Bills LB Angelo Crowell Undergoes Knee Surgery (1 Viewer)

[OC Zed]

I'm getting more and more irritated with the Bills on this. Chris Brown, the official Buffalo Bills blogger, has a post saying that Crowell hasn't even had the surgery yet and is going for a second opinion before having it done. But since the Bills have already put him on IR, it doesn't really matter. Good job Russ, way to completely over react and hurt the defense for the entire season. Wonder how **** Juaron feels about losing his best defensive player for the season on something stupid like this?

you think Brandon would have done this without consulting Jauron first?

Watch the Jauron interview on the Crowell surgery posted on the Bills' website. It is quite evident that he was PO'd over this.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Crowell I-R decision all about timing

by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 9/5/2008 1:56 PM ET

In the wake of the big decision to put Angelo Crowell on injured reserve Thursday, head coach **** Jauron explained why that choice was made on Friday. With Crowell electing to have surgery three days prior to the opener Jauron admitted the timing was a factor.

“The timing had some impact because it was the only thing we had to deal with,” said Jauron. “Seventy-two hours before a game is certainly different than three weeks prior to your opener in training camp. So the timing is part of every situation and it was part of this one.”

Jauron and his staff felt they were at a disadvantage with just five linebackers available for Sunday’s game and with the inability to accurately gauge how much time would be needed before Crowell was healthy again it was a decision they had to make.

“It’s just a question of what we need now to win a football game,” he said. “And it’s also a question of recovery time. There’s just no way to predict that kind of thing. We talked to our medical staff about it. It’s not very predictable.”

Jauron was asked if Crowell’s knee scope procedure wasn’t considered season ending why they wouldn’t simply carry him on the roster and wait until he’s healthy again. Buffalo did that last season with Ryan Denney when he broke his foot in the team’s third preseason game last year.

“Every situation is different, every position is different,” said Jauron. “I don’t recall every single detail about Ryan, but I would say we did have a better idea. You’re never 100 percent sure particularly whenever they go in surgically even a scope. It’s all just a best guess. But every situation that arises will be specific to itself. It’ll be the circumstances surrounding it, the situation on our team, the needs of our team and that includes special teams on any given Sunday. They all are different.”

Jauron acknowledged it was possible that under a worst case scenario Crowell could miss up to half the season possibly more.

Buffalo promptly signed Blake Costanzo Friday, who was a final cut from the roster on Aug. 31.

“I didn’t even know until I got back in town last night what the reason was, but I feel bad for Angelo and I wish him the best of luck,” said Costanzo of his re-signing with the club. “Unfortunately, in this business that happens sometimes. Hopefully I could help replace him to some extent.”

“Blake is back and has a chance of being active and participating on special teams on Sunday,” said Jauron.

Crowell still has not had the surgery performed as he is now seeking a second opinion according to Jauron.

Meanwhile in the locker room players were still adjusting to losing Crowell for the season. Strong safety Donte Whitner feels for his teammate’s situation, but also knows they have to press forward.

“As a whole it was a shock to everybody because it was so sudden and he had practiced the day before,” said Whitner. “Then all of a sudden he was lost for the season. We’re going to miss Angelo. He was a captain last year. He’s a great player and we’re going to miss him. But Keith Ellison is going to step in and do a great job. Last year Keith got a lot of playing experience. So he’s going to show what he can do and we believe he’s going to do a great job.”

“You’ve got to move forward with the guys you have and we feel very good about the guys we have,” said fellow defensive captain Chris Kelsay. “It’s not a good thing to get used to, but I suppose if any team has any kind of experience with this it’s us.”

Whitner spoke with Crowell by phone Thursday as he was still dealing with the emotion of realizing his season was over before it started.

“I talked to him yesterday and it’s tough for him,” said Whitner. “Going through training camp and offseason conditioning and three days before the opening game you’re out for the season? That’s tough mentally and physically because of all the hard work you put in running, lifting and film study. It’s like it’s all for nothing now and he expressed that to me yesterday. We’re going to help him get through it. As time goes on he’ll be able to cope with it a little better.”

