Bills "aren't going to $15 million" for CB Stephon Gilmore

[YardRat]

http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2016...963222/gilmore

There has been a decent amount of chatter in the media lately about the current state of contract talks between the Buffalo Bills and top cornerback Stephon Gilmore. The 25-year-old is in the fifth and final season of his rookie contract, one that will pay him just north of $11 million this season.

It would seem the team isn't willing to raise that number much higher for future seasons.


The Buffalo News' Vic Carucci wrote this morning that he's been told "the Bills have no intention of giving Gilmore a contract that will come close to the five-year, $75-million deal [Josh] Norman received to join the Washington Redskins as a free agent." Carucci goes on to write, "The Bills, as I understand it, would be willing to put him in the range of about $12.5 million, maybe $13 million, per year. But they aren't going to $15 million." That's slightly under the $13.4 million average value we projected after the Norman deal was announced, but it's certainly in the ballpark.

[TacklingDummy]

He's too injury prone.
I wouldn't even give him $10 million.

It's all about the pass rush. Get pressure on the passer and most any CB will do.

[coastal]

Who honestly ****ing cares?

[Night Train]

I think he's odd man out with the $. He's good but not that special, like Revis in his prime. Giving him some big contract doesn't seem like a good idea. He's had some injury issues.

CB will be one of our 1st 2 picks next year.

[YardRat]

Awww c'mon....where are all of the 'Ralph is cheap' homos now?

[swiper]

Not here. I agree with the notion that he is good, not great. Would love to have him, but doubt the Bills will sell the farm for it.

[Mace]

Who honestly ****ing cares?

Well, me. Not sure Kevin Seymour is growing the predator dreads, which means they'd have to replace the hair next draft.

Besides that though I don't think he's worth 15 million a year either. I expect him to get hurt again anyway.

[SpikedLemonade]

I think he's odd man out with the $. He's good but not that special, like Revis in his prime. Giving him some big contract doesn't seem like a good idea. He's had some injury issues.

CB will be one of our 1st 2 picks next year.

Oh goodie!!!!

- - - Updated - - -

Awww c'mon....where are all of the 'Ralph is cheap' homos now?

I am still right here.

[Mouldsie]

How marketable is he?

[coastal]

How marketable is he?

One of your best posts ever.

Brandon's Bills.

[trapezeus]

if darby holds up this season, he's the guy you want to invest in. next year when shaq is back, the bills might not need stellar db's on both sides. they may be able to get to the qb. I think it's the right long term decision.

[Mahdi]

Considering the way Rex blitzes, I think its more important to have two lock down CBs than it would for any other team...

We don't know if Shaq is the answer as a second pass rusher however we do know Gilmore is a top 10 CB.

Pay him and continue improving the roster. That being said I'm pretty sure we don't have to pay him Josh Norman money to keep him. Between 12.5-14 should be enough.

[trapezeus]

paying DBs hasn't seemed to be a winning strategy. a number of teams try and do it and they kill their pass rush and they don't get any production if their lockdown guy gets hurt. I would rather keep drafting db's and keeping your front seven happy and hungry.

[jimmifli]

Letting guys get to the final year is the problem. You can't get a good deal. You have to pay fair market because if you don't 1/31 other teams will.

How much could we have signed him for last season? A big upfront signing bonus a year early is worth more than waiting two years for an extra couple of million per year.

But if we insist on letting guys get to the end of their deal, then it's better to resign them than run the continual revolving door of talent we have for the last two decades.

[ICRockets]

Letting guys get to the final year is the problem. You can't get a good deal. You have to pay fair market because if you don't 1/31 other teams will.

How much could we have signed him for last season? A big upfront signing bonus a year early is worth more than waiting two years for an extra couple of million per year.

But if we insist on letting guys get to the end of their deal, then it's better to resign them than run the continual revolving door of talent we have for the last two decades.

Usually I agree with your final paragraph, but when we have a potentially gargantuan contract heading Tyrod's way in the offseason I don't mind losing Gilmore because we didn't over pay.

[Mace]

I agree with signing people early, but with some players it isn't a good idea, even for the players, who have some say in what they want also.

