Compensation for Bledsoe?

[1billsfan]

I heard there were some discussions with other teams regarding fair value for Drew Bledsoe. But Tom Donahoe was not willing to trade for a bag of rocks. He was holding out for the possiblity of getting a ball of twine. Sadly this trade never materialized so they were left with having to just release him.

 

Apparently NFC teams haven't yet thought of watching old Bills games where Bledsoe never met a blitz he could handle. Once they catch on it'll be curtains for Drew.

[Bill from NYC]

I heard there were some discussions with other teams regarding fair value for Drew Bledsoe. But Tom Donahoe was not willing to trade for a bag of rocks. He was holding out for the possiblity of getting a ball of twine. Sadly this trade never materialized so they were left with having to just release him.

 

Apparently NFC teams haven't yet thought of watching old Bills games where Bledsoe never met a blitz he could handle. Once they catch on it'll be curtains for Drew.

473217[/snapback]

 

I agree. Andy Reid, who has coached his way into the superbowl, needs to come here and learn from the haters. What is he thinking?

[Rico]

Is anybody else upset we let a solid Veteran QB who we gave up a 1st rd pick for in 2002 walk for free? 

472894[/snapback]

I was upset TD waited a year to cut him, should've happened after his disgraceful 2003 season. But, in the end, I was very pleased to see him dumped without compensation (i.e. no value)... he got exactly the humiliation he deserved.

[ganesh]

Donahoe is a two time loser when it comes to Bledsoe.

473135[/snapback]

Actually it is 3 time...because Bledsoe sucked while he was a Bill (excluding

the 1st 8 games).

[ganesh]

No, he can't bring us an OL  , but he DID get us a 3rd round pick for a drug addict who is a lousy player.

473162[/snapback]

 

Sure...but what would you have....a line that can block for its QB and RB

or a extra 3rd round pick for a RB.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

I heard there were some discussions with other teams regarding fair value for Drew Bledsoe. But Tom Donahoe was not willing to trade for a bag of rocks. He was holding out for the possiblity of getting a ball of twine. Sadly this trade never materialized so they were left with having to just release him.

 

Apparently NFC teams haven't yet thought of watching old Bills games where Bledsoe never met a blitz he could handle. Once they catch on it'll be curtains for Drew.

473217[/snapback]

 

 

I think folks are falling into a false judgement that there are only two choices, either Drew sucks or Drew is a gift from heaven who can do it all.

 

Neither is remotely true. I think the more interesting and more intelligent discussion or debate iw what does it take for an HC to get the maximum that he can get out of Bledsoe and how much is that maximum.

 

I think the reality on the ground shows that it though it does not seem possible at all that Bledsoe is a good enough QB to lead a team all season to an SB win. He has come colose to doing this in real life.

 

The facts are these:

 

1. Bledsoe has a rocket arm and over 10 years of seeing pro Ds over the center\s back. Also on his plus side he is a big boy and outside of a huge hit which collapsed his lung, he has demonstrated that he can survive the huge sacks and massive pounding which comes from his immodbility.

 

2. The downsides to Bledsoe as your QB are huge and almost always fatal to a team which attempts to rely on him as their #1 QB.

 

A. He locks on his prime receiver and goes into his familiar pat,pat,pat as he waits for the WR to get the slightest advantage on the DB so he can zip it in there are few can with his rocket arm.

B. He has a lot of experience which lets him see alot and recognize situations, however, like many jocks he is often a taco short of a combination platter and can be badly fooled by a new or deceptive look. He sometimes will have a brain fart like he did when he threw the ball OB on 4th down on an end of the game Bills drive.

C. He simply has too much confidence in his own arm and has shown a tendency to audible out of 3rd and short running plays and instead which to a pass which often are marginal passes that rely on his huge arm and everything going right.

 

Is it possible to win with Bledsoe?

 

Certainly!

 

1. Bill Parcells coached a Bledsoe led team to the SB early in the youngster's career. Comimg up a game short is not winning it all, but as the Bills showed everyone four times getting to the Show at all is pretty amazing and means you won a few to get there.

