shelby
03-31-2009, 02:55 PM
Another good read from Lawesome:
The Bills have another interesting money decision to make. We all know
about it, it has been in our ears and in our face for two years now. Jason
Peters wants a raise of nearly $7 1/2 million dollars per year. That,
in any economy, is serious money. Thinking about Peters, aside from the
money, brought me to Bruce Smith. Now, two men couldn't have taken more
different paths to NFL stardom, but there are some striking
similarities between them, and within this analysis I think we can come to
the right mindset regarding Peters.
First, both are/were freakish athletic talents. Huge men, with speed and agility that is rarely found. Both had great college success, though Bruce was far more highly thought of, obviously. Bruce came in fat and poorly conditioned, and was good his first year. He then dedicated himself to being, maybe, the top conditioned athlete in the league, maybe the most freakish physique until, well....Terrell Owens. The rest of his Hall of Fame career is history. Peters came in as a fat, poorly conditioned unsigned free agent tight end, and dedicated himself to dropping weight and improving his conditioning immeasurably. He then made the astonishing leap from tight end/special teams ace to All-Pro left offensive tackle.
Unfortunately, aside from the egos that followed, their paths seem to have diverged greatly. Bruce maintained a primadonna attitude throughout his career, holding out, having minor surgeries, missing training camp. Yet, come day one of the season, the Bills always had their finely tuned beast on the right end of the defensive line. It was a tribute to Bruce's dedication to himself and his profession that he was always, always prepared to play come Sunday. That made him a headache worth dealing with.....and paying.
Peters, on the other hand, only seems to have maintained the primadonna attitude. He held out last season, believing he deserved a pay raise. He certainly had the stats and performance from the previous year to support his case. Unfortunately for him, all of his actions since have justified the Bills' hardball stance with him. He showed up much like the Jason Peters from college, fat and out of shape. He played mediocre football, at best. There has been little or no sign since of the dedication, such as the type Bruce showed, to maintain his status as an elite player. Now we are back again, same place, different year. Should we pay him, or should we not?
When it comes right down to it, a big money contract to an athlete is about two things: performance and belief. For a team to hand out the type of money Jason Peters is asking for, they have to believe his current performance and/or his coming performance will warrant the deal. Why would the Bills, or any team for that matter, believe that handing Jason Peters $11 1/2 million dollars a year is a good risk? Here is a guy who salvaged himself into a excellent professional football player, by working hard to hone himself; yet, the first year after major success, he allowed himself to revert back to the man that was an undrafted free agent. Bruce, until the Bills felt he was too old and on the decline, was about as safe a big money bet as there was in pro sports. Bruce wanted his money to be sure, but for him, the dollar amount represented RESPECT and validation. The Bills could pay Bruce and deal with his headaches, knowing, no, believing, that Bruce would be ready to go from day one.
Do you get that feeling about Jason Peters? I get the feeling that the $11 1/2 million would be more about living the pampered life for Jason Peters than a validation of his success. He is the type guy we all worry about getting the big contract, and then disappearing into the oblivion of mediocrity. His move to become a finely tuned, well-conditioned athlete seems to be the exception over his history, as opposed to the norm. That, in and of itself, is the definition of risk.
So, that brings me to the bottom line. Today's NFL is about risk management and getting top value for your assets. Jason Peters is too big a risk for the money he is asking. There will be a market for him right now, and it will likely never be better. It is time for the Bills to move him for a maximum return now. Other options are there. A first round tackle, Orlando Pace anyone? All I know is that if fat, out of shape Jason Peters shows up again, we will have a bigger problem. Literally.
http://www.billszone.com/mtlog/archives/2009/03/31/the_bruce_smith_jason_peters_parallel_.php
The Bills have another interesting money decision to make. We all know
about it, it has been in our ears and in our face for two years now. Jason
Peters wants a raise of nearly $7 1/2 million dollars per year. That,
in any economy, is serious money. Thinking about Peters, aside from the
money, brought me to Bruce Smith. Now, two men couldn't have taken more
different paths to NFL stardom, but there are some striking
similarities between them, and within this analysis I think we can come to
the right mindset regarding Peters.
First, both are/were freakish athletic talents. Huge men, with speed and agility that is rarely found. Both had great college success, though Bruce was far more highly thought of, obviously. Bruce came in fat and poorly conditioned, and was good his first year. He then dedicated himself to being, maybe, the top conditioned athlete in the league, maybe the most freakish physique until, well....Terrell Owens. The rest of his Hall of Fame career is history. Peters came in as a fat, poorly conditioned unsigned free agent tight end, and dedicated himself to dropping weight and improving his conditioning immeasurably. He then made the astonishing leap from tight end/special teams ace to All-Pro left offensive tackle.
Unfortunately, aside from the egos that followed, their paths seem to have diverged greatly. Bruce maintained a primadonna attitude throughout his career, holding out, having minor surgeries, missing training camp. Yet, come day one of the season, the Bills always had their finely tuned beast on the right end of the defensive line. It was a tribute to Bruce's dedication to himself and his profession that he was always, always prepared to play come Sunday. That made him a headache worth dealing with.....and paying.
Peters, on the other hand, only seems to have maintained the primadonna attitude. He held out last season, believing he deserved a pay raise. He certainly had the stats and performance from the previous year to support his case. Unfortunately for him, all of his actions since have justified the Bills' hardball stance with him. He showed up much like the Jason Peters from college, fat and out of shape. He played mediocre football, at best. There has been little or no sign since of the dedication, such as the type Bruce showed, to maintain his status as an elite player. Now we are back again, same place, different year. Should we pay him, or should we not?
When it comes right down to it, a big money contract to an athlete is about two things: performance and belief. For a team to hand out the type of money Jason Peters is asking for, they have to believe his current performance and/or his coming performance will warrant the deal. Why would the Bills, or any team for that matter, believe that handing Jason Peters $11 1/2 million dollars a year is a good risk? Here is a guy who salvaged himself into a excellent professional football player, by working hard to hone himself; yet, the first year after major success, he allowed himself to revert back to the man that was an undrafted free agent. Bruce, until the Bills felt he was too old and on the decline, was about as safe a big money bet as there was in pro sports. Bruce wanted his money to be sure, but for him, the dollar amount represented RESPECT and validation. The Bills could pay Bruce and deal with his headaches, knowing, no, believing, that Bruce would be ready to go from day one.
Do you get that feeling about Jason Peters? I get the feeling that the $11 1/2 million would be more about living the pampered life for Jason Peters than a validation of his success. He is the type guy we all worry about getting the big contract, and then disappearing into the oblivion of mediocrity. His move to become a finely tuned, well-conditioned athlete seems to be the exception over his history, as opposed to the norm. That, in and of itself, is the definition of risk.
So, that brings me to the bottom line. Today's NFL is about risk management and getting top value for your assets. Jason Peters is too big a risk for the money he is asking. There will be a market for him right now, and it will likely never be better. It is time for the Bills to move him for a maximum return now. Other options are there. A first round tackle, Orlando Pace anyone? All I know is that if fat, out of shape Jason Peters shows up again, we will have a bigger problem. Literally.
http://www.billszone.com/mtlog/archives/2009/03/31/the_bruce_smith_jason_peters_parallel_.php