I'm not convinced either Taylor or Gilmore will even remain healthy through the season and then look what you did.

On the other hand, if both have success, they earned their payday even if it isn't here, and is it more difficult to replace a corner or a QB nowadays ? I think it's easier to find a corner, if (big if), Seymour's eyesight really was his issue, they may have already, after finding one just the year previous. In any case, you know they'll draft another corner next year, always need corners, and corners playing against spread happy college offenses are coming out of college sharper than ever.

I always look at big money DB's with a wince. Take safety Byrd. Pay the man some said, why did we wait, others said, others said "nah". What if we'd paid him ? Might have said goodbye to Incognito or Glenn, probably both because their cap hits add up to 9.5 mil, and Byrd's is 10.9. Was ballhawk Byrd worth Glenn & Incognito ? I really don't think it panned out that way.

I'm already getting used to the idea of Gilmore going elsewhere for too much, not real sure he's durable anyway, and if he is this year, is he worth too much with so many sharp corners coming out every year ? I dunno. I like Gilmore, but if he's personally that determined for an epic contract, we can't really keep him because we just aren't 1 cb away from a title.

[jimmifli]

I agree with signing people early, but with some players it isn't a good idea, even for the players, who have some say in what they want also.

I'm not convinced either Taylor or Gilmore will even remain healthy through the season and then look what you did.

On the other hand, if both have success, they earned their payday even if it isn't here, and is it more difficult to replace a corner or a QB nowadays ? I think it's easier to find a corner, if (big if), Seymour's eyesight really was his issue, they may have already, after finding one just the year previous. In any case, you know they'll draft another corner next year, always need corners, and corners playing against spread happy college offenses are coming out of college sharper than ever.

I always look at big money DB's with a wince. Take safety Byrd. Pay the man some said, why did we wait, others said, others said "nah". What if we'd paid him ? Might have said goodbye to Incognito or Glenn, probably both because their cap hits add up to 9.5 mil, and Byrd's is 10.9. Was ballhawk Byrd worth Glenn & Incognito ? I really don't think it panned out that way.

I'm already getting used to the idea of Gilmore going elsewhere for too much, not real sure he's durable anyway, and if he is this year, is he worth too much with so many sharp corners coming out every year ? I dunno. I like Gilmore, but if he's personally that determined for an epic contract, we can't really keep him because we just aren't 1 cb away from a title.

It's tough to play that game.

At the time we never spent to the cap, so letting guys walk wasn't really saving money for the next big contract. I was just saving money. Advocating re-signing was more about just spending, since we were more likely to spend on retaining talent than bringing in a big money free agent. Although, eventually even that was changed when it was required to sell some tickets.

Anyways, my thoughts on strategy are as follows:

Essentially all teams have the same resources available to acquire talent - cap space. For a team to acquire more talent for the same cost it must be lucky or make better decisions.

We don't make better decisions.

That's the big reason why I advocate for re-signing guys early, because if we get lucky we'll get a good deal and end up with more than our fair share of talent. The alternative is thinking our front office can outskill other GMs and acquire more talent through shrewd decision making. Essentially I'm advocating for dollar cost averaging an index fund instead of trying to beat the wall street hedge funds.

We're overmatched. Call me a cynic.

The other reason is that the nature of unguaranteed contracts creates a market where players value guaranteed much more than salary. Since they count for cap space evenly, spending more in guaranteed money will net you more talent than spending in salary. But that increased return is due to the increased risk of guaranteed money being shifted from the player (risk of injury) to the team (risk of injury/bad play). Every dollar of salary could have been $0.75 in guaranteed money the year before, it's a missed opportunity. Of course if you get it wrong with big guaranteed contracts to dud players, you'll end up missing the playoffs for a few years - man would THAT suck.

[Historian]

I'm just tired of watching first round picks walk because the Bills don't know what they're doing.

Eventually you have to keep a nucleus.

[Forward_Lateral]

I'm with the Bills on this one, he's not worth anywhere close to $15 mil per season.

[mead107]

not worth that kind of money