Wilfork asks pats to release him

[Doc]

I'm not sure why there's so much angst over Schwartz taking over for Pettine. He's been a DC before (unlike Pettine who, as I alluded to before, many felt angst over being the Bills' rookie DC, since he wouldn't have Ryan looking over his shoulder), and his defenses in Tenny his last 2 years, when he had some of his best players (like he will in Buffalo), were among the tops. To think that how his defenses were in Detroit prove he'll be a failure is spurious at best, and believing that he can/will only run the "wide 9" is silly, and he said as much in his presser.

 

With the Bills, he takes over an almost entirely intact defense with 3 Pro Bowlers on the DL, an up-and-coming 2nd-year LB, and a talented secondary (and if Byrd is deemed not replaceable by those already on the roster, Clinton-Dix is a candidate at 9, but I really hope/believe that will not be the case). He'll be studying what Pettine did and as a result have a blueprint for what worked. And he has already said that in an effort to make the transition smooth for the players, he's "working to preserve as much terminology and communication mechanisms from the previous system as possible." Those alone should allay many fears.

 

But they didn't stand pat. They identified that run defense was a problem and that Kiko was playing out of position, and have rectified that to a large extent by signing Spikes and kicking Kiko out to WLB, where he should excel. Rivers was brought-in to play SLB, and while I'm not overly enthused about it, I'll trust them for now and realize that, at worst, Lawson can start again at SLB if Rivers shows he can't hack it in training camp and/or pre-season. And in the secondary, they signed Graham as the 3rd CB, kicking Robey to 4th, and allows for more candidates for the vacant SS (or FS is AW doesn't move there) position, like Brooks, to join Searcy, Williams, and Meeks. What the Bills ideally need are a true LDE (or RDE depending on where Schwartz plans on playing Mario and whether Hughes will be looked at as a starting DE opposite him), a 3-down MLB and a proven FS. But FA isn't over and there still is the draft.

 

And as Bill alluded to, a better offense will help. Hopefully EJ stays healthy and improves and they get him a good OL and weapons around him. But that's another post.

[boyst]

I'm not sure why there's so much angst over Schwartz taking over for Pettine.

We are Bills fans. We just are Bills fans.

 

There is a lot of information in this thread, a lot of it so plainly speaks the truth and yet some of us still keep our rose colored glasses on or once the first game kicks off ignore reality.

[K-9]

I'm not sure why there's so much angst over Schwartz taking over for Pettine. He's been a DC before (unlike Pettine who, as I alluded to before, many felt angst over being the Bills' rookie DC, since he wouldn't have Ryan looking over his shoulder), and his defenses in Tenny his last 2 years, when he had some of his best players (like he will in Buffalo), were among the tops. To think that how his defenses were in Detroit prove he'll be a failure is spurious at best, and believing that he can/will only run the "wide 9" is silly, and he said as much in his presser.

 

With the Bills, he takes over an almost entirely intact defense with 3 Pro Bowlers on the DL, an up-and-coming 2nd-year LB, and a talented secondary (and if Byrd is deemed not replaceable by those already on the roster, Clinton-Dix is a candidate at 9, but I really hope/believe that will not be the case). He'll be studying what Pettine did and as a result have a blueprint for what worked. And he has already said that in an effort to make the transition smooth for the players, he's "working to preserve as much terminology and communication mechanisms from the previous system as possible." Those alone should allay many fears.

 

But they didn't stand pat. They identified that run defense was a problem and that Kiko was playing out of position, and have rectified that to a large extent by signing Spikes and kicking Kiko out to WLB, where he should excel. Rivers was brought-in to play SLB, and while I'm not overly enthused about it, I'll trust them for now and realize that, at worst, Lawson can start again at SLB if Rivers shows he can't hack it in training camp and/or pre-season. And in the secondary, they signed Graham as the 3rd CB, kicking Robey to 4th, and allows for more candidates for the vacant SS (or FS is AW doesn't move there) position, like Brooks, to join Searcy, Williams, and Meeks. What the Bills ideally need are a true LDE (or RDE depending on where Schwartz plans on playing Mario and whether Hughes will be looked at as a starting DE opposite him), a 3-down MLB and a proven FS. But FA isn't over and there still is the draft.

