You absolutely hate it when things like this happen. Shawne Merriman, who appeared to have successfully fought back from a two-year injury, was cut yesterday by the Bills. Merriman stated on many occasions how happy he was in Buffalo and it showed through his efforts off the field to bring in free agents. Even though Merriman rarely played for the Bills (although he was involved in the landmark win over the Patriots last year), his contributions to the team off the field can't be quantified. It's true that without him the Bills would not be the team they are today, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. He is directly responsible for persuading starting linebackers Nick Barnett and Kirk Morrison to sign here. He also had a hand in the Brad Smith signing. And, without this talent on board, Mario Williams, and later Mark Anderson, likely would not have signed either. You can see right there the kind of impact he had, and even though he'll never see this I just wanted to take this opportunity to state that football, and any profession, is not all about what you do when people are watching. What you do behind the scenes can have just as much of an impact. I really looked up to Shawne and I will miss having him on the team. He was a spirited leader and motivational speaker. It's a really sad day for me because I know being on this team meant a lot to him. I hope he can catch on with another team and do well for himself this year.
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