Any word on Bledsoe re-working his contract......

[Novacane]

and taking that pay cut he deserves Most thought it would be a forgone conclusion he would be asked to reduce his salary. If TD does not ask him to take a cut he is not as smart as a lot of people think he is.

Don't get much Bills news here in Florida and I was stuck with a broken computer for 10 days

[Bert102176]

FTG good to hear you're pc is fixed wb

[The Spaz]

As much as many here disagree on Drew as a player I don't think many can dispute Bledsoe as team player and an all around good guy there should be no question that he'll restructure.

[Novacane]

IF he is asked SPaz. Maybe TD won't even approach him about it

[The Spaz]

Originally posted by Fairway To Green
IF he is asked SPaz. Maybe TD won't even approach him about it

This is true but if TD was truly satisfied with Bledsoe he would be so openly persuing another QB IMO.:idunno:

[BillsFever]

I don't wanna hear the words restructure. How is he a nice guy if he restructures? So he can get salary turned into guranteed money, and then we can have a big cap hit when we finally release him. Who wouldn't restructure?

I wanna hear paycut. All restructuring will do is push his money later on down the road.

It's paycut or nothing. Even he has to know he isn't worth that money, and he wouldn't sniff more then a couple million a year on the open market.

[Dozerdog]

There is no hurry- right now all the Bills brass is pre-occupied at the combine- and before that they were in Houston watching Henson

[Michael82]

Originally posted by The Spaz
As much as many here disagree on Drew as a player I don't think many can dispute Bledsoe as team player and an all around good guy there should be no question that he'll restructure.


There's no way I want to see him restructure! I want him to re-negotiate his contract! NOT RESTRUCTURE!

[Dozerdog]

What's the difference??

[LtBillsFan66]

Maybe they are waiting to see how all the other contracts, signings, cuts, etc. will shake out before anything is done to reneg.

[Michael82]

Originally posted by Dozerdog
What's the difference??

Re-Negotiate is a pay cut and changing his contract. It's better for the long term cap hit. Restructure is what Butler loved to go and is how we got into Salary cap HELL.

[Dozerdog]

Originally posted by Mike32282
Re-Negotiate is a pay cut and changing his contract. It's better for the long term cap hit. Restructure is what Butler loved to go and is how we got into Salary cap HELL.

I'm fairly certain you can't just tear up a contract and do it over. The player would need to be exposed to waivers before that.

However, you can push money into the future. Back load it or stretch it out. What Butler did was he gave out really fat bonuses and really small salaries. Unfortunatly, that meant a lot of tied up dead cap space down the road.

Bledsoe isn't going to get that. He will make a healthy sum- market rate ($4-5 Million salary maybe) - but not the massive bonus in exchange for a low salary long term deal.

[HenryRules]

Originally posted by Dozerdog

Bledsoe isn't going to get that. He will make a healthy sum- market rate ($4-5 Million salary maybe) - but not the massive bonus in exchange for a low salary long term deal.

I only see Bledsoe taking $4-5 mil per season if we sign him to a 3 or 4 year deal. I'd think something along the lines of a $4 mil signing bonus with a total of $20 mil over 4 years. I'd really be suprised if we commit to a deal like this though.

Instead, I think we'll go for a 2-year contract and Bledsoe's going to expect (and would probably get) 6 mil per year.

QB's get paid a hell of a lot of money.

(As pointed out in another thread, the franchise tag price for QB's is around $18 mil. To put that in perspective - think of the quality of CB you'd get for about $2.3 mil per season - that's 1/3rd of the franchise rate for CB's. And $6 mil per year is 1/3 the franchise rate for QB's. I'm not saying it's exactly equivalent, but $6 mil per year for a short-term deal for someone like Bledsoe would not suprise me).

[HenryRules]

Just took a look at ESPN ... Brunell is close to signing a 7 year deal with the 'Skins that includes an $8 mil signing bonus - although it sounds like the deal will be structured similar to the ones that Jerry Rice and Tim Brown have in Oakland (where the last 2 or 3 years are so outrageous in salary, they really have no chance of ever being fulfilled by the team).

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=1737705

Regardless of whether or not one thinks that Snyder is overpaying ... I think this contract is going to set the standard that Bledsoe would accept - they're both in a similar situation IMO.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

Can I be the odd man out again and say that Drew will not restructure. Why would he. He has to know that things aren't working out in Buffalo and the fans (for the most part) have turned against him. I say he plays out next year and let the Bills decide whether or not they want to pick up his option. If they don't he will become a free agent and he will take his chances.

[doug45]

Originally posted by TheGhostofJimKelly
Can I be the odd man out again and say that Drew will not restructure. Why would he. He has to know that things aren't working out in Buffalo and the fans (for the most part) have turned against him. I say he plays out next year and let the Bills decide whether or not they want to pick up his option. If they don't he will become a free agent and he will take his chances.

Then get rid of him now.

[Novacane]

Originally posted by TheGhostofJimKelly
Can I be the odd man out again and say that Drew will not restructure. Why would he. He has to know that things aren't working out in Buffalo and the fans (for the most part) have turned against him. I say he plays out next year and let the Bills decide whether or not they want to pick up his option. If they don't he will become a free agent and he will take his chances.




I agree with you ghost. I don't think he will accept a cut either

[Dozerdog]

Why not?

Seriously?

[DraftBoy]

He damn well better accept his cut, or else Id send him packing and quickly....

[The_Philster]

Originally posted by Dozerdog
Why not?

Seriously?

bump...a question many of us would like answered.

[ScottLawrence]

If he doesn't I would be unbelievably angry!

Tom Donahoe better make him or I would cut his overrated ass.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

If you guys are asking for my opinion I pretty much gave it in my post. I don't think Drew is willing to restructure. Part of me thinks he feels he made a mistake by coming here. Not only are the majority of people in Buffalo questioning his QB skills, but so are a lot of "football experts." He may be more content to play out this year and see how it works out. I know he is very confident in himself but he has to be aware that he isn't the same QB he was when he was younger. I say he is going to get his payday and see what this coaching staff can do for his offense. If he comes back this offseason and is effective, not necessarily great, but effective, maybe you see him work out a deal to end his career in Buffalo. Otherwise I see him playing out his days here and hoping another team will have faith that he isn't washed up.

My thoughts.

[HenryRules]

It wouldn't suprise me if Drew doesn't renegotiate.

Agents normally play a big part in these things and I think in this situation most agents would want to play chicken with Tom Danahoe.

The Bills are about 7 mil or so from the cap right now(from what I've heard if I recall correctly). So it's hard for the Bills to say, if you don't take this cut, we're going to release you.

This is where the game of chicken comes in ... the agent could present Donahoe with the following options
- keep Drew at his current contract which was negotiated (albeit with the Pats) to take him to retirement
- cut the guy that you traded a 1st rounder for only 2 seasons ago when this season your job may be on the line

Not saying that TD won't cut him, but that's still a solid hand that the agent will be holding