GaryPinC

Wonder if he just preferred to stay in the southern climate.

Friends are friends and business is business. Can't believe the Dolphins wouldn't send at least a coach. I like our approach far better.

+1 That was my first thought, goin' to pick up the posse! I have no links but do believe Russ Brandon instituted the full court press for targets when he came to power, so I like to mention that for his naysayers. It sure makes off seasons a lot more fun too!

Agree. Wow. Thurman didn't like visiting last year because of the pressure and atmosphere but went some because of the players he knew. So awesome to get a sense of the reality of the situation last year.

+1 Yea, the nerve of some people actually trying to reach their goals. I don't think Dick LeBeau has that as his end game. I have a feeling that eventually some guys realize they're best served as coordinators. Dick Jauron comes to mind, don't know if he's realized it yet, though.

Awesome, thanks for posting the update!

Considering the damage done from all the physicality which will affect the rest of your life after football I don't blame any pro athlete wanting to get paid. I don't think the incentive laden contracts are going away either because it's a hell of a risk for any NFL club to give a player a fat contract and assume he will give it his all if he's paid the same amount regardless of effort. Jamarcus Russel

Amaro is right about the tardiness, but accountability also has to come from within the players. You can't forget the fact that the Jets front office was dysfunctional, and if the fans knew it then the players must have experienced it. What happens to your team leadership when the front office can't even get it right? I can't put it all on Ryan because he had to have spent a lot of effort just trying to hold the team together.

Kim carries the hatchet. Partners right?

Looked at some of Grayson's highlights and he definitely has potential. Nice touch, normally leads his receivers well, decent arm, sometimes good pocket presence. But footwork especially sucks under pressure, not always aware of the edge rushers, especially blindside. Got some potential, could only see him here as a later round practice squad guy. I just don't think the FO is looking to draft a qb this year unless a real value drops. That's why we have 4 now!

I think Russ Brandon too. It started when Ralph put him in charge and I think it's why he still is involved in this process. I think the guy knows how to roll out the red carpet and sell the franchise/area.

I agree with you and it's probably the logic of our FO. I also believe they've done the best job they can with the QB position. Just don't share all of your QB optimism as defenses adjust. Hopefully our young O-linemen take a big step forward so our QB can have the time. Also, watching Hoyer and Orton last year, I think at least part of why they slumped mid/late season was the scouts figuring out their weaknesses and adjusting the defense to it.

But that's the entire QB problem isn't it? If the guy can't make good decisions and isn't accurate enough all these playmakers are going to get pissed quicker than last year. And if our line can't give the qb decent pass protection that just magnifies on a questionable quarterback. Certainly the coaches are trying to take as much of the offense as possible off the qb but I would still like a proven winning quarterback. Hopefully Cassel if EJ fails

Quick internet search will reveal others have received a very similar letter from Ghana, Nigeria. Because legit transfers of money from Africa to the states occur all the time. Google the acronyms. Good luck with your hard jail time!

I wondered along the same lines. Something surely doesn't add up here, we all know how Buffalo does things these days. Maybe Clay really just wants to stay in Miami and this was all extra salary fluff? Is Whaley subtly trying to blow up Clay's bidding war markup?

Things are slllowly getting better about divorce law. The law now expects both parents to provide for their children as able. But it still depends on the district and judge though. I got a fair shake in my divorce but my ex was reasonable about things. My only advice to those getting married, don't marry a woman with little or no earning potential whose only future is stay-at-home mom. And if things go south, be the one to take it to court and file the first paperwork. Judge automatically sees you as the victim until proven otherwise.

Read the articles. She didn't win any settlement. She simply has the right to pursue one because no formal financial settlement was made at the time of divorce. And the supreme court already made the statement that her requested 1.9 million pound settlement was out of the question too high. The dude took off and abandoned his 1 year old son to go traveling for 8 years. But neither parent had much money. I don't know British divorce law but sadly know how things work in Ohio. To relevantly simplify, you are responsible to financially support your child until they turn 18. They take into account you and your ex's income total as if you had never divorced and the time your child(ren) now spend with each parent. Then you either owe or are owed based on that and your court agreement. In a fair world, if the dude had any income during the 8 to 17 years he wasn't supporting his son, he should owe based on that and whatever his ex was bringing in. But not his net worth 20 years later. I agree with the court, and the guy was certainly beyond stupid not to have a financial settlement at the time of divorce. But he sounds like a dead beat dad.

