Its time to resign Byrd, Levitre and Urbik

[K-9]

Its time to resign Byrd, Levitre and Urbik

 

 

 

You do know that there are two unrelated errors in the title alone right? They are also two of the most common ones. Posts and replies can have a lower threshold, but it would be nice to have reasonable use of the English language in the actual topic.

 

As for the content of the discussion, I think there is no rush on any of the three, but I think all three should remain contributing members of the Buffalo Bills for years to come if that is possible.

 

Eye doant no. Maybee your beeing a liddle tuff on hymn.

[stony]

Its time to resign Byrd, Levitre and Urbik

 

 

 

You do know that there are two unrelated errors in the title alone right? They are also two of the most common ones. Posts and replies can have a lower threshold, but it would be nice to have reasonable use of the English language in the actual topic.

 

As for the content of the discussion, I think there is no rush on any of the three, but I think all three should remain contributing members of the Buffalo Bills for years to come if that is possible.

 

Speechless.

[uncle flap]

 

The Argument is this:

Andy Levitre has more bargaining leverage the closer he gets to Free Agency. Andy Levitre is a proven quantity and it is better for the future of the Buffalo Bills to have him on the roster for the forceable future. Therefore it is in the best interest of the Buffalo Bills to sign Andy Levitre sooner than later.

 

The Counter Argument is:

Chill, Dude. There is tons of times. People get resigned all the time once they're Free Agents, plus you can use the Franchise Tag, what's the big deal?

 

Unless I'm missing something.

 

 

You're correct about the arguments, but you are missing something.

 

Most, if not all, agents worth a salt are going to work to get top dollar for their client (which of course means a higher commission). So, regardless of what the Bills want to do, an agent isn't going to just roll over because the Bills make a decent offer. Even if Levitre or whomever actually wants to stay with the Bills, the agent is going to do his job and try to maximize the dollar amount on the contract. The best way to do that is drag out negotiations until the last minute in order to gain the leverage you already mentioned.

 

The risk in dragging out the contract negotiations is that the player gets hurt or underperforms during the negotiation period. But the same can be said about re-signing a player early as well.

 

I think we are all best served by letting the pros do their job and not debating the merit of when Levitre and others should re-sign. There simply isn't a right answer and all the examples people have cited have are unique to the makeup of the teams, their cap situation, and the players themselves.

 

Everyone agrees that they should re-sign these guys, and I don't believe there is any harm in waiting. Once the season is rolling, the FO will have more time to negotiate. As previously mentioned, RIGHT NOW there is far too much going on to worry about re-signing guys that are under contract. Let them get the 53 man roster and the practice squad settled first, huh? I'm not going to worry until Free Agency rolls around next spring if we don't have these guys locked up yet.

[Malazan]

Again can we agree that there are more contract extensions than examples of teams resigning a player once they have become a FA?

 

You're arguing a strawman. OF COURSE that happens. If a player gets to free agency, the team has already decided to let him walk.

[Best Player Available]

Its time to resign Byrd, Levitre and Urbik

 

 

 

You do know that there are two unrelated errors in the title alone right? They are also two of the most common ones. Posts and replies can have a lower threshold, but it would be nice to have reasonable use of the English language in the actual topic.

 

As for the content of the discussion, I think there is no rush on any of the three, but I think all three should remain contributing members of the Buffalo Bills for years to come if that is possible.

 

I couldn't find a single word on grammar usage in the terms of use here. Personally, my seceretary edits my work but would quit if I had her look at my posts on a fan forum. Perhaps the game of football and its fans here is something you're not cut out for?

 

Reasonable use of the english language? LMAO. I'm guessing you don't live on da left coast.

 

Go Bills!

Edited August 14, 2012 by Best Player Available

[K-9]

You're arguing a strawman. OF COURSE that happens. If a player gets to free agency, the team has already decided to let him walk.

 

Or the player has already decided to test FAgency to see what the market will pay him. It takes two. And there are plenty of examples of players that leave teams on their own accord.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Malazan]

Or the player has already decided to test FAgency to see what the market will pay him. It takes two. And there are plenty of examples of players that leave teams on their own accord.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

A good point, I phrased that poorly.

[DanInUticaTampa]

 

Yes I may have been extreme in saying bad FOs. I am confident that Levitre will be resigned before October.

I agree that Nix is doing what he says he will do and he is straight shooter.

 

I just in principal disagree that its a sound strategy to wait until a player is a FA to franchise or sign him, If you believe in the long term potential of the player you have more than enough practice and game file to determine if the franchise wants to sign the player long term the year before they become a FA. If the player wants to stay with the team and the agent agrees with the numbers the deal should get done.

 

And as dramatic as the FA hold out story on ESPN is, most teams get the extensions done before there is drama around their core players.

 

For good reason the team wasn't completely sold on SJ13 prior to 2011, there was still talk of labor pains, I agree somewhat with the wait and see approach there.

 

Levitre has shown us his baby, so I fully expect Buddy to pay that man before too long.

 

Now is the time to strike a deal. Waiting till the off season likely gives Levitre more leverage. Thats my main point.

 

Sign this guy up, when he will be in the prime of his athletic ability and experience, get 'er done.

 

I think there is a misunderstanding. No one said to wait until free agency starts to re-sign players. People were saying there was no rush to sign these players RIGHT now like the OP suggests. It doesn't matter if they sign them now, October, November, December, or whatever. But saying that this needs to be done right away is just not true. There is no rush. If this was February then ya, put a rush on it.

[Malazan]

I think there is a misunderstanding. No one said to wait until free agency starts to re-sign players. People were saying there was no rush to sign these players RIGHT now like the OP suggests. It doesn't matter if they sign them now, October, November, December, or whatever. But saying that this needs to be done right away is just not true. There is no rush. If this was February then ya, put a rush on it.

