BuffaloBob

If you read this article, you can see why the rumors are what they are. Texans-Free Agents These guys have been very active in free agency and they've had a plan of execution that they have mostly been successful in implementing except for WR. My sense is that they want to complete their plan and EM fits the bill perfectly. And yes, with Eric, it is about the money first. On the one hand, I can't blame him given that he is at the end of his career. On the other hand, just don't say that it isn't when it is! Bruce Smith did the same thing. Oh, he wished he couild have finished his career in Buffalo. My ass! He got one more big payday and the chance to hang around until he finally broke the sack record. I don't have a problem with that, except that he tried to make it sound like Buffalo forced him to leave. He was offered a new deal to take a pay cut and he said asta la vista, just like EM is doing now. Except he cried to the media that it was otherwise. That's what irritates me about it. Don't piss down my back and tell me it's rainin' Senator!

Yes, and also keep in mind that the Tiatns gave us a third rounder knowing that he was going to be suspended for four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy for the third time, and he was whining and sulking like a little B word because the Bills drafted McGahee. Were it not for all of those factors, we could have probably gotten a second for him.

It's because if you have at least two teams interested, it behooves one of them to make a deal that ensures that player will go to them without them having to get in a bidding war with at least the one other team. How much demand there is for Moulds remains to be seen, but all it takes is for two teams to be interested enough to be willing to part with a pick to ensure they are not competing with the each other or any other team to get him. Will the Bills get a first or even a second rounder? Highly unlikley. Could they get a 3rd or 4th, not so impossible. Hell, were it not for the fact that teams were aware of Henry's impending suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy, we might have had a better pick than we got for him!

I think you're right. If Moulds refuses to make himself available to play when he is otherwise able to do so, HE is the one in breach of his contract and the Bills will not have to pay him while he is refusing to do so. In the case of TO, while he was being an AHole, he was still ready, willing and able to do so. I don't know if the CBA has anything as formal as a "Disqulified" List like MLB, but Soriano finally got some good advice: Play or you won't be paid!

I don't know about a new one, but certainly a reworked one with an extension and signing bonus that will lower his cap hit over the next two years. He may also agree to take a pay cut as well for the right team, but it will be based on an extension and inclusion of healthy SB that can be amortized over the extended years. To get a new contract in the true sense, he would have to be released first, which would give him the option of singing with anyone.

The notion that trading Moulds will be difficult or impossible because we have hinted at cutting him is simply not correct. As Astrobot points out above, all it takes is more than one team to be interested and then it will become important to be sure YOUR team is the one who gets him, and that you do not have to get into a bidding war for him as a free agent with the other interested teams. That has significant value. Moreover, the notion that his cap hit will be too large for some team is also overblown. The reality is, his cap hit for the trading team will be considerably less than it is for us. They will only have to take a cap hit for his salary due, while we are still absorbing the amortization of his signing bonuses as well. Moreover, Eric will be more than happy to take a chunk of the last two years of his contract as a bonus, or in fact even add a year or two over which to amortize that bonus conversion, and a new team will be only too happy to oblige him on that. Indeed, he may even be willing to take a small cut for a more competitive team. It will be nothing for a new team to trim his cap hit to them into a reasonable $4-5 Million range even while paying him over the next two years at least close to what he has coming from the Bills. How much is his value in terms of draft choices or other players is hard to tell. It will depend upon many factors, but by permitting him to go out and seek a trade, the market will provide that indication very quickly. This is quite similar to the Peerless Price situation a few off-seasons ago. Even though teams knew we weren't going to keep Peerless around at the Franchise Tag salary, they also were competing with each other and that caused Atlanta to let fly with a nice draft choice. Of course, Eric will not command a first round draft choice, but we should get some decent comp for him plus the cap space. He will be very attractive to a number of teams with cap space avaialble and the need for a strong wide receiver, even if on the decline. And even though I have always been an EM fan, it is time let his complaining, it's all about me arse go. This team needs a new infusion of eadership, which EM was not providing the past few years in my opinion.

WHAT? They didn't want to guarantee a guard $49 Million? I'm shocked! Well, I feel for the Hawks. As Bills fans we know how that feels. They've been had! And once again a clever agent and the NFLPA gets away with one through a loophole. I'm sure Tom Condon feels very pleased with himself.

The way they supposedly plugged the loophole was that no term could be added that forced the matching team to pay more than the team making the offer sheet. So instead of forcing the Seahawks to pay more than the number offered, they instead made the consequence of matching that the entire contract be guaranteed, something that no team in their right mind would do, not even the Vikings. To argue that this is the same value is a joke. All one has to do is review the history of NFL contracts to see that virtually no contract sails through its term unchanged or unterminated early. While it is technically possible that the Vikings could pay him all of the $49 Million, they are not obligated to do so. If the Seahawks match, they would be obligated to do so. I cannot see how these two contracts are of the same value, when one team is not obligated to pay the total compensation, while the other one is. It is a freakin' joke!

This ruling completely boggles the mind. The spirit of the transition tag rule is to allow a transition player to go out and get a killer offer and permit his team the opportunity to match if they so choose. Permitting agents and other teams to cleverly devise these posion pill clauses circumvents the spirit of the rule because the player's current team, in matching, actually is forced to give so much more that it is untenable for them to do so. That the spirit of the rule is as mentioned above is supported by the fact that the players and owners immediately agreed to plug the hole exploited by the Colts to get Wolford. Unfortunately, it is never possible to anticipate every possible scenario by which a so-called matching offer be made not matching through the cleverness of others. And apparently much to the short-sighted delight of the NFLPA. But most importantly, the deal as a whole is simply not of the same value for both teams as required by the current rule if the Seahawks were to match. How can one argue with a straight face that the value of the deal is the same for both sides? That it is simply a material term of the contract that must be adhered to in order to match? The numbers may be the same, but the value of a guaranteed contract is far greater than the one being given by the Vikings. I have to wonder if Hutchison even understood that once the offer sheet was signed, he was unquestionably not going to be a Seahawk any longer? Sometimes I wonder how much these players leave up to the agent. Of course, it may have been that Hutchison really wanted to leave, but if I remember correctly, I don't think Wolford realized that he had signed himself away from the Bills, did he?

