TO is a Bill
Okay, so TO’s a Bill. Is that good or bad for the Bills? To me, the key is that it’s a one-year deal. If history is any guide, TO will be fine in Year 1. It’s in subsequent years that issues develop. Given that, I think it’s a great move for the Bills. They have a legitimate threat on the other side in Lee Evans, a terrific RB in Marshawn Lynch, and a young QB with a decent arm (um… that’s Trent Edwards, not JP Lohsman). Now, Edwards is clearly the worst of the four (main) QBs that TO has played with (McNabb, Romo, and Garcia are all better) - and Edwards has had his issues. However, even though TO is a pain in the arse for a team, he’s also a pain in the arse for an opposing defense. Opponents will have to account for him - which will necessarily make life easier for Mssrs. Evans, Lynch, and Edwards… and thus, the Bills offense on whole.
Is it possible TO will implode in Year 1? It’s possible. Is it possible he’ll have little/no patience for Edwards when Edwards proves less proficient than any of the previous (starting) QBs that TO has played with? It’s possible. Will the Bills O-Line not give Edwards enough time to get TO the (damn) ball? It’s possible.
But I think it’s a very worthwhile risk for the Bills to take - specifically on a one-year deal. If it doesn’t work out, no long-term (read: cap hit) commitment on their part. If it does work out, well… that’s what they’re hoping for, right?
Oh, and if he’s signing in Buffalo on a one-year deal? That means that’s the best offer Rosenhaus could get money-wise. Blame it on the economy, blame it on his history, consider it a combination of the two… but like Manny, regardless of what he says, he took less to go to the place that would offer him the most in this market.
I didn’t catch the TO news conference - but if he said anything (like Manny) about “this is where I wanted to be” or “I’m so happy to be a Bill”, or if he had the balls to go to the standard “this gives me the best chance for a title”[sic]… well, he’s full of crap. Nothing wrong with taking the best deal - if I were a pro athlete, I fully suspect that’s what I would do (with the possible exception of being in the unlikely position of being a Red Sox… in that limited case, I think I would take the hometown discount… but that’s an isolated case, and… well… um… not a situation I’ll be encountering).
This came about very quickly - and my guess is that Rosenhaus surveyed the landscape, and found little to no (other) interest… at least in the neighborhood of the Bills offer. He thus jumped to close the Bills deal quickly, before the offer started coming down (given the givens). Maybe I’m wrong - but considering how Rosenhaus handled TO in past offseasons when he was looking for another team, I think I’m right.
Thoughts?
March 10th, 2009 at 8:48 am
I agree that the key is that it is a 1-year deal, and as such, a reasonable risk with a high potential payoff. Also that it was striking how quickly the deal happened, and I would agree with your conjecture that it represents Owens/Rosenhaus jumping on the offer.
March 11th, 2009 at 10:29 am
Keep in mind, among others, Marvin Harrison is still a free agent. Marvin is only one year older than TO. Now I do think that TO has more to offer this coming season than Marvin… however, Harrison is clearly a better “teammate”, and is far more likely to be a positive clubhouse presence (for however how much that matters). In other words, if the Bills was (by far) the best offer, Rosenhaus may have (and indeed should have) recognized that if he stalled, then another FA WR (starting with Harrison) might get that Bills deal.
On a related note, given as he’s only a year older and arguably has had a better career (although future production is what matters for the next contract), I’ll be interested to see what contract (and what team) Marvin Harrison ends up with.