blacklabel82 Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 If you head over to KFFL.com and check the latest news, Mark Gaughan from the Buffalo News reports that the Bills have Spikes officially on the trading block due to salaray cap reasons. Personally, I would like to see him stick around for this season to see if he can fully bounce back from his injuries suffered in '05 and '06 and become the LB he used to be. If he can't, then trade him. You're probably not gonna get a whole lot for him in the condition he's in. Also, my bad if this has been posted about before. I know there have been talks and speculation of him being traded but apparently it's official now and yes, I searched the other threads before posting this and didn't see anything really recent. Seems we're hurting ourselves more than helping ourselves here with all the holes we're allowing. We're definitely counting on the draft to build this team and not free agency. I usually try to stay pretty optimistic with this team but I feel like with the way they keep running their front office and interchanging players constantly, I don't think we'll see the playoffs before this decade is up, sheesh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stinky finger Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 We're definitely counting on the draft to build this team and not free agency. If we're ever to win a championship, this is our ticket. Ask Daniel Snyder how the alternative is working out for him in our nations capitol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 yeah, you have to BUILD a team through the draft. only after you actually have a team built, can you then go to Free Agency to UPGRADE where needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuntheDamnBall Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 This is foolish, if true. But, as much insider status as Gaughan might have, it doesn't mean a thing until it comes from the horse's mouth. I would not trade Spikes until we're through with minicamps, at the very least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 This is foolish, if true. But, as much insider status as Gaughan might have, it doesn't mean a thing until it comes from the horse's mouth. I would not trade Spikes until we're through with minicamps, at the very least. its not foolish to see WHAT we can get for him. no one is saying we MUST trade him, just that we're taking offers and shopping him around. who knows, this could be just posturing on OBD's part so we can re-negotiate his deal and maybe get him to take a pay cut... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 If you head over to KFFL.com and check the latest news, Mark Gaughan from the Buffalo News reports that the Bills have Spikes officially on the trading block due to salaray cap reasons. Personally, I would like to see him stick around for this season to see if he can fully bounce back from his injuries suffered in '05 and '06 and become the LB he used to be. If he can't, then trade him. You're probably not gonna get a whole lot for him in the condition he's in. Also, my bad if this has been posted about before. I know there have been talks and speculation of him being traded but apparently it's official now and yes, I searched the other threads before posting this and didn't see anything really recent. Seems we're hurting ourselves more than helping ourselves here with all the holes we're allowing. We're definitely counting on the draft to build this team and not free agency. I usually try to stay pretty optimistic with this team but I feel like with the way they keep running their front office and interchanging players constantly, I don't think we'll see the playoffs before this decade is up, sheesh. Thanks for the post! This is the first time I've heard that a legit reporter said such. That's the way it goes with the new CBA. CIN dumped a decent fellow, LB Brian Simmons, just because of the money angle. NO signed him. Makes me wonder if the vet cut-down coming up after the draft will be a bloodbath... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuntheDamnBall Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 its not foolish to see WHAT we can get for him. no one is saying we MUST trade him, just that we're taking offers and shopping him around. who knows, this could be just posturing on OBD's part so we can re-negotiate his deal and maybe get him to take a pay cut... But it IS foolish to let word get out about it, when you're dealing with a proud man who's given 100% to this football team through some tough years, and could really help it along if he returns to full strength. I am of the mind that Spikes was HOF-worthy at the pace he was going before his injury. Asking for a pay cut right now would literally be adding insult to that injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 But it IS foolish to let word get out about it, when you're dealing with a proud man who's given 100% to this football team through some tough years, and could really help it along if he returns to full strength. I am of the mind that Spikes was HOF-worthy at the pace he was going before his injury. Asking for a pay cut right now would literally be adding insult to that injury. hey, its a business. how many times did we ask Moulds to take a paycut? and it looks like its something he shouldve done again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obie_wan Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 But it IS foolish to let word get out about it, when you're dealing with a proud man who's given 100% to this football team through some tough years, and could really help it along if he returns to full strength. I am of the mind that Spikes was HOF-worthy at the pace he was going before his injury. Asking for a pay cut right now would literally be adding insult to that injury. say what? they guy is producing at a fraction of his former level, but still getting paid $4.5 million per year. He should voluntarily give back money from the last 2 years to avoid jail time for theft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 say what? they guy is producing at a fraction of his former level, but still getting paid $4.5 million per year. He should voluntarily give back money from the last 2 years to avoid jail time for theft. That's just stupid. He got hurt working his ass off and always played as hard as he could. It wasn't his fault. There are just as many players in the league who get paid too little for their production as get paid too much. Should teams retro-pay players for previous seasons where they were underpaid but over-produced? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIZ Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 That's just stupid. He got hurt working his ass off and always played as hard as he could. It wasn't his fault. There are just as many players in the league who get paid too little for their production as get paid too much. Should teams retro-pay players for previous seasons where they were underpaid but over-produced? How many times do players sign a contract and then start living up to the contract and then demand the team re-negotiate because now they are an "elite" player? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 How many times do players sign a contract and then start living up to the contract and then demand the team re-negotiate because now they are an "elite" player? The same amount that teams sign a contract and then cut the player not because he was playing bad but because they want a younger, cheaper guy. It evens out. Hardly any player gets paid what they're actually worth, especially year to year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 The same amount that teams sign a contract and then cut the player not because he was playing bad but because they want a younger, cheaper guy. It evens out. Hardly any player gets paid what they're actually worth, especially year to year. exactly! exactly why we are looking to trade/cut/re-negotiate Spikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuntheDamnBall Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 say what? they guy is producing at a fraction of his former level, but still getting paid $4.5 million per year. He should voluntarily give back money from the last 2 years to avoid jail time for theft. That's asinine, probably the stupidest post I've seen here in awhile, excepting what goes on in the PPP board from time to time. In the first year of your 'theft' scenario, the guy tore his Achilles playing a tough and violent sport and giving it his all. I suggest you go tear your Achilles and try and do things as well as you did before less than a year after the injury. See if your boss sues you for theft when you're hobbling around trying to get your work done. Meanwhile Spikes was playing not well, but at least average for his position, especially considering he also tweaked a hammy. The ruptured Achilles is well-known as a two-year injury. You don't cut and run when you have a hurt player, especially not when he's a player the caliber of Spikes. You wait it out and see if he can return to form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 i like Spikes. but i love THE BILLS, and im a BILLS fan. im sorry he got injured. and im sure he might be a nice guy. but if that money could help the Bills somewhere else, then I'm all for whatever they decide to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 exactly! exactly why we are looking to trade/cut/re-negotiate Spikes. The problem with trading Spikes, to me, is that you can't get anything for him. No one, including Spikes and the Bills and the doctors, know if he will be able to return to his former self. That will only be answered in the first few or several games of the regular season. Who is going to give up anything for a guy you have to pay 4.5 mil to and not know if he is damaged goods? I think it's well worth it to see if he can play, and then if he can't, perhaps release him a couple games into the season and save 3.5 instead of 4.5 million. If he plays well, he's worth the money and we have him next year, too. Otherwise, instead of four major question marks we have five. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pneumonic Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 The key to trading Spikes might boil down to his contract status. How many years left does he have on the contract and how much is his base salary in those years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 The problem with trading Spikes, to me, is that you can't get anything for him. No one, including Spikes and the Bills and the doctors, know if he will be able to return to his former self. That will only be answered in the first few or several games of the regular season. Who is going to give up anything for a guy you have to pay 4.5 mil to and not know if he is damaged goods? I think it's well worth it to see if he can play, and then if he can't, perhaps release him a couple games into the season and save 3.5 instead of 4.5 million. If he plays well, he's worth the money and we have him next year, too. Otherwise, instead of four major question marks we have five. i think so too. which is why, as i stated above, i think this might just be posturing so we can ask him to re-negotiate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paup 1995MVP Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 That's just stupid. He got hurt working his ass off and always played as hard as he could. It wasn't his fault. There are just as many players in the league who get paid too little for their production as get paid too much. Should teams retro-pay players for previous seasons where they were underpaid but over-produced? I got to meet Takeo last year doing his rehab down in Atlanta. He worked out at the same gym as me. (Also saw Jamal Lewis and Hines Ward there as well for what its worth) The man was not very positive about the upcoming season, and was very pissed when the Bills took Whitner with the first pick instead of Ngata or Bunkley. While he was working out hard, his attitude about the team in general was pretty poor. I think he is a clubhouse lawyer who is only happy when he has a lot of veterans surrounding him. (gives him that comfort zone) His play last year for the most part was average on good days and god awful on other days. Did you ever remember guys running thru his tackles like they did last year? I won't lose sleep if he gets cut or traded. The national media will roast us if we cut him, but at this point in his career he is just a name. The guy had no lateral movement whatsoever last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obie_wan Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 The problem with trading Spikes, to me, is that you can't get anything for him. No one, including Spikes and the Bills and the doctors, know if he will be able to return to his former self. That will only be answered in the first few or several games of the regular season. Who is going to give up anything for a guy you have to pay 4.5 mil to and not know if he is damaged goods? I think it's well worth it to see if he can play, and then if he can't, perhaps release him a couple games into the season and save 3.5 instead of 4.5 million. If he plays well, he's worth the money and we have him next year, too. Otherwise, instead of four major question marks we have five. nice try. The entire $4.5 becomes guaranteed if Spikes is on the opening day roster. You can't take him for a trial run for "a few games" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts