I gotta say this about the Bills FO right now

[patmoran2006]

though nobody in the front office is ever going to come out and admit it, from what I'm starting to gather, there are a lot of free agents that the Bills tried contacting to get in for a visit, and the players decided they didn't want to come here.

While Jason Brown is the only name I can actually get confirmed, it's starting to really sound to me like a lot of players simply don't have any desire to play here.

Someone I talked to said that a very unstable coaching situation has a lot to do with it.

It's unfortunate, but the reality is looking like no player is going to come here unless they get above market value or no interest anywhere else.

As much as I don't like Ralph Wilson, from what I get it's not that he's being cheap; it's that guys won't come here unless he overpays them, and that's something Wilson obviously doesnt want to do.

[Nighthawk]

though nobody in the front office is ever going to come out and admit it, from what I'm starting to gather, there are a lot of free agents that the Bills tried contacting to get in for a visit, and the players decided they didn't want to come here.

While Jason Brown is the only name I can actually get confirmed, it's starting to really sound to me like a lot of players simply don't have any desire to play here.

Someone I talked to said that a very unstable coaching situation has a lot to do with it.

It's unfortunate, but the reality is looking like no player is going to come here unless they get above market value or no interest anywhere else.

As much as I don't like Ralph Wilson, from what I get it's not that he's being cheap; it's that guys won't come here unless he overpays them, and that's something Wilson obviously doesnt want to do.

And who's fault is it that we have an unstable coaching situation? And why is it that he kept him..oh yeah, because he didn't want to pay him to go away. So, yes, it does, in the end, come down to Ralph being cheap.

[patmoran2006]

And who's fault is it that we have an unstable coaching situation? And why is it that he kept him..oh yeah, because he didn't want to pay him to go away. So, yes, it does, in the end, come down to Ralph being cheap.
Well, I think if I've ever made one opinion of my clear in my years at BZ, it is that I am not a fan of Ralph Wilson. I'm not defending him, I think he's a coward.

I was just making the point that there are definitely FA's the Bills contacted that had no interest in coming here.

[Nighthawk]

Well, I think if I've ever made one opinion of my clear in my years at BZ, it is that I am not a fan of Ralph Wilson. I'm not defending him, I think he's a coward.

I was just making the point that there are definitely FA's the Bills contacted that had no interest in coming here.

I understand, I wasn't trying to state you were sticking up for this guy, but as is always the case with this organization, it always comes back to mismanagement.

[jimbohastle51]

i can understand being careful about the coaching situation, if you sign here and jauron tells you how your going to be used and then you move your family and everything only to be cut next season for salary cap reasons or a new coach doesnt see your role on the team, that is a very true thing that happens. but, this is the price you pay for going 10 years without seeing the playoffs, or 7-9 3 years in a row. if we would have finished just 10-6 last year and even lost in a wildcard game more players would want to come here, that is just a fact.

[ddaryl]

guess what this offseason would be like if Ralph wanted to win and we had hired Bill Cowher

thats the reason why nobody is going to come here and play its because the franchise doesn't go out and bring in proven winners...

[Night Train]

Ralph has no idea how that poor 2nd half of the season looked to the outside world.

He made the decision to retain Jauron and it's biting him in his boney backside. You can't bargain shop for GM & Coach and fool anyone. It hurts in FA.

[methos4ever]

Coward Pat? That's pretty strong words...from what do you gather that opinion?

[jimbohastle51]

Well, I think if I've ever made one opinion of my clear in my years at BZ, it is that I am not a fan of Ralph Wilson. I'm not defending him, I think he's a coward.

I was just making the point that there are definitely FA's the Bills contacted that had no interest in coming here.

it will change though as free agency gets deeper and less openings are available and players like marlon greenwood and mike peterson and such are forced to either come to buffalo to compete for a starting job or go to dallas to play special teams. i know alot of you will say you dont want players here that buffalo isnt where they want to be but its the money and playing time they want in the end.

[soapman]

I said the same thing and everybody wanted me gone!

[billsburgh]

can you really blame these players for not wanting to come here? I dont. The people running the team are a joke. The head coach is a joke. Honestly, the only type of player that is going to want to come here is someone like Hangartner who is getting his first chance to be a starter.

[elltrain22]

Either way, it's that cheap, old, selfish terds' fault. I wouldn't wanna come here either. We are a joke

[acehole]

You can add a qb situation that is at best unstable.



though nobody in the front office is ever going to come out and admit it, from what I'm starting to gather, there are a lot of free agents that the Bills tried contacting to get in for a visit, and the players decided they didn't want to come here.

While Jason Brown is the only name I can actually get confirmed, it's starting to really sound to me like a lot of players simply don't have any desire to play here.

Someone I talked to said that a very unstable coaching situation has a lot to do with it.

It's unfortunate, but the reality is looking like no player is going to come here unless they get above market value or no interest anywhere else.

As much as I don't like Ralph Wilson, from what I get it's not that he's being cheap; it's that guys won't come here unless he overpays them, and that's something Wilson obviously doesnt want to do.

[Philagape]

It's the FO's responsibility to make the team an attractive place to play. If players don't want to come here, it's the team's fault. Incompetence has consequences beyond just sucking on the field. The Bills have a bad reputation.

[Ebenezer]

That is our HoF owner Ralph C. Wilson. God bless him and keep him.

[ddaryl]

I agree its the job of the owner and the FO to build a winning franchise and associated attitude which would make this team more attractive for FA's to want to play here.

BUT I bet we get the old ... "its hard to convince FA's to want to come to Buffalo" line with Ralph trying to tell the fans of Buffalo that it is the city/area and not the franchise that makes the Bills unattractive.