Crowell explained to Whitner that they were trying to get the knee well enough to play on, but that apparently never happened.

“They were really trying to see if the knee would get better without the surgery, as far as strengthening it and different things they were doing in the training room,” said Whitner. “But it wasn’t getting better. So it’s time that he goes and gets it cleaned out.”

.http://buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=6540

 

[OC Zed]

Crowell I-R decision all about timing

by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 9/5/2008 1:56 PM ET

In the wake of the big decision to put Angelo Crowell on injured reserve Thursday, head coach **** Jauron explained why that choice was made on Friday. With Crowell electing to have surgery three days prior to the opener Jauron admitted the timing was a factor.

“The timing had some impact because it was the only thing we had to deal with,” said Jauron. “Seventy-two hours before a game is certainly different than three weeks prior to your opener in training camp. So the timing is part of every situation and it was part of this one.”

Jauron and his staff felt they were at a disadvantage with just five linebackers available for Sunday’s game and with the inability to accurately gauge how much time would be needed before Crowell was healthy again it was a decision they had to make.

“It’s just a question of what we need now to win a football game,” he said. “And it’s also a question of recovery time. There’s just no way to predict that kind of thing. We talked to our medical staff about it. It’s not very predictable.”

Jauron was asked if Crowell’s knee scope procedure wasn’t considered season ending why they wouldn’t simply carry him on the roster and wait until he’s healthy again. Buffalo did that last season with Ryan Denney when he broke his foot in the team’s third preseason game last year.

“Every situation is different, every position is different,” said Jauron. “I don’t recall every single detail about Ryan, but I would say we did have a better idea. You’re never 100 percent sure particularly whenever they go in surgically even a scope. It’s all just a best guess. But every situation that arises will be specific to itself. It’ll be the circumstances surrounding it, the situation on our team, the needs of our team and that includes special teams on any given Sunday. They all are different.”

Jauron acknowledged it was possible that under a worst case scenario Crowell could miss up to half the season possibly more.

Buffalo promptly signed Blake Costanzo Friday, who was a final cut from the roster on Aug. 31.

“I didn’t even know until I got back in town last night what the reason was, but I feel bad for Angelo and I wish him the best of luck,” said Costanzo of his re-signing with the club. “Unfortunately, in this business that happens sometimes. Hopefully I could help replace him to some extent.”

“Blake is back and has a chance of being active and participating on special teams on Sunday,” said Jauron.

Crowell still has not had the surgery performed as he is now seeking a second opinion according to Jauron.

Meanwhile in the locker room players were still adjusting to losing Crowell for the season. Strong safety Donte Whitner feels for his teammate’s situation, but also knows they have to press forward.

“As a whole it was a shock to everybody because it was so sudden and he had practiced the day before,” said Whitner. “Then all of a sudden he was lost for the season. We’re going to miss Angelo. He was a captain last year. He’s a great player and we’re going to miss him. But Keith Ellison is going to step in and do a great job. Last year Keith got a lot of playing experience. So he’s going to show what he can do and we believe he’s going to do a great job.”

“You’ve got to move forward with the guys you have and we feel very good about the guys we have,” said fellow defensive captain Chris Kelsay. “It’s not a good thing to get used to, but I suppose if any team has any kind of experience with this it’s us.”

Whitner spoke with Crowell by phone Thursday as he was still dealing with the emotion of realizing his season was over before it started.

“I talked to him yesterday and it’s tough for him,” said Whitner. “Going through training camp and offseason conditioning and three days before the opening game you’re out for the season? That’s tough mentally and physically because of all the hard work you put in running, lifting and film study. It’s like it’s all for nothing now and he expressed that to me yesterday. We’re going to help him get through it. As time goes on he’ll be able to cope with it a little better.”

Crowell explained to Whitner that they were trying to get the knee well enough to play on, but that apparently never happened.

