Owens, O-line on the agenda at Booster Club meeting

[Deadstroke]

Thanks Lori - it is hard not to now be a glass half full person with regards to the upcoming season. I just hope the o-line really does come together. Sounds like Peters really did not want to remain in Buffalo. I suppose we will never know his side of the story.

 

 

Hey, call me a homer if you want, and believe me I usually don't spout off like this, but I really believe that IF IF the OL comes together as it has an excellent chance of doing, this Offense has a very good chance of being in the top 5 in TOP due to Jauron's penchant for the ground game and Trent's ability to hit the short ones. Not quite the success in scoring but with luck we have a good chance to crack the top 10........ JMO guys.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

BTW Lori,

 

Great job. That was more Bills info than I have digested in one sitting in many months. Excellent reportage.

 

At the end of your piece you mentioned that "Trainer Chris Fischetti was on hand to present the team’s Ed Block Courage Award to this year’s recipient, defensive end Chris Kelsay."

I was curious if Kelsay was actually there. I ask of course because of the trade rumors involving him and whether these rumors might have caused him to take a step back from the organization.

 

Also, is it customary for honored players at Booster Club meetings to actually appear to accept their awards?

 

Thanks again Lori.

[Realist]

Great job, Lori!

 

This board would not be the same without you!

[flomoe]

Ugh, unfortunately it seems like Jauron is set on our LB corps. Man, I shudder to think about all of the times that Ellison is going to get run over this season.

 

As for the O-Line, I noticed a lot of "expects to" and "as of this time" type of comments which makes me think the Bills arent done with O-Line upgrades.

 

I know, I know...I read between the lines a lot.

 

 

I still believe that Alvin Bowen will have a say in that OLB spot this year. Yes, he is basically a rookie but he was quite the hit at camp last year until the injury. Plus he is the "Compliance Linebacker".

I also don't believe that the Bills are done looking at LB's, even though they said so. They know it's probably the one spot they still need to upgrade and didn't through the draft.

[oak tree 12]

http://www.twobillsdrive.com/articles/game_day/127/

 

 

you know i have been the biggest critic of the bills for not signing peters but after that article i truly believe Brandon.

 

its very obvious to me now that peters for whatever reason did not indeed want to be in buffalo any more and harbored very bad feelings because God forbid he made less than dockery and walker for 1 year.

 

i believe brandon when he said he offered peters the largest contract in bills history and when he said he showed no interest we were in serious trouble.

 

i truly believe that his prick agent was the death knell to the bills. he obviously poisioned peters towards the bills. i hope the prick dies in a car wreck.

 

as for peters i hope he blows out both his knees and his achillies on the first play from scrimage on opening day!

 

this organization took a chance on this rat when nobody in the league wanted him and made him what he is today. what a way to repay them showing no loyality @ all. to me that speaks volumes to this rats character screw him. what goes around comes around.

[Lori]

BTW Lori,

 

Great job. That was more Bills info than I have digested in one sitting in many months. Excellent reportage.

 

At the end of your piece you mentioned that "Trainer Chris Fischetti was on hand to present the team’s Ed Block Courage Award to this year’s recipient, defensive end Chris Kelsay."

I was curious if Kelsay was actually there. I ask of course because of the trade rumors involving him and whether these rumors might have caused him to take a step back from the organization.

 

Also, is it customary for honored players at Booster Club meetings to actually appear to accept their awards?

 

Thanks again Lori.

Appreciate all the kind words, everyone. Yes, Kelsay was there. (#89 noted that he's changed hairstyles, going with a longer, slicked-back look.) He spoke at some length about the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation and what a great honor it was to receive the award, and that he felt "out of his realm" when comparing his reason (coming back from ankle surgery) against players like Kenichi Udeze, the Vikings DE who battled leukemia, or Matt Bryant, who kicked a game-winning field goal for the Bucs three days after his infant son died.

 

To show you how much the players value the award, 30 of the 32 recipients traveled to Baltimore for the event.

"It's something that will really mean a lot to me. Oftentimes throughout your career you're recognized for certain things;

this is one thing I'll hang my hat on. It's something I'm really proud of, because it was given to me by my peers -- but also because it stands for something, to get kids out of abusive homes. To be associated with that foundation is a tremendous honor," Kelsay said.

 

For more information on the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation: http://www.edblock.org/about.htm

[oak tree 12]

Jauron sure shows a lot of faith in Langston Walker. I have a hard time with this.

