DrDawkinstein Posted March 14, 2013 Posted March 14, 2013 The year before a contract expires, negotiate a new one. If the player wants too much, trade him for a draft pick at least ,don't let him walk. If you don't want to resign a player, then let him play out his contract and walk. GMing is really this simple.
Never NEVER Give-up Posted March 14, 2013 Posted March 14, 2013 Levitre stated in a Santa Cruz newspaper report that negotiations with the Bills never took off because his agent had him slotted around one dollar amount and the Bills were at another. So it never got off the ground. I have a hard time finding fault with Buddy here. Yes it creates another hole, exacrbated by Rinehart going to the Chargers for 1 year, but $7.8mm for a Guard? And the guy who played next to him at Center (who most think is better) is a FA after the 2013 season, will want even more than that, especially if Andy had been retained. It is generally thought the cap will rise next year as well, further 'juicing' salary rates for the next FA period. I hope they extend Eric during 2013 to avoid the deadline angst.
paupmvp1995 Posted March 14, 2013 Posted March 14, 2013 Really dude exhibit A the Ravens. Give buddy a break That is the dumbest thing I have ever read on this board-or at least close. Buddy gets no rope, no benefit of the doubt, no slack. The guy has been the captain of a ship that is sailing in circles in the harbor, and has no clue how to get out into the ocean. Comparing Buddy and the Bills to the Ravens is ridiculous. They just won the Super Bowl and are a top team every single year. Ozzie Newsome does get the benefit of the doubt because he ALWAYS finds talent for his team. Buddy has found some talent, but no chemistry. He overpaid for Mario Williams, who is a talented player, but is not a leader nor someone who plays with any type of inspiration. The Bills did not do their homework particularly well before signing him. And they completely misevaluated Fitzie's ability as well. But despite Buddy's inability to build a team, I believe that Marrone will take whatever dregs he is given and mold them into a reasonably inspiring group. As for Levitre, I am not too concerned that we let him walk. He was a solid, but definitely not great player. The Titans will see that when he gets bulldozed back into Jake Locker at least 3-4 times per game. Watch film on Levitre. He very rarely dominates his man.
djp14150 Posted March 14, 2013 Posted March 14, 2013 (edited) If I recall correctly on numerous times Buddy has stated one of the problems with this organization in the past is that they would let talented players leave instead of resigning them. Yet he let's Levitre walk without a contract offer. The lack of an offer screams of a Jeffrey Littmann decision (a la not paying Will Wolford). The cycle of failure continues at One Bills Drive...... OT Will Willford was a totally different issue.....Willfords contract had escalater clauses in them that are illegal now. His clauses made him the highest paid offensive player on the team. Thus with a QB like Kelly he would get paid more than him so the cost to Buffalo with the contract was far higher than a rebuilding Colts team. Levitre would have been nice to keep but for aGuard a team budgets $x/yr for and he was way beyond that. Had they been proactive and signed him to an extension early on they could have paid him $4M per (which would have been around their price tag). Id pay him mor because he had versatility which is an asset in a pinch where a player goes down you could move him to cover. Paying a guard $7M+ will cause the OTs and C to request much more. A team cant be paying $40+M on an OL and be able to compete. Edited March 14, 2013 by djp14150
Never NEVER Give-up Posted March 14, 2013 Posted March 14, 2013 Is that from ProFootballFocus? I'd like to know because they don't think very highly of Levitre as a run-blocking G. They also don't think he's worth what he got. They have him as the 9th rated G. Which is funny because they rate him as the best pass blocking G. That would seem to say he REALLY SUCKS as a run-blocking G. So, how much of that left side success was due to Wood and Glenn reaching the second level? I can think of a few long Spiller gains to the left side when Glenn was at the 2nd and 3rd levels for instance. Levitre: a good tactician with good feet who regularly gets overpowered at the POA. Good but not great. And certainly NOT worth what he got to the Bills. GO BILLS!!! I read on the espn site a day or two ago that Andy graded out at 15.7 for pass blocking and a -.07 in run blocking (yes a negative #). Because it was a few days ago, I have no link, nor do I know what the number scale is - sorry for that!
