The Bills have one of the least expensive rosters

[Skoobydum]

The Bills stand eighth from the bottom in the 32-team league in terms of the overall value of the contracts of all the players on the current roster, according to league financial data obtained by The Buffalo News.

 

The current contracts of all the Bills players add up to about $458 million, according to The News' analysis. The NFL average is $535 million. Minnesota is at the top at $728 million and Carolina is at the bottom at $353 million. The NFL average is $535 million.

 

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article169008.ece

[silvermike]

8th from the bottom is pretty reasonably in the middle of the league for a team that hasn't drafted any super stars in decades. Especially since Schobel's off the books; add in the remaining ~$30M on his contract and that number will start rising much closer to the league median.

[DIE HARD 1967]

This should be a sticky

[Rockinon]

This should be a sticky

I don't know about that.

[DarthICE]

The Bills stand eighth from the bottom in the 32-team league in terms of the overall value of the contracts of all the players on the current roster, according to league financial data obtained by The Buffalo News.

 

The current contracts of all the Bills players add up to about $458 million, according to The News' analysis. The NFL average is $535 million. Minnesota is at the top at $728 million and Carolina is at the bottom at $353 million. The NFL average is $535 million.

 

http://www.buffalone...ticle169008.ece

 

 

One of the lowest and it shows on the field.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

8th from the bottom is pretty reasonably in the middle of the league for a team that hasn't drafted any super stars in decades. Especially since Schobel's off the books; add in the remaining ~$30M on his contract and that number will start rising much closer to the league median.

 

This is a good point. If we had drafted well, then we would have had to throw more money at our stars to keep them. If I had to guess, other teams' big spending is due to paying their own players, not signing free agents from other teams.

 

I don't think Ralph is against spending money on players (e.g., the year we bought an entire new offensive line in Walker, Dockery, etc.); it's just that we have nobody good enough to pay the big bucks to.

[Zulu Cthulhu]

The salary situation isn't necessarily a bad thing or evidence of RW's frugality. Overpaying for players, especially ones that don't deserve the money (e.g. Haynesworth in WA, Dockery here in '07) isn't a good thing. 25th in payroll for a 6-10 team? Seems about right to me.

[MarkyMannn]

Could be worse. Could be in the top 10 and then we would really have something to beetch about

[Sisyphean Bills]

Sounds like the FO is doing something right. A bottom third salary structure for a bottom third production.

[BillsVet]

This is a good point. If we had drafted well, then we would have had to throw more money at our stars to keep them. If I had to guess, other teams' big spending is due to paying their own players, not signing free agents from other teams.

 

I don't think Ralph is against spending money on players (e.g., the year we bought an entire new offensive line in Walker, Dockery, etc.); it's just that we have nobody good enough to pay the big bucks to.

 

There were seven players Buffalo had to decide whether to re-sign or not since 2006: Kelsay, Clements, Fletcher, Schobel, Evans, Peters, and McGee. Four of those guys received new deals, two left via UFA and another was traded. Admittedly in hindsight, their decisions on Clements, Evans, and McGee seem fine. The other four not so much. Kelsay is so-so and was/is only average at best as a pass rusher. Fletcher remains at a high level, Evans was their only legit receiver despite his inability to be a Steve Smith type, and Schobel's now retired less than 3 seasons since re-signing. Peters didn't go about his holdout well, but Buffalo didn't have leverage in that situation and their remaining project LT's prove that.

 

Sure, RW will spend, but that front office is spending the money on some poor players. Personnel types like Guy, Modrak, and Overdorf have a bad success rate and only one of those has been let go.

Edited August 22, 2010 by BillsVet

[BillnutinHouston]

Guys like Guy, Modrak, and Overdorf have a bad success rate.

 

I never seen any evidence that Overdorf has a say in "who" to retain. I think his role is reserved to deal structuring after someone else decides to make an offer and/or how that player fits into the team's plans.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Personnel types like Guy, Modrak, and Overdorf have a bad success rate and only one of those has been let go.