 

And as Bill alluded to, a better offense will help. Hopefully EJ stays healthy and improves and they get him a good OL and weapons around him. But that's another post.

 

Certainly there's a lot for Schwartz to like with this personnel. Indeed, I don't think he's had this total collection of talent before at one time.

 

I think the angst resides in the fact that he will be implementing a new scheme which, as much as we'd like to think otherwise, will take time to assimilate. It's the nature of the beast.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[BADOLBILZ]

I'm not sure why there's so much angst over Schwartz taking over for Pettine. He's been a DC before (unlike Pettine who, as I alluded to before, many felt angst over being the Bills' rookie DC, since he wouldn't have Ryan looking over his shoulder), and his defenses in Tenny his last 2 years, when he had some of his best players (like he will in Buffalo), were among the tops. To think that how his defenses were in Detroit prove he'll be a failure is spurious at best, and believing that he can/will only run the "wide 9" is silly, and he said as much in his presser.

 

With the Bills, he takes over an almost entirely intact defense with 3 Pro Bowlers on the DL, an up-and-coming 2nd-year LB, and a talented secondary (and if Byrd is deemed not replaceable by those already on the roster, Clinton-Dix is a candidate at 9, but I really hope/believe that will not be the case). He'll be studying what Pettine did and as a result have a blueprint for what worked. And he has already said that in an effort to make the transition smooth for the players, he's "working to preserve as much terminology and communication mechanisms from the previous system as possible." Those alone should allay many fears.

 

But they didn't stand pat. They identified that run defense was a problem and that Kiko was playing out of position, and have rectified that to a large extent by signing Spikes and kicking Kiko out to WLB, where he should excel. Rivers was brought-in to play SLB, and while I'm not overly enthused about it, I'll trust them for now and realize that, at worst, Lawson can start again at SLB if Rivers shows he can't hack it in training camp and/or pre-season. And in the secondary, they signed Graham as the 3rd CB, kicking Robey to 4th, and allows for more candidates for the vacant SS (or FS is AW doesn't move there) position, like Brooks, to join Searcy, Williams, and Meeks. What the Bills ideally need are a true LDE (or RDE depending on where Schwartz plans on playing Mario and whether Hughes will be looked at as a starting DE opposite him), a 3-down MLB and a proven FS. But FA isn't over and there still is the draft.

 

And as Bill alluded to, a better offense will help. Hopefully EJ stays healthy and improves and they get him a good OL and weapons around him. But that's another post.

 

Pettine was the DC for the Jets. Not sure why you thought otherwise. And it wasn't a Curtis Modkins situation. Pettine called the plays and he and Ryan butted heads some because Rex wanted Pettine to be MORE aggressive. He came to Buffalo to escape Rex shadow. As for what Schwartz said he was going to do........well the personnel they are bringing in sure sound like 4-3 personnel.

[Doc]

Pettine was the DC for the Jets. Not sure why you thought otherwise. And it wasn't a Curtis Modkins situation. Pettine called the plays and he and Ryan butted heads some because Rex wanted Pettine to be MORE aggressive. He came to Buffalo to escape Rex shadow. As for what Schwartz said he was going to do........well the personnel they are bringing in sure sound like 4-3 personnel.

My mistake on the Pettine was as rookie DC. But more than a few people talked about how Ryan took away play-calling from him and that that was cause for alarm.

 

And as for 4-3, that's what it was last year. Mario was at one DE spot, Kyle and Marcel at DT, and Carrington and then Branch at the other DE position.

[dave mcbride]

I've posted the stats in earlier threads, but Schwartz's long record in the NFL is the epitome of average/mediocre. There's no getting arounf that.

[sodbuster]

I've posted the stats in earlier threads, but Schwartz's long record in the NFL is the epitome of average/mediocre. There's no getting arounf that.

agree. But has he ever had a roster this talented?

[BillsVet]

I've posted the stats in earlier threads, but Schwartz's long record in the NFL is the epitome of average/mediocre. There's no getting arounf that.

 

I was looking through those 01-08 Tennessee defenses. Up and down is how I'd characterize those years. Lot of talent (Haynesworth, Bulluck, Van den Bosch and others) but they weren't consistent and neither were the Detroit defenses. Granted his HC years started with a team that was winless in 09, but with they weren't winning with defense there either.

