BillsVet

I'm not even sure he's great in coverage. The example I can't help but remember was during the Dallas MNF game last season when Jason Witten broke his ankles for a TD. He's smaller than pretty much all TE's and some RB's. The whole point of acquiring the bodies Buffalo did in FA was to get some size to the front 7. We'd all love to see Ellison be the SLB for years to come. The reality is, his frame is small, and he weighs less than many RB's in the league. He's a backup and special teamer that plays hard. Physically, to borrow a phrase from the draft experts, he doesn't match up well in the phone booth.

Show me another team which negotiates with their better players over the course of 6 months. Evans said in mini-camp that they'd been working on an extension. This was the same reply uttered during training camp. I'm not going the conspiracy theory route, and I've used this analogy before: If you're the plaintiff in a criminal case, and the jury is out for weeks, does that bode well for you? Chances are, it does not. Of course Evans, as a consumate professional, will not say it's going real well or just inching along. He's not going to reveal the true nature of anything, but negotiations lasting this long are not typical no matter what you believe.

It'd be easy to make a quick assessment of what went down at OBD today. But on the surface, I have to wonder what the atmosphere in the locker room truly is heading into the season. There are three major issues currently confronting the front office, and we don't know if they're the only ones: 1. Peters. Enough said...let him sit idle. I won't shed a tear for him or Parker when those checks aren't coming in. 2. Evans. Still unsigned after 6 months of negotiations. Atypical situation, as most new contracts have been finalized throughout the NFL. Hopefully Burress' deal sets a baseline, but last reports indicated the Bills and Evans' people haven't progressed in a while. Marv said back in Feb 07: ""Lee Evans we feel is a premier receiver and everything about him I like." It's time to get the deal done with LE. 3. Crowell. Makes decision on surgery before season opener, Bills fight back by placing him on IR, even though he'd return in no more than 5 weeks. An already thin Bills LB corps becomes weakened, especially with 3 LB's weighing less than 230. Crowell will hit UFA with no recent body of work with which to sign...because he's not remaining in Buffalo no matter what. Question is, why? We'll find out in due time. It's complete speculation, but IMO is a storm brewing in that locker room. It seems like the Bills front office is trying to win every battle, but will end up losing the war...a.k.a. the hearts and minds of no less than 52 professional football players. Buffalo needs a win this weekend in the worst way. But things could get ugly if the season doesn't start well, and that's something reiterated every season.

Crazy speculation here but: What if the Bills decided giving Evans what he wants to deflect the heat they're going to get regarding Crowell? It's a stretch, but at this point nothing surprises me about a Ralph owned team.

It is small, especially with him playing SLB. As much as Ellison can be a TBD favorite, he's not the answer, and it's amazing that Buffalo lacks size beyond their starting 3 LB's. The backup LB's DiGiorgio, Ellison, and Corto all weigh less than 230. Ellison may be stronger, but weighing 229 isn't going to get it done on the strong side. Depth at LB will be an issue this entire season, just like it was last year.

It will be interesting to see if the Bills can run the ball between the tackles this season. Seattle has a pretty decent middle defense. Still, with the sub-230 pound Keith Ellison manning the SLB spot, it's visions of Brandon Jacobs all over again from the Giants game last year.

What makes you think the Bills were going to re-sign him? No team can retain all of their players, and every team needs to review who to keep and who to let go and LB's are easier to replace in the draft than other positions. I don't think Crowell is a difference maker, just a solid player. There's a salary cap that makes it hard to sign everyone, and if you paid attention to how teams remain competitive, it's not by throwing money at every veteran who plays OK for a few seasons. As for the idea Crowell's getting the scope now because he didn't get a deal, where is the link to confirm this? The conspiracy theorists are alive and well again...and I thought it was bad when people thought Jason Peters was hiding in a darkened room.

No doubt the Seahawks are banged up entering Week 1. But it was painfully obvious that the LB's lacked size after Crowell last year, especially against the Giants. Not having Crowell and Posluszny would be a huge blow, especially with DiGiorgio and Ellison probably lining up in their place. This team needs to make an early statement about stopping the run, and forcing Seattle to throw early will be a good thing.

