Why Pay Fitz so early?

[NewEra]

<br />We are not paying Fitz too much. He is a top 15 quarterback right now potential to be a top 10. Sorry, but Tom Bradys and Aaron Rodgers do not grow on trees. I firmly believe we can win a championship with Fitz at the helm. We are a young rebuilding team who lacks depth at key areas. I do not understand why some supposed Bills fans cannot understand this. We were never built to win the SuperBowl this year, get over it. Im so sick and tired of the ridiculous posts from fair weather fans who have no clue on how to build a contending football team.<br />

. He is a top 15 qb that has potential to be top 10, AS WELL AS BOTTOM 10. I'll say it again, I genuinely like fitz. Smart gritty qb not afraid to let it go. The first few games, he showed he can be clutch in the 4th qtr. Something he rarely showed his first few years in the league. Since then, he's been anything but clutch. It actually looked like gave up in the Dallas game, the first jets game and the Miami game. On the road, to throw three giant eggs like that with the season in the line. Was there a more clutch time of the season than that? He played good vs the jets in game 2 then regressed vs tennesee last week. Chan put the game on his shoulders by deciding to pass almost exclusively in the 2nd half, and the results are the same. Loss. Wr play, OL play isn't very good. I know. Either is the qb play. I'm not big into stats, but I wonder what his completion % is on 3rd down after the Washington game. I'd really love to see it how many of those completions actually went for a first down. Balls are sailing. Balls are in the dirt. Balls are behind the Wr. Name it, he does it on 3rd. He gave us a GREAT run to 4-0, for that, he earned my respect. Since that, we're 1-7. For that, he is losing it. It seems to me that he is content losing. Like our teams owner. With Fitzy at the helm, we will be drafting in the top 10 until we draft his successor with one of those top 10 picks. I pray it's this year (if a good qb is on the board), so we get this thing moving. Yes, we need to improve the D, the OL, the WRs.....but nothing needs to improved as much as the play at QB. It's the most important position BY FAR, and we need a great one. Not one that is top 15, potential for top 10, potential for bottom 10. You disagree potential for bottom 10? Brady, big Ben, schaub, flacco, manning, rivers, Dalton, hasselback, tebow, romo, Eli, Vick, Rodgers, cutler, stafford, brees, Ryan, newton, Freeman, Bradford. Those are 20 QBs that CAN be viewed as better qbs than fitz. Of those 20, only 5 haven't led their teams to the playoffs, two of which are rookies. The others: stafford (chance at playoffs), tebow (chance at playoffs), schaub (chance at playoffs), Bradford (no chance, but almost did his rookie year). If you don't think all those qbs are potentially better than fitz....here's more. Sanchez, Alex smith, Vince young (yep, i said it), grossman (yep, I said that too), cassell, Palmer and Campbell. All have been to the playoffs. All CAN be considered better qbs than fitz. Maybe not statistically this year. This years stats aren't the determining factor of who Is POTENTIALLY a top 10 or bottom 10 qb. All the qbs named above, are either WAY better than fitz, or have a chance to be better than fitz/last year were better than fitz (last year isn't very far away). After this draft, there will be another 2-4 qbs that might be better than fitz, lowering him even more. STATISTICALLY fitz is a top 10 qb. His Inability to win games over the last few months have made his a bottom 10 ten qb IMO. The seasons on the line and he disappeared. Completely (minus the last jets game). Some of you guys can be content with fitz because he's better than trent, Jp, RJ and the rest of the chumps we've had. similar to Ralph being content with losing every year as long as he makes his money. We lose every year because we dont have a legit QB. Say what you want about our defense and OL, but a great QB makes the defense and OL better. We've been lacking a great qb since '96. It shows. Sorry about the wallnof text. iPad ftl

[Chimp]

I can see how that argument could be made. Ralph did open the vault for Dockery and Langston Walker when Marv was G.M. though.

 

I wonder if the players see it your way. I imagine they would have to consider it.

You mean you wonder if the players are in the locker room crying racism? If that is the case then I would say it is self fulfilling prophecy.

 

Schobel...Kelsay...Fitz

 

Flethcer...Peters...Jackson...Johnson

 

Simple as black and white

This comment is very irresponsible.

[DrDawkinstein]

This comment is very irresponsible.

 

And it's also as ignorant as it accuses the Bills to be.

 

What about McGee and Parrish? What about the fact that Fletcher was a FA? So was Spikes. What about the fact that the Bills approached Jackson's camp in the preseason and it was Freddie who said he wanted to wait until after the season? Same with Stevie after talks early in the season stalled...

