Last year SJ, this year Byrd and Levitre

[zazie]

Stability? Wood has yet to play 16 games in a season. In fact, every other year (odd years--uh oh!), he doesn't last past 10 games. Let's see how he does this year before they "lock up" a Center with big money.

And Woods injuries always are the real, significant, affect-you-later kind of injuries in his leg and knee. I would not be surprised if Wood retired in the next couple of years.

[PromoTheRobot]

Why would a player who thinks he can break the bank sign an earlier deal at less money??? I suppose if you have ESP and sign them way before they get good. Like maybe the Bills should have signed CJ Spiller when everyone was calling him a first round bust?

 

PTR

Edited August 11, 2013 by PromoTheRobot

[K-9]

Wood should be locked up now.

I don't want to hear any of you OBD apologists say "Wood is good but not dominant."

1.) EJ is building a relationship with him at Center now. No need to cause a change next year.

2.) We had one of the best C-LT combos in the league last year. Why get worse and let the C and LG walk in consecutive years?

3.) He is a team vet and respected in the locker room.

4.) You got tons of cap space.

Go Bills

 

Why would anyone quibble about Wood? He is dominant at his position. Levitre? Not so much.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[zazie]

Why would a player who thinks he can break the bank sign an earlier deal at less money??? I suppose if you have ESP and sign them way before they get good. Like maybe the Bills should have signed CJ Spiller when everyone was calling him a first round bust?

 

PTR

 

Because before you break the bank, you have to stay healthy for 16 games in a sport where there are significant injuries on almost every team, almost every week of the season perhaps?

 

We're not talking about curling here, or even baseball.

 

Take the money now or risk it... and Byrd's agent has put his money at severe risk IMO.

[Bill from NYC]

Maybe it is early and I still have pancakes on the brain, but could you rephrase or explain this one?

 

Isn't Fitz a 7 million dollar hit in 2014? And what about Anderson? Also I am under the impression that teams will soon have to spend almost the entire cap, no?

[Meatloaf Sandwich]

Do mid season contracts count toward this years cap? That is something the Bills have been known to do (not successfully).

[Bill from NYC]

I believe what Bill is referring to is the baffling decisions by this front office to push cap hits onto the 2014 books, when we have enough cap space right now to take all the hits and clear our books. Example: What was the point of pushing a 7 million cap hit for Fitz into 2014 when we are carting 20 mil in cap space right now? They could have taken all the hit for Fitz's contract this year and had that much more to spend next season. Same deal with Mark Anderson.

 

Its frustrating and stupefying, really. Its as if they're intentionally handicapping themselves for next year.

 

Thank you. This is why I was SO pissed at losing Levitre. They could have done a deal similar to TB and Revis. TB guaranteed his first season only. After that every season is up to the team. I don't understand why they are stockpiling cap dollars THIS season and tying up space for 2014.

[Meatloaf Sandwich]

 

 

Thank you. This is why I was SO pissed at losing Levitre. They could have done a deal similar to TB and Revis. TB guaranteed his first season only. After that every season is up to the team. I don't understand why they are stockpiling cap dollars THIS season and tying up space for 2014.

 

Levitre and his agent would never let that happen since he isn't coming off a season ending injury.

 

Revis himself went out of his way to sign that.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Meatloaf Sandwich

[Malazan]

Levitre specifically said he had no interest in getting a deal done and was going to free agency.

[jumbalaya]

Carrington is the only guy stepping it up big time.

[zazie]

Carrington is the only guy stepping it up big time.

 

Everyone is saying that, is this based on pre-season reports? Because last year he was ok and coming on at the end of the year, but it was nothing so spectacular as to warrent all this gushing

Edited August 11, 2013 by zazie

[Meatloaf Sandwich]

 

 

Everyone is saying that, is this based on pre-season reports? Because last year he was ok and coming on at the end of the year, but it was nothing so spectacular as to warrent all this gushing

Don't forget he was blocking FGs to help the Bills win. His 1 hand took 10 points off the board last year.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Meatloaf Sandwich

[boyst]

I am more awake now, and understand the cap situation. I guess I just was not thinking stupidly. Because, yes, this very thing has bugged me. Originally I was optomistic, thinking this means we have some big plans on the way. That we were going to get some extensions done early. Then I looked at the sense of it and realized there is not much of a reason to extend Byrd or Carrington yet. The Bills hold all the cards on Byrd right now and Carrington is an RFA, who, if by week 8 or 9 continues to do well could easily be signed to a 2 or 3 year extension based on escalators and incentives. Wood is a guy who has not shown the ability to stay healthy over the long run and he if is injured a fair amount this year there is no reason to bank on him in 2014. Which goes back to my optomism - thinking we did not want to address the OL in the draft because we had plans in FA. Then the bottom got closed on the OL FA market. The few guys worth grabbing disappeared and the few left were not worth the value placed on them.

