dezertbill

The principle Beane used is seen in Hockey every year. If a player is approaching FA with baggage or injury history you try to get value for him before you lose him for nothing. Even if SW has 1200 yards and 12 TDs his final year I would not feel comfortable breaking the bank for a player who was Sammys injury history. Besides the Bills weren't going to make it to the SB this year anyways and how many playoff games did Sammy get us too? Id rather get value for him now. Everyone was crying when we let Jonas Jennings go into FA about how our OL sucked he was our best player, etc. despite the fact he had injury issues. He signs a stupid deal with SF and falls off the face of the earth. We need a franchise QB more than a fragile WR. We need to build a consistent winner. Not a 10-6 team to get us to the playoffs one year and then 4-12 the next. Trading a piece that we won't be resigned for value that can help us achieve that I'm all for. Its all about playing the odds. Beane doesn't see Sammy as a dependable player who has injury concerns that he can see the team resigning to huge money due to his history. Your of the thinking that regardless of how injury prone Sammy is you want him signed to huge money and depend on him every year because you feel the injuries are all in the past and he will be a solid stud for the next 6-10 years. I'm more along the line of Beanes thinking. So we can all agree to disagree.

This. See Kiko Alonso.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20313763/winners-losers-buffalo-bills-los-angeles-rams-philadelphia-eagles-mega-trades-sammy-watkins-jordan-matthews-ronald-darby Great read I agree

Plain and simple this moves reeks of us going after a franchise QB next draft. Taylor hasn't looked great thus far and there is no sign he is the answer Bills fans have been looking for. If Sammy hurt himself week 3 and missed 6-8 weeks we'd be grilling FO as to why we didn't try to get something from him when he is healthy and in the last year of his deal. We need another Jim Kelly more than Sammy Watkins or Ronald Darby. I mean, how many years has Tom Brady made no name receivers look legitimate every season? It's about the QB guys. Everyone knows it. We need a franchise QB. Plain and simple. Knowing what Big Ben would have turned out to be the Bills would have traded 2 drafts to Houston to move up ahead of Pittsburgh in 2004 and draft him instead of staying put and drafting Lee Evans, who was supposed to be our next Andre Reed. Same thinking.

Normally you have a point. But that 24 year old also has a history of injuries and based on his injury history may not have a greater value this season than now. Also, the Bills picked up a younger CB that was an all rookie before he was injured and is pretty much in the same boat as Watkins's. Even if Watkins had a 1200 yard season and 15 TDs that injury history will always be looming with any big time contract he signs. Oh, and they also picked up a 2nd round pick. Amo for our franchise QB. Also picking up a young Jordan Matthews will ease the loss of Watkins and from what I'm hearing fits more into Dennisons offense than Watkins. It's all subjective and no one will know for sure until years down the road. But the logic of the trade makes sense to me.

I don't see them being done either. I see them having their pulse on this team all the way until trade deadline. I also see them shedding the necessary 3 free agent signings in order to get an extra 3rd round pick. If your a name FA signing you have to ball out or be an exceptional team leader to stay on. Period.

Thus far they get the benefit of the doubt from me. I see where they are going with this. It's really about setting up long term sustainable success more than this season. Tough pill to swallow for a fan base that hasn't seen a playoff game in 17 years. Only results will define whether they were schrewed or stupid.

So we now have 2 1st's, 2 2nd's, and 2 3rd's next draft. I smell franchise QB in 2018.

WTF! This is just crazy!

Jeff Tuel had a great preseason. As did EJ Manuel with his multi TD game vs. Steelers. Etc, etc. While I appreciate the enthusiasm and I'm encouraged by what Peterman showed, Russell Wilson's don't come along every decade. I don't see the Bills even risking going into the season without a veteran QB backing up Taylor (See Tuel). We've been there, done that.

Quinn Early

So with the signing of Boldin I see depth chart at the moment as: Watkins Holmes Jones Boldin Streater. If Jones, Boldin, Streater and one other player plays well in pre a season Holmes is going to have to play lights out in order to stay on team. Not sure why they keep him on top of the depth chart with all the drops he has been having. But pre-season will be the tell-all. So how many FA players have to be cut before the Bills get Draft picks back?

I know this is more of an off-season topic. But winning a beer from your bud is a year around proposition. Name the only Bills RB to average both 1000 yards rushing and 10 rushing TD's his first three seasons with the team? Travis Henry averaged over 1000 yards rushing but only 9 rush TDs per season Willis McGahee averaged over 1000 yards rushing but only 8 rush TD's, No one else was close. Answer: Cookie Gilchrist. Averaged 1018 rushing yards and 10 rushing TD's in his first three seasons with Bills. Would have never guessed.

Maybe they are trying to stay away from Astro Giving out their secret plays by moving to opposite field. Your updates must be catching Russ' attention. Good job bud.

Can't blame OP when a WR like Sammy comes up limping to start a thread. Although not a fan of his sensitivity level to criticism. But 8 pages over a tweaked ankle? He's back to practicing and all is well. Drama over. Think we can shut this thread down now.

Agreed. Williams bragged how much of a disciplinarian he was giving examples of how tough he was. With McD, you really only hear it from the players. Sure McD talks about discipline, but doesn't brag about how tough he is with the players. Also a lot of players express how much love McD has for the players. Never really heard that with Williams I agree it's all fluff until they win on the field. But I like where this is going. In addition I think our FO is better than anything the Bills has in the 2000s. That is also reason for my optimism.

Corey Glenn = Jonas Jennings.

Sensing the first major injury where a QB is out for the year and Jay Cutlers phone will blow up. ESPECIALLY in Miami.

Kap and Kiko can have a kumbaya moment after the twitter comment Kiko left last year when he drilled Kap on 4th down. I have a feeling Kap wouldn't be too well received in the dressing room in South Florida. Call it a hunch.

I think this will be a surprising year for this team. The Jets are in rebuild. I see the Dolphins taking a step back. Obviously the Pats aren't going to go 16-0. We have an offfense returning with pretty much all of their major pieces that finished 10th in scoring and the tops in rushing. Our OL should be improved and Shady is looking lights out so far. I believe come week 1 Tyrod will be Tyrod. I really believe if we were a top 10 defense last year we would have been a playoff team. This year Lawson is looking like a monster opposite Hughes who is already one. You have Darius and K Williams in the middle with Adolphus providing solid depth. That's a top 5 front four. I like our CB tandem of Darby and the rookie Tre White. I think White will hold his own. Love Hyde in the backfield. With Alexander and Preston Brown returning at LB we'll only need one of the others to step up. That could easily be Ragland once he's back into form. It not Humber or Hodges can hold the fort. Just overall we are going to be a more disciplined team which in itself will help us win more games than last year. We play the Jets and Dolphins twice which I feel we can win 3 of 4. We play Saints, Bucs, and Colts at home which aren't world beaters. I like our chances vs KC, Bengals and Chargers on the road. I also believe McD can pull a split with NE. I think if we stay healthy we'll have a good chance at 10 wins. Again I believe McD can get us there. Ryan wasn't mentally tough. His teams made too many mistakes (along with his coaches) that killed us in key situations. I think having a mentally tougher coach will be the difference. I'm not sure too many believe that. But I do.

Sounds like we're going hard to get at least one. I'd prefer a Boldin due to his experience in teaching the younger players how to be a pro and for insurance vs injury.

Excited to see Lawson coming along nicely. If he can dominate opposite Hughes our DBs will crush it this year.

Lost his love for the game. 3 1000 yard seasons avg over 13 yards per reception with crappy teams and then just dropped off. Remember him moping his last season in Buffalo. Didn't have a champion's mentality. Could have been a HOF

I really think this is a steal for the Chargers. The knock on why it took Steve McNair so long to start was his slow ability to pick up the Titans offense. He did pretty well in his career. Cardell has all the physical assets. Give him a year or two of just learning and growing with ALynn and the Chargers may have found the successor for Rivers.

That's why teams don't take a chance on a guy like him. It's not just about talent. It's about character and maturity. It's one thing to be so talented teams cut you slack when you say dumb things. But when your not even a fringe player and you make stupid comments like that, what GM is going to want you in the locker room? What players are going to want to play with you. Fitz is probably one of the most respected players in the league. Granted, he's not the most talented, but honestly his preparation and smarts got him farther than most. There are a lot of former Fitz teammates that wouldn't even want VY anywhere near their locker room, and would probably have words with him if they ever saw him because of this. Players know the difference between a guy without a lot of talent who works his butt off and a guy with a ton of talent who is lazy and immature. If VY would have dedicated himself to the game and prepared as much as Fitz has in his career he'd be still playing, and would have experienced great success. But when you don't dedicate yourself to your craft, your lazy and unmotivated because of all the zeros in your bank acct (that have since vanished), he got what he deserved.