Whaley Pushed the Panic Button

[kingJofNYC]

Ward just signed form 5.5m/yr, less than the contract A.Williams inked.

To be fair, probably took less money to play with a contender, but how's Whaley looking right now. Zero rush to sign Williams, he pushed the panic button.

[Buffalogic]

Disagree. Williams can cover, Ward can't.

[better days]

Williams will prove to be a better player than Ward this year.

The Bills locked up a player on the upswing of his career.

[kingJofNYC]

I think it's too soon to pass real judgement on Williams because he's played the position for less than a year.

Yes, Ward is an in the box safety but he's not a bad player in a deep half or quarter, just can't play middle of the field. My problem is simply value, we're cheapskates as it is, and there really wasn't an immediate rush to sign Williams. Guess the Bills brass though the market for safeties would be much higher.

On the flip side, Donte Whitner is making 7m a year or so there's that.

[better days]

I think it's too soon to pass real judgement on Williams because he's played the position for less than a year.

Yes, Ward is an in the box safety but he's not a bad player in a deep half or quarter, just can't play middle of the field. My problem is simply value, we're cheapskates as it is, and there really wasn't an immediate rush to sign Williams. Guess the Bills brass though the market for safeties would be much higher.

On the flip side, Donte Whitner is making 7m a year or so there's that.

If the Bills did not sign Williams this year, he would have been MUCH MORE expensive to sign next year.

[Mr. Pink]

Williams will prove to be a better player than Ward this year.

The Bills locked up a player on the upswing of his career.

Ward is also on the upswing of his career, he just has injury concerns.

If healthy he's a stud.

[better days]

Ward is also on the upswing of his career, he just has injury concerns.

If healthy he's a stud.

Just has injury concerns?

OK, I don't want to read ANYTHING about EJ from this point on until the season plays out unless it is positive.

[CleveSteve]

Ward is healthy. He took $1.5 Million per less than what the Browns payed for Whitner. Same ole' Browns.

[EDS]

Just has injury concerns?

OK, I don't want to read ANYTHING about EJ from this point on until the season plays out unless it is positive.

And Williams doesn't? He Williams has missed 14 games in three seasons. Ward has missed 10 in four seasons, by comparison.

[Mr. Pink]

Just has injury concerns?

OK, I don't want to read ANYTHING about EJ from this point on until the season plays out unless it is positive.

Ward actually shows something on the field. He's oft injured. Meanwhile KneeJ shows nothing and is oft injured.

[Mr. Pink]

Ward is healthy. He took $1.5 Million per less than what the Browns payed for Whitner. Same ole' Browns.

When you miss 12 games over a 2 year span when you've only played in the NFL 4 years, injuries are concern.

[better days]

And Williams doesn't? He Williams has missed 14 games in three seasons. Ward has missed 10 in four seasons, by comparison.

Well, I guess we will have to let the season play out to see who has a better year.

My money is on Aaron.

[justasportsfan]

Bills just can't win. Damned if they do. Damned if they don't

[better days]

Ward actually shows something on the field. He's oft injured. Meanwhile KneeJ shows nothing and is oft injured.

EJ showed a lot last year for a Rookie QB that missed much of the offseason.

He took the Pats* down to the final seconds in the opening game, Beat the Ravens & Panthers.............that is NOT NOTHING.

[Mr. Pink]

Bills just can't win. Damned if they do. Damned if they don't

Keeping Williams long term is a good idea, dollars might not make a lot sense but if it didn't go to him it would have gone in Ralph's pocket so I like it!

[SpikedLemonade]

Ward just signed form 5.5m/yr, less than the contract A.Williams inked.

To be fair, probably took less money to play with a contender, but how's Whaley looking right now. Zero rush to sign Williams, he pushed the panic button.

I blame Buddy Nix.

