This is how you get rid of a losing culture

[The King]

You cut your leaders who aren't fighting for it every single play.

Wilson is a Captain, Barnett a veteran leader both have been seen coasting and not attacking late in games. Cutting these guys tells your locker room, you play hard or you play elsewhere.

It's exactly how you start the process of changing the mindset of a team. More heads will roll and veterans like Mario & Stevie will be talked to as well. The selfish me first stuff has to go.

[Bangarang]

I think it sends more of a message like "If you suck, you will not play for us."

[justasportsfan]

these guys were good teammates who helped younger players. Our losing was not because of them but the coaching staff. If our leaders were losers then should we should cut Kyle Williams and Stevie.

To say that Barnnett wasn't giving it his all is not accurate. From what I saw he was trying his hardest and was even better than Sheppard all year. He did get burned at times was just not used to playing the 4-3.

If we're keeping Sheppard and guys like Bradham its most likely we're going with youth and not because Wilson and Barnnett were losers.

[OpIv37]

Here's the only issue I have: there have been far too many times when the Bills have cut dead weight, only to fail to replace them with someone better or even equal.

So, while I don't have a problem cutting either guy, it leaves us short on bodies at both positions. The FO better have a plan on how to improve them.

[EDS]

You cut your leaders who aren't fighting for it every single play.

Wilson is a Captain, Barnett a veteran leader both have been seen coasting and not attacking late in games. Cutting these guys tells your locker room, you play hard or you play elsewhere.

It's exactly how you start the process of changing the mindset of a team. More heads will roll and veterans like Mario & Stevie will be talked to as well. The selfish me first stuff has to go.

The Bills are losing because their "star" players like Mario Williams can't lead, which is why you needed some modest veteran talents to take up that role.

[feldspar]

Barnett knows what a winning culture is, having played in Green Bay for 8 years. I'm surprised the Bills cut him, really. He was a best linebacker, and that speaks to how bad that squad is. He was good in 2011 and had a down year this year.

George Wilson was a Bill for 8 years. Maybe it's time to move Aaron Williams over to Safety.

[The Jokeman]

The Bills are losing because their "star" players like Mario Williams can't lead, which is why you needed some modest veteran talents to take up that role.

Bruce Smith was never a leader in the locker room, Darryl Talley was. I'd also say that Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas weren't leaders either. This team needs some serious talent improvement before starting calling out "non leaders".

[fluteflakes]

Know what helps bring out better leadership? Winning.

[YardRat]

Gotta start somewhere...other guys are going to have to step up.

[EDS]

Bruce Smith was never a leader in the locker room, Darryl Talley was. I'd also say that Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas weren't leaders either. This team needs some serious talent improvement before starting calling out "non leaders".

Talley was a leader for sure - and he was also talented. Mario Williams specifically told the Bills he was not coming to be a leader. He came for the paycheck and because playing in a low key low expectation environment like B-lo would be easy.

[DynaPaul]

I want every player on this team to feel insecure about their job. These cuts are a good start.

[clumping platelets]

Neither player was a fit for the new defense.......we just saved over $6 million on the cap that can be used to bring in their replacements.

[bf1]

I liked Wilson, but I don't think we'll miss him one bit. Barnett was one of the phantom LBs, we won't miss him either.

[BADTHINGSMAN]

If losing Wilson and Barnett helps keep Byrd and Levitre then I am all for it.

[Night Train]

They're just making some room for ex-Jets/Ravens to come in and teach others the D.

Sherlock Holmes isn't needed to figure this one out.

[jamze132]

Here's the only issue I have: there have been far too many times when the Bills have cut dead weight, only to fail to replace them with someone better or even equal.

So, while I don't have a problem cutting either guy, it leaves us short on bodies at both positions. The FO better have a plan on how to improve them.

6yrs/$50M contract to "Lights Out". LOL

[coastal]

Why on earth is Chris Kelsay still of his team?

i swear to God he has to be Russ Brandon's gay lover or something.

[Jan Reimers]

I have to say that with the hiring of Marrone, Pettine, et. al., the non-tendering of Donald Jones, and the release of Wilson and Barnett, I am becoming somewhat optimistic again. It almost seems that the Bills are trying to get better. With more needed cuts to our large pile of dead wood, a good free agency period, and an intelligent draft, I may emerge from my "Bills' Breakdown" and return to sanity.

[trapezeus]

i'd hold out jan. cutting people to save money is the one thing the bills do regularly. where they fail us is by avoiding QB and LB until rounds 4-7, not getting anyone worth mentioning in FA and then continuing to jam square pegs into round holes.

