did we improve today?

[Tatonka]

i think we did.. slightly..

tripplet is an upgrade over a sam adams that can only play 40% of the downs..

royal is a push w/ campbell.

i think we got better today.

but the kind of better we are right now is about 4-12.

we need a lot more.. i will be interested to see the money they spent on tripplet.. hopefully it is not outrageous.

we still have 4 more starters that we have to nail down.

[Nighthawk]

Re: did we improve today?

i think we did.. slightly..

tripplet is an upgrade over a sam adams that can only play 40% of the downs..

royal is a push w/ campbell.

i think we got better today.

but the kind of better we are right now is about 4-12.

we need a lot more.. i will be interested to see the money they spent on tripplet.. hopefully it is not outrageous.

we still have 4 more starters that we have to nail down.

Triplett signed 5yr, $18 million with a $5.5 million bonus. Not bad signing. We definitely still need more. We also need Marv to pick it up some in terms of the pace also, I don't want us to lose out on some of our biggest needs such as OT and another DT or SS.

Here is the link...scroll down.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/NFL/2006-03-11-free-agent-roundup_x.htm

[Tatonka]

Re: did we improve today?

good find.. that is a really good contract for tripplet i think.

[Nighthawk]

Re: did we improve today?

good find.. that is a really good contract for tripplet i think.

Agreed...excellent signing.

[Philagape]

Re: did we improve today?

I don't know if we got better than what we had at those positions last year, but we got younger, so that's good news.

[Mr. Cynical]

Re: did we improve today?

I don't know if we got better than what we had at those positions last year, but we got younger, so that's good news.

Agreed. That's about the only positive I can find in these signings.

[Tatonka]

Re: did we improve today?

mr. c.. what negative thing can you say about tripplet?

and how is royal any worse than campbell?

[Kerr]

Re: did we improve today?

We did a decent job.

[Nighthawk]

Re: did we improve today?

Agreed. That's about the only positive I can find in these signings.

Cynical, you know that you and I are usually on the same page, but you have to like the Triplett signing. Marv signed one of the best DT on the market and a guy who fits right in with the defense they are going to run. They have a plan, we just have to see how it plays out.

[Philagape]

Re: did we improve today?

I really think the Royal signing is underrated. If we're serious about pounding the ball, he's exactly the kind of TE we want. He'll be a better blocker than Campbell, we'll run more big sets, and he'll free up Everett to run routes.

[Mr. Cynical]

Re: did we improve today?

mr. c.. what negative thing can you say about tripplet?

and how is royal any worse than campbell?

Like I said in the other thread, it is not about being "negative" on Tripp. It's just IMO nothing near the impact player we need on the line. He seems like a solid plugin type player, which means there needs to be a legit line for him to "plug into".

Right now both our lines (O and D) suck major ball sack. Sure, if there is some "master plan" that they have cooked up to build a real line then in hindsight this signing might be fine.

But at this point in time I'm done with "giving the benefit of the doubt". We've been in that mode for almost a decade. It's "show me time" now. Yeah, I know it is only the beginning of FA and there's the draft as well so who knows and I hope it works out. But IMHO, this is a less than stellar start out of the gate.

As for Royal I will almost bet he rides the pine and is a backup to Everett/Euhus. I think he was just a cheap safety net, so IMO this isn't really improving the team that much.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

Re: did we improve today?

I think that both of the guys the Bills signed are the kinds of guys that I think Marv Levy would be inclined to look for: young veterans who appear to be just coming into their own and can fill a specific role that the coaching staff has in mind for them (if you read his book, Diron Talbert type players) that are not going to be too expensive but offer good value to the team.

Given the new CBA and the amount of cash that R.Wilson has and that the Bills franchise generates relative to other teams, I think that these are the kind of free agent signings that the team can be expected to make for the most part--with the occasional "big-ticket" signing mixed in at key skill positions.

While the guys that they have signed and talked to (Davis) don't have the potential that the players that they are replacing (Adams) or that some of the other players out there may have, they are the kind of players that are the mortar that a good team needs to have in order to be successful.

Have the Bills improved themselves with these signings? Probably.

Adams isn't as good as he used to be and is on the downside of his career, but still can be dominating in spurts and apparently doesn't fit the defense they want to run. Tripplet has been just as inconsistent as Adams recently and hasn't shown that he can be as dominating, but he is young, has talent and has shown flashes of ability and he apparently fits the defensive scheme better. He will have an opportunity to show whether he is going to continue to develop into a dominating force in the new Bills defense.

Campbell wasn't used much as a receiver because he was needed as a blocker to help out the offensive line, so, while he may be a more proven receiver than Royal, that really doesn't matter much. Royal is at least as good as a blocker, is younger, more athletic and has shown good hands when he has been thrown the ball. With his athleticism, he has the potential to be better than Campbell if he isn't already based on his blocking skill. He's no Gates or Gonzales, but neither was Campbell.

So, in my opinion, yes, the Bills have gotten at least a little bit better in terms of what they are looking to do. At the very least it is a wash with younger players replacing older ones at a reasonable price. However, within the context of what the team is looking to do, both have the potential to be more valuable contributors than the players that they are replacing (that's not taking Davis into consideration as a replacement for Moulds--as a replacement for J.Reed, though, Davis would be just as maddening with his drops but would bring a much greater big-play potential to the team).

Thus far, I would say, so far so good. But, I will want to see what else they do before training camp opens.

[Devin]

Re: did we improve today?

Right now both our lines (O and D) suck major ball sack. Sure, if there is some "master plan" that they have cooked up to build a real line then in hindsight this signing might be fine.

But at this point in time I'm done with "giving the benefit of the doubt". We've been in that mode for almost a decade. It's "show me time" now. Yeah, I know it is only the beginning of FA and there's the draft as well so who knows and I hope it works out. But IMHO, this is a less than stellar start out of the gate.

Well put.

[John Doe]

Re: did we improve today?

I really think the Royal signing is underrated. If we're serious about pounding the ball, he's exactly the kind of TE we want. He'll be a better blocker than Campbell, we'll run more big sets, and he'll free up Everett to run routes.

Great post!

This signing is much more than a "push" compared to Campbell, who was terrible last year. This is a major upgrade that cannot be measured by the players' stats alone. We get a big upgrade in overall athleticism, youth, blocking, overall health, and an upside in recieving skills. I doubt that Campbell will even be in the league next season.

Tight end may actually have been our weakest position last year.

[jmb1099]

Re: did we improve today?

We did improve. I think what we're all feeling is that we still have a long way to go before we can declare we are "improved". I won't beat a dead horse but it appears to me that these two guys have the potential to be "Phil Hansen" types: solid, consistent, determined, but not overly flashy at least that's how it appears to me at the moment. So I'm encouraged, lets see what Monday brings.