MRW Posted March 14, 2013 Posted March 14, 2013 Had they been proactive and signed him to an extension early on they could have paid him $4M per (which would have been around their price tag) I highly, highly doubt that.
BringBackFergy Posted March 14, 2013 Posted March 14, 2013 That is the dumbest thing I have ever read on this board-or at least close. Buddy gets no rope, no benefit of the doubt, no slack. The guy has been the captain of a ship that is sailing in circles in the harbor, and has no clue how to get out into the ocean. Comparing Buddy and the Bills to the Ravens is ridiculous. They just won the Super Bowl and are a top team every single year. Ozzie Newsome does get the benefit of the doubt because he ALWAYS finds talent for his team. Buddy has found some talent, but no chemistry. He overpaid for Mario Williams, who is a talented player, but is not a leader nor someone who plays with any type of inspiration. The Bills did not do their homework particularly well before signing him. And they completely misevaluated Fitzie's ability as well. But despite Buddy's inability to build a team, I believe that Marrone will take whatever dregs he is given and mold them into a reasonably inspiring group. As for Levitre, I am not too concerned that we let him walk. He was a solid, but definitely not great player. The Titans will see that when he gets bulldozed back into Jake Locker at least 3-4 times per game. Watch film on Levitre. He very rarely dominates his man. Relax, breathe in, breathe out.... The comment was posed and comparison made to Ozzie because this thread is based on the false premise that Buddy is a hypocrite and doesn't believe in his own statement "keep the good players that you have"....if the Ravens are getting rid (or letting players walk) and the Bills are letting Levitre walk, it is a common problem in the NFL this day and age. That is the only comparison between Nix and Newsome...as it relates to having to let some players walk away for bigger contracts. You stated above that Ozzie knows how to spot talent and with the exception of Lee Evans, I think you're right. But no one is comparing the two GM's on talent awareness...just the idea that they need to cull the roster of higher paid players (they both have done it and Ozzie more so than Nix). Go Bills.
HeHateMe Posted March 14, 2013 Posted March 14, 2013 While Nix is a moron, you really can't blame him for Levitre moving on for the money he got. You simply cannot retain ALL of your players in today's NFL...
Cson76 Posted March 14, 2013 Posted March 14, 2013 My point is you don't let your talented players get to free agency because everyone is overpaid in free agency. You lock them up a year before they reach free agency. there are two models to look at. Philly, locks everyone up early to long term deals, to try to get the best they can PIT-waits until the end and after they have proven themselves to get a contract. With Whaley's PIT ties, I can see us using more the PIT model.
eball Posted March 14, 2013 Posted March 14, 2013 Had they been proactive and signed him to an extension early on they could have paid him $4M per Says who? The magical "would've, could've, should've" contract fairy? Levitre's agent knew what he would be worth on the open market, and anyone suggesting otherwise is incredibly naive. Yes, players occasionally take a "hometown discount" but that is getting more and more rare -- particularly for guys going into their 2nd contract and finally having a chance to cash in. Does anyone around here understand economics?
DrDawkinstein Posted March 14, 2013 Posted March 14, 2013 Says who? The magical "would've, could've, should've" contract fairy? Levitre's agent knew what he would be worth on the open market, and anyone suggesting otherwise is incredibly naive. Yes, players occasionally take a "hometown discount" but that is getting more and more rare -- particularly for guys going into their 2nd contract and finally having a chance to cash in. Does anyone around here understand economics? Its like everyday I think "Ok, now the board has hit rock bottom" and before I can even finish that thought, someone proves me wrong.
