my 18month+ silence on TBD. Hello Everyone.

 

That Jason Peters was not in camp I was willing to overlook if reported.

That we have messed JP around royally the past few years I could live with, because he's bad more than he's great.

That the team has relocated temporarily to Toronto for 8 games or so I will try to understand.

 

But this Crowell situation is just bizarre to the point I cant even start to understand it. Even Chris Brown on the Bills own website(!?) obliquely questions the decision.

 

The way the Front Office are handling personnel decisions right now is odd - and it can't do much but p*ss off the players, make agents suspicious, and cement the Bills as a miscreant organisation on the fringes of the modern NFL.

 

They have GOT to shore this situation up and fast. If Brandon is being tested, in my view he is failing.

Hi Nick, you've been missed!

 

I'll give you my thoughts one by one:

 

Peters--(IMO) has not had contact with team regarding contract, has not had contact with team doctors since surgery. The team made their position clear before TC started and (again, IMO) it was the right position. Come in, play and we'll talk renegotiation. We're only hearing one side of this story and that's because Peters and his agent haven't said squat. Doesn't that strike you as odd?

 

JP--you are correct (IMO). He was mis-handled from day 1.

 

Crowell--this one boggles the mind. Something we don't know about today (IMO) happened with Crowell & a coach/player/FO personnel. Listen to the players reaction to his surgery (before he was placed on IR). They were genuinely surprised and talked about how well he had been practicing. Something happened, hopefully we'll learn the full story at some point.

[nick in* england]

Am I going mad, or was Crowell reported to be particularly good friends with Peters?

[zdro22]

Agreed. Ladies and gentlemen, this season is just beginning. We have 4.5(maybe 5) months of this ahead. All this nervous energy, because we might actually be good, is making everyone including me, a little more on edge than normal at this time of the year.

 

With that said, we need to go out and kick the crap out of the Seahawks. "There is no substitute for victory". Bring your nervous energy to the game, and let it out when we are on D.

 

 

from buffalobills.com chri brown

 

Apparently the Bills coaching staff decided they would be too shorthanded in the 2-4 week window in which Crowell would need to recover and created a roster spot by putting the veteran linebacker on injured reserve.

 

Without Crowell Buffalo has just five linebackers on the active roster and one on the practice squad in Marcus Buggs.

 

Crowell’s decision to have surgery this close the start of the season likely did not sit well with the Bills coaching staff, and their decision to put him on injured reserve, in what is a contract year for the linebacker, likely does not sit well with him.

 

 

what a joke. Is theo goal not to make the playoffs? There is no logic here. Maybe if they brought some legit players in to camp we wouldnt feel so thin. But were stuck with a 6'0 210 safety turned LB from sacred heart as a back up. I hate ellison and i hate this move.

[nick in* england]

Apparently the Bills coaching staff decided they would be too shorthanded in the 2-4 week window in which Crowell would need to recover and created a roster spot by putting the veteran linebacker on injured reserve.

 

Without Crowell Buffalo has just five linebackers on the active roster and one on the practice squad in Marcus Buggs.

 

This I get. 5 LBs isn't enough to go into the season, particularly as you're looking at one of those being Jon Corto.

 

Crowell’s decision to have surgery this close the start of the season likely did not sit well with the Bills coaching staff, and their decision to put him on injured reserve, in what is a contract year for the linebacker, likely does not sit well with him.

 

This is the maddening part. An open admission on the Bills official website that the decision they have taken WILL tick off the player. It smacks of playground politics, for which frankly I have no time. Consider the silent treatment on Peters and its a foolish looking FO right now.

 

Bear in mind - with Peters, he and his agent have been quiet. You might say the Bills FO have been mouthing off in contrast.

[OCinBuffalo]

what a joke. Is theo goal not to make the playoffs? There is no logic here. Maybe if they brought some legit players in to camp we wouldnt feel so thin. But were stuck with a 6'0 210 safety turned LB from sacred heart as a back up. I hate ellison and i hate this move.

Yeah, but you won't care if we are 4-1 at the bye week. Or, 9-5 going into the last 2 games of the season. I'm just sayin'. This isn't great, but we clearly don't know for sure what's happening here. There are 52(+1) other guys that have to play well this Sunday, and Crowell won't have a large effect on that(IMO). Besides, all we can do is wait and see anyway. I'm not saying it doesn't suck, I am saying that if it wasn't this, it would be something else that we'd be tweeked out about.

[krazykat]

The way the Front Office are handling personnel decisions right now is odd -

 

They've been running it poorly since they've been here.

