Do we need to look at this differently?

[Dr. Trooth]

Well… a very dismal free agent signing period for the Bills so far. Usually, fans are so giddy after the first 3 or so days that they are pissing koolaid all over everything.

 

On the contrare’. I don’t recall seeing Bills fans so riled up after a week of free agency. And, I’ve been riled up enough to put the over/under on season ticket sales @ 42,000. So, that brings to mind the question… what does PT Brandon have to do to create another koolaid drinking frenzy? He can’t be this stupid to believe by signing two backups that the Bills are a better team now than at season’s end… cuz it just ain’t, and we ain’t stupid enough to believe that they are better.

 

So… I’ve been trying to rationalize this…maybe there will be June bargains. I don’t know, but let’s look at reality.

 

1) The CBA expires at the beginning of FA in 2010

2) There will soon be a new Players Assoc. Pres. (T. Vincent?) who will have to hit a home run to keep the rank & file happy, or at least stand his ground.

3) Owners who took it in the sphincter at the last CBA, and are hell bent against it happening again

4) A league that has made significant staff cuts in lieu of the economy.

5) Owners that are in a bit of a crunch with the economy tanked.

6) A commish that is seeing an increased cash flow gap between the “haves” teams like the Boys, Skins, Giants, Jets and the “have nots”… Bills, Jax, Saints, Packers and will likely look at spreading the wealth around to keep the playing field as even as possible

7) Potentially an uncapped season in 2010 if no new CBA is reached.

 

So this has to be a huge consideration for any team in free agency… especially teams like Cincy, Bills, Jax, Cleve, and a few others. Teams that spent big in FA will have to cut a few players loose in June. Those teams that resisted spending in FA now, and reserved significant cap space in doing so, may reap the benefits in June. Players signed in June on count toward the 2010 cap… a potentially uncapped season. Teams well under the cap are really the only teams that can safely go after players. Sure a Jerry Jones and Danny Snyder could sign a bunch of players cut in June, but, then they run the risk of a new CBA being struck and a cap. If that happens, they’ve got to cut a schitt load of players, and also risk dead cap money that could handcuff them in 2010, and perhaps beyond.

 

So, I guess we’ll have wait til June and see what happens. If I were a season ticket holder, I wouldn’t even consider re-upping now without a seeing some significant talent infusion on this team. Me? I’ll pass on the koolaid for now.