more on Schobel

[BillsGuyInMalta]

This post does not leave any room for the Bills to suck, please correct this post. Thank you.

I do love how jaded we've become as Bills fans where we cannot accept the fact that a football player might just be done playing football. We HAVE to break out the "two minutes of hate" every chance we get.

[RayFinkle]

The Patsies love aging high motor guys. The dude probably just wants to win for once in his career before he retires. Hard to blame him.

[yungmack]

What is the rule on players who do not report, vis a vis, counting against the roster? I've assumed -- always a dangerous thing to do (see Fox NEWS) -- that this was the case. Also, if a player doesn't report and then is cut for that specific reason, and the player then signs with another team, doesn't the previous team retain his rights?

[Delete This Account]

JW - do you think he isn't sure he wants to play, or that he isn't sure he wants to play HERE? It seems to me it's the latter, and it's been that way all along. You'd know better than I would, but the impression I get is that this is a perfect storm for OBD - they don't want to pay the guy, and he doesn't want to play for them, and the only thing that's been holding up his inevitable release is the PR blowback.

it's not about playing here or anywhere. he was interested in playing here, and even began considering relocating his family back to Buffalo for one more season -- something that he had discounted a few months ago.

we are, as someone close to Aaron once said, "on Aaron's time," and the only one who makes that clock tick is Aaron Schobel.

it's not about money, either. the Bills, up until today, were fully willing to pay Schobel for this season.

Schobel put the team in this position. he acknowledges that this is his doing because he can't make up his mind. he doesn't fault the Bills either for making their decision.

 

jw

[K-9]

There is a contract. It obligates the team to pay Schobel a fixed amount in exchange for his services. Once that contract is terminated, Schobel becomes a free agent.

 

The contract can be reworked with the Bills, but as soon as the current contract is no longer binding, Schobel could instead just sign directly with whomever he wants.

 

So the only way to get compensation in a trade is if the trading partner accepts the existing contract.

 

So can you appreciate how this conflicts with your post directly above (#76)?

 

Timing may indeed be everything but that $8m figure wasn't going to change no matter WHEN the Bills would/should have explored a trade. Finding a willing trade partner for a player that age with that number, well let's just say it takes two.

 

The better answer, IMO, was that BOTH AS and the Bills were simply trying to do right by each other. Schobel was/is certainly contemplating retirement (foregoing a $2m bonus is pretty indicative) and the Bills really wanted him back. Pretty simple.

 

But sooner or later AS has to commit or the Bills MUST go the other way. We reached that point today for whatever reason.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Coach Tuesday]

it's not about money, either. the Bills, up until today, were fully willing to pay Schobel for this season.

Schobel put the team in this position. he acknowledges that this is his doing because he can't make up his mind. he doesn't fault the Bills either for making their decision.

 

jw

 

Well, wait a moment. Did the Bills tell AS that they WOULD HAVE released him if he had shown up? Or just that, going forward, the WILL release him if he shows up? If it's the former, it's hard for me to believe that this wasn't about money from OBD's perspective.

 

Thanks as always for the candor.

[bobblehead]

Timing is everything.

 

Could they have trade him coming off of a 10 sack season before the draft? Bit different than trading him after it's been made clear he's going to get cut anyway.

 

A better run organization would have figure out a way to get something for him by trading him to a contender/Houston when such a move was possible.

 

 

I wouldn't want to trade someone coming off a 10 sack season. I would want to keep someone like that.

 

Schobel is not playing. He had 8 months to decide. Buffalo is not going to just release him, either. It looks like the new regime is not going to let stuff like that happen.

[Delete This Account]

Well, wait a moment. Did the Bills tell AS that they WOULD HAVE released him if he had shown up? Or just that, going forward, the WILL release him if he shows up? If it's the former, it's hard for me to believe that this wasn't about money from OBD's perspective.

 

Thanks as always for the candor.

Aaron told me they informed him that it's at the point now that if he reports, then they would release him.

hey, i'm simply quoting him.

 

jw

[LABills08]

it's not about playing here or anywhere. he was interested in playing here, and even began considering relocating his family back to Buffalo for one more season -- something that he had discounted a few months ago.

we are, as someone close to Aaron once said, "on Aaron's time," and the only one who makes that clock tick is Aaron Schobel.

it's not about money, either. the Bills, up until today, were fully willing to pay Schobel for this season.

Schobel put the team in this position. he acknowledges that this is his doing because he can't make up his mind. he doesn't fault the Bills either for making their decision.

 

jw

 

Interesting point. But still seems kind of bizarre. That kind of self awareness is mind blowing. He is essentially saying that "In being indecisive, I allowed for a decision to be made for me". Certainly not the kind of life I plan on living, but at least he is honest.

 

In my opinion, once you've thought about leaving, you've already left. Too bad Aaron had to have the decision made for him.

[BillsVet]

Oh, stop. You prove that they did do it. You know, after a decade of this kind of crap the burden of proof has shifted to the eternal optimists.

 

When the Bills begin winning, they'll earn some points both here and in NFL circles. They've mastered the ability to never bottom out and win from 5 to 9 games, thereby running in direct contrast to every other NFL team. No team can claim this track record of never completely failing or having some semblance of success. IMO, they'll finally bottom out this year, but it doesn't excuse the fact that they have problems dealing with players who carry some weight.

