How does today compare to Black Thursday Feb 10, 2000?

[Livinginthepast]

Todays cuts had me thinking about the last time we mass released some beloved veteran players. Although I can safely say that I support today's moves and didnt support the cuts in 2000. Todays moves seem professional and done respectfully but I didn't get that feeling about Bruce, Thurman and Andre's release. That smacked of disrespect and  cheapness.  How do you remember Black Thursday 2000?

https://theathletic.com/2106913/2020/10/01/bills-bruce-smith-thurman-thomas-andre-reed/

[Buffalo03]

I still think that day was worse. That was Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas all the same day. This might be number 2 but I don't think it could ever pass that

[Rico]

Three future HOF’ers in 2000. Highly unlikely that anyone let go today is even considered for nomination.

[MJS]

Not even comparable. Those were hall of fame caliber players. Legendary Bills. White, Poyer, and Morse are good, but nothing like Bruce, Thurman, and Reed.

[BADOLBILZ]

 

Those were HOF'ers who got teams to SB's and that team was in a DIRE cap situation with an uncertain QB future.

 

These are just some "good" players who aged/injured out from a team that has yet to achieve much but has a great trajectory do to Josh Allen at QB.

[jlgarsh]

They should have kept Bruce

[Craig Oi]

Not even comparable, We WILL be a playoff team next year and for years to come with Josh. This is just a blip...nothing more . Bean did a much needed "reset" with the cap and the crazy thing is we aren't worse in the wear for it .Next years cap is so squeaky clean even with some more moves to come. Nail the draft(no easy task ), make a few smart moves...Very happy with the outlook after today...GO Bills!!!!

[Riverboat Ritchie]

43 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

I still think that day was worse. That was Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas all the same day. This might be number 2 but I don't think it could ever pass that

They were three future Hall of Famers who were in Super Bowl.  I’ll miss Tre Jordan and Mitch but not even close to comparable.  

[LABILLBACKER]

47 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

I still think that day was worse. That was Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas all the same day. This might be number 2 but I don't think it could ever pass that

Those 3 were HOFers who helped us to 4 SB's. These guys today were good and beloved players but not in the same tier as 34, 83 & 78.

[BuffaloBillyG]

Yeah, that was one of the worst days of my Buffalo Bills fandom.

 

I had moved temporarily to Wichita, Ks. Was working the overnight shift in a dispatch office and flipped on SportsCenter as I did every morning right before getting off work. Saw it come across the bottom line. Was absolutely gutted. That was the core of the team I grew up with. Gone in one tick.

 

That was the day I learned not to get attached to players and root more for the laundry then the individual. Tough lesson at the time.

 

[Matt_In_NH]

It does not compare.  HOFers vs good players.  That was the end period. This is a new beginning.   The team is still ascending and. Needs a eeset

 

 

[foreboding]

Not remotely close. Sad, but wayyyy different and a star lined history.

[uticaclub]

1 hour ago, Buffalo03 said:

I still think that day was worse. That was Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas all the same day. This might be number 2 but I don't think it could ever pass that

Agreed. Bruce, Andre & Thurman are Hall of Famers that played in multiple Super Bowls. These are good players that won a few division titles.

[Buffalo03]

35 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Those 3 were HOFers who helped us to 4 SB's. These guys today were good and beloved players but not in the same tier as 34, 83 & 78.

Exactly 

[JohnNord]

I see the parallels for sure but it doesn’t compare in any way.   In 2000, Kelly and Levy were gone for years and the 3 big releases truly felt like “the end of an era.”   It kind of does today but it’s just not the same.  
 

Bruce and Andre played 14 seasons which was twice as many as the group cut today.  Thurman had 11 years which is 4 more.

 

Also the group in 2000 experienced more success individually and as a team for a longer span of time.  So not having the marquee names on the felt like a huge blow.

 

Where there are similarities with 2000 and 2024.  We could noticeably see these great players slowing down a bit as they aged and battled injury.  Players couldn’t play at the level that they paid at anymore and the cap situation was bad.
 

We knew that the releases were a definite possibility based on the cap, but we’re still surprised when it happened.  

 

Interestingly enough, releasing Andre and Thurman proved to be the right move.  Both players were out of football in less than 12 months.  I can see Poyer and White follow a similar path though probably longer than 12 months.  
 

Bruce played 4 more seasons and still a very good DE but a far cry from the dominant All Pro he had been.  
 

Either was I think when we look back we’ll realize it was the right decision just as we did in 2000 but it still sucks.  

1 hour ago, jlgarsh said:

They should have kept Bruce

Much like the players released today, the problem was his contract.  While he was a good DE at his age he just couldn’t live up to his contract.  

[dhg]

Not even close

[SoonerBillsFan]

1 hour ago, Livinginthepast said:

Todays cuts had me thinking about the last time we mass released some beloved veteran players. Although I can safely say that I support today's moves and didnt support the cuts in 2000. Todays moves seem professional and done respectfully but I didn't get that feeling about Bruce, Thurman and Andre's release. That smacked of disrespect and  cheapness.  How do you remember Black Thursday 2000?

https://theathletic.com/2106913/2020/10/01/bills-bruce-smith-thurman-thomas-andre-reed/

It's different but the same.  We cut 3 future HOF players that were past their prime.  Bruce held on long enough with Washington to get the sack title.

 

Today was cutting players that were older and took up too much cap.

 

 

[JMM]

NOT...EVEN...CLOSE. 

[NoSaint]

1 hour ago, Livinginthepast said:

Todays cuts had me thinking about the last time we mass released some beloved veteran players. Although I can safely say that I support today's moves and didnt support the cuts in 2000. Todays moves seem professional and done respectfully but I didn't get that feeling about Bruce, Thurman and Andre's release. That smacked of disrespect and  cheapness.  How do you remember Black Thursday 2000?

https://theathletic.com/2106913/2020/10/01/bills-bruce-smith-thurman-thomas-andre-reed/

just a wildly inappropriate comparison right?

[That's No Moon]

Not even remotely close.  Hell, half of this board has been trying to release Mitch Morse for nigh on 3 years.  Poyer could have been gone last year and Tre, God Bless him is going to have a heckuva time playing football again let alone being worth his contract.

 

The 2000 releases were all of healthy players who all had MUCH larger roles on teams that accomplished MUCH more than this group.  As much as this is better than the drought, the current team has accomplished virtually nothing of note and seems to have plateaued. Before you yell at me about "nothing of note" tell me, without looking, who lost in the division round games played from 1990 to 1994.  Not just the ones we played in. All of them.  You can't.  Nobody cares.