 

2. Bill Belichick HC\ed the 2001 Pats season and fortunately for him Bledsoe got trashed so he had to rely on Bledsoe (it is a true irony that with the Lewis hit, boy genius Belichick might well be known as the bright guy who sucked as HC in Cleveland making the playoffs at a TD like rate of success of once in 5 years, and he reneged on his aggreement to coach NYJ to go to NE, and then leading a team where he rode Bledsoe at QB as he had to do he floundered in NE- fortunately for BB the Lewis hit freed BB from having to make a choice to force Bledsoe to the bench- a choice I doubt he could have pulled off). Nevertheless, the facts are that Bledsoe did play the majiority of a must-win game at QB in their SB run and in fact threw the winning TD.

 

3. Despite Bledsoe playing dreadfully in 2003, he did QB a team to a winning record last year in part because despite the star addiction of the NFL and American society it generally takes a TEAM to really win in the NFL. It was the ST and the D play along with a couple of games by Bledsoe when the wind was strong and some nice vet timely plays that got us to a winning record. Together this team came up short a home against Pitts as Lindell missed a chip shot, the SD gave up over 100 yards rushing to a 4th stringer (though Parker is good), Nate put a PR on the carpet and Bledsoe also proved incapable of being good enough to lead the team or overcome thsee problems.

 

The other factors which did allow Bledsoe to QB a winning team is that MM and TC did a tremendous job utilizing what he did well, using the talents of the rest of the O, and compensating for Bledsoe's failings.

 

A. Parcells used his personality and force of will to remind Bledsoe in pratice as a youngster to just throw the damn ball whenever he went into his familar pat. Young technocrats MM and TC used an alarm clock set for 4 seconds to build a pattern in Bledsoe of getting rid of the ball since he seems to lose his internal clock most good QBs have.

B. TC was smart enough to know that simply because Bledsoe will never be mistaken for Micheal Vick, you gotta run him from time to time anyway. Bledsoe is a big boy who will get hit hard whether you run him or wait for the sack and the Bills ran him for positive yardage on the QB draw enough last year that blitzers could not sell out on the sack rush all the time.

C. TC made great use of the stiff-arm and greater outside speed of WM over Henry to force blitzers to guard against the outside run and not simply sell out on the blitz.

D. TC used DB outstanding ball skills (his ability to catch and handle errant shotgun snaps saved Trey Teague while he learned this part of the game) to run a few succesful flea-flickers last year where he handed off to WM, took the pitch back and hit the WR long. Bledsoe even pulled off a nice fake of a QB sneak and pitched the ball back to WM who scampered 40+ fopr the TD.

E. Even Bledsoe himself publicly sang the praises of TC simplifying the O alot by cutting down Bledsoe's ability to audible.

4. Bledsoe is steerind Dallas to at least an average season and in fact has a great QB rating and simply dogged Philly on Sunday.

 

Some folks may want to claim Bledsoe totally sucks or that he can do it all. The truth is that with a very good HC and a very good team aroiund him. Bledsoe has proven capable of being a winning QB and play a central role in winning the SB.

 

The bad news for Bledsoe haters is that if he continues to play out this season at a anywhere near the rate he is playing now he is likely a stone cold lock for the Hall of Fame. And actually, even if Bledsoe has an end of the season downturn in productivity as the weatber makes it harder for eveyone to pass, by being on an SB winning team, putting up some glitzy numbers even though it was often for a losing Pats team. getting to the Pro Bowl anf being the Comeback Player of the Year in 2002 making the Pro Bowl after he was cut in favor of a better QB, Bledsoe probablty already is going to make the HOF even if he had a bad season this year.

 

The bad news for Bledsoe haters is that when one sees how a brain dead no running vet like Testaberde can come back and be effective at his advanced age, it is not unreasonable to think that Bledsoe may actually have several more years of effective play in him in which his team wins games because he, his HC and his teammates will not depend upon him to do things be cannot possibly do. I think the irony is here that Bledsoe may well become a more winning QB as he is forced to rein in his game by age.

 

In fact, the best chance for those of you who want to see Bledsoe gone is that he has made so much $ off the game he may simply choose to go Fishin in Montana.

