Buffalo Bills 2016

[That Aud Smell]

They signed him to a 3 year $12 million cotract. Not exactly cheap. Whaley can be criticized plenty but I don't think this is cause for concern.

 

With $7.5M guaranteed.

 

Watkins is on a rookie deal that averages just under $5M annually (all guaranteed).

 

Everyone else in the Bills WR corps got JAG money in 2016 -- with Easley (ST ace) and Justin Hunter (!) slated to earn more than Robert Woods - but all three of those dudes averaging less than $2M annually.

 

I know Whaley got grief for not having a competent #2 for Watkins, but I'm fairly convinced that Woods is/can be a good #2. He just needs a QB and system that uses his talents.

 

Point of comparison: You think Mohammed Sanu (sp?) is an especially better talent than Robert Woods? I don't. Sanu is a bigger fella than Woods, sure, but Woods bring other things to the table that Sanu does not.

[Lanny]

They signed him to a 3 year $12 million cotract. Not exactly cheap. Whaley can be criticized plenty but I don't think this is cause for concern.

The criticism would be the restricted tender that the Bills gave Hogan, lowest tender ($1.67M) with no compensation. If they had tendered him with a 2nd round tender it would have been $2.553M and cost the Pats a 2nd rounder to sign him away, which would be unlikely. But the Bills were cap strapped.  

Edited January 23, 2017 by Lanny

[WildCard]

Saw this today: instead of the pro-bowl, the NFL should have the bottom two teams play a final game where the winner gets the first overall pick

[MattPie]

Saw this today: instead of the pro-bowl, the NFL should have the bottom two teams play a final game where the winner gets the first overall pick

 

All right, I don't entirely hate that idea. It would be odd with coaches leaving, players perhaps not showing up (especially if they're not signed for next year), etc. Can we use the name they gave the "last place team bowl" in gym class, the Toliet Bowl. Sorry, that's the "Braun Plumbing presents Toilet Bowl" to you and me.

[That Aud Smell]

^

 

Oh, I'm sure the NFLPA would go for that.  :rolleyes:

[inkman]

All right, I don't entirely hate that idea. It would be odd with coaches leaving, players perhaps not showing up (especially if they're not signed for next year), etc. Can we use the name they gave the "last place team bowl" in gym class, the Toliet Bowl. Sorry, that's the "Braun Plumbing presents Toilet Bowl" to you and me.

What player would give 100% for that game? Hey, you guys go kill yourselves so we can draft your replacement.

[WildCard]

What player would give 100% for that game? Hey, you guys go kill yourselves so we can draft your replacement.

Very good point. But there's gotta be some way around it

[TrueBlueGED]

But Goodwin was #3 on the depth chart when everyone was healthy, which was never.  My point is that the Hogan is better than the #4-#7 guys the Bills were forced to rotate through.  And Hogan is cheap.  There was no reason to dump him.

 

(I also think Hogan is better than Goodwin, but that's another story.)

 

It's not that Hogan is a difference-maker or that the Bills would've made the playoffs if they'd kept him.  Obviously that's not the case.  The point is that DW is a bozo GM, and the Hogan decision is just another piece of evidence.

 

And? Honestly not sure what you're getting at with this.

 

Tendering Hogan a higher offer to prevent a poach would have cost us another player because the team was cap-strapped. What if keeping Hogan had prevented us from signing Zach Brown or Lorenzo Alexander? The analysis isn't whether Hogan is marginally better than Goodwin, it's whether Hogan is marginally better than Goodwin and another player.

[Doohicksie]

Saw this today: instead of the pro-bowl, the NFL should have the bottom two teams play a final game where the winner gets the first overall pick

 

I don't follow Euro soccer, but I've heard that some league(s) demote the bottom team to the lower level league.  A little hard to imagine for the NFL without a tiered farm system, but in NHL parlance it'd be like the Sabres would have moved down to the AHL as a result of coming in dead last (and the top AHL team would then be promoted to the NHL).  It'd be interesting to do something like that in North American sports, but hard to picture how it would work out in the NFL.  But maybe that would be the last chance to redeem yourself- beat the next-to-worst team for the chance for your team to stay in the NFL for the coming year.

[TrueBlueGED]

Maybe instead of dicking around with the draft, the NFL should make it easier for teams without an elite QB to be competitive. That could solve "tanking" (which is NOT a problem in the NFL) AND make the league more entertaining. What I'm getting at here is crack down on pick plays and just generally make it easier to play strong defense.

 

I fully understand and in many ways support the NFL's drive to make the passing attack the way to go, but I think the pendulum may have swung too far in that direction because there aren't enough QBs who can do it.

[ubkev]

Very good point. But there's gotta be some way around it

"Sorry boss, my hamstring is tight."

 

"yeah,, me too, me too!"

 

"I've got the flu."

 

"I've decided to have surgery."

 

Sorry wildcard, there's no way I am playing in that game.

[WildCard]

Maybe instead of dicking around with the draft, the NFL should make it easier for teams without an elite QB to be competitive. That could solve "tanking" (which is NOT a problem in the NFL) AND make the league more entertaining. What I'm getting at here is crack down on pick plays and just generally make it easier to play strong defense.

 

I fully understand and in many ways support the NFL's drive to make the passing attack the way to go, but I think the pendulum may have swung too far in that direction because there aren't enough QBs who can do it.

