ProFootballTalk.com - Pat Thomas will visit the Bills
I can't even keep up with all this stuff right now.
Drayton Florence signs. Three players (Kevin Jones, Cato June, Mike Peterson) are coming to visit. They'll be joined by former Chiefs linebacker Pat Thomas, says Mike Florio.
Thomas is a speedy linebacker with experience in a Cover 2, but he's not starting material. He has extensive special teams experience. He'd give the Bills a quality depth linebacker with starting experience and a presence on coverage teams.
Maybe it's just me, but the rash of visits being scheduled is indicative that the team is moving past the Laveranues Coles phase of their free agency plans. Waldo Watch is off until further notice.
almost 3 years ago
Brian Galliford
39 comments
0 recs |
Email
PrintComments
I agree with you.
Maybe it’s just me, but the rash of visits and being scheduled is indicative that the team is moving past the Laveranues Coles phase of their free agency plans. Waldo Watch is off until further notice.
I kept telling Kurupt the reason the time table was in place is so the Bills could move on. It looks like they are but I don’t think the Coles offer is off the table. Greer’s on the other hand……
Playing Eternal Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
On and about this guy from the Chiefs...
Don’t we have that guy on our team in Keith Ellison or Jon Corto or something? Maybe he’s a combination of the two. I dunno.
Playing Eternal Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
by MattRichWarren on Mar 3, 2009 8:18 PM EST up reply actions
He’s a far better athlete than either of those guys.
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Mar 3, 2009 8:18 PM EST up reply actions
If he's a better athlete why has he never started?
Is he another great athlete with limited mental capacity or something? Would he then replace one of those guys in theory?
Playing Eternal Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
by MattRichWarren on Mar 3, 2009 8:23 PM EST up reply actions
He started nine games last year. Did you miss where I said “quality depth linebacker with starting experience”? :)
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Mar 3, 2009 8:24 PM EST up reply actions
I was wondering that but my brain didn't get past this line...
Thomas is a speedy linebacker with experience in a Cover 2, but he’s not starting material.
You contradict yourself in the same paragraph. I was hoping he could start for us over Ellison. :-) Good to hear.
Playing Eternal Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
by MattRichWarren on Mar 3, 2009 8:29 PM EST up reply actions
There’s a difference between being a starter and being worthy of being a starter.
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Mar 3, 2009 8:35 PM EST up reply actions
Like Keith Ellison...
OK. So he’s an upgrade over Ellison but still sub-starter?
Playing Eternal Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
by MattRichWarren on Mar 3, 2009 8:40 PM EST up reply actions
No, I don’t consider him an upgrade over Ellison. Thomas is a MLB. He’d be competition for DiGiorgio.
In other words: just a body.
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Mar 3, 2009 8:41 PM EST up reply actions
Thanks for answering my incessant questions about depth guys from other teams.
I have no idea who this guy is.
Playing Eternal Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
by MattRichWarren on Mar 3, 2009 8:42 PM EST up reply actions
We’ve got an Arrowhead Prider stopping by, and hopefully a few more will trickle in. Those guys rock.
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Mar 3, 2009 8:43 PM EST up reply actions
Thomas played OLB in Jacksonville
Someone pointed it out over at AP. Our defensive coordinator put him at MLB. Pretty strange move (luckily that DC is not with the Chiefs anymore).
like I said in the other post...
The Bills should have a Battle Royale between the 3 and whoever wins we can sign. Maybe it will give this team some needed toughness.
Don't forget to pay the troll toll...
I wonder if this isn't the Bills way of forcing Cole's hand?
By basically saying “We like you, we want you, but your jerking us around. So we’re going to take what MAY be from your offer and will use it on other guys” and won’t sit back and see what he does? What if we were close to the offer he had with the Jets and are basically saying either take it or leave it by tomorrow, because OTHER players, LESSER players will be getting your cash.
I hope this wakes him up and he takes the contract from us, but I’m not going to worry about him anymore, I got LBers and RBs to worry about now!
If the Bills were a drug, I could only hope they were like speed so I could lose some weight as well.
Greer's cash, not Coles
I think this is taking the money that would have gone to Greer and splitting it up.
Pat Thomas is a good reserve
The Chiefs had a rash of injuries at the LB position which forced him in a starting role. But if hes coming in as a second teamer I’d accept him.
Thanks primetime.
We’ve got depth issues at LB, so bringing in someone like Thomas as a reserve makes sense.
How is he on special teams?
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Mar 3, 2009 8:42 PM EST up reply actions
Nothing too notable
But neither was the Chiefs special teams as a whole.
by Chris Thorman on Mar 3, 2009 8:47 PM EST up reply actions
Sudden Bills free agent news
Jauron’s Clan of Mediocrity needs quality (difference-makers and guys that make plays) more than quantity (role players and warm bodies).
