"Big men plus big money equals big mistakes"

[!Papacrunk!]

This isn't strictly about Dockery, but here's some interesting tidbits:

Dockery's seven-year, $49 million deal was the most lucrative in Bills history. That must make Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas feel great. And imagine how the few really good Buffalo players will respond when their contracts come up for renewal.

What we're seeing is the result of too many clubs' having lots of cap room in a market with limited marquee attractions while also facing ever-increasing pressure to do something -- anything -- to show fans they are trying to improve.
It would make more sense to simply pass on overpaying. But if you are running a franchise that languished last season, it's difficult to sit and do nothing. That sends a bad message to your fan base, particularly with each year producing stories of teams vaulting from bad to Super Bowl-worthy -- sometimes with just a few roster additions.
Patient rebuilding? Forget it. NFL clubs understand there now is one overriding reality in the personnel business: The paying customer might show some initial angst over such out-of-proportion contracts, but ultimately, if they result in more wins, all is forgiven. This gives teams free rein to set aside good judgment and chew up with gusto all that extra cap room.
So if you are Marv Levy, who makes the Bills' personnel decisions, you look at an offense that has finished no better than 25th in total yards the past four years and figure if you can strengthen your line, it might give you a chance to move up in those rankings quickly. That lure can lead you to sign the likes of Walker, who was part of the NFL's worst line last year as a Raider. One scout called him "simply awful" at times. Yet Buffalo gave him $10 million in guaranteed money.

I'm posting this, not because I'm trying to bring about something that seems "anti-Bills" (other teams/players are mentioned) but Attner brings up some very good points in the article that makes it worth the read.
::EDIT:: I forgot the link----Big Men/Big Money (http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=187691)

[BILLSROCK1212]

his article is 100% right he just doesn't seem to get the whole situation......what you think Donte, Ko, Angelo, Lee and JP are gonna ask for with their new contracts? we better start resigning them now

[venis2k1]

Evans is the only one that we really need to worry about having a huge pay day...

[gr8slayer]

If Kelly and Thomas were playing now they would be getting the same kind of cash.

[!Papacrunk!]

If Kelly and Thomas were playing now they would be getting the same kind of cash.
It does go back to how it may affect the future of the other guys on the roster though: if a o-lineman is getting this kind of money, I'm the starting QB, WR, RB, etc, where's my HUGER payday

[gr8slayer]

It does go back to how it may affect the future of the other guys on the roster though: if a o-lineman is getting this kind of money, I'm the starting QB, WR, RB, etc, where's my HUGER payday
I get your point but thankfully the only person on our roster that deserves anything at this point is Evans. Everyone else is expendable at this point in time.

[B-DON]

What a terrible read. You cant compare contracts from ten years ago and today. Thats like comparing the price of real estate of yesteryears with those of today. Of course anything you but or purchase is going to be more expensive today then ten years ago. So should Jordan be made cuz he is the greatest athlete of all time and he doesnt have the biggest athletic contract ever. Again, terrible article.

[!Papacrunk!]

What a terrible read. You cant compare contracts from ten years ago and today. Thats like comparing the price of real estate of yesteryears with those of today. Of course anything you but or purchase is going to be more expensive today then ten years ago. So should Jordan be made cuz he is the greatest athlete of all time and he doesnt have the biggest athletic contract ever. Again, terrible article.
Of course comparing current to past contracts is silly--the key word is lucrative, his point is that an o-lineman that has yet to do anything for the Bills, and has really yet to do anything major in the NFL other than being a starter is getting paid a lucrative contract.

[Devin]

Whats the alternative?

Not paying Dockery and in the process not upgrading our OL? Damned if you do damned if you dont.

Even signing big names has people like Ice Jr. pissing and moaning that we didnt do more.

[!Papacrunk!]

Whats the alternative?

Not paying Dockery and in the process not upgrading our OL? Damned if you do damned if you dont.

Even signing big names has people like Ice Jr. pissing and moaning that we didnt do more.

Not paying them isn't the issue, it's the fact that they spent that much on them. I've heard that the higher cap has made it ok, and that other people are doing it, but it seemed like a bad chain of events that led to this much overspending--creating a ugly market for the future.

[Devin]

Not paying them isn't the issue, it's the fact that they spent that much on them. I've heard that the higher cap has made it ok, and that other people are doing it, but it seemed like a bad chain of events that led to this much overspending--creating a ugly market for the future.

I dont disagree with that. Unfortunatley the NFL is only going to get worse as far as salaries go.

The market has unfortunatley changed. Personally i dont think any of the 3 OG's (Steinbach, Dockery or Dielman) are worth what they got.....but when in rome......

[HHURRICANE]

Find one bad thing written about Dockery. You can't. The guy was solid and was not an underachiever in Washington. They worked til the 11th hour trying to re-sign him.


$49 million for 7 years (of which only 18.5 million is guaranteed) to solidify the LG position that has been a constant issue for years. There are plenty of teams that would have liked to have had him including the Dolphins.

