Bills reportedly concerned Kolb's career over

[RuntheDamnBall]

Can you read? Where did I say that?

You sort of threw him into the conversation with "loser QB picks," should he fail. That's a determination that is at least 3 years out.

 

Please produce the thread where you, or anyone, predicted Kolb would not last training camp?

 

PTR

Does he need to produce that thread to validate his point?

[beerme1]

 

 

So what would you call a strategy that called for going into training camp with a QB who never lasted a full NFL season, one talented but very raw rookie and an undrafted kid who was benched in college?

 

I've asked this before but maybe you can answer this, Fitz said NO to an adjustment in salary. Good for him. Stand proud. SF cut their number one based on the fact the new guy is running the show. Fitz is a clipboard holder and not worth what his contract would pay him. I have no issue with Fitz not being here. You do?

[bowery4]

First off, would you guys stop quoting people on my ignore list? I hate that.

I think the fact that they dump Fitz was really the issue. They are not paying Manuel starter money yet so they could have kept Fitz and let there be the same QB competition. They are counting his salary against the cap anyway and he had chemistry with the team mates. There was no need to bring in a veteran presence you had one on the team that was more durable and of the the same if not better calibre.

 

Except he wanted to start and as much as I like Fitz and almost feel that he should still be a starter somewhere. I don't think it should be in BFLO.

 

Agreed. He was not going to ride the bench in Buffalo.

 

How would Fitz even have reacted if it was an open competition and he played like he has been in Tenn (very well so far)? But then he didn't start the season; I am not sold that he wouldn't have been "a locker room cancer". I would argue THAT would have hurt EJ's development. I do agree he would have been a good #2 but it really wasn't feasible and he'd gone gone at the end of this year anyway.

 

So what would you call a strategy that called for going into training camp with a QB who never lasted a full NFL season, one talented but very raw rookie and an undrafted kid who was benched in college?

At this point I would call it almost Washington like. By the way being benched by Leech, that earns my respect more that hurts it (sorry Senator, nothing personal).

Kolb being out of the picture is okay with me (by the way all the best and thanks for being a Bflo Bill, good luck and good health to you KK) as I didn't want him here in the first place but I do see why they did it. I wanted the guy that went to the Stillers to be a back up, he is a good back up and okay QB but even then EJ wouldn't have been "earning the job". I think that him feeling that is part of the thinking here and it was a good idea, we all saw what happened with JP.

[beerme1]

Whether it is their fault or not, the Bills picked the wrong guy to compete for the starting QB position or to be the competent back-up. That is where we are. Now we need to see whether EJ is the QB of the present and future, which may take at least two years to fully play out.

 

Really difficult to find both a future starting QB and a veteran QB to challenge for the starting QB position in one offseason, particularly when the draft for QBs is the worst in years and the veteran QB market is weak.

 

 

The Bllls did not do anything wrong. They picked the best qb available and traded down to do so and I think the front office deserves kudos!

[GG]

 

 

I've asked this before but maybe you can answer this, Fitz said NO to an adjustment in salary. Good for him. Stand proud. SF cut their number one based on the fact the new guy is running the show. Fitz is a clipboard holder and not worth what his contract would pay him. I have no issue with Fitz not being here. You do?

 

I don't know what happened in the negotiations between Fitzpatrick and Bills, but to me it was clear that Fitz felt slighted at Buddy's comments and was not going to cave on the salary cut request. That bravado cost him a few million. But that's on him, and had nothing to do with how the team needed to manage is QB situation.

 

There were no available free agent QBs who were anywhere near Fitzpatrick ability. Maybe Hasselbeck, but it's unlikely Bills would have paid his asking price.

 

And that's what makes the whole difference in the world. The front office is supposed to field the best team. But by cutting Fitzpatrick and heading into the weakest QB draft in a decade, they guaranteed to make it worse, or at least would need to hit lotto to make it better. Hopefully they hit the jackpot with. EJ. But then to make a thin margin thinner they cut Jackson before camp.

 

Their strategy was hope and hope is not a strategy.

[Best Player Available]

You sort of threw him into the conversation with "loser QB picks," should he fail. That's a determination that is at least 3 years out.

 

 

Does he need to produce that thread to validate his point?

"IF" is the word I said. I did not call him a "loser QB pick" I said in 3 years I would prefer a blind squirrel as a GM if this regime and QB fails. What don't you understand?

[BillsVet]

So, yeah, they took a QB. That's different than any team they've had since Tom Donahoe was here.

 

They've built up the lines quite a bit, which was a perennial problem during the team's worst years. It took way too long but Nix did bring in a piece here and there. They built through the draft, added UFAs and free agents like Urbik, Chandler, big ones like Mario, Branch, Lawson. What do you want? I see a method to the team's work here.

