Top 10 biggest traitors in Buffalo Bills history

[greenyellowred]

This is my list. Who are your selections? Do you agree with the ranking?

 

1. Gary Anderson - drafted by Buffalo in 1982, he was regarded by the NFL as a future star kicker, but he missed every field goal attempt in the pre-season on purpose so he would get cut (even though in practices he dominated). Buffalo did finally cut him before the regular season, after giving many chances, in favor of Effren Herrera. He was quickly picked up by Pittsburgh and went on to become a top 5 all-time NFL kicker, playing 23 seasons and making 4 Pro Bowls for various teams. I remember the day he was cut. I was in 7th grade and was furious at the Bills for cutting him, knowing he would become a great kicker. But the Bills had no choice. Every time I heard his name in the following years, I cringed. What did he have against Buffalo?

 

2. Marshawn Lynch ("Beastmode") - drafted at number 12 overall by Buffalo in 2007, Marshawn went had two consecutive 1,000 yard seasons to start his pro career and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2008. But he decided he wanted a "fresh start" after all the legal drama he created in Buffalo (gun charge and a hit-n-run of a pedestrian), forcing the Bills to trade him. He went on to Seattle to win a Super Bowl and have four consecutive 1,000 yard rushing seasons as the best RB in the NFL. SMH.

 

3. Jason Peters - acquired by Buffalo in 2004 as an UDFA, Peters went on to become a franchise left tackle for them and made the Pro Bowl in 2007 and 2008. He held out prior to the 2008 season with 3 years left on his contract (!), since he wanted to become one of the highest paid offensive tackles in the NFL. He purposely played bad for Buffalo that year, despite being named to the Pro Bowl, and gave up the most sacks in the NFL. He forced the Bills to trade him to the Eagles, where he went on to make 7 Pro Bowls and anchored a vaunted running attack led by LeSean McCoy.

 

4. Jim Kelly ("Jimbo", "Machine Gun Kelly") - drafted by Buffalo in 1983, he thumbed his nose at the city because Buffalo had a bad reputation and was a boring town. He decided he wanted to play for the Houston Gamblers of the USFL. Sure, he made it up somewhat by coming to play for the Bills in 1986 (he had no choice, as the USFL folded the previous season), but Buffalo lost three years of his services while his main rivals Dan Marino and John Elway were making big waves for Miami and Denver, respectively. Thanks Jim for being a jerk.

 

5. Joe Cribbs ("Cribsus Carrius") - drafted in 1980 by Buffalo, he was named AFC ROY that season and had 1,185 yard rushing and 52 pass receptions. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1980 and 1981 and led the NFL in rushing in the strike-shortened season of 1982. He then decided he didn't like playing in the Buffalo cold, so he broke his contract and went on in 1983 to pay for the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL until 1985, when the league folded . He went back to Buffalo before they traded him to the 49ers. I was not happy in 1983 when the news broke he was leaving Buffalo.

 

6. Tom Cousineau - drafted 1st overall in 1979 by Buffalo, he refused to play for the Bills since Montreal of the CFL offered him double the money that Buffalo did. He went on to become a star for Montreal that season, winning MVP for the Grey Cup (the Super Bowl of the CFL). He game back to the NFL in 1982, where Buffalo traded him to Cleveland for Cleveland's 1983 1st round pick, and 2nd and 3rd picks in later years. Buffalo used that pick to draft Jim Kelly in 1983, but he too went to play for another team! Ridiculous!

 

7. Doug Marrone ("Saint Doug") - named as the Bills head coach in 2013, he led the Bills to their first winning season in 10 years in 2014: 9-7. He then quit the team with 3 years left on his contract because he didn't like being pressured by GM Doug Whaley to play QB EJ Manuel and was worried about the ownership change. Team captain Freddie Jackson said his treacherous behavior was like being "punched in the stomach". New Bills head coach Rex Ryan said the Bills deserved a loyal coach. Marrone was paid his full salary by Buffalo in 2015, despite signing on to become as Assistant Coach with Jacksonville that season. He went on to become head coach for them and led Jacksonville to its first playoff win ever in the 2017 season.

