143 replies to this topic

[Derek in Va]

I have this overwhelming feeling they we are simply going to let him walk and barely make an offer to him.  I just don't understand this.  At LG, he it's not a scheme thing.  He's the best FA LG available.  We don't have someone ready to replace him, so we'd have to draft someone.  He's been healthy and a beast for us.

I cannot understand how this could happen or what the justification would be

[sodbuster]

Just because we havent resigned him yet doesnt mean we wont. I'll start to worry in about a month.

[RuntheDamnBall]

What gives you that feeling?  They have been pretty adamant about keeping their own in general since Nix has come in.  I don't agree with everything Nix has done but on this promise he has pretty much delivered (one reason many still believe in him).

[mrags]

Omg the sky is falling. The free agency period just started and we haven't signed the most coveted offensive linemen available in free agency yet.

[FluffHead]

mrags, on 08 February 2013 - 10:04 PM, said:

Omg the sky is falling. The free agency period just started and we haven't signed the most coveted offensive linemen available in free agency yet.

I get what you're saying but free agency doesnt even start for another month.  You will start seeing guys re-sign in early march right before they hit the open market on March 12ish

[mrags]

FluffHead, on 08 February 2013 - 10:10 PM, said:

I get what you're saying but free agency doesnt even start for another month.  You will start seeing guys re-sign in early march right before they hit the open market on March 12ish

thank you for that. And yes, I was aware of the actual FA period not starting yet.

Just saying, this has been beat to death already in another thread and it still means nothing anyway.

Fwiw, I don't think we will resign him before the FA period starts. I feel he will test the market and who knows what happens then.

[Estro]

I've had the gut feeling for a while now that the 2012 season would be Andy LeVitre's last as a Buffalo Bill.  I just don't think the Bills are going to spend big money at the G position, and I don't think LeVitre is going to give any hometown discount (do they really even exist!?).

I know LeVitre will be looking to make north of what Ben Grubbs got last year,  and I don't think the Bills are going to spend $7+ million on a solid guard.

There are 2 other things to take notice of:

1.  There is no was we use the franchise tag on him, as it's way too expensive for OL, and it needs to be saved for Byrd if a long term deal can't be worked out with him.

2.  I think the Bills focused on gettig the Urbik deal done when they did, because they knew there was a high likelihood that LeVitre would be looking for more than they're willing to offer.

I don't want to downplay the significance of losing a really good player, because the Bills certainly don't need to be creating holes on this team, but..................with that said, I can't say that I disagree with the Bills philosophy of not spending beaucoup bucks on an OG.  It's not an overly valued position in the NFL for a reason.  If LeVitre was as good vs. the run as he is vs. the pass then, maybe, I'd be more adamant that we can't let him go, but truth be told he doesn't really get much push in the run game.

The priority this offseason is clearly Byrd.

The dropoff from LeVitre to an okay guard like Brandon Moore (FA G of the Jets) isn't nearly as steep as the drop off from Byrd to a so so safety like Eric Smith (another FA S of the Jets.)

Bottom line, is there are WAY more servicable G's in the NFL than there are S's.  This is why I've been saying Byrd was of much higher importance to retain over LeVitre for the better part of a year.  It was an unpopular thought at the time, but I think the Bills front office sees things similarly.

Edited by Estro, 08 February 2013 - 10:24 PM.

[jjmac]

I can only imagine the violent eruption this board will experience if Levitre signs with another team.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

They better resign him.  Unless he has his heart set on leaving, which I doubt.

[JohnnyGold]

they'll resign him, idk why people are as concerned as they are.

nix's philosophy is to build from the lines out.

i would say its more likely that if were going to lose levitre or byrd, byrd goes.

[Triple Threat]

Derek in Va, on 08 February 2013 - 09:20 PM, said:

I have this overwhelming feeling they we are simply going to let him walk and barely make an offer to him.  I just don't understand this.  At LG, he it's not a scheme thing.  He's the best FA LG available.  We don't have someone ready to replace him, so we'd have to draft someone.  He's been healthy and a beast for us.

I cannot understand how this could happen or what the justification would be

What do you suggest the Bills do with a player that has openly said he wants to test free agency?  I don't think there's any doubt we would like to sign him right now, but you do realize he has to want to sign prior to free agency right?  There's two things that are going to happen, he's either going to get franchised, or we will have to see if he'll sign if we match/exceed what he commands on the open market.

The Bills are in an obviously touchy situation because of Byrd.  I can only imagine they are working hard to sign Byrd or Levitre to be able to franchise the other.  And both players and their agents know that.

