Taking a look at availible FAs

**raphael120** · 06-07-2008, 02:31 AM

Re: Taking a look at availible FAs

The only threat Shaun Alexander poses anymore is for his own team.

He's done in this league.

**LifetimeBillsFan** · 06-07-2008, 04:17 AM

Re: Taking a look at availible FAs

Not a very enticing list frankly IMHO.

First of all, I believe R.Wynn just signed with the NY Giants last week, so he's off the list.

As for Neal, as has been pointed out in another thread, he's 37 and has neck problems. And consider this: why would he Chargers let Neal, who has admittedly been terrific leading the way for LT for them, go and replace him with a lesser guy if they didn't think he was done and couldn't play up to his past standards or even what his replacement can do for them? That tells me that they think he is done and what team would know that better than they would?

McIntyre: Didn't the Bills bring him in for an interview already? If he or they weren't interested enough in doing a deal then, why would he/they want to do one now?

Finn: I like Finn. I watched him with the Giants a lot and he is underrated. He may not be a devastating blocker, but he gets the job done and has a knack for making plays at key times. I wouldn't mind seeing the Bills bring him in, but I think that they want a bigger blocker at FB when they use one than he is.

As for the QBs, I doubt that they are going to bring in anyone else as long as they have Losman as their # 2 QB. The thinking being, why pay more than we have to for a guy who is going to be the # 3 QB on our team? Now, that might change if some starting QB gets hurt in preseason and the Bills are able to trade Losman--which still seems like a longshot to happen. In that case:

I would not be that enthused about bringing in Dilfer. He hasn't shown much, even as just a game manager in recent years and I'm not sure how much more he can give you on the field than Hamdan might be able to give. The Bills would be paying a lot for a guy just to tutor Edwards and they have two former back-up QBs tutoring him now in Schonert and A.Van Pelt.

The only QB on the rest of the list that I would be interested in seeing the Bills bring in if they were to trade Losman would be Culpepper. He was playing a bit better at the end of last season and I saw a report on ESPN a couple of months ago where he said that he felt that his knee was finally starting to feel good enough that he could play up to his previous standards again. The problem with bringing in Culpepper would be that he's probably looking for a situation where he can win a starting job and that won't happen with Edwards being the guy in Buffalo. Also, if a team loses its starting QB and is looking for a replacement, why trade for Losman if they can sign Culpepper without giving up any draft picks? And, why would the Bills want to bring in a guy who could potentially create an even bigger QB controversy than Losman? So, even though I like C-Pep, I don't see him coming to Buffalo.

As for the RBs: why A-Train? The Bills just let him go, why would they want to bring him back?

Indeed, with Lynch (who isn't going to jail or likely to be suspended--certainly not for more than 4 games), Jackson, Wright and Omon, why would the Bills want to bring in another RB in the first place? The Bills will give Wright a chance to show that he can improve on his rookie season and Omon will have a shot at taking the # 3 RB spot from him. Worst case scenario with Lynch, the Bills start F.Jackson, with Wright and Omon (who they can put on the PS if need be) backing him up for a couple of games. No need to go out and sign a guy who is going to want to start or at least be the # 2 RB on the team.

In case of injury and the need to bring in another RB for more than a few games, I think K.Jones may have the most talent, if he is finally healthy again, but he is brittle and who knows how long he would last without getting hurt again. I also like Gado a lot, but he's still pretty raw and not much of a blocker or receiver at this stage. He could, however, step in as a # 2 RB behind Jackson, but, then again, the Bills still have Omon, who might show just as much ability or even more in that role.

WRs: I hate to burst your bubble, but I believe that the Pats are looking at Chad Jackson as the replacement for D.Stallworth this season. Even if he doesn't end up starting for them, Jackson should be one of their top 4 WRs this season, depending on what K.Washington does for them at WR. Thatt being the case, I doubt that they would be willing to make a gift of him to a division rival, especially one that appears to be on the rise.

As for the rest: what "rest"? Forget about the Bills ever bringing Moulds back except to perhaps put his name on the Wall of Fame (maybe). And, Givens has been injured a lot since leaving NE and may not be even an improvement over what the Bills already have at this point.

