Alphadawg7 Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 So, I think Ralph and the FO deserves some respect and even an apology from some of the doom and gloomers on here spouting out some of the ridiculous statements. Its time for some of you to eat some crow and own up to the fact that most of your outrageous claims really were unfair and hold no weight. My 3 favorites are Ralph is cheap, Ralph is trying to sell the team, and the offseasons never provide hope because Ralph doesnt care about winning...well lets look at the last 3 offseasons, including this one... 2 years ago, our O Line was one of the worst in football, Ralph paid big time money for 2 of the top OL Free Agents on the market. Our O Line was much improved from this, not great, but much improved. He spent big money to fix our biggest need. Lots of people were excited from these moves... Last year, we sign some key Free Agents, but most importantly we trade for Stroud. Again, big time player and created lots of buzz and more evidence Ralph wants to win. Plus we paid to keep Evans long term... This year, we have been real aggressive in the Free Agent market bringing lots of players in for a visit and aggresively went after Coles too. People are screaming though we didnt sign someone yet and making claims we NEVER do and that the off season is ALWAYS boring (clearly they have short term memories). Then Ralph ponies up and brings in the biggest name in Free Agency in TO. So for the THIRD off season in a row, there is tremendous buzz and excitement (and its not even over) and Ralph has once again spent money and took risks. So, IMO, he deserves some credit and so does the FO. He clearly isnt cheap and wants to win, and he is in NO WAY trying to sell the team... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTS Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 You'd think a few years of you so-called "strong" offseasons would lead to at least one playoff game. Talk to me when that happens, until then, Ralph and his hybrid marketing/football staff do just enough to sell RWS out. No more, no less. Yes, I think the T.O. move was just for marketing. That said, they are better offensively today than they were yesterday so I'm excited but not ready to say the front office is finally serious about winning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 So, I think Ralph and the FO deserves some respect and even an apology from some of the doom and gloomers on here spouting out some of the ridiculous statements. Its time for some of you to eat some crow and own up to the fact that most of your outrageous claims really were unfair and hold no weight. My 3 favorites are Ralph is cheap, Ralph is trying to sell the team, and the offseasons never provide hope because Ralph doesnt care about winning...well lets look at the last 3 offseasons, including this one... 2 years ago, our O Line was one of the worst in football, Ralph paid big time money for 2 of the top OL Free Agents on the market. Our O Line was much improved from this, not great, but much improved. He spent big money to fix our biggest need. Lots of people were excited from these moves... Last year, we sign some key Free Agents, but most importantly we trade for Stroud. Again, big time player and created lots of buzz and more evidence Ralph wants to win. Plus we paid to keep Evans long term... This year, we have been real aggressive in the Free Agent market bringing lots of players in for a visit and aggresively went after Coles too. People are screaming though we didnt sign someone yet and making claims we NEVER do and that the off season is ALWAYS boring (clearly they have short term memories). Then Ralph ponies up and brings in the biggest name in Free Agency in TO. So for the THIRD off season in a row, there is tremendous buzz and excitement (and its not even over) and Ralph has once again spent money and took risks. So, IMO, he deserves some credit and so does the FO. He clearly isnt cheap and wants to win, and he is in NO WAY trying to sell the team... Ignoring the passrush for 3 straight yrs doesnt translate into any congratulations(or wins) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynical Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 So, I think Ralph and the FO deserves some respect and even an apology from some of the doom and gloomers on here spouting out some of the ridiculous statements. Its time for some of you to eat some crow and own up to the fact that most of your outrageous claims really were unfair and hold no weight. My 3 favorites are Ralph is cheap, Ralph is trying to sell the team, and the offseasons never provide hope because Ralph doesnt care about winning...well lets look at the last 3 offseasons, including this one... 2 years ago, our O Line was one of the worst in football, Ralph paid big time money for 2 of the top OL Free Agents on the market. Our O Line was much improved from this, not great, but much improved. He spent big money to fix our biggest need. Lots of people were excited from these moves... Looks like you "forgot" to mention they cut loose one of those "top free agents" this past off season, so we are still trying to "fix it". Nor do you mention they were "fixing" their "fix" from the previous off season. And while our biggest need got "fixed", our record still did not improve. Last year, we sign some key Free Agents, but most importantly we trade for Stroud. Again, big time player and created lots of buzz and more evidence Ralph wants to win. Plus we paid to keep Evans long term... Other than Mitchell, name the remaining "key" free agents. This year, we have been real aggressive in the Free Agent market bringing lots of players in for a visit and aggresively went after Coles too. People are screaming though we didnt sign someone yet and making claims we NEVER do and that the off season is ALWAYS boring (clearly they have short term memories). Then Ralph ponies up and brings in the biggest name in Free Agency in