 

Btw, this is not a post to bash our OL. Now that the smoke from the draft has cleared, I am actually stunned that we drafted a pair of solid Guards. Jauron said that he was surprised that Levitre was still there. So was I. It is unlike the Bills, and certainly Jauron to draft early round guards.

 

As for Walker, he is overweight and seems to be plodding when I watch him, which is every game. I honestly thought that he should drop some weight to play Right Tackle, let alone the left side. Things can be done; backs and TEs will certainly be called to help Walker more often than an agile, and even stronger Jason Peters. I am not saying that I am sure Walker will fail at this spot. Not at all, but I view LT as a question mark.

 

Butler at RT? I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I think that in addition to missing a few games, he played hurt a lot last year because his replacements were just that bad, and I give him lots of credit for doing so. He looks as if he is strong enough to play on the right; we shall see.

 

Either way, we are deeper in the interior. The middle of the line was probably up there with the worst in the NFL last season. Even with rookies, the running game should improve, especially on 3rd and short. Who knows, maybe the Bills will go for more linemen on both sides next season and turn this team into a tough one. A team that is suited for the climate and the rabid, blue collar fans.

That is pretty much all I ever wanted them to do.

 

GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

butler played his entire collage career @ RT you make no sense!

[Magox]

you know i have been the biggest critic of the bills for not signing peters but after that article i truly believe Brandon.

 

its very obvious to me now that peters for whatever reason did not indeed want to be in buffalo any more and harbored very bad feelings because God forbid he made less than dockery and walker for 1 year.

 

i believe brandon when he said he offered peters the largest contract in bills history and when he said he showed no interest we were in serious trouble.

 

i truly believe that his prick agent was the death knell to the bills. he obviously poisioned peters towards the bills. i hope the prick dies in a car wreck.

 

as for peters i hope he blows out both his knees and his achillies on the first play from scrimage on opening day!this organization took a chance on this rat when nobody in the league wanted him and made him what he is today. what a way to repay them showing no loyality @ all. to me that speaks volumes to this rats character screw him. what goes around comes around.

Wishing disastrous things on others isn't a nice thing to do, but hey, to each their own.

 

I also wanted to believe that a deal could of gotten done, but after reading many articles and reports and opinions I've come to the conclusion that Eugene Parker felt slighted last year, and there is no doubt in my mind, that he manipulated the less than intelligent Peters to get the hell out of dodge.

 

This prick Parker, must of felt embarrased that his tactics didn't work for his client last year, and most likely made it virtually impossible for the Bills to keep Peters unless they offered him a ridiculous contract, and I'm thinking considerably higher than what he signed for with Philly.

 

The past is past, and on paper, it looks like it may work out. We got Woods and Nelson and another draft choice next year in exchange for him. Not to mention we saved boat loads of money to sign other players.

[Beerball]

Would it be inappropriate to mention that neither the Snooze nor D&C have word 1 published about last night's meeting?

 

Brandon's explanation of the Peter's situation goes far beyond anything I've read elsewhere and yet not a word from the 2 papers?

 

Maybe those quotes will come out at a later time, but...I must say...fine work Lori...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

now get back to work

[Lori]

Would it be inappropriate to mention that neither the Snooze nor D&C have word 1 published about last night's meeting?

 

Brandon's explanation of the Peter's situation goes far beyond anything I've read elsewhere and yet not a word from the 2 papers?

 

Maybe those quotes will come out at a later time, but...I must say...fine work Lori...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

now get back to work

Um, I don't think the media typically staffs too many Booster Club meetings ...

Start 4-12s today. I should probably still be asleep. Ah well.

[Beerball]

Um, I don't think the media typically staffs too many Booster Club meetings ...

Start 4-12s today. I should probably still be asleep. Ah well.

Based on what you took in last night they should start!

 

Maybe I'm overblowing this, but Brandon's quotes were very revealing (to me).

 

I see a free lance article in your future (or is that against the rules)

[Kelly the Dog]

Come to think of it, Brandon telling Peters we are not going to talk to you until we take care of Evans was stupid. What if they never agreed to a contract with Evans? It was incentive for Peters to hold out, not report to camp. And completely spits in the face of the idea of a huge portion of fans here who said that all Peters had to do was show up and play and be a team player and we will take care of you. It told him just the opposite. Come in and we'll ignore you until we take care of another guy we have been negotiating for a year already with.

 

I'm glad this is over with, and it may prove to be a good trade but that wasn't smart by Brandon, IMO.

[bananathumb]

Based on what you took in last night they should start!

 

Maybe I'm overblowing this, but Brandon's quotes were very revealing (to me).