TEs: Alexander and Byrd are in some ways similar: both got a lot of hype and were supposed to become stars, neither has really produced. Alexander was productive in the Denver offense, where the TEs always get the ball, but has done little since. Byrd is very talented--I liked Byrd coming out of college, too--but the word out of St.Louis was that he wasn't really a hard worker or much of a blocker on the pro level. IMHO that puts both of them in the same category at C.Anderson and T.Johnson: talented guys who have never really lived up to their potential or hype. The Bills brought in Anderson and Johnson, why bring in another guy just like them?

K.Brady is done. If you saw him last year, you would know that, at this point, he is nothing more than a situational TE, probably a # 3 at best. And, at his age, he has only a downside, no upside. At least Fine and Schouman still have upsides.

The only TE in the bunch that I would be interested enough in to look at is Wiggins. The problem with Wiggins is that he was never much to look at until he got between the white lines in a game: even when he was having good years with Minnesota, his teammates there called him "The Pilsbury Doughboy", etc. because he was so pudgy. And, he's not exactly young, either, and never was really a big downfield threat, more of a very good outlet receiver. So, I have to question how much he has left and whether he would really be much help at this point.

D-Line: I wouldn't be opposed to the Bills taking a look at Rucker or McFarland as possible back-ups, but everything would depend on their health. Both have had problems with injuries and you would have to factor that in against how much it would cost to sign them. I would have to see them in a workout, hear what the doctors have to say, and then find out how much they are looking for and what kind of playing time they would want. If healthy, I think either one could help, but health is a big question with both of them.

As for the others on the list, I don't think any of them give the Bills more than what they already have. Denney isn't a great pass rusher, but he is a solid back-up against the run, while C.Ellis may be a little undersized to hold up against the run, but has the potential to be an excellent situational pass rusher. And, S.Johnson and Stroud both have experience playing DE to go with the young guys, like C.Mace and C.Bryan, who they have been trying to develop in case a 5th DE is needed.

It is sometimes hard for fans to understand that just because a guy has a name that you have heard of or has been around in the NFL for a few years, that does not necessarily mean that he is automatically going to be better than a young guy whose name you never heard of before your team brought him in to develop him.

If being a Bills fan the last few years should have taught you anything, it is that young players--even undrafted free agents like Greer, Peters, F.Jackson, DiGiorgio, etc.--can develop into players who can not only contribute, but play key roles for a NFL team. Just because a guy has a big name, that doesn't mean that collecting a lot of big name players is going to automatically make a team better--just ask any Washington Redskins fan about that.

You have to be very careful when looking at a list of names of players who are available, either as free agents or when teams make their cuts during preseason. Sometimes there are players on that list whose names are familiar who may be upgrades for your team. But, sjust as often, there are guys whose names are on that list and remain on that list for a reason: sometimes because they are over-the-hill or have had major injuries or aren't hard-workers or have been problems in the lockerroom of the teams that they have been with or are asking for far more than they are worth to a team, etc.

Sometimes a coaching staff will look at a guy on one of these lists and decide that he could be an upgrade talent-wise, but the player doesn't fit their scheme or he doesn't want to play for that team or his agent wants more than his position is worth. And, sometimes, a coaching staff will look at one of these lists and decide that their team already has a young guy who is as good, but younger or nearly as good who they want to develop that they think will be better later in the season.

As much as I may like or may have liked some of the players on this list, there are a lot of things that go into whether a team brings in a veteran free agent, particularly at this time of year, that we fans don't know about because we simply do not have all of the information that they have on that player and are not privy to the internal discussions that take place about personnel. While I may have been fortunate to catch a report about Byrd not being a hard-worker or Wiggins being teased by his teammates about being pudgy, there may be other things about both of these players and the other players on this list that haven't been reported publicly that a NFL front office or coaching staff might know about that might make them have second thoughts about signing one of these players.

So, I would seriously caution against being wed to the idea that the Bills should sign or even look at any particular player that you see might be available that you think could be an upgrade. Some might be upgrades and some might not be. And, even some of those who might be upgrades could be so much harder to sign than you might think that they are effectively not really that available (there are guys, especially near the end of their careers, who may not want to play far from their family or outside of a certain area, etc. and would rather retire than go elsewhere, etc.). Yes, money talks, but not always as loudly in every instance: sometimes signing a player is a lot easier said than done.