 

I don't like the way the Byrd thing has gone but the fact is that he is here, he is cost-controlled and the team is exercising its rights as per the CBA. Byrd is not just a guy they have to treat well, he is an asset that they can't give away for nothing and can't sign to an ungodly contract.

 

I'm really not sure what all the complaining is about, is all. They've addressed QB of the future, they continue to address the OL, they picked up two defensive contributors in FA, they retain a lot of draft picks. Complaining doesn't really make your point. It nullifies it. Back up your claims that this team hasn't done the right things, and I think you'll get a less cranky response. This injury to Kolb doesn't change the fact that they brought in a vet QB they liked to push Manuel for the job. It just hasn't worked out.

 

We're talking about 2 different things. I'm referring to how management equips their personnel department for success. You're a step lower in the food chain discussing decisions that the personnel group makes.

 

This off-season has demonstrated that financially the team is making the same types of decisions. Letting Levitre go, not coming to terms with Byrd on a long term deal, and to my knowledge not initiating talks with another offensive lineman leading to his walk year. How is that different than previous years when they franchised Clements and got nothing for him? Letting Fletcher go. Letting Jabari Greer walk for nothing. Trading Peters for a late first. The team didn't have a decent replacement on the roster for them, and it's happening again. That tells me that regardless of who the GM or HC is, it doesn't matter. Other people are immersing themselves in the decision making process and those decisions aren't all that much different than they were years ago. What's changed?

 

When talent walks and the team uses the draft to replace it, you're not building. You're hopefully maintaining, which is what the Bills have done by keeping themselves in the bad to mediocre category.

Edited August 26, 2013 by BillsVet

[jahnyc]

The front office only will deserve kudos if EJ develops into an above average starting QB.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

According to Tim Graham twitter

 

@ByTimGraham: Source tells me Bills concerned Kevin Kolb's concussion may be career-ending and they're proceeding with that in mind.

 

looks like he might be done here.

 

It's Tuel time for real now, want to see what he does with first team reps.

[Webster Guy]

You turn a post about the possible end of a guy's career into a platform to criticize the decision to keep him over the completely unimpressive Tarvaris Jackson. You're the transparent one here.

Settle down eballer. It wasn't a slam on Kolb, he was just pointing out that the dude is injury prone, which he is, and that TJax would have been a better guy to retain, which I'm guessing right now the Bills wished they had. I know I'd rather see him in a Bills uni over Leinart or anybody else that's available out there.

 

The last season that TJax played he threw for 3000+ and did enough to show that he can be a decent backup in the NFL. Kolb definitely had a few sweet comebacks in his career but he's shown he's neither dependable nor consistent. I just hope he listens to his doctors and not his competitiveness and does what's best for his health.

 

I still don't understand how we can't have thicker better helmets out there to protect these guys from concussions. The hit didn't look that bad to me.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

I've asked this before but maybe you can answer this, Fitz said NO to an adjustment in salary. Good for him. Stand proud. SF cut their number one based on the fact the new guy is running the show. Fitz is a clipboard holder and not worth what his contract would pay him. I have no issue with Fitz not being here. You do?

 

Fitz signed with the Titans for incrementally more than the Bills paid Kolb (when Kolb's signing bonus is considered). Logic suggests that the Bills offered him less, or that what they offered was more highly incentivized, such that he felt he had to walk.

 

I don't have a problem with Fitz not being here, but in my opinion both Fitz and TJax were worth more than Kolb on a game-day basis I can understand the team's desire for a fresh start, but if we could have kept Fitz here for the same $$ as Kolb (or if we'd kept TJax and cut Kolb), their records suggest we would not be hustling for 2nd and 3rd rate QB 2 weeks before the start of the season

[hondo in seattle]

The guy already had a storied injury history when they decided to keep him instead of Tavaris Jackson. Shows a complete lack of foresight.

 

I understand why OBD decided to sign Kolb and give him a look. But I couldn't agree with you more about TJax. Kolb had a record of fragility and to get rid of the only other veteran QB struck me as strange. Depending on EJ's recovery, we could end up starting Matt Leinart against the Pats with a mere two weeks of preparation. Bad news.

 

For the Bills sake, but - more imporantly - for Kolb's sake, I hope he's okay and able to safely resume his career.

 

And I hope to see a healthy EJ under center when NE comes to town.

Edited August 26, 2013 by hondo in seattle

[Nuncha]

I've asked this before but maybe you can answer this, Fitz said NO to an adjustment in salary. Good for him. Stand proud. SF cut their number one based on the fact the new guy is running the show. Fitz is a clipboard holder and not worth what his contract would pay him. I have no issue with Fitz not being here. You do?

