Here's what was up with Johnson

[evol4276]

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED WITH JOHNSON: Since there's been a wide range of opinions on what Johnson would have brought to the Bills had he signed here, and whether the team really wanted him or whether he really wanted to play for Buffalo, I'll outline how things went down between him and the team. The Bills made him a multi-year offer which was very competitive and would have rewarded him further had he produced like a number two receiver.
The Johnson camp was looking for a contract similar to what Donte Stallworth (7-$35M-$10M guaranteed) or Jerry Porter (6-$30M-$10M guaranteed) received in terms of pay per season ($5M per year). The problem is Johnson has never had a 50-catch season, never had a 5 TD reception season and only once has had a season of over 600 receiving yards.
Stallworth has had two seasons of better than 50 catches, 2 seasons of more than 5 TD receptions and 4 seasons of better than 600 yards receiving.
Porter has had three seasons of better than 50 catches, 4 seasons of more than 5 TD receptions and 4 seasons of better than 600 yards receiving.
Sure Johnson can say he had less opportunity as a #3 WR, but you have to do it before teams will pay you like the guys that have. No other team was offering him a multi-year deal in the Stallworth, Porter territory.
At that point the Johnson camp decided they wanted a one-year deal. Buffalo does not give one-year deals to 26-year old players. They are trying to build something over the long haul. A one-year deal doesn't help the team. If they signed Johnson to a one-year deal and he has a big year, then re-signing the player becomes difficult, he signs elsewhere for crazy money and the Bills would be in the same boat they're in now in terms of filling the #2 receiver role.
So by late Thursday the chances of Johnson signing in Buffalo were slim to none. The Johnson camp found a team willing to offer a one-year deal in San Francisco and that's how it ended.
Tampa was never in the mix.
I also don't get the sense at all that the Bills feel not signing Johnson is in any way a setback for the club. He was a viable option they considered to fill a need and they now explore other options, which in my opinion is primarily the draft. There's nothing of any great interest on the free agent market.

clears things up more i think.




sry if this was posted. i dont remember seeing anything about this though on here

[Lexwhat]

Re: Here's what was up with Johnson

Thanks for posting. IMO, the Bills are STUPID. They did make the right decision in NOT giving him a long-term contract, but they should have signed him to a 1 year deal.

They then should have just drafted a WR in the 1st or 2nd round.

Even if Johnson has a big year and walks away after this year, who the hell cares? If the Bills are tryin to win this year (which they should be), they should have just given him a 1 year contract while a rookie develops.

Pathetic.

[gr8slayer]

Re: Here's what was up with Johnson

He sucked anyway. I didn't want him from the start.

[jamze132]

Re: Here's what was up with Johnson

I'm not broken hearted about not signing him. I think the Bills did the right thing as far as offering him a multi-year deal. I agree with their policy to an extent about not signing young players with potential to a one year deal.

When players that are that young and are injury free request a one year contract, they are in the NFL for money only, not to play a game. He is thinking he is going to light it up this year and then collect a big payday the next season. But if he has a mediocre seaoson as the teams #2 receiver, he is just going to hop around the country and never have any stability, which players like him don't give a crap about.

[SquishDaFish]

Re: Here's what was up with Johnson

I think the Bills were smart. They wanted to sign him longterm with incentives that way he only gets paid that top money if he produced. And when he wanted a 1 year deal Im happy Buffalo said no. You dont give 26 year old kids 1 year deals.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: Here's what was up with Johnson

Why is long term stability such a bad thing for some people?? It's in the teams best interest that players grow together and become successful. There was also no previous experience to how he would hold up during the season after getting a full time chance to catchballs. He also got offered a multi-year deal and incentives to earn more, which in the present time of what he has done is a reasonable scenario.

Remember my thread of Johnson wanting ~$5M a season and my asking what has he done as the #3 receiver of a losing team to earn that?? The Bills felt the same way.

He looks great but has really not done anything to justify huge money yet. He isn't in a league of his own, is the potential just there or is there something I am missing? I want us to sign the guy but I'd like to be sold first, please.

He's looking for huge money, not like $2M a year but more like $5-6 M a year. That is the way I understood it anyways.

http://www.billszone.com/fanzone/showthread.php?t=147728&highlight=bryant+johnson

Greed killed the beast, not beauty. Draft away.