If Clay turns down a great offer to go play in the train wreck that is Cleveland then I don't want him. I do believe at least some players would like to win and compete in the playoffs and if absolute top dollar is #1 then... see ya!

Even in his best days Freddy could never outrun the defense, he is a step slower but he still is a smart, shifty runner and throughout the year fought for extra yardage. I certainly don't feel he fell off the cliff last year. I think this 2015 will be his last but that he will still be effective when needed. I also think Freddy's a man of principle and if he sees on tape that he's not getting it done, he'll retire or go elsewhere.

I think you're right on with why it's done this way. It allows the player and current team to gauge the actual market while allowing the opportunity for each to adjust their compensation position before free agency. Marginalizes the transition tag even more.

Great Job front office! Thanks for walking the walk. Hughes is a talent but most importantly he's driven to succeed. That's who you build a team with. And it must be recognized that the front office is competitive on their bids. I'm sure Dogra had contact with all the other interested teams and other than Jacksonville, none stood out. Kudos to Hughes on being more than just about top dollar. Fantastic day to be a Bills fan!

My assumptions here are that both sides wanted to get this done, and that now it's not going to get done. I also assumed that Hughes would be pissed if the hard offers were not matching management's optimism about getting a deal done, management under-appreciating his drive/work ethic and I assume management could have done more to make this happen. The rest of my statements you have bolded are simply conjecture. We do not know how much they really tried to get a contract done in the spring. Whaley's quote from the following article didn't inspire confidence in me: http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/74872/jerry-hughes-has-proven-worth-but-bills-must-be-cautious-with-their-coin "I know J.O. has been in contact with his representatives and started the process," general manager Doug Whaley told WGR 550 on Thursday. "We're excited and we want him back. He's a great addition to our defense and hopefully we can get this thing done sooner than later." "Thursday" refers to January 15th, 2015. This quote makes me wonder if management really did all they could to sign him in the spring or at any time during the season? Hughes is 26, also sacked Tom Brady 1.5 times last season. He's still got upside, but I do respect the view that he may not be as effective on another D-line. All I know is he's a talented, driven guy who was very effective for us. In the future we need to keep guys like him, IMO

I certainly don't assume they just sit on their hands, and you've made that point quite well with your examples. This article came out in December. This speaks volumes about who Jerry is: http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-3/Commitment-to-routine-makes-Jerry-Hughes-special/32bb2737-c80e-4019-94b7-c7001cf0a4f3 This guy's a worker and management needs to recognize that. I just don't think they took that all into account or they were blowing smoke about Hughes this entire offseason. They shouldn't be so effusive and confident about resigning him because if their offer isn't good enough then it just pisses Hughes off. This is a guy I want(ed) to keep on this team, he's a talented, driven, player. Doug and Rex sounded like they wanted him too. Rex told the scouts to just find me people who can play, I think Hughes has proven himself. Doesn't inspire confidence in Rex's "plan". "Hometown discount" comes into play when management takes a chance and rewards guys early with a new contract before their old one runs out. I wonder if the contract numbers discussed last spring were as high as they are now?

Exactly, and sure there's a lot of unknowns. I'm just not convinced our management was doing everything they could to build that bridge and hope they do better with Dareus.

It is just you. The tone this franchise takes with their upcoming free agents can make a difference. If the Bills are content to simply feel out Dareus' demands this spring and let him play out the season, he is most likely gone. Give him a nice raise for 2015 and lock him in if you believe in him. None of my posts have anything to do with that garbage you're shouting. Big bills fan, Whaley fan, but IMO they need to learn their lessons about how to treat their in-house talent.