All true and good points. Really the point was to make the pro-bowl a watchable and important week

[TrueBlueGED]

All true and good points. Really the point was to make the pro-bowl a watchable and important week

Death, taxes, and your love of all star games :lol:

 

Just get rid of the game. Skills competitions for the positions, and general competitons, would all be better. What about Olympic-style events too. Volleyball games? Hell ya! If there must be a game, make it actual flag football, rather than make believe normal football.

[MattPie]

I don't follow Euro soccer, but I've heard that some league(s) demote the bottom team to the lower level league.  A little hard to imagine for the NFL without a tiered farm system, but in NHL parlance it'd be like the Sabres would have moved down to the AHL as a result of coming in dead last (and the top AHL team would then be promoted to the NHL).  It'd be interesting to do something like that in North American sports, but hard to picture how it would work out in the NFL.  But maybe that would be the last chance to redeem yourself- beat the next-to-worst team for the chance for your team to stay in the NFL for the coming year.

 

Somewhere, Modo wrote up the crazy end of year tournament that the Swedish Hockey leagues play to determine relegation. The lower league plays a bunch of games that determine who gets to play the lowest 1 or 2 teams in the next league up. Whomever wins that game/series plays in the higher league next year, the losing team goes down (and I think loses most of their players due to contracts becoming invalid).

[PromoTheRobot]

It's not that Hogan is a difference-maker or that the Bills would've made the playoffs if they'd kept him.  Obviously that's not the case.  The point is that DW is a bozo GM, and the Hogan decision is just another piece of evidence.

 

1) Hogan wanted out of Buffalo

 

2) Hogan wasn't worth $4MM+/year

 

3) Brady makes any scrub WR look like a hall of famer

 

4) That was Hogan's biggest game of the year, meaning the Pats did little with him the rest of the season and crossed up the Steelers by throwing to him a lot.  Did you notice how no one bothered to cover Hogan?  It would be like the Bills deciding to throw to Walter Powell all game.

[That Aud Smell]

Heard about the Colts interviewing GM candidates.

 

It is abundantly clear that Jim Irsay is the one running the show, doing the interviews. I looked at the team's site, and he is listed as the team's owner and CEO. (There are others listed as owners, too.)

 

So, we can wring our hands about the Pegulas doing likewise here in Buffalo. But at least our owners haven't been arrested carrying 10s of 1000s of dollars in cash and a bunch of pain pills.

 

Life could be worse. A lot worse.

 

Also, it is simply amazing what drafting an elite QB can do for a franchise. And even at that, Irsay and the Colts have managed to screw that up for periods of time and have squandered valuable time with Luck in his prime.

[nfreeman]

1) Hogan wanted out of Buffalo

 

2) Hogan wasn't worth $4MM+/year

 

3) Brady makes any scrub WR look like a hall of famer

 

4) That was Hogan's biggest game of the year, meaning the Pats did little with him the rest of the season and crossed up the Steelers by throwing to him a lot.  Did you notice how no one bothered to cover Hogan?  It would be like the Bills deciding to throw to Walter Powell all game.

 

Not sure where $4MM is coming from.  It would've cost the Bills $2.5MM to keep him -- either by matching or by tendering that much, which would've triggered RFA compensation.

 

Yes, it was his biggest game of the year, but he was a valuable player for the Pats -- 38 catches @ 18 yards per catch.  The Bills could've definitely used a guy like that, especially with the (forseeable!) injuries they sustained at WR.

[Drunkard]

Not sure where $4MM is coming from.  It would've cost the Bills $2.5MM to keep him -- either by matching or by tendering that much, which would've triggered RFA compensation.

 

Yes, it was his biggest game of the year, but he was a valuable player for the Pats -- 38 catches @ 18 yards per catch.  The Bills could've definitely used a guy like that, especially with the (forseeable!) injuries they sustained at WR.

 

Not sure what you mean. Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, and Marquise Goodwin have been the pillar of health in their careers so far. I know I confuse them with Brett Favre, Lou Gehrig, and Cal Ripken Jr all the time. Then we had the ace in the hole that is Iron Man Percy Harvin waiting in the wings as well. What more could you ask for?

[That Aud Smell]

The Bills could've definitely used a guy like that

 

Who? Brady? Belichick? McDaniels?

[WildCard]

Rex joins ESPN. Will be on-air for the SB

[Wyldnwoody44]

Read an article about Rex, he was ticked about being fired by Terry and was not given an explanation.... He took the wrap off his truck that day and put Clemson stuff all over it.... I wish I had a link..... He was talking about maybe coaching again, but doesn't quite know, just a bunch of blowhard stuff.

[Brawndo]

Read an article about Rex, he was ticked about being fired by Terry and was not given an explanation.... He took the wrap off his truck that day and put Clemson stuff all over it.... I wish I had a link..... He was talking about maybe coaching again, but doesn't quite know, just a bunch of blowhard stuff.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/rex-ryan-nfl-future-tired-f-ked-article-1.2960277

[Wyldnwoody44]

Ah there it is, thanks.

Rex is always gonna Rex.

[That Aud Smell]

I'm glad he gave the interview. It was somehow comforting to have a reminder of how I really, really didn't want an emotional blowhard as HC of my hometown team.

[Jsixspd]

I'm glad to know the fate of the Bills wrap on his pickup truck.  I would wake up at night wondering - "Did Rex leave it on?"   "Did Rex take the wrap off?"   The not knowing for sure, was hell!    Glad to know the wrap's fate, one way or another. 

Edited February 2, 2017 by Jsixspd