"As for justifying the trade, all I can say is I have it on good authority that Evans wanted to...

I can't fault him if he did

He’s getting to the last few years of his career…I’m sure he’d like a chance to play in the playoffs while he’s still a starting caliber player

by Stephen Schmidt on Aug 13, 2011 8:16 AM EDT reply actions

Yeah this move is starting to kind of make sense to me now. Doesnt mean I like it tho…

"Aw snap, aw snap, come to my macaroni party and we'll take a nap!"

by J0ckam0 on Aug 13, 2011 8:22 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Lee Evans was a fun player to watch

Honestly though, I’m going to be watching quite a few of these games with an eye a year or two down the road. I don’t really want to, but that’s the reality of where we are at the moment. If this means a chance to see what we have in Easley and Jones, I’ll be very happy to cheer for those guys.

by Stephen Schmidt on Aug 13, 2011 8:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Plus with the lockout they couldn’t move him sooner – good to get him moved before he’s taking pre season game reps from other guys that clearly need it.

I read a lot of comments not understanding the timing but he could have just requested this adamantly since the lockout got over and it took a bit to get him moved.

The more I think about it I would have liked a 3rd but Lee is surely overrated by myself and the most of this fan base. I think we’ll be just fine

by J2 on Aug 13, 2011 8:24 AM EDT reply actions

say what you will too but Buddy is trying to change the culture – Poz, Whitner, Lee and most likely Maybin – that’s some crazy mediocre talent leaving this team — I know we all have something for guys that we’ve seen grow and mature from being drafted but none of those guys are irreplaceable – they aren’t difference makers week in and week out and that’s what this team needs.

by J2 on Aug 13, 2011 8:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Nailed it!

It’s hard to be a fan of a team that has been rebuilding for the last decade. Every fall this team and it’s fans are full of optimism as a new season is about to begin. Talk of playoffs fills the room with the addition of new players to the teams core. However, the core that is (was) in place was mediocre at best. Rebuilding through the draft is a painful process for fans but it is the best way to obtain top young talent that in another year or two can be complemented by a veteran player.

Maybe in two or three years the Bills will be in a position to trade for a player like a Lee Evans to be their #2 reciever, to hopefully propel them into Super Bowl contention. But for now we are tied for first place and the playoffs are in our reach just as easily as is a top 3 pick in next years draft.

by Al Bundy is my hero on Aug 13, 2011 8:41 AM EDT up reply actions

except

Except Buddy has produced no difference makers to date. We have a lot of promising players so the jury is still out on his draft acumen.

by Coach Bob on Aug 13, 2011 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions

With that said

As a Bill’s fan I hope he hits home runs in the draft every year. I don’t like being negative but I am a realist.

by Coach Bob on Aug 13, 2011 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Exactly right. The timing of the move means the offensive staff gets a full slate of four pre-season games to play the receiving corps they’re going with in 2011, in the roles they’re going to be playing.

And, in sober reflection, it is part of an obvious trend (once you take emotion out of it) that’s getting rid of any reminders of the Donohoe-Levy-Jauron eras, and bringing in Nix-Whaley-Gailey guys pro-tem (Florence, Merriman, Urbik, Chandler, Buster, Thigpen), while getting a core nucleus together through the draft. As I said Sunday, the Evans rumors (“whole lot of nothing”) and Buster Davis signing looked different when you looked at them together.

Now, like the Chiefs getting Jamaal Charles with the pick they acquired from Minnesota for Jared Allen, the Bills have to hit on the pick they got for Evans, and more than their fair share of the rest of them.

And short-term, the Bills finished last in the AFCE, and picked 3rd overall WITH Lee Evans, they almost (knocks wood) can’t be worse without him, and could possibly even be better.

And, worst case scenario, Bills fans still have a rooting interest in somebody in the playoffs.

by Brian in Shortsville on Aug 13, 2011 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions

5, 7, 8 & 9's are fairly safe on the body

they require a lot of effort but normally on a streak or a corner route, the receiver doesn’t get his head taken off by mad collisions. Asking Lee to change at this point in his career is probably a lot to ask. Short to Intermediate routes means a lot more violent collisions, risks of injury. I could see how our old dog didn’t really want to learn new tricks, especially since he’s not the biggest guy around.

