Wow

[Devin]

I hope we have an amazing draft and can resign some of our guys, by the sounds of it Ralph isnt gonna be much of a force in FA this season.

[OpIv37]

Re: Wow

I hope we have an amazing draft and can resign some of our guys, by the sounds of it Ralph isnt gonna be much of a force in FA this season.

how can he be? Buffalo is a tough sell and we'll have a lot of cap space, but so will a lot of other teams. With the FA market being thin, he won't be able to do much.

That being said, a lot of the rookies have really stepped it up. This team is in a lot better shape than it appeared 2 months ago. If this upcoming draft is anything like the past one, we'll be competing next year.

[Devin]

Re: Wow

how can he be? Buffalo is a tough sell and we'll have a lot of cap space, but so will a lot of other teams. With the FA market being thin, he won't be able to do much.

That being said, a lot of the rookies have really stepped it up. This team is in a lot better shape than it appeared 2 months ago. If this upcoming draft is anything like the past one, we'll be competing next year.

Even if the market was flooded with FA's it wouldnt matter.

btw I recommend you check out the yahoo article on Wilson.

Love him or hate him its still his team, and he appears to say pretty much the Bills wont keep up with the larger teams spending wise.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: Wow

If this upcoming draft is anything like the past one, we'll be competing next year.

Op, I think we are competing right now. All of the teams that we need to will be a favorites, so if they hold to course we might make noise this year. If we had the chance to replay all of our games right now, I think we would win a few more than we have.

[OpIv37]

Re: Wow

Op, I think we are competing right now. All of the teams that we need to will be a favorites, so if they hold to course we might make noise this year. If we had the chance to replay all of our games right now, I think we would win a few more than we have.

well, depends on how you define "competing".

I was referring to competing for a playoff spot. Right now we have an outside chance, but we still have two tough games to win and even if we do that, we need a lot of help. You're right that we've hung in with some good teams, but with a few additions we can upset a couple of those teams and be in the thick of the playoff hunt instead of a long shot.

[ArcticWildMan]

Re: Wow

Relax. The sky isn't falling guys.

Just look at Snyder in Washington if you want to see proof that throwing big bucks to FA's isn't a guarantee of a Super Bowl caliber team.

We are well on the way to building a solid team without a lot of flashy big name FA's that break the bank.

[OpIv37]

Re: Wow

Even if the market was flooded with FA's it wouldnt matter.

btw I recommend you check out the yahoo article on Wilson.

Love him or hate him its still his team, and he appears to say pretty much the Bills wont keep up with the larger teams spending wise.

yeah, my understanding of economics is fairly basic, but it comes down to the fact that there simply isn't as much demand/expendable cash in a city like Buffalo as there is in places like DC. And in the end, that hurts their ability to compete. The NFL has done a great job of creating a system where all teams can compete (compared to MLB, for example), but in the long run, teams like the Bills will be seen as a charity case and owners like Kraft, Snyder and Jones won't stand for it.

But, we just shut out the Dolphins- let's not depress ourselves by discussing economic realities. We can save that discussion for the aftermath of a loss, when we're depressed about the team anyway.

[Nighthawk]

Re: Wow

I hope we have an amazing draft and can resign some of our guys, by the sounds of it Ralph isnt gonna be much of a force in FA this season.

I hear ya. It's sad to say, but it's time for Ralph to go. I'm tired of his whining and he really only cares about his pockets. Hopefully we have a good draft to continue the momentum we have built at the end of the season.

[raphael120]

Re: Wow

good teams are built by the draft anyways...FA's are less important, good for veteran help, best to fill holes, but when you have a young team, building with the draft pays off in the long run...the past 7 years is what happens when you rely on big name FA's...

[jamze132]

Re: Wow

No one can dispute the fact that a player like Steinbach will improve our O-line. We do need to match the high offer for a player of that caliber.

[kernowboy]

Re: Wow

I think in FA the positions we will look at will be LB and OG. This may also change depending what happens with McGahee and Clements.

Two second tier FAs who I like the look of and who could come in and do a job are EJ Henderson (Vikings MLB) and David Diehl (Giants RG). I think the rest of the possible areas of need including the DL, another LB, the OL will come via the draft.

I think a wild card FA who could do a huge job could be TJ Duckett. Signed by Redskins as an emergency cover for Portis, he's had to sit on the bench as Gibbs has gone with the guys more familiar in the system. With Betts having re-signed, he will be cut loose and if McGahee were to be moved because of his attitude/demands, I can see him and A-Train as a smash and smash combo. TJ is quick enough to get to the outside though. Used in the right system he could be devastating.

In the draft I wonder if we are looking at Okoye of Louisville. He'd definitely help the run defence.

[Historian]

Re: Wow

Relax. The sky isn't falling guys.

Just look at Snyder in Washington if you want to see proof that throwing big bucks to FA's isn't a guarantee of a Super Bowl caliber team.

We are well on the way to building a solid team without a lot of flashy big name FA's that break the bank.

Just like the Sabres.

[YardRat]

Re: Wow

Re-signing our own should be a bigger priority than bringing somebody else in. We already know that's Marv's philosophy.

I don't see the Bills being major players in FA, but I'm sure they'll sign a couple of 'no-name' guys that are considered 'second- or third-tier' FA's to contracts that at first most will consider to be too much money.

[John Doe]

Re: Wow

Op, I think we are competing right now. All of the teams that we need to will be a favorites, so if they hold to course we might make noise this year. If we had the chance to replay all of our games right now, I think we would win a few more than we have.

We certainly are competing right now. When there are two games left in the season, the team is winning, and they are still in the playoff hunt, then they are most definately "competing."