Siberian’ stigma: How the Bills recruit free agents to Buffalo and why deep pockets don’t always help

[RobbRiddick]

I guess cash wins out in the end, but what I would do is target OL in FA. I imagine linemen would love to play in Buffalo because they know we like to pound on teams with the run. 
Then I'd target WR with the draft... in other words a situation where they have no ***** choice either way!

[Big Turk]

33 minutes ago, Augie said:

Granted, it’s NOT LA or NYC, but I think the city gets bashed far more than is deserved by people who just don’t know. We have that reputation. 

 

LMAO...the funny part is someone playing in Minnesota is complaining about how cold it is here?  They get far, far colder than we do on a regular basis there.  Granted we get a lot of snow in comparison to most other cities, but I would rather drive here after a foot and a half of snow than ion other places after 2 or 3 inches...we have one of the best plow systems in the world and roads are generally clear unless you are driving in the middle of a heavy lake effect storm, but if you are that's your own stupidity. 

[YoloinOhio]

4 minutes ago, LSHMEAB said:

I'm not in the Buffalo bashing business, but why do none of our current players make WNY their permanent residence? It is what it is.

 

I love Buffalo, but it's not for everyone. I remember finding it odd that Nate Odomes rented some dump apartment behind my cousin's house in Armor.

This is actually typical, not just in buffalo. Ive noticed that most of the former Buckeyes don’t live in the cities they play in year round regardless of where it is. They live here or their hometowns. Usually to be close to family and friends 

Edited January 29, 2019 by YoloinOhio

[YoloinOhio]

I met mike Shanahan once. He was shorter than I expected  and kind of a jerk. 

[dubs]

4 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

If you believe it's hard to attract free agents to Buffalo.............then you'd better believe you gotta' use the early rounds to draft players at the high dollar positions.

 

QB/Pass Rusher/LT/CB/WR.........those are the $15M+ AAV second contract types that you want control of for 5-7 seasons.

 

Those guys are the NFL's version of the NBA max contract guys.........the market won't dictate where they go.

 

But if you need, say.......a RT or an interior OL or a RB or a LB or S.......you can always outbid teams for those.........those guys will follow the market and you can overpay for them and win those bidding wars.

 

And you can actually still afford it if you are paying below market for your players at premium positions.

 

So basically keep this in mind when you are tryna' sell the idea of drafting a Center or a RB with either of your first two picks.

 

 

 

Cant believe I’m writing this, but I agree with you BadOl!

 

 

[racketmaster]

1 minute ago, YoloinOhio said:

Other cities deal with this too. Artemi Panarin was traded to the blue jackets but doesn’t want to stay here once he becomes a FA. He wants to live in a huge market like NYC or  by the ocean in FL. Team is good, wants to pay him, he doesn’t care. He’s young, rich end single and can choose where he wants to live. It is what it is. I do wonder why teams like Miami aren’t better than they are, you would think they would rake in the young FAs.

That’s a good point. But if you think about it the bigger/sexy market teams may have an easier time attracting the talent but once they get there they may have a more challenging time keeping the talent focused on the game. The greater amount of outside activities and attractions may lead to players becoming less focused on the game and dedicating a 100% to the team. Conversely, you often here Buffalo players say there is nothing to do in Buffalo but work on their game. 

[FluffHead]

Green Bay is a worse place to live than buffalo for a rich young man. Though they historically aren’t the most active team in free agency, they don’t seem to have a recruiting problem. 

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

3 minutes ago, MJS said:

Sounds like YOU want the control, not to compromise.

no, I wear the pants and support the household. what does his wife do, spend his money and tells him where to work? basically giving him an ultimatum?

 

not my kind of girl.

 

I've had a successful marriage, 31 years. my wife would never give me an ultimatum. there has been plenty of compromise through the years and we have moved (job related) 3 times in 30 years. 

 

 

 

 

 

[LSHMEAB]

2 minutes ago, FluffHead said:

Green Bay is a worse place to live than buffalo for a rich young man. Though they historically aren’t the most active team in free agency, they don’t seem to have a recruiting problem. 

It's been reported that they actually do have a serious recruiting problem, but I agree that Buffalo is better than Green Bay.

[JoshAllenHasBigHands]

12 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

 

Who makes the money so she can probably not work and live a carefree life?

 

You're right, she does not make the money.  She is therefore a slave and obliged to consent to her husband's every desire. 

4 minutes ago, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

no, I wear the pants and support the household. what does his wife do, spend his money and tells him where to work? basically giving him an ultimatum?

 

not my kind of girl.

 

I've had a successful marriage, 31 years. my wife would never give me an ultimatum. there has been plenty of compromise through the years and we have moved (job related) 3 times in 30 years. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds like you have a slave, man. 

[dubs]

Buffalo is actually a pretty good place to live for players. Maybe not as cool as NYC or LA, or Chicago or Atlanta but you can get a relatively cheap palace and drive a couple hours out of the county and go to Toronto, which is every bit as cool as any city not LA/NYC. 

 

Besides, if location was such a determinant factor, I’d think the Jets/Giants/Bears/Falcons/Dolphins would almost always be good. We know that’s not the case. 

