CB Nate Clements (San Francisco 49ers)

[sandgk]

Well, this isn't the way in which I was hoping to start off a thread about Nate Clements. But this is recent news.

Things are clearly not all wine and roses in Buffalo.
LINK

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Nate Clements was a no-show when the Buffalo Bills opened a voluntary minicamp Friday because he failed to accept a one-year contract as the team's franchise player.
New coach Dick Jauron said it was important for the star cornerback to attend camp to learn the new defensive system Jauron and coordinator Perry Fewell are implementing.
We'd like to have him in, but we also understand his position in this thing," said Jauron, who took over after Mike Mularkey's abrupt resignation in January. "It'll straighten itself out over time one way or the other. We obviously value his abilities a great deal."
The Bills designated Clements their franchise player in February. The move means the Bills are committed to paying him about $7.2 million next season. The two sides are attempting to negotiate a long-term contract.
Clements' agent, Todd France, said there were "no new developments at this time," in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
Clements doesn't have to accept the offer, and the Bills can withdraw the deal at any time.
Buffalo's first-round pick in the 2001 draft, Clements is a five-year starter who leads the team with 20 interceptions, four of which he's returned for touchdowns.
The three-day minicamp ends Sunday.
Two other players -- running back Willis McGahee and linebacker Takeo Spikes -- also were absent.
Jauron said McGahee had a scheduling conflict, but it's possible he will attend the final two days of camp. Spikes continues to recuperate after having surgery to repair an Achilles' tendon he tore in Week 3 of last season.
Spikes isn't expected to fully recover until the start of training camp in July.

[jimotis4heisman]

of note kind of is the bills comments about the reality of them leaving upstate, and ripping the "new owners"

[The Man]

signed a 1-year deal with Buffalo today.

[sandgk]

Clements, Whitner, Youbouty

Buffalo --- Bills
=
Buckeye D Backs


in NY State

[jwinslow]

Buffalo Bills cornerback Nate Clements makes a catch during a practice drill at a voluntary minicamp in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Friday, May 5, 2006. Clements re-signed with the Bills on Friday, accepting the one-year, $7.2 million contract Buffalo offered the star cornerback in designating him the team's franchise player in February. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

[hawaiianbuckeye]

HAYN

[osugrad21]

Link

5/6

Clements deal includes downside for Bills

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

Extended as a good faith gesture, and designed to ensure the attendance of star right cornerback Nate Clements at this weekend's mini-camp, a promise made by Buffalo Bills officials to the five-year veteran could well turn out to be very bad news for the franchise.





Nate Clements
Cornerback
Buffalo Bills

Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
Tot Ast Solo FF Sack Int 102 81 21 3 0 2

The Bills announced on Friday that Clements, one of the NFL's top young defenders, has signed the one-year tender offer of $7.2 million for a franchise cornerback. What the team did not announce, but which is a fairly significant caveat, is that the deal included a promise that the Bills will not exercise the franchise tag again next spring to retain Clements' rights.
Translation: Without a contract extension, the Bills have essentially forfeited the only other mechanism at the team's disposal for bolting the door on Clements when his one-year contract expires. So while having Clements on hand for the first major function under new coach Dick Jauron is a plus, the manner in which it was accomplished, in a bit of irony, likely augurs his departure after this season.
Clements is seeking a big payday, the kind of long-term contract awarded elite cornerbacks, and the small-market Bills will be hard-pressed to provide such a megadeal. For practical purposes, Buffalo executives are working against a July 15 deadline, because signing Clements to a long-term deal after that means that the club would lose the right to use the franchise tag on another player. And like any veteran, the closer Clements gets to having his total freedom and the right to negotiate with all 32 teams on the open market, the less likely he is to sign an extension with the Bills.
On Friday, as he arrived for the start of mini-camp, Clements insisted he is "definitely interested" in signing an extension with the Bills. But such talk is cheap and keeping Clements won't be.
The former Ohio State star, taken by the Bills in the first round of the 2001 draft, could hit the unrestricted market next spring at just 27 years old. He will still be in his prime, a Pro Bowl-level player at a premium position, and other teams will be primed to pursue him.
Under terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, teams can only exercise the franchise marker on a player for two consecutive years. So without the promise made to Clements as part of his one-year contract, the Bills could have limited his mobility next spring as well, and kept him through the 2007 season. But the Bills chose to have Clements in uniform for the weekend mini-camp, and the promise of not having to deal with the franchise tag next spring was so attractive that the standout cornerback cut short a family vacation to Disney World to arrive in time for the first practice.
"I tried to put myself in their shoes and see how I might manage a player of [my] caliber," Clements said of the Bills' rare maneuver. "I take it as a compliment."
It is unusual, but not unprecedented, for a team to stipulate that it will not exercise the franchise marker on a player. The Seattle Seahawks did it last year as part of the one-year qualifying offer signed by tailback Shaun Alexander. After his record-breaking 2005 season, and only days removed from unfettered freedom in March, Alexander signed a long-term extension to remain with the Seahawks.
The Bills can only hope the situation with Clements plays out the same way, but there are no guarantees that it will.
One motivation for signing starting left cornerback Terrence McGee to a contract extension last year was the likelihood that Clements might depart following the 2006 season. The Bills further addressed the corner position in last week's draft, choosing former Ohio State star Ashton Youboty in the third round. But even with such planning, it will be difficult to replace Clements if he departs next spring.
Clements was not as solid in 2005, when he posted a career-low two interceptions, as in the previous season. Still, he is regarded as a premier player at a key position where teams are always trying to upgrade.
In five seasons, Clements has never missed a game, and has started in 75 of 80 appearances. He has 444 tackles, 20 interceptions, 49 passes defensed, 11 forced fumbles, two recoveries and 1½ sacks. Clements has also returned 65 punts for a 9.5-yard average and two touchdowns, and has 31 kickoff runbacks for an average of 20.7 yards.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