**Jan Reimers** · 06-07-2008, 04:48 AM

Re: Taking a look at availible FAs

This is not Christmas, and Santa is not bringing any of these guys.

I see mostly age, injury and ineffectiveness. Many of these players were once big names who can no longer play at a high level. Every time you bring in an older, fading player, you ****** the progress of a younger guy who just might have a future.

**VeggieMan14** · 06-07-2008, 05:43 AM

Re: Taking a look at availible FAs

Get Samkon Gado NOW! he is a beast i don't understand why people didn't go after him after his year with Green Bay two years ago

**YardRat** · 06-07-2008, 05:45 AM

Re: Taking a look at availible FAs

Jan just used the word '******' without offending anybody. Very nice.

**Luisito23** · 06-07-2008, 06:00 AM

Re: Taking a look at availible FAs

Anthony Thomas' train departed a loooong time ago.....I love him as a person, but as a player he's all but useless......

**LifetimeBillsFan** · 06-07-2008, 07:51 AM

Re: Taking a look at availible FAs

Originally posted by VeggieMan14

Get Samkon Gado NOW! he is a beast i don't understand why people didn't go after him after his year with Green Bay two years ago

Green Bay had indicated that let him go because he isn't a very good blocker or pass receiver.

Given the fact that two teams have cut him since then, it is my guess that he probably hasn't shown much willingness or ability to improve in one or both of these areas since then.

NFL teams expect their RBs to at least try to learn how to block, although a few will let a big-name RB get away with not being a very good blocker if he is seen as being a stud. But, those of us who watched W.McGahee whiff on a block that cost the Bills a game against the Jets a couple of years ago understand how dangerous that can be for a team.

Also, if I recall, when Gado joined Green Bay, he was considering becoming a MD. It is possible that he may be more interested in pursuing studies towards a medical career than devoting his time to football. We all know how much time NFL teams are now demanding that their players spend in workout programs, OTAs, etc. and it might be that Gado can't do everything the teams want him to do in the offseason and still take the classes he needs to take for med school and that the teams hold that against him. That's certainly possible.

**patmoran2006** · 06-07-2008, 08:37 AM

Re: Taking a look at availible FAs

I think we're done with free agency, at least for anyone noteworthy..

Unless. A guy goes down with a major injury in training camp in a position that we're not stocked with depth at. Such as if a Peters (assuming he eventually goes to camp) or Langston Walker.

Fullback could be the one other possibility, if it turns out that Barnes sucks

**Mitchell55** · 06-07-2008, 12:50 PM

Re: Taking a look at availible FAs

Originally posted by LifetimeBillsFan

Not a very enticing list frankly IMHO.

First of all, I believe R.Wynn just signed with the NY Giants last week, so he's off the list.

As for Neal, as has been pointed out in another thread, he's 37 and has neck problems. And consider this: why would he Chargers let Neal, who has admittedly been terrific leading the way for LT for them, go and replace him with a lesser guy if they didn't think he was done and couldn't play up to his past standards or even what his replacement can do for them? That tells me that they think he is done and what team would know that better than they would?

McIntyre: Didn't the Bills bring him in for an interview already? If he or they weren't interested enough in doing a deal then, why would he/they want to do one now?

Finn: I like Finn. I watched him with the Giants a lot and he is underrated. He may not be a devastating blocker, but he gets the job done and has a knack for making plays at key times. I wouldn't mind seeing the Bills bring him in, but I think that they want a bigger blocker at FB when they use one than he is.

As for the QBs, I doubt that they are going to bring in anyone else as long as they have Losman as their # 2 QB. The thinking being, why pay more than we have to for a guy who is going to be the # 3 QB on our team? Now, that might change if some starting QB gets hurt in preseason and the Bills are able to trade Losman--which still seems like a longshot to happen. In that case:

I would not be that enthused about bringing in Dilfer. He hasn't shown much, even as just a game manager in recent years and I'm not sure how much more he can give you on the field than Hamdan might be able to give. The Bills would be paying a lot for a guy just to tutor Edwards and they have two former back-up QBs tutoring him now in Schonert and A.Van Pelt.