[Ray]

And amongst that large group of QBs which QB has done more with less than Fitz? Fitz's best WR is a 7th round draft pick and is playing with guys who were not even on an NFL roster to start the year. Give him some player sna d then we can make genuine comparisons!!! Also give him an even average defense. The 2nd half of the season the Bills defense is the worst in the NFL. Hard to win with that formula

[billsfreak]

Yes, Ralph is cheap. That is my question it goes against everything the BILLS stand for so was trying to determine the logic.

Don't mind Dr. Dareustink he trolls just to criticize other posters with not much useful input to any subject himself. I do agree with you on the Fitz subject. I heard on NFL Network a month or so ago, that you never extend an "up and coming" quarterback during the season in which he is "up and coming." Kinda like buying a car without taking it for a test drive, you paid for it now you are stuck with it and the poor performance. The way Fitz is playing for a good portion of the season, we wouldn't have had too much competition for him, certainly nobody else would have given a career backup that will always only be a very good backup the kind of bucks that the Bills did.

[DrDawkinstein]

Don't mind Dr. Dareustink he trolls just to criticize other posters with not much useful input to any subject himself. I do agree with you on the Fitz subject. I heard on NFL Network a month or so ago, that you never extend an "up and coming" quarterback during the season in which he is "up and coming." Kinda like buying a car without taking it for a test drive, you paid for it now you are stuck with it and the poor performance. The way Fitz is playing for a good portion of the season, we wouldn't have had too much competition for him, certainly nobody else would have given a career backup that will always only be a very good backup the kind of bucks that the Bills did.

 

Trolling the trolls by challenging their knee-jerk, short-sighted logic and trying to provide some perspective.

 

GUILTY!

 

I'll take it over being a one-trick, broken record, negative nancy.

[billsfreak]

And it's also as ignorant as it accuses the Bills to be.

 

What about McGee and Parrish? What about the fact that Fletcher was a FA? So was Spikes. What about the fact that the Bills approached Jackson's camp in the preseason and it was Freddie who said he wanted to wait until after the season? Same with Stevie after talks early in the season stalled...

Spikes didn't leave here as a free agent, he was traded, but I do agree with you, that was a very dumb post. Bills are alot of bad things, but racists? I would wonder more if the person who accuses the Bills of being racists, themselves being that way more then the organization.

[DrDawkinstein]

Spikes didn't leave here as a free agent, he was traded, but I do agree with you, that was a very dumb post. Bills are alot of bad things, but racists? I would wonder more if the person who accuses the Bills of being racists, themselves being that way more then the organization.

 

AGREED there, my man.

 

But I was referring to the way they were acquired. If the Bills dont want to pay black players, why would they sign black FA's whose prices are higher than draft picks. Just absurd logic.

Edited December 6, 2011 by DrDareustein

[billsfreak]

AGREED there, my man.

 

But I was referring to the way they were acquired. If the Bills dont want to pay black players, why would they sign black FA's whose prices are higher than draft picks. Just absurd logic.

No doubt. Brad Smith, Merriman, the list goes on and on. To be quite honest, this team would be even worse then they already are if they signed players based on race.

[D521646]

Average time in pocket would have a lot to do with it if you ask me. Look at Rodgers in GB, he gets at leasta second more than Fitz does on average, and if he needs more time he seems able to move laterally unlike Fitz you tucks and runs. IMO, the best thing Gailey can do for Fitz is teach him how to roll out to give him more time to survey the field. Granted Rdogers appears to be able to make all the throws, something Fitz hasn't proven on a consistent basis, but I agree with the posters that are saying that Fitz is a top 15 QB with top 10 potential.

 

 

Tim-

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

For one thing Jerry Sullivan said we needed to pay Fitz.

 

PTR

 

 

A fact he continues to downplay....

[K-9]

I posted this response in another thread before seeing this and realizing it belongs here. This was in response to the assertion that the Bills are FORCED to have Fitz be a franchise QB.

 

Nothing could be further from the truth. If the Bills wanted to, they could release Fitz before the seventh day of the next league year and only be on the hook for the $10m bonus he got upon signing the new deal plus his 3.22m salary for this year. Doubt that happens, but the Bills could do it if they wished.

 

They can also draft a franchise QB if they wish and groom him for 3 years as Fitz is only guaranteed 24m over those three seasons and, with the new rookie wage caps in place, they could comfortably carry both on their roster.

