We cut the Raiders new coach

[Albany,n.y.]

Dennis Allen was in Bills camp in 1996. He was a safety. When ESPN said the Bills cut him in 1996, I had to check the 1996 media guide because I didn't remember him at all. Sure enough, his bio was on page 130.

[Mr. Miyagi]

Crappy player does not mean crappy coach.

Look at Jim Harbaugh.

[OpIv37]

Who the hell has a readily accessible 1996 Bills media guide?

[TacklingDummy]

Who the hell has a readily accessible 1996 Bills media guide?

Its a collectors item. Its the last time the Bills had a franchise QB. Even though they ran him out of town. Kelly had another year left in the tank.

[OpIv37]

Its a collectors item. Its the last time the Bills had a franchise QB. Even thought they ran him out of town. Kelly had another year left in the tank.

That's not how I remember it.

Don't get me wrong- Kelly is probably my 2nd favorite Bill of all time, behind Bruce Smith. And I even met him and played touch football with him at his football camp back in the day.

But Kelly's play had gone downhill. Reich had looked good in a couple of relief appearances and everyone was calling for reich to be the starter. Kelly was never very fast in terms of foot speed. Age had slowed him down considerably and defenses were starting to evolve into the faster D's we see today.

He was done. If anything, I think he stayed one year too long- not that it mattered since we didn't have anyone to replace him.

[Historian]

Who the hell has a readily accessible 1996 Bills media guide?

:wave:

[trapezeus]

kelly's last year was tough. his long ball had tailed off dramatically. but the team as a whole was good enough for the playoffs and aside from that jags kick, should have made it to the next round. then we should have lost.

[Oaf]

How many years did he play before retirement? How old was he?

I do remember his erratic play that last year..

[Jan Reimers]

Hell, we cut Superman (Dean Cain), too. We're just too tough.

[Albany,n.y.]

Who the hell has a readily accessible 1996 Bills media guide?
I have all the media guides from 1985 to until they stopped printing them a few years ago (they're now on disks & I have the disks). I also have all the programs from 1991-2002. After 2002 they stopped selling programs & now hand out the little ones for free. I once had a 17 year streak of home games (Oct 1990-Nov 2007) & I have whatever program was available for each game attended.
Back in the late 1980s I had to subscribe to a Bills newsletter in order to get the media guide.

[Albany,n.y.]

That's not how I remember it.

Don't get me wrong- Kelly is probably my 2nd favorite Bill of all time, behind Bruce Smith. And I even met him and played touch football with him at his football camp back in the day.

But Kelly's play had gone downhill. Reich had looked good in a couple of relief appearances and everyone was calling for reich to be the starter. Kelly was never very fast in terms of foot speed. Age had slowed him down considerably and defenses were starting to evolve into the faster D's we see today.

He was done. If anything, I think he stayed one year too long- not that it mattered since we didn't have anyone to replace him.
Kelly lasted 2 years longer than Frank Reich. In 1994 Kelly got injured late in the season & Reich, who was in the last year of his contract, started the last 2 games. Those 2 games cost him millions as Reich was exposed as either on the downside of his career or never really as good as perceived. He signed with Carolina, started a few games before being replaced by rookie Kerry Collins, then bounced around the league a few years playing with the Jets & Detroit before hanging it up.

[YardRat]

That's not how I remember it.

Don't get me wrong- Kelly is probably my 2nd favorite Bill of all time, behind Bruce Smith. And I even met him and played touch football with him at his football camp back in the day.

But Kelly's play had gone downhill. Reich had looked good in a couple of relief appearances and everyone was calling for reich to be the starter. Kelly was never very fast in terms of foot speed. Age had slowed him down considerably and defenses were starting to evolve into the faster D's we see today.

He was done. If anything, I think he stayed one year too long- not that it mattered since we didn't have anyone to replace him.

As Albany stated, Reich was already long gone.

The only ones that drove Kelly out of town were the Jags...they kicked the **** out of him in that last game.

[Johnny Bugmenot]

How many years did he play before retirement? How old was he?

I do remember his erratic play that last year..
11 years in the NFL, two in the USFL, for a total of 13 years.

In comparison with the rest of the Classes of '83 and '84, Elway played 16 seasons (winning the Super Bowl his last two), Steve Young 16 (2 USFL+14 NFL) and Marino played 17 seasons. Jeff Hostetler lasted 15 years and Boomer Esiason lasted 14 years. Ken O'Brien also lasted 11 seasons in the NFL, while Tony Eason lasted 9 and Todd Blackledge (the bust of the group) lasted 7.

All in all, Kelly was a bit below the average of the two draft classes in longevity.

[User Manuel]

Well, following Billszone logic, seeing that everyone we cut or let go is either the biggest POS ever (see Derrick Dockery) or a football god in hiding (Joique Bell). Therefore, this guy will either be the next Hank Bullough or Bill Belichek, there is NO in-between.

[warsawbassman]

I thought Kelly could have played a few more years, but he didn't sooo.............Many things came about at the end of the 96 season that probably had to do with his retirement. Being carted off the field against Jax, his contract was up, and his son was born.