Kelly the Dog Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 lots of Merriman quotes here That got me pretty excited. I'm not expecting it, or predicting it, let alone counting on it, but I would not be surprised if Merriman is a killer this year as a pass rusher. I was one of those that watched him every play last year when he was in, and on one leg, with one shoulder, he was very good, without getting the sacks. If he feels well and can push off and run on that foot, our D Line will be ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sllib olaffub Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 It's an interesting thing to ponder: How good is Merriman at 70%? Or 80%? Is he better than anyone else we have in those instances? Maybe for recognition. What I'm leading up to is: Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, and Marcel Dareus are going to be taking up blockers. Mario and Kyle are going to have a C, LG, and LT plus a running back, probably, back to help. That leaves a RG, RT, and TE for Dareus and Merriman. My guess is the opposition will give the double towards Dareus - he's just too good, and going into year 2 with all the experience he's had, plus a season of conditioning - HE IS GOING TO BE QUITE A BIT BETTER THAN KYLE WILLIAMS BY THE TIME HE IS DONE DEVELOPING!!! - Merriman is going to be left more or less with a RT or TE to contend with, in most cases. If Merriman is as good as he is most often considered (and, wouldn't he have been every bit as highly regarded as Mario Williams when Merriman was in his prime?) then even not at 100% he should be good enough to beat a one on one most of the time. That's all we need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed83HOF Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 It's an interesting thing to ponder: How good is Merriman at 70%? Or 80%? Is he better than anyone else we have in those instances? Maybe for recognition. What I'm leading up to is: Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, and Marcel Dareus are going to be taking up blockers. Mario and Kyle are going to have a C, LG, and LT plus a running back, probably, back to help. That leaves a RG, RT, and TE for Dareus and Merriman. My guess is the opposition will give the double towards Dareus - he's just too good, and going into year 2 with all the experience he's had, plus a season of conditioning - HE IS GOING TO BE QUITE A BIT BETTER THAN KYLE WILLIAMS BY THE TIME HE IS DONE DEVELOPING!!! - Merriman is going to be left more or less with a RT or TE to contend with, in most cases. If Merriman is as good as he is most often considered (and, wouldn't he have been every bit as highly regarded as Mario Williams when Merriman was in his prime?) then even not at 100% he should be good enough to beat a one on one most of the time. That's all we need. Even an average DE will look good with Williams, Dareus, Williams and Whogivesash*t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 That is a nice article. I wish football started in a couple weeks!! Yeah, I also put it in the MW thread and shoutbox. It probably deserved its own thread but sometimes the mods here shut them down for no good reason. That got me pretty excited. I'm not expecting it, or predicting it, let alone counting on it, but I would not be surprised if Merriman is a killer this year as a pass rusher. I was one of those that watched him every play last year when he was in, and on one leg, with one shoulder, he was very good, without getting the sacks. If he feels well and can push off and run on that foot, our D Line will be ridiculous. You see him at DE or OLB Dog? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan89 Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 I would actually like to see Merriman play some OLB in rush downs and DE in passing downs. But the guy has to look good and healthy in camp. Honestly I could see him being the comeback player of the year or a late camp cut/IR. I will give it to Merriman the guy played well last year in the few games he played. Didn't light up the sack stat but he actually set the edge against the run and the play at the Rush OLB position went down a lot after he got hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamOnDan Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 I've been screaming this since Williams was first brought to town but every here seems to think its going to be Kelsay and Merriman will only come in on passing downs. Personally I think thats BS, the first few weeks of the season Merriman was doing an amazing job of setting the edge in the run. I personally think it'll be Merriman and Williams starting with Kelsay as depth. If Merriman is fully healed, there is no doubt in my mind he starts over Kelsay. He's a much much better pass rusher and personally I think he is better at setting the edge. lately I have been thinking that merriman will play ROLB and kelsay will start at DE, then on passing downs they will either take kelsay or k williams out and line up merriman at DE. Sounds pretty nice to me. what do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed83HOF Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Yeah, I also put it in the MW thread and shoutbox. It probably deserved its own thread but sometimes the mods here shut them down for no good reason. The Mods are real around