Lawson's 5th yr option ($9.451M) declined & Ziggy update

[Reed83HOF]

 

Edited May 1, 2019 by Reed83HOF

[PromoTheRobot]

30 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

I really, really do not want to dispute that, as I am inclined to agree! However, we have many deserving candidates...Jim Ringo? Kay Stephenson? Hank Bullough? A real Rogue's Gallery of ineptness to choose from. 

 

So glad it looks like our trajectory is miles ahead of those clowns now!!

 

Can't argue with that list.

[YoloinOhio]

1 minute ago, Reed83HOF said:

 

Yes, if the FO and coaching is the same one that drafted him. If not, it’s not really damning in either capacity. Often the scheme fit is a reason, other times it’s the culture, etc. In this case he’s a holdover from the previous regime (the only one left drafted by Whaley, for a coach and defensive who is no longer here.) So I dont see it as damning indictment on Shaq, or on scouting. 

[JimKellyTryouts]

33 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

I really, really do not want to dispute that, as I am inclined to agree! However, we have many deserving candidates...Jim Ringo? Kay Stephenson? Hank Bullough? A real Rogue's Gallery of ineptness to choose from. 

 

So glad it looks like our trajectory is miles ahead of those clowns now!!

 

I'm a younger fan so I'm not too familiar with how all those guys did, but relative to the talent that was on hand and the hype/expectations of our team, I can't see how he can't get the vote. All those additions on offense as well as finishing top 10 in scoring back to back years and a promise to not put square pegs in round holes on defense when the regime did that exact thing...smh

[lacoy38]

I think Shaq is decent and wouldn’t mind him back at the right price . In my opinion between Shaq, Hughes and Murphy 1 of the 3 will be back and the DE on the other side will be a big name FA or high draft pick or combo of both.

 

[Art in PNS]

Makes sense to me. He played better last year but not worth 10+ M$$$$$. If he lights it up this year I'm sure he can be had for a reasonable contract . If he doesn't you avoid guaranteeing him that much $ which approaches Jerry Hughes $ with no where near the production.

[CommonCents]

1 hour ago, Dablitzkrieg said:

I agree, he is average.  I think some people blowing him off as "not good" is a bit of an overstatement.

Explain how average can be good. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Bad decision. Not catastrophic but still don't agree. Young player and improving. What is the downside risk? They have plenty of money. They are wasting more money on Murphy and Star. 

Look he is not a star. But he is a solid player. Can he be replaced. Probably.  

 

[Cornette's Commentary]

9 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

Bad decision. Not catastrophic but still don't agree. Young player and improving. What is the downside risk? They have plenty of money. They are wasting more money on Murphy and Star. 

Look he is not a star. But he is a solid player. Can he be replaced. Probably.  

 

[Magox]

1 hour ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

Except Sammy had real value.  Shaq could get like a 5th at best.  

 

Yes, but nowhere near the amount that he ended up signing for.

[FLFan]

1 hour ago, whatdrought said:

Not surprising. He’s a holdover from the previous regime who hasn’t shown the new regime why he’s worth the raise. He can earn it this year and I’m sure we’ll be happy to pay him.

The problem is, if he does earn it this year, he will be signing somewhere else.  

[Forward Progress]

1 minute ago, FLFan said:

The problem is, if he does earn it this year, he will be signing somewhere else.  

 

This is a good problem to have - this is where comp picks come from.

[FLFan]

This is a bad call.  The only real risk is that he gets injured this year and the are forced to pay him next year.  Guaranteed for injury, assuming he is injured at the start of the league year next year.  Otherwise, they keep their options open.  If he is lights out this year they are happy to pay him.  If not, they cut him.  Very shortsighted decision.  

[NickelCity]

I'm admittedly surprised about this, but I won't pretend to know the ins and outs of contracts and long term planning like Beane. 

[FLFan]

3 minutes ago, Forward Progress said:

 

This is a good problem to have - this is where comp picks come from.

So in this scenario, that he performs very well, you want him, but he blows you off for other offers, you would rather have a comp pick? You would rather have a comp pick than an expereinecd high performing DE?  Not saying Shaq will become that, just that if he does, he will be playing elsewhere.  Poor use of assets in my opinion.  

[Magox]

27 minutes ago, billsfan_34 said:

Whaley wasn’t a strong enough leader to be a GM. He allowed himself to be cast aside and he also drafted horribly. I am glad he is gone.

 

Even if we were to accept the premise that Whaley didn't have any say in that draft, which is laughable and at the very least he was in charge of the scouting and set up the draft board to determine the best players at each position.   But just for shiznits and giggles, lets just say that Rex was in charge of the entire draft and Whaley had no to very little say, then it goes back to the point that I've been making for a while now, part of the job of an effective GM is to be able to sell your vision to ownership.  Ownership has to believe in your gameplan, if they don't believe in your gameplan, then if you are a self-respecting and not desperate to have a GM-job-in-name then you shouldn't even accept those conditions and resign.     Then to top it all off, if you did accept the diminished responsibility but you were the "GM", then it sets yourself up not just for failure but it hurts your GM prospects or other high level administrative positions in the league.   

 

Where is Whaley today?  The XFL?    You think if you were to have asked him 3 years ago what would he think if he knew that that he'd be fired as GM of the Bills, couldn't immediately get hired to any meaningful NFL exec position and had to settle to going to the XFL 3 years later, do you think that would have been almost worst case scenario?   I think so.

 

 

33 minutes ago, Reed83HOF said:

 

 

 

Is he aware that essentially the entire scouting staff that put in the work and setup the draft board for Shaq to be picked is no longer with the Bills?   Asking for a friend

[Cornette's Commentary]

12 minutes ago, FLFan said:

So in this scenario, that he performs very well, you want him, but he blows you off for other offers, you would rather have a comp pick? You would rather have a comp pick than an expereinecd high performing DE?  Not saying Shaq will become that, just that if he does, he will be playing elsewhere.  Poor use of assets in my opinion.  

Please repeat after me: I, FLFan, take thee Ethan in Portland, to be my wedded wife.

[Mojo44]

9 minutes ago, FLFan said:

So in this scenario, that he performs very well, you want him, but he blows you off for other offers, you would rather have a comp pick? You would rather have a comp pick than an expereinecd high performing DE?  Not saying Shaq will become that, just that if he does, he will be playing elsewhere.  Poor use of assets in my opinion.  

There is no compelling reason to think he will ever be “high performing”. And, in the unlikely event that he becomes high performing in 2019 there is no compelling reason to think he will “blow off” the Bills. This is the smart move. 

[Forward Progress]

4 minutes ago, FLFan said:

So in this scenario, that he performs very well, you want him, but he blows you off for other offers, you would rather have a comp pick? You would rather have a comp pick than an expereinecd high performing DE?  Not saying Shaq will become that, just that if he does, he will be playing elsewhere.  Poor use of assets in my opinion.  

 

It simply isn't prudent to pay a player significantly more than their playing level, based on the hope that a player can play better in the future than they have in past four years.  If Lawson is a rare player that can elevate his game significantly between year 4 and 5, then the Bills got this one wrong.  If Lawson continues to be who he has been, then they got it right and have an extra $10M available in 2020 to sign a player who is more valuable than Shaq.

[MJS]

They made the right choice. I've been against the 5th year option for Shaq. There are countless guys in the NFL that can do what he can do.