Well, I know you THINK you're right, but how about supporting this position with something other than your subjective gut feel? Obviously, one guy can't turn an O-line into world-beaters, nor a crappy team generally. And who did they have running the ball, anyway? But most importantly, who was the freakin' genius that had him somewhere other than at left tackle to begin with? The very fact that this team sucked for year after year and then along comes Denny Green, a very well-respected and successful coach, who finally moves him to where he belongs, calls into question the geniuses who had him inside at guard for four years. Without more, this is mental masturbation. You are assuming that he is a bust because he played guard for four years and there is simply no reason for that other than that is what you want to believe. And using that to further the myth that has been circulated by a few so-called pundits based on some crap they've heard from some anonymous NFL coach is worth doodly-squat! And what NFL pundits are these? Some media hacks that like to label people as one thing or another and quote anonymous sources? Besides, the guy's been moved from guard (which wasn't his natural position to begin with) to RT back to guard and then LT. I'm not so sure anyone would be all that consistently good if they had to play so many postions before getting to play their natural position. Oh really? And exactly on what basis do you make this expert assessment? More NFL pundits I suppose! He has virtually identical stats as a certain DB for the Bills except for INTs. Does Clements play like a 3rd rounder, too? I've watched Jammer play on many occasions and given that he has started right from the start and has played on a team far more successful than the Bills over his career seems to demonstrate the opposite. Moreover, saying he plays like a 3rd rounder without something to back that up with is once again fairly worthless, although I admit serves as an effective false premise for the rest of your argument. He may not have had the sort of spectacular impact that some might expect from a 5th overall pick, but he has certainly played to the level of a first rounder nevertheless. And far better than many drafted out of other so-called respected programs that are no longer in the league. Derailed by injury? Are you sure we are talking about the same guy? Let's review some of his accomplishments: • Set Lions rookie receiving records in receptions (54), yards (817) and touchdowns (8). • Named NFC Rookie of the Month for September after recording 17 receptions for 277 yards and four touchdowns through his first three games. • Led all receivers with four catches for 69 yards, including an amazing 27-yard, one-handed juggling reception in the season-opener at Chicago (9/12). The play was selected by fans as the Play-of-the-Week on ESPN.com. • Named the Pepsi Rookie of the Week after he scored his first two career touchdowns on four catches for 73 yards vs. Houston (9/19). His second touchdown on the day, a 14-yarder, garnered him the Levitra Play of the Week award for Week 2. • Scored two touchdowns on nine receptions for 135 yards, including four passes for 63 yards on the Lions first scoring drive, becoming the first rookie Lion to have a 100-yard receiving game since Larry Foster in 2000 and the first Lion since David Hill (1976) to score multiple touchdowns in two games during his rookie year. • Broke the Lions rookie receiving record in yards and touchdowns with 104 yards and two touchdowns vs. Minnesota (12/19). That was just his rookie season. Roy Williams CareerStats 99 1504 15.2 51 16 (Rec Yds Avg Long TDs) Missed 6 games in two years (hardly being derailed) Mike Williams 1 yr 29 350 12.1 49 1 (Drafted #10 overall USC) Missed 2 games Lee Evans CareerStats 2 yrs 96 1586 16.5 69 16 Missed 0 games (Roy had virtually the same production in 6 less games). Charles Career 3 yrs 36 440 12.2 35 4 Missed 23 games in 3 years. Now THERE'S a guy who's been derailed by injury! And Drafted #2 overall! Yeah, that "pundit" was right when he said Roy has certainly failed to play to the level one would expect from a high first round draft choice! And BTW, I think many would cite Casey Hampton or Nathan Vasher as the best so far. Of course, there is also Shaun Rogers, but of course the reason he didn't go until the second round is that the NFL pundits said the guy was a liability who took plays off and had a bad attitude. GO FIGURE! The bottom line is that top Texas draft picks, and many not so high, are having very solid if not exceptional careers. The fact that two of them who have had sufficent time to make their mark successfully (Big Mike and Ricky, a guy who wsould be leading the league in rushing if they would just let him smoke his weed!), does not in any way diminsh the play of the rest of them notwithstanding what some "pundits" say in an article supported by nothing more than their subjective opinions and their anonymous source. And further, I'm sure there are many other so-called top programs that, if their top choices were analyzed this closely, would show some suprisingly mediocre results of their own. But oh yes, by all means, stay away from the Texas players. An NFL pundit said so!

Michigan, Michigan State? Who cares? "My point is still moot." Cliff Claven

I guess you have been duped. I guess if you read something it must be true, right? Roy Williams is no bust! He has single-handledly won games for the Lions. He has numbers quite similar to Lee Evans. Is he a bust, too? And if Roy's numbers are supposed to be better for some reason, do ya think it might have something to do with QB play? After all, they are supposedly ready to give up on Harrington. I doubt THAT's Roy's fault, too. Of course, you may consider him a bust when comparing him to that stellar performance put on so far by Charles Rogers from where? Oh yes, Michigan State!! (Whoo! Thank God we go THAT corrected!) Do some homework and check the numbers first before believing some media hack who's trying to make a point with self-supporting opinions and generalizations! Leonard Davis, a bust? He IS playing left tackle for Denny Green isn't he? Notice the guy was buried at guard when WHO was coaching and running that team? And how many games did they win. Do ya think maybe it had something to do with the geniuses runnining the team before Denny showed up? Jammer a bust? Are you kidding me? He has stats comparable to Clements except for INTs. And what does that say? That he can't intercept passes? Or maybe it means that opponents don't throw as much at him, or he doesn't take as many chances as "so I get burned often but I like to make INT's" Clements. The guy is awesome in run support and makes plays all over the field. And if SD overreached a bit and took him a little high, how is that Jammers fault anyway? I assure you nobody in San Diego thinks Jammer's a bust! And while Benson did hold out and did get injured, exactly how does that make him a bust? The guy has had one season for Chrissakes and got injured. And let's forget about all of the other Horns who are having really great careers so far, like Derrick Johnson, who had a very solid rookie year in KC, Casey Hampton who is now wearing a SB ring, Preist Holmes who turned out to be not too bad a player, or Shaun Rogers, Nathan Vasher and Chris Simms to name a few more. Some idiot decides to write an article about how Texas draft choices are all busts, makes a bunch of generalizations based on nothing but his own self-reinforcing subjectivity, and quotes some anonymous coach in the NFL saying the program creates a bunch of soft, lazy prima donnas, and you take it as fact proven? That anonymous coach is probably some Aggie or Red Raider who couldn't get accepted to UT and so now he's an expert on their program. PUHLEASE!