[metzelaars_lives]

Estro, on 08 February 2013 - 10:15 PM, said:

I've had the gut feeling for a while now that the 2012 season would be Andy LeVitre's last as a Buffalo Bill.  I just don't think the Bills are going to spend big money at the G position, and I don't think LeVitre is going to give any hometown discount (do they really even exist!?).

I know LeVitre will be looking to make north of what Ben Grubbs got last year,  and I don't think the Bills are going to spend $7+ million on a solid guard.

There are 2 other things to take notice of:

1.  There is no was we use the franchise tag on him, as it's way too expensive for OL, and it needs to be saved for Byrd if a long term deal can't be worked out with him.

2.  I think the Bills focused on gettig the Urbik deal done when they did, because they knew there was a high likelihood that LeVitre would be looking for more than they're willing to offer.

I don't want to downplay the significance of losing a really good player, because the Bills certainly don't need to be creating holes on this team, but..................with that said, I can't say that I disagree with the Bills philosophy of not spending beaucoup bucks on an OG.  It's not an overly valued position in the NFL for a reason.  If LeVitre was as good vs. the run as he is vs. the pass then, maybe, I'd be more adamant that we can't let him go, but truth be told he doesn't really get much push in the run game.

The priority this offseason is clearly Byrd.

The dropoff from LeVitre to an okay guard like Brandon Moore (FA G of the Jets) isn't nearly as steep as the drop off from Byrd to a so so safety like Eric Smith (another FA S of the Jets.)

Bottom line, is there are WAY more servicable G's in the NFL than there are S's.  This is why I've been saying Byrd was of much higher importance to retain over LeVitre for the better part of a year.  It was an unpopular thought at the time, but I think the Bills front office sees things similarly.

???

Didn't some numbers just come out from PFF that we averaged like ten yards a carry running behind him??

[Fig Newtons]

Why would a good offensive lineman want to go to another team, instead of staying on a team with a rookie head coach, no quarterback and a defense that has been among the worst in the league for his entire tenure?  He'd be crazy to not want to stay for a discount!

[Dibs]

Derek in Va, on 08 February 2013 - 09:20 PM, said:

I have this overwhelming feeling they we are simply going to let him walk and barely make an offer to him.  I just don't understand this.  At LG, he it's not a scheme thing.  He's the best FA LG available.  We don't have someone ready to replace him, so we'd have to draft someone.  He's been healthy and a beast for us.

I cannot understand how this could happen or what the justification would be

You are despairing over something that has not even been rumoured to be true.

They have good medication now a days for this sort of thing.

[jeremy2020]

Are we seriously not going to look at the threads on the front page for this very topic?

[Max997]

It's February 8th

[Meathead]

Estro, on 08 February 2013 - 10:15 PM, said:

I don't want to downplay the significance of losing a really good player, because the Bills certainly don't need to be creating holes on this team, but..................with that said, I can't say that I disagree with the Bills philosophy of not spending beaucoup bucks on an OG.  It's not an overly valued position in the NFL for a reason.  If LeVitre was as good vs. the run as he is vs. the pass then, maybe, I'd be more adamant that we can't let him go, but truth be told he doesn't really get much push in the run game.

The priority this offseason is clearly Byrd.

The dropoff from LeVitre to an okay guard like Brandon Moore (FA G of the Jets) isn't nearly as steep as the drop off from Byrd to a so so safety like Eric Smith (another FA S of the Jets.)

Bottom line, is there are WAY more servicable G's in the NFL than there are S's.  This is why I've been saying Byrd was of much higher importance to retain over LeVitre for the better part of a year.  It was an unpopular thought at the time, but I think the Bills front office sees things similarly.

this is my thinking too

its far easier to approach levitres performance at a lower cost than byrds. you usually cant keep everybody and you have to make tough choices. if levitre doesnt give a hometown discount down from being one of the highest paid guards in the league then hes probably gone, and i can understand that

[CardinalScotts]

i dont get the obsession with LeVitre he's a guard, go incognito heck he was in the pro bowl

[jjmac]

CardinalScotts, on 08 February 2013 - 11:05 PM, said:

i dont get the obsession with LeVitre he's a guard, go incognito heck he was in the pro bowl

Would he fit the Paul Hackett offense?

[Dibs]

CardinalScotts, on 08 February 2013 - 11:05 PM, said:

i dont get the obsession with LeVitre he's a guard, go incognito heck he was in the pro bowl

When was Incognito in the pro bowl?