Bills have 1st crack at Merriman.

[1B4IDie]

You take any player that is an upgrade and can bring something to the team. At worst, this guy would be great for depth/rotation. you bring the guy in.

 

When you Juice, you're able to recover from injuries faster.

 

Its easy to make the connection that now that he is off the juice he can't recover from injury as fast.

 

BUT We need LBs. We have the worst LB core in the NFL Merriman is only 26. He is due $3,269,000 this season, which is only 60% of Kelsay's salary. But since we get him for half the season we're only paying him 1.6 mil? That seems like a deal even if he walks after 8 games.

 

To repeat we have the worst LBers in the NFL, we need support if he gets 5 sacks he would be the sack leader on this team.

 

It kind of seems like you're not even trying if you don't place a claim on him.

 

The big problem is his contract. He probably would rather play 8 games for a team, show his stuff and become a free agent rather than negotiate an extension when he clearly has such a depressed value for a 26 year old with 54 career sacks.

 

Still 1.6 Mil, 8 games, its not like we have young LBs were trying to develop. We have a motley crew of cast offs. Merriman fits right in, except he is young and has potential.

 

If you want to build through the draft, imo, picking up Merriman seems like you're getting a free draft pick.

He has to be as good or better than a 3rd or 4th round LB and if you can somehow negotiate a 2-3 year deal at 2-3 mil a season it could be a steal. Make the contract incentive laden, if he gets 12+ sacks a season he can earn 4-6 mil.

 

What are real reasons to pass on him?

 

("he sux" "Tila Tequila sux" aren't real reasons)

Edited October 20, 2010 by Levitre + Wang = Wood

[Rob's House]

If he closed out the season looking strong (which is the only way anyone's going to offer him a big contract) couldn't we slap the franchise tag on him or did that go the way of the CBA?

[MattyT]

If he closed out the season looking strong (which is the only way anyone's going to offer him a big contract) couldn't we slap the franchise tag on him or did that go the way of the CBA?

Merriman would have to return to being a completely lights out, game changing LB in order for me to want to pay him among the top 5 LBs in the league.

[Endless Ike]

definitely... and who knows, maybe a real instinctive player with a natural ability to pile up the sacks just might help a very raw Aaron Maybin....

 

I'm a bit sick of this veteran mentorship tripe...it doesn't pan out in football. T.O. didn't help James Hardy develop into a NFL WR, and Merriman's not going help Maybin develop.

[DrDawkinstein]

I'm a bit sick of this veteran mentorship tripe...it doesn't pan out in football. T.O. didn't help James Hardy develop into a NFL WR, and Merriman's not going help Maybin develop.

 

Thank you, I think us "civilians" like to think that vets help younger players WAY more than what is actually occurring. When in reality, Vets see young players as nothing more than some new guy who will be taking their paycheck away. It is extremely rare to have vets actually mentor younger players. EXTREMELY RARE. Not the norm.

[Koufax]

Let's fix the above statement:

 

But he has had only four sacks in three of the four seasons since he stopped taking steroids or HGH or both.

 

Not saying the Bills don't need LB help, but he seems to be an oft-injured shell of his former self since he stopped taking the juice.

 

Right...because if he were NOT a shell of his former self he would be available for the Bills to add in the middle of a season without giving anything up...

 

He is a low cost high reward risk worth taking if possible, like TO was for us. Maybe he will work, maybe not, but I would love to see it happen.

[Van_phelaN1]

Merriman on 1 leg is the best LB on that team. I don't even think he's 30 yet. Why not?

 

Because his performance has dropped off sense he was caught juicing and it has already been stated that this team is going to attempt to build through the draft.

 

I mean the hell with it, we should have grabbed Vincent Jackson! I hear Mike Vick is unhappy in Philly!

 

Don't people get tired of grabbing a name they know and thinking the Bills should make a play for them. Rebuilding does not mean bring in a bunch of FA veterans.

[1B4IDie]

Because his performance has dropped off sense he was caught juicing and it has already been stated that this team is going to attempt to build through the draft.

 

I mean the hell with it, we should have grabbed Vincent Jackson! I hear Mike Vick is unhappy in Philly!

 

Don't people get tired of grabbing a name they know and thinking the Bills should make a play for them. Rebuilding does not mean bring in a bunch of FA veterans.

Why would rebuilding not mean bringing in FAs?

 

The difference is V-Jax and Vick are not available right now.

 

Merriman is.

[cvanvol]

Because his performance has dropped off sense he was caught juicing and it has already been stated that this team is going to attempt to build through the draft.

 

I mean the hell with it, we should have grabbed Vincent Jackson! I hear Mike Vick is unhappy in Philly!

 

Don't people get tired of grabbing a name they know and thinking the Bills should make a play for them. Rebuilding does not mean bring in a bunch of FA veterans.

 

 

 

MAybe rebuilding doesnt mean that but your absolutely crazy if you think we are going to get 22 starters out of drafts, no team does that. It takes veteran leadership and winners which buffalo has none of. Every team brings in free agents to contribute. Also, getting vincent jackson and vick??? That would of course make this team better. SO are you sayign we should continue the hey lets draft this guy in the draft when its six months away? I would rather talk about getting a proven linebacker that will undoubtedly help this team when we get first crack at him and it will be any day now before he is released.

[I hate the Bills !]

Merriman is Better than all our LB including POZ, so why wouldnt we take him !

[Big Hurt]

I predict that the Bills will not try to get Merriman because our front office and our owner just don't take risk. Right now the front office people have no idea what they are doing. What QB to keep? What defense to run? Who is calling shots? ??????????????? How did we get to this point when no decent player want to come to Buffalo. Only garbage players like Connell Green would sign with us. If the Bills won't trying to bring in help at LB, then I think there is no hope for this team. The saddest part of it is that they are not even trying anymore. When all the teams in our division are getting better, we are going backward. We are now 0-5 going towards 0-16. If we continue to be scared to make moves, we will always be the same terrible team. Nix is running the team like Trent Edwards playing QB. Go long for once for crying out loud. Don't be so boring!

[Nanker]

Oh yes please! I need a new highlight to erase my memory of Chad Pennington juking Eddie Robinson for a score.

 

 

 

 

That play still huants me. For everyone who says the Bills haven't bottomed out - that was the play. We've just never been able to get off the ground since then. In fact we probably deserve a decade of terrible football for that one play.

 

It wasn't the only time, nor will it be the last, that the FO brought in a player they had a history with and inserted him into the lineup, but it was an epic failure of a move. Pennington should have been slammed to the ground, but no... Chad made himself look like CJ Spiller and Greggo's favorite son look like his grandmother en route to the end zone and a crushing defeat of The Bills.

 

Yeah, let's bring in more has-been players with names we recognize. The only thing that will help is to increase the library of bad plays that Bills fans will have to relive over and over. That said, it wouldn't surprise me if Nix did bring Merriman in. I'm losing confidence in the Defensive coaching staff's ability to evaluate and develop talent. Funny, looking back on their hiring, things seemed rather positive. We were told they were all such great teachers. Now, I still think that school's in session, but the first quarter grades are in and the marks are not high. If Chan is to succeed in Buffalo, he's got to have a better DC than what we've seen thus far.