EVERY can't miss Longhorn has flopped? Apparently you are easily persuaded by bullschite media hype! Please recount for me all of the Longhorn first round picks that have flopped. I know of two: Ricky and Big Mike. But before you do, don't just simply recount what some media hack has convinced you of. Do your homework!

I think you are being swayed by a writer who is working hard to support a theory. I love how he tics off 6 longhorns and how they ain't all that, and then incidentally mentions 8 that are, oh by the way, actually having stellar careers. And when you look at the six he cites as examples of BUSTS, he really only cites two TRUE examples: Ricky and Big Mike. The fact that Leonard Davis has been at guard until last year means diddly without more. Who were the brain surgeons running the Cardinals back then anyway, losing double digit numbers of games year after year? Notice Davis got switched to left tackle when Denny Green showed up. Hmmmmm? The fact that he cites this as an example of a highly drafted Longhorn playing below expectations without more belies his attempt to lead the reader to a negative conclusion to support his theory without a spec of evidence that the guy has played poorly or wasn't able to play a position he should have been able to play. He cites what are pretty damn good numbers for Roy Williams, and then says, oh, he hasn't made the impact that the Lions had hoped for. Who on the Lions HAS made such an impact? They are talking about sending Harrington packing as a bust, and yet it's obviously Roy's fault that he hasn't put up TO numbers in his first two seasons. Give me a break. If you want to talk about a bust, let's talk about Charles Rogers! Drafted #2 overall, who has played a whole 15 games in 3 seasons for the Lions with a whopping 36 catches for 440 yards and 4 touchdowns! But no, it's Roy Williams who is the disappointment! LOL! I have watched Jammer play on numerous occasions and the guy is awesome in run support and he makes plays. Yes, he has less ints then Nate, but how many big plays has he given up compared to Nate? How much more often do they throw at Nate than at Jammer? Without more, his assertion that Jammer's impact quotient is disappointing is absolute nonesense and is baseless! Moreover, San Diego felt like they had to have DB that year, and chose the guy they thought was the best at the position, realizing he wouldn't be on the board in the second round. Perhaps he was a reach to go as low as he did, but how the hell is that HIS fault anyway? Then there's Bryant Westbrook, whom he says never lived up to his lofty draft status. The guy started out great, making the all-rookie team his first year. His downfall was that he was so physical in run support that he broke his hand in his third season and then ruptured his achilles tendon late in his fourth season. Up unitl that point, he was deemed to be having a pro bowl caliber year. As a result, it took him a year to get back on the field after which he played several games and was named as a pro bowl alternate. Unfortunately for him, he was never the same after that achilles tendon injury. So was he a disappointment? Yes, but not for lack of ability, hard work or toughness. Or was he a kitty for rupturing his achilles? Last time I checked, I don't think Longhorns have the market cornered on achilles tendon injuries. As for Benson, yes the guy held out. How much of that was his fault and how much was it his agent's or the Bears (notorious for not wanting to spend the money on the best skill players) is anybody's guess. OK, so he had an injury that ended his first year early. Hey, it happens to the best of 'em, especially at running back. But I think the jury is at best still out on this one. Christ, the guy has only been out one year. You cannot point to that as an example of a trend anymore than any of these other guys. And finally, I'll bet if you wanted to tic down a list of other major schools that has had players drafted high and often in the NFL drft, you could point to lot's of busts for them as well. This guy mentions 14 longhorns, and cites two concrete examples of busts and one concrete example of a disappointment in Westbrook (through no fault of his own) out of those 14. The rest he either mentions as an aside if they are playing really well, or he tries to convince you that the rest are performing below expectations or are verging on busts even though he cites no supportable basis for that position. This article is nothing short of mental masturbation.

