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Everytime I see a post about what big WRs the Bills should pursue in free agency, I see names like Bryant Johnson, DJ Hackett, Earnest Wilford, etc.--even J.Gage before he was re-signed by the Titans--but NOBODY seems to ever mention Donte Stallworth.
I can understand not mentioning Randy Moss because he would definitely be out of the Bills price-range and likely not interested in coming to Buffalo, but why no love for Stallworth?
Unlike Johnson, Stallworth has actually been a starter in the NFL. He has been healthier than Hackett and more productive and a more dangerous deep threat than Wilford, etc. So, why shouldn't the Bills at least try to see if they can sign Stallworth?
While the Bills can't say that they would have a Tom Brady throwing the ball to him, the Bills could tell Stallworth that they could put him in the lineup with Evans (in the Moss role) and Parrish (in the Welker role) in an offense where he could be very productive on an up-and-coming team. Of course, they would probably have to pay Stallworth more than they would have to pay Wilford, Hackett or Johnson, but they are probably going to have to over-pay one of those guys, so why not over-pay a guy who has actually been more durable and/or more productive?
IMHO it would certainly be wroth the Bills' while to at least talk with Stallworth's agent to see what it would take to get Stallworth to sign with the Bills. The worst that he could do is say that he's not interested or ask for double what it would take to sign one of the other FA WRs, but who knows, maybe Stallworth would relish the idea of getting the Pats back for not picking up his option....
And, if the Bills were to get Stallworth, they would not have to worry about getting a NFL-ready WR at the top of the draft and could be much more flexible in their whole approach to the draft--because therer wouldn't be any question of whether he would be able to handle the role of being the starting WR opposite L.Evans.
I can understand not mentioning Randy Moss because he would definitely be out of the Bills price-range and likely not interested in coming to Buffalo, but why no love for Stallworth?
Unlike Johnson, Stallworth has actually been a starter in the NFL. He has been healthier than Hackett and more productive and a more dangerous deep threat than Wilford, etc. So, why shouldn't the Bills at least try to see if they can sign Stallworth?
While the Bills can't say that they would have a Tom Brady throwing the ball to him, the Bills could tell Stallworth that they could put him in the lineup with Evans (in the Moss role) and Parrish (in the Welker role) in an offense where he could be very productive on an up-and-coming team. Of course, they would probably have to pay Stallworth more than they would have to pay Wilford, Hackett or Johnson, but they are probably going to have to over-pay one of those guys, so why not over-pay a guy who has actually been more durable and/or more productive?
IMHO it would certainly be wroth the Bills' while to at least talk with Stallworth's agent to see what it would take to get Stallworth to sign with the Bills. The worst that he could do is say that he's not interested or ask for double what it would take to sign one of the other FA WRs, but who knows, maybe Stallworth would relish the idea of getting the Pats back for not picking up his option....
And, if the Bills were to get Stallworth, they would not have to worry about getting a NFL-ready WR at the top of the draft and could be much more flexible in their whole approach to the draft--because therer wouldn't be any question of whether he would be able to handle the role of being the starting WR opposite L.Evans.
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