TO. So for the THIRD off season in a row, there is tremendous buzz and excitement (and its not even over) and Ralph has once again spent money and took risks. So, IMO, he deserves some credit and so does the FO. He clearly isnt cheap and wants to win, and he is in NO WAY trying to sell the team... I have never doubted his desire to win (because he really does want to win), he just isn't the best decision maker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 They have made lots of bad decisions through the years, decisions that didn't pan out, like the signing of Triplett, Dockery, Royal and etc. etc., but that doesn't mean that they didn't have a committment to winning. I believe they do want to field the best possible team, and they have spent the money over the years in order to TRY to achieve this. This signing definitely tells me that they are making a push. As a fan, that is what I'm looking for out of the team that I pull for. They havn't been too successful over the years in the decisions they have made, but never was it because of a lack of trying to field a good team. I give them lots of credit from this signing. It has brought back excitement, relevance and a huge upgrade at the WR spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Ignoring the passrush for 3 straight yrs doesnt translate into any congratulations(or wins) If you remember 2 years ago, going into the 2007 season. We were optimistic of our DE's. 2006 We had 40 sacks, which was well above the league average. Schobel had a probowl year, Kelsay had a good year by his standards, We had what most of us believed to have a very solid 4 man DE rotation with Hargrove added to the mix. Last year we were decimated with injuries with Schobel, Hargrove Suspended, and we had no pass rush. So now, we definitely have to address it. But let's not forget what happened So to say 3 straight years is inaccurate. agreed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvermike Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Ralph's not too cheap to win, I don't believe that. But the fact remains that the Bills have whiffed on most major acquisitions except for Walker and Stroud. We'll see how it goes with Owens now, but I'm glad Ralph is at least swinging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 So, IMO, he deserves some credit and so does the FO. He clearly isnt cheap and wants to win, and he is in NO WAY trying to sell the team... hard to buy into your logic here. If the Bills had such great offseasons why are they on a treadmil of 7-9? Also, the Bills were lapped by the rest of the AFC East last year. I will try to keep it positive here because i think the Billas are trying to improve. As I have said in other posts thier improvement rests on three key foundational pieces: Trent Edwards must improve (maybe T.O. helps with this because he can get open or help Lee get open) The Bills offensive system and Schonert's play calling must improve The defensive line has to generate a pass rush If these three things do not happen the Bills will have a long and difficult season. In the mean time let's hang in there and give the new edition the Bills a chance to show us what they have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 hard to buy into your logic here. If the Bills had such great offseasons why are they on a treadmil of 7-9? Also, the Bills were lapped by the rest of the AFC East last year. I will try to keep it positive here because i think the Billas are trying to improve. As I have said in other posts thier improvement rests on three key foundational pieces: Trent Edwards must improve (maybe T.O. helps with this because he can get open or help Lee get open) The Bills offensive system and Schonert's play calling must improve The defensive line has to generate a pass rush If these three things do not happen the Bills will have a long and difficult season. In the mean time let's hang in there and give the new edition the Bills a chance to show us what they have. No one is saying that the Bills has had great offseasons. No doubt that there have been many decisions that havn't panned out. The point that is being made is that there is a committment in trying to improve the team. Clearly there has been, all these posts that Ralph is cheap are ridiculous and really is a reflection of how disappointed fans are towards Buffalos mediocre and lackluster play through out the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphadawg7 Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 No one is saying that the Bills has had great offseasons. No doubt that there have been many decisions that havn't panned out. The point that is being made is that there is a committment in trying to improve the team. Clearly there has been, all these posts that Ralph is cheap are ridiculous and really is a reflection of how disappointed fans are towards Buffalos mediocre and lackluster play through out the years. Exactly, I said there was reason to be excited 3 offseasons straight where as others were constantly claiming we never do anything in the offseason. No one makes the right decision every time, but the fact remains, Ralph and the FO have been trying to put a winning product on the field and the cries he is cheap or doesnt want to win are absurd. So many posters on here think its so easy to draft and sign productive players. The funniest thing is many of these ARM CHAIR Gm's were screaming for us to sign people like WR's J. Porter and Reggie Williams last year...look at how bad those signing were for other teams...its not so easy...give the FO some slack, they are being aggressive each year is the freaking point... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 So many posters on here think its so easy to draft and sign productive players. The funniest thing is many of these ARM CHAIR Gm's were screaming for us to sign people like Joey Porter and Reggie Williams last year...look at how bad those signing were for other teams...its not so easy...give the FO some slack, they are being aggressive each year is the freaking point... Well, Porter did have 17.5 sacks last year, I'm just sayin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphadawg7 Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 Well, Porter did have 17.5 sacks last year, I'm just sayin'. My bad, I meant the WR Porter...I fixed it... My point was, people really wanted us to sign Bryant, Porter and Williams last year, all of which were busts with the teams that signed them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphadawg7 Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 If you remember 2 years ago, going into the 2007 season. We were optimistic of our DE's. 2006 We had 40 sacks, which was well above the league average. Schobel had a probowl year, Kelsay had a good year by his standards, We had what most of us believed to have a very solid 4 man DE rotation with Hargrove added to the mix. Last year we were decimated with injuries with Schobel, Hargrove Suspended, and we had no pass rush. So now, we definitely have to address it. But let's not forget what happened So to say 3 straight years is inaccurate. agreed? Agreed...good posts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphadawg7 Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 They have made lots of bad decisions through the years, decisions that didn't pan out, like the signing of Triplett, Dockery, Royal and etc. etc., but that doesn't mean that they didn't have a committment to winning. I believe they do want to field the best possible team, and they have spent the money over the years in order to TRY to achieve this. This signing definitely tells me that they are making a push. As a fan, that is what I'm looking for out of the team that I pull for. They havn't been too successful over the years in the decisions they have made, but never was it because of a lack of trying to field a good team. I give them lots of credit from this signing. It has brought back excitement, relevance and a huge upgrade at the WR spot. wow, agreeing again...what is going on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsZubaz Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Ignoring the passrush for 3 straight yrs doesnt translate into any congratulations(or wins) 1. They used a 3rd round pick last year on a Pass rushing DE (Ellis) who hasn't come around yet (if he does). 2. They traded for Marcus Stroud to shore up the run game and absorb blockers to help the pass rush. 3. They sign Mitchell a good pass rushing linebacker. 4. The bills All pro DE Aaron Schobel was injured for effectively the entire season last year (which no one could predict would occur). I don't think they have completely ignored the Defensive line or the pass rush the past three years. Maybe they haven't done what you would have wanted. But they did not completely ignore it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphadawg7 Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 1. They used a 3rd round pick last year on a Pass rushing DE (Ellis) who hasn't come around yet (if he does).2. They traded for Marcus Stroud to shore up the run game and absorb blockers to help the pass rush. 3. They sign Mitchell a good pass rushing linebacker. 4. The bills All pro DE Aaron Schobel was injured for effectively the entire season last year (which no one could predict would occur). I don't think they have completely ignored the Defensive line or the pass rush the past three years. Maybe they haven't done what you would have wanted. But they did not completely ignore it. excellent points...its always interesting how fans open the papers up and see low sack totals last year, then with no merit start shouting we have ignored the pass rush which is no where near the truth if you look at our moves... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Cat Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Yes, I think the T.O. move was just for marketing. That said, they are better offensively today than they were yesterday so I'm excited but not ready to say the front office is finally serious about winning. Geeze, you've even managed to disagree with yourself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphadawg7 Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 Geeze, you've even managed to disagree with yourself! ha, LMAO... nice find He totally contradicts himself in that post... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsZubaz Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Geeze, you've even managed to disagree with yourself! HAHAHA. Great catch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lets_go_bills Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Strong? Not quite. But it has been pretty good. I will call it a productive offseason if we bring in a starting OLB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Strong? Not quite. But it has been pretty good. I will call it a productive offseason if we bring in a starting OLB. soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonidas Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 So, I think Ralph and the FO deserves some respect and even an apology from some of the doom and gloomers on here spouting out some of the ridiculous statements. Its time for some of you to eat some crow and own up to the fact that most of your outrageous claims really were unfair and hold no weight. My 3 favorites are Ralph is cheap, Ralph is trying to sell the team, and the offseasons never provide hope because Ralph doesnt care about winning...well lets look at the last 3 offseasons, including this one... 2 years ago, our O Line was one of the worst in football, Ralph paid big time money for 2 of the top OL Free Agents on the market. Our O Line was much improved from this, not great, but much improved. He spent big money to fix our biggest need. Lots of people were excited from these moves... Last year, we sign some key Free Agents, but