My thoughts on Byrd

[THATHURMANATOR]

I don't care if he is signed long term.

He would be a complete idiot to not sign and play under the Franchise Tag

The only 3 things I care about are below

1) Is EJ Manuel the Real Deal? I really hope they just go with him and don't put it off
2) Is Doug Marrone the Real Deal? I like what I have heard so far but only small bits and pieces
3) Is Mike Pettine the Real Deal? Will his defense put the talent we have into the right places to succeed?

Yes Byrd is good but how much can you sink into a safety? If he is lights out in the new defense he will get paid regardless.

In reality if Manuel and Marrone are great we will succeed. If they are busts we will continue to suck no matter what else materializes.....

[better days]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

When the Bills signed Kolb, I believe they promised him a FAIR Chance in Competition to WIN the starting QB job.

I don't see how Marrone can go back on his word about that. If the competition is close then Manuel most likely wins, but if Kolb CLEARLY wins the job, Marrone has to start him.

And I doubt players on the team would be happy losing games while EJ develops if they thought they could be winning games with Kolb at QB.

[BillsFever21]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

When the Bills signed Kolb, I believe they promised him a FAIR Chance in Competition to WIN the starting QB job.

I don't see how Marrone can go back on his word about that. If the competition is close then Manuel most likely wins, but if Kolb CLEARLY wins the job, Marrone has to start him.

And I doubt players on the team would be happy losing games while EJ develops if they thought they could be winning games with Kolb at QB.

That may be more the case if you had a proven veteran that has a winning track record in this league as Manuel's competition. In reality what we're talking about is a journeyman QB who has missed more games due to injury then he has actually played in the NFL. Even then he hasn't been very good for the few games at a time he has stayed healthy. It's not like he has a winning track record in the NFL.

No matter if you think Kolb is a good QB and more then just a stop gap(how is beyond me) until Manuel is ready he is a journeyman QB. He is now on his 3rd team in 7 seasons, only has 21 starts and is 9-12 in them games and has also been given every opportunity to win the starting job by his two previous clubs but failed miserably. That is the definition of a journeyman QB. He is no different in NFL terms then Fitzpatrick but he has even less success in his career.

Hell he wasn't even the starter for Arizona going into the season last year. Skelton was named the starter after posting a good record the previous year after Kolb went down with another injury and beating him out in training camp to secure the starting job to start the season. If not for an injury to Skelton in the first game then who knows when/if Kolb would've even seen the field for his several weeks of football.

If this was always the case then Tannehill wouldn't have won the starting job for the Dolphins. Matt Moore played decent football for them and helped them win games down the stretch last season and the players already respected him. Moore is also much more proven and successful over his career then Kevin Kolb.

It also would've means that guys like Russell Wilson wouldn't have had a their chance last season. They paid Flynn decent money with intentions of him being the starter but that didn't materialize after the Seahawks liked what they saw in Wilson during the preseason.

[better days]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

That may be more the case if you had a proven veteran that has a winning track record in this league as Manuel's competition. In reality what we're talking about is a journeyman QB who has missed more games due to injury then he has actually played in the NFL. Even then he hasn't been very good for the few games at a time he has stayed healthy. It's not like he has a winning track record in the NFL.

No matter if you think Kolb is a good QB and more then just a stop gap(how is beyond me) until Manuel is ready he is a journeyman QB. He is now on his 3rd team in 7 seasons, only has 21 starts and is 9-12 in them games and has also been given every opportunity to win the starting job by his two previous clubs but failed miserably. That is the definition of a journeyman QB. He is no different in NFL terms then Fitzpatrick but he has even less success in his career.

Hell he wasn't even the starter for Arizona going into the season last year. Skelton was named the starter after posting a good record the previous year after Kolb went down with another injury and beating him out in training camp to secure the starting job to start the season. If not for an injury to Skelton in the first game then who knows when/if Kolb would've even seen the field for his several weeks of football.

If this was always the case then Tannehill wouldn't have won the starting job for the Dolphins. Matt Moore played decent football for them and helped them win games down the stretch last season and the players already respected him. Moore is also much more proven and successful over his career then Kevin Kolb.

It also would've means that guys like Russell Wilson wouldn't have had a their chance last season. They paid Flynn decent money with intentions of him being the starter but that didn't materialize after the Seahawks liked what they saw in Wilson during the preseason.

Like I said Marrone & the Bills gave their WORD to Kolb that he would have a FAIR chance to WIN the starting job. It does not matter what other teams have done at the QB position before. The Fins nor the Seahawks did not promise anything to anyone.

But the Bills did PROMISE a fair competition for the QB job to Kolb to get him to sign with Buffalo.

EVERY player on the team will know if Kolb won the job & should be starting unless it is a close competition. If that is the case, as I already said, EJ will be deemed the winner of the competition.

I am sure after what I have read about him that Marrone is a man of his word & I have no doubt in my mind if EJ is the Starting QB against the Pats* opening day, it will be because he WON the job.........................or Kolb was injured in Preseason.

And Kolb had the Cards winning games before he was injured last year including a win over the Pats* in N.E.

[SquishDaFish]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

Kolb really isnt as bad as seems. You do realize the Cards had prob the worst OLine in the NFL yes? He was hit like every other dropback LOL

[OpIv37]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

I don't care if he is signed long term.

He would be a complete idiot to not sign and play under the Franchise Tag

The only 3 things I care about are below

1) Is EJ Manuel the Real Deal? I really hope they just go with him and don't put it off
2) Is Doug Marrone the Real Deal? I like what I have heard so far but only small bits and pieces
3) Is Mike Pettine the Real Deal? Will his defense put the talent we have into the right places to succeed?

