Peters may be willing to sit all season

[PromoTheRobot]

But Promo, if he got (or gets) hurt, or if his play suffers for other reasons, would the Bills "honor" his contract? Obviously not. They would cut him in an instant, and I have a feeling that Peters will not find a job as an Ivy League Professor.

The owners want it this way. This is the downside of their own system.

Would it kill him to at least be in Rochester and ask for a renegotiation? But Peters and his agent decided to filp the bird to the Bills and his teammates. Bill, no one is faulting Peters for wanting a fair contract. What the problem is how he's doing it. Peters and his agent are showing no respect to a team that has taken good care of Peters all along. They want the Bills to come crawling to them. Sorry. If the Bills cave in, then expect the line to form right after. It sucks but don't blame the Bills.

 

Peters can sit out forever as far as I'm concerned. Then he can get a real job.

 

PTR

[scribo]

That is really the only leverage Peters and his agent have. This is just posturing. Another Parker client, Devin Hester, also made the EXACT same threat.

 

As a veteran, Peters really doesn't need that much camp. So, as worrisome as this may be, he'll be there in September.

You're right about Parker and his other clients. I agree he doesn't NEED to be in camp, but I have to believe it would benefit the team to have him there. I mean, this line has a great chance to be a very cohesive unit this year. The lone bright spot to this, IMHO, is that this at least protectts Peters from getting hurt (or further injured) in camp.

 

I am sure the loyality angle of this is going to be overplayed, but there is something to be said for at least respecting the organization that brought you in as an undrafted fat guy playing the wrong position, especially when that team found the correct position for you and trained you to the point that you become a Pro Bowler.

[Coach Tuesday]

Mind boggling to most NFL organization, but not to Bills fans saddled with a front office that has no respect for the importance of the OL (especially LT)

 

 

The galling thing is the Bills should have known from the lack of contact with Peters since January that his desire for a new contract was coming. However, the Bills in their typically arrogant way chose to ignore the situation and not reach out to their best player.

1. to determine his contract demands

2. to determine his health

 

Peters is either still injured and the Bills are justified in waiting on a new deal or he is healthy and deserves a new deal.

 

Either way, the front office put the team at a huge competitive disadvanatage by not obtaining a bona fide backup at LT to fill in while this situation plays out. The stated plan to move Wlaker to LT is a joke. He can barely pass block the right side without TE help on every down. Moviong him to LT will be a joke and again hamstring the offense by needing to keep TE in on both sides. After moving Walker, they have no one capable of taking his place on the right side

 

The problem is that, in the salary-cap era, a team's success DEPENDS upon its ability to hit the salary jackpot with several players at key positions. If a team paid market value to every player at every position, that team would either suck (because those players' performance didn't warrant market contracts), or it would quickly exceed the salary cap. The Bills struck oil with Peters, pulling a stud LT off of the scrap heap and proactively locking him up long-term. The Bills also have the benefit of having two other key players (Edwards and Lynch) under relatively cheap rookie deals. These circumstances set up the Bills nicely for a three to five year run, and Peters' situation could throw a spike into the wheels. I understand where he's coming from, but the team is right.

[nucci]

Not so simple. Peters did take a bonus and re-sign because he was probably playing for the NFL minimum, or close to it. In this instance, the Bills had all the leverage.

Now, the tables have turned. You have a probowl LT making less than Dockery, let alone Fowler who is average at best. Any sane person can see the inequity of this equation. Can you? Yes or no?

Yes, I can see it. Do you think Peters and his agent are going about this the correct way? Don't you think there should be some communication from their end?

[Dan]

Brandon appeared to express a willingness to discuss a new contract with Peters provided he reported to camp and was practicing with the rest of his teammates.

 

"I think we have a proven track record of trying to get guys done and extending guys out," said Brandon. "There's a long line of guys that we've done it with, but it's very difficult to have those conversations when the individual is not participating in your work."

http://buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=6255

 

That pretty much sums it all up. The Bills will give Peters his money. You can't blame the front office. Its beginning to seem more and more like Peters just doesn't want to be in Buffalo. I know people will use that as another reason to rag Brandon and company, but how can you when he's said quite plainly that he's willing to work on a new contract, if Peters sis willing to work with his teammates?

