dpberr Posted January 1, 2011 Posted January 1, 2011 Nice move Buddy!! Low risk, high reward. And it shows the FO isnt resting. +1.
Dorkington Posted January 1, 2011 Posted January 1, 2011 I don't know what to think of this. On one hand, its a low risk move. On the other hand, this better not be the last of our moves on the front seven. If he works out, great, but I really hope they are going into the offseason assuming he's not going to work out. Chances are very, very, very slim that he comes back and plays, let alone plays well, imo.
DreReed83 Posted January 1, 2011 Posted January 1, 2011 If Merriman can stay healthy and stay motivated to get better, I'm liking our OLB position with Moats and Merriman.
nucci Posted January 1, 2011 Posted January 1, 2011 I don't know what to think of this. On one hand, its a low risk move. On the other hand, this better not be the last of our moves on the front seven. If he works out, great, but I really hope they are going into the offseason assuming he's not going to work out. Chances are very, very, very slim that he comes back and plays, let alone plays well, imo. How can you think this? The off-season hasn't even started.
Dorkington Posted January 1, 2011 Posted January 1, 2011 How can you think this? The off-season hasn't even started. Because it's the Bills. They haven't given me a lot of encouragement lately. And by last moves, I mean, we better not swap out a mediocre player for another mediocre player. Lets replace mediocre with good and/or great for once.
San-O Posted January 1, 2011 Posted January 1, 2011 (edited) How much do they pay him if he again doesn't play a snap? Edited January 1, 2011 by SoCal-Surf
Dorkington Posted January 1, 2011 Posted January 1, 2011 How much do they pay him if he again doesn't play a snap? 2.5mil Which is pretty low risk, considering his upside is pro bowl talent.
San-O Posted January 1, 2011 Posted January 1, 2011 2.5mil Which is pretty low risk, considering his upside is pro bowl talent. I guess. They're risking $2.5 Mil. They spent a lot more than that on Kelsay, so risk is a moot point. Someone should do a poll and ask what the chances are he: 1. Makes it through camp. 2. Sees the field. 3. Contributes at all. 4. Starts. 5. Has more sacks than say Kelsay. 6. Makes Pro Bowl. http://www.nfl.com/players/shawnemerriman/profile?id=MER568200
Malazan Posted January 1, 2011 Posted January 1, 2011 2.5mil Which is pretty low risk, considering his upside is pro bowl talent. or in other words..1/3rd of what whitner thinks he is worth
Sisyphean Bills Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 or in other words..1/3rd of what whitner thinks he is worth $2.5M is flushable chump change. $6M is real money.
1B4IDie Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 Anyone know how to score some designer HGH? Anyone know where Merriman lives?
Buftex Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 I hope this works out for the Bills. They have been signing "projects" like Merriman for years, and they have never panned out. To all of those who say this is a "low risk, high reward" situation, or "this is a sign that the FO is committed to winning", I say, be cautious. We have seen this scenario played out in Buffalo for years. Signing a middling vetran free-agent that would be depth on good teams, and expecting them to light it up, or at least, rely on them to start for 16 weeks...this is definitely a wait and see situation, as far as I am concerned. Merriman hasn't been productive for most of the second half of his NFL career. He was terrific before injuries, and substance infractions took him down...so yes, if he ends up returning to his pre-injury/pre-suspension form, then the Bills are getting a great bargain. If, he continues to be "week to week"... there are probably better players to spend that money on, no matter how little it seems to most of you...2.5 might be chump change for most of the NFL, but in Buffalo, that is starting money for a lot of the players...
ajzepp Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 I hope this works out for the Bills. They have been signing "projects" like Merriman for years, and they have never panned out. Yep, let's hope this isn't Marcus Jones pt II
San Jose Bills Fan Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 It's looking more and more like this is a no-risk proposition. One of the great things about ProFootballTalk is that they are more interested in contract details than any other media outlet covering the NFL. PFT has frequently revealed the true character of contracts which look at first blush, like blockbusters. They are almost always the first outlet to dissect and present contracts for what they really are. The recent Donovan McNabb contract extension is just the latest example of PFT's attention to detail. They don't always break the story (although increasingly they do) but they have many sources in the NFL offices that provide them with contract details at a depth simply not reported by other media outlets. Because others have pirated their stories without attribution, PFT is scrupulous about giving attribution to those who break a story…in this case ESPN's Chris Mortensen. Here's their early coverage of the Merriman signing: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/01/01/two-years-10-5-million-for-merriman-with-chance-to-make-a-lot-more: "Merriman also will receive $2.5 million guaranteed in 2011; it’s not yet known whether that money comes in the form of a signing bonus, a roster bonus, guaranteed base salary, or some combination of the three. (It’s also not known whether the money is guaranteed for skill only, for injury only, or for both.)...The obvious question is, given the value of the deal, why didn’t Merriman wait for a shot at the open market? As we pointed out earlier today, Merriman’s agent undoubtedly made enough off-the-record calls to get a feel for the player’s value as a free agent. The fact that he didn’t wait suggests that the Bills made the best offer."
Spiderweb Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 Nice move Buddy!! Low risk, high reward. And it shows the FO isnt resting. With all the moves the FO has made for O-linemen (from PS squads, etc) and TE's a few weeks back, This FO has not been a sleep at the wheel. Good to see.
Billsguy Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 Love the signing! If he's healthy, it's a great signing for us. Signing him is only a good deal if he proves it on the field. As such, he hasn't earned a dime so far. The jury is still out. If he provides significant benefits to the Bills defense then it will be seen as a good signing. The fact remains that he hasn't done anything so how can so many people be excited? He hasn't been productive for over three years. Until proven otherwise it looks like a waste of money.
Buftex Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 Signing him is only a good deal if he proves it on the field. As such, he hasn't earned a dime so far. The jury is still out. If he provides significant benefits to the Bills defense then it will be seen as a good signing. The fact remains that he hasn't done anything so how can so many people be excited? He hasn't been productive for over three years. Until proven otherwise it looks like a waste of money. Most of us are encouraged by some of what we have seen this year...this team is better in some areas, than it has been in a while...I am excited about watching the last game tomorrow...but I am already ready for 2011 season to start...everything sounds good right now...but, like you, I am skeptical about Merriman.
bills1960 Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 Signing him is only a good deal if he proves it on the field. As such, he hasn't earned a dime so far. The jury is still out. If he provides significant benefits to the Bills defense then it will be seen as a good signing. The fact remains that he hasn't done anything so how can so many people be excited? He hasn't been productive for over three years. Until proven otherwise it looks like a waste of money. But at least they're doing something. I'm not an expert on the cap and how it works but I know that every year we are way under it. Its good to see that they may not be as conservative this year.
papazoid Posted January 2, 2011 Posted January 2, 2011 i see this as MORE RISK than reward.... #1- the ONLY way Buffalo will sign Free Agents is if they are the HIGHEST bidder. i'm sure his agent knows the market for Shawne. wait till ALL the contract details come out....i bet the guaranteed money is much more than $2.5 million. #2- Merriman hasn't been "lights out" for the past three seasons. it's very unlikely he returns to his "Performance Enhanced Drug" level of play. #3- but...if he is half the player he was.....and can get healthy..... he will be starting with this set of linebackers.
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