here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Fong Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 (edited) I might be over stating it, but if Merriman could come back as even 75% of the player he was in his prime and stay healthy the whole season then the Bills could have a Super Bowl level defense. I know that's a huge if, but it is the off season. Edited March 16, 2012 by Dr. Fong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 Yeah, I also put it in the MW thread and shoutbox. It probably deserved its own thread but sometimes the mods here shut them down for no good reason. You see him at DE or OLB Dog? Definitely as a DE. It won't be much different than he always pkayed, especially on passing downs. I would ease him in and have Kelsay play run downs at RDE and Merriman on pass downs there. If he is close to being healthy we could wreak havoc. Also, with Merriman in there with Barnett, those are two emotional,fiery vocal guys. Both Williams and Dareus to some extent, work hard but are not rah rah. That would be a terrific mix of leadership IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob's House Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 I do not see this as an injury bug, it is the residual effect of roids...we all know that, it is common with all athletes who over did it in the roid era. It's unlikely steroids would have had the deleterious effects many attribute to them. Not only would it likely take years of heavy steroid abuse to have that kind of effect, but a highly touted athlete of his stature would have access to the right people & info that it's unlikely he would have used them in such a way as to have that kind of impact over a relatively short period of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogger Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I could still see him playing Sam LB, at least on first downs, then put his hand down on passing downs. He hasn't been absolutely horrible covering. He'll more than likely be moved around and asked to blitz from all angles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d_wag Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 The Merriman extension has been nothing short of a disaster. And now he's got a roster bonus due. With Mario in the fold and Kelsey and Carrington expected to stick around he might be on the way out. Of course, pro football being a bottom-line business, Merriman understands that there’s no guarantee he’ll be part of the Bills’ 2012 playoff push. On Monday, the organization must decide whether to pay the former Pro Bowl player a $1 million roster bonus or allow him to become a free agent. Merriman has played just five games since the Bills claimed him off waivers from the San Diego Chargers and underwent season-ending surgery on his Achilles tendon last October. The pass-rushing menace who led the NFL with 17 sacks in 2006 – the same year the Houston Texans made Williams the No. 1 overall pick in the draft – believes he has finally overcome a series of health problems that sent his career on a downward trajectory. “People have seen me play on one leg for going on three years now,” Merriman said. “So it’s gonna be a good season. People talk about our switch to a 4-3 [defense], but that’s not a factor. For the people who know football, the difference between a 3-4 and a 4-3 is whether my hand’s down or I stand up – that’s all it is. I want to stay. Whether I stay or not, honestly, that’s almost impossible to figure out.” sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-silver_mario_williams_stevie_johnson_bills_031612 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 He'll be a Bill this year unless they do an injury settlement. $1M is nothing in today's pro sports and , yes, the POTENTIAL for superstar play from him still exists. I expect him to be announced as a starter in the opener. Just hope he doesn't throw his shoulder out with his dance.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddenboy Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 the only, ONLY benefit of the Merriman signing was, is, and always will be the "street cred" we got around the league. It got us Barnett, it helped us get Super Mario, and it basically told the league that we werent just gonna sit around and hope to get lucky for the next 25 years. But with Mario on board, and Nix in the front office, the Merriman experiment is over. I bet they could cut him and re-sign him for the league minimum about three days later, when he realizes that nobody wants his ass. And that would light a nice fire under his ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 (edited) Meanwhile, Gailey was predictably conservative about predicting a return to Pro Bowl form for veteran edge rusher Shawne Merriman, who is recovering from Achilles tendon surgery. “I don’t know,” Gailey said. “I mean, the setback was not good. Now how far does he have to go? I don’t even know how far back he is, and I don’t know how far he has to go. I don’t know where those two ends are. He got hurt again. So now we’re back to square one or below square one maybe.” Gailey said Merriman will get the chance to prove he can come back. “Yeah. The key is for us to get him healthy. Let’s get him healthy and let’s see what he can do.” If he can come back, Merriman will not play outside linebacker in the 4-3 scheme. “I’d rather him not. I think we’d rather him be a right defensive end rushing the passer all the time.” 1/1/2011: Signed a two-year, $10.5 million contract. The deal contains $5 million guaranteed, including a $1.5 million signing bonus, $1 million worth of first-year workout and reporting bonuses, and $3 million of his second-year base salary. Another $8 million is available through incentives, although $1 million is considered "unlikely to be earned." 