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Evans signs long awaited extension
by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 10/2/2008 5:22 PM ET
Every time Lee Evans was asked about the progress of negotiations on a contract extension over the past few months Buffalo’s top wideout always stated things were moving in the right direction. Those negotiations finally reached a resolution on Thursday when the Bills locked up their top receiver to a multi-year agreement.
The Evans camp and the Bills had been working on the extension for almost the entire offseason, which admittedly was anything but easy. With some NFL clubs overpaying for free agent receivers this past spring (e.g. Bernard Berrian) and elite wideouts signing new deals like New England’s Randy Moss and Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald there was a wide range of contracts that re-shaped the receiver market.
Regardless of the state of the receiver market the Bills knew all along they had to keep their top receiver in the fold and Evans wanted to stay in Buffalo long term.
No doubt helping Evans in his decision to commit to the team that drafted him 13th overall in 2004 was a newly developed sense of on field comfort with Trent Edwards and faith in new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert.
“I think it’s different this year. I think some of the things we’re doing offensively, is exciting, knowing that you’ll be doing a lot of different things,” said Evans. “That’s the fun - when you can kind of mix it up and be a part of doing different things during the game. I think that’s one of the things that makes it exciting.”
Evans is also off to the best start in his five-year career through the first four games with 14 catches for 332 yards and a touchdown. He’s currently tied for first in the league with six receptions of 25 yards or more, and is second in the NFL is average yards per catch with 23.7.
He already ranks in the top five on the club’s all-time list for career 100-yard receiving games (10) and receiving touchdowns (30).
Just last week Buffalo’s top wideout also tied the team record for being the fastest receiver to reach 4,000 career receiving yards with Frank Lewis eclipsing the yardage mark in just 68 games.
Evans has accomplished all this despite the fact that Buffalo’s offense has endured constant change. In his time with Buffalo the club has had four different quarterbacks and three different offensive coordinators.
But now with a rapidly ascending quarterback in Trent Edwards and offensive stability with coordinator Turk Schonert, all the pieces could be falling into place as Evans enters the prime of his career.
The Bills have been criticized over the past few years for letting some of their top talent escape to free agency and sign lucrative contracts, but the Bills have now re-signed more than 10 impact players in the #### Jauron era. Evans joins Brad Butler, Ryan Denney, Chris Kelsay, Rian Lindell, Terrence McGee, Brian Moorman, Roscoe Parrish, Jason Peters, Josh Reed, Aaron Schobel and Kyle Williams.
Peters is now expected to be priority number one in terms of a contract extension just two years after signing a five-year pact.