Red Squirrel Posted September 6, 2011 Posted September 6, 2011 I guess people didn't really read the articles about this. Garrard apparently has been a finger pointer; criticized his O-Line, receivers for dropping passes...teammates chose not to name him a team captain. Apparently this wasn't strictly about money, nor will he be all that missed by teammates. I don't want to be too one sided against the guy, though. He can play; he's better than several guys who start in this league, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him go somewhere else (Seattle? SF?) and take someone's job. If his attitude got worse this year, it isn't surprising; probably disillusioned after they took Gabbert in 1st round. Not seeing him wind up here. Fitz has this year to prove himself for once and for all, and Thigpen and Gailey have a high degree of familiarity with each other and the system.
K-9 Posted September 6, 2011 Posted September 6, 2011 I guess people didn't really read the articles about this. Garrard apparently has been a finger pointer; criticized his O-Line, receivers for dropping passes...teammates chose not to name him a team captain. Apparently this wasn't strictly about money, nor will he be all that missed by teammates. ... Thanks for the insight. I had posted earlier upthread that this would hurt their locker room. But, if his team mates had reason not to like him, then the opposite is true. A move like this can galvanize a team sometimes. GO BILLS!!!
KOKBILLS Posted September 6, 2011 Posted September 6, 2011 JAX is awful with or without Garrard FAR more awful without him though...
dave mcbride Posted September 6, 2011 Posted September 6, 2011 Where to start... 1. Your avatar is the Clippers? You call the Bills the Clippers of the NFL? Do you love losing? Do you love mediocrity? Um ... the Clippers are the former Buffalo Braves. And the Bills haven't made the postseason since the last millennium.
KOKBILLS Posted September 6, 2011 Posted September 6, 2011 Kellen Moore? Marginal NFL talent with underwhelming arm strength. I'll take my chance at a franchise QB like Andrew Luck or Matt Barkley. Or Landry Jones, who I like over Barkley at the moment... Moore is barely 6 ft. as well...Pass... Fitz has this year to prove himself for once and for all, and Thigpen and Gailey have a high degree of familiarity with each other and the system. I'm not suggesting anything, mostly because I doubt The Bills would do it anyway...But Garrard is at least twice as good an NFL QB as Thigpen...I could care less if Thigpen was Gailey's Kid...Garrard would still be better...
stinky finger Posted September 6, 2011 Posted September 6, 2011 Not very reassuring when the freakin' Jagwires release a player who is better than what we have at that position. Believe it.
Orton's Arm Posted September 6, 2011 Posted September 6, 2011 if you're not sold on your current starting qb, i think you're nuts. 11/12 165 yrds in preseason game 3 (most important preseason game) his receivers are making his stats look bad by the way. with all the dropped passes. last season he took over, and we got better. pls get with the program. all the love for thigpen is what i dont understand???????? he has clearly regressed. very very obvious. really, its that time to start backing fitz. time is now. Lame Hopefully the bills are superbowl champs and pick 32. what the f????? Call me nuts then, because I am absolutely not sold on Fitz as the Bills' starting quarterback. I'll grant he played well in week 3 of the preseason. But I also remember Edwards and Losman having some very good preseason games. Fitz's issue is and always has been his lack of consistent throwing accuracy. I don't think you can fix that. As for the Bills winning the Super Bowl this season: hope all you want, but it isn't going to happen. There are a series of steps the Bills still need to take before they have a Super Bowl caliber team. I hope they take those steps as quickly and as efficaciously as possible. If in the 2012 draft the Bills could add a franchise QB and one other solid, starting caliber player--ideally an offensive lineman--I'd call it a very successful draft.
CBD Posted September 7, 2011 Posted September 7, 2011 Peter King @SI_PeterKing Peter King Garrard went to Welcome Jags season-opening banquet at noon today, then got news from Del Rio, GM Smith, WWeaver. Tough business.
