anyone concerned at all with whats going on?

[patmoran2006]

I'm not complaining, but did anyone expect Buffalo to come out the gates to Free Agency this slow?

Triplett basically takes care of Sam Adams.. Royal and Davis are role players, not impact players needed to turn a 5-11 season around.

I know there's plenty of time.. But you gotta say at this point.. A lot of the free agents that can really help us are starting to fall off the board left and right.

With all kinds of cap room I really though this team would make a major splash. So far, I been wrong.

Getting Pickett would have been a great move.. but it doesnt seem on the surface that's happening.

What's the next move?

[lordofgun]

We could still get pickett. Worrying about it is not going to change anything.

[The_Philster]

I'm not complaining, but did anyone expect Buffalo to come out the gates to Free Agency this slow?
Yep...signing everyone in sight leads to overpaid players. Marv's too smart to panic

[EDS]

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!

Do you honestly think that the big players in free agency to date are going to be super bowl contenders? Has any team that has been a leading spender in free agency ever gone on to win a super bowl or even come close to making it to the super bowl?

Despite all the money they spend every year, have the redskins sniffed the super bowl?

It is overreactions like this that evidence why we are fans and not industry insiders.

[YardRat]

I'm not concerned, yet.

Royal immediately improves the o-line, upgrades pass protection, and thus improves the running game.

Tripplett was a good signing for an area of need, DT.

Davis is, at worst, a replacement for Josh Reed, at best for Eric Moulds.

IF Pickett signs, and I repeat IF...it would be pure genius on OBD's part to actually snag two starting DT's that are young, talented, and not bank-breakers.

Marv and Co. certainly aren't done yet...I expect one (Wells), maybe even two offensive lineman signed...not big names, but bargain-types that have potential to contribute.

Marv has a good track record with FA's...

G John Davis (HOU), RB Kenneth Davis (GB), C Adam Lingner (KC), P Rick Tuten (PHI), RB Don Smith (TB), K Steve Christie (TB), WR Bill Brooks (IND), DE Jim Jeffcoat (DAL), LB Bryce Paup (GB), NT Ted Washington (DEN), WR Quinn Early (NO), LB Chris Spielman (DET)

[!Papacrunk!]

I think Tripplett was a great signing. It seems like the light really turned on last year, so hopefully he'll do well for you guys 14 out of 16 games (hmm what 2 games would I hope he doesn't do well in, lol.) So will your DT be another FA, or the draft or both?

[THE END OF ALL DAYS]

Marv and Co. certainly aren't done yet...I expect one (Wells), maybe even two offensive lineman signed...not big names, but bargain-types that have potential to contribute.




Yikes Yardrat... that sounds frighteningly like the TD mantra.... are you sure this is a good philosophy? :)

[ICE74129]

Yep...signing everyone in sight leads to overpaid players. Marv's too smart to panic

Outstanding post. Don't sign players just to sign them. If what you want isn't there....dont' sign anyone. Wait until the draft. There are some guys there but again this is a two year process

[Bling]

You have 14 million open.... and you guys are complaining about Moulds' contract? Hutchinson was out there, Bentley was out there, even a Sam Madison was out there. You didn't spend any money. Instead you spend millions of people with "potential".

[THE END OF ALL DAYS]

You have 14 million open.... and you guys are complaining about Moulds' contract? Hutchinson was out there, Bentley was out there, even a Sam Madison was out there. You didn't spend any money. Instead you spend millions of people with "potential".
Bling.. 14 mill doesnt go very far, and if moulds is eating 7 or so mill then it goes even faster. the key is to spend wisely, and thats the cunundrum.... everyone has their own opinion of what "wise" is.. but the bottom line is just that... we need to build from the LINE out, and so far we are not seeing an awful lot of encouraging signs on that front.... but FA is still got alot of time left... I'm willing to wait it out and give the 1BD crew time to do it right, not rush to sign just for the sake of signing :)

[ICE74129]

You have 14 million open.... and you guys are complaining about Moulds' contract? Hutchinson was out there, Bentley was out there, even a Sam Madison was out there. You didn't spend any money. Instead you spend millions of people with "potential".

Even a dumb fin fan can understand that Hutch took up 13 mill on this years cap and Bentley took up a ton as well. STUPID move for the bills to try and make. But then again you aren't even a dumb fin fan so we dont' expect you to get it.

[Bling]

Even a dumb fin fan can understand that Hutch took up 13 mill on this years cap and Bentley took up a ton as well. STUPID move for the bills to try and make. But then again you aren't even a dumb fin fan so we dont' expect you to get it.