 

I see a free lance article in your future (or is that against the rules)

 

 

Yeah, Lori, you are about the only actual football reporter in WNY, as far as I can tell. The rest are just "mouths". Big love seems to be for hockey.

[2003Contenders]

I also sense that the Peters situation actually got to the point where bad blood spilled over. I sensed the same thing in Brandon's tone at the pre-draft luncheon (days before the trade). I honestly get the sense that the organization feels betrayed: they took a flier on Peters, stood by him when there wasn't an obvious position available, mentored him, developed him into being one of the better tackles in the league -- and thought they were being proactive in signing him to a pretty good contract that DID have escalators pending a move to LT. The point is: they weren't simply trying to buy low. The 2007 Peters may have outperformed that contract, but I don't think the 2008 version did.

 

My take all along has been that Eugen Parker saw a rookie GM last year and thought he could bully him into coughing up a fat, new contract for his client. When he lost the stare-down contest, it placed him in the position of either getting the biggest contract EVER for his client -- or forcing a trade to maintain face. In the former situation he can claim that his tactics worked after all. In the latter, he can emphasize how reasonable he was being after all -- and that the Bills were low-balling his client. The sad thing is that if Parker had just given his client less self-serving (from the agent's perspective) advice last year, Peters would have shown up to camp, worked his way into shape, performed better for the team AND wound up with a nice, new contract. Instead, he was more interested in forcing him out of town for the reasons I already mentioned.

 

Also, I do also sense that the team (or at least Jauron) never got over Crowell's 24th hour decision to have surgery last year. Note that Dick brought it up again when talking about Ellison.

[2003Contenders]

Come to think of it, Brandon telling Peters we are not going to talk to you until we take care of Evans was stupid. What if they never agreed to a contract with Evans? It was incentive for Peters to hold out, not report to camp. And completely spits in the face of the idea of a huge portion of fans here who said that all Peters had to do was show up and play and be a team player and we will take care of you. It told him just the opposite. Come in and we'll ignore you until we take care of another guy we have been negotiating for a year already with.

 

I'm glad this is over with, and it may prove to be a good trade but that wasn't smart by Brandon, IMO.

 

No, I think Brandon was pointing out: Look how we take care of the guys that actually show up, play under their existing contract and participate in camp. No player is going to hold this team hostage by holding out. I think it is a good precedent to set. Peters claimed that holding out was his only leverage. Why is that? Because he decided to hold out after only playing the first two years of what was a very generous contract at the time; thus, with three years remaining on his existing contract he did not have the added leverage of the free agency timetable (as Lee had).

[ans4e64]

There's a ton of great info in there that answers a lot of questions.

 

Man, Peters really is a scumbag.

[oak tree 12]

Actually, all it really means is that they offered him 50 million over 7 years, which would be a million more than the most ever offered, 7-49 mil to Derrick Dockery. We still don't know what they offered Peters, but usually when teams use that term it is total contract, as in 40, 50, 60 mil. Evans' extension was 34 mil.

 

I think they offered a lot more than 7 mil, and probably between 8-9 mil a year, and Peters was holding out for 10.

 

It also should put to bed all the nonsense about all Peters had to do last year was come in to camp and they would talk. Brandon explicitly told him come in to camp and we WON'T talk.

 

cant you read.

 

believe me if they were only i million apart the deal would have gotten done in a heartbeat. you can bet your as- they offered him gross money. its very obvious from there no interest at all stance that he was not negotiating with the bills its hard to negotiate with yourself.

 

the rat simply was not going to play here anymore and their stance proved that.

 

peters signed his deal the year before. he told him to come to camp and they will talk(BY THE WAY HE NEVER CAME TO CAMP). they talked and he told him after lee its you. he was true to his word because @ the end of the year they offered him the largest deal in bills history.

 

what dont you understand?

 

you tell me one team who renegotiates a new deal with 3 years left on it, answer nobody.

[BEAST MODE BABY!]

In case she might forget it, here's a reminder: Lori absolutely rocks

[San Jose Bills Fan]

you tell me one team who renegotiates a new deal with 3 years left on it, answer nobody.

 

Let's not start another de facto Peters thread here, agreed? That said in answer to oak tree's comment:

 

"Obviously, I had three years left on my deal so they didn't have to do anything ... so it's good: It's good for both of us," said by Aaron Schobel after the Bills extended him with three years remaining on his existing contract.

 

And yes, I'm aware that the two situations were not the same. Schobel did all the right things. Just pointing this out.

[BillsNYC]

Lori - that was the best Bills read I've had in a long time, thanks for putting together.