Cutting Brown cheaper than keeping him

[The_Philster]

By MARK GAUGHAN, Buffalo News
He has started 136 games and made eight Pro Bowls for the Buffalo Bills. He is among the most active Bills in the community.
However, the financial numbers are stacked against Bills guard Ruben Brown, which is why his future with the team looks like it may come to an end.

It's going to be cheaper for the Bills to cut Brown than to keep him. Brown is due to receive a $1.8 million bonus if he's on the roster the first day of the new NFL fiscal year, which is March 3. That would bring his total salary cap cost to the Bills to $5.8 million. That also includes a base salary of $2.7 million and past bonuses he received that are amortized over the life of his contract and count $1.33 million in 2004....
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[The_Philster]

I kinda like this quote myself

Brown is willing to take a pay cut.

"I want to be here more than anything, and I'm willing to do what it takes," Brown said Saturday while making an appearance for one of his favorite community programs, Buffalo Prep. "I want to be here when this team wins the Super Bowl.

It's up to Donahoe to approach Ruben about that paycut

[Tatonka]

he isnt going anywhere.

[Romes]

I hope they work something out and Ruben takes a paycut. If he gets cut that leaves yet another hole in the line.

[eyedog]

I hope they cut him. What happened to the supposed $24,000 difference between keeping and cutting him. I can't see him getting that 1.8 million bonus.

[eyedog]

Originally posted by Romes
I hope they work something out and Ruben takes a paycut. If he gets cut that leaves yet another hole in the line.

He is one of the holes in the line. Open your eyes and watch what is really happening in the interior of that o-line.

[DraftBoy]

Hes also the most senior and respected OL on the team. You dont just cut a player like him b.c he is starting to play a little worse but still make the Pro Bowl. Here are some other examples: TEN Brad Hopkins, ATL Bob Whitfield. They are the OL leaders and are kept around for their abilities and leadership roles. We lose Brown we have a worse OL than last year. IMO

[eyedog]

Is that the same leader that walked out on his boys before the New England game ? Ya, thats what I thought.

[BillsFever]

If Brown doesn't wanna take a paycut then ship his ass outta Buffalo too. I like Rueben, but not for 5.8 million dollars.

To think about 14 million dollars of our cap room will be tied up to Bledsoe and Brown. What a sick feeling. Please excuse me while I go vomit.

[DraftBoy]

Originally posted by eyedog
Is that the same leader that walked out on his boys before the New England game ? Ya, thats what I thought.

Walked out?? How about he was suspended for the game there. The coaches told him to go home...Learn the whole story next time...He stood up for the team and you want to make him out to be a marytr(sp?)??

[eyedog]

A little late for that big standup wasn't it. If he was such the big hero/leader you say he is than that big episode should have taken place about eight weeks before then.
I will be surprised if he is starting at rg come September.

[DraftBoy]

Yes please lets create a divided lockeroom in week 8 when we still had a shot at the playoffs. Hey maybe then we would have a top pick and get Big Ben or Eli. Brown did the right thing keeping his mouth shut till near the end.

[eyedog]

If he was the leader he should have opened his mouth when Greg @ Kevin were flushing the season away with their idiotic play calling and coaching. He sucks, is overrated and I'll be glad when he's cut.

[Throne Logic]

Originally posted by eyedog
If he was the leader he should have opened his mouth when Greg @ Kevin were flushing the season away with their idiotic play calling and coaching. He sucks, is overrated and I'll be glad when he's cut.

Who are you to say that Brown didn't say something earlier? Maybe he'd been saying something all season. What if he just started saying it with flying chairs after game #15, 'cuz the coaches were just ignoring him?

Don't slander based upon what you don't know about. No one outside of the locker room knows the entire story. It's really no one's business if they aren't in Bills management.

Brown's never quit before. Why so quick to jump on him. He may not be pro-bowl matterial anymore, but he's still above average. Futhermore, no one could have been a great player with the O-line schemes of the past couple of years in Buffalo. Perhaps the Pro Bowl voters took that into consideration. Did you consider that?

Please consider all potential sides before you start casting stones . . .

[The_Philster]

Originally posted by eyedog
I will be surprised if he is starting at rg come September.

Me too. He starts at LG

Ruben's never been a quitter, IMO and I've watched him in person all but the first year he was in Buffalo. The only thing I'll lay a knock on him at all about was his lack of fire in 2003..but then again, that was evident throughout the team, not just him.