BillsVet

The one thing most fans want from these players is maturity beyond their years. It's not always going to happen, especially when guys like Lynch and Peters are millionaires with immense talent not long out of college. If fans want to get mad at them because they might disrupt our favorite professional team, well fine. But the truth is, our favorite pro athletes are usually not much older than college kids. They're great athletes who rely on agents for advice, and given that they've been concentrating on a pro career for years, it's not surprising to let them allow an agent to represent them. I'm glad Peters reported and will be lining up this week or soon thereafter because Parker told him to be there. But you're right PG, it is a business with huge dollars being thrown around. It's one thing for someone in their 40s and 50s to make big money, but imagine 20 somethings taking home millions and having agents tell them what's best. Peters isn't stupid, but he's 26 freaking years old. The holdout is over, and the sky's the limit for him.

I have to wonder if Young's mindset is there to play QB in the NFL. He's had success since HS, and now that there's some adversity, he wilts under the stress. He has to know after passing for 9 TD's and 17 INT's last season, that he's going to be under a lot of pressure to perform. Especially with the Titans getting to the playoffs last season.

Did you just cite a realfootball365 article? That's your reference? You've got to be kidding. So the guy didn't show up at 460 pounds like you figured and now it's resorting to blog-level articles to CYA? Give it a rest already.

An All-Pro and a Pro Bowler are not one in the same. He had a fantastic rookie season, but since then his career has fallen off the table. It's noteworthy that Tennessee has done nearly nothing at the WR spot, even cutting their leading receiver last season in Roydell Williams.

Chris Brown's blog points out that the Jags are missing two starting guards, Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams, along with center Brad Meester. Khalif Barnes and Tony Pashos both aren't all that special at LT and RT respectively. Brown's Blog re: Jags OL

You may not realize this, but the LT and RT positions are very specialized. A LT is expected to be a better pass protector who can handle any type of pass rusher whereas RT's are usually not as nimble but excel as run blockers. Even so, Peters' was judged in 2005 good enough to start 10 games at RT. He started another 8 games in 2006 for a new coaching staff at RT before moving to LT.

Thanks for your analysis KFBD. Sitting behind the tunnel end zone, it's hard to see OL play across the field, especially on the Lynch score. It seemed to me the Bills ran behind the left side, and with Dockery and Walker's size, I could certainly understand why. Was that something you saw?

Jacksonville's offense played poorly because their OL isn't what it's been. LT Khalif Barnes and RT Tony Pashos aren't great at their positions and it affected the entire offense. Haynesworth played with a concussion yesterday, and the Titans still defense held Jacksonville to 50 yards rushing, less than 2 ypc. With Taylor and Jones-Drew, it's obvious stopping the run is important. Forcing them into passing is their weakness because pass protection is obviously an issue for Jacksonville.

At the game today, I couldn't help but notice Stroud pushing the pocket on several downs. He batted a pass down, got inside his man, and generally made backs take holes they wouldn't normally have. Plain and simple, he makes the others around him better. They even had him line up on the outside and upright. Kudos to Fewell and the defensive coaches for using him in several ways. Here's to hoping he makes Jacksonville regret their decision. What a difference a DT makes in a defense.

By now, the team should know which players are those who cannot hit the market. Peters and Evans are clearly big parts of building a winner, but it's going to take some resolve to not only get those guy under contract. Recognizing what guys are replaceable is the next step. Looking at FA's to be, Crowell and Greer hit UFA after this season, with McGee in 09. I'd say they're now at the point in rebuilding where they must let mid-tier UFA's hit the market, and subsequently draft (or already have) their replacements in the fold. Moral victories are nice and get lots of attention. The real battle begins when negotiations begin, and as we've seen, it takes the Bills an awfully long time to sign even their own guys who they know better than anyone else. I'll applaud the front office when they can lock up Evans and Peters to take the next step toward respectability on the field. For the past few years, few NFL pundits have thought little about the Bills. Naming Brandon de-facto GM was a move that many questioned, especially in light of the owner who controls everything behind the scenes. He stil has a lot to prove. The front office will look much better when the players they've picked who play the games start winning some games. It's amazing how on-field success makes everyone look better.

Since when did TSW become a home for people's blogs? Your post featured several errors, especially the one about Crowell having surgery, which he hasn't. Initially, the team was convinced that he had, but first reports are usually incorrect. As someone previously noted, Buffalo carried only 6 LB's on the 53 man roster.

I liked when they said he was 30 pounds lighter, and that had him weigh in at 360 or so. If Cleveland doesn't play well this year, does Rogers start going to the buffet more often liked he did in the second half with Detroit last season? At this point, I'd rather have Stroud. He's more mobile, and I'd agree he fits this defense better. Besides, he knows he's playing for a better contract in the near future as well.

It's safe to believe Crowell wants a new contract, he is after all going into his final year of the deal signed in 2005. However, I don't think he cares much about who his next contract comes from, because chances are, he'd get more money in UFA. The Bills have decided he's not a player among their core group that warrants re-signing and not communicating before his final season confirms it. I don't believe he'd seek to prove a point for a new contract by doing what he's done. Regardless, it was dead wrong to make a decision on surgery just before the season, though it's possible his surgery revealed more damage than previsouly realized. Either way, the team punished him severely by placing him on season ending IR. That negates his ability to show he recovered from surgery and hurts his ability to command higher money on the UFA market. It's a trend here that the front office is working hard at putting out major fires by one-upping what players have done to the front office, namely Ralph. Both Peters and Crowell made poor decisions. The front office trumped them both, and the Bills are only making matters worse by treating these situations like it was 1968, not 2008. Ralph may be almost 90, but he's still running the show, with Brandon working the PR angle.