 

Not saying buffalo being buffalo isn’t a factor at all, just think it’s pretty small relative to a lot of other things. 

Edited January 29, 2019 by dubs

[White Linen]

It might be just me but I think we do well in free agency.  We target players and get them all the time.  

[Augie]

9 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

 

LMAO...the funny part is someone playing in Minnesota is complaining about how cold it is here?  They get far, far colder than we do on a regular basis there.  Granted we get a lot of snow in comparison to most other cities, but I would rather drive here after a foot and a half of snow than ion other places after 2 or 3 inches...we have one of the best plow systems in the world and roads are generally clear unless you are driving in the middle of a heavy lake effect storm, but if you are that's your own stupidity. 

 

I must say, I’ve been to Minneapolis several times (once for a very disappointing Super Bowl), and it’s an awesome city. That’s not taking anything away from Buffalo, but it’s more than just the weather. Having said that, I bet they are bundled up there today! My sister in Wisconsin (not far from Green Bay) had -25 with the wind chill today, and it’s getting colder tomorrow. YIKES! 

[K-9]

I suspect Mike Babcock would be coaching the Sabres if his wife hadn’t objected. She could still live the downtown Toronto condo lifestyle, anyway. And Pegs would have paid him more to boot. All those years in Detroit must have done it. 

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

6 minutes ago, JoshAllenHasBigHands said:

 

You're right, she does not make the money.  She is therefore a slave and obliged to consent to her husband's every desire. 

 

Sounds like you have a slave, man. 

you calling my wife a slave? what are you 15? 20? you sound like a soft little millennial that has no clue of my personal life yet basing it off the fact that the woman doesn't wear the pants in my house. that has seemed to bother you. 

 

poor kid.

[dubs]

1 minute ago, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

you calling my wife a slave? what are you 15? 20? you sound like a soft little millennial that has no clue of my personal life yet basing it off the fact that the woman doesn't wear the pants in my house. that has seemed to bother you. 

 

poor kid.

 

Ha. “Pajama ‘guy’”

[billsbackto81]

1 hour ago, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

I wouldn't let my wife tell me where I can and can not work. sorry, I believe in compromise but not control.

Well said. If it was an equal partnership financially than that may be grounds for some compromise. But if I'm the sole breadwinner and responsible for my family's well being. Guess what, we're moving to Buffalo.

[JoshAllenHasBigHands]

4 minutes ago, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

you calling my wife a slave? what are you 15? 20? you sound like a soft little millennial that has no clue of my personal life yet basing it off the fact that the woman doesn't wear the pants in my house. that has seemed to bother you. 

 

poor kid.

 

I'm 32, respect my wife, and respect women.  No body wears "pants" in my house.  We make decisions together, like adults.  I would never treat my wife with so little respect that she would have to be subservient to my demands.  I literally will go years forgetting that people with this attitude exist.  It is super troubling that not only do you think this way, but that you aren't even ashamed that you think this way. 

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

1 minute ago, JoshAllenHasBigHands said:

 

I'm 32, respect my wife, and respect women.  No body wears "pants" in my house.  We make decisions together, like adults.  I would never treat my wife with so little respect that she would have to be subservient to my demands.  I literally will go years forgetting that people with this attitude exist.  It is super troubling that not only do you think this way, but that you aren't even ashamed that you think this way. 

I have never disrespected my wife nor has she disrespected me. you're basing our 30 years together off my comment and that is asinine.

 

maybe you should step back now, move on. we have nothing further to discuss kid.

 

have a nice day.

[BADOLBILZ]

22 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Other cities deal with this too. Artemi Panarin was traded to the blue jackets but doesn’t want to stay here once he becomes a FA. He wants to live in a huge market like NYC or  by the ocean in FL. Team is good, wants to pay him, he doesn’t care. He’s young, rich end single and can choose where he wants to live. He likes Columbus but... it’s the Midwest. It is what it is. I do wonder why teams like Miami aren’t better than they are, you would think they would rake in the young FAs.

 

 

I can remember Bill Parcells talking about how Buffalo was a perfect place to cultivate a winning football organization.

 

He believed that the area's passion for football plus the lack of distractions made it a great working environment for a coach to get the most out of his players.

 

And if you look at what his lieutenant Belichick has done building a dynasty in NE...........NONE of that was in the least bit aided by being in a big market.

 

Football is a sport where max effort on the field and preparation matter a lot...........not all pro sports are actually like that......you can try too hard in baseball or press as a shooter in hoops.......those games are different and play better in big towns with lot's of distractions.

 

So if you have a great HC and QB it's probably best to be in a place where the rest of the players are going to be focused on their job.

 

The Bills big issue is not getting the great HC and QB.

 

That ultimately goes back to ownership not being able to identify the right people to run their football operations.

 

Ralph was a decade late and about $5M short when it came to trying to hire a great HC candidate.............Shanny was basically the only high profile hire he'd attempted to make at the position in 30+ years(Chuck Knox)...........and all the scrubs he hired were mostly just trying to survive and didn't want to take chances on QB's.

 

But I digress........