Anyone else get the feeling that we will be drafting Lee's replacement this year?

[Michael82]

Even if we sign Bryant Johnson, I'm betting that the Bills will still draft one of the top receivers this year, in the 1st or 2nd round and groom them to take over for Lee Evans. Look at the crazy contracts out there for WRs....


ESPN reports Oakland Raiders (http://www.kffl.com/team/28/nfl) WR Javon Walker (http://www.kffl.com/player/782/nfl) agreed to a six-year deal worth $55 million with more than $16 million in guarantees. He will get about $27 million in the first three years of the deal.


Free-agent receiver Bernard Berrian (http://sportsline.com/nfl/players/playerpage/492890) left the Chicago Bears for the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, agreeing to a six-year, $42 million contract that includes $16 million in guaranteed money.


Adam Schefter, of the NFL (http://www.kffl.com/team/77/nfl) Network, reports the Jacksonville Jaguars (http://www.kffl.com/team/20/nfl) have signed free-agent WR Jerry Porter (http://www.kffl.com/player/1437/nfl) (Raiders) to a six-year, $30 million contract, with $10 million in guaranteed money.


Adam Schefter, of NFL.com (http://www.kffl.com/link/156), reports the Miami Dolphins (http://www.kffl.com/team/22/nfl) have signed unrestricted free-agent WR Ernest Wilford (http://www.kffl.com/player/9440/nfl) (Jaguars) to a four-year deal worth $13 million. The contract also includes a $6 million signing bonus and a $1 million escalator.


Browns agreed to terms with Donte' Stallworth on a seven-year, $35 million contract, with $10 million guaranteed and $17 million in the first four years.


ESPNews reports the San Francisco 49ers (http://www.kffl.com/team/32/nfl) have signed free-agent WR Isaac Bruce (http://www.kffl.com/player/1779/nfl) (Rams) to a two-year contract worth $6 million.


Adam Schefter, of the NFL (http://www.kffl.com/team/77/nfl) Network, reports Houston Texans (http://www.kffl.com/team/18/nfl) WR Andre' Davis (http://www.kffl.com/player/479/nfl) signed a four-year deal worth $16 million with almost $8 million guaranteed.


Cowboys signed WR Patrick Crayton to a four-year, $14 million contract extension through 2011. The deal includes a $6 million signing bonus.


The truth is...how many of these guys are actually better than Lee Evans? None of them. With a good QB, Lee Evans is easily one of the top 10 WRs in the league. Just imagine the dollar signs in his eyes right now and his agent's eyes too. Chris Brown basically said the same thing this morning.... :ill:


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RAIDERS WALKER DEAL NO HELP FOR BILLS WITH EVANS: Once again Al Davis is ruining the market value for position players. He already upset the apple cart with Tommy Kelly's deal as far as the value for DTs. Now he's gone and done it with wide receivers. The 6-year $55M deal for Javon Walker is of no help to the Bills when it comes to negotiating an extension with Lee Evans.

Everyone is worried about how it could impact any free agent talks with Bryant Johnson, but it's likely to have a greater impact on Evans asking price on an extension. $55 million for a receiver that's had three surgeries on the same knee will hopefully be viewed as ludicrous by Evans' representation, but who knows. If a balky-kneed wideout can get $55M over six, what does a healthy #1 wideout get in an extension the Bills hope is no doubt as long in terms of years? Thanks again Al/

What do you guys think? :feedback:

[Dr. Lecter]

They can also tag Evans next year. It is an option, especially with Cash to Cap!

[justasportsfan]

If we sign Bryant I think we're going BPA since the wr position is supposedly deep.

[Michael82]

They can also tag Evans next year. It is an option, especially with Cash to Cap!
good point. But the cap number will definitely jump now with all these high priced receiver contracts. This year a franchise tag for a WR was worth....