 

8. Greg Bell - drafted by Buffalo in 1984 to be Joe Cribbs' replacement, he went on to have a 1,000 yard season and it was clear Buffalo had a star player. But he became loose-lipped and complained about Bills management and other players. He was disliked by all and he forced the Bills to overpay by trading him in 1987, along with their 1988 1st round pick and 1989 1st and 2nd round picks, to Indianapolis for only Cornelius Bennett, who had held out the entire season there as a rookie. Bell was then immediately moved to the LA Rams as part of a three-team deal. This trade cost the Bills dearly. Bell went on to be named comeback player of the year in 1988 for LA, but became a problem there as well, threatening to hold out and talking more trash about his team.

 

9. Reggie McKenzie - drafted by Buffalo in 1972, he made the Pro Bowl and was named All-NFL 1st Team in 1973 and All-NFL 2nd Team in 1974. He was leader of the "Electric Company" for the Bills and led the offensive line which "turned on the juice" for OJ Simpson. He was considered OJ's "main man". In 1983, he decided to abandon Buffalo and follow Chuck Know to Seattle to provide veteran leadership there. Such disloyalty! I was furious when I heard the news.

 

10. Chuck Knox ("Ground Chuck") - After coming to Buffalo in 1978 to become their head coach, he turned the organization around and led Buffalo to consecutive playoff berths in 1980 and 1981. But after a disappointing 4-5 strike-shortened season in 1982 and unable to come to a new contract after negotiating with Ralph Wilson, he abandoned Buffalo for Seattle, where he went on to lead them to playoff berths in 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1987.

 

Honorable Mention: Anquan Boldin - The Pro Bowl WR signed with Buffalo as a free agent in 2017, only to decide the team was a mess before quickly retiring in the pre-season. Ironically, the Bills were 9-7 and made the playoffs that year. Yep, Buffalo was a big mess that year. The joke was on Boldin, who had a chance to end his career as a winner.

 

All rights reserved. Copyright greenyellowred.

 

 

Edited July 23, 2018 by greenyellowred

[fridge]

6 minutes ago, greenyellowred said:

All rights reserved. Copyright greenyellowred.

 

?

[greenyellowred]

2 minutes ago, fridge said:

 

?

 

Yeah, lol. It is weird, but just in case, on the *very* outside chance that I decide to publish this. Though it probably isn't that good.

Edited July 23, 2018 by greenyellowred

[Vod Kanockers]

Does Gary Anderson make that kick in SB XXV? ??

[greenyellowred]

2 minutes ago, Vod Kanockers said:

Does Gary Anderson make that kick in SB XXV? ??

 

Yep, in 1990 he was 80% on field goals overall and 8 for 11 from 40-49 yards (but 0 for 2 from 50+ yards):

 

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/andergar02.htm

Edited July 23, 2018 by greenyellowred

[Vod Kanockers]

Ps, isn’t he the one that cost Min the trip to the SB that year they were like 15-1? ??

[greenyellowred]

Just now, Vod Kanockers said:

Ps, isn’t he the one that cost Min the trip to the SB that year they were like 15-1? ??

 

Agreed. But he was 35 for 35 that year in the regular season, although he was 39 years old.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Fred Smerlas

[folz]

1 hour ago, greenyellowred said:

 

 

4. Jim Kelly ("Jimbo", "Machine Gun Kelly") - drafted by Buffalo in 1983, he thumbed his nose at the city because Buffalo had a bad reputation and was a boring town. He decided he wanted to play for the Houston Gamblers of the USFL. Sure, he made it up somewhat by coming to play for the Bills in 1986 (he had no choice, as the USFL folded the previous season), but Buffalo lost three years of his services while his main rivals Dan Marino and John Elway were making big waves for Miami and Denver, respectively. Thanks Jim for being a jerk.

