What really irritates me....

[OpIv37]

We have no depth on the OL or at CB but we are $19 MILLION under the cap.

Now, before some of you flip out, I'm not saying that we should have gone after big name FA's or spend right up to the cap. But there have to be guys out there who could help- or at least there were. AT the very least we should have picked up a vet on a one year contract at CB when Gilmore went down before the season started.

There are lots of ways we could have used that money to help this year without hosing the cap.

[YardRat]

Re: What really irritates me....

I've been clamoring for a vet back-up center that can swing to guard for years, and you can never have too many corners.

[Guest]

Re: What really irritates me....

We are operating with an internal cap that is about $20M below the real cap.

Ralph may not be involved in the day to day operations but he isn't going to spend to the cap until he has to in a couple of years to reach the 89% salary floor average for the 4 year period of 2013 - 2016.

[BillsFever21]

Re: What really irritates me....

There were tons of decent veterans signing one or two year deals this offseason. We could've snatched some of them up without hurting the long term cap but the Bills decided to put that money in Ralph's pocket.

[BLeonard]

Re: What really irritates me....

We have no depth on the OL or at CB but we are $19 MILLION under the cap.

Now, before some of you flip out, I'm not saying that we should have gone after big name FA's or spend right up to the cap. But there have to be guys out there who could help- or at least there were. AT the very least we should have picked up a vet on a one year contract at CB when Gilmore went down before the season started.

There are lots of ways we could have used that money to help this year without hosing the cap.

But, but, but... We need that money to sign our players who will be Free Agents next year...!

This was a discussion I had yesterday with another Bills fan... My simple reply to him... "Who?"

For anyone curious, here's the list of current Bills players that will be free agents after the 2013 season: http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/

Alan Branch - DT
Jairus Byrd - S
Dan Carpenter - K
Alex Carrington - DE
Mike Caussin - TE
Scott Chandler - TE
Tashard Choice - RB
Chris Hogan - WR
Doug Legursky - OL
Jim Leonhard - S
Arthur Moats - LB
Frank Summers - RB
Thomas Welch - OT
Jamaal Westerman - LB
Sam Young - OT

-Bill

[OpIv37]

Re: What really irritates me....

Caussin already got cut.

But again, like I said, I'm talking depth- stopgap for that short term, not guys that are gonna kill the cap. Give them short term front-loaded deals. The cap isn't cell phone rollover minutes- we don't get to use it next year.

[BLeonard]

Re: What really irritates me....

We are operating with an internal cap that is about $20M below the real cap.

Ralph may not be involved in the day to day operations but he isn't going to spend to the cap until he has to in a couple of years to reach the 89% salary floor average for the 4 year period of 2013 - 2016.

I also think the argument of "But, he can't be cheap, because they signed Mario" is kinda silly...

So, you're paying one guy a $100 million contract, yet you're STILL $19 million under the cap as a whole? No wonder the backups are of the Justin Rogers variety.

I also have a theory about why Mario was signed in the first place....

Keep in mind, Mario's first season as a Bill, 2012, was the last year of the stadium lease... The last time the lease was up for renewal (1998) they traded for Rob Johnson and signed Doug Flutie. In both instances, the Bills were looking to get taxpayer money for renovations.

Seems a bit convenient to me to make moves or pay out big money for a high priced FA, just before you go in to negotiate how much taxpayer money you should get....

-Bill

[Beebe's Kid]

Re: What really irritates me....

But, but, but... We need that money to sign our players who will be Free Agents next year...!

This was a discussion I had yesterday with another Bills fan... My simple reply to him... "Who?"

For anyone curious, here's the list of current Bills players that will be free agents after the 2013 season: http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/

Alan Branch - DT
Jairus Byrd - S
Dan Carpenter - K
Alex Carrington - DE
Mike Caussin - TE
Scott Chandler - TE
Tashard Choice - RB
Chris Hogan - WR
Doug Legursky - OL
Jim Leonhard - S
Arthur Moats - LB
Frank Summers - RB
Thomas Welch - OT
Jamaal Westerman - LB
Sam Young - OT

-Bill

While I think that list is both sad and relevant, a one year deal would not have an impact on next year's cap.

And Op, I don't know why you felt the need to apologize in the original post. Your point is well made, and the only answer outside of the team making more money is an excuse. That is the goal of a business.

It is funny how out of place the Mario signing continues to look. I know people criticize it for his play, and that is largely justified, but I thought it was about getting a vet here, which would make the Bills look committed to winning and draw others here in its wake. Instead we have a bunch of guys that are just happy to be in the NFL, one expensive vet, and a bunch of guys that we drafted.