Yes Byrd is good but how much can you sink into a safety? If he is lights out in the new defense he will get paid regardless.

In reality if Manuel and Marrone are great we will succeed. If they are busts we will continue to suck no matter what else materializes.....

Here's the flaw in your logic: the Bills are $18 million below the cap. If Byrd doesn't sign his tender, they're $25 million below the cap.

All of our FA's except Byrd have signed, either with us or elsewhere. All the top FA's have signed already. So, how exactly do the Bills plan on using that excess cap capacity to make the team better?

I think Byrd is asking for too much, but I think overpaying him is preferable to letting yet another quality FA walk after their rookie deal, especially with so much cap space available.

[Night Train]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

Why is paying Byrd the tag number of 6.9 Mil for 2013 a bad idea ?

Why do we have to spend up to the cap immediately before a new coach learns his roster and who can execute his schemes ?

In any other town, the needed moves are made AFTER the first season of the new coach, once many questions have been answered. Then the roster is shaped the right way ( hopefully ).

[OpIv37]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

Why is paying Byrd the tag number of 6.9 Mil for 2013 a bad idea ?

Why do we have to spend up to the cap immediately before a new coach learns his roster and who can execute his schemes ?

In any other town, the needed moves are made AFTER the first season of the new coach, once many questions have been answered. Then the roster is shaped the right way ( hopefully ).

First, even if we give Byrd his $9 million, we are still $16 million below the cap.

Second, Byrd is worth more than the franchise tender and he knows it, hence his unwillingness to sign it.

If nothing else, he goes into negotiations next year thinking "I could have another $2 million if these asshats didn't franchise me." Not exactly a great way to start things off.....

Third, Byrd is likely to hold out because of the franchise tender, and given who his agent is, the team should have known that a holdout was a strong possibility.

That's what's wrong with giving Byrd the tag number.

[better days]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

First, even if we give Byrd his $9 million, we are still $16 million below the cap.

Second, Byrd is worth more than the franchise tender and he knows it, hence his unwillingness to sign it.

If nothing else, he goes into negotiations next year thinking "I could have another $2 million if these asshats didn't franchise me." Not exactly a great way to start things off.....

Third, Byrd is likely to hold out because of the franchise tender, and given who his agent is, the team should have known that a holdout was a strong possibility.

That's what's wrong with giving Byrd the tag number.

Well, it is all water under the Bridge, Closing the barn door after the cows get out etc.

It is too late for the Bills to give Byrd a long term contract now. For any amount of money. Which is what Parker & Byrd wanted all along.

Byrd can either report & play under the tag or not report & lose out on a lot of money that he will never make up.

I really thought the Bills would trade Byrd on draft day.

The fact they didn't means one of two things:

1) They really wanted to sign Byrd to a long term contract, but his demands were outrageous.

2) they wanted to make him play this year under the tag to see how he plays in Pettines defense before they give him the big contract.

[OpIv37]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

Well, it is all water under the Bridge, Closing the barn door after the cows get out etc.

It is too late for the Bills to give Byrd a long term contract now. For any amount of money. Which is what Parker & Byrd wanted all along.

Byrd can either report & play under the tag or not report & lose out on a lot of money that he will never make up.

I really thought the Bills would trade Byrd on draft day.

The fact they didn't means one of two things:

1) They really wanted to sign Byrd to a long term contract, but his demands were outrageous.

2) they wanted to make him play this year under the tag to see how he plays in Pettines defense before they give him the big contract.

Or, 3- no one would give the team good value on a trade because a) they know Buffalo is up **** creek and has a weak negotiating position and/or b) they didn't want the hassle of dealing with Parker and this contract situation.

[better days]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

Or, 3- no one would give the team good value on a trade because a) they know Buffalo is up **** creek and has a weak negotiating position and/or b) they didn't want the hassle of dealing with Parker and this contract situation.

b) could be very likely.

[Pinkerton Security]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

Like I said Marrone & the Bills gave their WORD to Kolb that he would have a FAIR chance to WIN the starting job.

How do you know this? Were YOU in on the MEETING!!? Everyone knows the QB position is a very finnicky position and Kolb most likely signed with us because he thought he had the best shot of landing a starting gig, not because we guaranteed anything.

[better days]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

How do you know this? Were YOU in on the MEETING!!? Everyone knows the NFL, especially the QB position, is a very finnicky position and Kolb most likely signed with us because he thought he had the best shot of landing a starting gig, not because we guaranteed anything.

I know this because I have heard BOTH Marrone & Kolb say it.

Kolb was not guaranteed the starting QB job. He was guaranteed the chance to compete for the starting QB job, so yes, he no doubt thought it was his best shot to land a starting job.

[Pinkerton Security]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

I know this because I have heard BOTH Marrone & Kolb say it.

Kolb was not guaranteed the starting QB job. He was guaranteed the chance to compete for the starting QB job, so yes, he no doubt thought it was his best shot to land a starting job.

Sooo what you're saying is he was guaranteed a shot in the competition....you'd be naive if you thought that each "competition", no matter what team, is a level playing field. EJ was our first round pick, he's going to have a leg up in the race.

[mightysimi]

Re: My thoughts on Byrd

Kolb played well in Philly with Reid which was a West coast like system. Our new O is based on that too. I am willing to give him a shot but also realize that it will only take him a few games to get hurt and then EJ can play without the pressure of being the saviour from day 1.