d_wag

i didn't offer an opinion in that post........simply posted a bills related link.......

just for the folks that insist the 9er's paid to much for jonas....... "Credit VP of personnel Scot McLoughan a nod for getting Jennings early, and for below market value, considering the deals ORTs Ryan Diem and John Tait have signed in the last two offseasons. Both contracts are similar to Jennings' but Diem and Tait each received more cash up front." http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Comme...spins030305.htm

please explain why TD has always made free agent visits public in the past and would change his strategy this year

i meant no talks since last summer.........we're all aware of the lowball offers that TD dished out then....... pretty sad that the first contact since then had to come from the agent to the team.......not the way most teams handle a player they want to come back.......

they tried to sign mason.........they offered him more money then BAL, but he choose the ravens over them.......

i thought the agents for big pat and jonas were lieing when they said the bills haven't talked to them at all?? and now another guy says the same thing??? TD didn't even try with any of these guys

the excuses never stop for TD.........if you don't think jonas is worth the money, fine.........if you don't think we should pay any LT that much money, fine.........but it's a GM's job to predict future performance........that is what a contract is for, not for what happened in the past........if TD couldn't see that a young player was going to improve, then he's not much of a GM........lack of foresight is not an excuse in the NFL.......but hey, spin any way you like.......i knew i expected jonas to continue to improve in '04, and stated that well in advance of the season........and in regards to his '05 season, i think he'll show more improvement.......

so why did he say the exact opposite numerous times since the end of the season?

it wouldn't have been difficult to sign both last off-season.........moulds carried a very large cap hit and could have been reworked........other contracts could have been altered as well (for example, an extension for big pat would have reduced his number last year)........ regardless, it is TD's cap and if he doesn't have funds available to keep his best young players off the market at reasonable rates it's because he decided not to allocate resources to that area.........

that is the same patriots who made a big play for derrick mason and actually offered him more money then the ravens did, right?

you mis-understood..........10% off of the market value for giving him an early sign...........i.e. 9M signing bonus and 31.5M total value.........

why not?

it is different, none the less.........that is the result of the contracts that jones, diem, and samuels got........if he signed last summer you can likely chop about 10-15% off the total value and signing bonus, taking in to account jonas getting the signing bonus early and not having to risk injury in his contract year.......

it wouldn't have taken 12M before diem's deal........the market inflated it.........

much like indy, we should have paid to keep our young starting tackle in house........not the popluar opinion around here as it goes against TD's strategy, but obviously polian believes in it.........

light and bruschi are two other examples........

where is FFS now?? jonas might come crawling back to us at 3-4M per year based on a dry market? it was laughable at the time and it's laughable now.........it's no surprise jonas got his 5M/year........that was the market value going in to this year........

cap hell by paying a good DT "market value"?? by taking on a cap charge of 3M in '05, 3M in '06, and 2M in '07?? that is what good teams pay good players in the NFL.......... if ron edwards plays half as good as many on this board expect, how much do you think he'll command as a UFA next year?? i can't wait to hear about how over-rated he is and how we can't afford to keep him next year........same old story around here........it's not TD's fault, he has to watch the cap.......he better start working on extension for edwards NOW if that is his man, cause we won't be able to keep him either if he gets to free agency..........

FLETCH IS SIGNED THROUGH '06.........who starts these rumours??

here here, great post......... we went with the "cheap" option.......i think most playoff caliber teams with the cap room we had would have re-signed pat, or at least made an effort to........

i think losman........many are expecting a huge season out of mcgahee, with an increase in his yards and TD's, so his bar is pretty high........evans, likewise, is expected to post bigger numbers, as in 1000 yards and 10 TD's........if he posts those kind of numbers obviously a big reason why is losman.......he has the most room to improve, and i expect he will look good in the offense........

so first it was "he doesn't fit our scheme" (not by you, but by others), then it was "the salary cap", and when i showed you that he had a minimal first year cap number, now it's because he didn't want to come to buffalo and we had no chance at him......... i'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact TD never even tried, right? he is on record stating they evaluted kendall and decided he wasn't what they wanted.........he made a mistake in not even making an effort.......whether he took a deal from us is one thing, but the fact we never tried was an error.......and i know how people around here hate to see TD made look a fool, but he was in this case..........kendall had an excellent season.........

i think the fact the trade got as far as it did (i.e. travis making it known to the cards that he wanted a new deal and them rebuffing him) means it is too late to turn back.......travis got his hopes up about a deal, a #1 job, and to come back to #2 wouldn't work........ he knows he isn't going to see money without playing.......like i said, i think it's best for both to just move on.......we get some value for travis, and he gets his new deal (or at the least the opportunity to earn one -- he won't get that on our bench)..........

what about mike wahle? the panthers have less room then us under the cap yet make it a priority to upgrade their OL.......are they foolish as well for paying "market value"?

how about ryan diem boys? indy has a tighter salary cap then us, and they still managed to sign their good, young OT.........is bill polian some kind of fool for paying "market value"?