 

Whether it's Clements, Peters, Spikes, and now Schobel, they come off as being uncoordinated and aloof. I don't know how Buffalo continues to get a pass from fans after their terrible track record this past decade.

[BillsGuyInMalta]

Whether it's Clements, Peters, Spikes, and now Schobel, they come off as being uncoordinated and aloof. I don't know how Buffalo continues to get a pass from fans after their terrible track record this past decade.

From casual fans...maybe. I think any of the diehards are 100% aware of this team's front office ineptitude. Not like we can do anything about it, though.

[Doc]

Timing is everything.

 

Could they have trade him coming off of a 10 sack season before the draft? Bit different than trading him after it's been made clear he's going to get cut anyway.

 

A better run organization would have figure out a way to get something for him by trading him to a contender/Houston when such a move was possible.

Schobel never had any trade value this past off-season.

[Gabe Northern]

So can you appreciate how this conflicts with your post directly above (#76)?

 

Timing may indeed be everything but that $8m figure wasn't going to change no matter WHEN the Bills would/should have explored a trade. Finding a willing trade partner for a player that age with that number, well let's just say it takes two.

 

The better answer, IMO, was that BOTH AS and the Bills were simply trying to do right by each other. Schobel was/is certainly contemplating retirement (foregoing a $2m bonus is pretty indicative) and the Bills really wanted him back. Pretty simple.

 

But sooner or later AS has to commit or the Bills MUST go the other way. We reached that point today for whatever reason.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

Yes, the contract doesn't change but the circumstances do. $8 million (all-in) for a 10-sack guy going to a contender in March? Very doable. In August after plans have been made and everyone knows he can be had cheaper in a few days time? No way.

[Gabe Northern]

Schobel never had any trade value this past off-season.

 

I disagree. 90% of his discontent was with the losing. I think even at 32, he could have been shipped somewhere for a conditional pick.

[Mark Vader]

One thing I do not understand is that many posters on this board have assumed since the Bills switched to the 3-4 that Schobel would be an OLB.

 

What makes all of you come to that conclusion? Ok, Schobel has played in a 4-3 as a pro for most of his career, but the first 2 seasons of his career he played in the Bills 3-4 scheme as a DE.

 

If Schobel did not think he was going to be playing as a DE for the Bills this year, then I think he would have officially retired a long time ago.

 

If Schobel returns to the Bills this season, even though those chances look extremely slim now, he will be a DE.

[....lybob]

Aaron Schobel doesn't want to be traded or to retire he wants to be cut so he can make his own deal- probably with a 4-3 team in the South- what do the Texans play?

 

JW you know and like Schobel and that makes you bias- I don't know Schobel and have no strong emotions about him one way or another- this "I don't know if I want to play or not" is bullpoop, I give Schobel more credit than being some kind of women who has to sort out how she feels about it, it is calculated, Schobel knows that the Bills have to see him play OLB for awhile before they can commit to paying the type of salary he's going to get this year but I don't blame him a bit because if any of the young guy were to step up the Bills would have cut him anyways probably just before the season started.

[Doc]

I disagree. 90% of his discontent was with the losing. I think even at 32, he could have been shipped somewhere for a conditional pick.

Not with that $8M (including $2M roster bonus due March 1st) 2010 payout, coupled with him being 33 when the season starts and being a 243# 4-3 DE.

[K-9]

Yes, the contract doesn't change but the circumstances do. $8 million (all-in) for a 10-sack guy going to a contender in March? Very doable. In August after plans have been made and everyone knows he can be had cheaper in a few days time? No way.

 

We'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

I could more readily buy into this conjecture if there was any historical precedent. But I can't think of any similar scenarios since the inception of the salary cap.

 

But what about the idea that the Bills REALLY wanted him to come back all along? Why would you consider trading a guy you value? Are the Bills wrong for NOT wanting to trade a player they feel can help them? I guess so if everything gets judged in retrospect.

 

Then again, that's easy.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[BillsVet]

I disagree. 90% of his discontent was with the losing. I think even at 32, he could have been shipped somewhere for a conditional pick.

 

IIRC, Schobel said something about the direction of the team just before DJ was fired last November. After 9 seasons of losing, just about anyone wants to get out of that situation.

[DrDawkinstein]

One thing I do not understand is that many posters on this board have assumed since the Bills switched to the 3-4 that Schobel would be an OLB.

 

What makes all of you come to that conclusion? Ok, Schobel has played in a 4-3 as a pro for most of his career, but the first 2 seasons of his career he played in the Bills 3-4 scheme as a DE.

 

If Schobel did not think he was going to be playing as a DE for the Bills this year, then I think he would have officially retired a long time ago.

 

If Schobel returns to the Bills this season, even though those chances look extremely slim now, he will be a DE.

 

hey mark,

 

i think the Bills "announced" it a while back, with their plans to turn Kelsay into an OLB as well. Obviously, nothing is set in stone, but IIRC everything out of the new regime has always referred to Schobel as an OLB. not so much a fan conclusion as much as that's what we've been told.