[obie_wan]

So you are saying a proper front office caves to any demand made by a player? Get a grip here. This holdout is a bit unexpected since they just gave Peters a new deal 2 years ago. But even if he wanted a new contract, can't the guy say so instead of acting like he has PMS? I mean I can see this if he went to the Bills and they told him to go jump in the lake. But he or his agent never said word one to the Bills. They went right to skipping OTA's, skipping camp, and threatening a hold out, all without ever making an official contact with the Bills.

 

Does this hurt the team? No question. But blame the guilty party here: Peters, not the Bills. They are trying to do right by their players, but they can't be held liable when a player and his agent decide to act like babies.

 

PTR

 

I know the Bills want to conserve the greenbacks, but hopefully they have at least one telephone on which they can make outgoing calls.

 

Peters may be acting like a jerk - but the more mature front office may want to come down from their ivory tower and be a bit pro-active in finding out what he wants and why he missed those OTAs.

 

Pretty lame for the COO to claim that "Peters never called"

 

 

 

The real crux of the problem is that Bills gave themselves no leverage by not addressing the backup LT situation. Going with Kirk Chambers or moving Walker to LT will both be disasters -- with the development of Edwards being severely hampered as a by-product.

 

They knew something was up well in advance of the draft and should have taken some proactive steps to protect the offense for 2008.

 

 

Eventually Peters will return - but at what ultimate cost to the team in preparing for the 2008 season. The longer he holds out, the more likely he will miss time due to injury in 2008 - thus furhter hindering the offense.

[nucci]

That is really the only leverage Peters and his agent have. This is just posturing. Another Parker client, Devin Hester, also made the EXACT same threat.

 

As a veteran, Peters really doesn't need that much camp. So, as worrisome as this may be, he'll be there in September.

Normally I would agree but we have a new OC and they are installing a lot of new things to the offense.

[BillsWatch]

If they cave in what prevents him from holding out again?

 

Fine him the max, when he comes back assign him special teams and tell him he needs to earn the LT again.

Considering he never went to Pro Bowl due to off season surgery and Bills have not seen him play after the surgery it is myu opinion he is looking for a big signing bonus in case he does not return to form.

 

Or perhaps he joined the Ricky Williams church in offseason and is letting his body clean itself out of testable toxins before coming back.

[LynchMob23]

Not so simple. Peters did take a bonus and re-sign because he was probably playing for the NFL minimum, or close to it. In this instance, the Bills had all the leverage.

Now, the tables have turned. You have a probowl LT making less than Dockery, let alone Fowler who is average at best. Any sane person can see the inequity of this equation. Can you? Yes or no?

 

Actually Bill, at the time he re-signed, he was tagged as a exclusive rights free agent, which he signed (1 year, 425k) and then replaced with a 5 year deal. If he didn't, he could have been a rfa the next year and an ufa the year after that...THIS year. I'm sure his agent's stance is that they were going to be locked up for 2 years anyway - why not make more money while doing so?

 

In fact, the more I read about this, the more I think he's acting as if he is a free agent this year.

[Bill from NYC]

He's making more in one year than most people make in a lifetime. Pretty good for a marginal tight end who was given the chance and mentoring to learn a new position.

 

Lets not forget, he was taken from the practice squad and not even on the team at some point. The Bills gave him a chance; this is true, but they were looking out for themselves as well. Now Peters is doing the same.

 

If Peters was a qb, rb, or wr, he would get a lot more sympathy.

[PromoTheRobot]

I know the Bills want to conserve the greenbacks, but hopefully they have at least one telephone on which they can make outgoing calls.

 

Peters may be acting like a jerk - but the more mature front office may want to come down from their ivory tower and be a bit pro-active in finding out what he wants and why he missed those OTAs.

 

Pretty lame for the COO to claim that "Peters never called"

 

 

 

The real crux of the problem is that Bills gave themselves no leverage by not addressing the backup LT situation. Going with Kirk Chambers or moving Walker to LT will both be disasters -- with the development of Edwards being severely hampered as a by-product.

 

They knew something was up well in advance of the draft and should have taken some proactive steps to protect the offense for 2008.

