There has been alot of complaining amongst bills fans recently(ok, maybe more than recently) about not retaining their talent. We bring em in, coach em up and let them go. Thats what we do right? Its no secret that OBD has done a terribel job in most aspects over the last 10 years, and I realize every case is different(Peters was a malcontent, Lynch was a thug, Fletcher couldnt tackle within 5 yards of the line of scrimage(right? right?) So, with that in mind, I decided to take a look at the guys we moved on from that had success in another city. And of course, I decided to use Pro Bowls as the measuring stick(The most useful stat of all). Without further adu, A decade of escapees...
Pat Williams Pro Bowl (06, 07, 08) All Pro (07)
We let Pat walk without even offering him a contract. Not because we thought he would ask too much, but because he didnt have much left in the tank. A fan favorite, Williams loved his time here.
Jason Peters Pro Bowl (10, 11) All Pro (10, 11)
I dont have to say much about Peters, Wanted to get paid...we didnt want to pay him...this is shortly after signing Dockery and Walker to big money deals...at least we got decent compensation for him
Richie Incognito Pro Bowl (12)
Here is a name I bet you didnt expect to see, we cut Incognito when Gailey took over. Nobody really complained. "Cog" did make the probowl last year over Levitre...for what its worth(not very much i admit)
Marshawn Lynch Pro Bowl (11, 12) All Pro (12)
We were Robbed!!!
Donte Whitner Pro Bowl (12)
I still dont miss him.
Warewolves of London Fletcher Pro Bowl (09,10,11,12) All Pro (11, 12)
Might be the biggest blunder of the bunch. Alot like Fat Pat, most here assumed he was close to washed up after the 06 season. We were wrong...dead wrong.
Willis McGahee Pro Bowl (07, 11)
Another running back. The guy was a Richard...does anybody really miss him?
Antoine Winfield Pro Bowl (08, 09, 10) All Pro (08)
I honestly dont remember why we let Winfield walk, Money i guess. Worried about keeping Clements perhaps. Who, interestingly does not appear on this list (How many Corners have we drafted since 04 trying to replace Winfield?)
Jon Dorenbos Pro Bowl (09)
Its a long snapper....although he was Magic...and a nice guy
Reuben Brown Pro Bowl (06)
Yea i know. How Many Pro Bowls did Brown get voted into here in buffalo on name alone??? Rules are rules, so he makes the list.
I think thats it...although I could be wrong. And yes, Levitre inspired this post. Having said that, I understand letting him go. Like I said before, every case is different. Clements is a good example of what alot of people fear about Levitre(Good talent, not worth that kind of scratch though) Maybe they are right. Maybe they are wrong.
What did we learn from this post? Probably nothing we didnt already know. The Bills can be cheap(Peters), bad judges of character(Lynch, Mcgahee) and short sighted(Fletcher, Fat Pat, Winfield) But nobodys perfect right?
Pat Williams Pro Bowl (06, 07, 08) All Pro (07)
We let Pat walk without even offering him a contract. Not because we thought he would ask too much, but because he didnt have much left in the tank. A fan favorite, Williams loved his time here.
Jason Peters Pro Bowl (10, 11) All Pro (10, 11)
I dont have to say much about Peters, Wanted to get paid...we didnt want to pay him...this is shortly after signing Dockery and Walker to big money deals...at least we got decent compensation for him
Richie Incognito Pro Bowl (12)
Here is a name I bet you didnt expect to see, we cut Incognito when Gailey took over. Nobody really complained. "Cog" did make the probowl last year over Levitre...for what its worth(not very much i admit)
Marshawn Lynch Pro Bowl (11, 12) All Pro (12)
We were Robbed!!!
Donte Whitner Pro Bowl (12)
I still dont miss him.
Warewolves of London Fletcher Pro Bowl (09,10,11,12) All Pro (11, 12)
Might be the biggest blunder of the bunch. Alot like Fat Pat, most here assumed he was close to washed up after the 06 season. We were wrong...dead wrong.
Willis McGahee Pro Bowl (07, 11)
Another running back. The guy was a Richard...does anybody really miss him?
Antoine Winfield Pro Bowl (08, 09, 10) All Pro (08)
I honestly dont remember why we let Winfield walk, Money i guess. Worried about keeping Clements perhaps. Who, interestingly does not appear on this list (How many Corners have we drafted since 04 trying to replace Winfield?)
Jon Dorenbos Pro Bowl (09)
Its a long snapper....although he was Magic...and a nice guy
Reuben Brown Pro Bowl (06)
Yea i know. How Many Pro Bowls did Brown get voted into here in buffalo on name alone??? Rules are rules, so he makes the list.
I think thats it...although I could be wrong. And yes, Levitre inspired this post. Having said that, I understand letting him go. Like I said before, every case is different. Clements is a good example of what alot of people fear about Levitre(Good talent, not worth that kind of scratch though) Maybe they are right. Maybe they are wrong.
What did we learn from this post? Probably nothing we didnt already know. The Bills can be cheap(Peters), bad judges of character(Lynch, Mcgahee) and short sighted(Fletcher, Fat Pat, Winfield) But nobodys perfect right?
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