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Mitchy moo
03-10-2006, 03:20 PM
There is a little-known NFL rule stating that teams must waive a veteran starter for each year a newly-hired general manager has been collecting Social Security. So please welcome 80-year-old Marv Levy back to Buffalo, and say goodbye to defensive tackle Sam Adams, tight end Mark Campbell, and safety Lawyer Milloy.
What about veteran wide receiver Eric Moulds? Moulds did not see eye-to-eye with the previous Bills regime, even getting suspended for a game during the 2005 season. His numbers have dropped in recent years and he has an absurdly high cap figure of $10.85 million. The team asked him to take a pay cut, and he refused. The team planned on releasing him and moving on. But the new CBA changes things, and the team could theoretically keep Moulds under the new, higher cap. But why would they want to?
Moulds’ "personal advisor," Greg Johnson, told the Buffalo News (http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060309/1018104.asp) that "We believe Eric is a top-10 talent at his position and he should be paid that way." Two question: what is a "personal advisor" anyway, and who is this guy trying to fool? Our advanced stats at Football Outsiders have ranked Moulds as a below-average receiver for three straight seasons; check out the 2005 numbers (http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/wr.php), and you’ll find Moulds way down, ranked 56th in DPAR (Defense-adjusted Points Above Replacement) out of 89 receivers thrown at least 40 passes. Moulds is no longer the best receiver on his team, let alone one of the top 10 in the entire NFL or even the AFC. (For fun, here’s a list of 10 AFC receivers who are clearly better than Moulds, in random order: Hines Ward, Marvin Harrison, Deion Branch, Chad Johnson, Rod Smith, Randy Moss, Chris Chambers, Reggie Wayne, Eddie Kennison, and teammate Lee Evans.)

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2006/03/09/ramblings/four-downs/3727/
Gunzlingr
03-10-2006, 03:53 PM
Eddie Kennison better than Moulds? :ill:
patmoran2006
03-10-2006, 04:24 PM
For those of you who have not seen his recent column I will cut and paste it.. But first let me say this.. Aaron is an excellent writer that I've worked with and he's not Bills-bashing, he's telling it like it is , from a NON partial view shared around most the league and media.. Bills fans don't want to hear this stuff.. But if you sit and think about it.. It's true. And his strategy makes great sense.

Buffalo Bills

Adventures in Self-Delusion
There is a little-known NFL rule stating that teams must waive a veteran starter for each year a newly-hired general manager has been collecting Social Security. So please welcome 80-year-old Marv Levy back to Buffalo, and say goodbye to defensive tackle Sam Adams, tight end Mark Campbell, and safety Lawyer Milloy.


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What about veteran wide receiver Eric Moulds? Moulds did not see eye-to-eye with the previous Bills regime, even getting suspended for a game during the 2005 season. His numbers have dropped in recent years and he has an absurdly high cap figure of $10.85 million. The team asked him to take a pay cut, and he refused. The team planned on releasing him and moving on. But the new CBA changes things, and the team could theoretically keep Moulds under the new, higher cap. But why would they want to?

Moulds' "personal advisor," Greg Johnson, told the Buffalo News (http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060309/1018104.asp) that "We believe Eric is a top-10 talent at his position and he should be paid that way." Two question: what is a "personal advisor" anyway, and who is this guy trying to fool? Our advanced stats at Football Outsiders have ranked Moulds as a below-average receiver for three straight seasons; check out the 2005 numbers (http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/wr.php), and you'll find Moulds way down, ranked 56th in DPAR (Defense-adjusted Points Above Replacement) out of 89 receivers thrown at least 40 passes. Of course poor quarterbacking can be partially blamed for Moulds' decline, but it is clear Moulds is no longer the best receiver on his team, let alone one of the top 10 in the entire NFL or even the AFC. (For fun, here's a list of 10 AFC receivers who are clearly better than Moulds, in random order: Hines Ward, Marvin Harrison, Deion Branch, Chad Johnson, Rod Smith, Randy Moss, Chris Chambers, Reggie Wayne, Eddie Kennison, and teammate Lee Evans.)

This team needs to make decisions with the long-term goal of making a Super Bowl, not the short-term goal of patching over the holes and going 8-8. The return of Moulds would be a good sign that the Bills are headed in the wrong direction. The quarterback competition between J.P. Losman and Kelly Holcomb is emblematic of this problem. Losman struggled in his first season, so if the goal is to win now, Holcomb is the clear choice. But it seems ridiculous to spend a first-round pick on a quarterback only to give up on him after half a season, and Losman has to play in order to improve.

Another issue is the offensive line, where the Bills need to find some young linemen and teach them to play together rather than bringing in retreads like Mike Gandy and Bennie Anderson. (The pulling guard is supposed to hit the hole before the running back, Bennie.) The best signings that the Bills could make in free agency would be young offensive linemen with just three or four years of experience who still might have their best years ahead of them. Atlanta free agent left tackle Kevin Shaffer is proven and still just 25 years old. Tackle Tom Ashworth and guard Stephen Neal are slightly older, but both have Super Bowl experience with the rival Patriots. The Bills could also try to steal a restricted free agent like Jacksonville guard Vince Manuwai.
patmoran2006
03-10-2006, 04:26 PM
I do disagree with Kennison being better than Moulds.. HOwever, you get the point.. He's clearly not a top 10 in the league receiever, and sure as hell aint worth no $10.8 million on a team that needs alot of new, young and hungry blood
Mitchy moo
03-10-2006, 04:28 PM
i had it covered an hour ago pat, no trouble though.

http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/showthread.php?t=94141

i had it covered earlier pat, no trouble though.
ICE74129
03-10-2006, 04:28 PM
This says it all....

