thank you mark gaughan!

[dave mcbride]

he's an outstanding player, who despite myths floating around on this board, rarely gets hurt (he's only missed a half dozen games in 4 years). continuity on the offensive line is a great thing, and he's become an upper tier LT.

[ch19079]

only missed 6 games... ok,

 

how many of the games did he finish??? i remember him leaving the game early SO many times, i think the backups that replace him have more time at LT than he does.

[KurtGodel77]

While I agree Jennings gets hurt a lot, I believe he's good when he's on the field. If he'll take a reasonable salary, we should keep him. Even if it means losing Moulds.

[JStranger76]

Praise his name............KEEP JENNINGS!!!!! This is for all the Marcus Price would do just as good posters: You're a butthead!!!!!!!!!!

[BB2004]

While I agree Jennings gets hurt a lot, I believe he's good when he's on the field. If he'll take a reasonable salary, we should keep him. Even if it means losing Moulds.

145521[/snapback]

 

I wouldn't sacrifice Jennings for Moulds. Moulds is someone who can still make excellent plays. Jennings can be really good, but cutting Moulds for him is not a wise decision in my opinion.

[billsrock61]

Id say we get rid Vincent and keep Jennings and Williams...Pat Williams that is

[TigerJ]

He is an asset to the Bills rather than a liability, but it comes down to value. I don't know what his asking price will be. I don't think there is a player in the league who can be considered a "must have" at any price, not even Peyton Manning. I'd love to see the Bills re-sign him, but I'm not going to get bent out of shape if in the opinion of tom Donahoe his asking price is too high.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

he's an outstanding player, who despite myths floating around on this board, rarely gets hurt (he's only missed a half dozen games in 4 years).  continuity on the offensive line is a great thing, and he's become an upper tier LT.

144038[/snapback]

 

I think Jennings is a good player, but I wouldn't stick the tag outstanding on him. He definitely is not a liability for us in significant ways the way Fina could be, but he raises these issues for me:

 

1. I don't think he deserves the rep of injury prone as RJ did since he seemed to go out for multiple games with some frequency (6 games in 3+ years means almost 1+ games per year). The fact that guaranteed he is not going to be someone you can hope for to start 16 does not mean he is injury prone but does reasonably label him an injury risk.

2. It would be interesting to see his record for finishing games. It may be that folks feel leery about him with injuries because of situations like this which has occured at least once this year where he suffered a game ending injury and was at risk for not starting the next game but proved to be a quick healer.

3. He's not a Ruben Brown in terms of drawing penalties with a noticeable frequency, but he does get pernalized enough that I am no longer surprised wheh it is he who gets the call against him. With an upper tier OT, penalties do happen but I am usually surprised to see a player I consider to be at a higher level of play (such as Villarial's holding call which cost us a key first down earlier this season. Even the lambasted MW is less penalized than Jennings.

 

Does all this mean I think Jennings is a loser who should be cut? No, not at all. Despite the you better be perfect or you should be trashed perspectives of some posters on TSW, I realize all players make mistakes (even a stud OL like Ogden got flat out beat by Schobel in the Balt game). I think Jennings is a good player.

 

However, I do not think you play good players top tier money when there are cheaper options available that can provide the same god but less than perfect service.

 

I see the Bills having five options at LT that do not involve paying Jennings top-tier money:

 

1. Move Teague back to LT where he originally planned to be. I think he held down this job well but not perfectly for Denver. However, given that he was coming off an injury, and will probably be better at the position after several years xperience running the OL at center, if we have to go this route I am more worried about being sure we have a suitable replacement at center than I am of his ability at LT.

 

2. See if Price can make the jump to consistent starter. He has shown he has the ability to play LT, and I think the question on him is whether he also can do a whole season. Again, I am more worried about replacing him as a back-up for two tackle positions than his ability to adequately replace Jennings. He already replaces him with no apparent downgrade.

 

3. See if there is a reasonable player availabel in the FA market. This is a doubtful option as FA LTs tend to be expensive. Yet, a player of the Teague circumstance was available and could be had and if forced to we should try though we may fail.

 

4. I am interested in giving Tucker a shot as he actually was oringinally drafted as a tackle and has played tackle as a pro. More likely it will be him that steps into the center job if we move Teague over.

 

5. Resign Jennings but don't break the bank for him. It will not surprise me if there really isn't a big market for Jennings as an FA and we can get him at a reasonable price. I think the injury issues are real and though others would want him he may not command the ranch and the dog. AT seems like they want him, but I am not familiar with their cap condition given whatever investment they have in Vick and having already made a large investment which has not paid off in a former Bill. Particularly since they have every good reason to assume Jennings is going to miss a game or two next year, they have to ask themselves whether he is worth further worsening their cap situation.

 

At any rate, I see a lot of things happening before I pay through the nose for Jennings.

[Guest joe b]

Jeniings has never proved he deserves big money. We could spend it better on someone else or actually draft somebody who can play left tackle. Or on Pat Williams, one of most consistent key players.