Trading Peters is giving in to what Parker wants. Their priority is to get paid, whether it's from Buffalo or another team. Forcing him to sit is and should be the option the front office takes. Parker can float him some loans, but 190k game checks will be missed eventually. And I hope the rest of the NFL takes note. Everyone Parker represents has won in their battle for a bigger contract. As much as I don't think the front office is at the top in the NFL, it would be nice to see an agent wave the white flag. Not that it's going to happen anytime soon.

Evans' people have been working at a contract for 6+ months now. Yes, he's interested in staying, but there won't be a hometown discount. Both sides know where the market is, and it doesn't seem normal for negotiations to last this long. My comment didn't center so much on Peters, but the lack of progress in re-upping Evans by now. As for Peters, let him sit. The more I hear about Eugene Parker, the more fun it is to see his client sit and not be traded. They're probably banking on an injury or poor play, but it's nice to see a player not get their way when they demand something from the team.

They've had 6 months to get one done with UFA to be Lee Evans and nothing's materialized. Does that mean they're not interested there either?

It's obvious that the NFL, and pro sports in general, are now players leagues. They have more control over their personal situations, i.e. renegotiating contracts, than ever before. The genesis was free agency, when players weren't obligated to play for one team, unless of course they were traded. No owner will admit this is the case, but it is. Whether he wants to admit it or not, Ralph Wilson knows there is a lot at stake this season. The Bills have their highest figure of season ticket holders in 15 years, made a lucrative deal with Ted Rogers that brings another 78M, and revenue sharing. If, and it's a giant if, the Bills aren't a playoff team this season, the fanfare over the Bills will decrease markedly into 2009. Signing your own players goes a long way toward showing the fans you're serious about being a winner.

Raimus, for once you and I agree. Marv said that it's important to sign your own. He obviously learned a lot from Polian, who has retained his very good to elite talent in Manning, Freeney, Sanders, Wayne, Clark, and Harrison while jettisoning the likes of Jason David, Nick Harper, Ryan Lilja, and Larry Tripplett. It just seems the front office is different than when Levy was GM. I can't put my finger on it, but what kind of offer could the Bills have offered Evans that's taken 6 months? Either way, he'll get significant attention in UFA, and I wouldn't be surprised if he got Javon Walker money should he go that route. Let's hope he doesn't.

Overdorf should be taking his cues from whomever is handling the job of GM. I suppose that's Brandon, but it's hard to tell. The Bills go against conventional wisdom and don't have a true GM or VP of Personnel type. It's a bit premature to start blaming, though in most NFL front offices, the GM would be handling these issues with some support staff. Either way, it's not promising that it's taking this long. Kinda like when the jury's out on a case for days and you're the plaintiff. Chances are it's not going well.

5-6 month contract negotiations aren't normal either. I'm not keen on giving Evans a Bernard Berrian like deal, but it's what UFA has decided an experienced and somewhat successful WR can get. Buffalo can either pay him now (w/21M in cap room) or just try to cultivate someone else and take 2-3 more years doing it. The Bills went out just 18 months ago and gave top dollar to Dockery, and it all surprised the heck out of us. While I don't know what Evans is asking for, it seems the Bills are taking another hardline approach toward his negotiations. Unless he wants what Javon Walker got in Oakland, I don't see why they've taken so long. Thing is, how far apart were they to start that's made this drag out so long?

Not including Buffalo, I don't think there's a team in the entire AFC with more pressure to win than Cleveland. The acquired Rogers and Corey Williams via trade, signed Donte Stallworth, and just missed the playoffs last year. Their schedule is brutal, and they play no less than four primetime games this year.

Ryan Grant held out from training camp for less than two weeks and received a new contract after having all of one half season's success running the ball. GB gave him a 4 year 30M deal after Grant intially proposed a 6 yr 40M contract. Not all negotiations are the similar, but it's noteworthy that this thing has lagged with no results for the past few months. After Evans announced at mini-camp that they'd made some progress, I get the feeling it's stalled. That's not to say it's a permanent halt, but I've never heard of negotiations on professional sports contracts lasting 5+ months.

