Orton signs with Bills...

yep he signed with them

Report: Kyle Orton reaches deal with Bills

Report: Kyle Orton reaches deal with Bills

Report: Kyle Orton reaches deal with Bills

Posted by Mike Wilkening on August 29, 2014, 10:32 PM EDT

He’s back.

Veteran quarterback Kyle Orton has reached a one-year deal with the Bills, ESPN.com’s James Walker reported Friday night.

In July, the Cowboys released Orton, who was said to be considering retirement. At the time, Dallas owner Jerry Jones indicated the 31-year-old quarterback wasn’t done playing just yet.

Jones was apparently right.

With 70 NFL starts to his credit, Orton is likely to displace Jeff Tuel as the top backup to Bills starter EJ Manuel. The more interesting discussion point, though, is whether Orton could eventually push Manuel, who had an up-and-down summer.

Before joining Dallas in 2012, Orton had stints with Chicago (2005-2008), Denver (2009-2011) and Kansas City (2011). He has completed 1,326-of-2,265 passes for 15,019 yards with 83 TDs and 59 interceptions in his NFL career.

The Bills’ reported addition of Orton is their latest attempt to solidify their depth behind Manuel, who missed six games a season ago as a rookie. Tuel, Dennis Dixon and Thad Lewis were the backups to begin the summer, but only Tuel remains of that trio. The Bills also parted ways with ex-Bears quarterback Jordan Palmer on Friday.

Don't give a shit. It wasn't like this was shocking.

A player bends over Jones and he takes it.

@ Jerry

boozeman said:

Don't give a shit. It wasn't like this was shocking.

A player bends over Jones and he takes it.

Click to expand...

Nothing another bottle of Johnny Walker Blue won't cure.

I'm not seeing what Jones could have done different in this situation. If he stays, he's getting paid and is disinterested. A bad influence on younger players. So cut him. He still gets his money, but the cancer is out of the locker room.

If anything, the league should step in and stop shit like this from happening. If players pull crap like this, they should have to sit out minimum one year.

I thought free agents would give up life and limb to play for the almighty Dallas Cowboys.

We just got trumped by Buffalo. At least it's still the NFL.

NoDak said:

I'm not seeing what Jones could have done different in this situation. If he stays, he's getting paid and is disinterested. A bad influence on younger players. So cut him. He still gets his money, but the cancer is out of the locker room.

If anything, the league should step in and stop shit like this from happening. If players pull crap like this, they should have to sit out minimum one year.

Click to expand...

It is not any different than other players showing their asses elsewhere and getting cut or traded. That's not the point.

I would be interested to know why exactly it is two well paid employees elected to engineer their way out. Rats are the first to jump ship when it is sinking.

A lot of players that were not necessarily part of the elite upper crust have complained mightily about the team culture when they land elsewhere. While it may be sour grapes, it is definitely a trend as well.

Unethical and dishonest people are always going to be that way. Some folks just have no integrity. You can't blame the Dallas organization for these incidents. It's all on the player who deliberated and perpertrates this behavior.

Apparently the Bills have been talking to Orton for awhile

Kyle Orton beats the NFL system

August, 30, 2014



By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas – Kyle Orton has done something few players in the NFL get to do: beat the system.

The Cowboys cut Orton on July 15 not long after the veteran backup quarterback told the Cowboys he would be coming to training camp. On Friday, Orton agreed to a deal with the Buffalo Bills, according to ESPN’s James Walker.

Orton spent most of the offseason hoping to retire, except the Cowboys would have come after $3.4 million in signing-bonus money he received in 2012 and ’13 had he decided to give up the game. He skipped the voluntary offseason program, skipped a physical before the mandatory minicamp and failed to report to the minicamp altogether. The moves would have cost Orton roughly $150,000 in fines form the Cowboys if he returned.

When he was facing fines of $30,000 a day if he skipped training camp, Orton told the Cowboys he would be in Oxnard, California. And then the Cowboys cut him, giving the backup job to Brandon Weeden.

Now he is with the Buffalo Bills and will start the season as E.J. Manuel's backup. Perhaps he starts if Manuel struggles. And he did not have to go through a day of training camp.

