obie_wan

Good to see the Bills took the extra time and still overpaid. If they were going to open the checkbook, you think they could have closed the deal before camp started.

chain of command?? The OC is running a crappy offense and he reports to the head coach. Where is there a problem with Jauron directing the OC to fix certain things - like adding audibles.

Schobel had 3 years left on his deal, just like Peters. that is the relevance

because they are as ill-prepared as the Bills? The Bills used to have Price as a backup who could actually hold his own at either OT spot. I know its too much to ask to invest in someone like that instead of UDFAs and converted TEs

link?

my recollection is they signed Kelsey in Feb and Schobel stayed away from the off season activities that year. Schobel says he asked for the increase but do not know when he asked.

if any other player on the team turns into a pro bowl LT, then the Bills will have to deal with the precedent. You, sir, must not manage people. Because if you did, I assure you you'd see the dangers in giving in to Peters at this point. Essentially, Peters and his agent have backed the Bills into a corner. The FO has only one option to maintain team unity and order - don't give him a new contract. how does that management thing work when your best and most productive employee who has been nationally recognized for his achievements is paid half of the guy in the office next door who works on less important projects. and the boss wants to hang in there for another year before we talk about a raise. I can see how that would be good for morale If the Bills are in a corner, it's their own fault because they were too arrogant to deal with this situation in the off-season.

EVANS Evans may be a higher priority. but why was he not signed to a new deal before camp? was it a surprise to the front office that this was his last year? why have the Bills front office chosen to distract Evans during camp while they work on his extension? or they just stringing him along? why were Williams and Butler (with years left on their deals) deemed a higher priority than Evans (and Peters) and got extension BEFORE camp? PETERS How many UDFA's turn into pro bowl LTs? maybe Peters is unique and should be treated as such. if any other player on the team turns into a pro bowl LT, then the Bills will have to deal with the precedent. The Bills already set the precedent when they extended Schobel with 3 years left on his deal. Bills Pro Bowl DE Aaron Schobel signs contract extension with Buffalo Associated Press Updated: August 24, 2007, 11:04 PM ET ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Schobel signed a contract extension with the Buffalo Bills on Friday that is potentially worth about $50.5 million over the seven-year deal. The deal includes $20 million in guaranteed money and locks Schobel up through 2013, extending his current contract for four additional years. The new deal was reached after Schobel earned his first Pro Bowl selection last season, and now makes him the team's highest-paid player. "Obviously, I had three years left on my deal so they didn't have to do anything ... so it's good: It's good for both of us," Schobel said after the Bills 28-17 preseason loss to Tennessee. "I like it here. This is my kind of style. I'm a small-town guy. I like the organization, I like the fans."

Last year, the Bills produced some of the least entertaining games I have ever seen. The Pittsburgh game was extremely frustrating.

The uniqueness of Peters is that he did not get the benefit of the big money from being a high draft pick. He will never get those early years back.

seemed to work for Butler and Williams

That would be typical of this front office. piss off the best player on the team at the 2nd most important position- where we haven;t a bona fide player for 15 years and now cut him loose because the front office is on power trip and because the front office refuses to acknowledge the importance of LT- we have absolutely no one on the roster that can take his place. playoffs - here we come

The missing info for both holdouts is that in both cases teh teams were negotiating with the player for an extension. The Rams did offer a new deal to Jackson BEFORE camp started. W Hester came to camp on the premise that progress was being made on a new deal. Why absolutely no discussions of any sort by the Bills with regard to Peters. Regardless if he has contract in place, the team should have been pro-active and opened discussions to take care of Peters far earlier in the off-season so training camp would not have been a problem. Just because they can hide behind his contract, does not mean they should. It's taken 15 years to find a bona fide LT, it is a poor choice to make Peters an example of hard lining on contracts, while extending Williams and Butler BEFORE required to report at camp. They had time left on their deals as well. When Schoebel was extended, I seem to recall that he skipped all the off-season stuff as well - but still got a new deal BEFORE camp. Why the double standard?

maybe they signed the deal in 2006 because the Bills (Marv Levy) asked them to since they did not want Peters to become a free agent the next year as a LT, with the understanding he would be taken care of if he was successful as a LT. The Bills gave them a limited $1 mil escalator for the switch to left tackle to show their good faith but also to support the re-do since the $1mil would not be enough to support real LT money. In January 2008, the Bills (Brandon) informed Peters they would not honor Marv's (he was senile at the time) Levy's commitement to redo the contract even though Peters is a pro-bowl LT who is the 3th highest paid OL on the team.

