BillsVet

I find it ironic that those who support all things Bills and never criticize the organization still prefer to support senior management and not the coaching staff/personnel department in this issue. But, I guess the best away to avoid a report which strikes at the heart of what some believe is to merely disregard it as "trumped-up truths" from a writer we don't like. I would think the football people who get paid to, you know, win football games would be the side selected by those fans who believe in all things Bills.

If only Buffalo could take the lead in dead cap space from Carolina. Maybe the old guard can cut some players to create more dead cap and then the Bills will be first in something.

No one's refuted the report yet. Who is silent is seen to consent. At least the 49ers lied when it was reported there was discussion of Harbaugh going to Cleveland.

Well, it's time to put his money where his mouth is. Or rather, RW's money. Russ Smithers is between a rock and a hard place, but something tells me he'll slither out of it with slick marketing.

Anyone expecting major changes to result from a BN article are probably in for some disappointment. The franchise has been run this way for years and you can go back to the 70s to see things weren't much different than now in terms of organizational priorities. http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2011/7/20/2275370/buffalo-bills-ralph-wilson-john-rauch I know some will criticize Rauch because he wasn't successful, but that's not the point. While back then it was RW and his people who protected the cash flow, he has types like Littmann, Brandon, and Overdorf doing that for the Wilson family. The good 'ole boys concept is still alive and well.

What does Brandon get from siding with the Dougs by going after Littmann and Overdorf via this report? Aside from a big headache, nothing. The point is, Russ learned from Ralph, with the latter being very connected with Littmann. The announcement on 1/1/13 was nothing more than a re-arranging of the deckchairs on the Titanic. Nothing really changed that day and Russ never planned to deviate from the established management structure at OBD and in Detroit. Russ is part of the problem, not the solution.

They've tried conventional means and it didn't work. And who cares? The truth has come to light and it paints the top of the franchise as interested in profiting at the cost of on-field results. The OBD oligarchy is making decisions that are, in the opinion of veteran coaches, making it impossible to compete. And that's what I care about. The coaching staff knows what they're doing and it being unprecedented, indicates the desperation of the situation. Let's not conflate the argument. Pittsburgh has, over the past 10 years, drafted exceptionally and re-signed certain premium players while allowing others to hit UFA. Two SB wins indicate they're adept at managing personnel. Just off the top of my head they've re-signed guys like Roethlisberger, Harrison, Woodley, Timmons, Polamalu to large contracts, i.e. 30M or more deals.

Because all other options had been exhausted and, as with any franchise, the HC and then the GM are the first to go when the team doesn't win. And given that Marrone and Whaley have seen how real NFL franchises work, they know when they're not getting the resources to have a reasonable shot at winning.

That doesn't explain why the first story came out with regard to the training staff. That's got nothing to do with Parker.

Then why did they spread Fitzpatrick's cap hit over 2 years as opposed to 1? Dead money, to me, is indicative of bad personnel decisions combined with bad financial ones. But I guess that happens when Jim Overdorf is negotiating your contracts and not the GM/football personnel people as Whaley essentially admitted this weekend. And it makes sense they're comfortable with Mario's 18.8M cap hit in 2014. He's been a solid and often outstanding performer, but it's clear that contract gets them to the minimum. Restructuring it to free up space isn't an option right now for that reason.

Now Parker is pitting the front office/coaching staff against their senior management? Whoa. Talk about a conspiracy theory.

Does this report officially mean Tim is back in TBD's good graces? This is shaping up to be the most interesting off-season since Butler and Wade were fired.

The question now is does anything change? Russ can't send Whaley and Marrone packing, nor are they going to change their organizational priorities. Littmann, Overdorf, and Berchtold are on solid ground and aren't going anywhere either. Russ has his work cut out from him and it doesn't sound like he's making the situation better.

Well, either Tim is making stuff up (doubtful) or the differences are finally being illustrated by a local writer. This franchise has been suspected for years of doing what the new coaching staff is alleging.

I'm not sure where this assumption comes from that says the Bills get a 2nd for Byrd. A team trading for him will have to give him what we all know to be a good sized contract, most likely on average 8.5-9M per for 5 years or more. What if the Bills only get offers for a 3rd? Then what? And even if they get a 2nd round pick, the hit rate there isn't a slam dunk. You could end up with a James Hardy or Torrell Troup because you're drafting for pure need. And this time it would be a self-inflicted wound.