 

That is well said.

[billsfan89]

I would do Levitre in season

Stevie Johnson signed one day before he was going to become an UFA. There is time to get these guys signed. Next year Merriman and possibly Kelsay's contracts come off the books.

 

Yes but Fitz and K.Williams were done in season and before season. While I think that we don't have to sign all three I would sign Levitre in season then try to get Byrd done. If Byrd can't get done in season fine but I think out of the big two (Urbik needs to show more in order to warrant a big extension) they need to get one done in season to take the pressure off of the front office going into free agency. They would also have the franchise tag to lock up either one.

 

Get Levitre done and worry about the rest come the off-season. Plenty of cap space as is to get him a raise.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

It takes two to tango… I'm sure the agents have some say in this…

[Captain Hindsight]

It takes two to tango… I'm sure the agents have some say in this…

Logic! You have no place in discussion!

[1B4IDie]

 

 

You're arguing a strawman. OF COURSE that happens. If a player gets to free agency, the team has already decided to let him walk.

 

What?

 

Here are the two groups in the comparisons I am making.

 

Group 1 = players that signed contract extensions.

 

Group 2 = players that did not sign contract extensions, became Free Agents then signed a contract with the same team they played for immediately prior to the expiration of their previous contract. (Same team)

 

I am saying without question Group 1 is > Group 2.

 

Why is there an argument about this simple fact?

 

And I don't think you understand what a Strawman argument is, but whatevs.

 

Awesome fan base:

 

"Sign the guy! . . . In the future . . . or sometime . . . Or not . . . whatever. Franchise Tag!"

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Logic! You have no place in discussion!

 

You need to calm down, dude.

[benderbender]

We can't make them resign. Or step down. Or abdicate. They signed contracts. We could re-sign them. That would be awesome.

[DanInUticaTampa]

Awesome fan base:

 

"Sign the guy! . . . In the future . . . or sometime . . . Or not . . . whatever. Franchise Tag!"

 

Who here used the words "not" and "whatever" to describe their feelings of re-signing any of these guys? I know I have a few people on ignore, but I think I read all the posts in this this thread and font see where you are seeing people say that stuff.

 

And I don't see the difference in signing a player now, or October, or November, or in January. Can you please break down why it is so different? Why would it be different if we signed them now instead of say January?

 

Better yet, how would things be better if we signed Stevie in December instead of when we did? Would he be a better player or love the team more just because he signed a few months early? Because I really think that Stevie would still be the same player and still be a bill if he signed with us a month earlier, but maybe I'm crazy

[Ramius]

 

 

What?

 

Here are the two groups in the comparisons I am making.

 

Group 1 = players that signed contract extensions.

 

Group 2 = players that did not sign contract extensions, became Free Agents then signed a contract with the same team they played for immediately prior to the expiration of their previous contract. (Same team)

 

I am saying without question Group 1 is > Group 2.

 

Why is there an argument about this simple fact?

 

And I don't think you understand what a Strawman argument is, but whatevs.

 

"Sign the guy! . . . In the future . . . or sometime . . . Or not . . . whatever. Franchise Tag!"

 

You're implying that if a team doesn't sign a player before their final contract year, then the player will hit FA, which is completely false. Plenty of players get re-signed after the season, but before they hit FA.

 

So as long as the bills re-sign these guys prior to them becoming FAs, thats fine. There's little difference to signing them now or next february. They are very good players already, their value is high, its not going to drastically skyrocket based on 2012.

[widerightradio]

Most, if not all, agents worth a salt are going to work to get top dollar for their client (which of course means a higher commission). So, regardless of what the Bills want to do, an agent isn't going to just roll over because the Bills make a decent offer. Even if Levitre or whomever actually wants to stay with the Bills, the agent is going to do his job and try to maximize the dollar amount on the contract. The best way to do that is drag out negotiations until the last minute in order to gain the leverage you already mentioned.

 

The risk in dragging out the contract negotiations is that the player gets hurt or underperforms during the negotiation period. But the same can be said about re-signing a player early as well.

 

There's also the value that comes with the player receiving the new (and higher) salary during what would have been the last year of his contract. For example, Levitre is set to make roughly $600k this year. He signs and he gets his bonus a year early (time value of money) and he gets however millions he signs for this year. That's value the Bills can provide that other teams cannot. So the agent does have some interest in getting the contract done earlier, rather than later.

 

We know that the Bills and Levitre have been chatting (at least as of two months ago). I can't believe that something won't get done. Byrd, on the other hand, I think may want to play a season behind that revamped defensive line.

[uncle flap]

Good point I didn't really consider that!

 

Here's two interesting articles relevant to this discussion:

 

http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/1289844-how-lardarius-webb-got-50-million-an-agents-guide-to-nfl-contract-negotiation

 

http://mobile.buffalorumblings.com/2012/7/25/3186701/buffalo-bills-kraig-urbik-changes-agents-dave-dunn

 

Sorry for no hyperlinks I'm on my phone

Edited August 15, 2012 by uncle flap

[1B4IDie]

You're implying that if a team doesn't sign a player before their final contract year, then the player will hit FA, which is completely false. Plenty of players get re-signed after the season, but before they hit FA.

 

So as long as the bills re-sign these guys prior to them becoming FAs, thats fine. There's little difference to signing them now or next february. They are very good players already, their value is high, its not going to drastically skyrocket based on 2012.

I don't believe I'm implying that. In your scenario they would fall into Group 1. They never became Free Agents and were extended before they became free agents.

I think your point is technically their contract expired in Feb and they were signed in early March before Free Agency. I was putting those players into Group1.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Why So Serious?