most importantly we trade for Stroud. Again, big time player and created lots of buzz and more evidence Ralph wants to win. Plus we paid to keep Evans long term... This year, we have been real aggressive in the Free Agent market bringing lots of players in for a visit and aggresively went after Coles too. People are screaming though we didnt sign someone yet and making claims we NEVER do and that the off season is ALWAYS boring (clearly they have short term memories). Then Ralph ponies up and brings in the biggest name in Free Agency in TO. So for the THIRD off season in a row, there is tremendous buzz and excitement (and its not even over) and Ralph has once again spent money and took risks. So, IMO, he deserves some credit and so does the FO. He clearly isnt cheap and wants to win, and he is in NO WAY trying to sell the team... Amen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrFishfinder Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 So, I think Ralph and the FO deserves some respect and even an apology from some of the doom and gloomers on here spouting out some of the ridiculous statements. Its time for some of you to eat some crow and own up to the fact that most of your outrageous claims really were unfair and hold no weight. My 3 favorites are Ralph is cheap, Ralph is trying to sell the team, and the offseasons never provide hope because Ralph doesnt care about winning...well lets look at the last 3 offseasons, including this one... 2 years ago, our O Line was one of the worst in football, Ralph paid big time money for 2 of the top OL Free Agents on the market. Our O Line was much improved from this, not great, but much improved. He spent big money to fix our biggest need. Lots of people were excited from these moves... Last year, we sign some key Free Agents, but most importantly we trade for Stroud. Again, big time player and created lots of buzz and more evidence Ralph wants to win. Plus we paid to keep Evans long term... This year, we have been real aggressive in the Free Agent market bringing lots of players in for a visit and aggresively went after Coles too. People are screaming though we didnt sign someone yet and making claims we NEVER do and that the off season is ALWAYS boring (clearly they have short term memories). Then Ralph ponies up and brings in the biggest name in Free Agency in TO. So for the THIRD off season in a row, there is tremendous buzz and excitement (and its not even over) and Ralph has once again spent money and took risks. So, IMO, he deserves some credit and so does the FO. He clearly isnt cheap and wants to win, and he is in NO WAY trying to sell the team... I don't know who the real brain trust was behind the TO move, but at least Ralph spent the jing and the team is doing something to improve the missing link on offense. At the very least, this will take the double coverage off of Evans, and that alone ought to improve the offense. Not the perfect choice, but then again, there wasn't a perfect choice out there. Offense is immediately improved, even if they return to The Bickering Bills of the 90's. I am actually looking forward to this season, when I didn't think that was possible! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Exactly, I said there was reason to be excited 3 offseasons straight where as others were constantly claiming we never do anything in the offseason. No one makes the right decision every time, but the fact remains, Ralph and the FO have been trying to put a winning product on the field and the cries he is cheap or doesnt want to win are absurd. So many posters on here think its so easy to draft and sign productive players. The funniest thing is many of these ARM CHAIR Gm's were screaming for us to sign people like WR's J. Porter and Reggie Williams last year...look at how bad those signing were for other teams...its not so easy...give the FO some slack, they are being aggressive each year is the freaking point... I understand and can even applaud your desire to keep things upbeat here but you missed the point of my earlier post. While there have been rare exceptions, teams must have excellent QB play to win consistently. Trent Edwards has to take a big step forward this year if the Bills are to do the same. The Bills must also find a passs rush. They caould have signed Owens and Whoseyourmamma and it would not have mattered if Trent does not take it to the next level. No to mention the D will take major steps back if they can't generate a pass rush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphadawg7 Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 I understand and can even applaud your desire to keep things upbeat here but you missed the point of my earlier post. While there have been rare exceptions, teams must have excellent QB play to win consistently. Trent Edwards has to take a big step forward this year if the Bills are to do the same. The Bills must also find a passs rush. They caould have signed Owens and Whoseyourmamma and it would not have mattered if Trent does not take it to the next level. No to mention the D will take major steps back if they can't generate a pass rush. You and I are on the same page here big time with Trent. Our combined subpar QB play between JP and Trent the second half of the year is the reason we missed the playoffs...better, heck even average QB play would have netted us 4 or 5 more wins easy (Cle, Mia twice, NE, SF, Jets)...all games we should have won if it wasnt for inept QB play in those games... So, I am pulling for Trent this year to step and be the man everyone thinks he can be. No more excuses, he has to put it together on the field this year for us to be legit. If Trent can step up and progress into a good QB this year, then we are playoff team with or without TO, but with TO, we have the makings of a potent offense as long as Trent makes those strides... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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