“They were really trying to see if the knee would get better without the surgery, as far as strengthening it and different things they were doing in the training room,” said Whitner. “But it wasn’t getting better. So it’s time that he goes and gets it cleaned out.”

.http://buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=6540

None of this makes me feel any better about the front office. This was like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

 

[GroveDiesel]

“It’s just a question of what we need now to win a football game,” he said. “And it’s also a question of recovery time. There’s just no way to predict that kind of thing. We talked to our medical staff about it. It’s not very predictable.”Jauron was asked if Crowell’s knee scope procedure wasn’t considered season ending why they wouldn’t simply carry him on the roster and wait until he’s healthy again. Buffalo did that last season with Ryan Denney when he broke his foot in the team’s third preseason game last year.“Every situation is different, every position is different,” said Jauron. “I don’t recall every single detail about Ryan, but I would say we did have a better idea. You’re never 100 percent sure particularly whenever they go in surgically even a scope. It’s all just a best guess. But every situation that arises will be specific to itself. It’ll be the circumstances surrounding it, the situation on our team, the needs of our team and that includes special teams on any given Sunday. They all are different.”

Whatever. Knee scopes generally take 2-4 weeks at most. If they found something else in there that required major repair, then obviously it would be longer. I just can't believe that they'd honestly rather IR Crowell and have him out for the season for sure rather than cut a guy like Copeland Bryan or Justin Jenkins and wait to see how Crowell's scope went. I mean, are Bryan or Jenkins really going to make or break this team? In fact, the odds would be pretty good that they'd still be available in a few weeks when Crowell was back.I'm going to have to see something more convincing than this for me to believe that Crow wasn't IRed out of spite.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

I'm going to have to see something more convincing than this for me to believe that Crow wasn't IRed out of spite.

I agree. It still makes no sense. Half a year of Crowell, at worst, is way more valuable than a full season of Blake Costanzo or whoever else they may have had to release to bring him back in. If they ran short at LB, they could have gone with a big nickel with 3 strong safeties on the roster.I sent Chris Brown an email with some questions on all this. I'll update here if he replies.

 

[OC Zed]

I'm going to have to see something more convincing than this for me to believe that Crow wasn't IRed out of spite.

I agree. It still makes no sense. Half a year of Crowell, at worst, is way more valuable than a full season of Blake Costanzo or whoever else they may have had to release to bring him back in. If they ran short at LB, they could have gone with a big nickel with 3 strong safeties on the roster.I sent Chris Brown an email with some questions on all this. I'll update here if he replies.

And what reeks even more is that they could have at least waited a week or two to see how the healing and rehab process was going. If it was taking longer or other injuries started to mount, then put him on IR and free up the roster spot. They have already gone ahead and placed him on IR without much justification... their being coy over the whole situation just makes it look 10x worse.

 

[shader]

Couldn't they just put him on the PUP list for half the season if it was all about the roster spot?

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Couldn't they just put him on the PUP list for half the season if it was all about the roster spot?

I think the PUP list is only for players that were injured prior to training camp/preseason.

 

[GoBills02]

Couldn't they just put him on the PUP list for half the season if it was all about the roster spot?

I think the PUP list is only for players that were injured prior to training camp/preseason.

Here's an explanation from a poster on BBMB. "The PUP list is only available for players who can't pass a physical at the start of training camp. It gives a team and an injured player time to heal before having to make a decision to make him active or go on IR.Now for the rest of you saying, "That's stupid, they should be able to do it when they want." here's a little lesson.Once upon a time the rule for Injured Reserve said that any player placed on IR after making the final (47 I think, back then) roster cut could be recalled after 6 weeks. So guess what happened. Teams would find themselves with young prospects who weren't ready but they didn't want to let go so they would tell them to go out and get "injured" in the last preseason game. Then on the final cutdown date the team would cut several 2nd and 3rd stringers they were pretty sure nobody would claim on waivers, let these young guys make the final roster, and move them to IR the next day. Then they'd resign the regular players and thereby have a "stash" of young players who could come back later and help if they developed.Now I'm not making this up and I am saying that pretty much every team did this. So in an attempt to stop this practice teams became allowed to have 53 players, even though they could still only dress 47. And they are allowed to have developmental practice squad players. So with this extra room for players the rule was changed that anybody placed on injured reserve had to remain there for the entire season.That was great untill teams had players coming in still injured or recovering from surgery. They didn't want to be forced into a decision on these guys by the start of camp so the PUP list is there for people who can't pass a physical at the start of camp - and only them.So please quit saying the Bills should have placed him on the PUP list.Thank you.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Thread in wrong forum....IDP forum

This story has more relevance than just about who to start on your defense.

