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Wasn't Andy Levitre a Bill


Watkins90

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2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Brown only played 4 games didn't he from memory? Then was cut and never played in the league again and Legursky started at LG the rest of the year. I still don't think Levitre was worth what he got at the time and actually asked to play more of a man blocking scheme in Tennessee he sucked. 

 

 

I view handling your own players when they hit free agency like putting the roof on the expensive home you've nearly completed.

 

If you cut bait because the cost of shingles is high and instead throw a tarp over your home after you've done most of the work building it then you risk undermining all your previous work drafting and developing talent to get that far.

 

You don't WANT to pay it.........but can you afford to not pay to finish the job when you've gone that far?

 

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3 hours ago, billsbackto81 said:

He was a FA and got a boatload of money from the Titans. Wanted to keep him but it was the right move by management. 

 

People who weren't around to remember this stuff need to learn how to Google things like this. There's another thread going on about Peters and cursing Ralph about being cheap. SMH.

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Levitre was a very good player on a losing team, and there was a hot FA market for lineman at the time. The Bills payroll did not 'officially' have space to accommodate overpayment for a guard, so Levitre left. Perhaps he would have left regardless; one could easily understand why a free agent with a desire to win would wish to part ways with the Bills at that time.

 

Unfortunately, that left us with a very suspect Guard rotation until Richie arrived two years later. Hindsight suggests that an extra million or so would have been a reasonable overpayment for such a steady player as Levitre, but only he knows if that was ever really an option. 

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10 hours ago, Rico said:

It’s all good, Whaley had Colin Brown ready to take his place.

 

I remember that game vs the Jets. 

A few bags of sand would have been better.  

 

I think he was released later that week. 

Colon was Brown remains the worst starting OL I have ever seen.

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Are we going to have a thread on every ex Bill still in the league ???

 

Levitre, Peters, lets  start a Darby thread next.  

 

When end a team changes coaches every 2 to 3 years, and changes front office every 4 to 5 years this is what happens.  Good players leave.  Either they force the leave (Peters), wait unti free agency and leave (Levitre, Hogan) or get traded (Darby, Darius, etc). 

 

 

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11 hours ago, Rico said:

Whaley is the one who let him go.

 

Whaley chose (correctly perhaps) not to re-sign Jairus Byrd, which at the time many on this board cited as a reason why they'd re-sign Levitre. As others have pointed out, the Bills back then weren't interested in competing and ultimately let both go for nothing.  Out of the 3 1st/2nd day picks who actually were NFL players from 2009, they kept only Eric Wood.

 

And, 9+ years ago the Bills essentially traded Peters for Eric Wood. As nice a player as the latter was, that trade was a major win for the Eagles and showed Buffalo wasn't interested in keeping their best player.  Peters' replacement in 2009 was initially the ill-suited Langston Walker (later cut) and then Demetrius (Demetress?) Bell.  Sound planning there. 

 

Both of these contract situations were a result of not negotiating early enough and letting both get close to UFA or into a bad contract where the player has leverage. IIRC, OBD had no negotiations with Levitre prior to his walk year in 2012. Peters had contract issues in the 08 and 09 off-seasons, and in the former, the team would only work on a Lee Evans extension.  Apparently they couldn't be bothered to handle two (!) extensions at a time.

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8 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

 

Whaley chose (correctly perhaps) not to re-sign Jairus Byrd, which at the time many on this board cited as a reason why they'd re-sign Levitre. As others have pointed out, the Bills back then weren't interested in competing and ultimately let both go for nothing.  Out of the 3 1st/2nd day picks who actually were NFL players from 2009, they kept only Eric Wood.

 

And, 9+ years ago the Bills essentially traded Peters for Eric Wood. As nice a player as the latter was, that trade was a major win for the Eagles and showed Buffalo wasn't interested in keeping their best player.  Peters' replacement in 2009 was initially the ill-suited Langston Walker (later cut) and then Demetrius (Demetress?) Bell.  Sound planning there. 

 

Both of these contract situations were a result of not negotiating early enough and letting both get close to UFA or into a bad contract where the player has leverage. IIRC, OBD had no negotiations with Levitre prior to his walk year in 2012. Peters had contract issues in the 08 and 09 off-seasons, and in the former, the team would only work on a Lee Evans extension.  Apparently they couldn't be bothered to handle two (!) extensions at a time.

 

The replacement plans for both Peters (who I would not have let go) and Levitre (still say on balance I would) were both brutal bordering on negligent. 

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14 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Brown only played 4 games didn't he from memory? Then was cut and never played in the league again and Legursky started at LG the rest of the year. I still don't think Levitre was worth what he got at the time and actually asked to play more of a man blocking scheme in Tennessee he sucked. 

Wasn't Chas Rhinegold in the mix too?

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13 hours ago, Happy Gilmore said:

 

Everything is Whaley's fault with you, isn't it?  You never miss an opportunity to take a dig at him, like beating a dead horse.  Like the coaching had zero input in the player decisions, whether it be Marrone or Rex.  News flash - it's the GMs job to bring in the talent that the coach wants, or get rid of players that do not fit the coaches' scheme.  What did Whaley do to you, boink your woman?  This subject has been beaten to death; Whaley had his issues as a GM, but he was not as bad as you make him out to be.

Whaley is the son of Satan and drinks babies' blood.  Beane is a child genius with a heart as pure as fresh snow. 

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14 hours ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

Sign Levitre, tag Byrd 

I remember this mantra all too well. :death:

14 hours ago, Augie said:

 

He came a LOOOONG way from the overweight, second thought TE and special teamed days. 

Thanks to the Bills

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14 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

  

 

You know who was a worse fit than the durable and versatile Levitre?

 

Eric Wood.

 

He was nothing short of horrendous in the two years under Marrone.

 

They doubled down on Wood at about the same time so if you think they were in touch with their own scheme fits I'm not so sure about that.

The year Levitre left it was said that he had a bad year. If he did, I strongly suspect that it was due to injury.

 

Levitre was an excellent guard. As you might recall, I liked him in college. AL was made for the "new" passing game. He was more of a finesse blocker than a road paver and (imo) was at his best at pass protection. He played left tackle in college and didn't let us down at all on the Bills. I blew my cork when the Bills let him walk and from what I remember he wanted to stay here.

 

And people wonder why I beat to death the Bills lack of regard for blocking! We looked OK last year on the OL (although I do wonder how much of this was because of Tyrod) and now just look at the mess we face yet again.

 

We absolutely have to find blockers in 2019.

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