JohninMinn. Posted December 8, 2004 Posted December 8, 2004 We've had some pretty good GM's over the last 15 years all things considered.
Tony P Posted December 8, 2004 Posted December 8, 2004 We've had some pretty good GM's over the last 15 years all things considered. 152523[/snapback] Yep and AJ Smith is in SD now too. I think that in the end, TD and Modrak will be counted in the same class as the others are.
Buftex Posted December 8, 2004 Posted December 8, 2004 Yep and AJ Smith is in SD now too. I think that in the end, TD and Modrak will be counted in the same class as the others are. 152529[/snapback] We had two awful ones too. Terry Bledsoe (no realtion to Drew), and Stew Barber. To us older Bills fans whose memories go back before the Super Bowl years, we would have killed for years the past few, back then. Things have not always gone right during TD's reign, but at least it hasn't been for a lack of trying, or caring about anything but the bottom line....
Alaska Darin Posted December 8, 2004 Posted December 8, 2004 We had two awful ones too. Terry Bledsoe (no realtion to Drew), and Stew Barber. To us older Bills fans whose memories go back before the Super Bowl years, we would have killed for years the past few, back then. Things have not always gone right during TD's reign, but at least it hasn't been for a lack of trying, or caring about anything but the bottom line.... 152553[/snapback] You got that right.
Toledo Bill Posted December 9, 2004 Posted December 9, 2004 We had two awful ones too. Terry Bledsoe (no realtion to Drew), and Stew Barber. To us older Bills fans whose memories go back before the Super Bowl years, we would have killed for years the past few, back then. Things have not always gone right during TD's reign, but at least it hasn't been for a lack of trying, or caring about anything but the bottom line.... 152553[/snapback] And most of the youngsters won't remember this.. but Ralph was a real skinflint back then.
Buftex Posted December 9, 2004 Posted December 9, 2004 And most of the youngsters won't remember this.. but Ralph was a real skinflint back then. 152739[/snapback] Exactly the reason that we had guys like Bledsoe (or was it Bletsoe) and Barber as GM's. They came cheap. My dad despised Ralph Wilson when I was a kid. He always griped about what a cheap bastard he was. I always thought that Jim Kelly's greatest contribution to the Bills was refusing to sign with the Bills, and go to the USFL. Ralph, I think, was sort of humilitated, because this big-mouth, hot shot "new age" athlete was embarassing him. It was Kelly coming to Buffalo, after the USFL stint, that seemed to turn Ralph's attitude around, about paying for talent. Well, maybe that and age, and being tired of having an awful team. Ralph still shows his "Burnslike" tendancies in the front office from time to time. Lets' face it, Polian, Butler, and even Marv Levy were all nobodies, or bottom of the barrell candidates when Ralph hired him. He got very lucky that they all paid off. I remember being so depressed when they hired Marv. I wanted a "real" coach like Chuck Knox. I was very wrong.....
ICE Posted December 9, 2004 Posted December 9, 2004 the only thing I remember about TD is this...we are 4 years into the 3 year plan. We are on his 2nd Head coach and we STILL have a losing record with the team he built.
Guest Guest Posted December 9, 2004 Posted December 9, 2004 The bolts will enjoy there 1 good year. The problem is they have a free agent QB who they will not have enough money to sign. There franchise WB is unproven and could be a flop. I do not see this team continuing their current level. They will be in cap jail for years to come thanks to Butler. the Colts are in a similar situation with the signing of Harrison. They are paying 2 players 35% of their cap
Buftex Posted December 9, 2004 Posted December 9, 2004 The bolts will enjoy there 1 good year. The problem is they have a free agent QB who they will not have enough money to sign. There franchise WB is unproven and could be a flop. I do not see this team continuing their current level. They will be in cap jail for years to come thanks to Butler. the Colts are in a similar situation with the signing of Harrison. They are paying 2 players 35% of their cap 153319[/snapback] Almost everything you say about the Chargers salary cap situation is in direct conflict with everything I have heard about the Chargers for next season. There has been lots of speculation that the Chargers could afford to keep both QB's on their roster (Rivers would cost them 6 million to trade), and would not hesitate to franchise Brees, and keep him, until they get trade value for him. I think it was Mort who said that they will 15 million under the cap next season without Brees. If they keep him, it would be closer to 5 million. Not a ton of money, but for a team that appears to be on the rise, it is still enough to add a good free agent or two. They could also trade Brees for a few draft picks. I think the Chargers are looking like they have a very good future, on the field. Off field may be a different issue. They have a very young team, and Schottenheimer has been unfairly labled a loser. The only way I see them being a one year wonder is that they let Brees go, and Rivers is not ready to play NFL football.
R. Rich Posted December 9, 2004 Posted December 9, 2004 What is a skinflint? 153155[/snapback] Ralph Wilson, according to Toledo Bill.
gantrules Posted December 9, 2004 Posted December 9, 2004 The Chargers aren't going to be in cap hell....and let us not forget they were 8-4 at one point two seasons ago before crapping out the last four games and going 8-8.
BRH Posted December 9, 2004 Posted December 9, 2004 Ralph Wilson, according to Toledo Bill. 153432[/snapback] I think it was the 1982 season opener against Marv Levy's Chiefs where I saw a huge sign draped over the wall in one corner of the end zone that read "RALPH WILSON: DEEP POCKETS, SHORT ARMS." This was just a couple of years after the Bills had the #1 pick in the draft (thanks to trading O.J. to San Francisco) and couldn't sign him, as OSU linebacker Tom Cousineau went to the CFL instead. In 1983, Cousineau came back to the NFL and the Bills still had his rights (not sure if it still works that way; doubt it), so they traded the rights to Cleveland for their first-rounder... which they used to select some guy named Jim Kelly. And, of course, Kelly went to the USFL. It wasn't until 1986 (Polian took over as GM on 12/31/85) that the worm turned: the USFL went belly-up, Polian signed Kelly instead of trading him to the Raiders (as everyone thought would happen), he drafted Will Wolford and Ronnie :I starred in Brokeback Mountain: Harmon in the first round, and midway through the season he and Ralph fired Hank Bullough and replaced him with Marv Levy, right around the same time Polian plucked Steve Tasker off the waiver wire from Houston.
Spiderweb Posted December 9, 2004 Posted December 9, 2004 And most of the youngsters won't remember this.. but Ralph was a real skinflint back then. 152739[/snapback] We're these days known as the "dark ages"? How true the commentray is regarding those "good" old days. Ralph became more open (wallet) when Polian came to being....
flomoe Posted December 9, 2004 Posted December 9, 2004 I think it was the 1982 season opener against Marv Levy's Chiefs where I saw a huge sign draped over the wall in one corner of the end zone that read "RALPH WILSON: DEEP POCKETS, SHORT ARMS." This was just a couple of years after the Bills had the #1 pick in the draft (thanks to trading O.J. to San Francisco) and couldn't sign him, as OSU linebacker Tom Cousineau went to the CFL instead. In 1983, Cousineau came back to the NFL and the Bills still had his rights (not sure if it still works that way; doubt it), so they traded the rights to Cleveland for their first-rounder... which they used to select some guy named Jim Kelly. And, of course, Kelly went to the USFL. It wasn't until 1986 (Polian took over as GM on 12/31/85) that the worm turned: the USFL went belly-up, Polian signed Kelly instead of trading him to the Raiders (as everyone thought would happen), he drafted Will Wolford and Ronnie :I starred in Brokeback Mountain: Harmon in the first round, and midway through the season he and Ralph fired Hank Bullough and replaced him with Marv Levy, right around the same time Polian plucked Steve Tasker off the waiver wire from Houston. 153454[/snapback] ................... and the rest is history. Somewhere along the way there, with Kelly going to the USFL, I believe RW realized, along with the owner of the Chiefs, Steelers and a couple of others who I can't think of off the top of my head, changed their philosophy about attracting players. The days of penny pinching and holding a draft pick hostage to the demands of the owner were done. They all seemed to realize that if they didn't get off the wallet and keep pace with the rest of the league, they were going to end up as the perennial laughing stocks. It's funny how all of that happened within a span of about 2 years or so. The USFL starting up and failing was quite the blessing to Bills fans regardless of the Kelly situation, IMHO.
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