The IDP forum is not about who to start on you defense...that the AC forum! The IDP forum is for this kind of thread.

This reminds me why I don't wade into the Shark Pool very often.

Since you don't wade here often you must be in the IDP forum a lot...if so did you happen to notice Bramel posted this story 3 hours before you in IDP forum??? honda

 

[captbly]

Wonder how **** Juaron feels about losing his best defensive player for the season on something stupid like this?

best defensive player? I think that is a little streach.

 

[OC Zed]

Wonder how **** Juaron feels about losing his best defensive player for the season on something stupid like this?

best defensive player? I think that is a little streach.

Let's think about this... what player on offense or defense has been more consistent or more productive over the last 3 seasons than Crowell? Not Evans... he has been too streaky and has relied on a few big games to pile up stats. Peters? He has been great the last 1 1/2 seasons, but he was not a solidified starter until 2007. Schobel? He was a no-show last year. You really can make a legitimate claim that he's been the most valuable Bill since he stepped in as a starter.Was he going to be our best defensive player this year? You could certainly make the case for it considering Whitner still has something to prove on pass defense, Posluszny is still on a learning curve and Stroud won't be playing more than half our defensive snaps.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Last year, the Bills had Crowell and nobody else at LB really. This year, they need to get a lot of production from Poz and Mitchell if they want to be better. Ellison probably shouldn't be starting as he'll get run over a lot, but he should be pretty good in coverage.

 

[OC Zed]

Last year, the Bills had Crowell and nobody else at LB really. This year, they need to get a lot of production from Poz and Mitchell if they want to be better. Ellison probably shouldn't be starting as he'll get run over a lot, but he should be pretty good in coverage.

Agreed. It will be interesting to see if they switch Mitchell to strong side and place DiGiorgio at the weakside. Having Ellison at the strong side seems like the worst possible place for him considering his biggest weakness is against the run. Alternatively, they might be more inclined to go with a nickel a lot more than otherwise would and rely on their depth in the secondary.

 

[edsonm]

Time to sell the team to an owner that will pay to make the team truly competitive again. An owner that will insure that players that are developed stay with the team for the long haul. An owner that won't end up driving away players with their hardline stance.

Only that owner won't keep them in Buffalo!

 

[OC Zed]

Here is a very interesting post on Buffalo Rumblings (the best website for Bills news and analysis) which includes a team source detailing the reasoning behind the decision to put Crowell on the IR...

Link

Bills prepared to move on without Crowell

Boba_tiny by Brian Galliford on Sep 5, 2008 4:32 PM EDT in News

Crowell likely finished as a member of the Bills (Photo Source)

Yesterday, the Buffalo Bills shocked their fan base when they announced that linebacker Angelo Crowell had been placed on Injured Reserve. Though he had practiced just a day earlier and had participated in the Bills' pre-season victory over Indianapolis, Crowell chose to have surgery when his lingering knee injury was deemed too difficult to play on.

Now, the fact that Crowell is seeking a second opinion on his injured knee is, by and large, irrelevant. Crowell's 2008 season is over, and as this is the final year of a contract extension he signed in 2005, he will become an unrestricted free agent - and his career with Buffalo is likely over.

