Schobel contemplating retirement

[Gordio]

Aaron's been talking about this for a while, as noted in my piece, and backs up something a poster wrote on this board back in august. personally, i think pass-rushing DE's are hard to find. and though Schobel's performance was inconsistent at times, i don't think he was over-rated. he was/is good.

the correlation is evident this year, considering how an effective pass rush is helping the Bills DBs. don't know if Byrd would have as many interceptions -- or the entire team for that matter -- without the push the line's applied. and the fact that those sack and interceptions were down last year without Schobel is telling.

 

oh, and by the way, the other reporter speaking to Schobel was Buffalo News' Allen Wilson. providing credit where it is due.

 

jw

 

 

I do not mean to blow my own horn, but that poster was me. If you truly want to learn the game of football, you should really get in contact with Simon, he is the expert (*^*&%^$^#around here.

[Delete This Account]

Do you think this retirement talk is the result of perennially poor teams and his slowing down or the thought of having to be part of a rebuilding project in 2010 in his 10th season? If Buffalo decides to make a change at HC, I'm not sure he'd fit into any defense as a DE besides the Cover 2.

my feeling following several conversations with Aaron is that he's as much tired of the losing as he is tired of his body aching. he does look forward to living a healthy life after football. i also know that the perennial struggles in Buffalo and the constant turnover and lack of direction also weigh heavily.

 

jw

[BillsVet]

my feeling following several conversations with Aaron is that he's as much tired of the losing as he is tired of his body aching. he does look forward to living a healthy life after football. i also know that the perennial struggles in Buffalo and the constant turnover and lack of direction also weigh heavily.

 

jw

 

You're closer to the team than most of us, but I was surprised to hear Schobel question the direction of the team after the Tennessee blowout last month. He's the type that if he's saying things are bad then it really is.

 

And if I'm on the Bills, I have to hope for a rebuilding, even though it probably means more losing.

[8-8 Forever?]

He has had a great career. You don't get to be 2nd all time team sacks by being over-rated.

 

I will agree that he is not currently worth his contract as he has slowed some.

 

gosh i hope he retires. he would be useless in the 3-4 we are playing next year under a new D coordinator anyway. lets save the cash and get one of the top free agent nose tackles in here.

[billsfreak]

I think his decision will be affected more by what the organization does in the off season and what chance they have of competing next year. If it is an off season like the last 10 or so, and Ralph won't spend to improve, Schobel will be gone, and it will be just one more hole to fix on the defense, probably our best defensive player.

[Thirty Year Fan]

If he retires, does he forfeit the entirety of his contract? If so, I can't imagine he'll retire. I don't care what kind of person you are (and I know Schobel is a different breed of player), you don't turn down that much money.

The signing bonus is the "only" guaranteed money and if it is spread over the life of the contract comes due in full this year.

[Red]

my feeling following several conversations with Aaron is that he's as much tired of the losing as he is tired of his body aching. he does look forward to living a healthy life after football. i also know that the perennial struggles in Buffalo and the constant turnover and lack of direction also weigh heavily.

 

jw

 

Mr. Wawrow,

 

What is going on with the Bills front office?

 

Brandon is placed in charge of finding his own replacement- meanwhile time is passing and Holmgren, Shanahan, and my personal favorite Bruce Allen are now either off of the market or being rumored elsewhere. Seems like placing 'Barnum & Bailey' Brandon in place of finding his own successor has hit a snag.

 

Then there are the 'tweets' from Thurman Thomas about sweeping change coming at OBD. The only viable option I still see with proven, NFL experience at GM is Floyd Reese.

 

Now Lombardi over at NFL Channel is stating rumors that the Bills are "major" players in the gimmicky, circus-like decision of a guy with a marketing background as GM of bringing in Vick.

 

It sounds an awful lot like lip service that there is going to be sweeping change, when the same 'horse leading the cart' strategies seem to be in effect here.

 

Shouldn't we be putting all of our eggs into finding a suitable replacement to Bill Polian?

[Red]

I feel saddened for a player like Schobel to be contemplating retirement and having battled for the Bills like he did all to receive nothing in terms of playoffs in his career.

 

This team is in a shambles.

 

Last time I checked, Vick does not play DE, LB, GM, OL, DL....

[Red]

I would actually be ok with him retiring.

 

I realize that he has 7 sacks this year and is having an all around solid season. But he has a massive contract and this money could be allocated to other positions of need.

 

Obviously I would prefer he decide not to retire...but I won't be devastated.

 

Yeah, because losing Schobel would certainly NOT create a hole at defensive end so that we could perhaps draft another safety or cornerback to turn into a linebacker.

[BillsVet]

Ah, the local expert chimes in. We all know your the expert because you played peewee football once when you were 8 years old.

 

He knows more football perhaps, I do not pretend to be some kind of expert like you do, yet he was wrong about Detroit never winning with Barry Sanders was he not?

 

For the record and because you won't look it up, I said Sanders lost almost every year. But you're correct in that Detroit had 5 playoff appearances in Barry's 10 seasons with a mere 1 playoff win.

 

Too many posters, yourself included, deal in absolutes. As in, Team A was bad with Player A, therefore Player A was bad and didn't help them win. This sort of mindless logic is tiresome and intellectually lazy. But go ahead, attack people to cover up for your lack of knowledge and for having to actually think. You truly are an asset to this board.

[Fixxxer]

First, a great quote from a NE fan from the article:

"As a Patriots fan I would be relieved! He's one of the toughest guys (tougher than Dwight Freeny has been) on Tom Brady around. He had a pick 6 against the Pats on opening night and almost took Tom's knee out this past weekend. It didn't look like he's slowed down to me. Actually, I would miss seeing him play the Pats. He's been a very tough competetor and is vastly under-rated. If he does quit-I wish him a happy, prosperous retiremnet."

