As far as WR goes...

[patmoran2006]

If we either:
1- Draft a WR in the first round, or
2- Sign someone who MATTERS in FA

Then I will be happy as we're really trying to better this position.

But if we:
1- Sign someone who matters in FA (Gage, Wilford, whomever)
AND
Draft a WR in the first round.

I will not be happy, because that is setting the wheels in motion to say bye bye to Lee Evans after this year. That's NOT a long-term improvement move, that's our typical "addition by subtraction" for the long haul move.

Anyone get what I'm saying?

We just extended Parrish and we still have Reed, who would be a very good WR, if he was coming off the bench (and almost certainly would be). Those (flip a coin) are/should be our #3/4 WR's for some time to come.

If we were to sign (just using examples here) Wilford OR draft Kelly, that's a good sign.. If we were to sign Wilford AND draft Kelly; you can say goodnite to Lee Evans soon after this season, and that's the **** about this team I HATE.

[gr8slayer]

If we either:
1- Draft a WR in the first round, or
2- Sign someone who MATTERS in FA

Then I will be happy as we're really trying to better this position.

But if we:
1- Sign someone who matters in FA (Gage, Wilford, whomever)
AND
Draft a WR in the first round.

I will not be happy, because that is setting the wheels in motion to say bye bye to Lee Evans after this year. That's NOT a long-term improvement move, that's our typical "addition by subtraction" for the long haul move.

Anyone get what I'm saying?

We just extended Parrish and we still have Reed, who would be a very good WR, if he was coming off the bench (and almost certainly would be). Those (flip a coin) are/should be our #3/4 WR's for some time to come.

If we were to sign (just using examples here) Wilford OR draft Kelly, that's a good sign.. If we were to sign Wilford AND draft Kelly; you can say goodnite to Lee Evans soon after this season, and that's the **** about this team I HATE.
That's just the league now in the FA era.

[patmoran2006]

Well that's not what I want to see happen. It's one thing to draft early to replace aging guys who are losing it like say a Fletcher, Spikes, Adams, Milloy, etc. Maybe guys that aren't necessarily losing but guys who don't fit in talent-wise for the long term.

It's another thing to draft a guy to replace a guy who's just entering his prime because we aren't going to pay him.

[gr8slayer]

Well that's not what I want to see happen. It's one thing to draft early to replace aging guys who are losing it like say a Fletcher, Spikes, Adams, Milloy, etc. Maybe guys that aren't necessarily losing but guys who don't fit in talent-wise for the long term.

It's another thing to draft a guy to replace a guy who's just entering his prime because we aren't going to pay him.
I don't like it either. I'm all for re-signing your homegrown guys that have proven themselves. Who are we to say that it won't happen much the same way the Schobel deal seemed to randomly pop up last off-season?

Do I think Evans is a good player? No doubt. Elite? No way. We both know that he's going to want Andre Johnson type money, do you really think he's worth that kind of money? I think it's questionable.

[The Jokeman]

There's no guaranteeing the UFA we sign would be able to do what we want. To me it's covering your tracks. Let's not forget 12 years ago that we signed Quinn Early in free agency and drafted Eric Moulds with our top pick that same offseason despite having Andre Reed under contract, although in all fairness there were questions if he'd return, and Russell Copeland coming off a career year.

[Philagape]

If we do go both ways, and they both become decent starters, and Edwards pans out, and Evans demands unreasonable money, I could see letting him go. A lot of ifs, but he's not indispensable.

[gr8slayer]

If we do go both ways, and they both become decent starters, and Edwards pans out, and Evans demands unreasonable money, I could see letting him go. A lot of ifs, but he's not indispensable.
Edwards isn't an "if" :up:

[X-Era]

If we either:
1- Draft a WR in the first round, or
2- Sign someone who MATTERS in FA

Then I will be happy as we're really trying to better this position.

But if we:
1- Sign someone who matters in FA (Gage, Wilford, whomever)
AND
Draft a WR in the first round.

I will not be happy, because that is setting the wheels in motion to say bye bye to Lee Evans after this year. That's NOT a long-term improvement move, that's our typical "addition by subtraction" for the long haul move.

Anyone get what I'm saying?

We just extended Parrish and we still have Reed, who would be a very good WR, if he was coming off the bench (and almost certainly would be). Those (flip a coin) are/should be our #3/4 WR's for some time to come.

If we were to sign (just using examples here) Wilford OR draft Kelly, that's a good sign.. If we were to sign Wilford AND draft Kelly; you can say goodnite to Lee Evans soon after this season, and that's the **** about this team I HATE.

Agree with you. However, as you said yourself, what evidence do we have that they wont in fact let Evans go? The Bills have notorious for not resigning their own lately. Peters, Schobel, theres a few. But Evans is a high dollar player and we will need to pay dearly to keep him.

No, if we want to be competitive, we think that Evans is gone and plan that way. If it happens, we are prepared, if not, we are just that much better.