We have one signing that arguably can and will be questioned and that is Langston Walker. Dockery was a great pickup and when our left side dominates this year we'll see if the writer crawls out from under his rock.

[YardRat]

He lost all credibility with me by labeling the Clements signing 'rational'.

Let's not overlook the influence of the Snyders, Jones, and Krafts of the league's influence on overspending for marginal players, or Minnesota for that matter throwing the key to the vault at Hutchinson last year.

[chernobylwraiths]

Today, you PAY offensive linemen. Many have known for years that a good line is the key to a good team, both defensively and offensively. Marv has known this and only in the last few years have salaries for linemen, especially offensive linemen grown exponentially.

I would rather overpay for a good offensive lineman who can make loads of difference than overpay for a corner who doesn't make much of one.

[HHURRICANE]

Today, you PAY offensive linemen. Many have known for years that a good line is the key to a good team, both defensively and offensively. Marv has known this and only in the last few years have salaries for linemen, especially offensive linemen grown exponentially.

I would rather overpay for a good offensive lineman who can make loads of difference than overpay for a corner who doesn't make much of one.

Dude, dude, that was hot. Sorry, my kids just got done watching American idol.

Anyway, great post and I totally agree!!!!

[!Papacrunk!]

I'm not saying you one shouldn't PAY o-lineman, especially since they are an important asset to the offense, it's WHO gets paid and WHY.

Don't take this the wrong way guys, I'm not trying to tear down Dockery by a long shot. I think he's a very solid lineman, who knows he could even make the Pro Bowl in the next year(s), it's just that these players haven't done anything in the past to justify what they're getting now. It used to be one was rewarded for a job well done, not completely for what they may "potentially" do in the future. I wish Dockery the best of luck in the future, because as a former Redskin he should know that if you get paid big $$$$ you will completely fulfill your end of the contract, it happens all of the time correct?

[Statman]

his article is 100% right he just doesn't seem to get the whole situation......what you think Donte, Ko, Angelo, Lee and JP are gonna ask for with their new contracts? we better start resigning them now
And if we start re-signing them now they're for some inexplicable reason going to want less than Walker and Dockery?

Is that the way we should understand that?

The big money we paid those guys was an enormous mistake. We're going to lose players as a result.

[Jan Reimers]

I stopped reading when the author opined how Kelly and Thurman must feel about Dockery's contract. Their final deals were completed in the 90s. This is 2007.

Gee, imagine how Jack Kemp and Billy Shaw must feel.

[justasportsfan]

Even signing big names has people like Ice Jr. pissing and moaning that we didnt do more.
:D

[justasportsfan]

The big money we paid those guys was an enormous mistake. We're going to lose players as a result.
got any actual STATS to back that up ?

[Dr. Lecter]

Free agency is all about over paying guys. That is how the system works.

Dockery is overpaid, no doubt. Of course if the Bills don't overpay him people complain about them not signing guys or they overpay Fletcher or Nate.

[HHURRICANE]

I'm glad we "overpaid" for Dockery and not Nate.

People, the players and league renegotiate every few years and the Cap number goes up every year. We just had a new contract done so the number went up alot. This has happened before and the same posts come out everytime. Yes, the players salaries are stupid. Pull your posts from 1998 and you'll see they are identical.

[Jan Reimers]

We paid $75 Mil for 3 O-Linemen. The Niners paid $80 Mil for Clements. And we're stupid?

Oh, and think how Joe Montana, Steve Young and Jerry Rice must feel.

[justasportsfan]

all the cynics whining about how much we paid are the same people who were b1tching about not having an OL the last 10 years. :coocoo:

[feelthepain]

Whats the alternative?

Not paying Dockery and in the process not upgrading our OL? Damned if you do damned if you dont.

Even signing big names has people like Ice Jr. pissing and moaning that we didnt do more.


The Alternative is use your draft for Olinemen, but stay away from high first round picks at the Olinemen position. Draft late first day and any round second day for Olinemen. Spend your money in FA on players that have strentghs in areas you're weak. You don't need break the bank to be effective in FA. Look at the Pats in previous years, Mike Vrable wasn't exactly a success before he got to NE, but NE had specific plans for him and his strengths filled a need for them at his position. Result, a good match.

NE has been doing this successfully for the past five years. Drafting their Olinemen and Dlinemen and using FA to target specific players that fit their system and weaknesses, without breaking the bank. As for the *****y whiny Bill fans, start winning games and they will act like NE fans....every player they sign will be a probowler, before they even take a snap!!

[Saratoga Slim]

And if we start re-signing them now they're for some inexplicable reason going to want less than Walker and Dockery?

Is that the way we should understand that?

The big money we paid those guys was an enormous mistake. We're going to lose players as a result.

hopefully by doing the cash-to cap thing and writing off the signing bonuses in full this year, we'll have the space we need in the next couple to resign JP and Lee, as big signing bonuses in the past won't haunt us against future caps.