billsfan89 Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 Get it done, they can't let Stevie hit free agency Franchise him if you have to.
Nostradamus Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 FOLKS!! It's January!! FA BEGINS MARCH 13...46 DAYS!! 6 WEEKS!! And if you look at the last 9 years as precedent, we have let our good players walk to the detriment of our franchise, with almost no exceptions. But hey, we should feel confident that the Bills know what they are doing. I mean, a lot of other franchise haven't made the playoffs in the past 12 years either.
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 Can FAs even get signed now? Of course, when they're still under contract to your team. The thing is, unless the Bills just roll up a bank vault, it's entirely in Stevie's interest to wait and "test the waters" of FA in March. He has nothing to gain and plenty to lose by accepting an offer that may be less than he'd get elsewhere. Methinks there is a bit of "posturing" by his agents going on.
Danny Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 Nix seems like a pretty straight shooter. I'm sure they'll try to keep Johnson for the right price. Not sure what the franchise tag is WR's, but that might be the best route to go with Johnson. Make him prove he can produce another year and be antic-free before committing long-term money. It'll cost the Bills $9.5 million range to tag him next year.
first_and_ten Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 whatever the wrong decision is, the Bills will do it. This has been the most disfunctional franchise in the league for years. As long as Ralph is the owner, this team will suck.
BuffaloBaumer Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 Sigh.... why does this not sunrise me Because the Bills are usually associated with sunsets - that's why
RayFinkle Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 FOLKS!! It's January!! FA BEGINS MARCH 13...46 DAYS!! 6 WEEKS!! The must be your first rodeo with the Bills....
1billsfan Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 Nix seems like a pretty straight shooter. I'm sure they'll try to keep Johnson for the right price. Not sure what the franchise tag is WR's, but that might be the best route to go with Johnson. Make him prove he can produce another year and be antic-free before committing long-term money. I think that this might be the route they'll go. That second offense has probably given the Bills pause to commit long term and considers Johnson is a possible "Ochocinco" perpetual headache. Give him this year to prove he's a team first, self promotion second guy. One way or the other, Stevie Johnson is going to be playing for the Bills this year. IMO, he and Fred Jackson are the hardest working and most productive game day players on this team.
Pirate Angel Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 Perhaps his market value isn't as high as Stevie's agent thinks it is, considering some of the other FA WR's. Maybe they are going to gamble on him testing the market to realize that and resign him for less. Buddy has said in an interview that if the players think they can make more elsewhere than more power to them but they may not be as valuable elsewhere as they are here "the grass isnt always greener," specifically committing how Stevie was fighting to get on the field and Chandler caught one ball before Chan got here. It may be that they feel they offered him a fair contract and he's going to take it or leave it.
BillsVet Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 Perhaps his market value isn't as high as Stevie's agent thinks it is, considering some of the other FA WR's. Maybe they are going to gamble on him testing the market to realize that and resign him for less. Buddy has said in an interview that if the players think they can make more elsewhere than more power to them but they may not be as valuable elsewhere as they are here "the grass isnt always greener," specifically committing how Stevie was fighting to get on the field and Chandler caught one ball before Chan got here. It may be that they feel they offered him a fair contract and he's going to take it or leave it. That's a huge gamble to take considering their next best wideout is David Nelson, who's best served as a slot(3rd-4th) WR. Letting players who are important parts of the team hit UFA is a recipe for disaster considering the money sometimes offered and fact that Buffalo has nothing proven as a feature receiver behind SJ.
Toshiero Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 Nor should there be talks. They made a fair offer, he wants to be paid like a high end #1 WR and he isn't that and the Bills know it.
