The Riddler Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050801/1071170.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 "I feel that I am the best," he said after the Buffalo Bills completed Day Two of training camp Sunday at St. John Fisher. "The film doesn't lie. The numbers don't lie either. I put up numbers every year. I'm versatile, I return punts as well as play special teams and I'm durable. I would put myself up against anybody in the league." This one paragraph says it all. I don't believe that TD will sign NC to a contract that makes him the highest paid at his position. It's just not his style to throw that much money at a player. Hopefully I'm wrong or maybe NC's demands won't be as bad as I fear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoker2Buffalo Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 "I want to finish my career here," Clements said. "I'm close to home (suburban Cleveland), my family can come and see me and we've got a good young team that I think can do some things. So there's definitely a lot of incentive to stay here. Hopefully we can get something done." That's certainly nice to hear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Chipper Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Until another team offers him more money. This deal needs to be done soon. If he goes the entire season without a new contract he will be impossible to sign imo. TD should be working round the clock to sign him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffaloboyinATL Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 I certainly hope this is true but his expectations are definitely going to be high. When a guy says he is the best in the game he will expect to be the highest paid at his position. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he gets an extension during the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayg Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 He's 24? Jeez , lock him up TD! http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050801/1071170.asp 395156[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 That's really refreshing for Clements to say that. It is a great situation for him and he is one player that I believe TD will open the bank for. The article also shows what a great guy and teammate Troy Vincent is (despite the little JP incident last year). He helped Lee Evans a ton last year, and from the sound of it, he's going to have a great influence on Clements. I dig that part that he makes sure he's on all the drills with Clements to keep him going in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 We need Nate, get'er done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartyBall4Buffalo Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Excellent read. There were two parts I really liked to hear. Bills President and General Manager Tom Donahoe has had preliminary discussions with Clements' agent, Neil Cornrich. Donahoe indicated the two sides will try to schedule a face-to-face meeting sometime after the Bills' scrimmage in Green Bay. "His agent is planning on coming to camp, so I'm sure at some point we'll have some conversations," Donahoe said. "We want Nate to be here. He was part of our original draft class. We've watched him grow and develop, and we still think his best football is ahead of him." This shows that at least we're trying to get something done and I hope to god we do strike an extension to keep The Best Corner in the game on our team. Vincent has been constantly on Clements, making sure Clements is not satisfied with what he accomplished last season. "Sometimes when you have success, that can be your worst enemy," Vincent said. "This is not a game for what you did yesterday. It's what have you done for me lately. I've been where he's at. I've been to Pro Bowls, I've been an unrestricted free agent and I've been in 19 playoff games. I also understand what you have to do to prepare yourself not to be good, but to be great. That's why I personally make sure Nate and I are in the same drills together. I'm not going to let him take a day off because as good as he is he can always be better." Having someone like Vincent who's been there and done that, not letting Clements rest on his laurels is only gonna make NC a better player in the long run. Veteran influence from a guy who was considered one of the best in the game himself not to long ago, can go a long way to shaping a young players career, as those lessons will hopefully stick, even when said veteran retires. Nate Clements has a tremendous career in front of him, and I for one would love to see that career unfold with him as a member of the Buffalo Bills. Git er done TD, Git er Done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheRocks Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Tom Donahoe has had preliminary discussions with Clements' agent, Neil Cornrich I just like to see that his agents name isn't "Drew Rosenbendover". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 great article but i think his statement really reads: "I'd like to stay in Buffalo *as long as they make me the top paid CB" of course he WANTS to stay here, but he'll go where ever the money's at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 I just like to see that his agents name isn't "Drew Rosenbendover". 395269[/snapback] I'm not so sure. Drew is a bastard, but he gets fair deals for his clients and gets contracts done. I don't know who this Cornich guy represents, but it may be possible he will be looking at this as HIS payday too. In that case, his best advice to Nate would be to wait until FA. Just another possiblitly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartshan-83 Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 I just like to see that his agents name isn't "Drew Rosenbendover". 395269[/snapback] A-f'n-MEN! Of course if it was Rosenblouse, then NC would have renegotiated his rookie contract a few years ago. I'm waiting for the day this POS signs a rookie to a sweet deal, and then after two weeks of productive training camp practices, he tells him to hold out until the team re-negotiates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ennjay Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 This is going to be a perfect case of deals being affected by the lack of an extension of the CBA. All the other big-money CB contracts amortize the signing bonus over at least six years, I believe. If Nate signs today he can only be amortized over five, meaning the per-year cap hit will be higher for the Bills than it was for the teams that signed the other deals mentioned in the story. That makes it that much harder for the Bills to do an extension NOW. Of course, the amortization limit would apply to anyone else signing Clements, but as of today only the Bills can do that, and the rest of the league -- which would have to wait until February anyway -- gets a break waiting for the CBA to be extended while the Bills' hands are tied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Typical TBD Guy Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 It'd be perfectly reasonable for Clements to demand a contract placing him among the 5 highest paid NFL CB's. Can anyone think of 5 or more CB's in their 20's who are better than Clements? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 It'd be perfectly reasonable for Clements to demand a contract placing him among the 5 highest paid NFL CB's. Can anyone think of 5 or more CB's in their 20's who are better than Clements? 395296[/snapback] No. Of course, we know Donahoe won't sign him because DWag already let us in on the secret. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 You can get good pass defense through either good front pressure between DL and LB's (better the former) or make up for deficiencies there with spiffy DB's. Money, IMO, is better spent up front, with the added plus of run stops. I would not like to see Nate leave, but busting the cap makes some sense for QB but not CB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffaloboyinATL Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 It'd be perfectly reasonable for Clements to demand a contract placing him among the 5 highest paid NFL CB's. Can anyone think of 5 or more CB's in their 20's who are better than Clements? 395296[/snapback] My fear is one of those contracts that says he makes $1 more than the highest paid CB, or something like that. He definitely deserves a top 5 salary IMHO, I hope we are willing and able to pay it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Typical TBD Guy Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 You can get good pass defense through either good front pressure between DL and LB's (better the former) or make up for deficiencies there with spiffy DB's. Money, IMO, is better spent up front, with the added plus of run stops. I would not like to see Nate leave, but busting the cap makes some sense for QB but not CB. 395299[/snapback] Jerry Gray's style of D demands more out of the CB's (more man-to-man coverage) than in your typical NFL D. Plus, Pro Bowl CB's are about as equally difficult to find as Pro Bowl DL's, especially on the UFA market. So if we lose Clements, who's to say that we will be able to compensate for his loss with a Pro Bowl DE/DT of about equal impact? I say stick with what we've got, even if that means we won't be major players in free agency for another couple more years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Of course, we know Donahoe won't sign him because DWag already let us in on the secret. 395297[/snapback] GREAT article, this is even more exciting than the beginning of training camp! Get it done, TD, you know he's worth every dollar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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