When is the point of no return for Evans?

[Bill from NYC]

This has been common practice in the NFL with franchised players. But don't let those facts get in the way of your rant.

 

For someone who despises DBs, you are/were in quite a hurry to give the farm to one.

 

Whoa, calm down! It might be common, but this would be a bad idea for the Bills. They need to extend LE's contract. Unlike Nate, this player wants to stay here, or at least he says he does.

 

We have 21 million or so in cap space, and they need to start spending some of it.

[BillsVet]

It would make the front office look incredibly bad if Evans didn't get a new deal in the near future. With the way things have panned out in the Peters situation, this front office would have some explaining to do.

 

In order to keep your fans, you've got to keep your best players. Not watch them play a few years and ship them out. Buffalo has some great young talent on this team. It's up to Brandon and company to NOT SCREW IT UP.

 

I wouldn't even mind if some of the name players left, and the team continued to win. There just isn't a winning tradition, and watching the highlights from the late eighties and nineties is getting old. The NFL's new commercials of "what about now" seem to be especially relevant to the Bills.

 

Evans may not have the numbers of a Moss, Owens, or Wayne, but he's the best receiver on this team by a longshot. Replacing him will take time and considering their other options are Parrish, Reed, and Hardy, I don't see it being a good idea to let him go. I've heard so much about continuity, there's no reason not to keep him.

[Mickey]

Nate Clements Part II. So which WR will we be picking in the first round of the '09 draft?

 

I'm not pleased at all that the Bills haven't got a deal done with Evans. It'd be nice if we knew our star players were going to be here for the long haul or if this is just going to be a perpetually young, scrappy and untested team with 90 percent of their roster playing under their "cheap" rookie contracts. Fans here like to scream about continuity, how about some continuity on the roster. Someone send a crowbar over to Ralph's house, he clearly needs some help opening his wallet.

Maybe they are too busy not negotiating with Peters to work things out with Lee.

 

For all we know it could be a minor detail they are haggling over. Or it could be that they are worried that as soon as they make a deal with Lee, they can't use it as an excuse for why they can't negotiate with Peters for this year. Or maybe Lee's chromosome test came back XXY.

 

It does seem kind of odd that 2 of the 3 best players on offense are having contract trouble. Coincidence? I think not bwahahahahahahaaha.

[Bill from NYC]

I've heard so much about continuity, there's no reason not to keep him.

 

If Evans leaves town, it will be due to an unwillingness, or to be fair inability to negotiate a deal that will lock him up in Buffalo.

If we don't sign him, which of these would you suspect?

[San-O]

Nice smear job. For you and the others how foolishly downplay Lee Evans' importance to this team, the touchdown totals for the following player's first four years in the league were...

 

A. Reed 22

Moulds 18

Irvin 20

Holt 23

Owens 30

Harrison 33

 

Evans 29

 

Was this not good enough of a job for you? Think he was dogging it last year? If you can't see Lee's exceptional ability after four years here then that's on you. BTW, he had 9 touchdowns as a rookie. Unbelievable.

 

Easy there. I'm not saying Buffalo doesn't need him. If he thinks he deserves top 10 money he's wrong.

 

Again the question, how much do you pay him? Not smearing, just going by some very basic stats. There were seven games last year

where he had 2 or fewer catches.

 

How much is he worth? I don't really know. I'm not really certain he's a legit # 1.

 

[BillsVet]

If Evans leaves town, it will be due to an unwillingness, or to be fair inability to negotiate a deal that will lock him up in Buffalo.

If we don't sign him, which of these would you suspect?

 

It's ironic the Bills were talked about around here for signing their own, (K. Williams, Kelsay, Butler) but those deals pale in comparison to anything Evans will get. The Bills spent some big dollars in 07 on Dockery, Walker, and Schobel. This season, they've only given out small to moderate contracts to K. Williams, Butler, Stroud, Mitchell, and Johnson.

 

As much as this team needs role players and above average types, every team needs to find and keep their own stars. I don't understand why this Evans contract has lingered into the regular season after no less than 5 months of negotiations.

