I was hoping for more!

[HHURRICANE]

The Bills need more than TO in free agency.

I hope this isn't it!!

[Dr. Lecter]

The Bills need more than TO in free agency.

I hope this isn't it!!

FA is not over.

And they have signed 4 guys, which is not a low number. Likely at least a RB and a OLB will still be added.

[The Juice Is Loose]

seriously.

talk about quiet after the storm.

i'd think if anything it was a sign of getting aggressive, not chilling.

[WeAreArthurMoates]

Guys chill out. The LBers were after have not even visited other teams yet. It took about 2 days before we finished talking with Peterson, I see June or Keiho here by thrusday. Please though, let it be June. He' s a big time upgrade where as Keiho is just slightly.

[OpIv37]

FA is not over.

And they have signed 4 guys, which is not a low number. Likely at least a RB and a OLB will still be added.

It's quality, not quantity.

They signed:
TO- solid pick up, easily the #2 WR and possibly the #1 WR on this team
Fitzpatrick- decent pick up, but he's designed to be a back up.
Florence- decent but not as good as Greer
Hangartner- decent pick up but may not be better than what we had last year.

Other than TO, none of these players make this team significantly better, and even TO will
struggle if a) Trent struggles and/or b) we don't fix the OL.

So, it's fully understandable that he was hoping for more.

[Dr. Lecter]

It's quality, not quantity.

They signed:
TO- solid pick up, easily the #2 WR and possibly the #1 WR on this team
Fitzpatrick- decent pick up, but he's designed to be a back up.
Florence- decent but not as good as Greer
Hangartner- decent pick up but may not be better than what we had last year.

Other than TO, none of these players make this team significantly better, and even TO will
struggle if a) Trent struggles and/or b) we don't fix the OL.

So, it's fully understandable that he was hoping for more.

I understand that.

But, the reality is, teams do not go out and sign more than two or three significant upgrades ina FA signing period, espcially when there is a big contract to extend.

[HHURRICANE]

OP is right.

If the team didn't need LBs, DEs, TE, LG, and an RB than FA wouldn't be that important.

If you do the math we couldn't fill the remaining spots through the draft alone so yeah, I'm still concerned.

[raphael120]

It's quality, not quantity.

They signed:

Hangartner- decent pick up but may not be better than what we had last year.




More like can't be any worse.

[OpIv37]

Guys chill out. The LBers were after have not even visited other teams yet. .

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? It's good that we don't have to get in a bidding war, but it's a red flag that no other teams are showing interest.

[Ed]

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? It's good that we don't have to get in a bidding war, but it's a red flag that no other teams are showing interest.
I think it's more a case of the LB's we're looking at not being as good a fit with a lot of other teams.

[Buckets]

Come on it's been 3 days what has the Bills FO done for me lately?????

[bigbub2352]

The one thing that shocks me is that even thou we did make some signings in key areas we are leaving 2 spots wide open for the draft and that is a risky move
We need a pass rush but yet havent cut a Dlineman now, Kelsay Denney Schobel Bryan Ellis Smith are all under contract at De
I would assume they can tell that this group as a whole isnt good enough
I like that they brought in Babin but thought maybe we would have gone after someone else in FA and let loose one of the over paid bums

Also interior OLINE help i thought they would be bringing in more Olineman then they have
The war is in the trenchs and i do like the signings that they have made i think more can be done
and an upgrade at FB would help the Running game that much more

OLB JUNE or KEIAHO are solid Cover 2 LBers but will not be differance makers they will be stop gaps, so we have to be looking to draft a Angelo Crowell type in the 3rd 4th round to groom as a starter too
my point being so far it looks like we are depending way to much on the draft to fill more than just depth and i hope we add some more talent
and i think we will....

[DrGraves]

Someone said it before... lets not half ass this... Roll the dice some more... go trade for Gonzo... waters... fix our holes... what the hell lets make a run at this..

[OpIv37]

Come on it's been 3 days what has the Bills FO done for me lately?????