The only QB on the rest of the list that I would be interested in seeing the Bills bring in if they were to trade Losman would be Culpepper. He was playing a bit better at the end of last season and I saw a report on ESPN a couple of months ago where he said that he felt that his knee was finally starting to feel good enough that he could play up to his previous standards again. The problem with bringing in Culpepper would be that he's probably looking for a situation where he can win a starting job and that won't happen with Edwards being the guy in Buffalo. Also, if a team loses its starting QB and is looking for a replacement, why trade for Losman if they can sign Culpepper without giving up any draft picks? And, why would the Bills want to bring in a guy who could potentially create an even bigger QB controversy than Losman? So, even though I like C-Pep, I don't see him coming to Buffalo.

As for the RBs: why A-Train? The Bills just let him go, why would they want to bring him back?

Indeed, with Lynch (who isn't going to jail or likely to be suspended--certainly not for more than 4 games), Jackson, Wright and Omon, why would the Bills want to bring in another RB in the first place? The Bills will give Wright a chance to show that he can improve on his rookie season and Omon will have a shot at taking the # 3 RB spot from him. Worst case scenario with Lynch, the Bills start F.Jackson, with Wright and Omon (who they can put on the PS if need be) backing him up for a couple of games. No need to go out and sign a guy who is going to want to start or at least be the # 2 RB on the team.

In case of injury and the need to bring in another RB for more than a few games, I think K.Jones may have the most talent, if he is finally healthy again, but he is brittle and who knows how long he would last without getting hurt again. I also like Gado a lot, but he's still pretty raw and not much of a blocker or receiver at this stage. He could, however, step in as a # 2 RB behind Jackson, but, then again, the Bills still have Omon, who might show just as much ability or even more in that role.

WRs: I hate to burst your bubble, but I believe that the Pats are looking at Chad Jackson as the replacement for D.Stallworth this season. Even if he doesn't end up starting for them, Jackson should be one of their top 4 WRs this season, depending on what K.Washington does for them at WR. Thatt being the case, I doubt that they would be willing to make a gift of him to a division rival, especially one that appears to be on the rise.

As for the rest: what "rest"? Forget about the Bills ever bringing Moulds back except to perhaps put his name on the Wall of Fame (maybe). And, Givens has been injured a lot since leaving NE and may not be even an improvement over what the Bills already have at this point.

TEs: Alexander and Byrd are in some ways similar: both got a lot of hype and were supposed to become stars, neither has really produced. Alexander was productive in the Denver offense, where the TEs always get the ball, but has done little since. Byrd is very talented--I liked Byrd coming out of college, too--but the word out of St.Louis was that he wasn't really a hard worker or much of a blocker on the pro level. IMHO that puts both of them in the same category at C.Anderson and T.Johnson: talented guys who have never really lived up to their potential or hype. The Bills brought in Anderson and Johnson, why bring in another guy just like them?

K.Brady is done. If you saw him last year, you would know that, at this point, he is nothing more than a situational TE, probably a # 3 at best. And, at his age, he has only a downside, no upside. At least Fine and Schouman still have upsides.

The only TE in the bunch that I would be interested enough in to look at is Wiggins. The problem with Wiggins is that he was never much to look at until he got between the white lines in a game: even when he was having good years with Minnesota, his teammates there called him "The Pilsbury Doughboy", etc. because he was so pudgy. And, he's not exactly young, either, and never was really a big downfield threat, more of a very good outlet receiver. So, I have to question how much he has left and whether he would really be much help at this point.

D-Line: I wouldn't be opposed to the Bills taking a look at Rucker or McFarland as possible back-ups, but everything would depend on their health. Both have had problems with injuries and you would have to factor that in against how much it would cost to sign them. I would have to see them in a workout, hear what the doctors have to say, and then find out how much they are looking for and what kind of playing time they would want. If healthy, I think either one could help, but health is a big question with both of them.