RJ (not THAT RJ) Posted September 7, 2011 Posted September 7, 2011 Peter King @SI_PeterKing Peter King Garrard went to Welcome Jags season-opening banquet at noon today, then got news from Del Rio, GM Smith, WWeaver. Tough business. Stay classy, Jags!
Nuncha Posted September 7, 2011 Posted September 7, 2011 Now THAT'S what I call "cost cutting." I can't see this having anything but a huge negative impact on their locker room. I know they'll start McCown but this still puts the pressure squarely on Gabbert to perform better, faster. I'm pissed if I'm a Jags fan. GO BILLS!!! Not much different than last season here - we just waited until after game 2 to cut our starting QB.
hondo in seattle Posted September 7, 2011 Posted September 7, 2011 I guess people didn't really read the articles about this. Garrard apparently has been a finger pointer; criticized his O-Line, receivers for dropping passes...teammates chose not to name him a team captain. Apparently this wasn't strictly about money, nor will he be all that missed by teammates. I don't want to be too one sided against the guy, though. He can play; he's better than several guys who start in this league, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him go somewhere else (Seattle? SF?) and take someone's job. If his attitude got worse this year, it isn't surprising; probably disillusioned after they took Gabbert in 1st round. Not seeing him wind up here. Fitz has this year to prove himself for once and for all, and Thigpen and Gailey have a high degree of familiarity with each other and the system. It's not shocking that Garrard lost his job for the reasons you mention. The timing is shocking. I mean, who waives their starting QB right at the beginning of the season??? Besides the Bills of course who similarly cut TE 8 days into the season! Major personnel moves don't happen now. Well, besides the Bills firing their OC right before the season a couple years ago.
NoSaint Posted September 7, 2011 Posted September 7, 2011 Now THAT'S what I call "cost cutting." I can't see this having anything but a huge negative impact on their locker room. I know they'll start McCown but this still puts the pressure squarely on Gabbert to perform better, faster. I'm pissed if I'm a Jags fan. GO BILLS!!! His teammates didn't even vote him as an offensive captain. Word is he was sour in the locker roomwhich is not what you need in a rebuild. If it was all money, I don't think they wouldve spent like they did. I think they were down on the player/man It's not shocking that Garrard lost his job for the reasons you mention. The timing is shocking. I mean, who waives their starting QB right at the beginning of the season??? Besides the Bills of course who similarly cut TE 8 days into the season! Major personnel moves don't happen now. Well, besides the Bills firing their OC right before the season a couple years ago. Jax does it. See leftwich, Byron. It worked then, which was probably not a good lesson for del rio to learn.
Gotta Dream Posted September 7, 2011 Posted September 7, 2011 Yes, let's change QB's before the fist game of the season. That'll make an impact! PTR Or we can change Offensive Coordinators. Oops. We already did that! It's not shocking that Garrard lost his job for the reasons you mention. The timing is shocking. I mean, who waives their starting QB right at the beginning of the season??? Besides the Bills of course who similarly cut TE 8 days into the season! Major personnel moves don't happen now. Well, besides the Bills firing their OC right before the season a couple years ago. OUCH! Why am I a Bills fan again?
NoSaint Posted September 7, 2011 Posted September 7, 2011 Thanks for the insight. I had posted earlier upthread that this would hurt their locker room. But, if his team mates had reason not to like him, then the opposite is true. A move like this can galvanize a team sometimes. GO BILLS!!! Oops. Replied to you without getting through the thread. I'm on the fence but could definitely see it playing well. It did last time, but it couldn't work twice, could it?
truth on hold Posted September 7, 2011 Posted September 7, 2011 Always like what I've seen out of garrard. The scrambling ability is well known, but he's competitive and throws a surprisingly good deep ball. I also think del rio is a horrible coach, especially when it comes to offense. I'd feel a lot more comfortable with him as fitzy's backup than thigpen.
