"Unfathomable To Think Bills Let Clements Go"

[gr8slayer]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/scorecard/12/29/truth.rumors.mlb/index.html

[gr8slayer]

The Bills' Nate Clements is one of the best corners in the league. But it's unfathomable to think the fast-improving Bills, who are projected to have $39.7 million in cap space, will let him make it to free agency. -- Philadelphia Daily News

[clumping platelets]

Let someone else give him $20 million guaranteed :shakeno:

[THATHURMANATOR]

I think we should do what we can to sign him. He would be a huge loss IMO.... I was negative towards him early on this year but he really proved me wrong.

[Earthquake Enyart]

I like the blurb about Archuleta. Mind games with manboobs again.....


Adam Archuleta, who has been benched for the second half of the season despite signing the biggest contract ever for a safety in March, said he is unsure of his future and whether the Redskins will bring him back. He has been hurt by the way the Redskins have treated him. The coaches pulled him out of the starting lineup during a practice about two months ago, without giving him a reason, according to team sources. -- Washington Post

[Gunzlingr]

You beat me too it!

[OpIv37]

I think we should do what we can to sign him. He would be a huge loss IMO.... I was negative towards him early on this year but he really proved me wrong.

the problem is that there's almost no way to get him without overpaying. Think about it this way: Bill Gates has something like $14 billion. If he wants to buy an Acura, should he have to pay Porsche money for it just because he can afford it?

Just because the Bills have enough money to give Nate Clements a Champ Bailey contract doesn't make Nate worth a Champ Bailey contract. We're not gonna have $39 million in cap space every year, and this could really burn us down the road.

[justasportsfan]

Ya'll remember Miami's db's that can't handle Evans or our passing O? They are ranked 4th against the pass and it's not because they have a Clements type of player . Their db's blow but the reason why they are up there is because of their DL.

Use the $$ on getting a dominant DL and the rest will fall into place.

[Meathead]

the problem is that there's almost no way to get him without overpaying.
and thats why marv promised he wouldnt franchise him

the bills can get two moderately impact type players for that money. it makes little sense to keep somebody under those terms

[justasportsfan]

Dangit. I think this is where TD did a better job with franchising players. I'm sure he would've gotten a 1st pick for Clements and used it on a player with a busted knee.

[THATHURMANATOR]

the problem is that there's almost no way to get him without overpaying. Think about it this way: Bill Gates has something like $14 billion. If he wants to buy an Acura, should he have to pay Porsche money for it just because he can afford it?

Just because the Bills have enough money to give Nate Clements a Champ Bailey contract doesn't make Nate worth a Champ Bailey contract. We're not gonna have $39 million in cap space every year, and this could really burn us down the road.
Who are we going to sign then? We can't always be thrifty OP.

[Yasgur's Farm]

If I were Marv, my best offer would be 6 year $45M

$12M signing bonus
$4M 2007
$4.5M 2008
$5M 2009
$5.5M 2010
$6M 2011
$8M 2012

Let him walk if he doesn't take that. There are several teams who will overpay for him... Buffalo can't afford to be one of them.

[Devin]

Youd have to up that offer about 10 mil for him to even look at it.

If we get a "hometown discount" it aint gonna be for much.

[OpIv37]

Who are we going to sign then? We can't always be thrifty OP.

but we can't end up in Tennessee's situation and have to cut 6 starters cuz of the cap either.

anyway, it's irrelevant. We'll get outbid. If we offer him $25 million, someone will offer 30. If we offer $30 million, someone else will offer $35.

Bye, Nate.

[OpIv37]

If I were Marv, my best offer would be 6 year $45M

$12M signing bonus
$4M 2007
$4.5M 2008
$5M 2009
$5.5M 2010
$6M 2011
$8M 2012

Let him walk if he doesn't take that. There are several teams who will overpay for him... Buffalo can't afford to be one of them.

only if they front-load the signing bonus, otherwise we could end up with Nate costing $12 million against the cap in 2012 and not even be on the team anymore.

[Yasgur's Farm]

only if they front-load the signing bonus, otherwise we could end up with Nate costing $12 million against the cap in 2012 and not even be on the team anymore.Nah... $10M if he's here and hasn't renegotiated... $2M if he's a cap casualty by then.

It's all irrelevant anyway... Somebody gonna offer him 6 year $60M or 7 year $75M.

Nate's gonna go to the money!

[Mr. Cynical]

Bye Nate. I would rather spend that money on 1-2 run stuffing linemen than on 1 "playmaker" at CB. We lost alot of games because we couldn't stop the run. That's where we need to focus IMO.

[The_Philster]

I think we should do what we can to sign him. He would be a huge loss IMO.... I was negative towards him early on this year but he really proved me wrong.
ditto...after the BYE, he started looking like a playmaker again

as far as focusing on run-stuffing linemen, yeah...we need some serious help there. But losing games because we can't shut down the passing game and losing games because we can't stop the run both equate to losses. I don't think anyone here is in favor of breaking the bank to sign Nate, but we should make a solid effort, IMO.

[ShadowHawk7]

I would be willing to give him 6 years/41 million/12 million bonus, but not much more than that. How do those numbers sound?

[Yasgur's Farm]

I'd go $42M but it's gonna take 6 year $60m with $18M bonus.