As for the others on the list, I don't think any of them give the Bills more than what they already have. Denney isn't a great pass rusher, but he is a solid back-up against the run, while C.Ellis may be a little undersized to hold up against the run, but has the potential to be an excellent situational pass rusher. And, S.Johnson and Stroud both have experience playing DE to go with the young guys, like C.Mace and C.Bryan, who they have been trying to develop in case a 5th DE is needed.

It is sometimes hard for fans to understand that just because a guy has a name that you have heard of or has been around in the NFL for a few years, that does not necessarily mean that he is automatically going to be better than a young guy whose name you never heard of before your team brought him in to develop him.

If being a Bills fan the last few years should have taught you anything, it is that young players--even undrafted free agents like Greer, Peters, F.Jackson, DiGiorgio, etc.--can develop into players who can not only contribute, but play key roles for a NFL team. Just because a guy has a big name, that doesn't mean that collecting a lot of big name players is going to automatically make a team better--just ask any Washington Redskins fan about that.

You have to be very careful when looking at a list of names of players who are available, either as free agents or when teams make their cuts during preseason. Sometimes there are players on that list whose names are familiar who may be upgrades for your team. But, sjust as often, there are guys whose names are on that list and remain on that list for a reason: sometimes because they are over-the-hill or have had major injuries or aren't hard-workers or have been problems in the lockerroom of the teams that they have been with or are asking for far more than they are worth to a team, etc.

Sometimes a coaching staff will look at a guy on one of these lists and decide that he could be an upgrade talent-wise, but the player doesn't fit their scheme or he doesn't want to play for that team or his agent wants more than his position is worth. And, sometimes, a coaching staff will look at one of these lists and decide that their team already has a young guy who is as good, but younger or nearly as good who they want to develop that they think will be better later in the season.

As much as I may like or may have liked some of the players on this list, there are a lot of things that go into whether a team brings in a veteran free agent, particularly at this time of year, that we fans don't know about because we simply do not have all of the information that they have on that player and are not privy to the internal discussions that take place about personnel. While I may have been fortunate to catch a report about Byrd not being a hard-worker or Wiggins being teased by his teammates about being pudgy, there may be other things about both of these players and the other players on this list that haven't been reported publicly that a NFL front office or coaching staff might know about that might make them have second thoughts about signing one of these players.

So, I would seriously caution against being wed to the idea that the Bills should sign or even look at any particular player that you see might be available that you think could be an upgrade. Some might be upgrades and some might not be. And, even some of those who might be upgrades could be so much harder to sign than you might think that they are effectively not really that available (there are guys, especially near the end of their careers, who may not want to play far from their family or outside of a certain area, etc. and would rather retire than go elsewhere, etc.). Yes, money talks, but not always as loudly in every instance: sometimes signing a player is a lot easier said than done.

Agree with everything except the Byrd comment. The only thing I disagree with is that STLs Offense never uses a TE. They are used to 3-4 WRs and 1-2 backs. TE was never in there system. Name 1 TE to come from there? Byrd deserves another chance somewhere else.

**Al the Bills Fan** · 06-07-2008, 01:49 PM

Re: Taking a look at availible FAs

The only guy on that list that interests me is Finn, he always played well for Big Blue, unfortunately I live in Giants country so I have gotten to see him play a lot.

**Scumbag College** · 06-07-2008, 02:41 PM

Re: Taking a look at availible FAs

Bring them all in!

**TigerJ** · 06-07-2008, 08:30 PM

Re: Taking a look at availible FAs

It's a little premature to act yet, but the Bills have to decide if the worst case scenario happens with Lynch and theis hit and run incident, whether they want to just stay with the RBs they have in house, or try to pick up someone else. If they think there is a chance they might want to pick up someone, they need to do their homework on the RBs that are available now, and those that might become available. Fred Jackson might be able to handle a starting role. I wouldn't put money on anyone else. Dwayne Wright is my least favorite option on the team.

**Al the Bills Fan** · 06-07-2008, 09:10 PM

Re: Taking a look at availible FAs

I know its premature, but lets say Lynch gets hit with a four game suspension. If you are in the front office at OBD do you sign another RB or do you go with the guys we have?

I say Jackson could handel the four games

Taking a look at availible FAs

Taking a look at availible FAs

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