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question - are they going to extend Fitzpatrick?


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I wonder. I hope they do. My unsubstantiated worry is that they'll draft a qb #1 next year and use Thigpen as the bridge. I would love being wrong about this. Fitz is a good player and I'd like him to stay. I haven't heard anything about an extension, and I doubt anything happens after the season starts -- which is two weeks from today. It might (see Lee Evans), but many players put off contract talks until after the season.

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They better wait till the end of the season. We dont want to give him a Dickie J extension. (start 5-1, then suck horribly to 6-10)

At the end of the season he'll be a free agent. The Bills won't franchise him, and if he has a pretty good season this year, there will be about ten times with QB problems who will be lining up to sign him. That wasn't the case with Jauron.

Edited by dave mcbride
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Ya the problem is this. If he does well enough to have a good year but we still suck it could show that he's just not a winner/leader. It also positions us for Luck (not saying we will be picking #1 but in too 10) with a chance to pull a Mike Ditka and trade away an entire draft to get him.

 

I really want Fitz to play well enough to get an extension. At worst you pay him good money for 2 years if you still think your going to get the Franchise guy. I personally think Fitz is better than most routing for this team believe. Not all QBs are like Manning, Brady, Brees having rediculous passer ratings and completion %s. Most are like Hasselbeck, Cassell, McNabb, Sanchez, Rothlisberger. Not great but doing just enough to win for your team. None of these guys have ever really lit it up but they get it done. Usually it all comes down to TDs. And that is the best way to look on paper if your QB is a winner. Does he throw TDs when his team is in scoring position. I think Fitz is right in the middle of the pack and deserves to be the starter not only this year but for the next 2-3 at least. We will see when the season is over but I'm predicting (barring injury to Fitz):

4,000+ yards

28 TDs

15 Ints

 

those numbers are similar to Aaron Rodgers who just won the SuperBowl. And if Fitz didn't miss 3 games last year he was on pace for almost the same. Give him a 2 year extension for above average money. At the worst case you get Luck in the draft or another QB, they can take the field slowly.

 

Just my .02

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I want to see him play about 6 games first and show improvement from last season. Being a QB, he's going to get a large contract so before we commit that kind of money, let him play a few games and show that he's not a 1-yr-wonder and that he's going to continue to improve throughout the length of that contract. I would hate to give a big contract to the next Derek Anderson or Scott Mitchell.

 

It's not an ideal situation. I wish he had another year under his contract so we could evaluate him for a full season. But I'd still rather see play about 6 games under the pressure of a contract year than to extend him without seeing him perform at all this year.

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I don't think they do. They just signed a backup and a gimmick QB to 3 and 4 year deals. I think the only way he gets extended would be if he plays lights out this season and shows the front office that he can lead the team to the playoffs. Otherwise, they let him go and draft a prototypical franchise QB in the first round next year.

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I don't think they do. They just signed a backup and a gimmick QB to 3 and 4 year deals. I think the only way he gets extended would be if he plays lights out this season and shows the front office that he can lead the team to the playoffs. Otherwise, they let him go and draft a prototypical franchise QB in the first round next year.

 

Thigpen scares me.

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No matter if we draft a QB in rounds one or two (think USC's Matt Barkley)- Fitz will still be the starter for at least the next 2 seasons so, yeah, they're gonna extend his contract.

 

Agreed. We know what we have in Fitz, and it's worth re-signing. Need to get him AND Stevie done within the next few weeks. If we go past the bye week, Im afraid theyre going to wait to hit the market and drive the price up. I dont think it will be too ridiculous for Fitz, but we should lock them both up while we can.

 

edit: if it were me, id extend Fitz for 4 years. Give us a little wiggle room to find a replacement and get him ready, while keeping the starter consistent.

Edited by DrDareustein
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Ya the problem is this. If he does well enough to have a good year but we still suck it could show that he's just not a winner/leader. It also positions us for Luck (not saying we will be picking #1 but in too 10) with a chance to pull a Mike Ditka and trade away an entire draft to get him.