Variety of Reasons Behind the Move

A source close to the team informs us that Buffalo's decision to end Crowell's season was not made lightly. The team was concerned about the amount of time it would take Crowell to rehab; the standard line of 2-4 weeks post-arthroscopic surgery may not have applied to Crowell, as his injury was lingering, and the team feared that it may be without Crowell for up to three months. Crowell's decision to seek a second opinion is likely to dispel the rumor that he's damaged goods now that his season is over. It's important to note that Buffalo's medical staff was behind this decision, and that their concern about what could happen during Crowell's rehab was the motivating factor behind the decision. Had they waited for Crowell's rehab to begin and then knew that his out time would be substantial, they'd have been taking a huge risk.

The team also feared that Crowell had ulterior motives in sitting out - namely, his contract. The team feels that Crowell made his decision with the idea that he'd miss part of the season, get completely healthy, and have a productive go of it once he returned in order to maximize his contract value. That's not entirely unreasonable to believe given the circumstances. The team's decision to IR Crowell was not made, however, to prevent him from maximizing his contract value.

Not a Part of Long-Term Plans

In short, the Bills' current regime - led by head coach **** Jauron - has never been overly enamored with Crowell since taking over the team in 2006. Crowell has been a productive player in his time, to be sure, and he was certainly good enough to be a starter here, but the coaches have never felt he gave it his all, both on and off the field. That's not to say they view him as a "me-first" player; he just doesn't display some of the traits that the team's leaders do, particularly in work ethic. He's also not viewed as the most intelligent of players, especially in coverage. It boils down to this: the Bills viewed Crowell as good enough to start in 2008, but he wasn't in the team's long-term plans.

The fact that Crowell's decision was spur-of-the-moment brought the situation to a head. Our source tells us that once Crowell's decision was made, the Bills were faced with an ultimatum: wait for Crowell and possibly play a double-digit number of football games with only 52 players, or put him on IR, let him get healthy, and wish him well. In the end, the decision wasn't exactly easy, but it was probably the right one - if Crowell is a lame duck and the team wasn't happy with him, what gain is there to waiting for him to return, especially if his motives are more contractual-based than team-based? The Bills' duty is to the team, not the player, and if Keith Ellison is more dedicated to the team than Crowell is - and isn't considered a huge drop-off - then you do what's best for the team. It's that simple.

Bills Leaders Upset with Crowell?

Don't forget, either, that some of the popular players mentioned as possible releases in lieu of losing Crowell - such as DE Copeland Bryan or OT Matt Murphy - earned their keep. They're team-first guys; Murphy in particular has proven to be the antithesis to Crowell, struggling to play through a shoulder injury for the good of the team. There's a difference between "hurt" and "injured", folks. Crowell is hurt; he can clearly play on the injury, as he did so literally a day before deciding to have surgery. Meanwhile, Murphy is gutting it out, and guys like Ryan Denney, Chris Kelsay and even Ellison played through actual injuries last season - our source says "they were virtual cripples" - all for the sake of the team. Our source reveals that several key players - leaders - aren't happy with Crowell's decision at all.

Ultimately, what's important to know about Crowell is this: he was, in essence, a lame duck player that wasn't necessarily a part of the team's long-term plans. We fans can have our opinions on the matter, but ultimately, the team is excited about what Keith Ellison can do as a starter on the strong side. Any notions that the team made this move to cut costs or punish Crowell for pulling a surprise on them are completely and utterly false - they did it because of the nature of Crowell's injury and the fact that they didn't want to wait for a guy who might not be putting the team first. It's not the prettiest of situations, but as they've done many other times, the Bills made the right decision in this matter. It was a hard decision, but it was right.

If the Bills really were concerned about the length of Crowell's rehab time, then I could start to understand the motivation behind the move. Coupled with the fact that several of the team leaders were not exactly happy with the way Crowell handled this, I can give the team the benefit of the doubt... if Ellison is as capable on the strong side as they seem to think he will be.

 

[Gnat Berries]

Wow. Ok, I've defended a lot of things that the Bills have done, but putting him on IR is just unbelievable. Yeah, the timing is terrible but it's 2-4 weeks!

I'm seriously ticked off right now. Not happy with the team at all. And why couldn't they get an extension done with him anyway? Also, why isn't a deal done with Evans yet? The Bills specifically said all during this Peters thing that if you come in and are a team player like Evans, that they'll get something worked out. Guess the true colors are showing through. I'm seriously getting to be at the end of my rope with this team.

I couldn't have said it better myself. At this point I almost wish they'd move to LA or Toronto so I can begin following the Steelers or Browns without guilt.

I said almost.

It's too bad that the group Jim Kelly put together doesn't have a real shot at buying them. That'd go a long way to reinvesting my faith.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

In the end, the decision wasn't exactly easy, but it was probably the right one - if Crowell is a lame duck and the team wasn't happy with him, what gain is there to waiting for him to return, especially if his motives are more contractual-based than team-based?

Not sure who wrote this, but I'm not sure what he's thinking when asking what there is to gain by not placing Crowell on IR.You'll get to have one of your best players in the lineup, and he'll be highly motivated to play well. Where's the downside here? Seems obvious there was a ton to gain by waiting for Crowell to get healthy if this team is serious about competing for a playoff spot. Instead, we get a month of Blake Costanzo, who wasn't even good enough to beat out players who will likely be inactive every week. So, you trade a starter for maybe 50 to 75% of the season for a backup.

The Bills' duty is to the team, not the player, and if Keith Ellison is more dedicated to the team than Crowell is - and isn't considered a huge drop-off - then you do what's best for the team. It's that simple.

Is this guy serious? The dropoff from Crowell to Ellison is substantial. Crowell wasn't a locker room problem. There's no way that putting him on IR is better for the team if there's a chance that he could be ready to play again a month from now.

 

[OC Zed]

In the end, the decision wasn't exactly easy, but it was probably the right one - if Crowell is a lame duck and the team wasn't happy with him, what gain is there to waiting for him to return, especially if his motives are more contractual-based than team-based?

Not sure who wrote this, but I'm not sure what he's thinking when asking what there is to gain by not placing Crowell on IR.You'll get to have one of your best players in the lineup, and he'll be highly motivated to play well. Where's the downside here? Seems obvious there was a ton to gain by waiting for Crowell to get healthy if this team is serious about competing for a playoff spot. Instead, we get a month of Blake Costanzo, who wasn't even good enough to beat out players who will likely be inactive every week. So, you trade a starter for maybe 50 to 75% of the season for a backup.

The Bills' duty is to the team, not the player, and if Keith Ellison is more dedicated to the team than Crowell is - and isn't considered a huge drop-off - then you do what's best for the team. It's that simple.

Is this guy serious? The dropoff from Crowell to Ellison is substantial. Crowell wasn't a locker room problem. There's no way that putting him on IR is better for the team if there's a chance that he could be ready to play again a month from now.

It sounds like the coaching staff did not think that Crowell was as good as everyone else thinks he was, which was already supported by the unwillingness to give him an extension. Maybe Ellison will be able to perform better on the strongside than he did playing the weakside... or perhaps they think they can eventually put DiGiorgio in that spot.As for Crowell being a locker room problem, maybe he was... at least that's how the Bills are starting to spin it. If he was well-liked and respected, he would have been named captain again and you would certainly have heard some players speaking out about it by now.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

It sounds like the coaching staff did not think that Crowell was as good as everyone else thinks he was, which was already supported by the unwillingness to give him an extension. Maybe Ellison will be able to perform better on the strongside than he did playing the weakside... or perhaps they think they can eventually put DiGiorgio in that spot.As for Crowell being a locker room problem, maybe he was... at least that's how the Bills are starting to spin it. If he was well-liked and respected, he would have been named captain again and you would certainly have heard some players speaking out about it by now.

the same coaching staff who has consistently said he was the most athletic LB on the roster? the same coaching staff who played him in the nickel and dime packages last year?he had the same knee problems last year in preseason and wound up being the only defensive player to start all 16 games.this all just looks like spin trying to justify an unpopular decision. as to their ultimate reasons for doing it, I still don't really know because nothing they've said makes any sense to me.I hate this move. I really hope Crowell speaks up on it soon.