What are you babbling about?

[Dicknoze69]

You have 14 million open.... and you guys are complaining about Moulds' contract? Hutchinson was out there, Bentley was out there, even a Sam Madison was out there. You didn't spend any money. Instead you spend millions of people with "potential".

Spending money on "potential" is much better than blowing your fiscal responsibility on players who just aren't worth it. I'd prefer to have cap flexibility so we have the means to address problems as they arise.

Hutch wasn't coming here, and the Vikes/Hawks will be overpaying him. Bentley was going home, and the Browns overpaid by a mile. Madison is old, and it's preferable to have players just entering their prime so they may improve, rather than someone who is old, past their peak, and will decline.

Giving someone who isn't that good a monster contract is the single quickest way to put your team in financial trouble.

[YardRat]

Bling.. 14 mill doesnt go very far, and if moulds is eating 7 or so mill then it goes even faster. the key is to spend wisely, and thats the cunundrum.... everyone has their own opinion of what "wise" is.. but the bottom line is just that... we need to build from the LINE out, and so far we are not seeing an awful lot of encouraging signs on that front.... but FA is still got alot of time left... I'm willing to wait it out and give the 1BD crew time to do it right, not rush to sign just for the sake of signing :)

Moulds contract already counts against the cap, not the amount the team is under.

[Bling]

Spending money on "potential" is much better than blowing your fiscal responsibility on players who just aren't worth it. I'd prefer to have cap flexibility so we have the means to address problems as they arise.

Hutch wasn't coming here, and the Vikes/Hawks will be overpaying him. Bentley was going home, and the Browns overpaid by a mile. Madison is old, and it's preferable to have players just entering their prime so they may improve, rather than someone who is old, past their peak, and will decline.

Giving someone who isn't that good a monster contract is the single quickest way to put your team in financial trouble.

Then when you guys come back next season 6-10, and wonder where your playoff berth is....

[THE END OF ALL DAYS]

Moulds contract already counts against the cap, not the amount the team is under.

I already understand that YardRat... :) but you take him out of the equation and you have more to spend..

I dont think the Blingmeister was considering all the factors in his eloquent soliloque (just tweeking you bling :) )

[Mudflap1]

There is a lot of time left. I'm not impressed with Royal. I saw quite a few Washington games last year and I just wasn't impressed. That being said, maybe Marv saw something we didn't. Tripplett replaces one of the DT positions. Davis replaces Josh Reed, and is probably better. Yes, when there is a flurry of activity out there and players are getting snatched up, it gets you a bit anxious for something to happen on our end. I just want to see the DL and OL sufficiently addressed. If we release Moulds, I'd also like to see another decent receiver brought in. I think, more than anything, we are just starved for something good to happen in Buffalo. For years, Donahoe played the "spend wisely" card and go for "bargain basement, high motor" type players. Didn't work. No playoffs in five years. I think we all want to see some light at the end of the tunnel. It's a slow, long process, at least so far, and we're all waiting around sitting on our hands.

Jon

[THE END OF ALL DAYS]

There is a lot of time left. I'm not impressed with Royal. I saw quite a few Washington games last year and I just wasn't impressed. That being said, maybe Marv saw something we didn't. Tripplett replaces one of the DT positions. Davis replaces Josh Reed, and is probably better. Yes, when there is a flurry of activity out there and players are getting snatched up, it gets you a bit anxious for something to happen on our end. I just want to see the DL and OL sufficiently addressed. If we release Moulds, I'd also like to see another decent receiver brought in. I think, more than anything, we are just starved for something good to happen in Buffalo. For years, Donahoe played the "spend wisely" card and go for "bargain basement, high motor" type players. Didn't work. No playoffs in five years. I think we all want to see some light at the end of the tunnel. It's a slow, long process, at least so far, and we're all waiting around sitting on our hands.

Jon

right on dude! :)

[Dicknoze69]

Then when you guys come back next season 6-10, and wonder where your playoff berth is....

So you're telling me you'd rather overpay someone and have to purge your roster every couple years (Redskins, Raiders), rather than build a solid talent base with which you can compete every year with (Steelers, Pats) ?

[Bling]

So you're telling me you'd rather overpay someone and have to purge your roster every couple years (Redskins, Raiders), rather than build a solid talent base with which you can compete every year with (Steelers, Pats) ?

I hate to break it to you, but you guys are NOWHERE close to building a Steelers or Pats team. You're not even heading in that direction. You're joining the San Franciscos and Detriots of the league.

[Drive 4 Five]

I have to admit I am a little concerned. Where the hell is all the line help? I am really disappointed that we did not sign Kevin Mawae. I know he is past his prime and all that, but I believe he is still a damn good football player for a couple more years and he could have provided tremendous leadership to our line. We all know what Kent Hull brought to the team for so many years.

[Mudflap1]

Part of the problem is that we aren't capable of outbidding the University of Buffalo for a player that has interest...

Jon

[Dicknoze69]

I hate to break it to you, but you guys are NOWHERE close to building a Steelers or Pats team. You're not even heading in that direction. You're joining the San Franciscos and Detriots of the league.

I never stated we were close to those teams. Please read my posts objectively.

What you're arguing for is throwing your money around, overpaying for players that aren't worth it and that may be past their primes. Too bad you have to cut a 1/4 of your roster the next year because you're paying $30 million to a Guard. And hey, that's great, it sure helps the rest of the league out.

I'm arguing for exactly the opposite. I'd rather let a FA walk than overpay him and have to purge my roster. Paying $14 million in 1st-year guarentees for a center is beyond ridiculous. That's All-Pro quarterback money. I'd prefer my team exercising a little financial responsibility, so we have some flexibility year after year.

I'd rather have someone with "potential" than sign someone who you know is going to decline, like Madison. He's got a great name, but he's old.

[Meathead]

not concerned at all

plenty of time left. more guys to get released. still could get some of ours back

the marv will deliver

[feelthepain]

Outstanding post. Don't sign players just to sign them. If what you want isn't there....dont' sign anyone. Wait until the draft. There are some guys there but again this is a two year process


Ummm.... so your saying no one that's been on the market is a player the Bills FO and coaching staff wants?? I think you're crazy if you think that. I think there are plenty of players that have signed since 12:01 am Saturday that the Bills would loved to have signed, they haven't because those players signed elswhere, why because the Bills don't have the money to sign them???? No!!!Because the players were asking too much money, could be!! Is it because those players never visited at all?? Hmmm, I'd say that's probably it. Money, thats the Bills problem.

You can't sign players that aren't interested in playing for you. If the Vikes or Redskins offer the Same money as the Bills where do you think that player will choose to play. You know this, but refuse to accept it. You chose the Bills as your team this is part of your teams persona and history. It is what it is. I'm not taking a shot at you just stating the obvious.

The best way to change that persona is to break the bank and get into it with other teams. Battle for players that make teams better and win some of those battles. Sign players like Bently and Hutchinson and not just one a year, but maybe two or three a year and then sign some very good 2nd tier players, get close to the cap and leave yourselves 2 Mill to sign players when injurys occur. Players will start looking at Buffalo as a place to play. Till then, players will shy away from Buffalo and the fans will be the ones that suffer the most.

[lordofgun]

I hate to break it to you, but you guys are NOWHERE close to building a Steelers or Pats team. You're not even heading in that direction. You're joining the San Franciscos and Detriots of the league.
If you want to talk smack, there's a proper forum.

[Dicknoze69]

Ummm.... so your saying no one that's been on the market is a player the Bills FO and coaching staff wants?? I think you're crazy if you think that. I think there are plenty of players that have signed since 12:01 am Saturday that the Bills would loved to have signed, they haven't because those players signed elswhere, why because the Bills don't have the money to sign them???? No!!!Because the players were asking too much money, could be!! Is it because those players never visited at all?? Hmmm, I'd say that's probably it. Money, thats the Bills problem.

You can't sign players that aren't interested in playing for you. If the Vikes or Redskins offer the Same money as the Bills where do you think that player will choose to play. You know this, but refuse to accept it. You chose the Bills as your team this is part of your teams persona and history. It is what it is. I'm not taking a shot at you just stating the obvious.

The best way to change that persona is to break the bank and get into it with other teams. Battle for players that make teams better and win some of those battles. Sign players like Bently and Hutchinson and not just one a year, but maybe two or three a year and then sign some very good 2nd tier players, get close to the cap and leave yourselves 2 Mill to sign players when injurys occur. Players will start looking at Buffalo as a place to play. Till then, players will shy away from Buffalo and the fans will be the ones that suffer the most.

I disagree with you on the last part. The best way to break that stigma isn't to overpay ridiculously...it's to win ball games. If you win, people want to sign with you (assuming they care about winning, some prefer the money; I don't want these people).

Breaking the bank for 3 great players leads to a high percentage of your cap tied up in a few players, so there's no flexibility, especially if one of those players gets hurt. High-priced free agents don't always make teams better, some of the time they kill the team for a period.

And the best way to win ball games is to draft successfully, something we have not done lately.

[feelthepain]

I disagree with you on the last part. The best way to break that stigma isn't to overpay ridiculously...it's to win ball games. If you win, people want to sign with you (assuming they care about winning, some prefer the money; I don't want these people).

Breaking the bank for 3 great players leads to a high percentage of your cap tied up in a few players, so there's no flexibility, especially if one of those players gets hurt. High-priced free agents don't always make teams better, some of the time they kill the team for a period.

And the best way to win ball games is to draft successfully, something we have not done lately.


Well I disagree with you, at some point you have to spend money. You don't have to tie up the cap space if you have guys that understand it and make it work. Besides, it's one thing to over spend...Redskins, it's another to underspend. If you have the cap space use it. You have to show FA you're commited to winning. Being cheap isn't a way to do that.

[THE END OF ALL DAYS]

I have to disagree with you a bit Fellthepain.... NE dominated with team chemistry and a slew of moderatly priced players, not a few monster contracts and I would dare say that FA would have given their left nad to play there if NE would have taken them.

Its all about building solid and winning games... one or two players may put you over the edge if you are already on the cusp of greatness, but in the BIlls case, we need to build the foundation before we add the fancy windows.

[LifetimeBillsFan]

....Money, thats the Bills problem....

You can't sign players that aren't interested in playing for you. If the Vikes or Redskins offer the Same money as the Bills where do you think that player will choose to play. You know this, but refuse to accept it. You chose the Bills as your team this is part of your teams persona and history. It is what it is. I'm not taking a shot at you just stating the obvious.

The best way to change that persona is to break the bank and get into it with other teams. Battle for players that make teams better and win some of those battles. Sign players like Bently and Hutchinson and not just one a year, but maybe two or three a year and then sign some very good 2nd tier players, get close to the cap and leave yourselves 2 Mill to sign players when injurys occur. Players will start looking at Buffalo as a place to play. Till then, players will shy away from Buffalo and the fans will be the ones that suffer the most.

You are right about money being an issue, FTP, but for the wrong reasons--it's not about the Bills being unwilling to spend cap money, but the fact that their FO has to operate with the knowledge that their owner simply cannot lay out the kind of signing bonuses that most other teams' owners can. Follow me on this point---

If free agency has proven anything to this point, it is that, in most cases, players and coaches will not be detered by climate or losing traditions (which you highlighted), if they get paid as much or more by the Bills or Bengals, etc. than they would get from Dallas, Washington or the Giants. The problem is the disparity in cash-flow that has arisen as the disparity in income between the top earning teams and the smallest market teams has continued to grow: not only can Washington, for example, afford to spend more on its coaching staff than Cincy or Buffalo, but the top market teams can afford to lay out more in signing bonuses--which are amortized under the salary cap, but which have to be paid to the players and coaches up-front--in any given year without impacting the team's profitability that year or forcing the owner to take money out of his own pocket to cover the up-front costs of signing a player until such time as he can reimburse himself out of the team's revenues as the player's contract is amortized.

For example: if the salary cap is $ 100 million and the Bills bring in $ 165 million while Dallas brings in $ 265 million, if Dallas' operating costs are $ 80 million and Buffalo's are $ 50 million, the Bills will only have $ 15 million cash on hand to pay out in "up-front" bonuses before Ralph Wilson has to dip into his own pocket to come up with the cash to cover those bonuses, while Dallas will still have $ 85 million that it can use--so that the Cowboys could, if they wanted, dole out $ 60 million in "up-front" bonuses in any given year and Jerry Jones could still put a $ 15 million profit in his pocket. If the signing bonus for a top shutdown CB like Champ Bailey or a top lineman like Bentley is $ 10 million, signing such a player would limit the rest of their options in free agency, whereas Dallas could give top money bonuses to 5 free agent players and still have cash left over. Unless a small-market team has an owner with very deep pockets who can afford to "lend" a lot of cash from somewhere else in his portfolio to his football team, there is no way that a small-market team can compete with "the big boys", even with the revenue sharing that the NFL has had.

If the reports that I have read about the new CBA are correct, Ralph Wilson and Mike Brown are right in saying that the additional revenue sharing provisions in the new CBA do not go far enough to address this disparity. If the top 5 teams are contributing $ 3 million, the next 5 $ 2 million, and the next 5 $ 1 million per year, that comes to a total of $ 30 million to be shared by the remaining 17 teams on a sliding scale. If that $ 30 million were only shared by the bottom 5 earning teams, the maximum amount they would get would be $ 6 million-- hardly enough to make up the disparity between them and the top 5 teams even subtracting those teams' $ 3 million contribution to the fund.