[justasportsfan]

Keeping Williams long term is a good idea, dollars might not make a lot sense but if it didn't go to him it would have gone in Ralph's pocket so I like it!
Hurray for your browns signing Whitner. If Pettine signs Jauron, you're all set!

[Mr. Pink]

Horray for your browns signing Whitney. If Pettine signs Jauron, you're all set!

I like Jauron as a DC, not a fan of "hitner" but whatever, he at least brings in some confidence and knows how to win.

I might have to kidnap Moran and drive him to Cleveland so he can get that fight on that he kept tweeting about. :rofl:

[Buffalogic]

Keeping Williams long term is a good idea, dollars might not make a lot sense but if it didn't go to him it would have gone in Ralph's pocket so I like it!And the salary cap will keep swelling...Upwards of 150 mil in a couple seasons. This is a good contract for the bills imo.

[Fixxxer]

Aaron Williams is three years and change younger than Ward, Williams can still reach his potential.

[better days]

I blame Buddy Nix.

Who would expect less of you?

[CleveSteve]

When you miss 12 games over a 2 year span when you've only played in the NFL 4 years, injuries are concern.

Games missed with injury by Year for Ward:

2010: 0 games missed
2011: 8 games missed
2012: 2 games missed
2013: 0 games missed

http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/13304/tj-ward

So, he missed 8 games one season three years ago and 2 games total for the other three seasons he's been in the NFL. 10 games in four years means injury concern? Compare that to Whitner's 11 games missed in his first four years. After that, he's missed 1 in the last four.

[sudzy]

And to be fair, the Bills would have had to pay a lot more for Ward then the Broncos did. That is the benefit of being a contender.

[Mr. Pink]

Games missed with injury by Year for Ward:

2010: 0 games missed
2011: 8 games missed
2012: 2 games missed
2013: 0 games missed

http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/13304/tj-ward

So, he missed 8 games one season three years ago and 2 games total for the other three seasons he's been in the NFL. 10 games in four years means injury concern? Compare that to Whitner's 11 games missed in his first four years. After that, he's missed 1 in the last four.

10 games not 12, sorry. Thanks for the correction.

It's a concern, whether or not you want to agree with it. You miss a major chunk of time in one year that follows you for a while until you can prove it was an anomaly and not the norm. Just like concerns with Hoyer going into this year about his leg.

[BillsFever21]

Bethea, Jenkins and Ward all signed for less money. Williams could've been had easily for 5 million a year. He had a decent season but two horrible ones and has only played 34 games due to injuries without ever completing a full season yet. That usually wouldn't garner that type of money on an early extension after your first decent season.

When you lock up your players before they hit free agency it's supposed to be to save some money because free agents always cost more and the player is willing to get a deal done to get locked into some guaranteed money. It was the complete opposite here compared to what other safeties have been signing for.

[Buffalogic]

Bethea, Jenkins and Ward all signed for less money. Williams could've been had easily for 5 million a year.
Are those guys better than Williams? I'm inclined to say no. Bethea, decent player but has always been part of a terrible defense his whole career, maybe there is a reason for that. Jenkins, meh. Saints have been at the bottom of the turnover ratio for a while. Ward, injury history and lacks in coverage.

What did we pay? 6 million a year for Williams? Not going to cry over 4 million over four years lol.

[BillsFever21]

How is Ward anymore of an injury risk then Williams? Ward has missed 10 games in 4 years and Williams has missed 14 games in 3 years.

Williams received 6.5 million per year along with 15+ million in guaranteed money. The object of getting a young player under contract to sign an extension early is to get a better deal then the free agents that he is on par with. That didn't happen here. Had he proved himself for a few years that would be different.

I'm not flipping out over a million a year or so difference since we will never be in cap trouble but it still doesn't look good. Byrd could've been had for another 1.5 million or so last year but that was considered "overpaying" for a position that isn't important. Now we basically spend that money on a player with far less credentials with three years of history issues.