$7.848 million

[VeggieMan14]

we should tag him nextyear and draft a WR next year have you seen the potential draft class for WRs next year. its crazy

[Meathead]

the football world has gone haywire on wr contracts. thats likely whats holding up the deals for both lee and johnson right now

good point on the franchise tag. nobody else is coming up the bills would use that on so lee is the obvious candidate. lets hope obd doesnt give any more wont tag promises and uses it for leverage to get lee signed to a reasonable contract

even a first round wr rookie wouldnt help them enough to offset losing (via fa or trade) evans in what appears to be a playoff contending team the next couple of years. they either have to extend lee or get a true number one in trade which would be tough right now to say the least

[Bulldog]

The Raiders deal for Walker is one of the dumbest contracts I've ever seen. Do people realize that the Raiders will be paying Walker more money in the first three years of the contract than the Pats will be paying Randy Moss? That contract is so out of whack in so many ways, that I don't think it will effect the Evans negotiations. There are plenty of other deals out there to reference to come to some sort of agreement with Evans. I would guess that he'll get a bit of a bump from the deal Berrian got from Minnesota. And to be honest, I don't think Buffalo has any intentions of letting Evans walk after this year.

[VeggieMan14]

The Raiders deal for Walker is one of the dumbest contracts I've ever seen. Do people realize that the Raiders will be paying Walker more money in the first three years of the contract than the Pats will be paying Randy Moss? That contract is so out of whack in so many ways, that I don't think it will effect the Evans negotiations. There are plenty of other deals out there to reference to come to some sort of agreement with Evans. I would guess that he'll get a bit of a bump from the deal Berrian got from Minnesota. And to be honest, I don't think Buffalo has any intentions of letting Evans walk after this year. i sure hope we find a way to keep him

[Michael82]

i sure hope we find a way to keep him
yeah, me too.... :pray:

[raphael120]

You know, this **** wouldn't be a problem if all the other teams in the league looked at what Oakland shelled out and the other team and be like, you know what, f-you, we're not going to pay that. And if every other team in the league decided that its a rediculous contract, then that player and agent would have no choice but to acknowledge that just because an idiot in Oakland is stupid enough to shell out that much money, it doesnt mean that that is now the official going rate for WR's.

This only gets out of control if the rest of the league lets it, and it seems like the rest of the league is stupid enough to do just that.

[kernowboy]

No.

Next years draft class in just as deep as this years. There makes more sense in tagging and then trading him for someone in that class. In many ways it could be even deeper.

There isn't really a consensus No1 choice amongst experts whilst next year there are some guys who may FALL out of the top10.

[TacklingDummy]

I've said all along that the first pick will be used on Evans replacement. It's a no brainer.

[VeggieMan14]

No.

Next years draft class in just as deep as this years. There makes more sense in tagging and then trading him for someone in that class. In many ways it could be even deeper.

There isn't really a consensus No1 choice amongst experts whilst next year there are some guys who may FALL out of the top10. 09 class is insane. michael crabtree is leading the party. tag evansnex year and trade himand a third fo a top ten pick. i can only hope

[TacklingDummy]

This only gets out of control if the rest of the league lets it, and it seems like the rest of the league is stupid enough to do just that.

Didn't baseball do something like that. I think they called it collusion.

[raphael120]

Didn't baseball do something like that. I think they called it collusion.
Collusion. Had to wikipedia that bad boy vocab word. Learn somethin new everyday!

[VeggieMan14]

Collusion. Had to wikipedia that bad boy vocab word. Learn somethin new everyday! wikipedia is da **** whoever started the whole its not a good source thing is a *****

[don137]

I think a contract around Berrian and Stallworth but maybe a little more would be realistic...6 yrs 45 million w/ 18MM in guaranteed money...

[TacklingDummy]

Collusion. Had to wikipedia that bad boy vocab word. Learn somethin new everyday!

A final settlement of the three collusion cases was reached in November 1990. The owners agreed to pay the players $280 million, with the MLBPA deciding how to distribute the money to the damaged players.

[Michael82]

I think a contract around Berrian and Stallworth but maybe a little more would be realistic...6 yrs 45 million w/ 18MM in guaranteed money...
I would love that contract, but I'm betting that it will be more. He's easily a better receiver than either of those two.