I’d rather have Laveranues Coles and Sean Jones.
Great plays don't make great players; great players make great plays.
Jones isn’t on the same plane as Coles is.
And I think this is a pretty clear indicator that they’re moving past Coles. No one’s saying it’s ideal, but at some point, you have to move on. This is Buffalo moving on.
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Mar 3, 2009 9:13 PM EST up reply actions
hmm
Not being privy to any connections you may have, but I would take this to mean they are dispersing the money allocated to the Greer contract amongst several other defensive FA’s. I would think the Coles money is still available.
That said, I just don’t think that he wants to play in Buffalo. If the money allocated to his contract gets used for anything, it may be for OL or Amani Toomer.
I highly doubt that the Bills offered more than $4-5M per year to Greer. Florence got $3.3M of that. That’s not an awful lot of extra money from Greer’s stash to spread out.
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Mar 3, 2009 9:44 PM EST up reply actions
Plus, Coles is negotiating with the Bengals.
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Mar 3, 2009 9:45 PM EST up reply actions
it may have been for the best financially. Greer figured to be pricey and had too many other teams interested. He didn’t walk away without a contract from three other teams because he wanted to come back but because there were even MORE teams interested. That said I have a bad feeling about letting him go…but in Buffalo’s case I believe them to be saturated with talent at that position.
I understand your point.
If the Bills expect to get better, they need to get better players.
Mediocre Roster + Mediocre Players = Mediocre Roster
Asking for Coles and Jones this offseason isn’t like asking for Haynesworth.
Great plays don't make great players; great players make great plays.
History repeats itself
It doesn’t look like our playmakers will be coming from free agency. And I don’t expect immediate impact from rookies. Trades? maybe, but I think any playmakers will have to come from existing talent stepping it up.
Same ingredients, better results?
Sure, it happens. I just don’t believe in it, and I certainly won’t bet on it.
Great plays don't make great players; great players make great plays.
Oh, no, don’t get me wrong – I’m not sure. I just have a hunch.
Buffalo Rumblings - all you care to know about the Buffalo Bills and more
by Brian Galliford on Mar 4, 2009 6:44 AM EST up reply actions
Why aren't ppl talking about Mike Peterson?
Here’s a quality starting MLB that is used to the cover 2 deffence, he’s good friend with Stroud and would allow us to out Puz where he belongs on the strong side LB.
Out of all the linebackers visiting the Bills, I think he’s the best one. He’s a leader on deffence and could really help Puz, and to a certain degree Ellison, develop into better LB’s.
Why am I the only one that likes him?
by CanadianBillsFan on Mar 3, 2009 9:54 PM EST reply actions
I don't know much about Peterson.
Sounds good from what you say though.
Bad boys, bad boys whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do
when they come for you?
I don’t know much about him skill wise, but I remember reading that he was a problem last year with Jack Del Rio, getting in to a spat with him. It doesn’t really make me shy away from him though because I definitely think we need a linebacker and that might even help lower his price.
Don't forget to pay the troll toll...
His numbers aren’t huge, avreging about 80 tackles in each of the last 5 seasons, about 1 int per season, but thats about it stat was.
but what the stats don’t say is that this guy is a warrior in every sence on the word. he gives his all every play that he’s on the field and he’s a tremendous leader on the deffence, comparible to Ray Ray on his play recognition.
his shortfalls are his age, he’s in his early thirties, and his lack of gamechanging plays, only having 6 forced fumbles in his career. But i think his leadership and his play recongnition more than makes up for that.
All in all I’d make him one of my top priorities after Coles. but I’ll admit that I might be much higher on this guy than a lot of other ppl.
by CanadianBillsFan on Mar 3, 2009 10:20 PM EST up reply actions
That spat was nothing that I would hold against him. Del Rio was pissed at his team after losing a game. He was riding them pretty hard during a film session, and was demanding the floor with the players staying silent. Del Rio started to criticize something that Peterson did and when he tried to defend his actions Del Rio through him out of the meeting and held him out for a game. I wouldn’t kill him for that.
The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.
I’d call those the actions of a player thats passionate about his game and willing to put his neck on the line for his deffence. It actually puts him higher in my estime, it’s the type of leadership that our deffence sorely needs
by CanadianBillsFan on Mar 3, 2009 11:11 PM EST up reply actions
Like I said in another post here, I’m in favor of bringing in Peterson for a look. When he left Indy, wasn’t that the same year Spikes was a FA, and Peterson was considered a better value becuase of the contract? If I remember correctly, he signed for about 2-3 million less a year than Spikes. I thought Buffalo had an interest in him back then too…
Peterson coming in moves Poz outside
I don’t know if I’m willing to pull the trigger on that yet.
Playing Eternal Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