Certainly Ralph/Montgomery signs off on every contract, it's his money and I can understand. But when personnel people give him advice and tell him what they're doing, it's not his function to meddle and waffle. Why else would a salary negotiation for the team's best WR last 6 months? Agents have one goal in mind, and that is to get the best contract for their client. I'm absolutely positive that they'd try to exploit the inexperience of a Brandon, and let's be honest, even Overdorf. Then again, the front office could find common ground with a player, and Ralph/Montgomery says no. Speculation, yes. But's it's a distinct possibility with this franchise.

I'm not even sure he's great in coverage. The example I can't help but remember was during the Dallas MNF game last season when Jason Witten broke his ankles for a TD. He's smaller than pretty much all TE's and some RB's. The whole point of acquiring the bodies Buffalo did in FA was to get some size to the front 7. We'd all love to see Ellison be the SLB for years to come. The reality is, his frame is small, and he weighs less than many RB's in the league. He's a backup and special teamer that plays hard. Physically, to borrow a phrase from the draft experts, he doesn't match up well in the phone booth.

Show me another team which negotiates with their better players over the course of 6 months. Evans said in mini-camp that they'd been working on an extension. This was the same reply uttered during training camp. I'm not going the conspiracy theory route, and I've used this analogy before: If you're the plaintiff in a criminal case, and the jury is out for weeks, does that bode well for you? Chances are, it does not. Of course Evans, as a consumate professional, will not say it's going real well or just inching along. He's not going to reveal the true nature of anything, but negotiations lasting this long are not typical no matter what you believe.

It'd be easy to make a quick assessment of what went down at OBD today. But on the surface, I have to wonder what the atmosphere in the locker room truly is heading into the season. There are three major issues currently confronting the front office, and we don't know if they're the only ones: 1. Peters. Enough said...let him sit idle. I won't shed a tear for him or Parker when those checks aren't coming in. 2. Evans. Still unsigned after 6 months of negotiations. Atypical situation, as most new contracts have been finalized throughout the NFL. Hopefully Burress' deal sets a baseline, but last reports indicated the Bills and Evans' people haven't progressed in a while. Marv said back in Feb 07: ""Lee Evans we feel is a premier receiver and everything about him I like." It's time to get the deal done with LE. 3. Crowell. Makes decision on surgery before season opener, Bills fight back by placing him on IR, even though he'd return in no more than 5 weeks. An already thin Bills LB corps becomes weakened, especially with 3 LB's weighing less than 230. Crowell will hit UFA with no recent body of work with which to sign...because he's not remaining in Buffalo no matter what. Question is, why? We'll find out in due time. It's complete speculation, but IMO is a storm brewing in that locker room. It seems like the Bills front office is trying to win every battle, but will end up losing the war...a.k.a. the hearts and minds of no less than 52 professional football players. Buffalo needs a win this weekend in the worst way. But things could get ugly if the season doesn't start well, and that's something reiterated every season.

Crazy speculation here but: What if the Bills decided giving Evans what he wants to deflect the heat they're going to get regarding Crowell? It's a stretch, but at this point nothing surprises me about a Ralph owned team.

It is small, especially with him playing SLB. As much as Ellison can be a TBD favorite, he's not the answer, and it's amazing that Buffalo lacks size beyond their starting 3 LB's. The backup LB's DiGiorgio, Ellison, and Corto all weigh less than 230. Ellison may be stronger, but weighing 229 isn't going to get it done on the strong side. Depth at LB will be an issue this entire season, just like it was last year.

It will be interesting to see if the Bills can run the ball between the tackles this season. Seattle has a pretty decent middle defense. Still, with the sub-230 pound Keith Ellison manning the SLB spot, it's visions of Brandon Jacobs all over again from the Giants game last year.

What makes you think the Bills were going to re-sign him? No team can retain all of their players, and every team needs to review who to keep and who to let go and LB's are easier to replace in the draft than other positions. I don't think Crowell is a difference maker, just a solid player. There's a salary cap that makes it hard to sign everyone, and if you paid attention to how teams remain competitive, it's not by throwing money at every veteran who plays OK for a few seasons. As for the idea Crowell's getting the scope now because he didn't get a deal, where is the link to confirm this? The conspiracy theorists are alive and well again...and I thought it was bad when people thought Jason Peters was hiding in a darkened room.

No doubt the Seahawks are banged up entering Week 1. But it was painfully obvious that the LB's lacked size after Crowell last year, especially against the Giants. Not having Crowell and Posluszny would be a huge blow, especially with DiGiorgio and Ellison probably lining up in their place. This team needs to make an early statement about stopping the run, and forcing Seattle to throw early will be a good thing.

Trading Peters is giving in to what Parker wants. Their priority is to get paid, whether it's from Buffalo or another team. Forcing him to sit is and should be the option the front office takes. Parker can float him some loans, but 190k game checks will be missed eventually. And I hope the rest of the NFL takes note. Everyone Parker represents has won in their battle for a bigger contract. As much as I don't think the front office is at the top in the NFL, it would be nice to see an agent wave the white flag. Not that it's going to happen anytime soon.

Evans' people have been working at a contract for 6+ months now. Yes, he's interested in staying, but there won't be a hometown discount. Both sides know where the market is, and it doesn't seem normal for negotiations to last this long. My comment didn't center so much on Peters, but the lack of progress in re-upping Evans by now. As for Peters, let him sit. The more I hear about Eugene Parker, the more fun it is to see his client sit and not be traded. They're probably banking on an injury or poor play, but it's nice to see a player not get their way when they demand something from the team.