[Greybeard]

C. He simply has too much confidence in his own arm and has shown a tendency to audible out of 3rd and short running plays and instead which to a pass which often are marginal passes that rely on his huge arm and everything going right.

 

473453[/snapback]

 

How did this post get talking about Jim Kelly?

 

 

Anyway, I don't think any of the DB supporters here ever thought he was the guy to carry the entire team on his back. And truely, I don't think I can name a QB who can do that or has done that on a consistant basis. They have all had help, if help only means the team would actually catch catchable balls. What they thought was given decent support, DB could win. And I believe the last half of last year proved that. There were games he didn't play well but in each of those games, other aspects of the Bills also failed.

 

BTW, to those who say DB would never lead the Bills to a championship, I would like to remind them that only one QB ever lead the Bills to a championshipand that was JK.

 

 

 

 

That JK being Jack Kemp.

[jarthur31]

Is anybody else upset we let a solid Veteran QB who we gave up a 1st rd pick for in 2002 walk for free?  Considering the #'s he's putting up, we should have gotten at least SOMETHING.  I know TD and MM were being respectful by letting DB walk, but it's a business world.  How about Dallas gives up a 5th rd pick conditional to a 2nd rd pick based on his performance.  Dallas needed Bledsoe more than we thought. Knowing the NFC Bledsoe may make the pro-bowl, and take the boys into the playoffs.  Just wish we would have gotten some collateral for Bledsoe instead of letting him walk free.

472894[/snapback]

 

FLMAO! Everybody here wanted to trade him and our #1 just to get rid of the guy.

[Beerstm]

Is anybody else upset we let a solid Veteran QB who we gave up a 1st rd pick for in 2002 walk for free?  Considering the #'s he's putting up, we should have gotten at least SOMETHING.  I know TD and MM were being respectful by letting DB walk, but it's a business world.  How about Dallas gives up a 5th rd pick conditional to a 2nd rd pick based on his performance.  Dallas needed Bledsoe more than we thought. Knowing the NFC Bledsoe may make the pro-bowl, and take the boys into the playoffs.  Just wish we would have gotten some collateral for Bledsoe instead of letting him walk free.

472894[/snapback]

 

 

The fans wanted Bledsoe cut.. so that is what TD did.. The fans and media wanted Holcomb to start.. guess what Holcomb is starting.. see a trend?

[Fezmid]

The fans wanted Bledsoe cut.. so that is what TD did.. The fans and media wanted Holcomb to start.. guess what Holcomb is starting.. see a trend?

473670[/snapback]

I want Buffalo to win a Superbowl. Who's with me?

 

CW

[ExiledInIllinois]

How did this post get talking about Jim Kelly?

Anyway, I don't think any of the DB supporters here ever thought he was the guy to carry the entire team on his back.  And truely, I don't think I can name a QB who can do that or has done that on a consistant basis.  They have all had help, if help only means the team would actually catch catchable balls.  What they thought was given decent support, DB could win.  And I believe the last half of last year proved that.  There were games he didn't play well but in each of those games, other aspects of the Bills also failed.

 

BTW, to those who say DB would never lead the Bills to a championship, I would like to remind them that only one QB ever lead the Bills to a championshipand that was JK.

That JK being Jack Kemp.

473576[/snapback]

 

You should have said World Championships.

 

Actually, Jim Kelly lead the Bills to 4 championships (AFC)... Drew Bledsoe led the Pats to 2 championships (AFC).

 

So being AFC Champions for four years under Jim Kelly doesn't count as a championship?

 

The Championships under Jack Kemp were the same thing... They just didn't play the NFL for the World Championship.

 

Please argue if you feel I am wrong.

[Greybeard]

You should have said World Championships.

 

Actually, Jim Kelly lead the Bills to 4 championships (AFC)... Drew Bledsoe led the Pats to 2 championships (AFC).

 

So being AFC Champions for four years under Jim Kelly doesn't count as a championship?

 

The Championships under Jack Kemp were the same thing... They just didn't play the NFL for the World Championship.

 

Please argue if you feel I am wrong.

473885[/snapback]

 

No you are correct. I should have phrased it differently. The Bills under Jack Kemp made the playoffs and won their last game of the season. There was no one left to beat under the circumstances. I should have said something to that affect.