[The last buffalo fan]

Bye Nate. I would rather spend that money on 1-2 run stuffing linemen than on 1 "playmaker" at CB. We lost alot of games because we couldn't stop the run. That's where we need to focus IMO.

We got a winner!!!!! :bf1:

I like NC alot, but I know what we need, and is not a CB to stop the run.

[ShadowHawk7]

I'd go $42M but it's gonna take 6 year $60m with $18M bonus.
If so, then let his ass walk on out of here. No way he's worth that much.

[Night Train]

Our biggest problem is the D front 7 and their complete failure at stopping the run.

So lets give a CB 50-65 Mil.

That will fix it.

[RedEyE]

I was half expecting to jump into this thread having to back up Op because everyone couldn't fathom the idea of paying Redskin money for Nate...but, it looks as if everyone has a grasp on this and almost all of you have come to the realization that Nate isn't going to be here next season and that there is football beyond a $60 million a year CB.

I'm very proud of all of you. I think I have something in my eye 'snif'.

[YardRat]

With Nate leaving for big money and London apparently tired of Buffalo, the money saved by freeing both of them will go a lot farther toward re-signing the guys we want to keep and still leave plenty of room to make a small splash in FA.

This team isn't going to grossly overpay for names like Clements and Fletch, but they will moderately overpay for a few second-tier guys that have 'potential'.

[RedEyE]

With Nate leaving for big money and London apparently tired of Buffalo, the money saved by freeing both of them will go a lot farther toward re-signing the guys we want to keep and still leave plenty of room to make a small splash in FA.

This team isn't going to grossly overpay for names like Clements and Fletch, but they will moderately overpay for a few second-tier guys that have 'potential'.

Yep. You can't keep a player here that doens't want to be here and that's precisely what it looks like Fletch wants.

I can't rember who said it, but it's a genious idea to move Spikes to MLB. Take the additional money saved on D and invest it in a superior FA DL or OG. What ever is left you can use the 1st round draft pick to snag the other. The draft this year has a decent amount of good QBs, LBs and OLineman. The Bills could capatilize on a another decent draft. A middle to high 1st round LB, Olineman, or CB are impact players.

[jmb1099]

Clements has stepped it up and deserves decent money...no question. But I'm not sure we can afford the type of money he's looking for when we have to fill some other positions. I'd hate to lose him, but you don't build championship teams around a corner.

[dolphan117]

Our biggest problem is the D front 7 and their complete failure at stopping the run.

So lets give a CB 50-65 Mil.

That will fix it.With the cap space you guys have I don't think its an either/ or though. Its not like you only have the cap space to sign one high priced guy, you guys can afford to sign Nate and go after some quality run stuffers.

Edit-And I would agree that having a D that can stop the run is more important than having 1 shutdown corner....... But whats even better is having a run stuffing D with a play making shutdown guy playing behind it. Someone made the point earlier about Miami's D and us being ranked highly against the pass being in large part due to the pressure we put on the QB. That's true, our secondary does have some talent and has played well at times but we lack a real play-making shutdown corner. And its hurt us. Our D would have been much better this year if we had a corner like Nate that could be used to pretty much erase the other teams number one receiver..... Put that kind of talent behind a front 7 that stops the run and can pressure the QB and it allows you to generate more turnovers and just flat out be a dominant D.

[PECKERWOOD]

The people that are preaching that Ralph will never open up his wallet are the same people preaching that we shouldn't give Nate a paycheck.. :rofl:

Resign Clements, he is our best player on defense and a leader too.

[Yasgur's Farm]

I don't fit that mold BuffaloFever...

1) I don't think Ralph is cheap... In the past the Bills have always topped out the cap.
2) I don't believe Clements is worthy of the "paycheck" he'll be getting... Therefore I'm not in favor of chasing him with anything more than $42M 6 year deal that includes $12M guaranteed. Unfortunately he's gonna get $60M with $18 guaranteed.

It's kinda like overpaying on eBay because you get caught up in the bidding. (I'm a sniper BTW... I only bid in the last 5 seconds or "But it now").

[SABURZFAN]

for the money that clements wants,we can address other area needs on the team and still get a veteran CB as a stopgap.there's plenty of talented CB's in the upcoming draft that we can look over as well.

[Ingtar33]

the problem is, a LOT of teams are going into free agency with 30 mil under the cap.

Anything we can spend someone else can spend. That's why the numbers i heard were 100 mil for clements.

[Ingtar33]

btw: this is also why we won't see many "name" FA availible

[SABURZFAN]

the problem is, a LOT of teams are going into free agency with 30 mil under the cap.

Anything we can spend someone else can spend. That's why the numbers i heard were 100 mil for clements.



if that's the case,a below-average CB will clean up at the pay window too. :ill:

[Novacane]

the problem is, a LOT of teams are going into free agency with 30 mil under the cap.

Anything we can spend someone else can spend. That's why the numbers i heard were 100 mil for clements.


Bye Nate

[Crisis]

Ya'll remember Miami's db's that can't handle Evans or our passing O? They are ranked 4th against the pass and it's not because they have a Clements type of player . Their db's blow but the reason why they are up there is because of their DL.

Use the $$ on getting a dominant DL and the rest will fall into place.

Whenever Miami needs their secondary to step up they blow.