 

 

8. Greg Bell - drafted by Buffalo in 1984 to be Joe Cribbs' replacement, he went on to have a 1,000 yard season and it was clear Buffalo had a star player. But he became loose-lipped and complained about Bills management and other players. He was disliked by all and he forced the Bills to overpay by trading him in 1987, along with their 1988 1st round pick and 1989 1st and 2nd round picks, to Indianapolis for only Cornelius Bennett, who had held out the entire season there as a rookie. Bell was then immediately moved to the LA Rams as part of a three-team deal. This trade cost the Bills dearly. Bell went on to be named comeback player of the year in 1988 for LA, but became a problem there as well, threatening to hold out and talking more trash about his team.

 

 

 

It's a good list. The only points I would dispute are bolded above. I know what you're getting at with Kelly spurning the Bills in 1983. It really sucked and he was a different guy back then, but there is no way Kelly should be on a list of "traitors" to the Bills, when he is now one of the most loyal and beloved Bills. He just can't be on the list despite how things started out. He made up for the rocky start and then some. Maybe if the list were called something else, you could include him. But not "traitors."

 

And I'm not sure how "only" getting Bennett out of that trade hurt the Bills dearly. Yes, it was a lot to give up, but Biscuit was one of the last pieces of the puzzle for the Super Bowl teams. He was a 2nd overall pick. He wasn't just a guy. In 1988 our pick would have been around 11 -14. How much would it cost to move up from say 12 to 2? That's what the Bills were trying to do this year and were expecting to give up at least their two first-rounders. What if they had given the Giants #12, #22, and Cordy Glenn. It wouldn't be that big of a difference from what the Bills paid for Bennett (who became a borderline/possible Hall of Fame player). 

 

Edited July 23, 2018 by folz

[ExiledInIllinois]

With out Kelly's balk, maybe we don't get Bruce Smith @ #1.  

 

He was a douchebag early on, womanizer, water balloon tosser while hiding out in treetops shouting out rude names... But Kelly came around.

 

He gets a pass...

Edited July 23, 2018 by ExiledInIllinois

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Rex Ryan 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2018 by Buffalo Barbarian

[greenyellowred]

57 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

Fred Smerlas

 

Yes! Forgot him!

 

He was drafted in 1979 by the Bills and became a 5-time Pro Bowler. However, he began being platooned with the younger Jeff Wright in 1988 and became bitter, with 1989 being his last season in Buffalo. He finished finished his career in 1992 with New England and then became a radio host in Boston. He was a strong Patriots supporter (and apologist) and took every opportunity he could to trash the Bills. He also tried to prevent scab players from crossing the picket line for Buffalo in the strike-shortened 1987 season according to Jim Kelly's book.

55 minutes ago, folz said:

 

It's a good list. The only points I would dispute are bolded above. I know what you're getting at with Kelly spurning the Bills in 1983. It really sucked and he was a different guy back then, but there is no way Kelly should be on a list of "traitors" to the Bills, when he is now one of the most loyal and beloved Bills. He just can't be on the list despite how things started out. He made up for the rocky start and then some. Maybe if the list were called something else, you could include him. But not "traitors."

 

And I'm not sure how "only" getting Bennett out of that trade hurt the Bills dearly. Yes, it was a lot to give up, but Biscuit was one of the last pieces of the puzzle for the Super Bowl teams. He was a 2nd overall pick. He wasn't just a guy. In 1988 our pick would have been around 11 -14. How much would it cost to move up from say 12 to 2? That's what the Bills were trying to do this year and were expecting to give up at least their two first-rounders. What if they had given the Giants #12, #22, and Cordy Glenn. It wouldn't be that big of a difference from what the Bills paid for Bennett (who became a borderline/possible Hall of Fame player). 

 

 

Ok, you make great points. Maybe I should move Kelly to honorable mention then. I love him to death, but it's just hard for me to forget what he did to Buffalo early on.

 

And re Bennett, at the time, I have to admit I was super excited about him coming to Buffalo and then destroying his old team Indy that season. He was considered one of the the best linebackers that year in the draft, along with Brian Bosworth (supplemental) and Shane Conlan. You have a point, but I still think it was a slightly steep price to pay for him. But he did do great things for us in his career, so I guess it was a good trade then, especailly since we shed Bell.