2012: $4 million, 2013: Free Agent http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/3171/shawne-merriman $4,000,000 base salary 2012 500,000 prorated bonus $1,000,000 roster bonus 250,000 workout bonus $5,750,000 cap value 500,000 dead money $5,250,000 cap savings if cut http://www.nyjetscap.com/Bills/bills2012.php Edited March 17, 2012 by papazoid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fixxxer Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Nix won't get his hands dirty for a million, he won't toss Merriman to the curb at this point. He had surgery and is trying yet again to come back, if he can't then he will be released. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjmac Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 He will be a Buffalo Bill on Tuesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FluffHead Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 He will be back...they didn't cut his season short to have a surgery so that he would be healthy for some other team this yr... And whenever Chix comments on shawne it certainly sounds like they expect him on the roster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 PErsonally, I'd roll the dice on him contributing anything for 1M. Of course, I'm much better at spending other people's money. If Merriman does get cut, he has a future as a shady college recruiter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThurmasThoman Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 (edited) PErsonally, I'd roll the dice on him contributing anything for 1M. Of course, I'm much better at spending other people's money. If Merriman does get cut, he has a future as a shady college recruiter. lmao. gotta bring him back though. he's the heart and soul of the team. Edited March 17, 2012 by JohnnyGold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDaDdy Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 The Merriman extension has been nothing short of a disaster. And now he's got a roster bonus due. With Mario in the fold and Kelsey and Carrington expected to stick around he might be on the way out. Of course, pro football being a bottom-line business, Merriman understands that there’s no guarantee he’ll be part of the Bills’ 2012 playoff push. On Monday, the organization must decide whether to pay the former Pro Bowl player a $1 million roster bonus or allow him to become a free agent. Merriman has played just five games since the Bills claimed him off waivers from the San Diego Chargers and underwent season-ending surgery on his Achilles tendon last October. The pass-rushing menace who led the NFL with 17 sacks in 2006 – the same year the Houston Texans made Williams the No. 1 overall pick in the draft – believes he has finally overcome a series of health problems that sent his career on a downward trajectory. “People have seen me play on one leg for going on three years now,” Merriman said. “So it’s gonna be a good season. People talk about our switch to a 4-3 [defense], but that’s not a factor. For the people who know football, the difference between a 3-4 and a 4-3 is whether my hand’s down or I stand up – that’s all it is. I want to stay. Whether I stay or not, honestly, that’s almost impossible to figure out.” sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-silver_mario_williams_stevie_johnson_bills_031612 In for a penny in for a pound. I was originally going to say that I wouldn't be surprised at all if he gets cut but then I started to think about it more. We have already used a bunch of money on him because various bonuses were based on being ON the team not PLAYING for the team. Compared to the money we have already invested/wasted $1 million is a significant number but shouldn't make the difference on whether we keep him or not. If we were going to cut him I think the time to do that would have been after he went on IR again last year. We may as well bet into it and spend the additional million to see if Shawn "Good Gamble" Merriman ever pays off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob's House Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 It's worth the gamble. If healthy he's every bit the player MW is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 What's a million to Ralph after Williams deal? PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefenseWinzChampionshipz Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Merriman will not be cut. At least not to save a million dollars. My guess is they're going to have him start the season and before the trade deadline if he isn't injured and is playing above average? He stays the year and maybe even gets a new contract with us. Nix loves him and wants to see him make a comeback for this team just as all the other Merriman fans. After all he's done off the field you cant let him go for just a million. There is absolutely noone that you can get to play for