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Is Buffalo Done with Darwin Walker?

By Brian Galliford

98 days. That's how long it has been since Darwin Walker was acquired by the Buffalo Bills. The honeymoon period for Walker in Buffalo lasted 45 days until May 10, when it was first reported that Walker wanted a new deal.That makes it 53 days that Bills fans have been upset with the "star" defensive tackle. While the anger will likely linger for a very long time, it appears that the Buffalo Bills' front office may be finished with the Walker fiasco.

According to ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli, the Bills are ready to "throw in the towel" on negotiations with Walker, who is scheduled to head back to Philadelphia on August 5.

Buffalo officials are about ready to throw in the towel on negotiations with Darwin Walker, the veteran defensive tackle acquired in the trade that sent linebacker Takeo Spikes to the Philadelphia Eagles in March. According to the trade agreement, the Bills can return Walker to the Eagles, provided he doesn't report to camp by Aug. 5, and take a sixth-round draft pick in lieu of the tackle. Walker has no intention of reporting until he receives a long-term extension, and the two sides aren't close on the numbers. Walker has two years left on his Philadelphia contract, at base salaries of $1.3 million for 2007 and $1.4 million for 2008. The Bills have offered to nullify the 2008 portion of the contract, but that hasn't swayed Walker, a penetrating-type tackle the Bills could really use.

At this point, that sixth-round pick is looking like gold. It's likely that if Walker goes back to Philly he'll end up on the open market, with teams like Chicago and Tampa Bay having the most interest. My opinion? Let them have him. He. Is. Not. Worth. The. Money. Unless Walker does a sudden about-face and realizes that he in fact is not the reincarnate of Merlin Olsen, his career is done in Buffalo. This is a classic example of greed overriding the fact that he could have been a huge help on an up-and-coming team.

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