http://www.sbnation.com/users/jj24 Posts made by jj24 on SB Nation http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2008/3/16/122136/655 jj24 Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:21:36 -0000 <p>This is completely inspired by the recent Jerry Sullivan article in the Buffalo News and I would like to hear some opinions of my peers in an open forum.</p><p>As typical football fans we're devoted to our team and its players. &nbsp;So I can speak for myself when I say I quickly dismissed Stroud's suspenson last season for banned substances and took him on his word that "It was an over the counter subststance." But after watching the baseball issues with "Banned Substances" unfold it's become apparent all athletes have become more desperate to gain an advantage on the field.</p><p>Whether it's to increase strength and speed with steroids or to overcome the adverse effects of serious injuries or surgeries with HGH, it has become a wild card in player performance that makes it more difficult to qualify a player's true level of ability. &nbsp;But this much is sure, with growing attention the media and legal system have dedicated to MLB there will definitely be a carry over effect to other professional sports. &nbsp;</p><p>So this brings a few questions to mind when taking another look at &nbsp;Buffalo's decision to trade 3rd and 5th round picks to Jacksonville for the former Pro-Bowl defensive tackle. First, why would Jacksonville be willing to depart with such a "quality" player for such moderate compensation when they have a relatively young team as well, and made a deep run into the playoffs? &nbsp;Second, was John Henderson's presence a major catalyst for Stroud's success, and will Stroud struggle to compete at the same level without such luxury in Buffalo? And lastly, as mentioned in Sullivan's article, will he go "Anthony Hargrove" on the Bills and do it again if he can't perform up to his or the team's expectations. &nbsp;In the case of Anthony Hargrove and even our beloved Bruce Smith(how he avoided a negative was a little convenient) those violations were recreational drug use and didn't really translate to player performance. &nbsp;<br /> With Stoud's violation eyebrows should be raised because at almost 30 he is what should be considered a player approaching the age where a player's performance begins to decline, especially considering the wear and tear linemen endure. I consider his situation different than that of Shawn Merriman who was younger and probably more ignorant than desperate. Also, his contract is not reflective of advertised ability. &nbsp;There's no doubt he may have something "left in the tank", but it may be all unleaded because super will blow a gasket. &nbsp;Personally I'm concerned that Stroud contributions to our team may go one of two ways.:<br /></p> <ol> <li value="1">&nbsp;He will be a more restricted player because of his injury and because we have no one who "measures up" to "Big" John Henderson with McCargo, Williams, and Johnson as his linemates. &nbsp;<br /></li> <li value="2">&nbsp;He will succumb to the pressure of gaining that advantage he looked for when he most likely took HGH to recover from his ankle injury/surgery, and will receive a serious punishment from the NFL for being a second time offender. &nbsp;</li> </ol> I'm not sure exactly how the suspension system works because, quite frankly, I have better things to do than learn what overpaid athletes have to suffer for choosing to cheat and/or take drugs. I'm more concerned about drunk drivers than athletes who take performance enhancing drugs but I really enjoy watching the Bills and I like to see them do well. &nbsp;I'd rather lose because we tried hard and came up short than to struggle because we gave up draft picks for a guy who doesn't play due to suspensions &nbsp;or who doesn't play well because he can't cheat anymore. &nbsp;