He’s going to a place that want him for his stretching the field ability. I can definitely see them using Lee to make opposing defenses choose between loading the box or sliding some coverage to Lee’s side. I can just imagine how effective they will be setting up the power run with Leach/Rice and then play-action’ing off of it down the seam to Lee.

Good luck Lee!

And if this rumor is true, good job Buddy Nix for respecting Lee enough to accommodate him. He’s going to a team that’s in the hunt and he deserves it.

Rebuilding a team properly takes time and patience

by keysh67 on Aug 13, 2011 8:38 AM EDT reply actions

Thanks for posting this on the front MRW

I’ve been one who has vehemently opposed this move but when I read this yesterday my thoughts turned from confused and disappointed to feeling like ah ha this makes more sense. I still think we would be a better team with Lee and I wish him the best but if he wanted out I’m kudos to Buddy for not letting it become a distraction. I can live with a fourth in return for a guy that wanted out.

Now 8:00 cannot come soon enough! I’m ready to see what our guys can do this year!

"You are every bit as good as everyone else, but not one bit better."
-Eldred Lee

by arbon78 on Aug 13, 2011 8:49 AM EDT reply actions

Totally Agree

I was really disappointed in the 4th round pick in return for Evans, but if Lee wanted out, I think the FO owed it to him to try to move him ASAP. He’s been a great player and a class at as Buffalo Bill; he’s getting older and knows the Bills are still rebuilding. He probably just wanted a chance to win before he retired. I’ve completely change my opinion on the trade it’s all good. Go Bills, and good luck in Baltimore Lee!!

Yup

by Bills4ever on Aug 13, 2011 9:02 AM EDT reply actions

looks around

Good, people are starting to put their torches and pitchforks down :)

"Any tool is a weapon if you hold it right." ~ Ani Difranco
Buddy's getting the tools, now it's up to Chan!

by killerokapi on Aug 13, 2011 9:41 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Rec'd!

That was a really funny capper to this thread!

by ChuckBuffInFlo on Aug 13, 2011 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions

Glad everybodies calmed down now :)

by Xaviermw on Aug 13, 2011 11:17 AM EDT reply actions

That quote

stood out when i read it as well.

"Alright Men, lets go out there, bust um in the chops & get somebody bloody. If your not a superstar you best be sweating that ass off. Take the W in battle & make the Bills Nation Proud."

by Blood, sweat & Win on Aug 13, 2011 12:00 PM EDT reply actions

Agreed

I can see the logic of Evans asking to move on (as was Poz’s choice). This team is in full rebuild mode, so yes, I understand it. The fact that quality vets are opting out bothers me. I would be curious to ask Lee his perception of what is going on with the Bills. Whether it is they are in 5 year rebuild mode or he figures this team will just continue to spin its wheels. Sorry guys just don’t have any faith in Buddy and Chan until I see it!!

by Coach Bob on Aug 13, 2011 12:03 PM EDT reply actions

If he didn't request a trade, or make it known he wouldn't mind leaving....

I’d be surprised. It all makes sense that he would have done this.

The problem is still the timing, and the likeliness that the team paid his sizable roster bonus. Just not good business, IMO.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Aug 13, 2011 12:37 PM EDT reply actions

I think the timing was due to the shortened off season. During free agency we would have gotten less for him, so they had to wait. Plus, Gailey probably wanted to take a look at our young guys in camp before deciding on whether or not to let him go.

"Any tool is a weapon if you hold it right." ~ Ani Difranco
Buddy's getting the tools, now it's up to Chan!

by killerokapi on Aug 13, 2011 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Which part of the timing don’t you like? I’m curious.

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by MattRichWarren on Aug 13, 2011 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions

I could see the other teams wanting to have this completed before the 1st preseason game.

Lee’s value decreases to them as it gets closer to the season. They would want him in camp as soon as possible to learn the brand new offense and get some chemistry with his new QB.

On our end it helps the receiving corp settle and sort itself out.

We could have possibly gotten a better return if another receiver is injured, but that would be a bit of a crap shoot in my opinion. Buddy is pragmatic if nothing else.

by lonestar_ak on Aug 13, 2011 3:42 PM EDT up reply actions

dont believe it

i dont know why all you guys are believing this so easily…. it’s chris brown… he is a bills propaganda machine… are we all that stupid????

i will believe it when adam shefter or somebody else says it… right now, it is buddy’s move and lee didnt want to move period

by statcruncher on Aug 13, 2011 1:28 PM EDT reply actions

Tim Graham alluded to the same thing for what it’s worth. And while Brown doesn’t say anything without getting the go-ahead from the higher ups, he won’t flat out make something up.

