Bills' Walker Prepared to Miss Start of Minicamp

[G. Host]

http://sports.myway.com/news/06102007/v6906.html
With contract talks progressing slowly, veteran defensive tackle Darwin Walker is prepared to face a fine for missing the start of the Buffalo Bills' mandatory minicamp Monday.

"We're moving at a snail's pace," Walker's agent, Albert Irby, told The Associated Press on Sunday. "We ain't that close. I don't know if we're going to get anything done today."

Should Walker not report, he stands to face a fine because he has two years left under his current contract.

JOHN WAWROW's talk with agent must have occurred past the normal deadline for last I heard he WAS prepared to go to camp. Not a good idea IMO for Bills will just fine him and if he does not report wait until end of Training Camp fining him every day until he follows commitment.

[Mad Bomber]

I'm really beginning to hate this guy.

[OpIv37]

One step forward, two steps backwards.

The news on this guy was encouraging yesterday, and now we're right back to where we started.

And people defend the Spikes trade by saying he didn't want to be here and would be a locker room cancer. Well, look what we got in return.

[Carlton Bailey]

I still can't dislike Darwin for this. Buffalo's front office knew the situation it would be in upon acquiring him. Right now, the Bills are embarrassing themselves.

If only we could at least know how much Walker wants.

[Mad Bomber]

If only we could at least know how much Walker wants.
That's the big question in my mind.

[OpIv37]

I still can't dislike Darwin for this. Buffalo's front office knew the situation it would be in upon acquiring him. Right now, the Bills are embarrassing themselves.

If only we could at least know how much Walker wants.

while I agree that the FO screwed up completely on this trade, Walker's still under contract. There is no rule that says he can't work on a re-negotiation while in mini-camp. But apparently he wants to get paid more than he wants to win (and while that's probably true for most players, at least they have the sense to pretend otherwise in front of the fans and the media).

[BillyT92679]

Walker has TWO YEARS LEFT. There is no excuse for a holdout when you have two years left. Do awesome this year and then push hard for a deal.... he is looking ridiculous.

[SABURZFAN]

i'm prepared to take the 6th Round draft pick and part with a headache. :mad:

[Mahdi]

i'm prepared to take the 6th Round draft pick and part with a headache. :mad:
I dont know.... i dont think he has character issues.... he was traded and now he wants a new contract with a new team... its not completely out of the question. Bottom line is we need this guy. He produces big-time and is exactly the type of player we need for this D. If McCargo is ready to go and bigger as they say to play nose with K. Williams, and Tripplett already playing better as he was at the end of the year then we have a great DT rotation. Without him we have an ok DT rotation that is one injury away from disaster if McCargo goes down again.

[DraftBoy]

I dont know.... i dont think he has character issues.... he was traded and now he wants a new contract with a new team... its not completely out of the question. Bottom line is we need this guy. He produces big-time and is exactly the type of player we need for this D. If McCargo is ready to go and bigger as they say to play nose with K. Williams, and Tripplett already playing better as he was at the end of the year then we have a great DT rotation. Without him we have an ok DT rotation that is one injury away from disaster if McCargo goes down again.

He wanted a new deal before the trade just to note

[Mitchy moo]

I hope he fights as hard on the field as he has off of it. :rrich:

[G. Host]

Bills ought to offer him three contracts:
1. One which continues his old contract, a contract he signed even if he wishes he didn't now
2. An incentive based ciontract with increases for performance, number of games available, etc with iotions (bonuses) for Bills to extend it
3. Take it or leave it notice that they will penalize him for each and every required practice and game missed as allowed by contract AND telling him that he will sit on the bench when he decides to sign to collect his year of senority AND the Bills are willing to do same thing next year as well per barginning agreemenr.

No turning him back to Eagles - if we wants to be a rotten egg he will be a rotten egg and they will see who has interest in a 30 year old, 2 year stale egg in two years.

The Bills did not invest a lot in him - two players who Bills did not intend on keeping - and can use this approach to make other players think twice about holding out.


Walker probably had some sort of off-the-table deal with Eagles but the Bills shoulld not be penalied for that.

[RedEyE]

F this guy. He doesn't have to miss camp for crying out loud. That's just being childish, IMO.

I'm tired of hearing about it. I'm willing to bet the FO is tired of dealing with him. Let the guy walk away. The Bills are taking a loss on this trade no matter how you look at it anyway.

[Tatonka]

does anyone know if we HAVE TO give him back to philly come august if he has not signed? i read somewhere today that it was our option.. i would keep him and just fine the **** out of him till he shows up.

[DraftBoy]

Bills ought to offer him three contracts:
1. One which continues his old contract, a contract he signed even if he wishes he didn't now
2. An incentive based ciontract with increases for performance, number of games available, etc with iotions (bonuses) for Bills to extend it
3. Take it or leave it notice that they will penalize him for each and every required practice and game missed as allowed by contract AND telling him that he will sit on the bench when he decides to sign to collect his year of senority AND the Bills are willing to do same thing next year as well per barginning agreemenr.