[BLeonard]

Re: What really irritates me....

But again, like I said, I'm talking depth- stopgap for that short term, not guys that are gonna kill the cap. Give them short term front-loaded deals. The cap isn't cell phone rollover minutes- we don't get to use it next year.

The question would be, who's out there that's worth picking up...? Off the top of my head, I can think of two DB's... Kerry Rhodes and Terrance McGee.

Dunno how much they'd want, but I'd think either would be better than having Rogers out there. I know Rhodes is a S, but at least that would allow you to move Aaron Williams to Corner for the time being.

-Bill

[BLeonard]

Re: What really irritates me....

While I think that list is both sad and relevant, a one year deal would not have an impact on next year's cap.

I get that, just saying that this was part of my discussion with the guy that said we needed the $19 mil in cap room to sign players on the team that would be FA's next season... Like a mid-season extension or something, don't really know what he was thinking.

-Bill

[Homegrown]

Re: What really irritates me....

What really irritates me is that I've wasted so many nice Sunday afternoons in Sep & Oct the last 14 years ....

[OpIv37]

Re: What really irritates me....

What really irritates me is that I've wasted so many nice Sunday afternoons in Sep & Oct the last 14 years ....

Tell me about it... And down here those nice afternoons often stretch into November.

[jimmifli]

Re: What really irritates me....

The question would be, who's out there that's worth picking up...? Off the top of my head, I can think of two DB's... Kerry Rhodes and Terrance McGee.

Dunno how much they'd want, but I'd think either would be better than having Rogers out there. I know Rhodes is a S, but at least that would allow you to move Aaron Williams to Corner for the time being.

-Bill

At this point not a lot. But...

Sean Smith went to Kansas City for $6 mil per for 3 years.
Talib resigned in NE for $5 mil 1 year
Phins signed Brian Grimes to a 1 year $5.5 mil deal.
Asomugha $3 mil 1 year
DRC $5 mil 1 year

etc...

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/free-agents

Lots of short deals that could have easily fit under our cap and prevented Rogers from being our #1 CB on Sunday. Of course many fans prefer to cheer for Ralph's wallet. It's got to be the most popular Bill over the last decade, when does it go up on the Wall?

[BillsFever21]

Re: What really irritates me....

At this point not a lot. But...

Sean Smith went to Kansas City for $6 mil per for 3 years.
Talib resigned in NE for $5 mil 1 year
Phins signed Brian Grimes to a 1 year $5.5 mil deal.
Asomugha $3 mil 1 year
DRC $5 mil 1 year

etc...

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/free-agents

Lots of short deals that could have easily fit under our cap and prevented Rogers from being our #1 CB on Sunday. Of course many fans prefer to cheer for Ralph's wallet. It's got to be the most popular Bill over the last decade, when does it go up on the Wall?

Maybe after he dies they can put a picture of our total combined cap savings and his savings account total on the WOF. Most fans seem obsessed about not signing currently good players so we will have the cap space to "sign" players in the future that we also won't sign. Then when them guys become free agents we can't resign them because the guys we drafted a couple years before that will be free agents. It's a horrendous cycle of accepted mediocrity for most of the past decade.

[BLeonard]

Re: What really irritates me....

At this point not a lot. But...

Sean Smith went to Kansas City for $6 mil per for 3 years.
Talib resigned in NE for $5 mil 1 year
Phins signed Brian Grimes to a 1 year $5.5 mil deal.
Asomugha $3 mil 1 year
DRC $5 mil 1 year

etc...

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/transactions/free-agents

Lots of short deals that could have easily fit under our cap and prevented Rogers from being our #1 CB on Sunday. Of course many fans prefer to cheer for Ralph's wallet. It's got to be the most popular Bill over the last decade, when does it go up on the Wall?

Certainly not trying to defend the Bills cheapness here, but how many of those were after Gilmore's injury? It's not like they planned on having Rogers start. As OP said, they should have gotten someone the instant they knew Gilmore was gonna be out for an extended period of time.

But, I do get the point of picking up some guys on 1 year deals, especially when you got $19 million to blow. Pretty sure Branch fits into that category. Why not snag an O-Lineman, a DB, or both?

Hell, Chad Rinehart signed a one year deal with San Diego for $1.75 mil and is their starting LG... Why not just sign him, if you knew you weren't keeping Levitre...?

-Bill