The greater the percentage of the league's total revenues that goes into the salary cap, the smaller the profit margin will be for the small-market teams. But, just as importantly, this also further restricts the smaller market teams' cash-flow in comparison to the cash-flow of the teams with more money and richer owners.

The Bills' owner, Ralph Wilson, never was one of the richer owners in the NFL to begin with. At 87 years old, his capacity to increase his overall wealth and income from other sources is limited in comparison to the ability of a younger, richer man like Daniel Snyder or Jerry Jones or even the Rooneys. Unlike the Rooneys, who have decided to continue operating the Steelers and their other interests as a family business, Wilson's family has made it clear that they are not interested in continuing to own the Bills after Ralph's death. Their lack of interest in the future of the team would indicate that they would probably be unhappy if Ralph Wilson were to use a substantial amount of his non-football related wealth to pay for signing bonuses for players--employees of an enterprise that they are not interested in retaining. And, that will further restrict the amount of money that the Bills can afford to pay out to free agents in the form of "up-front" signing bonuses.

It's not a matter of the Bills not being willing to spend their cap money. And, it's not really a matter of Ralph Wilson being "cheap" for the sake of being "cheap". It is a matter of Ralph Wilson not being in a position to afford to put up more than a certain amount of money--out of his own pocket--for the team to be able to spend more than that amount on "up-front" signing bonuses. Which puts the Bills at a competive disadvantage in the free agent market because signing bonus money--because it is guaranteed, which contracts are not--is critical to attracting and signing top flight free agents.

That's the real problem that the Bills and their fans are faced with. And, it is not likely to be solved until such time as Ralph Wilson dies and his estate sells the team--which could well result in the team being moved from Buffalo--or the NFL owners figure out a way to address the disparity in cash-flow between the biggest and the smallest market teams.

[THE END OF ALL DAYS]

:bf1: well written and thought out. Thanks for your Post.

[mysticsoto]

That was a nice explanation, LTBF. But maybe you haven't realized that FTP can't read 3 syllable words or understand past 2nd grade reading comprehension...

[!Papacrunk!]

That was a nice explanation, LTBF. But maybe you haven't realized that FTP can't read 3 syllable words or understand past 2nd grade reading comprehension...
That's a bit mean wouldn't you say?

[mysticsoto]

That's a bit mean wouldn't you say?

Apparently you don't read enough of his posts to realize all he tries to do is egg on B-lo fans and then cry about how he's treated later. Even other fin fans have chewed him out here!

Don't feel sorry for him, sooner or later he'll turn on you and call you a brown-noser or something similar like he has to other fin fans...

[justasportsfan]

I'm not worried. Marv has always stated "to win you need to run and stop the run". I don't think he was just blowing air out of his ass like TD usually did but I don't think he's rushing into things either. That hasn't worked for the raiders and the redskins.

Sure he's getting role players. The Pats have won 3 sb's with role players. The draft is still around and there will be more dealings before the season starts.

[justasportsfan]

That's a bit mean wouldn't you say?I disagree, the dude should've been banned a long time ago. If anything, BZ has been easy on the guy. Then again, it's off season and we need someone to laugh at.

[Meathead]

yeah but you like hairy men

[LtBillsFan66]

As it stands right now, we are worse than last year.

[gr8slayer]

I hate to break it to you, but you guys are NOWHERE close to building a Steelers or Pats team. You're not even heading in that direction. You're joining the San Franciscos and Detriots of the league.
I hate to break it to you but your in the same boat were in.

[HAMMER]

I'm not complaining, but did anyone expect Buffalo to come out the gates to Free Agency this slow?

Triplett basically takes care of Sam Adams.. Royal and Davis are role players, not impact players needed to turn a 5-11 season around.

I know there's plenty of time.. But you gotta say at this point.. A lot of the free agents that can really help us are starting to fall off the board left and right.

With all kinds of cap room I really though this team would make a major splash. So far, I been wrong.

Getting Pickett would have been a great move.. but it doesnt seem on the surface that's happening.

What's the next move?

Pat, a few days ago you were upset, then we signed a few players and you were placated. Now a couple days later you are concerned again? Settle in my friend, in Marv we trust.

[Michael82]

I'm concerned. I really am starting to think that Ralph is going back to his "cheap" ways. Look, we got $14 million under the cap and there really isn't anyone left out there worthy of a big contract. Pickett would have been a great pickup...nope. Didn't do it. We lost out on Mawae, Givens, some more OL, and even a safety to replace Milloy.