just a million bucks that will be better than Merriman so why should the Bills downgrade by letting him go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eme123 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 If you really think clearly at this situation the best thing to do is to part ways with him and save the million. Two serious knee injuries is hard to overcome. Its near impossible for him to gain back the elite pass rushing abilities he had 5 years ago. We are better off trusting our young guys and letting them grow. I really liked the way he played at the beginning of last year. Again thats 5 games he has played in two years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrod81 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 The Bills finally obtained some credibility for landing free agents. I think Nix is smart enough to realize that cutting Merriman to save $1m would do more harm to this franchise down the line. Even if he doesn't make it through camp due to injury, he will be there to mentor the young guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smward8 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I think he stays at least through trainig camp, unless there is something about his recovery that isn't public. He was double teamed every time he was on the field last year, and being held (watch clips of the first Pats* game). He can be a force, and on obvious passing downs could mak a huge difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOKBILLS Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 It's worth the gamble. If healthy he's every bit the player MW is. Exactly... It was always a gamble anyway...But now, with Mario...well...I'm not going to expect anything from Merriman...But just for a second imagine what this Bills Pass Rush will be like on 3rd Down if he's healthy...The potential payoff is well worth the gamble... Because this Defense could be flat out nasty if Merriman returns to form...Just nasty... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaenon Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Merriman makes $4M this year with $3M guaranteed. The $1M bonus is nothing in this case and he will not be cut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBillsForever Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 A one million roster bonus is NOTHING. You bring him into training camp and see how his recovery goes from there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreakPop Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 After what they gave Kelsey, Fitz and now Mario. $1 million is nothing but pocket change. It's like being at the carnival where all the games are $5 bucks a pop and then your kid asks if you have one more $1 to play I Got It which are like $.50 per game. You say sure what the heck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob's House Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 If you really think clearly at this situation the best thing to do is to part ways with him and save the million. Two serious knee injuries is hard to overcome. Its near impossible for him to gain back the elite pass rushing abilities he had 5 years ago.We are better off trusting our young guys and letting them grow. I really liked the way he played at the beginning of last year. Again thats 5 games he has played in two years. That thinking was more appropriate over the last 2 years when we were in rebuild mode. Now the expectation is to win this year. The rookies will get their experience as necessity dictates, but now is the time to put the players on the field that give you the best chance to win.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I can't see them cutting him either, he's not a misfit like Ruben Brown, he's bought good karma to the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PastaJoe Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 If he got cut, with our luck he would sign with the Patriots, and end up being Comeback Player of the Year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 (edited) This will be a good test of the new Litmann era. In previous years, Shawne would be as good as gone. But hopefully this year they'll take the risk and bring him back. If you look at replay of last years first six games you'll see that he was the best outside rusher on the team. Even if he didn't get sacks he was the focal point of the OL protection. You can argue that Mario will be the better option now because he will actually get sacks. But Bills had trouble getting to QB once 56 was double teamed. A 90 - 56 tandem will be a matchup nightmare for OLs. The best analysis I heard of the Mario signing was that it negates the effectiveness that many TEs (wonder whoski?) Have vs Bills. The TEs will have to pitch in more at the line, taking them out of the passing game. A hobbled Merriman is still better than anyone on Bills roster. The only question should be if he can last a season. Edited March 17, 2012 by GG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefenseWinzChampionshipz Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 It isn't even a question. Merriman stays. If we were trying to catch a big fish and it took one more million to catch the fish Nix would have still cut someone else besides Merriman because he knows just like we do that by having the big fish with Merriman, Dareus and Kyle is just an amazing if not borderline insane line to have. Merriman is a pro athlete. Mario has played LE at Houston. Now hear this one out. We all are not expecting 60 plays a game from Merriman but if he can get anywhere from 15-20 snaps, we take Kelsay out the huddle when Merriman comes on the field. We put Mario at LE and Merriman at RE with Dareus and Kyle manning the middle. I mean damn. I had to take a deep breath before I get too anxious just thinking about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpberr Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 This is an easy answer. You keep him. I don't think the tendon was properly operated on the first time nor did Merriman properly recover from that first surgery, which was the equivalent of a patch job. Everything was rushed by the Chargers and the player, so the problem was never properly resolved when he came to the Bills and re-injured it. Twice. Now it has been repaired properly with the appropriate amount of rest and therapy. I have full expectation that you have a Shawne Merriman at 100% for opening day. You have not seen a fully healed Merriman for years. Now you will. There is no way the Bills are cutting him. It is akin to the injury to Kyle Williams. If you take the time to properly repair and recover from the problem, you are good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpperDeck Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 This is an easy answer. You keep him. I don't think the tendon was properly operated on the first time nor did Merriman properly recover from that first surgery, which was the equivalent of a patch job. Everything was rushed by the Chargers and the player, so the problem was never properly resolved when he came to the Bills and re-injured it. Twice. Now it has been repaired properly with the appropriate amount of rest and therapy. I have full expectation that you have a Shawne Merriman at 100% for opening day. You have not seen a fully healed Merriman for years. Now you will. There is no way the Bills are cutting him. It is akin to the injury to Kyle Williams. If you take the time to properly repair and recover from the problem, you are good to go. Didn't even think about Kyle's operation. He said his foot had been bothering him for a long time. Just think how dominant he'll be with it at 100%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I originally didn't like the signing because it reeked to me of desperation- like the TO signing. Throw into the fact that he was a walking steroid before getting busted (and any professional athlete will state that only the stupid ones get caught), and he's never been the same. But as a Bills fan, and removing said players previous reputation aside, I would love to see him atleast come back to a serviceable, consistent pass-rush threat, even if it is situational. This is an easy answer. You keep him. I don't think the tendon was properly operated on the first time nor did Merriman properly recover from that first surgery, which was the equivalent of a patch job. Everything was rushed by the Chargers and the player, so the problem was never properly resolved when he came to the Bills and re-injured it. Twice. Now it has been repaired properly with the appropriate amount of rest and therapy. I have full expectation that you have a Shawne Merriman at 100% for opening day. You have not seen a fully healed Merriman for years. Now you will. There is no way the Bills are cutting him. It is akin to the injury to Kyle Williams. If you take the time to properly repair and recover from the problem, you are good to go. I agree with your overall point and find the idea of the Bills cutting him when Nix has publicly stated that he is in the fold after the signing of Mario Williams that $1 million in bonus is a fart in a bucket for modern sports. Really meaningless. I will also agree that modern science and surgery have advanced greatly. But I diverge from your thinking because I don't see it as a given. Tendons and ligaments are tough to fix and return to full ability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T master Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 OK i know that Merriman hasn't been what we all had hoped but he has shown flashes of what he use to be although it being in very short period of time .. If you all look at last year & think of when our D started to go down hill is when Merriman had to go out on IR . Then other teams could start focusing on & double teaming other players which put our D back to what we saw in the later part of the season .. The Bills won't get rid of Merriman for the simple fact that they are on the hook this year for like 3.5 mill weather he plays or not , so that would be really stupid if the powers that be just let him walk with out seeing IF the surgery helped & if nothing else they might be able to get a little bit of a return on there money .. I think Merriman has been more of a plus than a lot of fans b/c by him coming i think it may have helped in some way to in the end land Mario .. And if he can come back to half the guy he was he would still be some thing that other teams will have to plan for . With him on one side & Williams on the other MAN !!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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