 

Everyone will continue to come up with excuses as to why they're good and forget all of it and continue to give them a pass as they drive the team into the ground. No one that's been supporting this front office has a right to say a damn thing.

 

For everyone else it's just more of the same.

[VOR]

This is the maddening part. An open admission on the Bills official website that the decision they have taken WILL tick off the player. It smacks of playground politics, for which frankly I have no time. Consider the silent treatment on Peters and its a foolish looking FO right now.

 

Bear in mind - with Peters, he and his agent have been quiet. You might say the Bills FO have been mouthing off in contrast.

The silent treatment is on Peters' end. Obviously he/Parker told the Bills "we want this amount, contact us when you want to give it to us THIS year" and that's been it. Can't pin this one on the Bills, when as you say, they've been talking and the other side hasn't.

 

As for Crowell, his decision to have surgery now baffles me. He's set to become an UFA at the end of the year. So the Bills don't want to re-sign him. That means you wait until almost the last possible second and have surgery without anyone knowing you're going to do it or getting their approval? And who is to say that he comes back ready in 4 weeks even.

[kota]

Seriously i wish people would actually look at it from the organizations standpoint instead of the players. People are acting like Angelo Crowell didn't dig his own grave. I hate to break it to people but players have the final say on surgery or not. Chad Johnson was told by the club to get surgery done in January and he didn't do it until around MiniCamp after he made up with the Bengals.

 

Angelo Crowell is the only one to blame in this entire situation. He put the club in a tough spot by stating 3 days before the first game that he needed surgury. Why didn't he have it done during Training camp? Was he afraid he would get cut? Why did he deal with all the rehab on a bum knee if he needed surgery? There are to many questions on his part for the Bills front office to be blamed. I repeat once again PLAYERS HAVE THE FINAL SAY ON SURGERY. When you get scoped it's to either take out scar tissue or to take out floating cartiledge. Both of these are painful but not unplayable. If you tell the Front office you can play they will believe you especially if you perform on the field.

 

Before you scream at the front office look at the roster and tell me who they would cut to keep a LB who just had surgery?

 

5 CB's = NOPE

Steve Johnson or Justin Jenkins = Specials teamers and good potential = NOPE

6 DE's = One of them is a long snapper = NOPE

4 DT's = um no they kept 6 DE's instead of 5 DT's. = NOPE

Matt Murphy = MAYBE but probably will be cut if/once Jason Peters appears.

Demetrius Bell = To much potential = NOPE

Gilbram Hamdan = 2nd string QB next year = NOPE

5 Safeties = NOPE to many special teamers

3 TE's = Um no

 

They didn't much many options if any. Angelo Crowell made his own bed. He is better then all of the other LB's on the bench but i don't think he would be here next year anyway. And i won't miss his missed tackles on Sundays. Before any crys about his high tackle numbers i must state that LB's tend to have the most tackles on teams. Since he was the only bright spot on the LB core last year not exactly hard to look good.

 

pfffttttttttttt....

[DDD]

We dont know the whole staory behing anything especailly crowell or perters. Lets take a wait and see approach here

 

Ditto! I'll add Lee Evans to the "we don't know what's going on behind the scenes" take.

[Lurker]

OK

Let's wait for more information before Oliver Stone-ing....

[Mickey]

Hi Nick, you've been missed!

 

I'll give you my thoughts one by one:

 

Peters--(IMO) has not had contact with team regarding contract, has not had contact with team doctors since surgery. The team made their position clear before TC started and (again, IMO) it was the right position. Come in, play and we'll talk renegotiation. We're only hearing one side of this story and that's because Peters and his agent haven't said squat. Doesn't that strike you as odd?

 

JP--you are correct (IMO). He was mis-handled from day 1.

 

Crowell--this one boggles the mind. Something we don't know about today (IMO) happened with Crowell & a coach/player/FO personnel. Listen to the players reaction to his surgery (before he was placed on IR). They were genuinely surprised and talked about how well he had been practicing. Something happened, hopefully we'll learn the full story at some point.

Brandon himself confirmed that Peters was checked out after the surgery by team doctors. In fact, that is the last time he saw Peters. Brandon has also confirmed that he has had brief discussions with Peters' agent. That means that they have in fact talked and on more than one occasion. We have also had several recent confirmations that the team is not willing to renegotiate his contract for this year. Why is it odd that Peters and his agent haven't had public hissy fits like Brandon did? Warring press conferences is the kind of thing we usually condemn but Peters is being taken to task for not pulling a T.Owens of C.Johnson and creating a public spectacle.

