We should be looking for upgrades...

[X-Era]

I want a big splash or two as much as the next guy but really the team gets better if we get upgrades. We can argue about who the best investment is... youth vs. experience, contract size, etc... But the goal is to get better overall as a team.

Levitre is likely gone which means that's a significant loss from the overall talent perspective. But, we can make gains in other areas and the goal is to assemble a more talented team than last years squad.

I consider any of the following and upgrade:

James Harrison- Right now is better than any current OLB
Dannel Ellerbe- Better than any current ILB
Erin Henderson- More proven than any other OLB
Paul Kruger- See Harrison
LaRon Landry- Better than George Wilson
Brandon Gibson- More established than Donald Jones and has better upside IMO
Dustin Keller- Better than Caussin or Lee which he likely will be replacing

Downgrade?

Louis Vasquez?

[Night Train]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

I don't want any older guys.

This team is not on the cusp of any big run and we're in Year 13 of the 3 year plan, applying patches for short term marketing.

Build towards something and give Marrone a chance, long term. Sign the younger guys with upside.

[better days]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

I don't want any older guys.

This team is not on the cusp of any big run and we're in Year 13 of the 3 year plan, applying patches for short term marketing.

Build towards something and give Marrone a chance, long term. Sign the younger guys with upside.

I think it is a good thing to bring in a GOOD Vet player or two that can show the young guys how it is done. Derrick Brooks, soon to be HOF player for the Bucs has always credited Hardy Nickerson for showing him how to be a PRO.

The Bucs brought in Hardy from the Steelers when he was on his last legs, his play was not what it was when he was younger, but he was a GREAT leader & very much responsible in molding the Bucs Super Bowl team.

[Buddo]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

I think it is a good thing to bring in a GOOD Vet player or two that can show the young guys how it is done. Derrick Brooks, soon to be HOF player for the Bucs has always credited Hardy Nickerson for showing him how to be a PRO.

The Bucs brought in Hardy from the Steelers when he was on his last legs, his play was not what it was when he was younger, but he was a GREAT leader & very much responsible in molding the Bucs Super Bowl team.

I think there's something to be said for this approach, but I feel you only need one guy to do that, on either side of the football. You also need to gauge very carefully, how much that guy has left in the tank.

[better days]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

I think there's something to be said for this approach, but I feel you only need one guy to do that, on either side of the football. You also need to gauge very carefully, how much that guy has left in the tank.

Well, the Bucs were a terrible team when they signed Hardy. He gave them a couple decent years before retiring at the time the Bucs got GOOD.

[X-Era]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

I don't want any older guys.

This team is not on the cusp of any big run and we're in Year 13 of the 3 year plan, applying patches for short term marketing.

Build towards something and give Marrone a chance, long term. Sign the younger guys with upside.

Define older for me

[mikemac2001]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

Tjax and Fitz have almost identical Car rating on espn...i think having both on the roster is dumb. save the cap and move on...atleast tjax would be a new face to suck

[The Jokeman]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

Define older for me

In football, over thirty is generally considered old.

[X-Era]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

In football, over thirty is generally considered old.

Tell that to Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Andre Johnson, and a slew of others.

They have value... especially on a young team.

I don't want guys with nothing left but I'd like some guys that can help us right away.

[The Jokeman]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

Tell that to Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Andre Johnson, and a slew of others.

They have value... especially on a young team.

I don't want guys with nothing left but I'd like some guys that can help us right away.

30 plus for QB isn't a big deal since they don't have to be great athletes as they aren't running as much as the other guys on the field. WR's speed is important but quickness more vital.

[X-Era]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

30 plus for QB isn't a big deal since they don't have to be great athletes as they aren't running as much as the other guys on the field. WR's speed is important but quickness more vital.

OL, some DL, LB, and even some S are just fine over 30. But not too far over 30... LOL

[BLeonard]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

I consider any of the following and upgrade:

James Harrison- Right now is better than any current OLB
Dannel Ellerbe- Better than any current ILB
Erin Henderson- More proven than any other OLB
Paul Kruger- See Harrison
LaRon Landry- Better than George Wilson
Brandon Gibson- More established than Donald Jones and has better upside IMO
Dustin Keller- Better than Caussin or Lee which he likely will be replacing

That's all well and good... Now, let's see how many of these "upgrades" the Bills are actually able to sign...

That's been a big part of the issue. The Bills' idea of "upgrade" has been the following:

1: Let good player go in Free Agency, while continuosly preaching "draft, develop and retain."
2: Promote the former player's backup to a starting role, claiming that "there isn't much of a dropoff" and "he just needs playing time."
3: Draft a rookie to fill the backup role, again preaching "draft, develop and retain."

Perfect example is the Quarterback position.

Trent Edwards was JP Losman's backup. Losman's contract is up, Edwards is the starter and Fitz is brought in as the backup.
Edwards gets cut, Fitz is the starter and last season, Tavaris Jackson was brought in as a backup.
Fitz is cut and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see Tavaris Jackson as the Opening Day Starting QB, even though he apparently wasn't even good enough to dress, let alone unseat the great Tyler Thigpen, last season.

This method hasn't worked in 13 seasons and with the same people in charge, with the exception of the illusion of giving Russ Brandon yet another promotion, I really don't have much faith in it magically working in year 14.

-Bill

[X-Era]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

That's all well and good... Now, let's see how many of these "upgrades" the Bills are actually able to sign...

That's been a big part of the issue. The Bills' idea of "upgrade" has been the following:

1: Let good player go in Free Agency, while continuosly preaching "draft, develop and retain."
2: Promote the former player's backup to a starting role, claiming that "there isn't much of a dropoff" and "he just needs playing time."
3: Draft a rookie to fill the backup role, again preaching "draft, develop and retain."

Perfect example is the Quarterback position.

Trent Edwards was JP Losman's backup. Losman's contract is up, Edwards is the starter and Fitz is brought in as the backup.
Edwards gets cut, Fitz is the starter and last season, Tavaris Jackson was brought in as a backup.
Fitz is cut and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see Tavaris Jackson as the Opening Day Starting QB, even though he apparently wasn't even good enough to dress, let alone unseat the great Tyler Thigpen, last season.

This method hasn't worked in 13 seasons and with the same people in charge, with the exception of the illusion of giving Russ Brandon yet another promotion, I really don't have much faith in it magically working in year 14.

-Bill

Who are the players we let walk in the past 3 years and why? If anything weve been keeping more of our own than ever before (since the SB years).

And are you using 3 sub-par QB's to make a point about keeping our own? None of them should have been kept. We have failed to find a franchise QB since Kelly. I do not disagree.

And that has to change. But we won't be signing one anytime soon and to worry about re-signing one we have to actually draft one to start with.

[YardRat]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

Edwards, Losman and Fitz all eventually ended up sucking over most of the time they spent in Buffalo, after a brief match-stick size flicker of hope was exhibited by all three. Two of them were draft picks of the Bills, one a first rounder, much to the dismay of those who like to claim the team hasn't tried to address the QB position through the draft.

There is still a ****-ton of talent out there, it's only been a single day and a couple of hours...

http://espn.go.com/nfl/freeagency/

[X-Era]

Re: We should be looking for upgrades...

Edwards, Losman and Fitz all eventually ended up sucking over most of the time they spent in Buffalo, after a brief match-stick size flicker of hope was exhibited by all three. Two of them were draft picks of the Bills, one a first rounder, much to the dismay of those who like to claim the team hasn't tried to address the QB position through the draft.

There is still a ****-ton of talent out there, it's only been a single day and a couple of hours...

http://espn.go.com/nfl/freeagency/