Of course poor quarterbacking can be partially blamed for Moulds' decline, but it is clear Moulds is no longer the best receiver on his team, let alone one of the top 10 in the entire NFL or even the AFC. (For fun, here's a list of 10 AFC receivers who are clearly better than Moulds, in random order: Hines Ward, Marvin Harrison, Deion Branch, Chad Johnson, Rod Smith, Randy Moss, Chris Chambers, Reggie Wayne, Eddie Kennison, and teammate Lee Evans.)

Seems this guy gets it.
justasportsfan
03-10-2006, 04:32 PM
How many of those wr's would y be considered top 10 if they were playing for the bills last year?
Mitchy moo
03-10-2006, 04:34 PM
Eddie Kennison better than Moulds? :ill:

That one seemed the weakest point to me as well.
patmoran2006
03-10-2006, 04:35 PM
Look.. the plan should be REAL simple.
1- JP either plays his way outta town or into a long career at QB, one way at the other he plays in 2006, not a 4-game audition either.

2- Get rid of the scrubs (Bennie Anderson) the Underachiever (Jeff Posey) and Mr. Average (Mike Gandy).. Those three moves saves the club around $4.5 million.. I dont see ANY of them being a key to the Bills rise back to glory in 2006, do you? Add Moulds in there for the sole reason as the article suggests, $10.8 is INSANE.. That's almost $15 million in cap space right there! OMG , It should be so simple.

3- Also like the article said, get some good YOUNG lineman in here that you could BUILD WITH.. NOt 1-2 year patchwork, as Mawae would be.

As good as Runyan and Mawae are.. Gimme Shaffer and TENN center Justin hartwig.. That's a GREAT start

I
patmoran2006
03-10-2006, 04:35 PM
Anybody who thinks ERic Moulds is a top 10 WR in the NFL at this stage of his career is thinking with their heart.. not their head.
ICE74129
03-10-2006, 05:47 PM
How many of those wr's would y be considered top 10 if they were playing for the bills last year?

More excuses.
justasportsfan
03-10-2006, 05:53 PM
More excuses.
Haha! You've come up with more excuses for Losman than Kerry changing his mind. You even start threads bashing Moulds just to make excuses for JP. :crazy:
THE END OF ALL DAYS
03-10-2006, 06:24 PM
I say if you dont start JP then just chuck him and draft Cutler if he is still around. If you dont start JP then you are just saying he is usless... and holcomb will never get any better then he is now, which is just barely average
kgun12
03-10-2006, 06:32 PM
How many of those wr's would y be considered top 10 if they were playing for the bills last year?

The quote was "Our advanced stats at Football Outsiders have ranked Moulds as a below-average receiver for three straight seasons." He didn't say the stats were just from last year. I think 2 of those years were with Bledsoe. Again is't nothing persoal against Moulds, but I would give you 5-10 million reasons why he needs to go, espeacially after reading this. I would keep him in the 2-3.5 mil range, and that BTW is what he will make somewhere else.
feelthepain
03-10-2006, 06:43 PM
How many of those wr's would y be considered top 10 if they were playing for the bills last year?


That darn MM!!!!!.......BOO HOOO!!!
patmoran2006
03-10-2006, 07:06 PM
Moulds would get $5-6 million from another team, similar to what Bruce just signed for.
Night Train
03-10-2006, 07:18 PM
THEE Aaron Schatz ??? :idunno:
justasportsfan
03-10-2006, 07:24 PM
The quote was "Our advanced stats at Football Outsiders have ranked Moulds as a below-average receiver for three straight seasons." He didn't say the stats were just from last year. I think 2 of those years were with Bledsoe. Again is't nothing persoal against Moulds, but I would give you 5-10 million reasons why he needs to go, espeacially after reading this. I would keep him in the 2-3.5 mil range, and that BTW is what he will make somewhere else. Didn't Moulds play with a groin injury in one of those years?

We could go over and over about these wr's supporting cast both OL and qb's and Moulds would have a valid reason as to why his nos. dropped.


No matter what excuse I can come up with, they won't be enough to justify his cap no. I still think Moulds can be very productive with the right supporting cast , but there's no way we keep him with his cap.
kgun12
03-10-2006, 07:28 PM
Didn't Moulds play with a groin injury in one of those years?

We could go over and over about these wr's supporting cast both OL and qb's and Moulds would have a valid reason as to why his nos. dropped.


No matter what excuse I can come up with, they won't be enough to justify his cap no. I still think Moulds can be very productive with the right supporting cast , but there's no way we keep him with his cap.

:bullseye:
justasportsfan
03-10-2006, 07:36 PM
:bullseye:
I never disagreed that his cap is too much , but I will disagree with those who think he's all washed up and that he's not a legit no. 1.
kgun12
03-10-2006, 09:25 PM
I never disagreed that his cap is too much , but I will disagree with those who think he's all washed up and that he's not a legit no. 1.


I agree that he is not washed up, but I might debate a little that he is still a LEGIT #1. He would have to pove that to me, and if I were another team signing him I would put incentives in so that if he did have great numbers he would get compensation if it! I'm not saying he isn't I'm just saying after 3 years of numbers dropoff for whatever reason he would have to prove his worth.
mysticsoto
03-10-2006, 10:36 PM
That darn MM!!!!!.......BOO HOOO!!!

FTP: "I come here to talk football. I don't come here to talk smack. No, it's the 2 year old Bills that do that. Oh, I'm low on my prozac again...but they taste so good - like gummy bears. I feel sleepy now...I go nigh-nigh..."