Fred Jackson actually ran better than Lynch last year. He averaged almost a full yard more and is much more advanced in the passing game than Lynch. Losing Lynch would hurt but would not be fatal - especially if Trent is able to handle a bigger passing game. Nothing works without an OL

in 8 years, all of those players will be out of the league or on their last legs. The window is a might bit smaller than that. But I guess that's what you need under the 25 year plan.

you must have sold Trent some disability insurance He will need it with that turnstyle on the left side Their OC does not even think Chambers can hold down the left side. He wants to move Walker. If they are forced to go with Chambers at LT, the Bills will be forced to move a TE permanently to the left side, leaving Walker exposed on the right side.

Contrary to the recent spin, maybe the Bills already told Peters back in January they would not extend him with 3 years left With that clear message - what are Peters options to get his point across?

Contrary to the Bills recent spin, it is more likely the Bills clearly laid out their position to the Peters camp back in January that they would not re-do his contract with 3 years left. Peters actions have been in response to that Bills denial. The root of this problem can be traced back to the deal done 2 years ago with Marv. Peters wanted an escalator to reward him if he was moved to LT. The Bills only agreed to a $1 mil addition. Both parties knew this was a bare bones compromise and it would become an issue if Peters was successful at LT. If Marv was still GM, this would not have been an issue - but Brandon is playing junior GM and changed the rules. Pretty stupid to try to make an example out of your best player.

sure they might - but at the moment they are spinning the story as if they are in the dark http://www.buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=6245 That's because contact with their Pro Bowl left tackle has been virtually non-existent the entire offseason. "To be very honest with you it's been a road map of silence to date," said Bills COO Russ Brandon of the organization's contact with Peters. O f course, he left out the small bit of info that they informed Peters in January they would not re-do his deal. At THAT point, he had not missed any OTAs.

after that, he's still our best (and only) LT

wrong the Bills knew in January Peters wanted a new deal. they had the off-season and draft to acquire a lineman. They chose to ignore the issue. Their OC now feels the best move is skip the 2 studs backing up Peters and disrupt the whole line by moving Walker. The same hole is there if Peters gets injured. The Bills have no answer for the 2nd most important position of the team.

what if there are more facts which the Bills or Peters have not disclosed. what if 2 years ago the Bills (under Marv Levy) wanted to lock up Peters to something longer than the 1 year tender. They knew they were going to move him to LT. Parker and Peters presumed this as well. So to protect themselves, they asked for an escalator which would increase the base salary if Peters started at LT. Parker wanted the increase to reflect what real LTs make. The Bills, insisting that Peters was only a RT, capped the escalator at $1 million, but promised they would re-do the contract if Peters did indeed move to LT successfully. This escalator is in Peters contract and did get triggered. Well low and behold, in 2007 Peters becomes a Pro Bowl LT. In january 2008, Parker approaches the Bills about the promised increase. However, the new sheriff in town is flexing his muscles and reneges on the offer with promises to pay next year - since he has 3 years left. Flabbergasted with this turn of events and the total lack of respect for the Bills best player, Peters and Parker weigh their options and decide to skip the OTA to see how events unfold. Instead of any discussions with Parker, the Bills extend marginal starters and backups to more money than Peters is making. After reviewing the Bills options at LT and the total disregard for Peters skills - they make the tough decision to hold out from camp. far fetched - maybe even more far fetched is the story the Bills are spinning that they have no idea why Peters is not at camp.

inquiring minds want to know

well - they had 3 months to get a deal done with mcKelvin the picks around him are signed so the numbers are slotted training camp started where is the deal? maybe Overdorf is on vacation?