 

 

Eventually Peters will return - but at what ultimate cost to the team in preparing for the 2008 season. The longer he holds out, the more likely he will miss time due to injury in 2008 - thus furhter hindering the offense.

Ivory tower??? Geez, you are a panic! I'd love to negotiate with you. I'd own your company before I'd even sit down.

 

PTR

[Dan]

Lets not forget, he was taken from the practice squad and not even on the team at some point. The Bills gave him a chance; this is true, but they were looking out for themselves as well. Now Peters is doing the same.

 

If Peters was a qb, rb, or wr, he would get a lot more sympathy.

I think he'd be getting more sympathy if he was in camp.

[Gavin in Va Beach]

All-Pro left tackles are few and far between. In the immortal words of Teddy KGB: "Pay him... Pay that man his money."

[Kelly the Dog]

If Peters was a qb, rb, or wr, he would get a lot more sympathy.

Nonsense.

[LynchMob23]

I know the Bills want to conserve the greenbacks, but hopefully they have at least one telephone on which they can make outgoing calls.

 

Peters may be acting like a jerk - but the more mature front office may want to come down from their ivory tower and be a bit pro-active in finding out what he wants and why he missed those OTAs.

 

Pretty lame for the COO to claim that "Peters never called"

 

 

That's not a problem - that's negotiating. The first person to call loses: Parker wants the Bills to cave so he looks great with his "other" holdout. There is no "ivory tower" or immaturity on the front office's part; the grown man that signed that contract and his agent have not even begun the negotiations that would justify breaking off communication!

[krazykat]

http://www.buffalobills.com/blog/index.jsp?post_id=3671

 

I think this a complete overreaction from Peters' people; although, it is likely a bluff. I also don't think such threats will do Peters no good. The Bills seems ready for a battle, but I so very much hope it doesn't come to that.

 

By the way, I started a new thread on this because I think this report elevates the situation to where the ongoing discussions needed a new title.

I don't think it's a bluff at all. He'll sit out and play the last six like other players do.

 

He knows that the team will eventually fork over whatever they can if they did it for Docker, Walker, Williams and guys like Peerless Price to a lesser extent.

 

He also knows that this team doesn't have a chance in hell of improving offensively if he's not here.

 

The Bills balls are in a vice on this one and Peters' hand is on the handle.

[nucci]

I don't think it's a bluff at all. He'll sit out and play the last six like other players do.

 

He knows that the team will eventually fork over whatever they can if they did it for Docker, Walker, Williams and guys like Peerless Price to a lesser extent.

 

He also knows that this team doesn't have a chance in hell of improving offensively if he's not here.

 

The Bills balls are in a vice on this one and Peters' hand is on the handle.

Not necessarily. The Bills may suffer short term with out Peters, but if he sits out he will have a hard time collecting all that lost money.$15,000.00 a day adds up and he is under contract for 3 more years.

[Bill from NYC]

Nonsense.

 

You read this board. There are posters who base virtually every opinion they voice on stats.

Players such as Jason Peters are what matter most to a football team. We lucked into one, and posters are grumbling because he wants more money than guys who are clearly inferior.

It makes no sense.

[Billadelphia]

Well said. It's not like the Bills made him him play at the vet minimum his 1st 3-4 years, which they could have like the Bears are doing with Hester. On top of that, he hasn't been around since his hernia surgery. Peters' actions don't reflect someone who is serious about wanting to play for the Bills.

 

No they dont. They reflect someone who wants the most money that he can get, which is what the NFL has turned into. In fact, I'm willing to bet that about 75% of the players in the NFL would do the exact same thing as Peters is doing if they were in his shoes, whether they come out and say it or not.

 

Team loyalty is rare in the NFL anymore, so these games are common now. The game is being dictated by agents, lawyers, and owners (investors for the most part), so why would anyone expect anything different? The players/coaches don't call the shots.

[krazykat]

I think he'd be getting more sympathy if he was in camp.

Who says he wants sympathy?

 

He wants money. He wants more than Williams, Walker, Dockery, Spencer Johnson, Kawika Mitchell, etc.

 

ShEEt, Brad Butler got $9M in new money in a new deal.

 

This team is run by the pathetic. When are most of you going to say something about it?