[THE GASH STATION]

So, if Evans wants top 5-10 money...and you are going to pay it

Would you:

A) Want to see who else is available for that same figure in free Agency ?

B) Just pay now and hope for the best ?

 

What if Evans has another so so year and you could have landed a WR that has been more consistent ?

 

Maybe Lee is thinking the reverse ? Maybe he feels he is going to have a knock the lights out year (I believe this too)

and it isn't in his best interest in taking say maybe top 15 money now ?

 

If I were Evans I'd let it ride this year and do my talking on the field (and take the bigger payday afterwards)...Peters would have been smart to do this as well.

[Stenbar]

I have a feeling Lee wants out....I would not be shocked to see him play the season out and push the contract end to the limit...

[dave mcbride]

It's pretty rare for players to re-up after the season starts. I'm expecting that he won't sign, which is probably the smart move for him. He can make more money elsewhere assuming he as a good year, although the Bills may franchise him. I've long thought that franchising him was the most likely scenario. We'll see.

[BillsWatch]

I don't understand why this Evans contract has lingered into the regular season after no less than 5 months of negotiations.

 

Usually contract negotiations last a long time because parties start with too far apart and that by the time they get close it goes too far on a season. If the agent didn;t start with a Mickey Mouse over priced contract request then something would have been done. Better to have clauses to increase pay under certain conditions rather than trying to eat entire pie at once.

[Dan]

I wouldn't even mind if some of the name players left, and the team continued to win. There just isn't a winning tradition, and watching the highlights from the late eighties and nineties is getting old. The NFL's new commercials of "what about now" seem to be especially relevant to the Bills.

 

Evans may not have the numbers of a Moss, Owens, or Wayne, but he's the best receiver on this team by a longshot. Replacing him will take time and considering their other options are Parrish, Reed, and Hardy, I don't see it being a good idea to let him go. I've heard so much about continuity, there's no reason not to keep him.

Completely agree. It makes absolutely no sense to let Evans go, which is why I'm confident he'll be extended. I can't legitimately guess as to why the deal isn't complete. All along I've thought that it would be announced this week (possibly late last week). Assuming there's not a new deal in place prior to Sunday, I'd guess that Lee is asking for top 5 money and the FO wants to give him top 10 money - something like that. It could be something like upfront money vs backend cash, but that always seems to get worked out fairly quickly (at least in my uneducated mind).

 

Either way, Evans must stay. If not, I would say that its the first major mistake of this front office. All the other player moves have been good or bad depending upon your point of view, but I wouldn't place any of them into the major mistake category. (I don't consider the Peters situation a mistake by the FO, because they signed him to a nice contract 2 years ago and HE decided to hold the franchise hostage for more money in the same year they have a major FA in Evans to lock up.)

[StupidNation]

He's not a top 5 talent, but he is a good, above average WR. He's not worth top-5 money whatsoever. I would rather pass if he wants top-5 money, and even if he wants top 8 money. Top 10 he deserves, and not because he's top-10 as a WR, because he hasn't proven that at all, but with the increase in salaries and raises to bonuses by the time we are in year 3 he will have a 20 WR salary, which is where he's at.

[NFLBighits]

If he did go after this season in which i dont think will happen but if Lee did I wouldn't mind if the bills went after Braylon Edwards from Clevland but I'm dreaming!!!! Just think Edwards to Edwards

[keepthefaith]

He's not a top 5 talent, but he is a good, above average WR. He's not worth top-5 money whatsoever. I would rather pass if he wants top-5 money, and even if he wants top 8 money. Top 10 he deserves, and not because he's top-10 as a WR, because he hasn't proven that at all, but with the increase in salaries and raises to bonuses by the time we are in year 3 he will have a 20 WR salary, which is where he's at.

 

He might not be a top-5 guy on the Bills, but with another coach and QB he might be.

[Bill from NYC]

He's not a top 5 talent, but he is a good, above average WR. He's not worth top-5 money whatsoever. I would rather pass if he wants top-5 money, and even if he wants top 8 money. Top 10 he deserves, and not because he's top-10 as a WR, because he hasn't proven that at all, but with the increase in salaries and raises to bonuses by the time we are in year 3 he will have a 20 WR salary, which is where he's at.