 

Second, he was a great player for us and the one time he was injured and missed ample playing time (not slowed down with a minor injury) this team suffered a great deal to get to the QB. He's the best player we have on the DL and, wheter you like him or not, he make players around him better.

He's a guy that tells it like it is, he doesn't say much but when he does, it's not your common player speech. He doens't give great interviews and he doesn't run to the fences and smile if he has to give autographs, big deal, when he's on the field he gives 100% effort and that is the only thing you can expect from a player.

 

Check this quote from the article: “Obviously, the injuries have killed us in a lot of positions. I don’t know. I have my opinion, but it’s my opinion and I’ll leave it that.” I for one would lover for you, JW, to try get that response, if you can and if he is willing to give it, of course.

 

The new direction of the team will determine if he will continue as a Bill, maybe the coaches should ease him in the rotation. This is a guy that has played, it seems to me at least, 90% of the snaps on every game he has dressed. As he said, he's slowing down so having him as a pass rusher specialist wouldn't be a bad option at this point. This team will be worse without him in the line-up, I have no doubt about that.

 

If you reitre Aaron, thanks for the great moments and thanks for your continous effort to give this team and the fans your best.

 

Go Bills!

[peanuts]

Cannot blame him, this team has won anything since he jioned them. He must be disaapointed, but he has millions in the bank. Good luck....in New England.

[billsfreak]

Bye now! Most. Over-rated. DE. EVER.

You might be the dumbest person ever to post on this board. If he is the most overrated DE ever, than we have only had one competent DE in team's history since Schobel is second all-time in sacks and is a two time Pro Bowler. Right now he may still be the best defensive player on the team. You know about as much about football as comatose pig. Any player who is a championship caliber player, which Schobel is by far, gets tired of being on a pathetic team, with a pathetic owner and a pathetic history of losing will want out.

[Gordio]

For the record and because you won't look it up, I said Sanders lost almost every year. But you're correct in that Detroit had 5 playoff appearances in Barry's 10 seasons with a mere 1 playoff win.

 

Too many posters, yourself included, deal in absolutes. As in, Team A was bad with Player A, therefore Player A was bad and didn't help them win. This sort of mindless logic is tiresome and intellectually lazy. But go ahead, attack people to cover up for your lack of knowledge and for having to actually think. You truly are an asset to this board.

 

 

so making the playoffs 50% of his career is considered losing by your standards almost every year???? Hell, if that happened in buffalo next decade we would be throwing a parade down main street.

 

I should probably clarify my stance on Schobel. The guy probably is one of our better defensive players but sadly, he is not a difference maker & certainly does not command & deserve the salary in which the Bills are paying him. A new regime is going to take over the first of the year & my guess is they are going to want to blow the whole thing up. I highly doubt in a rebuilding effort whoever takes over is going to want to pay AS $6mill + for the production he is giving them. My guess is if he does not retire, he will probably end up being cut. No hard feelings & sorry I came off abrasive, Merry Christmas.

[BillsVet]

so making the playoffs 50% of his career is considered losing by your standards almost every year???? Hell, if that happened in buffalo next decade we would be throwing a parade down main street.

 

I should probably clarify my stance on Schobel. The guy probably is one of our better defensive players but sadly, he is not a difference maker & certainly does not command & deserve the salary in which the Bills are paying him. A new regime is going to take over the first of the year & my guess is they are going to want to blow the whole thing up. I highly doubt in a rebuilding effort whoever takes over is going to want to pay AS $6mill + for the production he is giving them. My guess is if he does not retire, he will probably end up being cut. No hard feelings & sorry I came off abrasive, Merry Christmas.

 

Merry Christmas to you as well. There's no question a decade of losing has taken a toll on Bills fans.

 

Re: Schobel. I don't think any of us know how much pain he's in, but if John Wawrow says he's had back problems, it's probably true. And while he has a high salary, I think most athletes fit into that category.

 

My gut tells me that Schobel's injuries, combined with a full-on rebuild coming up in 2010 might be enough. We'll see, but I'd want him back, if only as a part time pass rusher at a reduced rate.

[Bufcomments]

If you think about it Schobel is correct...his skills against the run have gone down. Alot of cut back runs we had a D this year were to his side.

 

Plus I think the mental drain on being on a non-playoff team can wear you down. Year after year. Barry Sanders got tired of it too.

 

Schobel was an nice DE, good moments but wasn't great. I say get Maybin on the field more , see what you got in this kid.

 

Maybe the offseason moves will make him reconsider. But I would not be surprised if he did, good for him.

[Adam]

He has had a great career. You don't get to be 2nd all time team sacks by being over-rated.

 

I will agree that he is not currently worth his contract as he has slowed some.

He has had a nice, solid career, but never was a guy to build around- if he played with Bruce Smith or Phil Hansen, he would have put up better numbers. To me, he was reliable.

[Flbillsfan#1]

He has had a nice, solid career, but never was a guy to build around- if he played with Bruce Smith or Phil Hansen, he would have put up better numbers. To me, he was reliable.

My opinion is Schobel is a Hansen type player. The problem is the Bills never had a Smith type player at the other end during his career in Buffalo.

[ThreeBillsDrive]

The Lions lost just about every year with Barry Sanders. Therefore he is garbage.

 

New Orleans stunk with Archie Manning, therefore he stunk.

 

Chicago was horrible with Dick Butkus, ergo, he was horrible.

 

I'm just amazed those teams kept these players.

 

Great points, great examples

[Adam]

My opinion is Schobel is a Hansen type player. The problem is the Bills never had a Smith type player at the other end during his career in Buffalo.

I think Hansen was a better all around player than Schobel, but Schobel was a bit faster and slightly better as a pass rusher