glazeduck

Price dependent, but at the right price, absolutely!

One thing I think Beane and McD have been consistent about from day 1 is a recognition that in a small market, you have to win on the margins -- take advantage of every "value"... I think the simplest answer is they were trying to get AB at a value that they felt was worth it... His attitude, contract demands, etc. aren't a surprise, so you factor all of that into the compensation... If the rumor last night of a swap of 1s was true, Bills likely wanted an OL at 9 -- likely one of Williams, Dillard, Ford, Taylor and Bradbury would've still been there at 20, so effectively the compensation to get AB amounts to you drafting a guy you would've been fine with drafting at 9. If that's the case, prima donna or no, a team like Buffalo (had AB been willing to come) HAS to take that value...

Long time lurker (and member back at bb.com), but finally took the plunge here... I've got, what I'll call a unique perspective into this world, and I can say that, while this scenario is fun to think about, I can just about promise you that this isn't how it went down. The Pegulas are actually good friends with the Rooneys and within the league, there's a code of ethics, if you will, where teams respect each other and don't blindside or screw others like this. From the outside, it's easy to see the intensity and rivalries and assume that everyone is always trying to stab everyone else in the back for a foot up, but in reality, when there's only 31 other entities in your industry to do business with, you're pretty much forced to play nice. It's not what the rabid fan wants to hear, and I completely agree that its fun to think about a prima donna like AB getting hosed in the process, but there's likely a much simpler explanation for ultimately what went down. Not trying to be a Debbie Downer on my first post, but just trying to bring a little more reality to the conversation...