So, making one big move means the Bills don't have to address the glaring holes at DE, OLB, LG and C? Give me a ****ing break.

[Dr. Lecter]

So, making one big move means the Bills don't have to address the glaring holes at DE, OLB, LG and C? Give me a ****ing break.

I would not call center a glaring need anymore, but would add TE to the list to replace it.
They still have four. Two need to be adressed in FA if at all possible.

[Buckets]

So, making one big move means the Bills don't have to address the glaring holes at DE, OLB, LG and C? Give me a ****ing break.

That wasn't sarcasim. What the hell are they waiting for. Lets get June signed.

[Ed]

I would not call center a glaring need anymore, but would add TE to the list to replace it.
They still have four. Two need to be adressed in FA if at all possible.
Agreed. I wouldn't mind seeing us pick up another safety too. Not that it's a glaring need, but we could probably use an upgrade. Especially if we're sticking with this cover 2 D.

[THATHURMANATOR]

It's quality, not quantity.

They signed:
TO- solid pick up, easily the #2 WR and possibly the #1 WR on this team
Fitzpatrick- decent pick up, but he's designed to be a back up.
Florence- decent but not as good as Greer
Hangartner- decent pick up but may not be better than what we had last year.

Other than TO, none of these players make this team significantly better, and even TO will
struggle if a) Trent struggles and/or b) we don't fix the OL.

So, it's fully understandable that he was hoping for more.
I sure hope to freaking God and baby Jesus that Hangartner is better than Fowler and Preston.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

You will get more.

The Bills aren't finished adding players. Brandon has said so. C.Brown has said so. Even Thurman Thomas has said so.

I know that it is a long read, but I have explained in some detail how I think that the Bills are trying to address their most glaring need right now--LG--in my response to OpIv in his thread LG, DE, OLB ( http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/showthread.php?t=171602 ).

The Bills know that they have a hole at LG--they would not have brought in Simmons and Bentley if they didn't. And, they have pretty much said so as well. And, again, they have said and other have said that they are not done in free agency yet.

But, if you take the time to read my post in the thread that I just cited, you will see a clear explanation of what the Bills may be thinking and why it may take time--perhaps even until Draft Day or after the draft--for them to fill this position of need.

The Bills will do something to address this position in free agency, but we are just going to have to wait to see what they are able to do. Until then, be patient.

The fact that they are continuing to talk with the free agents that they have brought in for visits is an indication that they are not finished trying to sign free agents and intend to do more to address some of their needs. In addition, according to Russ Brandon (see the thread on his appearance on 103.3 Edge Local on the BZ mb), they are continuing to discuss proposals with Jason Peter's agent and both side have indicated that they are interested in doing a long-term deal).

What more do you want?

Oh, I get it! You want the Bills to go out and throw money at the players that you want them to sign. TODAY!!! Even if they have to break the bank to do it and/or have to put a gun to the heads of those who would rather play elsewhere or to the GM of another team. Just because you want them to fill all of their positions of need NOW!!!

Well, that ain't how it works!!!!! Not for the Bills and not for a lot of teams in the NFL. Sorry.

You're just going to have to wait to see what the Bills are able to get done...so that you can criticize it again for not being enough or good enough....

[HHURRICANE]

You will get more.

The Bills aren't finished adding players. Brandon has said so. C.Brown has said so. Even Thurman Thomas has said so.

I know that it is a long read, but I have explained in some detail how I think that the Bills are trying to address their most glaring need right now--LG--in my response to OpIv in his thread LG, DE, OLB ( http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/showthread.php?t=171602 ).

The Bills know that they have a hole at LG--they would not have brought in Simmons and Bentley if they didn't. And, they have pretty much said so as well. And, again, they have said and other have said that they are not done in free agency yet.

But, if you take the time to read my post in the thread that I just cited, you will see a clear explanation of what the Bills may be thinking and why it may take time--perhaps even until Draft Day or after the draft--for them to fill this position of need.