 

I never seen any evidence that Overdorf has a say in "who" to retain. I think his role is reserved to deal structuring after someone else decides to make an offer and/or how that player fits into the team's plans.

 

1) Perhaps he meant Littman.

2) The Bills are a pretty secret society so I don't think we have much evidence to support any theories.

[spartacus]

I never seen any evidence that Overdorf has a say in "who" to retain.  I think his role is reserved to deal structuring after someone else decides to make an offer and/or how that player fits into the team's plans.

 

yes-

 

 

the mysterious "someone else" who has made all of the bad draft picks and free agent acquisitions since Donahoe left.

 

He may have been an arrogant egomaniac, but at least he took responsibility for the decisions he made, many of which were the last impact players the Bills have acquired since decade. 

 

Overdorf is the hatchet man who decides if the team is willing to pay the bucks to keep a player. Langston Walker is no longer a Bill due solely to Overdorf.

 

 

[kasper13]

Plus in terms of actual salary cap, the Bills have been 10-15 million under every year for the last handful of years. If there would have been a cap this year, it would have been $130 million or so. That would have put the Bills $15 million under. In addition, 16 teams have QB's that make $10 million + per year. To me, that all shows the Bills have not drafted well, not signed any significant free agents, have no stars let alone superstars and are lacking a franchise quarterback. That would explain the lack of winning football around here since 1999. Brings up a question too. Why would Ralph Wilson spend any more than he has to? It would cut into his profits. Fans complain non-stop about the lack of a winner yet fill the stadium every home game and are threatened with the team moving if they don't, even though that has nothing to do with them moving or not. All the money that comes in from TV, merchandise, Toronto, Erie County, NY State, tickets, parking, beer. Mr. Wilson has a nice little racket going for himself and has for a long time. If he would have spent a little more on scouting, coaches and players, maybe a few of those mediocre teams would have been at least Wild Card teams. Guess old Ralph found out he can take all his money with him when he goes. Disturbing.

[justnzane]

yes-

 

 

the mysterious "someone else" who has made all of the bad draft picks and free agent acquisitions since Donahoe left.

 

He may have been an arrogant egomaniac, but at least he took responsibility for the decisions he made, many of which were the last impact players the Bills have acquired since decade.

 

Overdorf is the hatchet man who decides if the team is willing to pay the bucks to keep a player. Langston Walker is no longer a Bill due solely to Overdorf.

 

 

 

 

You honestly think that? I think Dick had a big reason for getting rid of Walker at the end of the preseason, and if anything Overdork gave the ok on this, with regards to cap penalty and cost to franchise

[billsfreak]

The Bills stand eighth from the bottom in the 32-team league in terms of the overall value of the contracts of all the players on the current roster, according to league financial data obtained by The Buffalo News.

 

The current contracts of all the Bills players add up to about $458 million, according to The News' analysis. The NFL average is $535 million. Minnesota is at the top at $728 million and Carolina is at the bottom at $353 million. The NFL average is $535 million.

 

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article169008.ece

I am surprised they are that high, with one of the cheapest owners in the league.

[Sisyphean Bills]

You honestly think that? I think Dick had a big reason for getting rid of Walker at the end of the preseason, and if anything Overdork gave the ok on this, with regards to cap penalty and cost to franchise

The thing is that from a purely football perspective (which should be the mode under which the head coach is operating), there were other options with respect to Langston Walker, the first and foremost being to demote him to second string. He didn't have a great pre-season, but the Bills had no depth on their OL. It would have been prudent, and in retrospective of seeing all the injuries, it's undeniable, really.

 

But, the Bills tried to trade Walker and then dumped him outright. That wasn't a pure football decision -- it was a cap/money decision and the financial side of the operation must have had input on it. Since the structure of the team was "no one is really in charge", you can take your pick of whether you want to blame Wilson (the frail and 90 yr old Owner/President), Littmann (Ralph's personal CFO), Brandon (the GM wannabe/Marketing Wunderkind), Overdorf (Chief Cashflow Officer of the Bills), or Dick Jauron (All-around Good Guy and Player's Coach).