At one time I bought into that, but it is too obvious that Ralph is the only problem with the franchise. An owner who commits to winning would have little trouble getting a better lot fo FA's willing to play here. With our lame duck coach and a lost in space FO most agents and players are well aware of the undesriable situation the Bills offer a player

[theanswer74]

A lot of teams are being very quiet. I think Miami has had 1 visit, Wilson who they signed. Thats just 1 example from our division.

The Bengals and Browns are doing nothing. The Jaguars are doing nothing. the Broncos, Raiders, and Chargers are doing nothing.

The Bills have had 8 people visit already, not just interest, but an actually visit? Not all no names. Coles, Taylor, Simmons are known players.

[TigerJ]

So it sounds like that even if Bills fans all thought Dick Jauron was a great coach, he would still be something of a liability because of the perception among players that he's on shakey ground this season. That's really unfortunate. Either the Bills have to win this season and Jauron's position with the club solidified, or for the sake of quality FAs the Bills might like to sign next year, the Bills will need to fire Jauron.

[trapezeus]

do you think a front office guy would have done the math for ralph that showed overpaying a good coach reduces player expenses?

[madness]

So it sounds like that even if Bills fans all thought Dick Jauron was a great coach, he would still be something of a liability because of the perception among players that he's on shakey ground this season. That's really unfortunate. Either the Bills have to win this season and Jauron's position with the club solidified, or for the sake of quality FAs the Bills might like to sign next year, the Bills will need to fire Jauron.

Fans are only seeing the side of the story they want to see. Players want stability and tend to steer clear of franchises that discard coaching staffs like yesterday's newspaper. If Jauron was gone last year, there's a good chance we wouldn't even have been able to sign the FA's we have this year. No player likes to go through coaching changes. Wilson actually did something right to bring some stability to this franchise even though it's way too late at this point. The rest is up to the FO and coaching staff and we all know they are already on a short leash.

[billogic99]

though nobody in the front office is ever going to come out and admit it, from what I'm starting to gather, there are a lot of free agents that the Bills tried contacting to get in for a visit, and the players decided they didn't want to come here.

While Jason Brown is the only name I can actually get confirmed, it's starting to really sound to me like a lot of players simply don't have any desire to play here.

Someone I talked to said that a very unstable coaching situation has a lot to do with it.

It's unfortunate, but the reality is looking like no player is going to come here unless they get above market value or no interest anywhere else.

As much as I don't like Ralph Wilson, from what I get it's not that he's being cheap; it's that guys won't come here unless he overpays them, and that's something Wilson obviously doesnt want to do.

Pretty much my argument as to why Brown or anyone else for that matter won't be a Bill. Just because we think they'd be a good fit or we hear rumors about the Bills being aggressive doesn't mean much if a player doesn't want to play here.

Think about it and be honest, look at the Bills history over the last 10 years, they don't win, they have bad coaching and we constantly have players holding out. It's like a big neon sign flashing, "if you want to be successful, don't sign here"!! It's not just the players we can't get to Buffalo, it's the coaches, GM's and scouts.

The Bills had Bill Polian and if they had just held on to him, we could very well have 2 SB trophies by now. I think Ralph needs to go, and the new owner needs to make it clear to the league Buffalo is all about winning, at all cost. Till that happens we won't be winning much of anything.

[superbills]

That is our HoF owner Ralph C. Wilson. God bless him and keep him.

Amen. I would never wish ill on the guy. And thanks to him we still have a team here. However...

The ability to make solid decisions about the direction of this franchise has left the man. For his sake and the good of the franchise he should have handed decision making over to someone else long ago. His pride is his downfall. Who that other person might be I have no idea. But, if he really wanted to cement his Hall of Fame legacy, he could have handed decisions off to someone younger and possibly in a position to take over when he finally does breathe his last. This would have increased the likelihood of the franchise getting at least one championship before his days are up. That is something that I believe any "Hall of Fame Owner" should have in their list of accomplishments. You gotta have at least one ring to show for 40+ years of football.

And, while I'm one of the more optimistic fans you'll ever meet, it may be a tall order to suggest a title is even in the realm of possibility given the decisions that have befuddled this franchise for far too long. God love Ralph Wilson and bless him with health and wellness. I do also pray, however, that the good Lord bring back his senility. At least a modicum of that might push us all toward the promised land.

[PromoTheRobot]

though nobody in the front office is ever going to come out and admit it, from what I'm starting to gather, there are a lot of free agents that the Bills tried contacting to get in for a visit, and the players decided they didn't want to come here.

While Jason Brown is the only name I can actually get confirmed, it's starting to really sound to me like a lot of players simply don't have any desire to play here.

Someone I talked to said that a very unstable coaching situation has a lot to do with it.

It's unfortunate, but the reality is looking like no player is going to come here unless they get above market value or no interest anywhere else.

As much as I don't like Ralph Wilson, from what I get it's not that he's being cheap; it's that guys won't come here unless he overpays them, and that's something Wilson obviously doesnt want to do.

Is the coaching situation the only deterrent for players or is the city of Buffalo itself a dealkiller? I have to imagine city+weather+lack of swinging nightlife as huge negatives the Bills have to overcome.

PTR

[patmoran2006]

Is the coaching situation the only deterrent for players or is the city of Buffalo itself a dealkiller? I have to imagine city+weather+lack of swinging nightlife as huge negatives the Bills have to overcome.

PTR

Sure, I'd imagine a lot of that is spot-on.

Ultimately, I think it comes down to winning. And IMO, the reason that hasn't happened is because Wilson has whiffed at his GM selections since Butler left.

It all trickles down from the GM. Hire a bad head coach and it shows on Sundays. Hire and maintain bad personnel and scouting advisors, and it reflects on the roster.

After time, you develop a losing culture, and who wants to be a part of that, unless the money is better than anywhere else.