All those guys they cut could have been depth. they weren't starter material (sans Jones), but they could fill in when injuries occured. I remain skeptical with kelsay on the team and russ pretending change has occured. they are the same crappy bills until the day russ leaves.

[The Compromise]

You cut your leaders who aren't fighting for it every single play.

Wilson is a Captain, Barnett a veteran leader both have been seen coasting and not attacking late in games. Cutting these guys tells your locker room, you play hard or you play elsewhere.

It's exactly how you start the process of changing the mindset of a team. More heads will roll and veterans like Mario & Stevie will be talked to as well. The selfish me first stuff has to go.

I didn't see a whole lot of players not coasting at times throughout the season.

I'm at a loss to see how cutting the team's two leading tacklers, and IMO players that hustled more than anyone, with no qualified depth behind them, is going to help.

The way to get rid of a losing culture is to get rid of the pieces that make it lose and lay the foundation for that losing culture. Unfortunately that part of the org was undisturbed. It's the people that brought you Mario at that predictably ridiculous salary, gave Fitz that huge contract, signed Anderson to too much, etc.

It wasn't Barnett and Wilson, and FWIW, New England is already interested in Wilson. I trust NE's judgement on players a whole heckuva lot more than I do anyone on this org's judgement. Don't you.

[The King]

I thought Wilson took a step back this year. And that's coming from a guy who special ordered his jersey. I don't think he played like Captain. He's a great guy, but he didnt make enough plays, everyone at this level can tackle, but he had a chance to be a difference maker and he couldn't capitalize.

Nick Barnett obviously isnt diverse enough to play in the defense Pettine has in mind. Nix talks about it in his statement. He also failed his physical.

[jpdex12]

I have to say that with the hiring of Marrone, Pettine, et. al., the non-tendering of Donald Jones, and the release of Wilson and Barnett, I am becoming somewhat optimistic again. It almost seems that the Bills are trying to get better. With more needed cuts to our large pile of dead wood, a good free agency period, and an intelligent draft, I may emerge from my "Bills' Breakdown" and return to sanity.

Grant it Marrone was only a .500 coach while with SU but he inherited a pile of ***** from Robinson and the first year in he chased a lot of dead weight out the door. Being a Syracuse resident I remember that first year thinking what a hard ass he must be since so many players were transferring or quitting. He chased out a lot of the crap! He obtained a bunch of one and two star prospects that no college analysts wanted to give SU credit for signing and he turned them into solid ball players winning two bowl games in two out of the last three years he was with SU. If he was given the new practice facility and more pay that SU supposedly was to give him and didn't he might still be here and he would have imporved the team even more. Our offense was getting better each year with a solid QB capable of managing games and putting up big stats, a hard nosed run game and a solid defense. I am not professing him to be the next HOF coach in the NFL but he is a no non-sense kind of guy that isn't afraid to get criticized for his actions.

While I am leery seeing two of our top tacklers being escorted to the door, I am holding out hope that with the review process over for current Bills players, he sees the changes needed and is cleaning the roster in order to implement his own style. I'm sure Pettine and Hackett are much involved with these changes. One good thing about Pettine coming from the Jets is that he knows how our offense failed and will use this to help Marrone improve it even though his expertise is on the other side of the ball. If Marrone isn't keen on Fitz then we'll see change there too. I think we all fully expect that at some point soon.If we just saw two starting defensive players cut who led the team in tackles and were veteran leaders on the defense he won't be afraid to cut Fitz and his contract sounded like we had an out just in case.

I know we are all sick of the three year cycle of crap we go through with coaching changes, etc. as Bill's fans but I am holding out optimism for this one. Might be cautiously optimistic but I am looking forward to the upcoming Combine, Draft and OTAs.

[mjt328]

As someone else said, cutting our "dead weight" is the easy part. Anybody can walk into the building and release a player.

The only thing that makes our team better is adding (and keeping) our top talent. That's the tough part.

[Night Train]

As someone else said, cutting our "dead weight" is the easy part. Anybody can walk into the building and release a player.

The only thing that makes our team better is adding (and keeping) our top talent. That's the tough part.

As stated in another thread, it's obvious the Bills will be adding ex Jet/Ravens players from the D side to play here 1-2 years as player/coaches while drafting the future youth. It's what all new staffs do. No mystery to the moves.

[gr8slayer]

Yeah, and there's nothing wrong with a youth movement.
You cut your leaders who aren't fighting for it every single play.

Wilson is a Captain, Barnett a veteran leader both have been seen coasting and not attacking late in games. Cutting these guys tells your locker room, you play hard or you play elsewhere.

It's exactly how you start the process of changing the mindset of a team. More heads will roll and veterans like Mario & Stevie will be talked to as well. The selfish me first stuff has to go.