 

I really want Fitz to play well enough to get an extension. At worst you pay him good money for 2 years if you still think your going to get the Franchise guy. I personally think Fitz is better than most routing for this team believe. Not all QBs are like Manning, Brady, Brees having rediculous passer ratings and completion %s. Most are like Hasselbeck, Cassell, McNabb, Sanchez, Rothlisberger. Not great but doing just enough to win for your team. None of these guys have ever really lit it up but they get it done. Usually it all comes down to TDs. And that is the best way to look on paper if your QB is a winner. Does he throw TDs when his team is in scoring position. I think Fitz is right in the middle of the pack and deserves to be the starter not only this year but for the next 2-3 at least. We will see when the season is over but I'm predicting (barring injury to Fitz):

4,000+ yards

28 TDs

15 Ints

 

those numbers are similar to Aaron Rodgers who just won the SuperBowl. And if Fitz didn't miss 3 games last year he was on pace for almost the same. Give him a 2 year extension for above average money. At the worst case you get Luck in the draft or another QB, they can take the field slowly.

 

Just my .02

 

At the end of the day, the Senator and Mrags have it right. Fitz is our guy fot the next 2 seasons. Pay the guy and don't risk losing him to FA where he'll go fast and for a lot more coin.

Edited by Green Lightning
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I wonder. I hope they do. My unsubstantiated worry is that they'll draft a qb #1 next year and use Thigpen as the bridge. I would love being wrong about this. Fitz is a good player and I'd like him to stay. I haven't heard anything about an extension, and I doubt anything happens after the season starts -- which is two weeks from today. It might (see Lee Evans), but many players put off contract talks until after the season.

 

I'm with you except I think they'll actually begin serious negotiations after the season starts. Fitzy's in a unique situation of a career backup just being given the starter's job so I think right now it's difficult to set the value of his contract and it makes sense to me to give him 4-8 games to see how he does this year. I'm just praying the O-line plays decently so that Fitz gets enough time to show what he's worth.

 

It also seems to me that most players take it as an insult if they don't get a new contract offer before their old one runs out, so I don't think they wait until after the season.

 

We'll see. Got my fingers crossed for Ryan.

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I think there is something to be said for Ralph having Dick J. syndrom

 

But this really isnt the same situation....and it would not shock me at all to see the bills:

 

- Extend RF for another 3 years

- STILL draft a QB in the 1st round (depending on how the draft plays out...it has to fall in line with that whole "best talent available" thing that Nix does

- Then let the rook and thigpen fight it out over the number 2 spot

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Our offense routinely stays on the field, sustains drives, and rarely ever goes 3 and out with Fitz under center. It's been a very long time since we could say that. If this team doesn't get this guy signed to a nice extension it's going to be an extremely frustrating ordeal. Unfortunately, it would also be the sort of head scratching decision that this team continues to make.

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Unlike most years there will a ton of re-signings during the season this year because of the new CBA. The 32 teams as a whole have to spend 99% of the cap in cash this season. But it doesn't have to reach the 99% plateau until the last game of the season. Teams well under the cap, like the Bills, will be doing a lot of deals. I expect both Stevie and Fitz to get new deals in the middle of the year if not sooner, and maybe Fred, too.

 

One of the reasons we didnt spend a lot in FA, as well as traded Evans, was because they knew they were going to re-sign 3-4 of our own players. Kyle was first, Stevie should be done soon. Then Fitz or Fred. Fred may come first because they know what kind of player he is. Fitz is tough to gauge how much to pay him, but if he plays well in the first couple games, that will drive the price up. I think Fitz knows he has a great thing going with Gailey, so he may not want to go out into the open market as much as a normal QB would.

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At the end of the season he'll be a free agent. The Bills won't franchise him, and if he has a pretty good season this year, there will be about ten times with QB problems who will be lining up to sign him. That wasn't the case with Jauron.

I distinctly remember at least one guy saying there would be a "bidding war" for DJ if he wasn't extended at 5-1...

 

Anyway, they should lock up Fitz now--Thigpen is weak and even if we draft QB next year, he won't likely start.

 

Another no brainer for Overdorf.

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I wonder. I hope they do. My unsubstantiated worry is that they'll draft a qb #1 next year and use Thigpen as the bridge. I would love being wrong about this. Fitz is a good player and I'd like him to stay. I haven't heard anything about an extension, and I doubt anything happens after the season starts -- which is two weeks from today. It might (see Lee Evans), but many players put off contract talks until after the season.

Thigpen is not a starter. Fitz will groom the next starter.

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Fitz totally strikes me as a guy who could groom a young QB....as long as he has the security of a new deal and knows he is the guy

 

I dont see a lot of ego in Ryan...he is a lunchpail team first type guy and has always been.....I know that there was some talk in this draft when Fitz might have been worried that we might draft a 1st round QB...but I dont think that is the case if he gets a new deal.

 

And Thigpen might have had some bad throws but man those recievers were dropping a lot of balls to.....

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