 

Schwartz has name recognition, which tends to go a long way with fans as did Wannstedt. I'm not sure where the results are to live up to that.

[QB Bills]

Too late for Wade?

[Doc]

agree. But has he ever had a roster this talented?

Nope. The closest were his last 2 years in Tenny.

[BuffaloFan68]

We all know that Wilfork would love to stay in the AFC East just so he could go against NE 2-3 times a year. I say we look into grabbing him before the Jets or fins do.

[Buftex]

We all know that Wilfork would love to stay in the AFC East just so he could go against NE 2-3 times a year. I say we look into grabbing him before the Jets or fins do.

 

I heard over the weekend, the Pats were trying to make a trade with the Falcons for Julio Jones. The speculations was that Wilfork would be part of that trade...now, I realize, the Pats have since re-signed Edleman and also Brandon Lafell, so they might not be as willing to go all out for a JJ trade now...but I just think the Pats will keep Wilfork and make him play out his contract, before they will just out-right release him and let him go anywhere he wants. If they are willing to trade him to a divisional oppenant, I might be leary of making that deal...

[Doc]

I heard over the weekend, the Pats were trying to make a trade with the Falcons for Julio Jones. The speculations was that Wilfork would be part of that trade...now, I realize, the Pats have since re-signed Edleman and also Brandon Lafell, so they might not be as willing to go all out for a JJ trade now...but I just think the Pats will keep Wilfork and make him play out his contract, before they will just out-right release him and let him go anywhere he wants. If they are willing to trade him to a divisional oppenant, I might be leary of making that deal...

I've heard that they're trying to trade for several of the top young(ish) WR's like AJ Green, Jones, etc. Don't know how legit it is but teams apparently want more than their late 1st rounder and they're not agreeable.

[papazoid]

Nearly every day, at the start of practice, Brandon Spikes, Pepper Johnson and captain Vince Wilfork would toil at the end of the stretching/running line, a smidgen apart from the group, going at their own pace.

 

Three large peas in a pod. It's no surprise Spikes followed Johnson. It will be no surprise if Wilfork gets the release he's demanded and joins them. Even more reason to doubt the Patriots are going to be in a hurry to grant Wilforks wish.

 

http://www.csnne.com/blog/patriots-talk/spikes-driven-bills-pepper-johnson?p=ya5nbcs&ocid=yahoo

Edited March 19, 2014 by papazoid

[NoSaint]

 

 

I heard over the weekend, the Pats were trying to make a trade with the Falcons for Julio Jones. The speculations was that Wilfork would be part of that trade...now, I realize, the Pats have since re-signed Edleman and also Brandon Lafell, so they might not be as willing to go all out for a JJ trade now...but I just think the Pats will keep Wilfork and make him play out his contract, before they will just out-right release him and let him go anywhere he wants. If they are willing to trade him to a divisional oppenant, I might be leary of making that deal...

 

i saw a mention of desean jackson as well

[Pneumonic]

The issue with signing Wilfork (should he become available) is no one will know how healthy he is until he steps onto the field. If that ever happens even. The guy is re-habbing a serious Achilles tear as a 340#, soon to be 33 year NG. His days as an effective NFL player might well be over.

[A Dog Named Kelso]

The issue with signing Wilfork (should he become available) is no one will know how healthy he is until he steps onto the field. If that ever happens even. The guy is re-habbing a serious Achilles tear as a 340#, soon to be 33 year NG. His days as an effective NFL player might well be over.

 

I think all trades and signings require a physical so I would assume they would only go through with it if he was healthy.

[papazoid]

close your eyes for a moment....

 

imagine a defensive line of Mario, Wilfork, Kyle and Dareus.

 

it would be tough to stop smiling.....

[Pneumonic]

I think all trades and signings require a physical so I would assume they would only go through with it if he was healthy.

Indeed, medical and physicals will be done but, in the end, he may well pass a physical but be severely limited when in battle out on the field.

[Doc]

close your eyes for a moment....

 

imagine a defensive line of Mario, Wilfork, Kyle and Dareus.

 

it would be tough to stop smiling.....

Wilfork of even just 2 seasons ago? Sure. But he's old and damaged goods at this point.