 

Fitz's new deal was good for both sides. Fitz will either grow into that franchise QB or be gone within three years while the Bills won't be hamstrung by the numbers.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Ramius]

The reason you pay fitz is because your decision to offer him a contract is based on his entire body of work. You don't take a look at what he's done and then decide that the next 2 or 3 games wil make or break the deal compared to his previous 2-3 years of work. That type of business operation is asinine.

[It's in My Blood]

. He is a top 15 qb that has potential to be top 10, AS WELL AS BOTTOM 10. I'll say it again, I genuinely like fitz. Smart gritty qb not afraid to let it go. The first few games, he showed he can be clutch in the 4th qtr. Something he rarely showed his first few years in the league. Since then, he's been anything but clutch. It actually looked like gave up in the Dallas game, the first jets game and the Miami game. On the road, to throw three giant eggs like that with the season in the line. Was there a more clutch time of the season than that? He played good vs the jets in game 2 then regressed vs tennesee last week. Chan put the game on his shoulders by deciding to pass almost exclusively in the 2nd half, and the results are the same. Loss. Wr play, OL play isn't very good. I know. Either is the qb play. I'm not big into stats, but I wonder what his completion % is on 3rd down after the Washington game. I'd really love to see it how many of those completions actually went for a first down. Balls are sailing. Balls are in the dirt. Balls are behind the Wr. Name it, he does it on 3rd. He gave us a GREAT run to 4-0, for that, he earned my respect. Since that, we're 1-7. For that, he is losing it. It seems to me that he is content losing. Like our teams owner. With Fitzy at the helm, we will be drafting in the top 10 until we draft his successor with one of those top 10 picks. I pray it's this year (if a good qb is on the board), so we get this thing moving. Yes, we need to improve the D, the OL, the WRs.....but nothing needs to improved as much as the play at QB. It's the most important position BY FAR, and we need a great one. Not one that is top 15, potential for top 10, potential for bottom 10. You disagree potential for bottom 10? Brady, big Ben, schaub, flacco, manning, rivers, Dalton, hasselback, tebow, romo, Eli, Vick, Rodgers, cutler, stafford, brees, Ryan, newton, Freeman, Bradford. Those are 20 QBs that CAN be viewed as better qbs than fitz. Of those 20, only 5 haven't led their teams to the playoffs, two of which are rookies. The others: stafford (chance at playoffs), tebow (chance at playoffs), schaub (chance at playoffs), Bradford (no chance, but almost did his rookie year). If you don't think all those qbs are potentially better than fitz....here's more. Sanchez, Alex smith, Vince young (yep, i said it), grossman (yep, I said that too), cassell, Palmer and Campbell.

 

Of all the above quarterbacks you've listed, I see only two who potentially be able to take this Buffalo Bills team to the playoffs this year. You missed the point Era. THIS TEAM HAS NO DEPTH. Look at Brady's,Rodger's,Flacco's,Big Bens,Daltons,Eli's,etc. teams and what do they all have in common? Depth. If a guy goes down,they have another to step right in and contribute. They also have solid defenses,except the Pats who boast arguably the best qb of all time. Besides the Patriots, if Fitz played on any of those aformentioned teams,he would be headed to the playoffs. You and so many others are blind.

[NewEra]

<br />And amongst that large group of QBs which QB has done more with less than Fitz?    Fitz's best WR is a 7th round draft pick and is playing with guys who were not even on an NFL roster to start the year.   Give him some player sna d then we can make genuine comparisons!!!   Also give him an even average defense.   The 2nd half of the season the Bills defense is the worst in the NFL.   Hard to win with that formula<br />

NE and GB have AWESOME defenses...right. So give fitz a great defense and he can make the playoffs. Awesome. Then get beat by Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees if they're lucky enough to get by Tom Brady or Big Ben in the playoffs. Gimme a stud QB please. It makes a bigger difference than having a good defense. Wait til the niners and their top ranked defense get into the playoffs. Same end of the year fate as us. No ring....the ONLY thing that truly matters. It's ONE position as opposed to the 7 we need to improve on D. It's not easy to land a top qb capable of winning a SB, but if you're content with fitz, the chances of landing that QB is much less. He's an average QB. He has 6 game winning drives in his career. He's had MANY opportunities. By the time we assemble all the pieces we need to win a SB with him, his contract will be up. We need a new QB if we're gonna take a big step forward, as opposed to a little one, which is a playoff berth.