Putting that aside, this constant attack on Armstrong is typical French. He dominated their only significant contribution to world sports and rubbed their smug litle noses in it for 7 straight years (all the while testing him over and over to no avail), and they will stop at nothing to discredit him. If I were Armstrong, I'd take a year off and recharge, and then come back and beat the whiny bastards another 2-3 years in a row.

Yes, especially given that the only real reason France opposed the latest Iraq war was because they had whored up to Saddam and had deals with him that were going to be flushed down the toilet once he was overthrown.

Hey dude! That was not MY assessment! It was the assessment of the Bills' coaching staff as was publicly disclosed. Based on the move Wednesday, apparently, it was DG's as well. He could sign with another team and play great, but I tend to give deference to those guys. As for what the Bills will do at LT, I think the simplest way to express it will be that they will continue to try and upgrade that position if they can. Will that best grade involve Gandy, Peters, Teague or a player not yet on the roster that they can afford? It will depend pn how thjose guys already on the team play, and on what others moves could be made and their economic feasibility. I think TD says basically this all of the time. They will upgrade any position if the move is truly an upgrade, if it truly increases the team's chance to win commensurately with or exceeding the value given up, and that the price can in fact be paid.

You are so right Kasp! Geesh, so a number of teams have expressed enough interest that they will take a look at him. That doesn't mean all or even ANY of those teams are or will be willing to sign him. THe Bills took a look and the coaching staff decided he was a turd and passed. Surprise surprise, he ends up on the street anyway. All of those several teams expressing interest may come to the same conclusion. I give the Bills the win on this one. Shelton may end up on a team, but it just may not be for that $3 Mil per he was getting.

Let us not forget Kaye Stephenson!

I see your problem. If you don't like a lot of it, it is a hassle under those circumstances. I haven't been to the OG in a while. I wonder if their heavy use of the stuff is due to the popularity of Emerile? I think he does it mostly because it is his trademark. The crowd always applauds at the mention of it and he sometimes puts in more as a result. I happen to really like the stuff, but for those who don't like it in large quantities, I could see where it could get annoying.

If the guy had any sense at all, that is EXACTLY what he would have done. If I am his agent, I am desperately trying to get him to realize this. Some teams are willing to put up with this crap from a TO, not from a TH.

I will concede that he overdoes it on the garlic, BUT, there are actually people out there who actually love garlic that much. It is either because of their heritage or their taste. In his case, I think it is both. BTW, I have cooked several of his recipes, and I have used the amount of garlic called for in the written recipe, and everyone loved it. If you don't like garlic, just use less. It's just his trademark and given the budget of the show and of his restaurants, I hardly think it is to cover up inferior ingredients.

I do not agree. What good is having a guy on your roster who is not prepared to play when the season starts, who will pout like a littlebitch in the locker room, and who will walk after the year is over anyway? Why would you pay $1.25 Million for that? Sorry if you've explained this 4,783,698 times before, but apparently there is one dumbass on this board you have yet to edify in this matter. Besides, I said that was what I would do if I were TD. If you read closely, it is not a prediction.

I think TD should simply wait for the last possible moment before he owes that assclown any significant money and then release his sorry ass onto a market where team rosters are set and it is too late for him to sign any kind of a decent contract. Sure, some team may sign him to the vet min, where he won't get much playing time and by the time next off-season rolls around, he won't get jack from anyone. This of course assumes that some team isn't desperate enough to trade for him during the preseason after losing a key back to injury. Of course in that case I am all for getting something for him, but if it's anything less than a third rounder for next year, I say hold onto him and dump his sorry ass. Anyone who can't see that he is pssing his own value away by not showing up and practicing with his team and honoring his contract until a deal can be worked out ain't worth a pile of dirty jock straps anyway. Besides, TD likes to have about $1 Million in cap space when he goes into the season anyway. Who knows, maybe we could use that space to help finance an extension for a key player in a contract year or one year short of one.