Dr. Trooth Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Fans with an IQ of less than 30 (which seems to be about 65% of them) seem to think it's been a great offseason. They drank the the fresh batch of koolaid Russ served up and rushed to get their season tix. TO is gonna lead them to the promised land. Guess they don't know the difference between street theater and what it takes to build a sound and winning football program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2003Contenders Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Has the off-season been perfect? No, there are still spots to fill. However, some points I would make: 1. Hangartner is NOT a backup. He played well for Carolina, and they wanted him back but couldn't re-sign him due to cap problems after tagging Peppers. I believe that he will be an upgrade over Preston/Fowler. 2. I think the TO signing trumps anything else they could have done to help the staggering offense. Provided that Owens doesn't turn old overnight, he and Lee form one of the best starting WR tandems in the league. And, now that Reed is the #3, he suddenly becomes an even better asset. 3. By releasing Dockery, the team did seemingly create a new hole. However, given that they released him because he was vastly overpaid for his contributions, it was decidedly addition by subtraction. I am not convinced that the team is done looking for interior line help. I expect that they will take a long look at a C that can also play G in the first 3-4 rounds of the draft. Moreover, there are still options in free agency. Worst case scenario: I can live with Chambers as the opening day starting LG, but the team certainly needs additional depth. 4. Not sure why everyone is so up in arms over Greer being allowed to leave. The fact of the matter is that either Greer or McGee were bound to leave regardless. If Greer could have been had at an economic value, then he would have been retained, which would have sealed McGee's fate heading into next year. I liked Greer, but I am fine with the guys we have: McKelvin/McGee/Florence/Youboty/Corner. 5. I agree that the team has not adequately addressed the need at OLB. It could be that they are waiting for the draft, as rookie LBs, like RBs, tend to produce right away more so than other positions. I don't think they view Thomas as a viable starter -- and probably signed him for depth and for special teams. I know there are still a couple of guys out there in free agency too (like Cato). 6. The real wild card remains Jason Peters. If they can't resign him -- and suddenly we have two major hols on the left side of the line (not to mention a new starter at Center), things could get ugly fast. Personally, I think that a deal will get done, since the Bills are at least open to redoing his deal and have already presented a proposal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonidas Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 From John Clayton: Q: My Chiefs need a new OC,OG, and probably a RT. Why not give LeCharles Bentley a look? He's still fairly young, and was dominant before that injury. From what I understand, he should be ready to play. Where is Bentley right now? Is his career over? A: Talking to Bentley a couple of weeks ago, I got the feeling that the Bills are interested in him. The Chiefs might be, too. Obviously, his knee problems would be a concern. With the infection he suffered in the knee, he doesn't have full motion, but he is confident the knee is good enough to play. He's worth a look. Bentley does need to get in an offseason program as early as possible as long as he is healthy. He's all football. He's running a training academy trying to help young athletes learn football, particularly young offensive linemen. Because of the problems with his knee, he wasn't going to be involved in the first, second or third wave of free agency. Now, half the free-agent list is gone. It's time for the Bentleys of the world to get their test drives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfreak Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 hangartner is a starter, he started for that good carolina running game. So two starters. but we do only have enough money left under the cap for our draft, so, maybe we couldnt afford any more. I think we tried to get a OLB but none had the right price He started some games but wasn't their "starter", he was a fill in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonidas Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Fans with an IQ of less than 30 (which seems to be about 65% of them) seem to think it's been a great offseason. They drank the the fresh batch of koolaid Russ served up and rushed to get their season tix. TO is gonna lead them to the promised land. Guess they don't know the difference between street theater and what it takes to build a sound and winning football program. Coaching? Because that - aside from a serious DE and a few fill-in positions (OLB, LG, TE) - is what we're really lacking. Are you telling me Belichick couldn't take our team to the playoffs, maybe even deep into the playoffs? You'd only be kidding yourself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 He started some games but wasn't their "starter", he was a fill in. True, but there was no drop-off in performance. Ask any Panthers fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 hangartner is a starter, he started for that good carolina running game. So two starters. but we do only have enough money left under the cap for our draft, so, maybe we couldnt afford any more. I think we tried to get a OLB but none had the right price Hangartner was not good enough to start for Carolina which is why they went and drafted a real C in the 2nd round - thus making him expendable. He is no better than what we had last year - and will look even worse with a gaping hole next to him at LG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Don't get me wrong Sorry, no can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hangartner was not good enough to start for Carolina which is why they went and drafted a real C in the 2nd round - thus making him expendable. He is no better than what we had last year - and will look even worse with a gaping hole next to him at LG The problem is that "real center" has missed quite a few games for them, and when he was invariably replaced by Hangartner, the Panthers didn't missed a beat. And there has been a gaping hole at LG for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 He is no better than what we had last year - Sadly, the same could be said for TSW.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GR8PRKN Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hangartner is going to start at center.. what planet are you living on? Who else is going to take tat if he does not? That ia why he is here, Trent said it today!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlbillsfan1975 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hangartner was a back up, who got to show his talents. Carolina could not afford to pay him because they have a lot of money tied up on the line. So another team that needs a starter pays him. He produces at a starters level this year. It happens all the time in the NFL guys. Micheal Turner last year is a very good example. Sorry if you cant see how it works. But it does work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuffMuff Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Don't get me wrong, i love the pickup of TO.....But now time has gone by and it's settiled in, and I dont see how this team is much better than last year. With or without Peters, our offensive line is very suspect. They cut Dockery and they had no center on the roster, and all they've done is bring in this Hangartner guy..I'm not very confident in the whole line. If you are going to cut Dockery, then get someone in here BETTER than Dockery. If not don't make another hole on your roster that you cant fill, when you arent getting much salary cap relief by releasing him. Pre Crowell injury which was a few days before the season, a LB core last year of Crowell, Poz and Mitchell is better than Poz, Mitchell and ?Thomas? I feel LB is a glaring need of this team. Especially with the Def Line the Bills have. And they havent done anything at DE either. Who is getting to the QB on this roster? I'd also take Jabari Greer over Florence...And im not sure it's that close. Greer was their best cornerback last year. Royal wasn't great, but he was better than what they have now...By the way, what is with the Bills and TE's? Why can't they ever get a decent option at the position? Their 1st and 2nd round picks in the draft should help 2 of the areas of need. Unless they draft another Hardy or McCargo... Even at QB, i'm no fan of Losman at all, but i think i'd rather have him than Fitzpatrick...At least he'd be able to throw up air balls to TO and Evans all day if Trent got hurt... The question is....Is TO and basically nothing else, leaving all the holes they have left unfilled, a successful year in FA? or would they have been better off without 1 year of TO, and instead getting a LB and C in here, and adding a Galloway or Toomer at WR. I feel if they were serious about improving the team, especially after they lured TO in to a 1 year deal, they would have went and signed a Crowell and maybe a Birk and really took a run at it this year. As they stand now, i see TO as a 1 year distraction to the fans as the team settles for another .500 season hey good thread.... no time to go through the + pages of responses - heres mine. I agree completely but I dont think Losman ever even won one game so changing up is better. He was here how many years then he cant even win a game or two.. That sucks, I expected him to play better then he did. He had several game starts a head of times. Filling in during the game sucks, but I expect more there too. your right on DL and LB and CB, no doubt. We need help all those places this year - where is it? I say we go TE first round, A we have a chance to get the best player at his position and B - we need a TE and C- maybe we out score somebody! With all these O weapons. Ha! Do we play Cleveland? Oh wait, we cant bet those clowns either.. Ahhggghehehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hangartner was a back up, who got to show his talents. Carolina could not afford to pay him because they have a lot of money tied up on the line. So another team that needs a starter pays him. He produces at a starters level this year. It happens all the time in the NFL guys. Micheal Turner last year is a very good example. Sorry if you