San Jose Bills Fan Posted September 7, 2011 Posted September 7, 2011 Not much different than last season here - we just waited until after game 2 to cut our starting QB. It's very different in one major respect. When a player is on a team's opening day roster, his base salary is guaranteed for that year. I think Garrard's contract for this year was about $8 million so the Jags are off the hook for that amount. Trent Edwards on the other hand, was due his base salary by being on the opening day roster… so big difference there.
Bill from NYC Posted September 7, 2011 Posted September 7, 2011 This is amazing. Garrard is, categorically, a good player, and probably better than Fitz. Last year, he had a 64.5 percent completion rate, 7.5 ypa, 23 TDs/15 INTs, and a 90.8 rating. He also had 5 rushing TDs. He has a lifetime record of 39-37 and a lifetime QB rating of 85.8. That's better than Jim Kelly (84.4). The one knock on him is the sack rate - 8.3 percent last year, which was up from previous years. In any event, he's better than most, and this is a QB-starved league. Anyway, I'm blown away by the Jags' decision to cut a good player despite being a borderline playoff team. But they did save $8 million. The Bills aren't the only cheap team, it seems. Good post Dave. Maybe this stuff is partially linked to the global economic collapse, but one would think that the people who would be least affected by it would be the rich NFL owners. And at his age, how could economic conditions matter to RW? The man is guaranteed a profit from the TV contract alone, no? And, WNY was already having tough times. I'm sorry to edge off topic. I'm still a bit dazed form the JW/NGU threads. And did you read the summary of the Nix interview that eball posted? It directly contradicts what these guys said. Who are you (and of course others) inclined to believe more, Nix or NGU/JW? As for me, I lean towards believing JW/NGU as far as the Evans trade being an economic decision, and the meddling by Mr. Wilson.
Captain Hindsight Posted September 7, 2011 Posted September 7, 2011 It's not shocking that Garrard lost his job for the reasons you mention. The timing is shocking. I mean, who waives their starting QB right at the beginning of the season??? Besides the Bills of course who similarly cut TE 8 days into the season! Major personnel moves don't happen now. Well, besides the Bills firing their OC right before the season a couple years ago. The browns started Charlie Fye, benched him by halftime and traded him on Monday. Went 10-6 that year and had a pro bowl QB (Yes I know DA sucks)
NoSaint Posted September 7, 2011 Posted September 7, 2011 The browns started Charlie Fye, benched him by halftime and traded him on Monday. Went 10-6 that year and had a pro bowl QB (Yes I know DA sucks) Heck - didn't the jags make the playoffs when they cut leftwich to start garrard?
C.Biscuit97 Posted September 7, 2011 Posted September 7, 2011 Good post Dave. Maybe this stuff is partially linked to the global economic collapse, but one would think that the people who would be least affected by it would be the rich NFL owners. And at his age, how could economic conditions matter to RW? The man is guaranteed a profit from the TV contract alone, no? And, WNY was already having tough times. I'm sorry to edge off topic. I'm still a bit dazed form the JW/NGU threads. And did you read the summary of the Nix interview that eball posted? It directly contradicts what these guys said. Who are you (and of course others) inclined to believe more, Nix or NGU/JW? As for me, I lean towards believing JW/NGU as far as the Evans trade being an economic decision, and the meddling by Mr. Wilson. Why would they decide to trade him after his salary goes down from $7 million to $3 million? For the record, I didn't like the trade because I think Evans is more of a help to this team than a 4th rounder. But maybe the coaches didn't simply like Evans' game. Gailey always talked about him improving his route running. I love Evans and he is one of my favorite Bills ever. But what happened when we trade Moulds years ago? Time will tell how good of a trade this was but I don't believe it was for economic reasons. And Garrad is one of the most underrated QBs in the NFL. He has had garbage at receiver his whole career. If a team like the 49ers sign him, they would make a playoff push. And Gabbert is Trent Edwards, Jr.
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