[Mickey]

Seriously i wish people would actually look at it from the organizations standpoint instead of the players. People are acting like Angelo Crowell didn't dig his own grave. I hate to break it to people but players have the final say on surgery or not. Chad Johnson was told by the club to get surgery done in January and he didn't do it until around MiniCamp after he made up with the Bengals.

 

Angelo Crowell is the only one to blame in this entire situation. He put the club in a tough spot by stating 3 days before the first game that he needed surgury. Why didn't he have it done during Training camp? Was he afraid he would get cut? Why did he deal with all the rehab on a bum knee if he needed surgery? There are to many questions on his part for the Bills front office to be blamed. I repeat once again PLAYERS HAVE THE FINAL SAY ON SURGERY. When you get scoped it's to either take out scar tissue or to take out floating cartiledge. Both of these are painful but not unplayable. If you tell the Front office you can play they will believe you especially if you perform on the field.

 

Before you scream at the front office look at the roster and tell me who they would cut to keep a LB who just had surgery?

 

5 CB's = NOPE

Steve Johnson or Justin Jenkins = Specials teamers and good potential = NOPE

6 DE's = One of them is a long snapper = NOPE

4 DT's = um no they kept 6 DE's instead of 5 DT's. = NOPE

Matt Murphy = MAYBE but probably will be cut if/once Jason Peters appears.

Demetrius Bell = To much potential = NOPE

Gilbram Hamdan = 2nd string QB next year = NOPE

5 Safeties = NOPE to many special teamers

3 TE's = Um no

 

They didn't much many options if any. Angelo Crowell made his own bed. He is better then all of the other LB's on the bench but i don't think he would be here next year anyway. And i won't miss his missed tackles on Sundays. Before any crys about his high tackle numbers i must state that LB's tend to have the most tackles on teams. Since he was the only bright spot on the LB core last year not exactly hard to look good.

 

pfffttttttttttt....

Okay Doctor, where did you go to medical school? He met with the team doctors first, what do you think they recommended? Do you think he decided to have surgery at this point, in a contract year, just to tick you off? Could it possibly be that he "chose" surgery because the team's own docs told him it was necessary? Naaw, couldn't be. Far more plausible that he decided to endanger his last and best shot at a big contract for no reason at all.

[Fingon]

I'm pretty sure if you !@#$ed with any NFL organization like Crowell did, the same thing would have happened.

[Buftex]

They've been running it poorly since they've been here.

 

Everyone will continue to come up with excuses as to why they're good and forget all of it and continue to give them a pass as they drive the team into the ground. No one that's been supporting this front office has a right to say a damn thing.

 

For everyone else it's just more of the same.

 

 

It seems a lot of folks have really become fans of shrewd moves, rather than the idea of watching a good football team week in week out, year after year...personally, the Crowell move, to me, wouldn't be so bad, if they had a decent option. I dunno, maybe Ellison can be decent...but he won't be able to replace Crowell. How about Buggs? Kid likes to hit!

[Mickey]

The silent treatment is on Peters' end. Obviously he/Parker told the Bills "we want this amount, contact us when you want to give it to us THIS year" and that's been it. Can't pin this one on the Bills, when as you say, they've been talking and the other side hasn't.

 

As for Crowell, his decision to have surgery now baffles me. He's set to become an UFA at the end of the year. So the Bills don't want to re-sign him. That means you wait until almost the last possible second and have surgery without anyone knowing you're going to do it or getting their approval? And who is to say that he comes back ready in 4 weeks even.

Isn't "we want a new contract this year" talking? If not, what is it? Verbal silence? Non-negotiating negotiating? The team has made it very clear, no new deal this year, period. Peters clearly wants a deal this year and if not, is willing to hold out for a long time.

[Mickey]

I'm pretty sure if you !@#$ed with any NFL organization like Crowell did, the same thing would have happened.

I'm sorry, do you mean that getting hurt constitutes $@#$@#$ with an NFL organization? Wow, you must really hate Everett. Getting hurt like that first game. What a jerk.

[Mickey]

It seems a lot of folks have really become fans of shrewd moves, rather than the idea of watching a good football team week in week out, year after year...personally, the Crowell move, to me, wouldn't be so bad, if they had a decent option. I dunno, maybe Ellison can be decent...but he won't be able to replace Crowell. How about Buggs? Kid likes to hit!

To much playing Madden in GM mode.