The Bills will do something to address this position in free agency, but we are just going to have to wait to see what they are able to do. Until then, be patient.

The fact that they are continuing to talk with the free agents that they have brought in for visits is an indication that they are not finished trying to sign free agents and intend to do more to address some of their needs. In addition, according to Russ Brandon (see the thread on his appearance on 103.3 Edge Local on the BZ mb), they are continuing to discuss proposals with Jason Peter's agent and both side have indicated that they are interested in doing a long-term deal).

What more do you want?

Oh, I get it! You want the Bills to go out and throw money at the players that you want them to sign. TODAY!!! Even if they have to break the bank to do it and/or have to put a gun to the heads of those who would rather play elsewhere or to the GM of another team. Just because you want them to fill all of their positions of need NOW!!!

Well, that ain't how it works!!!!! Not for the Bills and not for a lot of teams in the NFL. Sorry.

You're just going to have to wait to see what the Bills are able to get done...so that you can criticize it again for not being enough or good enough....

You are a great poster here but I think on this one you are a little optimistic.

This is the same team that thought James Hardy would be a solid #2 WR in his first year. Go back and listen to the team describe the "immediate" impact that Hardy would bring to the team prior to the season beginning. It's laughable.

[tat2dmike77]

You're just going to have to wait to see what the Bills are able to get done...so that you can criticize it again for not being enough or good enough....

Haven't you figured it out yet? Everyone here is football genius. They know more then you and everyone in the NFL. They just prefer to work outside of the NFL because they like to come to message boards and show thier greatness to everyone.

[OpIv37]

Haven't you figured it out yet? Everyone here is football genius. They know more then you and everyone in the NFL. They just prefer to work outside of the NFL because they like to come to message boards and show thier greatness to everyone.

Well, first of all, if you don't want to read people's opinions, why are you on a message board? If people aren't allowed to state their opinions on what the team should do, there really is no point in having a message board. We really just need a mod to post links to articles.

Second, you could make the argument that the fans don't have the requisite expertise and dismiss their opinions. But at the same time, the team itself has failed time and time again. Simply having a job inside the NFL doesn't mean someone is competent when it comes to playing/coaching/scouting/drafting etc.

[Losman4Life]

Don't get your hopes up because TO is meaningless since we don't have a QB than can throw the ball more than 5 yards.

Unless we resign JP it was a waste of money to bring TO here.

[jimbohastle51]

you know i was thinking and there is a safety upgrade out there that could help us who is a total jauron guy and he is a free agent! mike brown formally of the bears, would be a really nice pickup if not for starting we could use him for depth, he was an elite safety for years before he had 2 really down seasons, but he stayed healthy last year and had a nice year, he is over 30 but would be a solid pick up for us.

[The Spaz]

Don't get your hopes up because TO is meaningless since we don't have a QB than can throw the ball more than 5 yards.

Unless we resign JP it was a waste of money to bring TO here.

Go away troll.:poop:

[LifetimeBillsFan]

You are a great poster here but I think on this one you are a little optimistic.

This is the same team that thought James Hardy would be a solid #2 WR in his first year. Go back and listen to the team describe the "immediate" impact that Hardy would bring to the team prior to the season beginning. It's laughable.

That is not an answer to what I posted.

The issue was whether the Bills are done in free agency or not and why haven't they addressed their need to bring in a veteran LG yet.

Whether the team overestimated what Hardy could do for them last season or not is irrelevant.

BTW: The Redskins overestimated what D.Thomas and M.Kelly, the other two top rated big WRs in that draft class, could do as well. And, anyone who thought that any one of the big WRs was going to step in and tear up the league as a rookie was ignoring the fact that big WRs almost always take more time to develop in the NFL because it is harder for a big man to learn the proper footwork necessary to beat press coverage and run routes in the NFL than it is for a smaller WR (one reason why a lot of big WRs don't make it in the NFL and, therefore, the ones that do are so valuable).

