39 replies to this topic

[NickelCity]

Saw it on the front page:

http://wgr550.com/tw...sdrive/13418777

This will be an important signing, Levitre is a fantastic guard, and capable at emergency LT.

[marauderswr80]

Nice!

[Dadonkadonk]

If they can only sign one I would take Levitre over Byrd.  Hopefully they find a way to get them both signed.  Not waiting until FA might let them get a litlt ebit of a discount and maybe use this year's cap to spread the money over a longer time.  Granted it takes two sides to get a deal done...

[NickelCity]

Dadonkadonk, on 13 June 2012 - 12:54 AM, said:

If they can only sign one I would take Levitre over Byrd.  Hopefully they find a way to get them both signed.  Not waiting until FA might let them get a litlt ebit of a discount and maybe use this year's cap to spread the money over a longer time.  Granted it takes two sides to get a deal done...

I really hope it doesn't come down to an either-or. They're both excellent. Letting either one of them walk would be a big blow.

[jeremy2020]

Ah, Bills fans...they make a pre-emtive move to sign a player and the second reply is about not signing Byrd.

[Mark Vader]

It would be a huge move if the Bills can give Levitre a new deal before his contract is up.

He's our best O-Lineman, and we need him.

Judging from the article it sounds like Levitre really wants to stay in Buffalo.

[Estro]

I'd love for the Bills to resign both LeVitre and Byrd as I think they're both very good players.  I actually posed the question to Joe Buscaglia months ago who he'd prefer the Bills to sign if it could only be one.  Going against what seems to be the consensus, he chose Byrd,  which happens to be my opinion as well.  

I love both of them, but I think it's harder to replace a very good safety than it is a very good guard.  In regards to the Bills, I also believe they are much deeper at the G position than they are at S.  Outside of George Wilson, who isn't getting any younger, Byrd is the only other quality safety on the team.....which is why I totally understood the Mark Barron chatter heading into the draft.

After a big spending 2011 and 2012, which included the signings of Mario Williams and Mark Anderson as well as the resignings of Fitzpatrick, Stevie J and Freddy among others....I think the Bills are going to have their work cut out for them to get both Byrd and LeVitre resigned prior to the start of free agency 2013.  It's nice to see they've acknowledged this predicament by at least getting an early jump on talks with one of the players.

FWIW, my gut has always been that LeVitre will stay and Byrd will sign for more elsewhere.  As excited as I was to land both Mario Williams and Mark Anderson this offseason, the signing of Anderson caused me a bit of anxiety because that money may be the difference between Bryd being a Bill or not post 2012 season.

Either way both players will command very large contracts and deservedly so.  Look for LeVitre to anchor in on Ben Grubbs money (5 years $36 million), and Byrd to be in the 5 year $37-$40 million range (which is somewhere between Antrel Rolle and Eric Weddle money, respectively).

[Buffalo Barbarian]

NickelCity, on 13 June 2012 - 12:14 AM, said:

Saw it on the front page:

http://wgr550.com/tw...sdrive/13418777

This will be an important signing, Levitre is a fantastic guard, and capable at emergency LT.

Bills just keep getting better  

[artmalibu]

I believe that the Bills are 7 mill under the cap this year, so it would make sense to re-up some guys this year.  By getting a player more money this year it could make the future years a little more cap friendly.  

[eball]

Dadonkadonk, on 13 June 2012 - 12:54 AM, said:

If they can only sign one I would take Levitre over Byrd.  Hopefully they find a way to get them both signed.  Not waiting until FA might let them get a litlt ebit of a discount and maybe use this year's cap to spread the money over a longer time.  Granted it takes two sides to get a deal done...

Why would anyone think they can sign only one?  The cap is going to go up -- significantly.

[BillsGuyInBallstonSpa]

Just a prediction here but I truly believe that one of our big 2013 FAs (Byrd or Levitre) will have a new deal by the end of training camp.

[Bill from NYC]

eball, on 13 June 2012 - 05:16 AM, said:

Why would anyone think they can sign only one?  The cap is going to go up -- significantly.

Yes, but this could make it tougher to sign him now and lock him in to a long term deal. I hope that AL is the type to opt for security, because he is clearly one of our best players, and would be extremely hard to replace. Our LT situation isn't etched in stone, and playing next to AL, a talented, experienced,  veteran, will make life a lot easier for Hairston and/or Glenn.