Edited July 23, 2018 by greenyellowred

[greenyellowred]

1 hour ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

With out Kelly's balk, maybe we don't get Bruce Smith @ #1.  

 

He was a douchebag early on, womanizer, water balloon tosser while hiding out in treetops shouting out rude names... But Kelly came around.

 

He gets a pass...

 

Yep, I didn't consider that. We may have been a better team with Kelly in 1983 and 1984, so we wouldn't have been able to draft Bruce number 1 in 1985. Nice point.

58 minutes ago, Buffalo Barbarian said:

Rex Ryan 

 

 

 

He turned out to be bad for Buffalo, but I am not sure if he was a traitor. Yes, he did quit after Week 16 of the 2016 season when he wasn't allowed to play Tyrod, but there is a good chance he wouldn't have been around for the next season anyway and there was just one game left in a season where we weren't going to the playoffs. There is no doubt he tried hard for Buffalo (and even painted his truck in Buffalo colors), but he just didn't produce. He also found Tyrod for us, who was a diamond in the rough, especially given the Bills QB history since Kelly.

Edited July 23, 2018 by greenyellowred

[Frez]

Should we mention Thurman Thomas? He took off mad and went to play for our #1 enemy at that time......,Miami! That was just weird! 

[GunnerBill]

It wasn't Jacksonville's first playoff win ever..... first for a few years, sure.  And also Marrone never publicly said he felt pressured to play EJ. He said he was uncertain about the direction of new ownership.  It is fairly well speculated that the Quarterback issue played a large part and as soon as Orton said he wasn't coming back Marrone decided to go.  

[cage]

2 hours ago, greenyellowred said:

 

 

Ok, you make great points. Maybe I should move Kelly to honorable mention then. I love him to death, but it's just hard for me to forget what he did to Buffalo early on.

 

 

 

Also, ranking Kelly higher than Cousineau seems wrong...

[Doc Brown]

2 hours ago, Buffalo Barbarian said:

Rex Ryan 

He wasn't a traitor.  Just a disgruntled ex employee who couldn't come to grips he got fired because he sucked at his job.

 

I'd add Willis McGahee to this list given we took a chance with a 1st round pick, gave him a year to rehab, and then forced his way out of here by saying he thought we should move to Toronto.

[Mickey]

Gary Anderson left because Wilson wasn't willing to give him a respectable contract. His only way out was to get Buffalo to cut him. And yet, despite missing everything in preseason, the Steelers signed him to be their starter the instant he was cut. I was convinced that his agent worked it out with the Steelers. I blame Ralph for A) not paying Anderson what he as worth and B) getting out played by kicker and his agent. To be a traitor, you have to owe a duty to someone or something. What on earth did Anderson owe the Bills? If the Bills didn't draft him, plenty of other teams would have. He was no traitor, he gamed a system that was stacked against him and won. Owners like Wilson gamed the system to their advantage and almost always, always won. Ralph got outsmarted, not betrayed.

[KingBoots8]

I feel McGahee was a bigger traitor than Lynch. Sat out year one, played 3 for us and wasn’t bad, but sure thought he was #1 in the league (even though he was never a top 5 back here). He talked about moving the team to Toronto and talked a bunch of crap about Buffalo in general. Screw that dude- Lynch hurt for sure but when he left I felt I could cheer him on. When McGahee left I was hoping he would get stuffed every play. I say swap those two.

[SoTier]

This thread seems to be the football equivalent of the fascist political mantra of "my country, right or wrong".   If professional football is a "business" when it comes to owners/managements replacing decent/older/injured/more expensive players with better/younger/healthier/cheaper players, why is it "treason" for players to look for better pay/better opportunities for recognition/better working conditions/more security?   Isn't that what tens of millions of Americans do every year when they quit their current jobs to take new ones.   Are they "traitors", too?

 

OP, take your stupid post and shove it where the sun don't shine.  It's disgusting.