No turning him back to Eagles - if we wants to be a rotten egg he will be a rotten egg and they will see who has interest in a 30 year old, 2 year stale egg in two years.

The Bills did not invest a lot in him - two players who Bills did not intend on keeping - and can use this approach to make other players think twice about holding out.


Walker probably had some sort of off-the-table deal with Eagles but the Bills shoulld not be penalied for that.

We cant not return him if he doesnt sign a new deal by the deadline, that was what our braintrust agreed to. Like it or not.

[DraftBoy]

does anyone know if we HAVE TO give him back to philly come august if he has not signed? i read somewhere today that it was our option.. i would keep him and just fine the **** out of him till he shows up.

From what I understand he reports back to PHI if not signed by said deadline. If we willingly send him back just because thats pretty dumb imo.

[G. Host]

We cant not return him if he doesnt sign a new deal by the deadline, that was what our braintrust agreed to. Like it or not.

Never suggested we do so. That is why I said "No turning him back to Eagles". He is worth more as an example than as a draft pick.

[Kelly The Dog]

According to John Wawrow, the AP Bills beat guy who is a very decent reporter with no agenda and almost always right about the Bills, it is the Bills option whether or not to return him on August 5 if he doesn't report. Until I read otherwise, from a more reliable source than him, and there aren't many, I will assume it is the Bills option.


Under NFL rules, the Bills would have the option to return Walker to Philadelphia if he doesn't report by Aug. 5. Buffalo would then receive a sixth-round pick in next year's draft as compensation.
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/football/070608/f06089A.html

[SABURZFAN]

Never suggested we do so. That is why I said "No turning him back to Eagles". He is worth more as an example than as a draft pick.


i disagree.a 6th Rounder will not holdout.

[Tatonka]

that makes me feel tons better then.. screw him.. keep him and fine the **** out of him.. or let him show up as a sign of good faith and do work before he gets a new deal.

under no circumstances should philly get him back for a 6th.. thats for sure.

[Carlton Bailey]

I'm sure Wawrow is all fine and dandy, but I trust Adam Schefter more than anyone. Until he says it's the Bills' option, I'm going to assume Walker just goes back to Philly on August 5.

[Pinkerton Security]

I saw we just fine the SOB as much as possible, then send him back to Philly and let them try to get it through his thick skull that he doesnt deserve a better contract...yet. I wouldnt have a problem if he had been here for a year and did even decent. He hasnt even been to our voluntary workouts. There is some give you know, Darwin. Its not all take. And while I agree that he may be worth more than he is getting paid (as far as football salaries go, not real-life value bc no one is worth the money these guys make), he hasnt even made the effort to come to Buffalo yet, as far as I have heard. Douche.

[madness]

And so it begins...

DT Walker not present

<TABLE borderColor=#09347b cellPadding=10 width="95%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=mediumrow style="BORDER-RIGHT: #548bb5 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #548bb5 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #548bb5 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #548bb5 1px solid" colSpan=2><TABLE style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #002d78 1px solid" width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD align=left>Today
</TD><TD align=right>Posted By: Chris Brown | Time: 10:09 AM ET | Link (http://buffalobills.com/blog/index.jsp?post_id=1514)

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>WALKER NOT IN ATTENDANCE: Darwin Walker is not in attendance at the first day of the Bills mandatory minicamp. Any updates on his situation this week will be covered on Buffalobills.com.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[ddaryl]

that makes me feel tons better then.. screw him.. keep him and fine the **** out of him.. or let him show up as a sign of good faith and do work before he gets a new deal.

under no circumstances should philly get him back for a 6th.. thats for sure.


I completely disagree.... He will hold out on Philly just the same and he will still have to pay the Bills the fines he owes.

I'd rather get that 6th rd pick then nothing at all, and since this loser couldn't even be bothered to show up at voluntary workouts it pretty much tells you what type of character he is.

Spikes wanted out and no other team offered a better deal then Philly, so we should grab the 6th and be glad we got something and let Philly deal with the headache if Walker won't sign a decent contract.

Walker is obvioulsy trying to milk a better then deserved contract, and I don't want us over paying a guy who couldn't be bothered to show up for OTA's and voluntaries.

[B-DON]

Some of you guys fail to realize we knew he wanted a new contract and i am almost 100% positive that we knew what kind of contract Walker was looking for. If the FO didnt then this is just embarassing. Plus look at what we had to pay decent free agents just to play here. Nobody wants to play for Buffalo and we just ignore this fact. Who wants to go play for a team that hasnt sniffed the playoffs this decade, for a team constantly vying for the superbowl. Walker is not to blame here, out FO should take the blame.

[Rhettoric]

A 6th round pick is sounding better every day. The only person on our DL that deserves to renegotiate their contract is Schobel. He is at least a proven SACK commodity in our system! Walker hasn't even taken a snap with Bills and I don't care if he ever does.