cant see how it works. But it does work. Hangartner proved he was not good enough to start for a playoff team. they replaced him and let him go when his contract expired. that does not make him a bona fide NFL center he may be a starter for the Bills but only because the bar for OL in Buffalo is set so low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I couldn’t agree with you more...most games are won or lost in the trenches and we haven’t even begun to address any of our weaknesses except WR with TO. Yes we have signed a few 2nd and 3 rd tier players. But we need starters..I can’t believe we let Crowell ( 140 +/- tackles in ’07..) get away and then turn around and sign Thomas? Why not Keiaho or Cato June? After watching this team malfunction the last few years, I am convinced the FO has no clue on how to win and we go another year with a loosing coach.. ouch they just dont get it RE: the trenches. And people on here are hoping for Schobel to get healthy....sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 John, how can you say that you don't agree with most of what i said, but then say you fault the team for not signing a Guard, and then a LB. That is EXACTLY what I said. I feel the same as you, you just named the names of the guys available. But my point is that Cato June, Goff or Simmons are NOT on the Bills roster...Neither is Crowell, Keiaho, Peterson, or any other player they brought in for a visit. They havent done enough to make the team a playoff team. Yeah I didnt state that right......I dont agree with your assessment of Hangarter but the rest of it we pretty much agree......I just a not ready to panic just yet provided they do make moves before the start of the season that files the blatant holes on this team......right now we are swiss cheese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndirish1978 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 To me they have not done a bad job so far this offseason..1. TO...nuff said 2. Starting Center in Hangartner 3. Backup QB to replace J.P. who got plenty of playing time last year..ask TJ Houshmandzadah 4. Increased the interest in the Bills by fans and national media and sold some tickets in the process So far so good. I have to give the GM Brandon some love so far If they sign Peters, and I think they will before training camp starts, this will be a pretty good offseason Plus we have the draft next month to upgrade the D-line , TE and O-line. Cant wait for the draft.....the real way to upgrade your team Ummm, no. This offseason has done nothing much to improve a team that crumbled last year due to terrible blocking and an anemic pass rush. We have holes at LG, WLB, DE (take your pick, Schobel is done), and TE. We have done virtually nothing to help our team. See how much love TO gives the offense when the OL can't give Edwards enough time to take a five step drop. You can't go into the draft knowing you NEED 3 starters. The offseason is an unmitigated disaster. I won't give Brandon anything other than a swift kick in the pants. We need to pick up at LEAST 1 starter in FA. That could be at LG or LB, but we are still going to need a DE and TE in the draft that can start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlbillsfan1975 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hangartner proved he was not good enough to start for a playoff team. they replaced him and let him go when his contract expired. that does not make him a bona fide NFL center he may be a starter for the Bills but only because the bar for OL in Buffalo is set so low. That is your way of looking at it. But i would argue it was that they had players in place under longer contracts and his was up. Carolina could not pay him when his contract came up. So they had to let him go. Just like what happened to Greer here in Buffalo. Bills couldn't pay three corners starter money. When the Bills drafted McKelvin last year it signaled Greers end was near. Just like in Carolina when they drafted Khalil last year in the second. We can agree to disagree about this. But the season will tell. How well does Hangartner do this year, and the line as a whole. If they improve then i am right. If he turns out to be worse then what the Bills had then you are right. But just saying he is a back up is a very simplistic way of looking at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hangartner proved he was not good enough to start for a playoff team. they replaced him and let him go when his contract expired. that does not make him a bona fide NFL center he may be a starter for the Bills but only because the bar for OL in Buffalo is set so low. Please stop making things up. The Panthers did not "replace him." Currently they have NO ONE to replace him and it will bite them WHEN (not IF) Kalil gets injured again, much less either of their OG's. And they "didn't let him go," he was an UFA who they wanted back badly, but had ZERO cap room to keep him. As for "prov[ing] he was not good enough to start for a playoff team," he did no such thing. In reality, he proved that he could play just as capably as the regular starters. But the proof will be in the pudding, as they say. I don't believe the Bills are done addressing LG, or OLB for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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