There is nothing the Cowboys can do to recoup Orton’s bonus money since they cut him. They decided they did not want a player who was not fully committed around the team and didn’t want risk him getting hurt after not doing a thing in the offseason.

My belief was that Orton wanted to retire. From all accounts, he was doing next to nothing to get ready for the season.

Be mad at Orton all you want, but teams rarely, if ever, show loyalty to players. Remember, we did see DeMarcus Ware at AT&T Stadium the other night in a Denver Broncos uniform. Players don’t need to be loyal to anybody but themselves.

In the stalemate between Jerry Jones and Orton, Orton won.

Very peculiar choice indeed.

Most wouldn't choose to go from Dallas to Buffalo unless he's assuming he can eventually beat out Manuel. He'd have made more money in Dallas.

I'm wondering if the team atmosphere played a role in his decision.

L.T. Fan said:

Unethical and dishonest people are always going to be that way. Some folks just have no integrity. You can't blame the Dallas organization for these incidents. It's all on the player who deliberated and perpertrates this behavior.

Click to expand...

From the players' perspective the NFL and its owners are rarely loyal to the player. Contracts are written in a manner where it's easy for teams to ditch a player before the contract is up.

But that's the players fault, IMO. During CBA negotiations instead of lobbying to smoke weed and dodging HGH tests, they should be lobbying for guaranteed contracts instead of pulling stunts like this and holding out every year.

It definitely goes both ways. The Mankins trade is a great example...he would not take a pay cut, so they shipped him out.

boozeman said:

It is not any different than other players showing their asses elsewhere and getting cut or traded. That's not the point.

Click to expand...

Oh. Of course not.

jsmith6919 said:

Apparently the Bills have been talking to Orton for awhile

Click to expand...

"Months?"

That's pretty much tampering right there.

Far be it for me to defend Jerry about anything, but if that was said about Jerry and the Cowboys there would be a witch hunt.

That aside, I too am curious as to why Orton wanted out so badly. Trainers? Chance to start? Afraid he'd have to play again considering the condition of Romo's back? Morally opposed to Jerry's lifestyle?

Orton had a good gig here...seemed to like it here until he threw the season ending pick.

1bigfan13 said:

From the players' perspective the NFL and its owners are rarely loyal to the player. Contracts are written in a manner where it's easy for teams to ditch a player before the contract is up.

But that's the players fault, IMO. During CBA negotiations instead of lobbying to smoke weed and dodging HGH tests, they should be lobbying for guaranteed contracts instead of pulling stunts like this and holding out every year.

Click to expand...

Loyalty is not a factor. If you enter into a contract you should honor the contract. That is why they are reduced to writing and signed by both parties. If you didn't like the deal, the time to change it is before you agree to the terms. How many times have you seen an owner renig on a deal because he didn't like the way a player performed. They have to wait until the terms are completed. They also have to pay because the contract states they do. Both parties are legally obligated to conform to the terms. Try missing a few house payments because you didn't want to pay because you were gone on vacation and didn't use the house.

Carp said:

Orton had a good gig here...seemed to like it here until he threw the season ending pick.

Click to expand...

If Orton wanted to retire then he's screwed the Cowboys out of their bonus and is currently jobbing the Bills by taking a position he has no desire to fulfill. I doubt this as I don't think even the Bills would accept a player who didn't practice, prepare, and learn the offense.

If Orton just wanted out of Dallas, then he only screwed Jerry Jones.

I think he just wanted out of Dallas.

I either case, he made the Cowboys front office look like idiots with all their "confidence in Orton" talk.

Genghis Khan said:

"Months?"

That's pretty much tampering right there.

Far be it for me to defend Jerry about anything, but if that was said about Jerry and the Cowboys there would be a witch hunt.

That aside, I too am curious as to why Orton wanted out so badly. Trainers? Chance to start? Afraid he'd have to play again considering the condition of Romo's back? Morally opposed to Jerry's lifestyle?

Click to expand...

It does sound like there may have been some tampering, also saw a couple people tweeting Orton sold his house here in Dallas right after last season though never did see that verified by anybody credible