Of course the teams that drafted these players, including the Bills, were not going to tell their fans, who were looking to the draft to immediately improve their team, that the guy(s) that they drafted were going to take 2-3 years to develop. The know that the fans don't want to hear that (there are Bills fans here who frequently say that a guy stinks if he doesn't play like a superstar as a rookie), so they tell the fans what they want to hear, "Yeah, this guy is going to make a lot of big plays for us this season!". It happens all of the time and the Bills are not the only team to do it--all of them have at one time or another.

If he can fully recover from his injury and works hard at it, Hardy still has a chance to develop into a pretty good WR in a couple of years (depending on how much work he is able to do this season), but it will take time--just as it took Eric Moulds time--and a lot of effort on his part. Hopefully Hardy will pick up on Terrell Owens work-ethic--say whatever you want about Owens' attitude (I'm not a fan), but his work-ethic, which he learned from Jerry Rice, is legendary and highly respected around the league--and Owens will teach him some of the tricks that Hardy needs to learn, as a bigger WR, to be successful.

Personally, I thought that Hardy, because of his size, would be a bit more successful in the red zone than he was, but not that much more successful. I did not think that he would have that big of a season--in fact, I said that, if he developed, he might be able to take over from Reed two-thirds of the way into the season. Well, he didn't develop that fast and then he got hurt. But, Steve Johnson did come on like I had thought that Hardy would. However, by that time, Reed had become Edwards' "go-to-guy" on third downs--something that I will admit that I should have seen coming, but didn't. (IMHO, Reed's injury and the three games that he missed were the turning point in the Bills' season. When Reed went down, Edwards lost the guy that he consistently went to on third downs to move the chains and nobody picked up the slack, which caused the Bills' offense to sputter. Then, when Reed came back, Edwards got hurt and missed a couple of games that JP Losman played terribly in. That accounted for 5 or 6 of the Bills' losses that came before they won the Denver game with Edwards back again at QB.)

You can take it to the bank that, come Draft Day, you will once again hear about the "immediate impact" that the Bills' top draft choices will have this season (being in the NYC area, I will also hear the same things about the Jets' and Giants' top picks as well). If the Bills take a DE or TE early in the draft, they may be able to help the team situationally as a rookie. If, as I expect, they take an interior offensive lineman with one of their first three picks, the talent level is there that they should be able to get a guy who will be able to contribute as a back-up this season. But, I doubt that any of their first three draft picks (unless they get very lucky) will be ready to crack the starting lineup this season. Typically, draft picks at these positions take at least a year to develop, depending on talent level, if not two years.

That having been said, don't be surprised if Chris Ellis and Demetrius Bell come in and play much better this season and actually are able to contribute some positive play for the Bills. Typically, players often make their biggest improvement between their first and second seasons in the league. Also, DEs and offensive linemen tend to take time to develop at the NFL level. Both Ellis and Bell showed that they have the athleticism and talent to play in the NFL last season, but were very raw (Ellis more than I thought he would be, Bell actually less than I thought). Both could turn out to be pleasant surprises. I also expect McKelvin, Corner and Steve Johnson to be better this season as well, although Johnson may not get much of an opportunity to show what he can do with the acquisition of Owens.

I don't think that these assessments are being overly optimistic since I am basing them on what is generally expected of rookies and second year players around the league and how they have historically developed.

Nor do I think that my assessment of what the Bills' FO is trying to do to address the team's need at LG is overly optimistic either. Whether they will be able to succeed in carrying out that plan will depend on many factors, including whether KC is willing to trade Waters and the price they ask for him, whether Simmons and/or Bentley is healthy enough to play close to their/his former standards, and whether any one of the better OGs that are still available would even be willing to come to Buffalo and play for the Bills. However, those are all factors that are outside of the Bills' control--they can only do what they can do and follow a plan to try to get one of those players, they cannot wave a magic wand and make others do what they want them to do.

Understanding what the Bills may be trying to do and recognizing what obstacles may prevent them from doing what they want to accomplish is not being overly optimistic or pessimistic or making excuses, IMHO it is trying to be realistic.