but Jackson had also been in contact with the Rams all along. Peters is MIA. I really have to wonder what Parker is saying to him, if he can even contact him.

I will make one point that I think is hugely significant as a fan. If the Bills go into Week 1 and much thereafter without Peters, what kind of signal does that give to the fans of the Bills? That the Front Office is too cheap, too stubborn, too ethical, to get Peters, arguable the best player on the team, to get him to report in what is arguably one of the most anticipated and hopeful seasons since 1999? I think it would be a severe blow to Russ Brandon, Dick Jauron, and not a lasting legacy Ralph Wilson wants to leave. Which makes me wonder how much leverage old Ralphy has right now. Maybe Brandon and other Bills brass have the power to make these decisions because Ralph knows it is critical to not allow players to dictate how the Bills do business during these dicey economic times that Buffalo is in.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. And it would not surprise me in the least bit. This has been an incompetent front office for years, so being too stubborn towards your best player is something they’d do. If they truly think a lineup with Walker at LT and Chambers at RT is going to allow us to win a bunch of games and make the playoffs, they are dreaming. And if that’s the case, I have NO hope for this franchise going forward. If this franchise truly dedicated to winning, Peters will be reached out to and appeased. I’m afraid that that may not be the case….

jackson’s situation directly parallels Lee Evans as he is in last year of a 5 year deal. He also is a featured offensive weapon for the Rams. It made sense for the Rams front office to extend him now as he could sit out all or some of the season knowing he would get a huge high teens signing bonus come Mar 1 2009 to cover his losses this year.

The Bills Front Office does not and should not fell the same pressure. There is no way that jason peters foregoes a single game check at $225k each. HE HAS 3 YEARS LEFT ON HIS DEAL!!!! The Bills have all the leverage here.

Solution – have his fellow OL’s reach out to him and get him to Buffalo to start practicing and then do an extension to add 2 years at $8-9mm on the backend and give him $10.5mm up front to offset his lower salary in the next 3 years.

I commend the BILLS Front Offcie for being resolute not to deal with someone who isn’t here. They are working with Lee Evans AND he is here!

Jason, bury the ego and your agents bad advice and trust that OBD will do right by you. They already did with the 2006 deal!

that for Peters to hold out with 3 years remaining is unlike Jackson. And it is ridiculous being his agent and him agreed to the new deal a few years back. but we don’t even know if this is about contract, as his agent has never said anything. Which makes me somewhat scared that maybe this is a personal issue, but i have nothing to go on that other than my pure speculation.

But the overall point is regardless if Peters is holding out for more money or because he is depressed or whatev, the point is the FO should take responsibility and figure it out. How can you not? Anyone that is totally agreeable to the FO taking a stand and not even talking until he comes to camp doesn’t understand employee relations. You have to talk, and you have to communicate fairly. You owe that to Peters, to his teammates, and to us as Fans

I think over the last two years they have made very good decisions when it comes to players and contracts. If they think playing hardball with Peters is the way to go I am on their side.

Peters:

Show up, you get a new deal. Until then, the front office should keep it moving. And when you show and get your new deal, they should still impose the fines he has accrued. After that, no love lost.

For the last several years, Brian Moorman has been Buffalo’s best and most important player. He’s been one of the league’s very best at his position. Also, because of the poor offense and pourous defense over the past few years Moorman’s been the most important player. Pinning the opposition deep has kept Bills games from becoming 56-10 type laughers.

Things are getting better and I see the torch being handed this year, but not to Peters. Whether he shows up or not Lynch will be the best player on the field (possibly not the most important—I think Stroud will take that title) wearing a Buffalo on his headgear. There is a definite drop off from Peters to Chambers (or Walker, for that matter) but an even bigger drop off from Lynch to Jackson. If Lynch runs for 1500ish yards the Bills will have a good (maybe even playoff) season. For my money, give me Lynch without Peters instead of Peters without Lynch.

To take it a step further, I’m not entirely certain whether the team would do better without Peters or without Butler. Yes, I know it’s blasphemy but Butler may be a better guard than Peters is tackle. Also, Peters plays a more critical position but the drop off from Butler to Preston is much sharper than the drop off from Peters to Chambers. It’s an interesting academic question and one that I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable answering one way or another.

From there it’s easy to see how I support the front office in their dealings with Peters. He’s an above average yet not dominant tackle. (Seriously, do you see him on the same plane as a Boselli or an Ogden?) He feels (rightly) that he’s being underpaid. He has seen player after player get a new deal and seen that they did so by showing up for work and demonstrating their committment to the team. While fans (like me) aren’t happy about Peters’ absence I’d rather deal with that than have Stroud sit out when he sees Peters’ petulance rewarded.

Steven Jackson has reportedly signed. Now maybe his one-trick-pony of an agent will find some time to pay attention to his other unhappy client. Hopefully some word will be received from the Peters camp and he’ll head to Buffalo. With any luck, he won’t need 2 seats on the plane and some sort of surgery on his injury.

is brian moorman the best player. how can you sleep at night and say that Ron??? I see what you are trying to pull there but there is no way he has been the best player. I can name pat williams, then winfield, then clements, then lee evans, then marshawn lynch as all being better players when Moorman has been year. And yes peters is better than Moorman too.

I agree Peters is overrated, but what I think is lost in all of this is how good he could be. He does what he does basically on pure athleticism and gifted natural ability. If he were to ever get a mean streak in him he could indeed one of the best at his position instead of just some silly media darling that they decide to vote to the Pro Bowl.

I’ve watched enough of him to know he gets beat, and isn’t overpowering. But my main concern was last year we had 5 guys start what 14 games together? And spend an entire trianing camp together on the O-line. If they would have done that again this year there is no telling how good they can be. And he has a huge right to be absolutely pissed off that they bring in Dockery and Walker who immediately get more than him. So he played out his one year and now he is taking a stand after he made the Pro Bowl and they didnt. I understand both sides. But its time to pay the frick’n man and move on.

that’s my point those guys were on the team before. So your saying last year he was the best player. You smok’n some wacky tobaccy there in those NM mountains?

It depends how you define best player.

There is no way he is the team’s most valuable player. If Moorman’s punt average is 3 yards better than your average punter, that is less valuable than a number of Offensive and defensive players.

If you define best as in relative to the rest of the league at their position, than Moorman is and has been Buffalo’s best player for quite some time. Sorry Bills fans, but their at least 5 offensive tackles who are better than Peters. There are 5-10 RBs better than Lynch. There are 15+ WRs better than Evans. There are at least 5 better DTs than Stroud and at least 20 better LBs than any of our guys. Moorman was the best punter in the league for a few years and he remains one of the very best.