 

The best thing we can do at this point is to hold on to this cap room and roll it over. Which makes no sense. We should have swallowed it this year. The only reason I am unsure about is some sort of financial reason on why would we roll it over. That'd be more for someone like Chef to chime in on.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

And you know this how?? Do you have inside information?? I'm assuming no, and that your rational for your statement is that you didn't hear any stories about the Bill's making offers. OK fair argument, but also fair to say that in most cases rarely do teams make statements either way, about progress or lack there of. Most often the leaks come from agents trying to push something. The other reasonable argument is there's no sense making an offer when miles apart. Maybe the Bill's did make an intial offer was countered with something still miles apart, so the Bill's figured wait until he either comes down in price to what they felt was a reasonable amount, or if he can get that amount of money, great for him, but we're not over paying.

 

It's kind of like when buying a house, there are a number of houses in the neighborhood selling for say $200k. There's one house you saw, it's a little nicer than the others, maybe worth $215 or so, but the owner is asking for like $260. so you offer $210, hoping that if they were to come back at say $225, you're close and can probably work it out. But instead, they come back with $255. At that point, you probably put them on ignore and move on, maybe hoping they will get reasonable, but you're not going to overpay either.

 

You also don't know what he asked from the Bill's, what they countered with and compare that against what he eventually signed for. Teams will never let that out, but would be interesting to see.

 

 

I am reasonably confident, they did not make a real effort last off season. Any NFLer has to take early extension offers VERY seriously, it is not about how many Applebees tehre are around, it is about getting the signing bonus secure before risking another season of injury.

 

But when you have a coach that knows he has to win that year or likely be fired, you roll the dice and keep the players. Going into training camp last year with the off-season moves they made, it was a reasonable argument that the Bill's may have made the playoffs or at least had been in the mix, so again you don't trade players like AL when you as a team think you are close to making playoffs for draft picks which is likely the best thing you'd get as opposed to players. Assuming Al wanted out of Buffalo as was tired of the losing, all of a sudden you make the playoffs or come real close, maybe you demands drop as you decide staying here may be a good thing as the team appears to have turned the corner.

 

That could also support the argument that he made a crazy high offer figuring Buffalo wouldn't agree, he plays out the year and see how the team does. If they do well, his price comes down to a reasonable amount and resigns, if not then easy to move on.

 

If a player you want to keep and will not extend, at least you can trade him while under contract. That's better then letting a good player like Levitre walk away.

[Best Player Available]

Levitre specifically said he had no interest in getting a deal done and was going to free agency.

Link? Thanks.

[boyst]

Link? Thanks.

I might could find a link, but it was pretty common knowledge and accepted. It was spoken a lot prior to last season. Levitre did not want to work on an extension after the 2011 season because he wanted to go to FA in 2013.

 

No link needed for me, I remember it enough and can verify this being true. Of course, that is only if you judge me to be an honest person...I was a boy scout, ya know.

 

And you know this how?? Do you have inside information?? I'm assuming no, and that your rational for your statement is that you didn't hear any stories about the Bill's making offers. OK fair argument, but also fair to say that in most cases rarely do teams make statements either way, about progress or lack there of. Most often the leaks come from agents trying to push something. The other reasonable argument is there's no sense making an offer when miles apart. Maybe the Bill's did make an intial offer was countered with something still miles apart, so the Bill's figured wait until he either comes down in price to what they felt was a reasonable amount, or if he can get that amount of money, great for him, but we're not over paying.

 

It's kind of like when buying a house, there are a number of houses in the neighborhood selling for say $200k. There's one house you saw, it's a little nicer than the others, maybe worth $215 or so, but the owner is asking for like $260. so you offer $210, hoping that if they were to come back at say $225, you're close and can probably work it out. But instead, they come back with $255. At that point, you probably put them on ignore and move on, maybe hoping they will get reasonable, but you're not going to overpay either.

 

You also don't know what he asked from the Bill's, what they countered with and compare that against what he eventually signed for. Teams will never let that out, but would be interesting to see.

 

 

 

 

But when you have a coach that knows he has to win that year or likely be fired, you roll the dice and keep the players. Going into training camp last year with the off-season moves they made, it was a reasonable argument that the Bill's may have made the playoffs or at least had been in the mix, so again you don't trade players like AL when you as a team think you are close to making playoffs for draft picks which is likely the best thing you'd get as opposed to players. Assuming Al wanted out of Buffalo as was tired of the losing, all of a sudden you make the playoffs or come real close, maybe you demands drop as you decide staying here may be a good thing as the team appears to have turned the corner.

 

That could also support the argument that he made a crazy high offer figuring Buffalo wouldn't agree, he plays out the year and see how the team does. If they do well, his price comes down to a reasonable amount and resigns, if not then easy to move on.

If this was at me I am not sure where to reply or how to reply?

[San Jose Bills Fan]

I believe what Bill is referring to is the baffling decisions by this front office to push cap hits onto the 2014 books, when we have enough cap space right now to take all the hits and clear our books. Example: What was the point of pushing a 7 million cap hit for Fitz into 2014 when we are carting 20 mil in cap space right now? They could have taken all the hit for Fitz's contract this year and had that much more to spend next season. Same deal with Mark Anderson.

 

Its frustrating and stupefying, really. Its as if they're intentionally handicapping themselves for next year.

 

Don't you wish that one or more of the people who cover the team would ask this question… this question that we've been asking on this board for weeks?

 

Why would a player who thinks he can break the bank sign an earlier deal at less money???

 

PTR

 

As zazie says, injury.

[BuffaloBillsMagic1]

I believe what Bill is referring to is the baffling decisions by this front office to push cap hits onto the 2014 books, when we have enough cap space right now to take all the hits and clear our books. Example: What was the point of pushing a 7 million cap hit for Fitz into 2014 when we are carting 20 mil in cap space right now? They could have taken all the hit for Fitz's contract this year and had that much more to spend next season. Same deal with Mark Anderson.

 

Its frustrating and stupefying, really. Its as if they're intentionally handicapping themselves for next year.

So we stay 20 mil or so below the cap this year as well as next. Money saving effort, no concerned about winning all out htis year or next obviously.

[Best Player Available]

I might could find a link, but it was pretty common knowledge and accepted. It was spoken a lot prior to last season. Levitre did not want to work on an extension after the 2011 season because he wanted to go to FA in 2013.

 

No link needed for me, I remember it enough and can verify this being true. Of course, that is only if you judge me to be an honest person...I was a boy scout, ya know.

I wish I had the time because in one of the other Levitre threads started around when free agency started he remarked in a published article his disappointment with the bills not even making him an offer. At the time in that article he had no malice and certainly didn't say he wouldn't negotiate with the team. That's why I asked for the link because I never read it.

 

Losing Levitre isn't the end of the world, but signing a scrub named Legursky is not a suitable replacement as I'm guessing we will see.

 

Off topic on this but Wood has mentioned he would extend before his contract is up and the team has had no contact regarding that.

 

 

As for being a Boy Scout, I bet you ate brownies too?

[ganesh]

Last off-season, we were at a real risk to lose SJ, because the FO had not extended him THE SUMMER BEFORE.

 

This year, we LOST Levitre and currently do not have the services of Byrd, when most teams and common sense both, say we should have extended them LAST SUMMER.

 

I tend to think most guys want to sign long term extensions for decent pay prior to risking the career ender. Our FO never seems cognizant of that, strangely. in NE guys like Hernandez get extended plenty early!

 

Last time I remember the Bills doing so prudently was with Kyle.

 

Who should we extend this year, NOW, while we still can? Every game that goes by it becomes less urgent for players to extend vis a vis risk injury and get out via free agency.

 

When is CJs contract up? Gilmore we still have some time. Anyone else?

 

The Bills extended Fitzpatrick prematurely (amid a 4-1 start) that backfired on them really badly. I think bad teams tend to overpay for marginal talent in the name of re-signing their own picks (See Kelsay for over a decade). I think Nix and Whaley have made a decision to wait till the player really succeeds. It costs them more, but at least it gives a good feel that he is a blue-chip player.

 

Levitre was a good LG, but was not a blue chip player. Byrd is a blue chip player and deserves to be paid like a super star. The Bills will pay him eventually, unless Byrd doesn't want to be here.