they didn’t want to resign him regardless. In fact, Crowell will probably file a grievance and try to get an injury settlement for his release, assuming the injury is what it’s reported as.

It’s just a spiteful, stupid move by the team to put him on IR if it’s true that it would have only taken him 2-4 weeks to recover. If they were trying to send a message to him for having the surgery now, then fine him or suspend, don’t hurt the whole D by taking him out for the season. Just idiotic if that’s the case….

the Bills are getting irritated with player shinanigans. The way Chris Brown reported the story, he made it sound as if the Bills didn’t know he had the surgery until it was over. It just isn’t a good thing when the HEAD COACH is SURPRISED that one of his players decides to get surgery. It’s not a team move by Crowell, and placing him on IR is a team move by the team itself. It’s not a good thing from a fan perspective, but if I was coaching a team on any level I wouldn’t want that type of selfishness on my roster. Why do you think Peters has not been ushered back in here by the front office? This coaching staff just doesn’t care which players show up as long as the players that show up are team/character guys.

We also have to remember that the front office and coaching staff know the situation a bit more intimately than we do.

or (with what has happened with Peters and now Crowell) are the Bills intentionally trying to run a very promising season into the ground?

Hopefully there is someone on the Free Ageny List that we can pick up to replace him. I’ve said this all of last season and I’ll say it again now that issue has risen…ELLISON AND DIGIORGIO ARE WORTHLESS WHEN IT COMES TO THE STARTING LINE UP!!! They are the exact type of line backers that this coaching staff has moved away from to try and bolster our defense…small and speedy! They’re ok in open space but get eaten up by blockers. If Ellison replaces Crowell for the entire season our defense is at a LARGE disadvantage. Get your draft boards ready folks because if Crowell is gone at the end of this year hopefully we can replace him with James Laurinaitis! I know that is way too far in advance to look but we need a beast to replace a beast and he’s #1 in my book of this years draft class. I don’t like to bash players on my favorite team but Ellison and DiGiorgio deserve it because they’re terrible!

Crowell put the Bills in a horrible position. If he really didn’t tell the team he was going to have surgery and then didn’t tell them he was having it until it was over then he had to expect the organization to respond in an uncharitable manner. He, and we, can’t expect the team to simply let him piss in their collective face. I’m not sure I see the logic of fining him (as was suggested) or even the legality of it. His doctor obviously thought he needed the surgery so that’s not the issue. His handling of the surgery is the issue. The knee has been bugging him for a while so he could have had the surgery and been back in time for the season opener.

Crowell knew the team was counting on him to be a starter. The team kept 6 LBs on the roster and it is now down to 5. The team really can’t afford to go with just 5 LBs (3 starters—1 of whom plays special teams, and 2 back ups who both play special teams) so the Bills have to add another LB. The only other option is to cut another position and add a LB until Crowell gets back. The team didn’t like door #2, which would have cost them one of the developmental players (like Bell) they are hoping to turn into future starters. Instead, they chose to drop Crowell onto the IR list and add a 6th LB ASAP. Crowell can whine but he can’t seriously think he’d win a grievance. Jauron can simply point to the numbers and say that the spot was needed for a LB who could contribute before October. He can point back to last season when the team put Poz on IR, even though he could have been back around week 11 or so.

This leaves a bad taste but I see it as being largely Crowell’s fault if what is being reported is accurate. We may find out new and relevant facts that change that impression. For example, perhaps Crowell and/or his doctor talked to Buffalo’s doctors weeks ago and were rebuffed.

In any case, Crowell is done as a Bill. From what many have written about him, I’m a little surprised to see the reaction here. (I suspect it’s mainly due to Ellison getting playing time.) The team wasn’t gung-ho about getting him re-signed so that may have been an indication that they were going to let him go anyway. It also means there’s one less vet for the Bills to re-sign. Now perhaps Evans’ deal can finally be done. Maybe, just maybe, Peters will see the millions Evans is awash in and finally shuffle off to Buffalo.

This, to me, seems so calculated on Crowell’s part. What better way to prove his worth and garner at least conversation for an extension. Sit out a couple of weeksand show the Bills how much of an upgrade he is to Ellison. I mean, he went through OTA’s and training camp and not once did we hear about his knee. You have to be Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles to not see this as staged or very gullible.

This is where Keith Ellison has to elevate his game. Whitner, Edwards and gang are trying to bring a winning mentality back to OBD, just listen to their interviews. They will be counting on him to leave it on the field every game. If he can’t, give Roosevelt Colvin a call. He’s probably not the dominating pass rusher he once was, but he is better than Donnie Spragan and could probably be comparable to Crowell on this defense.

If you are watching the Giants game and see what Plaxico Burress is doing, I beg the Bills to give Lee Evans the money. He is putting on a clinic in the first half. Besides, as I posted in a fanpost he is the classiest, most professional athlete I’ve come across in a long time and if it has the same effect on him as Plax it will be worth every cent.

a lot of ills can be cured with a nice win Sunday…

I’m guessing we sign someone like Blake Costanzo, who will do nothing more than play on ST’s, unfortunately. We need to bring in someone capable of playing defensively.

I would play DiGi too. I’m so sick of watching Ellison play. We may see Julius Jones running wild on Sunday if he doesn’t play better. EEEEKKKK

…but did anyone else think that something might have been up when Crowell was stripped of his captaincy? If a player still has his starting job, I would think it might be a little unusual to see it happen. We sort of expected JP to lose his since he lost the starting job but I think Crowell losing his while still securely having the starting job should have sent up some red flags.

James Lauranitis watch!

I really wish our fans took the hard stance with this organization that Wilson’s lap dog front office takes with its players. Instead, we set records for season tickets for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs this decade. Oh well, I’m sure glad we’re saving money by drawing a line in the sand with these greedy players. Give me a break…And who gives a crap about the draft, 4 days before the season. I feel like we’re sheep as Bills fans and it makes me sick. I just got this news and I can’t wait to read Chris Brown’s spin. That should be rich (like Wilson).