Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

[psubills62]

http://blogs.buffalonews.com/billboard/2009/02/no-fault-by-bills-on-dock.html

No fault by Bills on Dock

Here's a clarification on the Bills release of Derrick Dockery, based on conversations with a league sources and a source close to Dockery.
The Bills planned to release Dockery Thursday, the day before the start of the new league year. They were contacted by the Detroit Lions Thursday afternoon about working out a trade. However, the trade market did not open until 12:01 a.m. Friday. Dockery was due a roster bonus of $1.75 million at 12:01 a.m. Friday. So the Bills had to file paperwork to push back the paying of that roster bonus by two days, all the while working on the terms of a trade. Meanwhile, Dockery and his agent were talking with the Lions about what kind of contract he might get and what kind of fit he would be with the Lions.

It all came together - getting Dockery to agree to go to Detroit, getting a good idea that the Lions could strike a deal with Dockery, and getting the Bills to work out trade parameters with the Lions - right about the 4 p.m. deadline. The paperwork for pushing back the bonus was filed. Dockery was released.

But on Friday the Bills and Lions found out that the league office deemed that the paperwork either never got approved in time by the league office or never made it in on time by the deadline. It was a race to the finish.
"There is a lot of paperwork involved, and there were a lot of moving parts to get done by 4 p.m.," said Dockery's agent, Todd France.
Was it the Bills' fault that it all didn't come together by the deadline.

"By all means, no," France said.

---Mark Gaughan



Sorry if this has already been posted. Just thought it would be good to post with all the "OBD is incompetent" threads going around.

[tat2dmike77]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

Thanks.

Paper work is annoying

[jmb1099]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

good find

[Ickybaluky]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

Given the interest Detroit and Washington ended up having in him and the money they were ultimately willing to pay him, I wonder why the Bills didn't try to shop for a trade themselves.

[bflojohn]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

One of the parameters I'd have thought the Bills might have employed with Dockery was a restructuring of his contract or an outright cut in pay. Obviously, as the players in this league do, he'd have probably nixed any talk of a pay reduction, and at that point, the wheels would have been put in motion for his trade/ release! No word has come forward that the Bills tried, in any way, to keep their starting OLG. I find THAT interesting seeing the interest he generated in other league cities?!?!

[Michael82]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

Given the interest Detroit and Washington ended up having in him and the money they were ultimately willing to pay him, I wonder why the Bills didn't try to shop for a trade themselves.

That's what bugs me the most. I understand you are about to cut Dockery...but why not try shopping him around earlier in the week? It would have made sense.

[rcd333]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

so why isn't it the bills fault?

[ddaryl]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

How much did Gaughan take to post this.. I bet he got a kickback, or his info feeder is someone internal to the organization who made sure the news was put out there to defuse the on coming onslaught of irrate fans

I have reached my ropes end with this franchise... Always be a Bills fan but I just don't believe this organization is being run correctly at all.

[bflobarry]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

To all of you "rose colored glasses" types: This agent, France, will be dealing with the Bills FO in the near and distant future on other players contracts. To admit that they F'ed this up w/b self destructive on his part, since it is a done deal. Nothing he would admit about the Bills ***** it up would be helpful to his future. Ergo, this agent blather means less than nothing.

[Nighthawk]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

Given the interest Detroit and Washington ended up having in him and the money they were ultimately willing to pay him, I wonder why the Bills didn't try to shop for a trade themselves.

Umm, you do realize you're talking about the Buffalo Bills, right? This is one of the worst franchises in the NFL for a reason.

[nateodoms'bff]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

Do you really expect the Buffalo Bills, and that fool Chris Brown, to actually come out and say "sorry, we dropped the ball on this one."

No way. This front office was planning on releasing him, UNTIL the Lions inquired about a trade.

Why not shop him around? The amount of teams looking to get better on the lines, you would think that there would have been some inquiries.

Bottom line, it comes down to a roster bonus of 1.75 million. God forbid the Bills had to eat that. God forbid there was an extra 450,000 in dead cap space. Its not like Ralph and Company are going to spend to the limit as is.

This IS ENTIRELY THE BILLS FAULT.

When you do the math, its a $450,000 hit, that the Bills weren't willing to take.

[yordad]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

Chris Brown isn't a reporter, he is PR.

And, if people were willing to pay Dock so much, then people would have been willing to trade SOMETHING.

Either way, the Bills blew something!

[chernobylwraiths]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

Seems as if everybody's mind is already made up. Screw the facts. They just lie and make **** up anyway.

[nateodoms'bff]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

Seems as if everybody's mind is already made up. Screw the facts. They just lie and make **** up anyway.

I don't think anyone is ignoring anything.

If the Bills were thinking of releasing him, then they should have been thinking of at least the possibility of trading him. Its clear as day that there were teams interested in getting Dockery, obviously, the guy signed the very first day he could.

He was at the very least worth a 3rd.

But we're all ignoring the "facts" and making things up.

[TBBills Fan]

Re: Dockery non-trade not Bills fault

Chris Brown isn't a reporter, he is PR.

And, if people were willing to pay Dock so much, then people would have been willing to trade SOMETHING.

Either way, the Bills blew something!

Sad as it seems

Mr Wilson who spoke about lack of talent is not liooking at talent as the most important factor in signings and releases

The appearance is that money and a "deal" is still his first priority.

If it was ALL ABOUT TALENT and lack of Mr Wilson, then looking for "resonably priced options" wouldnt be a main consideration

just my two cents