FLFan Posted March 14, 2013 Posted March 14, 2013 Says who? The magical "would've, could've, should've" contract fairy? Levitre's agent knew what he would be worth on the open market, and anyone suggesting otherwise is incredibly naive. Yes, players occasionally take a "hometown discount" but that is getting more and more rare -- particularly for guys going into their 2nd contract and finally having a chance to cash in. Does anyone around here understand economics? Excellent response. Unfortunately, you could post it a hundred times on different threads and not make a dent in the hysteria.
swnybillsfan Posted March 15, 2013 Posted March 15, 2013 I just came in here to fart. aw man, that was you?!?! i think i can taste that, you had ketchup, right.
ganesh Posted March 15, 2013 Posted March 15, 2013 If I recall correctly on numerous times Buddy has stated one of the problems with this organization in the past is that they would let talented players leave instead of resigning them. Yet he let's Levitre walk without a contract offer. The lack of an offer screams of a Jeffrey Littmann decision (a la not paying Will Wolford). The cycle of failure continues at One Bills Drive...... Or it could be that Marronne had a say on it and would prefer to use that money to shore up his LB corps rather than spend it on a guard. It is ok to have a plan to retain many of your best players, but don't have to do it on all. Levitre was a good player and sure would like to have him in Bills Red/Blue/White. But this is business. Says who? The magical "would've, could've, should've" contract fairy? Levitre's agent knew what he would be worth on the open market, and anyone suggesting otherwise is incredibly naive. Yes, players occasionally take a "hometown discount" but that is getting more and more rare -- particularly for guys going into their 2nd contract and finally having a chance to cash in. Does anyone around here understand economics? Also, Levitre might think that the Titans give him a better chance to make the playoffs than the Bills.
NoSaint Posted March 15, 2013 Posted March 15, 2013 Sign Byrd to a long term contract now or trade him now. Or let him play and tag and trade him next year?
Hammered a Lot Posted March 15, 2013 Posted March 15, 2013 If I recall correctly on numerous times Buddy has stated one of the problems with this organization in the past is that they would let talented players leave instead of resigning them. Yet he let's Levitre walk without a contract offer. The lack of an offer screams of a Jeffrey Littmann decision (a la not paying Will Wolford). The cycle of failure continues at One Bills Drive...... What where the terms of Will Wolfords contract?
ganesh Posted March 15, 2013 Posted March 15, 2013 there are two models to look at. Philly, locks everyone up early to long term deals, to try to get the best they can PIT-waits until the end and after they have proven themselves to get a contract. With Whaley's PIT ties, I can see us using more the PIT model. In Pittsburgh that works because the Backups are constantly pushing the starters and also have viable replacements if the starter departs. (This may not be how they are today, but in general they have operated that way the last decade). That allows them to delay paying the starters. I don't think the Bills have built sufficient depth for our backups to compete with our starters. Heck our former coach wouldn't even allow the backups to *COMPETE* with the starters. We never developed our depth players into starters.
Ed_Formerly_of_Roch Posted March 15, 2013 Posted March 15, 2013 And after woods will be Glenn due. Likely in another two years with the going rate going up every year for everyone and him being a left tackle, likely to sign him would be over $10 mil., So take Probably 8 or 9 for wood plus 10 for Glenn, had they signed AL, you'd easily have $40 mil on your O-line. Everyone here keeps hoping to sign a franchise QB, if they ever get lucky and do find someone, that will likely cost another $20 mil by then. If they were one player away from goign to Super bowl can see over paying. Levitre stated in a Santa Cruz newspaper report that negotiations with the Bills never took off because his agent had him slotted around one dollar amount and the Bills were at another. So it never got off the ground. I have a hard time finding fault with Buddy here. Yes it creates another hole, exacrbated by Rinehart going to the Chargers for 1 year, but $7.8mm for a Guard? And the guy who played next to him at Center (who most think is better) is a FA after the 2013 season, will want even more than that, especially if Andy had been retained. It is generally thought the cap will rise next year as well, further 'juicing' salary rates for the next FA period. I hope they extend Eric during 2013 to avoid the deadline angst.
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