Built to Spiller

With CJ Spiller under contract now, the Bills have everyone at camp. Until guys start getting cut.

The question is, how is CJ used? Is he the number 1 back? He is the 2nd back, but they split him wide, ie the Marshall Faulk type weapon? They drafted this kid, high even with 2 decent backs on the team. And you don't draft a kid #9 to be Marshawn Lynch insurance.

You draft a guy 9, to build around.

The QB's aren't that great, the O Line is better at Run blocking then Pass. So you get a stable of workhorses and you run the ball. And hope you draft the QB of the future next year, and if the CBA works out, not pay him a ton of money, or be able to trade up in the draft, because it makes sense to with a reworked CBA.

They are going to build around this kid, this year. Fred Jackson is great, but he will be nor never was the talent that Spiller is. And when they need to slowly work in the Rookie QB, it will be Spiller who will be the safety valve for this kid. This is a guy you want to throw to in the flat, so he can create and make plays. (Trent Edwards is very excited) And with the Oline still a work in progess, they won't have time to look downfield. (insert sad Lee Evans face)

Yes, I know Fred Jackson will probably get more touches. But Spiller's touches could result in much longer players and gamebreaking plays. I imagine him as what everyone thought Reggie Bush would do with the Saints. Bush is a good player, but he isn't what people thought he could be. Unlike Bush, there won't be media pressure to produce, since he's in Buffalo, which is basically the CFL to the Media. If he wants to be a superstar he'll have to be great. Being in Buffalo has it upsides if you don't want media attention and its downsides, people don't know you're in the NFL.

If everything goes as I suspect. We'll see the debut of a very exciting new player in the NFL. The team might not win that much, but as long as they are exciting we'll take that. Especially if they are bad enough to take of the big QB's next year.

So CJ I'm glad you got a week in late, because he'll see alot of action this year and need all the rest you can get.

Its not fun being the poor kid.

We aren't the Rangers.

The Sabres have a budget. A self imposed cap in a salary capped league.

I can except that.

Yesterday wasn't a great PR day for the Sabres, they bought out a local kid and told everyone we won't spend to the cap. A big bucket of cold water over the Sabre fan base. Of course people are breaking it down to $200k. But that is not it. Its making a roster for a certain dollar amount. Darcy believed another defensemen as worth more then a 3rd line player. Who no one thought worth 1 million dollars. And with teams scrambling to make the salary floor, you would think someone would jump at that.

Are we overvaluing Tim Kennedy? We'll see where he lands. And what the deal will be.

Darcy has one of the hardest jobs in the league. Yes, I am a Darcy apologist. He has a big fanbase, that thinks it deserves a cup. A owner who makes sure they are a business and not a charity. Plus he gets no respect for trying to build a winner in a market where the FA's don't come, unless its their last option. For the most part, he's done a pretty good job. Has he made mistakes? Of course. The last few deadline deals have blown up, but were treated as good trades at the time.

This move has nothing to do with Tim Kennedy, in a perfect world, Darcy would have kept him and then acquired a couple other guys. But guess what the Sabres have a budget where they can successfully operate a business. Do you see the Sabres laying people off? No.

What if the Sabres kept Kennedy, but they had to lose $200,000 worth of salary from operating staff? Lay off a couple ticket sales people. Lay off game day operations staff. Would that be worth Tim Kennedy, a guy that just got $333,000 to get another job where he'll make double? The Sabres payroll is much more then the 22 guys on the roster. Its management, sales, scouts, the kids that work in the Sabre store.

Look at this list.

Lay off 10 of these people, so you can Tim Kennedy.

Darcy has the budget for the face of the organization, the team. But there lots of others dependent on the organization. People love spending others money, Darcy spends other peoples money, but must do it in the most efficient way. In a market that can't afford high raise in ticket prices. The Sabres have to operate at a lower cap then other teams, whose revenue is much higher and with a bigger pool to operate in.

Do not blame Darcy for this, his hands are tied. Blame him for the wrong person to keep, or not making a move if it was there, but operating within the parameters set for him? He's just like every other operation manager who has to answer to the board, where profits matter and losing money is a sin. (Also keeps said business IN business)

Tim Kennedy was sacrificed because he was the last one in and the cheapest to get out. Could they have traded someone? Maybe, who knows.

But as Buffalo Sports fans, we have to understand where we are, and our market. If not, then we will always be disapointed.

When we will get it, that Daddy Darcy won't get us that fancy toy, because we just don't have the money for it. And Grandpa Tom, ain't getting it either.