 

[Obie Wan]

It sounds like the coaching staff did not think that Crowell was as good as everyone else thinks he was, which was already supported by the unwillingness to give him an extension. Maybe Ellison will be able to perform better on the strongside than he did playing the weakside... or perhaps they think they can eventually put DiGiorgio in that spot.:(As for Crowell being a locker room problem, maybe he was... at least that's how the Bills are starting to spin it. If he was well-liked and respected, he would have been named captain again and you would certainly have heard some players speaking out about it by now.

the same coaching staff who has consistently said he was the most athletic LB on the roster? the same coaching staff who played him in the nickel and dime packages last year?he had the same knee problems last year in preseason and wound up being the only defensive player to start all 16 games.this all just looks like spin trying to justify an unpopular decision. as to their ultimate reasons for doing it, I still don't really know because nothing they've said makes any sense to me.I hate this move. I really hope Crowell speaks up on it soon.

The recurring theme thoughout the Peters and Crowell situations has been the spin produced by the Bills which has quicly conveinced fans to trash previously liked players. We all know how Peters kills babies and eats themAlmost immediately, the Bills have their fans believing Crowell is evil reincarnated.Much more likely scenario is that the Bills wanted Crowell to play thru the injury. He wanted some assurance of a new deal to do so, in case he was forced out by the bad knee. Brandon was pissed that Crowell did not just shut up and play.So Brandon puts him on IR BEFORE any scope is done - thus with no idea what damage there is and how long the recovery will be.Either the Bills acted totally in spite or their medical stuff knew what the scope would uncover.This is even worse, since they were probably less than truthful with Crowell about the status of his knee which kept him playing.

 

[EugeneChung]

I picked up the BUF Defense as a shark play (and as a platoon with the NO D as suggested in a FBG article). Not knowing much about the Buffalo defense, I have to ask - is this a good time to cut bait and start playing the waiver wire for solid defensive matchups (ARI vs. SF or CIN vs. BAL this weekend)?

Thanks, fellas. I know its bordering on a WDIS but I have very little info on the BUF situation and need some opinions/insight to make an informed decision.

 

[OC Zed]

It sounds like the coaching staff did not think that Crowell was as good as everyone else thinks he was, which was already supported by the unwillingness to give him an extension. Maybe Ellison will be able to perform better on the strongside than he did playing the weakside... or perhaps they think they can eventually put DiGiorgio in that spot.



As for Crowell being a locker room problem, maybe he was... at least that's how the Bills are starting to spin it. If he was well-liked and respected, he would have been named captain again and you would certainly have heard some players speaking out about it by now.

the same coaching staff who has consistently said he was the most athletic LB on the roster? the same coaching staff who played him in the nickel and dime packages last year?he had the same knee problems last year in preseason and wound up being the only defensive player to start all 16 games.

this all just looks like spin trying to justify an unpopular decision. as to their ultimate reasons for doing it, I still don't really know because nothing they've said makes any sense to me.

I hate this move. I really hope Crowell speaks up on it soon.

The recurring theme thoughout the Peters and Crowell situations has been the spin produced by the Bills which has quicly conveinced fans to trash previously liked players. We all know how Peters kills babies and eats them

Almost immediately, the Bills have their fans believing Crowell is evil reincarnated.

Much more likely scenario is that the Bills wanted Crowell to play thru the injury. He wanted some assurance of a new deal to do so, in case he was forced out by the bad knee. Brandon was pissed that Crowell did not just shut up and play.

So Brandon puts him on IR BEFORE any scope is done - thus with no idea what damage there is and how long the recovery will be.

Either the Bills acted totally in spite or their medical stuff knew what the scope would uncover.

This is even worse, since they were probably less than truthful with Crowell about the status of his knee which kept him playing.