[Mr. WEO]

NE and GB have AWESOME defenses...right. So give fitz a great defense and he can make the playoffs. Awesome. Then get beat by Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees if they're lucky enough to get by Tom Brady or Big Ben in the playoffs. Gimme a stud QB please. It makes a bigger difference than having a good defense. Wait til the niners and their top ranked defense get into the playoffs. Same end of the year fate as us. No ring....the ONLY thing that truly matters. It's ONE position as opposed to the 7 we need to improve on D. It's not easy to land a top qb capable of winning a SB, but if you're content with fitz, the chances of landing that QB is much less. He's an average QB. He has 6 game winning drives in his career. He's had MANY opportunities. By the time we assemble all the pieces we need to win a SB with him, his contract will be up. We need a new QB if we're gonna take a big step forward, as opposed to a little one, which is a playoff berth.

 

 

NE has "an AWESOME defense"?

[ieatcrayonz]

For a team that is usually cheap and stingy we would have probably been able to get Fitz for half the price at this rate.

 

Why in the world would we negotiate mid-season, I am not saying Fitz isn't worth it (which he is not) but I just don't get it.

 

We do nothing in Free Agency and are cheap for everything except Kelsay and Fitzpatrick's recent deals.

 

You go into the season not even knowing if Fitz is your starter and 6 games in you pay him 60 mill.......what Can I say, nobody circles the wagons like the.......well you get it

I had a thread about this where I pointed out they should hire a psychologist to help figure out if once a guy signs a contract he will turn into a pumpkin. The psychologist wouldn't be cheap but he wouldn't count against the salary cap and you could avoid situations like Kyle Williams getting a season ending boo boo 5 minutes after the ink dried and Fitz turning into Billy Joe Hobart.

[DrDawkinstein]

I had a thread about this where I pointed out they should hire a psychologist to help figure out if once a guy signs a contract he will turn into a pumpkin. The psychologist wouldn't be cheap but he wouldn't count against the salary cap and you could avoid situations like Kyle Williams getting a season ending boo boo 5 minutes after the ink dried and Fitz turning into Billy Joe Hobart.

 

Psychologist? Sounds more like you need a psychic.

 

 

(Yes, I just responded to a crayonz post)

[ieatcrayonz]

Psychologist? Sounds more like you need a psychic.

 

 

(Yes, I just responded to a crayonz post)

I meant a psychologist because they can analyze people's personalities and intentions. Here is an example:

 

If the usually tough Williams and prepared Fitz sign a contract will they continue their work ethic?

 

We can all see the answer now but the psychologist might have been able to see it then. I think it would help the Bills to hire someone like this before re-upping Fred or SJ. The first to cost too many $$$ to not at least try to analyze these guys ahead of time.

[NewEra]

<br />Of all the above quarterbacks you've listed, I see only two who potentially be able to take this Buffalo Bills team to the playoffs this year. You missed the point Era. THIS TEAM HAS NO DEPTH. Look at Brady's,Rodger's,Flacco's,Big Bens,Daltons,Eli's,etc. teams and what do they all have in common? Depth. If a guy goes down,they have another to step right in and contribute. They also have solid defenses,except the Pats who boast arguably the best qb of all time. Besides the Patriots, if Fitz played on any of those aformentioned teams,he would be headed to the playoffs. You and so many others are blind.<br />

if fitz played for the panthers, bengals, broncos, falcons, raiders, chargers, rams, buccs, cowboys, giants, eagles or pats he would take all those teams to the playoffs? Lol what a joke. He might have a better chance, but you're saying he WOULD take them to the playoffs. Seriously.....

 

Yes. Those teams have more depth. We need more depth. Our team is below most teams as far as overall skill. I understand that. But I really think a lotnof people here think fitz is a lot better than he is. He has a coach that tailor made the offense to his strengths and our OLs weakness and he's having a decent year. I don't see him as a top 15 qb. I barely consider him a top 20 qb. Looking at the teams that are contending for a SB this year, I see 2 teams that don't have a top notch qb that can contend. The ravens and niners. Both have top notch defenses. For fitz to contend for a SB, he needs a top notch defense. In order to have a top notch defense, a team needs to be able to draft very well, have an owner that will buck up and acquire great talent via FA or have a top notch defensive coaching staff. Well....we have none of the above. I like buddy, I like his plan, but I'm not quite sold on him turning this thing around. Get a stud qb and go from there. Always been my motto, always will. Can it be done the other way around? Sure. But it's a lot harder. Fitz is not a stud qb. He's decent

 

<br />NE has "an AWESOME defense"?<br />

uh.... Next time I'll insert "end sarcasm here".