So you would rather have Jeff Tuel or Matt Lineart who doesn't know the offense as potential week 1 starters over Fitz? If EJ has any setback with his knee, you could have either of these two starting longer...There would have been nothing wrong with Fitz staying one more year at his high salary until EJ was up to speed, and until we got a legitimate number 2 QB. Tuel might be the long term number 2 QB - but it is a bit too soon to tell for sure. One good thing about Fitz is his durability. The guy isn't a piece of glass like Kolb.

[Tcali]

I've asked this before but maybe you can answer this, Fitz said NO to an adjustment in salary. Good for him. Stand proud. SF cut their number one based on the fact the new guy is running the show. Fitz is a clipboard holder and not worth what his contract would pay him. I have no issue with Fitz not being here. You do?

Fitz is worth about 30K/yr

 

So you would rather have Jeff Tuel or Matt Lineart who doesn't know the offense as potential week 1 starters over Fitz? If EJ has any setback with his knee, you could have either of these two starting longer...There would have been nothing wrong with Fitz staying one more year at his high salary until EJ was up to speed, and until we got a legitimate number 2 QB. Tuel might be the long term number 2 QB - but it is a bit too soon to tell for sure. One good thing about Fitz is his durability. The guy isn't a piece of glass like Kolb.

We aren't going anywhere anyway this year. let the young guys learn/fail/have success. enough playing for the 6-7 wins.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

"New" regime. Same old bad decision making,

 

you can say that again, we should have drafted another QB like the redskins did like Landry Jones or Nassib.

[ganesh]

The guy already had a storied injury history when they decided to keep him instead of Tavaris Jackson. Shows a complete lack of foresight.

 

Agree and Disagree...This front office blew it the same way Gailey did not really see the difference between Edwards and Fitz and then cut Edwards after three games. However, Jackson while healthy did not show anything to this coaching staff to retain him. Why would they let him go, if they were sure he was better than Kolb. Kolb is like Rob Johnson and Trent Edwards...Plays well in practice, but just doesn't feel the rush around him and takes unnecessary hits and does not have the physical strength of a Rothelisberger or Rivers to come back from the hit(s).

 

So you would rather have Jeff Tuel or Matt Lineart who doesn't know the offense as potential week 1 starters over Fitz? If EJ has any setback with his knee, you could have either of these two starting longer...There would have been nothing wrong with Fitz staying one more year at his high salary until EJ was up to speed, and until we got a legitimate number 2 QB. Tuel might be the long term number 2 QB - but it is a bit too soon to tell for sure. One good thing about Fitz is his durability. The guy isn't a piece of glass like Kolb.

 

I am not sure why Fitz is even in this conversation. There is no way for the Bills to know in April that EJ and Kolb are going to be hurt after Game 3 of Preseason. It is entirely possible that Fitz could have been hurt if he had been the backup. Fitz did not want to be the backup in Buffalo. It would have really been an uncomfortable situation with the Veterans and the Rookie....Look at the situation in NY....Do the veterans play for Sanchez or for Geno Smith...By replacing Fitz with Kolb, at least the team don't have any direct ties with Kolb and really don't care if it is EJ or Kolb. This is simple common sense to picking your 3 QBs.

[Captain Hindsight]

looks like he might be done here.

 

It's Tuel time for real now, want to see what he does with first team reps.

You could watch that game from Saturday

[Dorkington]

 

 

lol, are you kidding me.

 

i saw jimbo get hit so hard once, he walked to the wrong sideline.

 

kolb got hit, finished the drive, and it was the only points we scored all day.

 

nfl is probably paying him to retire. if this was 3 years ago, homeboy would be starting on thursday against detroit.

 

lol, "a functional life".

 

immediately after that hit was the only time we had a "functional offense" all game.

 

Concussions can be pretty serious for some people, man. Give it a rest.

[bladiebla]

Can't believe how unlucky Kolb is, seemed to fit the Bill(s) in that regard. Hope he'll be allrigth.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

 

I don't think they needed to restructure Fitz. He could have been an expensive back-up for a season. Instead, the FO tried to force him to take a paycut, so he left.

 

In hindsight, by letting Fitz go and signing Kolb, it forced the Bills to draft their franchise QB in this draft--they had no choice. God forbid if Manuel had been taken before their pick.

 

You don't move forward by clinging to the past. They tried to restructure him from the bigger deal knowing he was going be a back up. He just doesn't have the arm for the new offense.

 

Franchise is on EJs back now.