[better days]

How is Ward anymore of an injury risk then Williams? Ward has missed 10 games in 4 years and Williams has missed 14 games in 3 years.

Williams received 6.5 million per year along with 15+ million in guaranteed money. The object of getting a young player under contract to sign an extension early is to get a better deal then the free agents that he is on par with. That didn't happen here. Had he proved himself for a few years that would be different.

I'm not flipping out over a million a year or so difference since we will never be in cap trouble but it still doesn't look good. Byrd could've been had for another 1.5 million or so last year but that was considered "overpaying" for a position that isn't important. Now we basically spend that money on a player with far less credentials with three years of history issues.

A FEW years? Williams PROVED himself last year.

You want further proof? Watch this year & thank God the Bills already have him locked up.

[B-DON]

Read today that Jenkins avgs 1 missed tackle a game. No thanks to that. Bethea is meh. Swear us bills fans just have to find stuff to ***** about

[EDS]

10 games not 12, sorry. Thanks for the correction.

It's a concern, whether or not you want to agree with it. You miss a major chunk of time in one year that follows you for a while until you can prove it was an anomaly and not the norm. Just like concerns with Hoyer going into this year about his leg.

Aaron Williams has missed a lot more games than Ward! Has Williams ever played a full season?

[better days]

Aaron Williams has missed a lot more games than Ward! Has Williams ever played a full season?

It is TOO FUNNY.

In just about every thread, people complain about the Bills NOT spending money.

In this thread people are complaining the Bills SPENT money to lock up Williams.

RIDICULOUS.

[EDS]

It is TOO FUNNY.

In just about every thread, people complain about the Bills NOT spending money.

In this thread people are complaining the Bills SPENT money to lock up Williams.

RIDICULOUS.

People complain about the Bills front office making poor decisions, and that is often manifested in the team giving oversized contracts to average players (recent examples are Fitz, Kelsay and now Aaron Williams, but you can go back further and look at contracts given to duds like Langston Walker, Dockery, etc.) while evidencing an acute unwillingness to spend on their very best players. The teams performance for the past decade is proof of the many poor decisions made by the folks at OBD.

But yeah, the way Whaley masterfully orchestrated the safety depth chart for 2014 is brilliant.

I am certain there will be far fewer complaints from fans once the team has actually won something, but for now it is impossible not to view the current actions without considering the context of the past decade.

I can see why some people may hold out hope that things are now different with Whaley calling the shots, but my personal view is that he will have to earn my trust given the manner of his hiring (e.g., Modrak/Brandon hired Nix, Nix hired Whaley).

[justasportsfan]

Williams had a very good season playing safety for the first time. I can only hope he gets better with experience playing the position. Although it's only been a year, I like what Henderson has done with the db's. I am almost sure he had input in Williams' extention.

[better days]

People complain about the Bills front office making poor decisions, and that is often manifested in the team giving oversized contracts to average players (recent examples are Fitz, Kelsay and now Aaron Williams, but you can go back further and look at contracts given to duds like Langston Walker, Dockery, etc.) while evidencing an acute unwillingness to spend on their very best players. The teams performance for the past decade is proof of the many poor decisions made by the folks at OBD.

But yeah, the way Whaley masterfully orchestrated the safety depth chart for 2014 is brilliant.

I am certain there will be far fewer complaints from fans once the team has actually won something, but for now it is impossible not to view the current actions without considering the context of the past decade.

I can see why some people may hold out hope that things are now different with Whaley calling the shots, but my personal view is that he will have to earn my trust given the manner of his hiring (e.g., Modrak/Brandon hired Nix, Nix hired Whaley).

Well, Whaley is now calling the shots, so it is pointless to go back & rehash mistakes made by people no longer in Charge.

Fitz & Kelsay were not mistakes made by Whaley. And while I still say Nix is a great scout, I have also said he had shortcomings as a GM.

So far it looks like Whaley is the best GM the Bills have had since Polian.