do you let go royal next year?

[trapezeus]

do we keep gaines and let go royal?

Seems like gaines is much cheaper and makes the same key drops and has decent coverage. but if the bills do try and get a TE in the draft, is Royal an expense that the bills can do without?

[OpIv37]

I think we can do without Royal, but if we cut him I hope it's because we draft a TE or sign someone in FA.

I'm really hoping we throw piles of cash at Dallas Clarke, but I doubt we'll ever have a realistic shot at him.

[Mahdi]

do we keep gaines and let go royal?

Seems like gaines is much cheaper and makes the same key drops and has decent coverage. but if the bills do try and get a TE in the draft, is Royal an expense that the bills can do without?
I think Royal would be a good complimetary TE to a good, fast, receiving TE. He can make plays in the passing game but he cant be relied on as a primary target. However with the attention a receiving TE would get lining up Royal on the other side of the formation would make for a good secondary receiving option that wont get much coverage. It would also allow us to run to Royal's side more freely since defenses will have to respect the receiving TE's side more, combined with Royal's good blocking it would be an advantage.

[trapezeus]

am i crazy to think that gaines is just as productive and useful as Royal? i understand what you guys are saying about a 2nd TE to get open with a real TE taking a lot of the focus.

[Kerr]

Dump Royal. Sign Ben Troupe. More of an upgrade.

[Mahdi]

Dump Royal. Sign Ben Troupe. More of an upgrade.
Sure Troupe would be an upgrade but there are better prospects coming out in the draft IMO.

[Kerr]

Sure Troupe would be an upgrade but there are better prospects coming out in the draft IMO.

They can still draft a TE. They need 3 on the roster. Draft pick, Troupe and Gaines.

[OpIv37]

am i crazy to think that gaines is just as productive and useful as Royal? i understand what you guys are saying about a 2nd TE to get open with a real TE taking a lot of the focus.

I think Gaines is just as good as Royal- or pretty close- for cheaper. Cutting Royal won't be a huge loss, especially if we get Schouman back. But my point is that we need to upgrade the position one way or the other.

[Mahdi]

They can still draft a TE. They need 3 on the roster. Draft pick, Troupe and Gaines.
Right but you only need 1 receiving TE and one blocking TE... why pay Troupe?

[Kerr]

Right but you only need 1 receiving TE and one blocking TE... why pay Troupe?

I think you need 2 good receiving TE's and at least a good blocker. If one of them goes down with an injury, then what?

Troupe hasn't established himself as elite yet, but he's good solid hands and can run after the catch. Gaines is a better blocker than receiver. A draft pick is insurance for Troupe while they develop.

[Mahdi]

I think you need 2 good receiving TE's and at least a good blocker. If one of them goes down with an injury, then what?

Troupe hasn't established himself as elite yet, but he's good solid hands and can run after the catch. Gaines is a better blocker than receiver. A draft pick is insurance for Troupe while they develop.
Yeah but in the cap era you cant double up on every position. Sure it would be great to have to receiving TEs but if you think about it how much playing time would Troupe get in that situation? Maybe in 3 TE sets which rarely occurs. Otherwise it would be the draft pick and Royal most of the time. You cant pay guys to play in 5 plays a game.

[Kerr]

Yeah but in the cap era you cant double up on every position. Sure it would be great to have to receiving TEs but if you think about it how much playing time would Troupe get in that situation? Maybe in 3 TE sets which rarely occurs. Otherwise it would be the draft pick and Royal most of the time. You cant pay guys to play in 5 plays a game.


Troupe would start with Gaines behind him and the draft pick. IFor exampke, Indy doesn't run a 3 TE set very often, but all their TE's get significant playing time.

[Mahdi]

Troupe would start with Gaines behind him and the draft pick. IFor exampke, Indy doesn't run a 3 TE set very often, but all their TE's get significant playing time.
Thats true but they drafted all those guys,,, they're not paying them much and im certain that once they're FA Indi wont re-sign them.

[njsue]

Royal made too many stupid plays IMO for him to remain a Bill next season.

[Kerr]

Thats true but they drafted all those guys,,, they're not paying them much and im certain that once they're FA Indi wont re-sign them.