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by MattRichWarren on Aug 13, 2011 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Rec'd

Chris Brown is NOT a liar. Chris Brown has real information, he just tells you half of it…

by greysquirrel on Aug 13, 2011 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions

why

do you say chris brown is NOT a liar as a fact?

by statcruncher on Aug 13, 2011 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions

part of it for you is just some way of rationalizing the evans move

by statcruncher on Aug 13, 2011 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions

That was oddly personal. Why would you naturally assume that Chris Brown is not NOT a liar? Would you assume that everyone else in the league is telling the truth?

Official ledge-talker-offer of the Buffalo Bills.
Citi Field loves the mets so much it smothers them. -the caveman

by WhyBillsWhy on Aug 13, 2011 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions

I see no connection between the first and second question. I don’t naturally assume he is not a liar. I’ve never seen him lie. And I took offense that statcruncher ASSUMED we could ignore his report because its not true. Sure he’s a PR guy who only reports positives, but he’s NOT some bald-faced liar who’s information we can ignore as false.

I wouldnt assume that about everyone else in the league. Not that its relevant to Chris Brown or what I thing is a fair statement about what he does and how he does it.

by greysquirrel on Aug 14, 2011 8:38 AM EDT up reply actions

Hahaha, I don’t need Evans to want to leave to rationalize the move. But I don’t see the point of ignoring the information. Again,Tim Graham mentioned the same on Twitter.

by greysquirrel on Aug 14, 2011 8:33 AM EDT up reply actions

Just because it’s a PR guy doesn’t make it false. Chris Brown can bias his reponses, but I’ve never seen him make up facts. I don’t think we have a nasis to start deriding Brown’s reports as lies.

by greysquirrel on Aug 14, 2011 8:35 AM EDT up reply actions

he is not making it up

he was probably told to say that… he is not acting on his own

by statcruncher on Aug 13, 2011 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions

nix himself

claimed he was unaware of any discussions… and yet later it was confirmed there were discussions with multiple teams. Regardless of whether Lee asked to leave or not, Nix flat out lied when asked if there was any validity to the claims. Why not have the discussion with the player, be honest with the fans, and justify your actions then? The GM may have nothing to “prove” to the fans, but it doesn’t mean that our approval doesn’t affect the spending we do. There are plenty of reasons to give for the trade; but he chose to pretend like nothing was going on, or that only “50/50” would be upset. I think it more right to say maybe 10% fully supported, 30% completely disagree, and the remaining 60% of us can at least rationalize it out to being a move that can make sense in some ways, even though it seemed like we coulda at least seen him one last time, with the “planned” starter and system, and if he did nothing, he coulda had 90/10 support…. I just don’t get the denial. I don’t get the timing. Confusing. (somewhat unrelated: why was he the “model” for the uniform he would not actually play in?)

by ThaRealTruth on Aug 14, 2011 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd like to hear what Lee Evans confirm/deny this

no hard feelings here either way. I totally understand if he wanted to leave. Until Nix, Ralph, Lee, or Gailey go on record with this, it’s still a rumor in my book.

by billsfan4life on Aug 13, 2011 6:59 PM EDT reply actions

all I can say is I have it on good authority that Evans wanted to move on.

And THAT, my friends, sums it all up.

This could very easily have turned into another Aaron Schobel situation.

- Evans – like Schobel – is a former first rounder
- Evans – like Schobel – has been productive for the Bills {though not a superstar}
- Evans – like Schobel – as alluded in Brown’s quote, had likely decided it was time to move on to greener pastures

While Evans has been a model teammate and veteran through his years here, times change, people change . . . Just as Schobel’s “will he or won’t he” was an unneeded distraction last summer that could have dragged into the season had the Bills not finally just cut him, who’s to say Evans might have adopted the same stance next off-season?

Sometimes, you have to nip a problem in the bud . . . BEFORE it becomes a problem.

By trading him now, he has the opportunity to shine elsewhere, and – UNlike Schobel – the Bills get something in return . . .

.

"If You Ain't a Bill I Don't Give a Fxck Bout Ya!! Most Disrespected Team in NFL! I Always feel Disrespected! I'm All In!" -- Steve Johnson

by go_buff on Aug 13, 2011 7:39 PM EDT reply actions