Like the draft .....Hate the philosophy

[RVJ]

Why are we always drafting guys to replace our free agents because we don't want to pay them. Whitner and Florence are good enough. We would be better off signing and adding depth at other positions of need. Like Oline , LB , DE and TE. How can we ever get better this way ? It can't always be about saving money or is this the way a small market team has to operate.

[Heitz]

We're drafting to replace an old regimes FA's, clearly Nix and the boys think that Whitner and Florence AREN'T good enough! We got bigger and younger on D with guys that fit the mold of this regime...

[RVJ]

I'll believe it when they resign the players they drafted. That may be awhile before last years rookies contracts run out.

Edited May 1, 2011 by RVJ

[Albany,n.y.]

I'll believe it when they resign the players they drafted. That may be awhile before last years rookies contracts run out.

Whitner & Florence seemed resigned to their fates.

[DrDawkinstein]

Why are we always drafting guys to replace our free agents because we don't want to pay them. Whitner and Florence are good enough. We would be better off signing and adding depth at other positions of need. Like Oline , LB , DE and TE. How can we ever get better this way ? It can't always be about saving money or is this the way a small market team has to operate.

 

Due to the lockout, no team has been able to re-sign FAs. EVERY team had to draft to possibly fill holes if they lose their FAs. No one said we ARENT re-signing those guys, but there are NO guarantees that we will or can.

 

Furthermore, even if we DID re-sign Florence, dude is 30 and expensive. Both he and McGee have 1, MAYBE 2 years left. If McGee even makes it through this season. Yobouty is gone. Corner is disposable. McKelvin is still a work in progress.

 

DB WAS A NEED.

 

Also, we did draft a LB before addressing Safety. We drafted 2 LBs to 2 DBs. And we took an OT the same round we took a Safety in. A lot of needs were met. The only postion from your list we didnt address with multiple picks was TE. But when you're picking in the top 5, you most likely have more holes than draft picks. This was NOT A JAURON DRAFT.

 

I'll believe it when they resign the players they drafted. That may be awhile before last years rookies contracts run out.

 

Good point. It will be up to the new regime to re-sign the young DBs when it comes time. That means McKelvin, Byrd, Williams, Searcy... We have a few years before we see how that works out.

 

But it should be noted that the "Most Drafted Position in 2011" was... DB! with 55. The next position was DL with 44. Teams are always, and will always, be drafting DBs.

[John from Riverside]

I actually think your post makes sense.....but I am not sure this mgt thinks that way.....

 

When questioned yesterday about Drayton Florance Nix made it very clear tht "Drayton has not let yet".....I took that to mean they were going to sign him.....

 

As far as Whitner? The ONLY thing this guy does is come up and make hard hits after the ball is caught or in run support......hopefully this team can improve to the point that Whitner's style of play is NOT needed and they actually dont get to that level of the field before someone makes a tackle......

 

Tired of Whitner.....really am.....when Clements left and when Antwain left I was sorry to see those guys go because they were actually playmakers.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Whitner & Florence seemed resigned to their fates.

 

Florence seems resigned. He's on the waning side of his career, he's expensive, and he knows it.

 

Whitner could be re-signed if he'd compromise on salary - he's going to have to test his value on the free market before he's resigned (or re-signed) to anything

[Pirate Angel]

Why are we always drafting guys to replace our free agents because we don't want to pay them. Whitner and Florence are good enough. We would be better off signing and adding depth at other positions of need. Like Oline , LB , DE and TE. How can we ever get better this way ? It can't always be about saving money or is this the way a small market team has to operate.

I believe the offered a 5-6 million dollar contract to Donte after the Kelsay Deal was done and he declined it.....Thats very fair money for an average Safety. Signing a player is a 2 way street. Donte has said he wants to be paid as a top 5 corner and Drayton has stated he is excited to test the free agent market. So how can we get better by breaking the bank on average talent? They will offer Drayton a fair contract as they have Donte but if he doesnt sign are they suppose to throw millions more at a 30+ # 2 corner at best?

[Spiderweb]

I believe the offered a 5-6 million dollar contract to Donte after the Kelsay Deal was done and he declined it.....Thats very fair money for an average Safety. Signing a player is a 2 way street. Donte has said he wants to be paid as a top 5 corner and Drayton has stated he is excited to test the free agent market. So how can we get better by breaking the bank on average talent? They will offer Drayton a fair contract as they have Donte but if he doesnt sign are they suppose to throw millions more at a 30+ # 2 corner at best?

 

Florence already has his "big" shot at free agency. In the 2008 FA, he signed a 36 Mil deal with the Jags, of which 13 Mil was guaranteed. The Jags were so disappointed with his play, he was released one year later. We signed him in 2009.

 

Florence is serviceable, but no where near a star. Capable of making plays, but equally capable of making really stupid mistakes that hurt a team. Just ask the Chargers........

[Punch]

Anyone willing to pay Donte "top 5" safety money is crazy. Even at a reasonable price I'd prefer the Bills upgrade the position if they can. Searcy is projected as a starter at SS in the NFL--- it doesn't mean he will be nor does it mean he'll be better than Whitner; time will tell. As others have noted, I think they'd like to re-sign Florence. That group would look pretty good going into training camp, IMHO.

[OldTimer1960]

I think that the Bills want to resign Florence and I believe that they would be happy to

resign Whitner if he is willing to play for reasonable money. I know that Whitner has

shortcomings with regard to covering TEs, but maybe a lot of that is because he has

to sell-out helping against the run all the time. That would likely have gotten him

out of position to have good coverage.

 

I am hopeful that the addition of Dareus and Sheppard will upgrade the run D to the

point that the Bills safeties can be less worried about run support. Heck, maybe

Jairus Byrd will be able to focus on pass coverage and bump up his INT total again.

He clearly can make plays in pass defense - he demonstrated that big-time in 2009.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

I think that the Bills want to resign Florence and I believe that they would be happy to

resign Whitner if he is willing to play for reasonable money. I know that Whitner has

shortcomings with regard to covering TEs, but maybe a lot of that is because he has

to sell-out helping against the run all the time. That would likely have gotten him

out of position to have good coverage.

 

I agree that the Bills should resign Whitner if he is willing to play for reasonable money.

I fear "Fortune is shining bright and blinding in his(sic) delicate young eyes" and he will not be resigned to reasonable money and will find some fool team to give him what he wants

Unless they really do their homework they won't realize Whitner's tackles are b'cuz the line was so bad

 

I hope you're right about the out of position thing. I kinda thought his problems covering TE is that he's 5'10" 208 lbs, your typical TE is 6'4 and 238 lbs, and Whitner doesn't know how to work angles and timing to compensate.