[Brandon]

I've always thought that Jennings was underrated by the fans. He's a solid LT who does not embarass himself. In fact, I think he's the best player the Bills have on the OL, and with that OL now beginning to play well for maybe the first time in about a decade, letting him leave makes me nervous and could be a big mistake. That rookie QB is going to need a good OL, and so will McGahee.

 

Jennings does have some injury issues, but with any luck, that will actually work to our advantage by lowering the cost to re-sign him. I admit, its annoying seeing him miss parts of half a dozen games a year, but I'd rather have that than have a turnstile playing LT all the time.

[bbb]

Aren't you talking about Bob DiCesare's article - not Mark Gaughan?

[d_wag]

It will not surprise me if there really isn't a big market for Jennings as an FA and we can get him at a reasonable price.

145562[/snapback]

 

todd wade -- 30 mil over 6 years/10 mil SB

chad clifton -- 32.4 mil over 6 years/11 mil SB

luke petitgout -- 30 mil over 6 years/10 mil SB

flozel adams -- 25 mil over 5 years/10 mil SB

 

i think jennings will find an EXTREMELY healthy market.....LT's are very hard to come by, and when they hit the open market, GM's do not hesistate to pay them......reasonable price? forget about it.......but hey, we groomed the guy, it would be silly not to give him a contract comparable to those guys and let him walk out the door.......sorry folks, but that is market value......he earned it, so pay the man!

[2003Contenders]

Personally, I think that with the emerging chemistry on this team -- and especially on the OL -- Jennings has become a must-sign. Since we are in decent cap shape, TD shouldn't try to low ball him -- and should present him with a fair contract. With that said, we can't afford to overpay for him if some team throws out a ridiculous offer like the Jets and Vikings did with Winfield last year. That's why it's important that TD work out a fair deal before the season is over.

[JStranger76]

I'd match the Todd Wade and Luke Petitgout contracts..........that seems about right. I mentioned before It would be cool if there was one more surprise extension before the season ended and I guess let's get the younger guy done first. I still try and match anything Pat gets offered in free agency too though. Our DT rotation should not be messed with either.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

todd wade -- 30 mil over 6 years/10 mil SB

chad clifton -- 32.4 mil over 6 years/11 mil SB

luke petitgout -- 30 mil over 6 years/10 mil SB

flozel adams -- 25 mil over 5 years/10 mil SB

 

i think jennings will find an EXTREMELY healthy market.....LT's are very hard to come by, and when they hit the open market, GM's do not hesistate to pay them......reasonable price? forget about it.......but hey, we groomed the guy, it would be silly not to give him a contract comparable to those guys and let him walk out the door.......sorry folks, but that is market value......he earned it, so pay the man!

145833[/snapback]

 

Believe it or not the four contracts you site are not the big money when it comes to LTs anf OL players. Actually the cap hits of all of these 4 players is below the cap hits of the top 10 offensive linemen (almost all of who are LTs with the notable exception of guard Ruben Brown who has the the #5 cap hit among OL players at $5.8 million most of it paid off the Bills cap because he is still are highest paid OL player in 2004 by far).

 

One would be hard pressed to call a cap hit of $5 million chump change but the transistion number which the average of the top 10 salaries whch is what I took the orgininal poster as talking about when he dubbed Jennings an outstanding OL player (and thus deserving of outstanding OL money) I am thinking about an average salary a million bucks a year in excess of the 4 players you mention.

 

Its actually good for us to see the allocations to these players because at some point competition for Jennings goes down because with the 4 players you mention plus 8 or 9 of the top 10 (I son't think Larry Allen is an LT) being LTs, a third of the league is not in the market for an LT. Add to that the top 10 list of cap hits does not include players like Orlando Pace who does not have a salary in the top 10 and will either mean St. L is not in the market or another LT will be if Pace moves.

 

Again the market is not clear cut for Jennings.

 

I would resign him if the contract is not for an outstanding OL player and produces one of the top 10 OL cap hits in the league. Would you sign him at this level, or is your limit the cheaper contracts that an Adams, Wade, Clifton. or Petigout got.

 

I have not analyzed the full market or the need out there, it depends upon a lot of factors, but the main reason why a Jennings may sign cheaply is because the market for him may be more like the $3 million a year cap hit which allowed us to sign LT Trey Teague than the $8.3 million a year cap hit that Johnathan Ogeden commanded.

[Guest Guest_DanInWestSeneca_*]

Jonas Jennings=Peerless Price

 

He's in a contract year and I don't think he wants to stay here because he's going to make more money elsewhere.

[JStranger76]

Yeah OK Dan. All of a sudden he became solid this year. Nice try, he's been solid every year he has been here. As for where he wants to play, you nor I haven't got a clue. Don't even bring up the Atl. radio station thing, duh, what do you think he was gonna say. We got very lucky finding a solid LT in the 3rd round and with only a 2nd round pick this upcoming draft I doubt we get someone who steps in and can handle the left side as a rookie.