[X-Era]

I don't like it either. I'm all for re-signing your homegrown guys that have proven themselves. Who are we to say that it won't happen much the same way the Schobel deal seemed to randomly pop up last off-season?

Do I think Evans is a good player? No doubt. Elite? No way. We both know that he's going to want Andre Johnson type money, do you really think he's worth that kind of money? I think it's questionable.

Andre Johnson is so much better? No way. I just dont see that. If you said Roy Williams I would agree. Not Andre Johnson.

Evans is not a top 10 WR in this league, but hes in the next group of 10 for sure IMO. That includes guys like Johnson, Fitzgerald, Boldin, Walker. Thats the type of money hes gonna get.

We like to save money, understand, always a good plan. But the FACT is that we dont set the market, the other 31 teams do. Until we get that point, we will not sign or resign the great players in this league.

[gr8slayer]

Andre Johnson is so much better? No way. I just dont see that. If you said Roy Williams I would agree. Not Andre Johnson.

Evans is not a top 10 WR in this league, but hes in the next group of 10 for sure IMO. That includes guys like Johnson, Fitzgerald, Boldin, Walker. Thats the type of money hes gonna get.

We like to save money, understand, always a good plan. But the FACT is that we dont set the market, the other 31 teams do. Until we get that point, we will not sign or resign the great players in this league.
Andre Johnson > Roy Williams any day.

[Confused]

I would love it if we brought in wilford or gage AND drafted DeSean Jackson or Hardy. Lee evans is an assett to this team, but as edwardsera said he is not elite. We need a new kick returner. Jackson imho can replace Lee. Hardy and Wilford gives us a Burress/Toomer or R.Williams/C.Johnson thing in our WR corps for once.

All that said i dont see it happening. Either we sign a FA WR, or we draft A mid-rounds WR and focus on the defensive line and TE our first couple picks. Or, we go all out and draft Kelly/Hardy/Sweed/Doucet/Manningham/Jackson/Bowman, lettting the D sort itself out in later rounds(A TE in the 2nd is a lock in my mind).

[X-Era]

Andre Johnson > Roy Williams any day.

crack > coke any day

[YardRat]

I don't see the team going 'big' in FA AND using round 1 on the same position, but if they do I don't think it's an omen that Evans is gone.

Besides...If in the long run the two guys we get end up being better than Evans and he ends up going elsewhere because he wants more money than the team feels he is worth so be it...The bottom line then is that the team is better, and that is what is most important.

[gr8slayer]

crack > coke any day
You obviously don't watch much football.

[Philagape]

Andre Johnson blows away Roy Williams. The only thing that previously held Johnson back was having a real QB, and when he got one last year he had 60 catches for 851 yards and and eight TDs .... in NINE games. Physically he's a beast, and he did that with no other decent receivers.

[gr8slayer]

Andre Johnson blows away Roy Williams. The only thing that previously held Johnson back was having a real QB, and when he got one last year he had 60 catches for 851 yards and and eight TDs .... in NINE games. Physically he's a beast, and he did that with no other decent receivers.
I have a feeling that EdwardsEra doesn't watch much football outside of the Bills. Johnson is an elite player, Williams is a second tier.

[Bert102176]

Andre Johnson blows away Roy Williams. The only thing that previously held Johnson back was having a real QB, and when he got one last year he had 60 catches for 851 yards and and eight TDs .... in NINE games. Physically he's a beast, and he did that with no other decent receivers.


actually the year before last with Carr at QB Johnson had a hell of a year also

[kernowboy]

I disagree.

I think Evans is more likely to resign if we DO pick and a WR in FA and draft one. Players play for money but ALSO for the chance to be a winner.

Evans offers something most of our other guys don't - blazing speed - but I think he is becoming increasingly frustrated at the double and triple teams he is getting. Providing additional threats alleviates these burdens.

For many years the Colts have had 3 top WRs, the Pats carried 5 who could've walked into a starting job elsewhere plus a top WR on IR.

Directly addressing the problem of a lack of big WRs will make Evans feel more confident that he can win things here with the Bills.

And lets not forget he did suffer a serious knee injury in college. So it would be prudent to have more starting calibre WRs on the gameday roster.

Price is gone. Aiken is only a STeamer. Lee will realise that there are two roster spots and it is the quality of the guys we bring in that will reflect our ambition.

If we simply look at the bottom of the barrel he will think that he'll never win a ring here.

If we draft someone like Adarius Bowman and a TE like John Carlson plus grab a FA like DJ Hackett, then Evans will probably get his agent to start negotiating immediately.

Only if we draft a smaller WR with blazing speed like Jackson would I agree with you.

[raphael120]

I think this team has way too many holes to just focus on 1 position. If we draft #1 WR in the draft, I think we'll be good. I think getting a capable 3rd stringer that would be better than Reed wouldnt be too expensive though.

We have questions at TE, OLB, CB, DT, DE...and this is the year we need to do something or it's bye bye Jauron so I expect Jauron to address all positions and be smart.