Rochesterfan

We all know that it was not a done deal or AB would be our headache - not the Raiders. We do not know what AB wanted or what Buffalo was willing to give to Pittsburgh or to AB, but as I stated earlier - AB was under contract and did not have a no trade clause. If the Bills wanted to make the trade - it was there and they would not have needed to give AB any additional money as he still had 3 years on his contract. Now that would have been stupid as it was known AB wanted more money, but that was not a required part of the trade - it would have been smart to know what he wanted before a deal was done though.

So was a deal done or not - you stated a deal was done - when is a deal done - when it is finalized. If you want to say they had an agreement that fell through - that is very different.

This part is easy - what team is he on. Concrete evidence that the Bills and Steelers did not have a finalized deal in place. Simple. Now please prove to me that somehow they did have a finalized deal in place - one approved by the NFL offices - making it official - and yet somehow AB is playing for the Raiders on a deal approved a week later.

If it was agreed to and finalized - why is AB not in Buffalo. AB did not have a no trade clause. He was under contract. If it was a done deal - AB had no say in stopping it. Therefore the logical conclusion is that someone outside the Bills leaked it was a done deal - Why? Well you could see Pittsburgh doing it to try and force others to up their bid, but the end they got a lousy 3rd and 5th - so that didn’t work. The next most logical leak would be ABs agent to try and ensure the Bills did not get him. What we know is that 1 source broke the story alone and it was not NFL.com. One source said it was a done deal. Several other sources said no nothing was done and nothing was imminent. Later that evening several other sites - like NFL.com - quoting the initial source were reporting a deal was done, but obviously nothing was confirmed because there was no deal. It does not change the fact that the Bills pushed for AB, but in the internet age where being 1st is more important than being right - you get these false reports from time to time. It is the same way people like ICB throw crap at the wall and suddenly we have rumors of Clowney to Buffalo being reported by all types of media as a possibility.

Agreed, but it is also true that no deal was done - even though one (1) reporter/internet media member stated it was. Once it was reported as a done deal - several other Bills reporters immediately started to deny the trade was done and then it comes out that they (Buffalo and Pittsburgh) talked, but nothing was finalized. I think Beane would have made the deal for AB on his original deal and maybe a small amount of extra guarantee, but he was not giving up multiple picks and a huge deal.

Could very well be - just interesting that this is really the first time since OTA’s Spain has been moved from #1 Left Guard. It would not shock me if they are trying to help Ford out - just a change that was noted.

Sounds like on OBL - they tried flipping Long and Spain at guard today. Dawkins, Long, Feliciano, Spain, Ford Interesting - with Tye out - will be interesting to see what happens as people get healthy.

I think both are huge long shots and there is probably room enough for both on the PS. Especially as Wade gets an extra spot.

So you want to “steal” the Pats 3rd stringer - are you putting him on the 53 and cutting another good player for a 3rd string QB. If not why would Stidham choose the Bills PS over the Pats?

I think he is PS worthy, but I do not think he would be who they bring up if another QB is needed. He really needs reps and study to become a better QB, but he is just not getting that now. We we will see how it goes - not sure if someone else shakes free that they had their eye on - if they keep him, but most QBs that are cut would prefer to PS on the team that cut them rather than have to learn a new system and I do not see the Bills using a 53 roster spot for a 3rd QB.

Do you not think the coaches see him in practice? Do you not see that his teammates love him and the plays? It seems pretty obvious that they recognize his talent, but he is not ready for a more extended role. In training Camp he routinely struggled getting his hands right for a simple handoff - and was getting one on one training with coaches and players from what I saw. Yet we still saw issue that in his one carry in game 1. He is learning things like how to block, but he is still a long way from being ready to handle routine Blitz pick-up or understanding the timing of swinging out to get a dump off. He struggles understanding blocking - including downfield blocking by his own guys - as seen in game 2. Even if he made the 53 man roster - he would not be activated on game days. They are not sitting McCoy, Gore, Devon, or Dimarco. They 4th RB is most likely Perry or Yeldon - both of which would have specialized roles on either special teams or as a 3rd down pass catcher. Neither of which Wade is ready for yet. I just do not see a team utilizing a player on both the 53 man roster and the active game day roster that is so limited in experience that he can only be used in a a few plays - especially if the league has designed a way for you to keep him and let him learn on the PS without losing another young talent. Wade has a ton of talent and upside and it is infectious to see how the team celebrated his 2 plays, but right now he is a professional athlete playing against 4th sting guys that he is simply more athletic than and the team does not seem to think he is read for extended time even in the 4th quarter - let alone moving up to play against the 1s and 2s. Just give it time and be patient and let the team do what is best for Wade and the Bills.

Nope because he still does not understand the nuances of the position. People love the runs, but if he can’t pick up a blitz - he gets your starting QB killed. If he is not familiar with the correct swing route - he gets your QB killed. He is still learning how to take a handoff. I love what he is doing, but he needs time to learn.

Not a chance in heck. I like our 1&2 and the third guy should be developmental not an old has been. i have no issue with Jackson and the role he is playing on this team.

