purple haze

What less money are people taking for jobs they love IF they have the option of making more money to do the same job at a different company? Come on, man... Say you made 50 grand pulling levers at company X. Well, you get info that at company Y a guy pulling levers there makes 75 grand. That guy hasn’t been named employee of the month as many times as you have. He hasn’t won employee of the year as many times as you have either. You show up on time everyday. You work overtime when asked. You rarely, if ever, utilize one of your given sick days. The boss made you responsible for your line crew because of your excellent performance and the high regard your colleagues hold you in. Should you be asking for a raise from company X? If they don’t give it to you how would you feel? Would you not entertain going to Company Z or A or B who informed you that they would potentially give you 85, 90, 95 grand? Let me answer that for you: YOU WOULD BOUNCE… And as a worker in a “normal” job you would have every right to give company X two weeks notice and leave for more green; as any sensible person would. Does that mean you don’t love your friends still working at company X? No. They don’t have anything to do with your financial business. Does it mean you hate company X? Not necessarily. You would have liked them to pay you. But since there are other companies out there who will pay you why bother to hate company X? They hired you at one time. You just have a better opportunity to get the money you feel your work performance deserves elsewhere. Jairus Byrd and other pro athletes do not work in the “normal” world. They can’t give two weeks notice. They play where they are drafted. They can call their own shot once they play out their rookie deal barring an early extension. And they can do that in the NFL only if they don’t get tagged. The fact Byrd or others are making millions has no bearing on it. This isn’t the same as a CEO making a 50 million dollar bonus and workers at one of their plants, making 8 bucks an hour, are getting laid off so the CEO can cop 50 million+1.

I agree the fans talking “players who want to be here” are a bit off. At the same time the fans who whine about “why would they want to play for the Bills except for the money” are just as off in a way; off in that 31 other teams fall into that category. It’s not just the Bills. Andy Levitre went to Tennessee for the money. Albert Haynesworth went to DC for the money. Mario came to Buffalo for the money. Paul Kruger went to Cleveland for the money. Mike Wallace went to Miami for the money. The NFL is the players’ jobs. They aren’t as emotional about things as fans. Yes, if all else is equal they will go to the team with the better whatever it is as they judge it. But most FA’s leave one place and go to another because some team is willing to pay them that much more money than the next or commit to giving them playing time they haven’t been getting. If it’s in Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Jacksonville or Timbuktu won’t matter to them. A family member of mine was a friend of Alvin Harper. I asked him why Alvin would leave Dallas and go to Tampa Bay, who at the time was still the Creamsicle bums everyone knew. I asked doesn’t he want to win? I was told he just wants to get paid and Tampa Bay paid him. That was it.

That’s a good question too. I would say it depends on the team offering a little bit more. If it’s Cleveland, maybe he stays. If it’s Philly he probably bounces. I think Pettine leaving was a blow. Yet another DC and system to learn.

He doesn’t have to say that at all. Reason being is that there are multiple teams who will be attempting to sign him. Whether one of them is the Bills or not won’t make any difference. Byrd has leverage already just by virtue of being the top player available at his position and one of the top players available in general. Is there a team out there willing to get into a 10+ million bidding war for him? I’m interested to see that myself. I agree with you that he’s gone. There are teams out there that need what he brings and have a lot of cap money to blow. Williams is a good player to have. Up and coming at the position and under contract for 5 more seasons. Health permitting there is a good chance we see a lot more good things out of him.

Brandon Pettigrew is a much better blocker than Chandler ever could be, although Chandler does try. Pettigrew is a two way player. The caveat is he can get the dropsies and he’s not explosive. He’ll catch first downs, but not eat up big chunks of yards. He could be the guy who takes one spot instead of Chandler and Lee taking up two spots. And they might like Moeaki and Gragg for the second TE spot.

He as corner at Texas. The NFL draftniks and scouts projected him to be a better fit at the pro level as a safety.

People from Buffalo can’t stand Toronto or they can’t stand the Leafs? That’s two different things. I know some folks from Toronto. I haven’t heard anyone bad mouth Buffalo. Not that there aren’t those that might. I don’t think there is any real friction between the cities. Seems more like a good storyline for journalists to make up and create some type of rivalry. Most folks from either city probably couldn’t care less about the other in any meaningful way. And when I go to the Ralph I always meet a lot of folks from Ontario.

Interesting article on McClain: http://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2014/2/28/5457002/wbal-broadcaster-gerry-sandusky-this-wont-stop-jameel-mcclain

Amen.

Butler already re-signed with the Chargers.

Depends on what the Bills do in FA. If they don’t address LB before the draft and Mack is available they have to take him. I like the thought of a dominant defense and Mack will help the Bills get there. Now, if somehow Mack and Watkins are somehow both sitting there at 9? That would be a hard decision...

Not really. It gives teams a chance to get better, faster. In the past whatever team you had you were stuck with outside of trying to hit on draft picks or making a trade. Every team will lose players. But every team can get players too. It just didn’t work for the Bills this time. Although I, like many, disagree with not using the tag on Byrd, Whaley was right about the way the league is now. And when Mario came we were happy. And Houston lost him for nothing. Is what it is... Every agent who has a client with the potential to make a huge contract would do the same thing as Parker. It’s not personal for them, it’s business. And don’t forget: Parker WORKS FOR Byrd. He advises and makes suggestions, but Byrd is ultimately in charge of the situation. Bills might not want Carrington back. Or if they do, he might be back. Carrington and Byrd are two different players at two different points in their careers.

Roger Saffold (New OG) Brandon Spikes (ILB on run downs) Corey Graham (Core ST’s and Nickel/Dime CB) And I’m going out on a limb here bc they’re not second tier, per se, but I think the Bills surprise us. Keep an eye out for DE Lamarr Houston/Justin Tuck.

Hear, hear… Next time I buy a car I might have to find Parker and hire him to negotiate. He’s sharp.

Get read for Calvin Pryor or Hasean Clinton-Dix come May. Very good players, but replacing a hole they created won’t help the Bills actually build anything.

This can’t be for real. That looks like a hot mess. Helmets don’t even look right with those threads.

Hear, hear...

True. But even though he ran that at the combine he was still drafted in the 2nd round. Is it possible he ran faster at his pro day?

“Fast” or “Slow” is all relative though. Byrd isn’t slow and playing DB in the NFL. He’s not a burner, but he can move. He knows where to be, takes good angles most times and that also makes him play “faster.” Jerry Rice ran a 4.6 during his pre-draft process.

Agree on the pass defense skills in comparison to Polamalu and Sanders. And no, his game isn’t hitting hard, but he has laid the wood on people over the years at times. I don’t think Byrd’s speed is an issue. It hasn’t been up to now has it? He seems to make more plays than he doesn’t.

Possible, but that’s not the impression I get from the outside looking in and knowing nothing. lol. I think they get out of the series, but offer some type of bus service from the Ontario region to B-Lo for fans that want to come down to Orchard Park.

Safety could be to give them another option at eventually replacing Aaron Williams. I don’t think they will keep Byrd and Williams long term. Too much $ at one position.

LoL. How true...

Just because Ralph hired his niece doesn’t mean she is not qualified and competent to do the job she was hired to do. ijs...

If the Bills traded Byrd ANYWHERE for just a 3rd Whaley, Overdorf and Brandon should be shown out of the city with tar and feathers.