There will be a meeting today between the Bills and the representatives for Stevie Johnson, but GM Buddy Nix doesn't want it made out to be an international summit. It's common practice for NFL clubs and agents this time of the NFL calendar year.
"Realistically I doubt that we'll know anymore after today than we know now," said Nix in advance of the meeting with Johnson's reps. "We meet with a lot of agents. We schedule a lot of meetings and we meet with players' agents that are not even up. So this is just another step in the process with Stevie's agent. They say he wants to be here and we say we want him so as long as we're talking maybe there's some progress being made."
With respect to the upcoming Johnson talks Nix isn't expecting a final resolution Friday to the ongoing contract talks.
"I just don't see anything happening today, not for any specific reason," Nix told Buffalobills.com. "I think again it's just a chance to get together and hash out some differences and that kind of thing and try to make some progress."
When asked how much common ground still needs to be found between the two sides Nix would only say that the end result, getting Johnson re-signed, has not yet been reached.
"It's according to how you measure it," he said. "Anytime you haven't got it done there's work to be done."
Bills talking with other free agentsEstimating that he has more than 20 meetings lined up with agents in his time at the NFL Combine, Nix confirmed to Buffalobills.com that they have been and will speak to the representatives of Demetrius Bell, Scott Chandler, Bryan Scott and others.
"We're meeting with their guys," said Nix. "We're doing the same thing and we met with some yesterday and we'll meet the next two or three days with all of those guys' agents."
Nix made a point in explaining how Johnson's potential new contract impacts the contracts of the other free agents Buffalo intends to re-sign. With that being the case it sounds as if the Bills will not overpay for one player at the expense of losing another.
"In the dealings with Steve there are some business decisions that obviously you have to make," said Nix. "The biggest thing for me is we don't get ourselves in a position where we can't sign some of the other core guys. I'm going to make sure (that doesn't happen) because we need all those guys and like to have them all back. And we're working on that."
Buffalo's general manager also said committing too much money to their own free agents could also hamper their ability to sign free agents that hit the market
"You've got to be careful you don't jeopardize your chances at free agency to go after somebody of need by overpaying (for your own free agents) and getting yourself in a position where you can't go get them."