First, the Peters situation is entirely different from what happened with Crowell and the front office does not need any spin to make itself look good. Peters was simply in the wrong in how he handled the situation.Second, your scenario about Crowell wanting some reassurance before deciding to play the season on the bum knee is entirely plausible except if it were true I am 100% sure that we would have heard from him or his agent about this already. Again, the silence from Crowell on this is deafening. If that is indeed how it played out, then ya, I think the Bills look bad here, but the evidence just is not there.

 

[OC Zed]

I picked up the BUF Defense as a shark play (and as a platoon with the NO D as suggested in a FBG article). Not knowing much about the Buffalo defense, I have to ask - is this a good time to cut bait and start playing the waiver wire for solid defensive matchups (ARI vs. SF or CIN vs. BAL this weekend)?Thanks, fellas. I know its bordering on a WDIS but I have very little info on the BUF situation and need some opinions/insight to make an informed decision.

It's really too early to say. It looks like they really bolstered their run defense in the off-season with the acquisition of Marcus Stroud on the defensive line. Kawika Mitchell also figures to help their linebacking corps as their starting weakside linebacker. Crowell's loss, of course, is the big monkeywrench in all of this as he was seemingly their best linebacker against both the run and the pass the last 3 years. But then again, apparently the Bills' coaching staff did not think that highly of him and still deemed him replaceable so we will have to wait and see. The long and short of it, I would still expect to see an improved Bills defense aided in particular by Stroud as he will command more double teams and allow for more pressure off the ends. This, along with a more experience and healthier secondary, should at the very least see more turnovers produced for the Bills defense.

 

[EugeneChung]

I picked up the BUF Defense as a shark play (and as a platoon with the NO D as suggested in a FBG article). Not knowing much about the Buffalo defense, I have to ask - is this a good time to cut bait and start playing the waiver wire for solid defensive matchups (ARI vs. SF or CIN vs. BAL this weekend)?Thanks, fellas. I know its bordering on a WDIS but I have very little info on the BUF situation and need some opinions/insight to make an informed decision.

It's really too early to say. It looks like they really bolstered their run defense in the off-season with the acquisition of Marcus Stroud on the defensive line. Kawika Mitchell also figures to help their linebacking corps as their starting weakside linebacker. Crowell's loss, of course, is the big monkeywrench in all of this as he was seemingly their best linebacker against both the run and the pass the last 3 years. But then again, apparently the Bills' coaching staff did not think that highly of him and still deemed him replaceable so we will have to wait and see. The long and short of it, I would still expect to see an improved Bills defense aided in particular by Stroud as he will command more double teams and allow for more pressure off the ends. This, along with a more experience and healthier secondary, should at the very least see more turnovers produced for the Bills defense.

Solid analysis. Thank you.

 

[GoBills02]

I picked up the BUF Defense as a shark play (and as a platoon with the NO D as suggested in a FBG article). Not knowing much about the Buffalo defense, I have to ask - is this a good time to cut bait and start playing the waiver wire for solid defensive matchups (ARI vs. SF or CIN vs. BAL this weekend)?Thanks, fellas. I know its bordering on a WDIS but I have very little info on the BUF situation and need some opinions/insight to make an informed decision.

It's really too early to say. It looks like they really bolstered their run defense in the off-season with the acquisition of Marcus Stroud on the defensive line. Kawika Mitchell also figures to help their linebacking corps as their starting weakside linebacker. Crowell's loss, of course, is the big monkeywrench in all of this as he was seemingly their best linebacker against both the run and the pass the last 3 years. But then again, apparently the Bills' coaching staff did not think that highly of him and still deemed him replaceable so we will have to wait and see. The long and short of it, I would still expect to see an improved Bills defense aided in particular by Stroud as he will command more double teams and allow for more pressure off the ends. This, along with a more experience and healthier secondary, should at the very least see more turnovers produced for the Bills defense.

Solid analysis. Thank you.

Not to mention, the addition of Stroud should takw some double teams off of Kelsey and Schobel on the ends, thus upping their sack total from a career worst 6.5 last year for Schoebel. Plus, McGee and McKelvin and Roscoe returning kicks and punts = at least 5 tds this year.