[don137]

Re: Here's what was up with Johnson

I agree with Beastmode. The Bills want continuity and you do not get it from a one year deal from a 26 year old. Buffalo's offer was fair. It's too bad Johnson did not take the incentive laden deal because he would of been paid accordingly IF he produced.

[Goobylal]

Re: Here's what was up with Johnson

Thanks for posting. IMO, the Bills are STUPID. They did make the right decision in NOT giving him a long-term contract, but they should have signed him to a 1 year deal.

They then should have just drafted a WR in the 1st or 2nd round.

Even if Johnson has a big year and walks away after this year, who the hell cares? If the Bills are tryin to win this year (which they should be), they should have just given him a 1 year contract while a rookie develops.

Pathetic.

The central point is that the Bills were given the chance to give Johnson the 1-year deal the 49'ers were offering him, but declined. It's not like they lost him. They didn't want him for just 1-year.

I guess we'll see if they made the right decision, but I'm betting Johnson has a horrible year in SF (given their QB situation) and isn't even offered next year what the Bills offered him this year. But sometimes people need to find out the hard way.

[TedMock]

Re: Here's what was up with Johnson

Good move by the Bills. None of the FA WR's were particularly impressive this year (well, ok, Randy Moss, but the entire world knew he wasn't leaving NE). I, like many, was hoping we could get a decent deal done for Johnson, but it would have been stupid to pay him what Porter et al received. Talented or not, he has not done what they have. At least not to date. Former first round pick. True, but they also ended up discovering Boldin for a reason and still felt the need to draft Fitzgerald. We have to be realistic.

As for drafting a rookie to start - why not? We'll see the argument that WR's don't often play lights-out in their rookie seasons. This true, but usually for No.1's. We've watched a ton of WRs drafted who play great as No. 2's and No. 3's in their rookie campaigns. Some go on to be great No. 1's, some remain very good No. 2's. Lee Evans, Josh Reed (yes, he was an excellent 3rd as a rookie!), Roy Williams, Michael Clayton, Calvin Johnson, etc. Again, some went on to be great #1's. Of course some struggled big-time when transitioned to the 1. Michael Clayton is probably the most obvious. Bottom line is that, right now, Lee Evans is our No. 1. Drafting a talented No. 2 doesn't necessarily put us behind the 8-ball when compared to the alternative of paying a 26 year old underachiever.

Similar arguments can be made for TE's. I think their transition is a little easier. The problem with TE's is that very few are "elite." Vernon Davis and Kellen Winslow, Jr. are probably the two best young guys. Both have had injuries, but I'm sure they'll have long, successful careers. As for most of the other guys, age or injury has watched their talent deteriorate. Franks and Crumpler were FA's this year. Big deal. If it were 2002, I'd be all over it. We don't need an elite TE. I'd rather have great WR's and a good TE. I'm praying to god we can draft a good TE this year. On the surface, there appear to be a handful of solid TE's in the draft, so we should be okay - at least on draft day.

[BlackMetalNinja]

Re: Here's what was up with Johnson

Smart move on the Bills part in my opinion. The guys is unproven and I've said that all along... There was no reason for him to be getting the money Stallworth or Porter are getting, and to sign him to a 1 year deal from our standpoint was worthless. I for one, was relieved when he signed with San Francisco. Now, let's go out there and draft one of the top guys to become our #2. We may suffer a little with growing pains in that spot for a year or so, but the rest of the team seems to be coming around to counterbalance that some.

[Mudflap1]

Re: Here's what was up with Johnson

Since Chris Brown always gets torn apart on here (even though 99% of the Billszone fans would probably cream in their pants if they were offered his job), I'm going to take time here and give the guy some props. Sure, he's not allowed to spill the beans by contract when stuff is going on (like contract negotiations), but this is some nice real-time insight into what happened and what the Bills were thinking. Frankly, I don't blame the Bills. The only reason I would disagree with the signing is that the Bills have been a perennial loser for the last decade, so "beggars can't be choosers" if you will. However, Bryant Johnson is not a proven commodity, and he should not be paid as a number 2 receiver in my opinion. So I don't blame the Bills at all for sticking to their guns. I just hope that they do find that elusive number 2 option.

Jon