dave mcbride Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) I think this is officially wrong. Whaley has full control over the roster, meaning the 53. Rex has full control over the game day actives, meaning the 46. You're right that Rex would have an enormous say in who the team keeps and would almost have to be on board with the Fred move if not went to Whaley and said this is what I want to do, but it's Whaley's call. Given the smoke signals in March about the Bills' interest in the free agent Jet Bilal Powell, I have to think that Ryan was the driving force here. Look at Rex's history with RBs: In 2009, an aging Thomas Jones gets 1400+ yards and 14 TDs, but is dumped after the season (he was going to be 32 the next season). Shonn Greene lasted 4 years and was unceremoniously dumped pretty early in his career (it was only his 4th season). LaDainian Tomlinson lasted 2 years and was dumped. Chris Johnson lasted 1 season and was dumped (not by Ryan, but he probably would have been if he had stayed). Basically, he cycles through RBs as if they're a dime a dozen. If he thinks that Karlos Williams will be his next Chris Ivory (and that's what I believe he thinks), he's not gonna keep an aging RB like Jackson. The thing that's most important to remember is that the Jets ground game was always pretty good while he was there: 1st, 4th, 22nd, 12th, 6th, and 3rd in his six years there. He knows what he's doing on this front. This is mostly Rex, in my opinion. Edited August 31, 2015 by dave mcbride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LB3 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 You lied to me! He pinned a thread about Whaley, Chandler just locked it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProcessAccepted Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I never told anyone that they couldn't have an emotional response...I myself like Fred a lot. I'm not silly enough to say that I'm going to cheer for the Bills' most hated rivals if he signs there. I also fail to see why it's a crap move. They cut a 34-year-old RB in favor of younger guys. Teams do this all the time. Fred can still play. Saturday showed he can still produce a long run. It's a crap move because leadership is an essential part of any winning organization. From a leadership standpoint alone Fred is worth a roster spot. That being said he can also still play too. These moves happen around the league but not to players of a certain caliber. I didn't see the Steelers cutting Bettis even though the wheels didn't go roun and round like they used to. How many games has Fred been the guy to spark the team and get us a win. Its a damn shame... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjmac Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I tried to read all the posts in this thread, but I only made it through 8 pages before they started sounding the same. I get that emotion is a component of being a fan, and that Fred was a great leader, teammate, and member of the community. However, he is 34 and at that stage, we should have been preparing ourselves for the day he was not on the roster. The fact that he is 34 does not bother me by itself. It is the combination of his age and the cumulative effects of the lower body injuries he has suffered that had me concerned., especially when he was injured (again) in camp. So, what do we do? Do we keep an old, oft-injured RB, or keep a younger one on the roster? For those of you who are on the Bryce Brown-hating band wagon, I have yet to figure out why. He costs less than Jackson ($2M + for a backup RB is too much). I am aware of his reported fumbling issues, but fumbles did not keep Eric Dickerson out of the Hall of Fame. So, we have prepared the RB position for the foreseeable future, and can turn our attention to other position groups that need addressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#34fan Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Put me in the camp that HATES, HATES, the way this went down... Sure, Freddy's days were numbered, but to toss him out with the camp trash seems unconscionable.... Congrats to Wrecks and Whaley on their first BUSH-LEAGUE move... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) Put me in the camp that HATES, HATES, the way this went down... Sure, Freddy's days were numbered, but to toss him out with the camp trash seems unconscionable.... Congrats to Wrecks and Whaley on their first BUSH-LEAGUE move... These are not 8 year olds getting cut from a Pee Wee program...Freddy is a grown man and lost his job as an employee of the Bills. There are no guarantees. Bush League???? Common man!! Edited August 31, 2015 by BringBackFergy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Given the smoke signals in March about the Bills' interest in the free agent Jet Bilal Powell, I have to think that Ryan was the driving force here. Look at Rex's history with RBs: In 2009, an aging Thomas Jones gets 1400+ yards, but is dumped after the season (he was going to be 32 the next season). Shonn Greene lasted 4 years and was unceremoniously dumped pretty early in his career (it was only his 4th season). LaDainian Tomlinson lasted 2 years and was dumped. Chris Johnson lasted 1 season and was dumped (not by Ryan, but he probably would have been if he had stayed). Basically, he cycles through RBs as if they're a dime a dozen. If he thinks that Karlos Williams will be his next Chris Ivory (and that's what I believe he thinks), he's not gonna keep an aging RB like Jackson. The thing that's most important to remember is that the Jets ground game was always pretty good while he was there: 1st, 4th, 22nd, 12th, 6th, and 3rd in his six years there. He knows what he's doing on this front. This is mostly Rex, in my opinion. Rex, as a name and powerful coach, is going to have enormous say and sway. There is no question about this and I think there is no doubt he was on board with this if not the person who initiated it. But the last two years he was clearly not in control of the roster in NY and he shared it with Tannenbaum previous to Village Idzik. The Bills, if I'm not mistaken, officially announced that Whaley had total roster control. And Rex had total gameday active control. That doesn't mean Rex doesn't wield a ton of power, and Whaley may even acquiesce to him on decisions like this. But it's Whaley job and call on who is on the 53. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Put me in the camp that HATES, HATES, the way this went down... Sure, Freddy's days were numbered, but to toss him out with the camp trash seems unconscionable.... Congrats to Wrecks and Whaley on their first BUSH-LEAGUE move... Then how was he to be released? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Hey folks, the horse is already out of the barn, but, let's try to keep this thread about Fred & his accomplishments & not turn it into a debate about the FO or the other backs on the roster. Thanks. is there a preferred official thread for the rest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) Fred can still play. Saturday showed he can still produce a long run. It's a crap move because leadership is an essential part of any winning organization. From a leadership standpoint alone Fred is worth a roster spot. That being said he can also still play too. These moves happen around the league but not to players of a certain caliber. I didn't see the Steelers cutting Bettis even though the wheels didn't go roun and round like they used to. How many games has Fred been the guy to spark the team and get us a win. Its a damn shame... I don't know...how many? I mean, in practical matters, how many could it have been in 9 seasons with no playoff appearances and only one season of more than 7 wins? You are now comparing cutting Fred Jackson to cutting Jerome Bettis, the NFL's 6th-leading rusher all-time. It's not even close to the same. Nevertheless, let's have a look at some of the guys on the list of all-time leading rushers: 1. Emmitt Smith - released at 34; played last 2 years in Arizona. 5. LaDanian Tomlinson - released at 30; played last 2 years for NYJ 8. Tony Dorsett - traded to Denver 10. Marshall Faulk - traded to STL 11. Edgerrin James - released at 29; played last 2 years in Arizona 14. Thurman Thomas - released at 34; played last year in Miami It happens to guys that are a lot better players than Fred, and it's often done by winning organizations. Edited August 31, 2015 by thebandit27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) Rex, as a name and powerful coach, is going to have enormous say and sway. There is no question about this and I think there is no doubt he was on board with this if not the person who initiated it. But the last two years he was clearly not in control of the roster in NY and he shared it with Tannenbaum previous to Village Idzik. The Bills, if I'm not mistaken, officially announced that Whaley had total roster control. And Rex had total gameday active control. That doesn't mean Rex doesn't wield a ton of power, and Whaley may even acquiesce to him on decisions like this. But it's Whaley job and call on who is on the 53. Rex wields a ton of power in this organization. This isn't a Mike Mularkey situation. Not even close. And there are those Bilal Powell rumors. He didn't win there, but it's clear to me that he was never a big fan of Fred. I don't think he much likes old RBs period. LT got a lot of playing time in his year 31 season, but when he turned 32 he became a spot reserve. He was gone after that. Edited August 31, 2015 by dave mcbride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Put me in the camp that HATES, HATES, the way this went down... Sure, Freddy's days were numbered, but to toss him out with the camp trash seems unconscionable.... Congrats to Wrecks and Whaley on their first BUSH-LEAGUE move... what were they supposed to do? if fred wouldnt retire, there had to be a cut at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Put me in the camp that HATES, HATES, the way this went down... Sure, Freddy's days were numbered, but to toss him out with the camp trash seems unconscionable.... Congrats to Wrecks and Whaley on their first BUSH-LEAGUE move... Should they have waited until the other NFL teams had their rosters basically set? Cutting him now gives him the best shot to land a job he wants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I don't necessarily agree with the move. I would not have made it myself. But for all the people that say Goodwin is made of glass and an injury waiting to happen, Fred has had substantial injuries in the three seasons in a row up til now, then got hurt in camp. I love the guy but for how much he is a known entity and never gives up, he's more injury prone than the player who we hear can't go one play without getting hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heels20X6 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Then how was he to be released? He was to be carried out of the building Officer and a Gentleman style while "Love Lifts Us Up Where We Belong" played on the loud speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Rex wields a ton of power in this organization. This isn't a Mike Mularkey situation. Not even close. That's exactly what I said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I don't know...how many? I mean, in practical matters, how many could it have been in 9 seasons with no playoff appearances and only one season of more than 7 wins? You are now comparing cutting Fred Jackson to cutting Jerome Bettis, the NFL's 6th-leading rusher all-time. It's not even close to the same. Nevertheless, let's have a look at some of the guys on the list of all-time leading rushers: 1. Emmitt Smith - released at 34; played last 2 years in Arizona. 5. LaDanian Tomlinson - released at 30; played last 3 years for NYJ 8. Tony Dorsett - traded to Denver 10. Marshall Faulk - traded to STL 11. Edgerrin James - released at 29; played last 2 years in Arizona 14. Thurman Thomas - released at 34; played last year in Miami It happens to guys that are a lot better players than Fred, and it's often done by winning organizations. LT played 2 seasons for the Jets, not 3. I don't necessarily agree with the move. I would not have made it myself. But for all the people that say Goodwin is made of glass and an injury waiting to happen, Fred has had substantial injuries in the three seasons in a row up til now, then got hurt in camp. I love the guy but for how much he is a known entity and never gives up, he's more injury prone than the player who we hear can't go one play without getting hurt. When i think about Fred and injuries, I keep going back to the play against Minnesota last season when he went down with a leg injury without being hit. He just crumpled, and he was in a lot of pain. He clearly wasn't as fast when he came back, and with another similar injury plaguing him in training camp, well ... that's how these things often end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mabden Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 What kind of garden variety nonsense is this?!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 He pinned a thread about Whaley, Chandler just locked it. Crap. I just took beerball up on his offer to start a Whaley thread myself. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 LT played 2 seasons for the Jets, not 3. Thanks for the correction. I will edit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts