[dave mcbride]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writ...quad/index.html

[GG]

You could look at it the other way - what was the previous regime thinking wasting a PS spot for a player who wouldn't sniff the NFL roster? Considering Esposito's career, looks like the Golden Boys made the right move.

I see it more as a slam of TD/MM.

[BUFFALOTONE]

dave mcbride, on Dec 10 2009, 09:55 AM, said:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writ...quad/index.html

gee what else is new the organization fails to develop another promising prospect. What did you expect. they got lucky with Peters and after that sh-- rolls down hill.

[C.Biscuit97]

First Pat Williams. Now Jasen Espostio? What a joke. :thumbsup:

[Rico]

GG, on Dec 10 2009, 10:00 AM, said:

You could look at it the other way - what was the previous regime thinking wasting a PS spot for a player who wouldn't sniff the NFL roster? Considering Esposito's career, looks like the Golden Boys made the right move.

I see it more as a slam of TD/MM.

That's how I read it too... certainly wasn't the only player to be released that had some/a lot of time invested on by the Bills after that regime change, no real surprise.

Thanks for the link though, Tucker is always a good read.

[Ray]

Really? That's what you take away form that? Wow.....practice squad players are long shots to begin with but Buffalo actually has a good record of finding decent guys to play and play well in the NFL. Peters, Pat Williams both Pro Bowl players who were on the Bills practice squad.

Again, what I take from that article is that it demonstrates again that the MOST important position on the team is QB. If you have a stud QB like Carson Palmer you do not need all 1st round draft picks and All Pros on the OL (Cleveland does and how does that work out for them?). Cinci had one player returning on te OL and then has three practice suad guys come in and play for them.
You can do that with a QB who is excellent but not with Trent Edwards like the Bills did.

[GG]

I don't recall Pat Williams being on the Bills' PS.

[Red]

I never thought that Tucker left gracefully from Buffalo, and may still harbor resentment towards them as I believe the Bills are the only team where he ever saw significant playing time.

That being said, constant turnover of coaching staff, a general lack of direction for the franchise, and more importantly 2 complete idiots in Modrak and Guy in charge of recruiting, evaluating, and recommending talent are not something that we were not aware of in terms of what ails this organization.

[dave mcbride]

Ray, on Dec 10 2009, 10:20 AM, said:

Really? That's what you take away form that? Wow.....practice squad players are long shots to begin with but Buffalo actually has a good record of finding decent guys to play and play well in the NFL. Peters, Pat Williams both Pro Bowl players who were on the Bills practice squad.

Again, what I take from that article is that it demonstrates again that the MOST important position on the team is QB. If you have a stud QB like Carson Palmer you do not need all 1st round draft picks and All Pros on the OL (Cleveland does and how does that work out for them?). Cinci had one player returning on te OL and then has three practice suad guys come in and play for them.
You can do that with a QB who is excellent but not with Trent Edwards like the Bills did.

What I took away from the piece was Tucker's interpretation of what happened. Don't shoot the messenger, as they say ...

[C.Biscuit97]

GG, on Dec 10 2009, 10:26 AM, said:

I don't recall Pat Williams being on the Bills' PS.

It was more of a sense of doom for losing another great player like Pat Williams in Jasen Espostio. It's just a silly little attempt at a shot by Tucker, who I normally like. If this guy JE became a good player, it would mean something. But the guy, who I don't even remember, never did a thing in this league. I believe guys like Peters, Greer, and Fred Jackson were practice squad guys too at one point. How come he doesn't point out the successful PS moves by the Bills but instead focuses on a scrub like this guy? It's just kinda silly.

[GG]

C.Biscuit97, on Dec 10 2009, 10:36 AM, said:

It was more of a sense of doom for losing another great player like Pat Williams in Jasen Espostio. It's just a silly little attempt at a shot by Tucker, who I normally like. If this guy JE became a good player, it would mean something. But the guy, who I don't even remember, never did a thing in this league. I believe guys like Peters, Greer, and Fred Jackson were practice squad guys too at one point. How come he doesn't point out the successful PS moves by the Bills but instead focuses on a scrub like this guy? It's just kinda silly.

Again, I think the takeaway is why waste two years' worth of PS time on a guy who is unlikely to sniff a roster spot? I think he says that Bills should have cut ties with Esposito in 2004 or 2005.

[Buftex]

Red, on Dec 10 2009, 10:28 AM, said:

I never thought that Tucker left gracefully from Buffalo, and may still harbor resentment towards them as I believe the Bills are the only team where he ever saw significant playing time.

That being said, constant turnover of coaching staff, a general lack of direction for the franchise, and more importantly 2 complete idiots in Modrak and Guy in charge of recruiting, evaluating, and recommending talent are not something that we were not aware of in terms of what ails this organization.

Can't say that I really remember the specifics of Tuckers' departure from the Bills (IIRC he had some sort of blow up with Tom Donohoe), but most players don't leave the Bills very gracefully these days. It seems that Jabari Greer is the only guy who has left Buffalo for greener pastures, that hasn't been vilified by Bills fans in general. Whether the guy leaves by his choice, or the choice of management...we seem to hate any "ex-Bill"... unless they retire.

[2003Contenders]

GG, on Dec 10 2009, 11:41 AM, said:

Again, I think the takeaway is why waste two years' worth of PS time on a guy who is unlikely to sniff a roster spot? I think he says that Bills should have cut ties with Esposito in 2004 or 2005.

I think his criticism is twofold. The Bills missed the boat on this guy because either he was not very talented and, thus, should not have wasted valuable time and resources on him. Or, supposing he was talented enough to warrant a PS spot, the team did a horrible job of developing him during those two years. The first is an indictment of the scouting team, while the second is an indictment of the coaching ranks. Either way, it is a jab at TD and MM rather than Marv and DJ.

The point is silly. While, the Bengals dd a great job with the fromer PS linemen he refers to, the Jasen Espostio story is the norm for all 32 teams in the NFL, including the Bengals, whom Tucker suggests wold have never made the "mistake" the Bills made with Esposito.

[Red]

buftex, on Dec 10 2009, 10:42 AM, said:

Can't say that I really remember the specifics of Tuckers' departure from the Bills (IIRC he had some sort of blow up with Tom Donohoe), but most players don't leave the Bills very gracefully these days. It seems that Jabari Greer is the only guy who has left Buffalo for greener pastures, that hasn't been vilified by Bills fans in general. Whether the guy leaves by his choice, or the choice of management...we seem to hate any "ex-Bill"... unless they retire.

If I recall the Tucker episode, he was a blood-and-guts player who fought his arse off for us- and to keep his job. He did give everything he had- the only issue was everything he had was not good enough.

When it came time to renew the contract, and I believe that this coincided with the regime change in the front office- or could just be creative revisionist history by yours truly- he was not offered a contract.

He was, if I remember correctly, another player in Buffalo sports who truly wanted to stay (P. Williams, Greer, Briere, Campbell, etc), but for the reasons that I most likely cited above (not good enough) management decided to go elsewhere.

Tucker never recaptured any playing time like he had with us, and I think I recall him bouncing to the Cowboys and Browns (?) before he disappeared, only to reappear in SI.com.

He always seemed like a good guy when interviewed, and was an extremely hard worker. A blue-collar guy. I think the way that he was dismissed and so casually cast aside still lingers in him. His articles do seem to be anti-Bills.

Didn't he write an article criticizing the Bills for blowing up the O-Line by letting Fowler and Preston go?

[Albany,n.y.]

Red, on Dec 10 2009, 11:04 AM, said:

When it came time to renew the contract, and I believe that this coincided with the regime change in the front office- or could just be creative revisionist history by yours truly- he was not offered a contract.

I believe we cut him in preseason, mainly due to his back problems.

[Big Bad Broise]

I always thought Tucker would be a starter in the league. Never understood why we didn't stick with him.

[Sisyphean Bills]

2003Contenders, on Dec 10 2009, 12:03 PM, said:

I think his criticism is twofold. The Bills missed the boat on this guy because either he was not very talented and, thus, should not have wasted valuable time and resources on him. Or, supposing he was talented enough to warrant a PS spot, the team did a horrible job of developing him during those two years. The first is an indictment of the scouting team, while the second is an indictment of the coaching ranks. Either way, it is a jab at TD and MM rather than Marv and DJ.

The point is silly. While, the Bengals dd a great job with the fromer PS linemen he refers to, the Jasen Espostio story is the norm for all 32 teams in the NFL, including the Bengals, whom Tucker suggests wold have never made the "mistake" the Bills made with Esposito.

It may not be that silly. Tucker was there and what he may not be writing is that Esposito was an obvious dead weight, lacked talent, and was never going to get on the roster, that the Bills just kept Jasen around as an extra body for practice and everyone in the room knew it. Esposito was given as an example of "What not to do: Some teams treat the practice squad spots almost as throwaways and simply take the best guy in training camp at a certain position where they desire an extra practice body during the week." The implication is fairly straightforward. Quite frankly, this is exactly what has happened this year with the Bills practice squad OL. The Bills are more likely to sign a guy off the street or off another practice squad to their roster than the kids on their own.

[kas23]

And this Espesito character, who the Bills so carefully developed on their PS, is playing for what team now???

[Dick Drawn]

Ray, on Dec 10 2009, 10:20 AM, said:

Really? That's what you take away form that? Wow.....practice squad players are long shots to begin with but Buffalo actually has a good record of finding decent guys to play and play well in the NFL. Peters, Pat Williams both Pro Bowl players who were on the Bills practice squad.

Again, what I take from that article is that it demonstrates again that the MOST important position on the team is QB. If you have a stud QB like Carson Palmer you do not need all 1st round draft picks and All Pros on the OL (Cleveland does and how does that work out for them?). Cinci had one player returning on te OL and then has three practice suad guys come in and play for them.
You can do that with a QB who is excellent but not with Trent Edwards like the Bills did.

Just a sarcasm tip, the "Really? Wow" posts are getting a little tired. Not funny, witty or otherwise. That is, of course, unless you are utterly DUMBFOUNDED by a subject and haven't read a message board lately, seen a Seth Green comedy bit, etc..

[Dick Drawn]

kas23, on Dec 10 2009, 04:13 PM, said:

And this Espesito character, who the Bills so carefully developed on their PS, is playing for what team now???

You assume that every player that doesn't make it is less than all those that do. Not really sure that's the case, especially on the OL where basically the least athletic players on the team reside. I think Tucker is perhaps spewing some sour grapes on the Bills IN GENERAL here, they probably aren't the least productive team with regard to promoting talent from the ps(helps that they aren't good), but the story of Esposito is a bit ridiculous. You should know PRIOR to 2 years on the ps whether a guy is worth a shot in camp. That's a waste of a developmental position.