Black Wednesday

[Logic]

1 hour ago, Dillenger4 said:

Wow man, you are looking at it all wrong! Tre being gone is a gREAT thing. Maybe we can actually find someone that can cover now. And believe me, these dudes aren't "sad" like you. They are happy and rich. Move along....

BTW - I truly hope you feel better. It will all be fine brother! GO BILLS

Respectfully, I believe that it is you who is looking at it all wrong.

One can acknowledge that a move needed to be made from a football standpoint and/or a salary cap standpoint (both of which I acknowledged in my post, which I'd bet $100 you failed to actually read), and still feel sad on a human level to see these great members of the Buffalo community and these great Buffalo Bills walk out the door. 

Too many people forget that NFL players are human beings. We can acknowledge the business side and be happy that the team is moving forward and shedding cap while ALSO being sad to see good human beings -- who helped build this current Bills team and gave us a lot of great memories along the way -- leave. Or at least, I can feel those things simultaneously. Maybe you can't. That's a shame.

We've heard for years now how the team culture is one of the things that make this place special, and three huge pieces of that team culture got cut today. It's okay to have human feelings about it, separate from the nuts-and-bolts football strategy. It's also okay if you DON'T have those feelings, but you have no right to tell me that I'm "looking at it all wrong" by having those feelings. Empathy and affection for fellow humans -- even well paid football players -- are virtues, not weaknesses. 

[BADOLBILZ]

21 minutes ago, Marlton Bills said:

Too early for St. Patty’s Day massacre?

 

Oh man that would have been sweet.   Why can't free agency start a week later every year so the roster bonuses can kick in(or out) on the 17th?  

[HurlyBurly51]

Wasn't sure where to put this.  Here's what I got so far this offseason (mostly today😀):

 

Tre White post June 1 cut

Mitch Morse released

Jordan Poyer released

Deonte Harty released

Siran Neal released

Nyheim Hines released

 

Rasul Douglas restructured 

Von Miller restructured

 

Mitch Trubisky signed

David Edwards re-signed

Taylor Rapp re-signed

Matt Haack signed

 

Ryan Bates traded for a 2024 5th round draft pick

 

Coaches:

Washington, Shula, Butler - out

Ronald Curry, Jahmile Addae, Christian Taylor - in

[John from Riverside]

The reaper cometh today

[Chaos]

Do coordinators Brady or Babich have any influence over today's decisions? 

[Solomon Grundy]

2 minutes ago, Chaos said:

Do coordinators Brady or Babich have any influence over today's decisions? 

Is the special teams coach still employed? 

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, Logic said:

Thank you. Exactly this.

It's almost as if the cold responders didn't actually read my post, wherein I said several times that the moves were necessary, expected, and even that I'm excited about them from a pure football standpoint.

Where I was coming from -- and maybe I failed to get my point across clearly enough -- is that these guys are human beings. Yes, we all root for "the laundry", but we also get to know these guys to some degree as people. They become members of the Buffalo community. They have personalities, and we follow the arcs of their careers, and they lay it all on the line to bring Buffalo its first Lombardi, a thing that a guy like Jordan Poyer wanted just as badly as the fans here want it.

So my post wasn't about whether or not these moves needed to happen (they did), and it wasn't stating that I would have kept any of them (I wouldn't). It's recognizing that these men were great HUMAN BEINGS, great leaders, and great Buffalo Bills. That they represented this team and this community with pride, with excellence, and with grit and tenacity and exemplary leadership. 

There are plenty of threads talking about the strategy of these moves. The nuts and bolts. The salary cap. My post was not that. My post was a "thank you", a recognition of a job very well done, a "farewell", and an acknowledgement that a football TEAM is made of PEOPLE, and sometimes it's a little hard to see those people walk out the door.

Wow.  You are on a roll.  This, too, is simply excellent.   

 

And not only are these players good human beings and feel somehow like family.   They also were part of one of the most memorable periods in Bills history.  They were core players at a time when Bills fans were being rewarded for the two decades of disappointment.  These were the guys who were there, who were anchors, when Bills football became genuinely exciting, exciting like we hadn't seen in those two decades.   Yes, sure, it was Allen, of course, it was Allen, but these guys were the supporting players the team depended on to lead the others.   

 

They are part of an exciting era.  

 

And I'll add this:  I think the first rock McDermott built this team on was Kyle Williams, and I've always thought that when the Bills win the Lombardi under McDermott, Williams will know, and McDermott will acknowledge, that it started with Williams.  And we all will know that it went through Poyer and Hyde, and Morse, too.  They'll be gone, but they'll be part of the success that's coming. 

[Shaw66]

1 hour ago, HurlyBurly51 said:

Wasn't sure where to put this.  Here's what I got so far this offseason (mostly today😀😞

 

Tre White post June 1 cut

Mitch Morse released

Jordan Poyer released

Deonte Harty released

Siran Neal released

Nyheim Hines released

 

Rasul Douglas restructured 

Von Miller restructured

 

Mitch Trubisky signed

David Edwards re-signed

Taylor Rapp re-signed

Matt Haack signed

 

Ryan Bates traded for a 2024 5th round draft pick

 

Coaches:

Washington, Shula, Butler - out

Ronald Curry, Jahmile Addae, Christian Taylor - in

Looking at that list, what does it say about where McDermott expects leadership to come from.   He knows, the players know, who has to step up.  

 

Where does it come from:  Milano and Taron Johnson, maybe Rousseau.  Who's the leader in the backfield?  Putting a lot on Rapp.  

 

On offense, it for sure falls on McGovern, who's moving to center and needs to be able to win at the position, learn to work with a new guy on both sides.  And Allen, but Allen's good as a leader and just will get better.  

 

There'll be some veteran free agents, too, and they'll be brought in intentionally to be leaders.  

 

Still, it's going to be a different team. 

[Coffeesforclosers]

3 hours ago, uticaclub said:

What are you talking about?

 

Beane. He's all business. I never thought he'd be this ruthless. He's also right. 

[Nitro]

This is the time of year where guys over 30 or prone to injuries get cut.  While I liked the players these moves are necessary.  White had a nice career ruined by injuries.   Time marches on.

[Draconator]

It is going to be weird not to see long-time Bills no longer on the roster. Players who meant a lot to this team and community. But football, like any professional sport, is a business, and Beane made a lot of business decisions today. 

[BillMafia716ix]

Had to be done unfortunately. Although now this puts more on Josh shoulders. Defense won’t be as strong 

[Allen2Moulds]

3 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

All these cold responses I think are missing the point. 

 

I expected all of these moves, I felt they all needed to happen, so no surprise here from me and no disagreement with any of the moves.  But that that still doesn't mean its not sad to see the door close on their careers here, especially given how important they were to the team and locker room.  

 

So I don't know...maybe save the harsh "good" to see them go comments for another thread.  Cuz I think the sentiment here is that while its the right move, its a bit of a bummer these guys time in Buffalo is done overall as they were huge parts of the team and community for long periods of time.  Talking about several fan favorites too.

 

I don't really see the point to celebrate or mock their departure...myself, I find myself just appreciating their time here and wishing them well where ever they go or do next.  

I think we can be excited at the potential the youth movement could possibly bring, but also celebrate what these men have done for our team. I think we also need to mention Hyde as well.

 

That being said, I don't agree with the Morse release. We finally fixed the line, only to make it weaker in 2 spots with one move. Morse was still playing at a high level, and I don't see why we couldn't restructure or add 1-2 years to his deal. Unless we have big plans in FA, and use that on a game changer, which I doubt.

I guess we will see.

[oldmanfan]

Lost some good guys today.  Guys that put it all out there and helped the team achieve a sustained playoff run.  But it was Bill Walsh I believe who said it’s better to cut a guy a year too early than a year too late.  That plus the cap means vets with big contracts who are on the wrong side of 30 get cut.  It sucks but it’s how things have to be done in today’s NFL.

[uticaclub]

25 minutes ago, Coffeesforclosers said:

 

Beane. He's all business. I never thought he'd be this ruthless. He's also right. 

Ruthless? Did you expect them to keep expensive, aged-out vets who have never sniffed a championship because of…? This is his job. It sucks losing players you’ve become attached to but it's part of being a fan.

[patzen]

Thanks for this thread, OP. And I know I'm a softie, but cutting Tre is hitting me hard. His hard work, great play, and infectious positive energy will be sorely missed. It was the right move to move on from him this offseason but he gave all he had for this team and that will always mean something to me. The perfect definition of a process guy. Thanks for everything Tre.

[Richard Noggin]

5 hours ago, The Wiz said:

They already have 22m in cap space next year and can get even bigger extending dawkins and johnson and restructure Allen.  They are getting younger and flush with money at the cost of old players with experience.  I'll take it. 👍

 

Who has 22M in cap space next year? Do you mean in 2025? 

[hondo in seattle]

We once boasted an elite secondary anchored by White, Poyer, and Hyde.  Now only one of them is left.  Sad.  

[Robert Paulson]

1 hour ago, BillMafia716ix said:

Had to be done unfortunately. Although now this puts more on Josh shoulders. Defense won’t be as strong 

Same as it ever was except less money spent on the D. The D came up short more than they closed things out, especially in the playoffs.

[Coffeesforclosers]

57 minutes ago, uticaclub said:

Ruthless? Did you expect them to keep expensive, aged-out vets who have never sniffed a championship because of…? This is his job. It sucks losing players you’ve become attached to but it's part of being a fan.

 

I said he was right?