 

You act as if the money is coming out of your pocket. It isn't, and the Bills have at least 19, perhaps as much as 21 million dollars in cap space.

I don't think they should waste it on a guy who can't play, but Evans isour best receiver, and he has the speed to get to the endzone.

He has indicated that he wants to play here. If he is telling the truth, they should sign him, and time is rapidly running out once again.

[BillsVet]

Usually contract negotiations last a long time because parties start with too far apart and that by the time they get close it goes too far on a season. If the agent didn;t start with a Mickey Mouse over priced contract request then something would have been done. Better to have clauses to increase pay under certain conditions rather than trying to eat entire pie at once.

 

5-6 month contract negotiations aren't normal either. I'm not keen on giving Evans a Bernard Berrian like deal, but it's what UFA has decided an experienced and somewhat successful WR can get. Buffalo can either pay him now (w/21M in cap room) or just try to cultivate someone else and take 2-3 more years doing it.

 

The Bills went out just 18 months ago and gave top dollar to Dockery, and it all surprised the heck out of us. While I don't know what Evans is asking for, it seems the Bills are taking another hardline approach toward his negotiations. Unless he wants what Javon Walker got in Oakland, I don't see why they've taken so long. Thing is, how far apart were they to start that's made this drag out so long?

[nucci]

Easy there. I'm not saying Buffalo doesn't need him. If he thinks he deserves top 10 money he's wrong.

 

Again the question, how much do you pay him? Not smearing, just going by some very basic stats. There were seven games last year

where he had 2 or fewer catches.

 

How much is he worth? I don't really know. I'm not really certain he's a legit # 1.

 

He is worth what the market will pay him. If he does become an UFA, he will get a huge contract. People will complain he is overpaid, but name one professional athlete that isn't. Evans is talented and it would be a huge mistake to lose him.

[Ramius]

5-6 month contract negotiations aren't normal either. I'm not keen on giving Evans a Bernard Berrian like deal, but it's what UFA has decided an experienced and somewhat successful WR can get. Buffalo can either pay him now (w/21M in cap room) or just try to cultivate someone else and take 2-3 more years doing it.

 

The Bills went out just 18 months ago and gave top dollar to Dockery, and it all surprised the heck out of us. While I don't know what Evans is asking for, it seems the Bills are taking another hardline approach toward his negotiations. Unless he wants what Javon Walker got in Oakland, I don't see why they've taken so long. Thing is, how far apart were they to start that's made this drag out so long?

 

On the open Market, Lee Evans will easily get a contract surpassing Berrian. He'd get a deal approaching that of Andre Johnson. (6 yrs, 60 million). I'd rather slightly overpay to keep a player like Evans than see him walk.

 

As you mentioned earlier, the Bills need to keep their stars, and Lee is one of them. I'd rather see them keep stars like Evans, and let nice, but replaceable players like Greer and Crowell go.

[Bleed Bills Blue]

It does seem kind of odd that 2 of the 3 best players on offense are having contract trouble.

 

True, that. Hamdan seems pretty well set.

[StupidNation]

You act as if the money is coming out of your pocket. It isn't, and the Bills have at least 19, perhaps as much as 21 million dollars in cap space.

I don't think they should waste it on a guy who can't play, but Evans isour best receiver, and he has the speed to get to the endzone.

He has indicated that he wants to play here. If he is telling the truth, they should sign him, and time is rapidly running out once again.

 

You act as if the salary cap is expendable to whatever you want. Sorry, but reality dictates he isn't worth top 5 money. Front offices pay according to reality and long distance value. Lee has shown to be inconsistent and almost one-dimensional. I've very rarely seen him take a 5 yard out and break a tackle for a big play, and never for a touchdown.

 

The money may not be coming out of my pocket, but you have to think critically rather than saying anything that sounds ridiculous on this board. I mean why not pay him $17/mil a year then if we have 19/mil?