Buffalo has become an NFL destination once again

[bigK14094]

5 hours ago, GaryPinC said:

Well worth noting.  Might I emphasize the future Hall of fame pass rusher turned down and left his superbowl champion LA team to come here?  A team very much Interested in keeping him.

 

Sure Miller's  on the downside of his career, but he's got some gas left and we get to watch the most exciting pass rusher since Bruce make plays for us now and mentor our young DE's.

Stafford only has one year left on his contract.  The Rams will be in QB hell soon enough and Miller saw that Allen is signed for 6(?) more here in Buffalo.

[chris heff]

9 hours ago, Big Turk said:

It once was when Kelly and company were playing and it is once again...

 

Von Miller actively recruited the Bills and let them know he wanted to come here(he was the FA Albert Breer referred to when he said at least one big name FA had his agent reach out on his behalf to the team).

 

OJ Howard said he is excited to be here and that players around the NFL want to come here because they know something special is being built here and they want to be a part of it.

 

Jordan Phillips and Shaq Lawson said they are back home and Phillips said he didn't miss a single game, communicated with the guys constantly and hung out with them in the offseason. 

 

Miller said he talked to Diggs and said how he told him he loved everything about Buffalo.

 

Whatever the vision Beane and McDermott had for this team in terms of atmosphere, culture, on field results, etc I am not sure they could have pictured it all coming together quite like it has so quickly.

 

It's a testament to what they built, the fans, the city and players around the league wanting to be a part of a family atmosphere and something amazing.

 

I keep hearing it from multiple players so I know it has to be true but I keep having to pinch myself because I still don't think it's real...after all the years where we had to overpay and beg FAs to come here, now we have players active recruiting us to try and be a part of the team...

 

I don't know if we truly appreciate just how special this is yet and how players around the NFL talk glowingly about what they have heard about Buffalo and what's going on here.

 

I've never felt more confident that we are going to end the Super Bowl drought than I am now.

Wasn’t free agency different back then?

[Chandler#81]

2 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

Nice write up, Turk. 
But enough already with the ‘small town atmosphere’. It’s way past time for Buffalo to really step up its game. Get more and better dining options. Another pro sport franchise - basketball/Baseball. More theater/concert options and venues. There’s finally REAL $$ coming in nationally to improve infrastructure and ground transportation (light rail,etc) to safely get eskimos out of their igloos and out for a weekend foray downtown. New sports complex coming. 
Shed the ‘nobody comes here anyway’ excuse. Get with the times and really revitalize the city while the irons are hot!

 

[chris heff]

2 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

Nice write up, Turk. 
But enough already with the ‘small town atmosphere’. It’s way past time for Buffalo to really step up its game. Get more and better dining options. Another pro sport franchise - basketball/Baseball. More theater/concert options and venues. There’s finally REAL $$ coming in nationally to improve infrastructure and ground transportation (light rail,etc) to safely get eskimos out of their igloos and out for a weekend foray downtown. New sports complex coming. 
Shed the ‘nobody comes here anyway’ excuse. Get with the times and really revitalize the city while the irons are hot!

And build a domed stadium downtown! Just kidding. When I was in college there was a sign at the entrance to the New York State Thruway that said “Last one to leave turn out the lights”. Starting in the 1960s Buffalo went through some tough times, for multiple reasons. I’ve been back a couple of times over the last few years, I love what’s going on with the waterfront and downtown just seems more vibrant. 

[MiltonWaddams]

In an age where we are seeing people become hyper aware of their mental health, the supportive team Atmosphere that acts like more of a family than anything has become attractive. I think we all undervalue the quality of Buffalo in that regard. It’s a place where players are supported and feel loved. Well, maybe not Cole Beasley, but most players….

[Big Turk]

2 hours ago, chris heff said:

Wasn’t free agency different back then?

 

They had Plan B free agency for a period of time before regular free agency started in 1993...

 

"This allowed owners to protect 37 of their players—often the best players and most potentially lucrative free agents—with the right of first refusal."

Edited March 18, 2022 by Big Turk

[Utah John]

6 hours ago, Big Turk said:

 

Yes

 

He didn't pay anymore for Miller than Vegas paid for Chandler Jones.

 

You also greatly underestimate how the cap is going to explode over the next 4 years. It will be close to or over $300 million by then with all the new crazy TV contracts kicking in and those deals will be bargains in comparison. Burrow and Herbert will be the first $60 million a year players in the NFL when their contracts come up.

Agreed on money for Miller vs Jones.  Personally I'd have preferred Jones over Miller, who's fading faster.  But, he's still a threat and a skilled pass rusher, so maybe he'll pass on some tips to our young DEs.  Also Miller is great in the locker room, not sure about Jones. 

 

Also agreed about the salary cap, but I'm not sure the explosion you mentioned will come soon enough to avoid a couple of critical years where the Bills can't squeeze through on keeping who they want to keep as well as filling holes.

6 hours ago, Big Turk said:

 

Players almost always cooperate with these restructures because it converts salary into bonus money meaning they get it upfront versus having to wait for it. Would make no sense for them not to. Every team around the league utilitizes this. New Orleans did this with 8 or 9 players this year to help them go from $70 million over the cap to $30 million under it in a few weeks time.

 

Agree on McKissic...the chance to play with Allen and now a treasure trove of other free agent riches versus staying there to play with a QB so bad a team that gave up a first round pick for him the year before felt compelled to dump him for whatever they could get is a pretty steep decline. Not to mention they got their asses handed to them by almost 30 points by us last year, so he saw what we were about up close and in person.

I figure it had to be a non-football reason for McKissic.  His wife not wanting to move?  Maybe he has a great house and living situation near DC, and when he brought his wife to Buffalo in yucky March she said no no no no. Well, his loss.  And maybe the message got through to Motor and Moss and Brieda (who's probably gone anyway) that they need to keep upping their game.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

18 hours ago, CSBill said:

 

Sign them all !!!! ..... Get it done Mr. Beane!

 

All in baby !!!

 

 

[stevestojan]

20 hours ago, stevestojan said:

Another reason why you pay your human videogame QB a trillion dollars. 
 

Starts at QB and goes from there. And we now have the best one. 

I was kidding about the trillion dollars thing, Cleveland. 

[Big Turk]

17 hours ago, Utah John said:

Agreed on money for Miller vs Jones.  Personally I'd have preferred Jones over Miller, who's fading faster.  But, he's still a threat and a skilled pass rusher, so maybe he'll pass on some tips to our young DEs.  Also Miller is great in the locker room, not sure about Jones. 

 

Also agreed about the salary cap, but I'm not sure the explosion you mentioned will come soon enough to avoid a couple of critical years where the Bills can't squeeze through on keeping who they want to keep as well as filling holes.

I figure it had to be a non-football reason for McKissic.  His wife not wanting to move?  Maybe he has a great house and living situation near DC, and when he brought his wife to Buffalo in yucky March she said no no no no. Well, his loss.  And maybe the message got through to Motor and Moss and Brieda (who's probably gone anyway) that they need to keep upping their game.

 

It's been in the 60s much of the week and sunny here

Edited March 19, 2022 by Big Turk

[Warcodered]

 

[TheBrownBear]

It's hard to overstate how important Josh's postseason performance this year was in all of this.  We knew we had a great, HOF type QB on our hands, but I think it took this year's playoff performance to really catch the eye of players around the league.   Watching those two games, they were probably like "damn, that's a cool cat, fun guy, great teammate, and an unbelievably all-world freakish talent, with the stones to deliver in the toughest moments on the biggest stage.  I want to roll with that dude and help him get over the top."  Buffalo's awesome fanbase is just the cherry on top.  

[Warcodered]

5 minutes ago, TheBrownBear said:

It's hard to overstate how important Josh's postseason performance this year was in all of this.  We knew we had a great, HOF type QB on our hands, but I think it took this year's playoff performance to really catch the eye of players around the league.   Watching those two games, they were probably like "damn, that's a cool cat, fun guy, great teammate, and an unbelievably all-world freakish talent, with the stones to deliver in the toughest moments on the biggest stage.  I want to roll with that dude and help him get over the top."  Buffalo's awesome fanbase is just the cherry on top.  

before those playoff games Josh was a physical freak that could do outrageous things. During those playoff games he became a monster Coaches use to scare their defenses at night so they behave themselves.

[TheBrownBear]

3 minutes ago, Warcodered said:

before those playoff games Josh was a physical freak that could do outrageous things. During those playoff games he became a monster Coaches use to scare their defenses at night so they behave themselves.

Can you imagine being a fan of another team when you've got to go against Josh freaking Allen?  Honestly, that must be a terrible feeling.

 

It blows my mind that we are now considered, far and away, the favorites to win the Super Bowl this coming year.  We are that big bad team that is expected to wreck the league.  Really fun from a fan perspective.  Let's hope our guys can deliver on that promise.

[Warcodered]

 

[Helpmenow]

On 3/18/2022 at 11:19 AM, chris heff said:

And build a domed stadium downtown! Just kidding. When I was in college there was a sign at the entrance to the New York State Thruway that said “Last one to leave turn out the lights”. Starting in the 1960s Buffalo went through some tough times, for multiple reasons. I’ve been back a couple of times over the last few years, I love what’s going on with the waterfront and downtown just seems more vibrant. 

If only the weather was nicer

[LABILLBACKER]

On 3/18/2022 at 2:22 AM, stosh64 said:

The whole thing seems a little surreal after living through what we all, as long time Bills fans, have over the relative short 62 yr history of the Bills.  I was born in 64, lived here my whole life as a Bills fan, and I NEVER remember anything like this.  Even during the SB years.

This just seems different.  I don't remember outsiders rooting for the 'underdog' Bills when Kelly was here.  In fact, I remember us being hated, and joked about, maybe a little more.

I am going to enjoy every second of whatever this phenomenon (Josh F#n ALLEN)is that has enveloped this franchise and thank God for Cantaloupe farmers. 

It is different than the 90's team. Hard to accurately describe it but alot more of my non-Bills friends root for them now than before. Maybe it's the whole national "mafia" moniker? Maybe it's the arm canon cyborg sent from the future to destroy Mahomey? Whatever it is, the process & culture is working. And it doesn't hurt to have so many down to earth people live in Buffalo.  The Cubs finally got one and we will too.

[The Wiz]

7 hours ago, Helpmenow said:

If only the weather was nicer

Go there in the summer and everyone will tell you it's too hot to be outside. 

[nedboy7]

It’s odd so many top players wanna play for a ***** coach w the worst LB in the league.  Don’t forget our secondary sucks. Our RB is weak.  Oline is crap. No depth at WR.  Dline blows.