billsfan182 Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Talks between the Bills and top pick Donte Whitner are at a standstill. Whitner is one of just three first round picks unsigned and he is top pick not signed in the league. Marv Levy said he was more encouraged two days ago than he is now about a deal getting done. Whitner said he thinks the two sides are close to getting a deal done and that the issues separating the two sides aren't major. He said it won't be long and he's been studying his playbook and working out two hours a day. Levy doesn't deal with contract negotiations but did get involved by contacting Whitner's agent. He told him the team is prepared to move forward without Whitner and his "chances of winning a starting job are diminishing swiftly". I hope marv's not serious about that statement. but this does worry me, i mean whitner the higest pick to no be signed, and only 1 of 3 in the nfl..... Whitner talks stalled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Talks between the Bills and top pick Donte Whitner are at a standstill. Whitner is one of just three first round picks unsigned and he is top pick not signed in the league. Marv Levy said he was more encouraged two days ago than he is now about a deal getting done. Whitner said he thinks the two sides are close to getting a deal done and that the issues separating the two sides aren't major. He said it won't be long and he's been studying his playbook and working out two hours a day. Levy doesn't deal with contract negotiations but did get involved by contacting Whitner's agent. He told him the team is prepared to move forward without Whitner and his "chances of winning a starting job are diminishing swiftly". I hope marv's not serious about that statement. but this does worry me, i mean whitner the higest pick to no be signed, and only 1 of 3 in the nfl..... Whitner talks stalled 732480[/snapback] Chances are he'll just get signed in the next few days and be in camp that day, but it is a sorry state of affairs when your team reaches for a player in the draft then can't even get him signed. Money is a definate issue on draft day, and all those people who were cheering the unorthodox selection of Whitner now are about to get the jaw-dropping bill for his services, at which point it becomes clear again why early first round selections are usually quarterbacks, freakishly gifted skill players and corner lineman or shutdown CB's. Dime a dozen safeties become $10-$12 million dollar bonus babies when drafted in the top 10. Whitner should become a very good player, but a good gm SHOULD be able to get good safeties later in the draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Marv has on of the best poker faces in football. I hope they can get things settled and play football. Talks between the Bills and top pick Donte Whitner are at a standstill. Whitner is one of just three first round picks unsigned and he is top pick not signed in the league. Marv Levy said he was more encouraged two days ago than he is now about a deal getting done. Whitner said he thinks the two sides are close to getting a deal done and that the issues separating the two sides aren't major. He said it won't be long and he's been studying his playbook and working out two hours a day. Levy doesn't deal with contract negotiations but did get involved by contacting Whitner's agent. He told him the team is prepared to move forward without Whitner and his "chances of winning a starting job are diminishing swiftly". I hope marv's not serious about that statement. but this does worry me, i mean whitner the higest pick to no be signed, and only 1 of 3 in the nfl..... Whitner talks stalled 732480[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBuffaloDisease Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Whitner may have been drafted 12-15 spots higher than the "experts" predicted he'd go, but the Rams were set to take him at #11. Still he should have been signed by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawgg Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Shhh... Please don't say that around here... such logic is not welcomed. Chances are he'll just get signed in the next few days and be in camp that day, but it is a sorry state of affairs when your team reaches for a player in the draft then can't even get him signed. Money is a definate issue on draft day, and all those people who were cheering the unorthodox selection of Whitner now are about to get the jaw-dropping bill for his services, at which point it becomes clear again why early first round selections are usually quarterbacks, freakishly gifted skill players and corner lineman or shutdown CB's. Dime a dozen safeties become $10-$12 million dollar bonus babies when drafted in the top 10. Whitner should become a very good player, but a good gm SHOULD be able to get good safeties later in the draft. 732489[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 The Bills want 6 years, Whitner wants 5 years. Its that simple. Basically the same thing thats going on in Miami with Allen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarthur31 Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Marv is right, to a point. If Donte misses all of TC, then you can be he won't be starting. Four games isn't enough to learn the entire defensive playbook and he won't have any experience to bring to the regular season. I am not worried he won't be signed within the next week, however. Picks 1-7 have all signed with their teams so the money part of the contract doesn't really play into this. It has to be the length of it like so many other posters here have already mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 The Bills want 6 years, Whitner wants 5 years. Its that simple. Basically the same thing thats going on in Miami with Allen. 732507[/snapback] The question is why would they be this insistent on a 6th year when doing so jeopardizes getting production and experience out of year 1? Could it be the Bills want more years from him because they feel they drafted him top 10 when the consensus was that he was NOT top 10 material. 5 years is the norm now, if this is the only hangup, I don't understand the strategy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 The question is why would they be this insistent on a 6th year when doing so jeopardizes getting production and experience out of year 1? Could it be the Bills want more years from him because they feel they drafted him top 10 when the consensus was that he was NOT top 10 material. 5 years is the norm now, if this is the only hangup, I don't understand the strategy. 732548[/snapback] To be honest, he could miss 2 weeks and it wouldnt make a difference. They do so much, he would still have a month before kickoff and 4 preseason games. If he isnt signed by the middle of August, then i would wonder if he would get enough reps.The Bills want 6 years because they want to keep him another year before he is able to get big money again. WHitner wants the chance to get a new contract quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 YAY Marv! You da geriatric! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickey Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Marv is right, to a point. If Donte misses all of TC, then you can be he won't be starting. Four games isn't enough to learn the entire defensive playbook and he won't have any experience to bring to the regular season. I am not worried he won't be signed within the next week, however. Picks 1-7 have all signed with their teams so the money part of the contract doesn't really play into this. It has to be the length of it like so many other posters here have already mentioned. 732517[/snapback] We don't really know that. IF anything, I would think that they have settled on the length but not the cash. Sims was the ninth pick and his cash hasn't been reported anywhere as far as I can tell, just the length which is 5 years. Huff is also on a 5 year deal so the Bills would really be pretty off base to offer him a 6 year deal. After Sims comes Cutler, a QB and then Ngata, a DT followed by Wimbley, a DE. Cutler is getting QB money so it doesn't help with figuring out Whitner's value. Ngata is getting 5 years and 11.9 million while Wimbley is getting 23 million on a 6 year deal. From what we know then, Donte could be valued anywhere between what Ngata is getting, 12 million essentially and what Huff is getting, 22.5 million or so. That is a pretty wide gap. I think the cash is much harder to get a solid estimate on based on what others are getting as compared to the length. If the Bills are only offering a 6 year deal, then I can see why he is holding out. IF Huff, Sims and Ngata are all on 5 year deals, the Bills have no basis for not offering him the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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