BigBuff423 Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 I've said this before in other posts, but I think it makes the most sense for the BILLS to use the Franchise Tag on Stevie...it gets him paid they way he wants to be and it buys the BILLS another year to see if Stevie can mature enough to earn the money, not only in terms of production because for the most part he's done that but to truly earn it in terms of handling himself as a professional with maturity on the field...I like SJ, truly do and I have liked him since they drafted him, in fact when they did I truly believed they found themselves a gem, but he has to show he can score an important TD and celebrate within the confines of the NFL rules without costing his team valuable yardage and field placement....I am hoping the BILLS will use the "Tag" on him, let him play his heart out and demonstrate he wants to be the professional we all hope he can and will be....once that's done and he's produced with maturity, give him his payday...but until then, who else will they use the Tag on?? No one worth it in my opinion....
HurlyBurly51 Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 It'll cost the Bills $9.5 million range to tag him next year. It costs them NOTHING to tag him. They can then deal him or drop it later if they choose, but it costs nothing to protect themselves. Who else they gonna tag this year?
BillsVet Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 I've said this before in other posts, but I think it makes the most sense for the BILLS to use the Franchise Tag on Stevie...it gets him paid they way he wants to be and it buys the BILLS another year to see if Stevie can mature enough to earn the money, not only in terms of production because for the most part he's done that but to truly earn it in terms of handling himself as a professional with maturity on the field...I like SJ, truly do and I have liked him since they drafted him, in fact when they did I truly believed they found themselves a gem, but he has to show he can score an important TD and celebrate within the confines of the NFL rules without costing his team valuable yardage and field placement....I am hoping the BILLS will use the "Tag" on him, let him play his heart out and demonstrate he wants to be the professional we all hope he can and will be....once that's done and he's produced with maturity, give him his payday...but until then, who else will they use the Tag on?? No one worth it in my opinion.... No player on the verge of UFA wants the franchise tag, given the one year contract length. Players want some semblance of security, which is a long term deal with guaranteed money. If the Bills tag SJ when it becomes apparent they won't reach a deal for a multi-year contract, I would expect both sides to reach terms before the season. It's not a good sign if there haven't been actual negotiations since the early part of the season. That is, unless they're just planning to tag him.
nucci Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 It costs them NOTHING to tag him. They can then deal him or drop it later if they choose, but it costs nothing to protect themselves. Who else they gonna tag this year? If they tag him and he's signs immediately, it does cost them. It can easily backfire.
HurlyBurly51 Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 If they tag him and he's signs immediately, it does cost them. It can easily backfire. There's no signing bonus, and he doesn't get paid until the season is underway.
zazie Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 It costs them NOTHING to tag him. They can then deal him or drop it later if they choose, but it costs nothing to protect themselves. Who else they gonna tag this year? if they tag him he gets paid for sutre they cannot change their mind later and not pay him.
Kelly the Dog Posted January 28, 2012 Posted January 28, 2012 Two things: 1) Stevie Johnsion, even if he had every intention of re-signing with the Bills, would be clinically retarded if he didn't wait until at least the eve of free agency if not the first few days of it, before re-signing with the Bills. 2) Stevie Johnson sometimes acts retarded.
San Jose Bills Fan Posted January 29, 2012 Posted January 29, 2012 Sigh.... why does this not sunrise me Because of the belief that Buddy is asleep? Marv used to say that, "Once you get a reputation as an early riser, you can sleep in all you want" and the same probably holds true for someone with a self-earned reputation as a good sleeper like Buddy. I personally have faith in Buddy.. he's not infallible but no one is. However this 3rd year in his tenure is critical both in evaluating the job Buddy's doing and in determining if the organization is really allowing him the parameters with which to build a winning program. In exactly 3 months we'll know a lot more than we do now. if they tag him he gets paid for sutre they cannot change their mind later and not pay him. Unless the rules have changed, the franchise tag can be rescinded. The Seahawks did that a few years ago after the draft with Leroy Hill.
MarkyMannn Posted January 29, 2012 Posted January 29, 2012 (edited) SJ would have to be an idiot to not test the FA market. Exactly. His agent would be doing SJ a huge dis-service to sign now. The Bills offer will still be on the table after FA starts Edited January 29, 2012 by MarkyMannn
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