The MMQB article in SI this week highlights the often frenetic pace things take around the opening of free agency. Per King: "I think if you're a fan of the Browns, or if you're interested in the mechanics of how a trade in the NFL gets done, you might want to read my diary of Cleveland's offseason in Sports Illustrated later this week. My favorite part is the contentious trade between Cleveland and Detroit for Rogers, and how Rogers went from Detroit to Cleveland to Cincinnati to Buffalo to Cleveland in about 18 hours. The emotion and anger in the discussions between Millen and Phil Savage will be fun to read. They were fun to report." I'm interested to see the details in the full article of how Rogers almost came to Buffalo. It's also nice that a reporter can go behind the scenes and write on the inner workings of a front office.

There has been a distinct lack of leadership in the front office, most notably a strong leader with a personnel background that knows what they're doing. Donahoe's reign was full of mistakes and the record shows it translated to the field over five seasons. However, when it was time to find another GM with a working knowledge of how a front office works, Wilson went first with Levy and now with Brandon. IMO, the inconsistency in personnel is directly related to the lack of a veritable NFL GM or VP of Personnel. I'm confident Brandon wants to show his mettle and not let Peters or Evans get the better of him. He's versed in marketing and business, but it's not so easy to take that exact mentality and transfer it into how to deal with star football players in the professional ranks. Brandon was thrown into the fire very quickly earlier this year. We won't know how well the free agents will be for a little while and the draft for perhaps another 2-3 seasons. But a Bills team minus Peters and Evans next season will be a U-Turn in the quest to create a respectable football team.

It's ironic the Bills were talked about around here for signing their own, (K. Williams, Kelsay, Butler) but those deals pale in comparison to anything Evans will get. The Bills spent some big dollars in 07 on Dockery, Walker, and Schobel. This season, they've only given out small to moderate contracts to K. Williams, Butler, Stroud, Mitchell, and Johnson. As much as this team needs role players and above average types, every team needs to find and keep their own stars. I don't understand why this Evans contract has lingered into the regular season after no less than 5 months of negotiations.

I wouldn't even mind if some of the name players left, and the team continued to win. There just isn't a winning tradition, and watching the highlights from the late eighties and nineties is getting old. The NFL's new commercials of "what about now" seem to be especially relevant to the Bills. Evans may not have the numbers of a Moss, Owens, or Wayne, but he's the best receiver on this team by a longshot. Replacing him will take time and considering their other options are Parrish, Reed, and Hardy, I don't see it being a good idea to let him go. I've heard so much about continuity, there's no reason not to keep him.

Seeing Williams named the starter at the 3 Tech RDT does beg the question about McCargo. It also makes me wonder why the Bills signed Spencer Johnson. Don't get me wrong, I like what he brings to the team. I just don't see him getting major minutes at DE where Denney and Ellis will be the principal backups to Kelsay and Schobel. He'll no doubt be part of the DT rotation, and certainly in on passing downs, but at 17.5M it's a steep price to pay for a situational pass rushing DT.

One of the greatest articles I've ever read about the evolution of the LT. It's lengthy, but an indication of how having someone who can be left alone in pass pro is so valuable to an entire offense. Left Tackle SI article from 2006

He's been converted from TE to OT. Maybe the team thinks they have a trend working. When I heard he had a rotator cuff injury, it seemed inevitable that it would be a season ending thing. At camp, I saw him get tossed around, and I think most of it had to do with his weight being in the 270 range for a position that most play at or above 300 pounds. He never seemed to be much as for being a TE. Maybe he'll be cut if and when Peters returns. Then again, maybe they'll have him revert back to TE.

It's not one or a group of teams responsibility to manage salaries and ensure other teams don't have to spend more. The Vikings have spent a bunch of money this year, and I'm sure their first goal is to get into the playoffs and make some more money, not keep other teams spending down. They also made the Hutchinson deal in 06, and the market has been set. It may not be fair to you, but it's the NFL's economic reality. The truth is, no team can realistically plan 2-3 years into the future. There may be a loose framework established, but ask the Cowboys if they thought Tony Romo would be a franchise QB in 2004. Or how about Willie Parker going from Pittsburgh's 3rd stringer in 04 to being a standout RB by 06? Strange things happen which surprise even the best front offices. Peters is a fine example, and while I'm not going to comment on the current saga, no one in 2004 could have predicted he'd be selected to the Pro Bowl at OLT. Even savvy personnel people can't predict who'll come out of nowhere. And it's certainly not a league wide responsibility to keep spending down. The cap already does that. If there's any question, check the MLB and NBA salaries, where 10M a year is only a decent sized contract, not a giant one.