The bears have Greg Olson and Desmond Clark-2 receiving TE's. I don't think it really matters as long as you can upgrade the position w/o paying too much. The bills didn't sign the top guard and tackle in FA last season for their offense. They signed Dockery and Walker. They were middle of the pack, but they've repsonded. This is why I don't think the Bills will go after the top tier FA's this year either. They don't like to spend too much. You can probably forget about Dallas Clark and LJ Smith.

[blackonyx89]

Dump the 2 of them,Gaines and Royal.

[Night Train]

Dump the 2 of them Gaines and Royal.

I'm in agreement. Royal bombed and Gains was a street FA. It wouldn't take much to bump both of them.

If Edwards throws the ball to the TE, I don't wish to see 2 out of 3 dropped or bobbled. Find one decent FA type and Draft another. Quit settling.

[Philagape]

If we stay in-house for an OC and run the same or similar system, I'd keep him as a No. 2. We carry 4-5 TEs anyway in lieu of a FB; Schouman would be the third.

[The Jokeman]

Dump Royal. Sign Ben Troupe. More of an upgrade.
Troupe isn't even starting in Tennessee. In fact he has a combined 18 receptions over the last two seasons compared to Royal's 45. While I agree we need to find a better TE let's not just throw out names because we recognize them. The best receiving Tight End in UFA will either be Eric Johnson or Dallas Clark.

[Albany,n.y.]

Dump the 2 of them,Gaines and Royal.
They are both very unsound fundamentally. Both make too many mistakes. Gaines' negatives are why he was on the street before we signed him week 2.
The guy was the one who messed up the Dallas onside kick. He's in on too many plays where he makes a mistake. Royal is the rich man's Gaines. Too many drops & bonehead decisions. Make next year's TE group Schouman & 2 new players.

[patmoran2006]

if we sign ONLY one "big" free agent this offseason: I hope it's Dallas Clark.

Sign Clark, draft a quality WR in round one and you're offense has the makings of a playoff-calibre unit.

[The Jokeman]

if we sign ONLY one "big" free agent this offseason: I hope it's Dallas Clark.

Sign Clark, draft a quality WR in round one and you're offense has the makings of a playoff-calibre unit.
I've posted it elsewhere but I feel Dallas is Peyton's favorite target outside of Harrison and to get him would be very difficult. Not to mention think he's in an option year so there's no guaranteeing he'd be an UFA.

[historypete]

I let both Royal and Gaines go. I'd rather start over with a FA like Cooley or Clark and draft a kid. I'd also keep Schouman around, he seems to have some potential. But as for our dynamic duo there, I can't see where we could hurt ourselves by letting both walk.

[Kerr]

Troupe isn't even starting in Tennessee. In fact he has a combined 18 receptions over the last two seasons compared to Royal's 45. While I agree we need to find a better TE let's not just throw out names because we recognize them. The best receiving Tight End in UFA will either be Eric Johnson or Dallas Clark.

Did you consider Troupe's first 2 seasons? Yeah that was before the vince young era. He had mcnair who's more of a pocket passer compared to young. Ever since Young came in he hasn't put up the same numbers. He needs a pocket qb again and another shot somewhere else. He's a better receiver than royal and gaines. I'm not just throwing names out there. The guy has talent.

Eric johnson was on the verge of being benched by payton for dropping catchable passes.

[The Jokeman]

Did you consider Troupe's first 2 seasons? Yeah that was before the vince young era. He had mcnair who's more of a pocket passer compared to young. Ever since Young came in he hasn't put up the same numbers. He needs a pocket qb again and another shot somewhere else. He's a better receiver than royal and gaines. I'm not just throwing names out there. The guy has talent.

Eric johnson was on the verge of being benched by payton for dropping catchable passes.
It still doesn't explain why Troupe got benched for Bo Scaife.

[Kerr]

It still doesn't explain why Troupe got benched for Bo Scaife.

New system, better fit...bo scaife that is. This is coming from titans fans at their boards.

And I believe his numbers say it all. A solid sophmore season, but then came norm chow and vince young and his numbers went down. It doesn't necessarily mean he stinks.