Nope - the competition committee adjust the rules with input from coaches and GMs. That is voted on by the league. Goodell is not responsible for rules. He is responsible for business development decisions. Goodell has also been an advocate for full time officials and has gotten some of that, but not all the way. The set-up of the officials and the replay was again set by the competition committee. Goodell can only do so much with officials because they are part of a collectively bargained Union. He tried to discipline some officials last year, but has limited power to do anything. You can blame Goodell, but he has very little to do with rules and officiating- other than being the face piece. Goodell actually tried to fix the catch rule by getting players to provide input to the competition committee, but that group still could not fix he issue. He also tried to get more full time officials, but that was not pushed through the union - so he has to make due until their CBA is up and they can make changes if the owners approve. If you want to complain about Goodell - then it should deal with the NFLPA, Stadium deals, TV deals, and other business related decisions. Rules and enforcement is really under the competition committee that happens to have guys like Sean Payton on it that push issue the impacted their team - hence the new stupid pass interference rule. Additionally - if you watch the play and listen to the explanation provided by the league - the foul that was called occurred prior to the pass with an offensive push off that lead to the DB being out of position. So even in the end if you want to blame Goodell - the correct call was probably made in this case.

I saw that also, but people make their mind up and that is it. Just gets frustrating when the same people spout the same false garbage over and over. Especially once it has been proven false again and again.

I don’t get this at all. Did Goodell make the call? Is Goodell in the booth making the call? Did Goodell blow the call in the playoffs? Was Goodell on the coaching and GM committee that decided the rule change? Goodell is a front piece for a billion dollar game where revenue keeps growing. He rides a fine line between what is best for the owners and the league. The joke is the result of coaches wanting more control and not understanding the consequences of their decision. It was the same issue with the catch rule - that one (and this) is on the competition committee that wanted a change, but couldn’t define the change and made it worse. None of this is on Goodell.

I am thinking that Tucker in Baltimore May lead the NFL I scoring. That looks like an offense that is going to bog down a lot as he field shrinks.

Considering the practice squad is a relatively recent addition - I think you have to include looking at guys that played things NFL Europe as that was a pseudo practice squad. The numbers are not huge, but there are several that have gone on to have legitimate careers. I am sure someone will point out the Romo’s and the Warner’s, but there have been others that have been back-ups. It is a great spot to learn, but the guys going there are not the cream of the crop and therefore the expectation that they will become anything should be low.

The Bills can’t negotiate a long term deal. As a franchise tagged player after July 15th he has to play on he franchise tag. No teams can negotiate until after the last game of the season. He also has not signed his tender - so currently he can not be traded and rumor has it he has already blocked a trade to Miami. We will see where this goes.

Actually wasn’t Buffalo just in this same situation a couple of years ago with Tyrod Taylor? A QB that won the majority of his games, made few mistakes, was helped by a top flight running game, made the playoff in Buffalo for the first time in forever. How did that work out - are there a lot of little Tyrod’s Running around Buffalo? Nope - the Bill’s fans realized that Tyrod was very limited meaning their chances were limited and when he wanted/got a raise from 3 million a season to 20 million a season - people recognized it was not going to work. Dak works on his rookie deal, but as soon as you start paying him and losing support around him - it falls apart and the expectations on him will rise beyond what he is capable of achieving.

The problem is the percentage is already set. So in shifting the percentage- he is not shifting from owners to players - he is shifting player to player. Him taking more means less for others on the team - meaning at some point a veteran making 3 million and talent to help win - gets replaced by a less talented rookie. It means potentially another star player - a Zeke, a Cooper, a ProBowl OL, etc either gets less or gets cut or can’t resign. I can see the Cowboys doing everything to resign Cooper, Zeke, and Dak and then watching as the best OL in football erodes further and they wonder why none of the 3 are as effective.

I get it, but would rather be 4-0 in the regular season.

Totally disagree - if the NFL and the Union make an agreement - all players within the union should abide by the decision. The players still have a choice, but it is to leave the union and play football someplace else. Their choice should not be about equipment. If the firefighters get some new equipment that better protects them and helps keep them alive - the fire chiefs do not go - well you are a veteran you can decide. Same with military or law enforcement- construction workers - etc. People in all manner of jobs have uniform and safety decisions thrust upon them and have to wear and do things beyond what they want because in reality people are stupid and avoid change for no reason. AB is acting like a baby and there is no reason he should be allowed to do something just because he is a whiner - suck it up or quit and get out.

That is Bull Crap all the way. The 52% is then used to pay 100’s of additional employees - probably 3-4,000 people or more - like Chefs, coaches, trainers, administration, secretary, financial guys, security, lawyers, and support the NFL front office staff. The 52% is spread a lot thinner than the 48% that goes to the players. Yes every owner makes a profit and they make good money from the investment, but don’t for a second act like 32 owners take the rest of the money or that the players are not well compensated for their work.

The rules are not driven by the NFL, but this was what the NFLPA wanted and agreed to. More safety for the players and better requirements for the manufacturers. I believe as long as he is part of the NFLPA - he gave up free choice. The rules are in place for all players to be treated equally and fairly. This is not the idiotic NHL that allowed players to be grandfathered in to not wearing helmets when it was clearly an issue.