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He may not have spoken with Jason Peters recently, but Bills Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon found some time to join us on the morning show today. The big issue for the Bills at this point, is the contract status of Jason Peters. The Bills anchor on the left side has 3 years remaining on his contract, and is currently the 3rd highest paid offensive lineman on the team. From the sound of things, I’d say both sides are drawing lines in the sand.
“It’s very difficult to have discussions with individuals that don’t participate in your program,” said Brandon.
That about sums it up. Peters wants a new contract, and while the Bills may think that he should honor his previous contract, the main message is…get to camp.
Brandon went on, “We've had 98, 99 percent participation amongst our guys throughout the entire offseason. It’s been as good as its ever been since I've been here. We're not going to get in a situation where we're going to negotiate with someone that does not participate and we would certainly have conversations like we do with all of our guys if they're in here doing the work.”
The Jason Peters saga is the kind of story that can take over a training camp. He’s arguably the most important player on the roster. He might be more important than any other TWO. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who says he doesn’t deserve what he’s asking for.
He signed a deal as a Right Tackle, who hadn’t been to any Pro Bowls, and didn’t have a 97 overall rating in Madden. Peters is franchise, and he knows it. He’s likely looking for franchise tackle money (top 5 at the position).
Does he deserve it? Yes. I know, in a perfect world, he’d play out his contract and maybe just EXTEND it…but that’s not how it works. When you’re a player in this spot, you have to strike while the iron is hot.
The Bills have high expectations. Peters knows this. He’s a big part of it. If this gets too ugly, then you can expect those expectations for the Bills, to drop significantly. I don’t expect this to drag on for TOO long, but right now?...it seems to be a battle of wills. I get the feeling both sides want to get it done, but each wants to do it on their terms:
Peters, from home.
The Bills, from camp.
Either way, it’s costing Peters some cash. The Bills will fine him for every day missed.
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While Jason Peters contract situation is keeping him out of camp…Lee Evans contract won’t affect him this year. He’s entering the final year of his contract, and with the money that is being thrown around for average Wide Receivers in the league…Lee has to know, he’s about to hit it big. Brandon made it clear, the Bills are interested:
“We’ve had a lot of dialogue with lee's representation and were going to continue to have that dialogue. Lee is a core player. He's someone we want here. He's everything you want in a football player both on and off the field so we're going to do everything we can to make sure he's a Bill long term."
Look around at the money Bernard Berrian got. Andre Davis, too. It’s CRAZY. If Lee hits the open market, I can’t picture the Bills bringing him back. Good luck convincing him that he shouldn’t test those waters. Brandon says, it might not be that difficult:
“He really loves the area and what we are trying to do here and everything has been very positive. It’s something we’re working hard at and hopefully we'll have something to talk about in the near future. I think both party desperately want to get something done."
Two important players…two tough calls…how much is too much? Ah…being a GM/COO? It’s gotta be fun!
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Kyle Williams was absent from this morning's workout.
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