[mchurchfie]

The Bills better pony up for Evans. He is still head and tails above the rest. It's still too early to speculate anyways. Hell, we can't even come up with a No. 2 receiver yet, why would we let our No 1 walk? That would be a Sabres FO move there.

[Night Train]

I think all those contracts Mikey listed were absured for average to below average WR's.

[Michael82]

I think all those contracts Mikey listed were absured for average to below average WR's.
yeah and thats what worries me about Evans.... :nervous:

[ddaryl]

The Bills better pony up for Evans. He is still head and tails above the rest. It's still too early to speculate anyways. Hell, we can't even come up with a No. 2 receiver yet, why would we let our No 1 walk? That would be a Sabres FO move there.



Lee will be offered a solid contract but it won't be top 5... So if Lee doesn't sign an extension the Bills will draft Lee's replacement, and then franchise him next year in and then trade him. The rookie WR we draft this year will get a year to develope.

We still need that #2 WR this year though to help absorb this switch next year IMO.

I hope we extend Lee, but we shouldn't be competing with the outrageous money being tossed around these days.

[Michael82]

Lee will be offered a solid contract but it won't be top 5... So if Lee doesn't sign an extension the Bills will draft Lee's replacement, and then franchise him next year in and then trade him. The rookie WR we draft this year will get a year to develope.

We still need that #2 WR this year though to help absorb this switch next year IMO.

I hope we extend Lee, but we shouldn't be competing with the outrageous money being tossed around these days.
I agree. If it is going to take $9 million per year for Lee Evans, I would rather draft his replacement and do the tag and trade with him. :up:

[BillsFever21]

That is why we should have done this last year. There is no way the Bills pay that kind of money if Evans demands it.

And why would Evans settle for anything unless he loves playing in Buffalo which I doubt he does. It would take at least as much as Walker got if not more.

Al Davis has sure signed some stupid contracts this offseason. When Javon Walker was good and wanted the money he couldn't get it. Now three years later and nothing but injuries he gets the money. That worked out for him pretty good.

[kernowboy]

As long as we get some compensation, I'm not really bothered.

There are usually more good WRs classes than not. Next years draft looks as deep at WR as this years but the main difference is that while picking at No11, we are wondering if drafting the likes of Kelly or Sweed are a reach, next year if we drafted at No11, the like of Michael Crabtree or Darrius Heyward-Bey could be regarded as a steal.

[Michael82]

That is why we should have done this last year. There is no way the Bills pay that kind of money if Evans demands it.

And why would Evans settle for anything unless he loves playing in Buffalo which I doubt he does. It would take at least as much as Walker got if not more.

Al Davis has sure signed some stupid contracts this offseason. When Javon Walker was good and wanted the money he couldn't get it. Now three years later and nothing but injuries he gets the money. That worked out for him pretty good.
If only Javon Walker never got a contract offer from the Raiders. Then that would have made Randy Moss' $27 million/3 year contract...the highest one out there and Lee Evans is not Randy Moss. Now with the Walker deal, it throws the whole thing wayyy out of whack! :ill:

[Ultra Chimp 1]

I think overpaying a little for Evans is not as bad as some of you make it seem.

One thing the NFL has showed me throughout recent times is having two great receivers greatly increases a team's chances of making the playoffs.

That means we must retain two quality WR if we're going to give our team any solid hope come regular season time.

It's a receivers game out there, that much I know.

[Michael82]

I think overpaying a little for Evans is not as bad as some of you make it seem.

One thing the NFL has showed me throughout recent times is having two great receivers greatly increases a team's chances of making the playoffs.

That means we must retain two quality WR if we're going to give our team any solid hope come regular season time.

It's a receivers game out there, that much I know.
The Bengals and the Cardinals have had two of the top receiver duos in a league. Yet both of them missed the playoffs for the past 2 years.

[Ultra Chimp 1]

The Bengals and the Cardinals have had two of the top receiver duos in a league. Yet both of them missed the playoffs for the past 2 years.

So, what's your point?

I don't think Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, TJ Houshmenzadah or Chad Johnson are even close to the reason why Arizona and the Bengals failed to reach the playoffs in 2007.

If anything, those four players were the only hope they had of making the playoffs.