Toronto windfall could go to a good cause — Evans

[Philagape]

Ralph Wilson knows what you’re thinking: Last week, financial statements revealed that Rogers Communications will pay the Bills $78 million for the right to host eight games in Canada over the next five years. That averages out to a tidy $9.75 million a game, or roughly twice what the Bills collect in gross revenues for a typical home game at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Naturally, this means the Bills will have more money to invest in players, right?

“Uh, no it won’t,’ ” Wilson said Friday afternoon from his home in Detroit. “That $78 million doesn’t go into our pocket. You’ve got to pay the players out of that. We’ve got the cap. We always spend up to the cap. So I don’t know where people get the idea we have more money to spend. Listen, the public really doesn’t understand how complicated this whole CBA (the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement) really is.”
http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/columns/story/338632.html

[ddaryl]

People in Buffalo don’t want to hear it. All they know is the rich just got richer. Don’t tell the guy on the picket line that $78 million is a drop in the bucket. Make a gesture that tells the fans you get it. Pay Evans or some other young player and tell people the new Toronto money helped make it happen.
The owner needs to show his faithful fans that he means business — or should I say, that it isn’t always just about business.


That might have been one of the more intelligent things Jery has written

[TacklingDummy]

Evans replacement was drafted this year. Hopefully Hardy can become a better WR then Evans.

Evans doesn't deserve the money if he plays this year the way he did last year.

[DMBcrew36]

That might have been one of the more intelligent things Jery has written

Yeah, I was reading it and thinking "right on, right on."

[MikeInRoch]

Way to promote class envy.

[acehole]

Evans replacement was drafted this year. Hopefully Hardy can become a better WR then Evans.

Evans doesn't deserve the money if he plays this year the way he did last year.

I am in the minority that think that the qb and wr (And rest of the team)are intertwined as far as production go. I think Lee Does NOT sign until he sees what Trend can bring to the table. If he doent live up to the Joe Montanna comparisions he will not want to squander the best years of his career here. The idea is to compliment Lee not replace him...for it to work..the 2 Wr need attention whether to double cover each or not to open things up for the qbs...however we could continue the 10 year rebuilding process another 4 years....

[kernowboy]

Whilst Evans has been good he has not been great.

He worked best with another top WR opposite him so the drafting of James Hardy was important.

However if at the end of the 2008 season he is not overly enthusiatic about extending his contract and I believe he can activate a clause in his contract to do so, then we should place the franchise tag on him and actively look to trade.

There are a number of WR's in next years class who can add similar size and speed and if we can acquire a 1st and 3rd round pick, that 3rd round pick could be one of the better Tight End's or Center's in the 2009 class, whilst the 1st rounder can be used on a direct replacement, plus we'll still have another R1 selection.

[Scumbag College]

Just because the Bills have 30 something million under the cash to cap or whatever, I wouldn't overpay for Evans. As much as I like him and he's been the most consistent and productive player over the last three years on offense, I still wouldn't jeopardize other players and areas of the team to appease Evans. He is a very good receiver, but he's not a "Top 5" WR in this league. Jason Peters is a "Top 5" LT, and sooner or later he's going to want more money, as the article speculated. If Lee wants eight million a year and sixteen million in signing bonus, I'd just franchise him at the end of the year and get a late first or early second round pick for him.

[Johnny Bugmenot]

I can't believe this man just got a big fat check and he's still crying poor. (shakes head)

[HHURRICANE]

I like Sullivan's article regrding the owner and his constant PR blunders.

With that said I think the Bills should let Evans play out. If he's great, he get's franchised, if he's not, than let him walk.

I don't miss Clements and I won't miss Evans if he doesn't have a banner year.

This is why we should have gone back in the second and grabbed Kelly, Sweed, or Bennett.

[kernowboy]

There are much better No1 receivers in next years draft than Thomas, Sweed or Kelly.

Michael Crabtree
Darius Heyward-Bey
Percy Harvin
Jeremy Maclin
Brandon LaFell
Brian Robiskie

are all better than this years crop just gone. They don't have injury problems, will have produced for more than one season, actually run a fast or at least decent 40 etc

[PECKERWOOD]

18 mil a year is too much for any player, imho. I would rather bring in two solid #2 WR's at 6million a year each and save millions. Also, Jason Peters is a bigger priority than Lee Evans will ever be.

[Ultra Chimp 1]

Only an idiot would break up Evans and Hardy.

Almost every offensively successful NFL team has two top flight receivers and now you want to break up what seems like a dominant pair of WRs?

For what...So Ralph's daughter can inherit an extra 15 million?

Please.

I'm sick of posters writing that they don't wanna "spend money" on two receivers.

Its like you honestly convinced yourself its your money.

[Ultra Chimp 1]

18 mil a year is too much for any player, imho. I would rather bring in two solid #2 WR's at 6million a year each and save millions. Also, Jason Peters is a bigger priority than Lee Evans will ever be.

No, he is not.

[Saratoga Slim]

I am in the minority that think that the qb and wr (And rest of the team)are intertwined as far as production go. I think Lee Does NOT sign until he sees what Trend can bring to the table. If he doent live up to the Joe Montanna comparisions he will not want to squander the best years of his career here. The idea is to compliment Lee not replace him...for it to work..the 2 Wr need attention whether to double cover each or not to open things up for the qbs...however we could continue the 10 year rebuilding process another 4 years....

Exactly.

[DrGraves]

don't we have a heck of a lot of cap space left? so how are we spending up to the cap?

[PECKERWOOD]

No, he is not.

Thanks, loved the explanation. Franchise are built from the inside out. Lee can't catch the football if DE's are busy making our QB their *****es.

[justasportsfan]

Only an idiot would break up Evans and Hardy
Almost every offensively successful NFL team has two top flight receivers and now you want to break up what seems like a dominant pair of WRs.. I completely agree with... a monkey? :up:


:jk:



Some people here love to keep rebuilding and then ***** about not making playoffs.