Jmo, but AL is a player that the Bills simply cannot afford to lose.

[eball]

Bill from NYC, on 13 June 2012 - 06:50 AM, said:

Yes, but this could make it tougher to sign him now and lock him in to a long term deal. I hope that AL is the type to opt for security, because he is clearly one of our best players, and would be extremely hard to replace. Our LT situation isn't etched in stone, and playing next to AL, a talented, experienced,  veteran, will make life a lot easier for Hairston and/or Glenn.

Jmo, but AL is a player that the Bills simply cannot afford to lose.

I'm with ya, Bill.  I think Buddy and Chan know this as well.  Their actions in building this team have provided me with a sense of serenity that we won't have to worry about a deal getting done.  The Bills are actually in good shape to sign AL, since they don't have a "high dollar" guy at LT currently and won't have to pay that sort of money for at least a couple of years (if Glenn pans out).

[atlbillsfan1975]

The Bills have proven they will pay players who deserve it- play well, team guys, not often injured.
Levitre has all those qualities, so it would really come down to his expectations vs the Bills. The Bills would like to sign him but they can not over pay for him. To me i do not think he is a Ben Grubbs or Carl Nicks. Maybe just a shade below them. And the fact that he had to play every position last year is more an indictment on the lack of quality depth the Bills had and amount of injuries.

[D521646]

I'd like both signed, but I agree with the consensus that ATM AL is a must sign guy.  We would miss Byrd, but I can see McGee fitting in nicely at FS as he ends his acareer in Blo.

tim-

[mrags]

D521646, on 13 June 2012 - 01:37 PM, said:

I'd like both signed, but I agree with the consensus that ATM AL is a must sign guy.  We would miss Byrd, but I can see McGee fitting in nicely at FS as he ends his acareer in Blo.

tim-

I agree with the point about AL over JB but I font understand how anyone can put anything on McGee at this point. We can't count in him to play more than 5 games a year let alone start at any position for an extended period of time. That's why we've drafted 2 high round corners in the last 2 years and another few in the later rounds. Gilmore and Williams will be starters eventually. If not by day 1 this year at the start of the season, probably by the 3rd quarter of the Jets game when he goes out with an injury that sidelines him until the bye week.

D521646, on 13 June 2012 - 01:37 PM, said:

I'd like both signed, but I agree with the consensus that ATM AL is a must sign guy.  We would miss Byrd, but I can see McGee fitting in nicely at FS as he ends his acareer in Blo.

tim-

I agree with the point about AL over JB but I font understand how anyone can put anything on McGee at this point. We can't count in him to play more than 5 games a year let alone start at any position for an extended period of time. That's why we've drafted 2 high round corners in the last 2 years and another few in the later rounds. Gilmore and Williams will be starters eventually. If not by day 1 this year at the start of the season, probably by the 3rd quarter of the Jets game when he goes out with an injury that sidelines him until the bye week.

[mattsox]

Mark Vader, on 13 June 2012 - 01:39 AM, said:

It would be a huge move if the Bills can give Levitre a new deal before his contract is up.

He's our best O-Lineman, and we need him.

Judging from the article it sounds like Levitre really wants to stay in Buffalo.

Git 'Er Done Buddy!

[Dorkington]

Love that they are starting this already. Would be great to keep our good players as a trend, for a change.

[DrDareustein]

It's amazing what a real, competent Front Office will do. Been a Bills fan since 1986, and I dont remember the last time it felt like this, with regard to how the team is managed.

Now if we can get it translated into on-field production, it will be a whole new era for us fans.

Cant wait for the season!

[CowgirlsFan]

DrDareustein, on 13 June 2012 - 02:27 PM, said:

It's amazing what a real, competent Front Office will do. Been a Bills fan since 1986, and I dont remember the last time it felt like this, with regard to how the team is managed.

Now if we can get it translated into on-field production, it will be a whole new era for us fans.

Cant wait for the season!

These front office moves make me think of
my Texas Rangers.  We've always said
"when are they ever going to spend some
money and get some pitching in here"!!!
Nolan Ryan and a group win the bid to buy
the team.  Now we have a front office that
has access to money and we have been
able to have better pitching. ( with the
exception of needing 1 strike 2 times to
win a World Series)

The Bills front office is much improved
and they have proved it by all of these
new contracts.  Long story short, the Bills
have spent money  and now have good
players on their team too!