The idea of tagging him is to trade and get value. If they tag with the intent of keeping him, the team would have paid him 15M+ for 2 seasons and all of it guaranteed. I define elite as being a 1st or 2nd team All-Pro, which Byrd has been 3 out of 5 seasons. Perhaps you have another definition. You've also failed to answer my question: How does trading Byrd for rookies make this team better in 2014? After all, it's about winning now, not 2 years from now. As a fan, I'm not interested in reducing their cap hit or cash outlay. I want to win, and this franchise has a better shot at that with Jairus Byrd than without.

8 safeties were voted 1st or 2nd team All-Pro in 2013. Byrd was one of them, as he has now been selected All-Pro 3 times in 5 season. Your player evaluation seems rooted in being against what Byrd wants to be paid, not how he's performed on the field. I've not heard anything about the Bills keeping Byrd, only that they'll explore every option possible. My question remains: How does trading Byrd for a rookie help Buffalo win in 2014? IMO, it means taking a step back at another position for the benefit of saving some cash. And of those re-signed, tell me how many are recognized as elite at their position? No one's arguing Buffalo doesn't re-sign players, rather, the debate is whether they'll keep All-Pro or similar types.

Andy Levitre. Paul Posluszny. Traded Marshawn Lynch for Chris Hairston and Tank Carder. It's also hard to let good players go when your drafts are either so bad or the guys coming up for contracts (Glenn, Dareus, et al) haven't gone far enough in their rookie deals to warrant an extension. And I wouldn't go comparing the Ravens or Steelers with Buffalo. The first two teams have 3 SB titles between them in the last 9 seasons. Buffalo wins, on average, 6 games a year over the same span.

San Francisco allowed Goldson to leave after they'd re-signed Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman, Joe Staley, Ahmad Brooks, Vernon Davis, and Anthony Davis to contracts totaling more than 70M in guarantees between 2010 and 2013. It's not hard to see why they prioritized those guys over Goldson. http://www.spotrac.c...rancisco-49ers/ The Bills simply don't have the guys coming up who'll need contract extensions and which might preclude them from re-signing Jairus Byrd. And it certainly doesn't matter what us fans think Byrd is worth because the market determines value.

If Buffalo doesn't re-sign Jairus Byrd it'll be hard to see how much has changed considering their cap situation before possible cuts.

I would have to believe most Bills fans don't want to wait until 2015 for a chance to win. Buffalo hasn't developed a lot of their own elite talent over the years, and when they have too many of those players departed either via trade or in UFA without much in return. Glenn is getting to the point where he's going to command good money as he plays a difficult position. I'm not convinced Dareus is at that point yet. Keeping elite/very good talent and losing it simultaneously is a recipe that hasn't worked for this team. That lends itself to my opinion the team isn't investing on par with other franchises and results in the mediocrity we've seen for going on a decade.

Explain how he's had 2 All-Pro selections since then. The anti-Byrd sentiment, much like the anti-Peters talk in late 2008/early 2009 is alarming. Dealing Byrd for a pick does not help the team win in 2014. All it proves is the Bills can't lock up their elite talent and thus are not willing to compete as other teams do.

The Bills are ~25M beneath the cap, have no other name free agents to sign in 2014, no decent backup option to Byrd, and other positions which need addressing. Even if he's tagged to be traded, the pick received will be a rookie and won't provide a relatively similar level of play at safety or another position to help this team reach the playoffs this coming season. Even dealing Byrd sends the wrong message on multiple levels. Marrone didn't sound high on Searcy yesterday as a starter, leaving them with only Aaron Williams as a somewhat experienced starter at safety. I'm having a hard time seeing the wisdom of not keeping him long term considering the scenario Buffalo finds themselves in.

Disagree completely. Buffalo needs more cap space left unspent so that they can lead the league in that category.

Never before in the history of sports has a fan base been more concerned about an owner saving money. And never before in the history of sports has that same fan base been more critical of players who dare to go against their team and want more than what the team wanted to spend. Every Bills player that has any sort of conflict with the team in recent years instantly becomes a pariah. Amazing when you consider the track record of futility this franchise has exhibited going back almost 15 seasons.