5/6

NFL NOTEBOOK
Clements signs $7.2 million contract
Saturday, May 06, 2006
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Nate Clements was all smiles after his first practice back with the Buffalo Bills yesterday, when he stepped before the crowd of reporters and cameras and said: "So, what’s going on? "
As if Clements didn’t know.
The Buffalo cornerback was the center of attention, showing up for the start of the team’s three-day voluntary minicamp after signing a one-year, $7.2 million contract.
The deal represents the offer the Bills made Clements in February when they retained his rights by designating him their franchise player.
Clements said he accepted the offer in part so that he can join his new teammates and begin learning the new defensive scheme under firstyear coach Dick Jauron. Jauron is a defensive specialist and former Chicago Bears coach who took over in January after Mike Mularkey resigned.
Buffalo’s first-round pick in the 2001 draft, Clements is a five-year starter who leads the team with 20 interceptions — four for touchdowns — during that span.
Clements should get a chance to tutor two recent draftees, safety Donte Whitner, selected eighth overall last Saturday, and cornerback Ashton Youboty, a third-round pick. Both played at Ohio State, Clements’ former school.

[Buckskin86]

Don't expect Bills to give Clements long-term deal
By Connor J. Byrne on July 19, 2006 12:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | RSS

In the wake of right tackle Jason Peters' recent contract extension, many Buffalo Bills fans have been calling for the team's No. 1 cornerback, Nate Clements, to receive a new deal. Earlier in the offseason, the former Pro Bowler was given the franchise tag, which will pay him $7.2 million in the upcoming year.

With the 26-year-old's intentness to someday become the highest-paid corner in the National Football League, it's probably not realistic to expect Clements and the Bills to strike a longterm accord this summer. Owner Ralph Wilson likely won't be willing to spend major cash on Clements, as the defender's demands may simply be too high.

On the bright side for Buffalo, the former first-rounder in 2001 appears ready to take advantage of his contract season and have one of his best years yet. In 2005, the ex-Ohio State Buckeye finished with a career-low two interceptions, while looking uncharacteristically pedestrian in coverage more often than not. In the past Clements was always a lock-down player who had the ability to make game-changing plays.

Because of the 6-0, 209-pounder's outstanding 2004 campaign, '05 was a disappointment for Clements. During that season he intercepted a career-high six passes and made great impact as the Bills' punt returner.

If Clements can approach the same type of numbers he had in '04, there's no reason why Buffalo's pass defense won't vastly improve from its 29th ranking of a year ago. At the same time, a huge season for the defensive back, who has 20 career interceptions, would more than likely end his tenure in Western New York.

In this past April's draft, Bills general manager Marv Levy did more than enough to bolster his secondary for the future. By drafting Clements' fellow Buckeye, Ashton Youboty, in the third round, Levy prepared for his veteran's almost-imminent departure. To most draft pundits, the talented 6-0, 188-pound Youboty should have been a late first-round pick. Somehow, he fell all the way to the 70th selection, where he landed in Buffalo - far from his birthplace of Liberia.

Along with current No. 2 corner Terrence McGee, and rookie safeties Donte' Whitner (a first-rounder) and Ko Simpson (fourth round), Youboty will form a potentially terrific young group of defensive backs. However, that alignment will have to wait to take shape until 2007.

For the 2006 season, Clements, McGee, Whitner and 35-year-old free safety Troy Vincent are expected to hold the fort down. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills' trio of youngsters will learn and play sparingly. Soon enough, they'll be ready to make impacts, while Clements finds that his true land of opportunity is elsewhere.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com

http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/a...cks190706.html

[osugrad21]

Bills | Clements misses practice, questionable for Week 6
Wed, 11 Oct 2006 13:52:46 -0700

Buffalo Bills CB Nate Clements (thigh) missed practice Wednesday, Oct. 11, and is questionable for Week 6.


http://www.kffl.com/hotw/NFL?page=1

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

USAToday.com

Roundup: Bills could have Clements

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) ? Nate Clements practiced Friday for the first time this week, raising the possibility the Bills' limping starting cornerback will be able to play at Detroit Sunday.
Clements remains listed as questionable with a sore right quadriceps, which he hurt in Buffalo's 40-7 loss at Chicago last weekend. He had been held out of practice Wednesday and Thursday.
If Clements can't play, reserve Kiwaukee Thomas would make his 12th career start, and first since 2004, when he was with Jacksonville.
The Bills (2-3) are already depleted on defense in preparing to face the Lions (0-5).
Rookie backup defensive tackle John McCargo is out after breaking his left foot last weekend. Linebacker Takeo Spikes, who's missed four straight games with a hamstring injury, is also listed as questionable, but was able to practice all week.
Buffalo is already starting two rookie safeties, Donte Whitner and Ko Simpson, because of injuries to Matt Bowen and Troy Vincent. Bowen, listed as doubtful, has been out since breaking a bone in his lower right leg two months ago, while Vincent (hamstring) was released Thursday after being placed on injured reserve last month.
Starting right guard Chris Villarrial, who missed last week's game because of a right ankle injury, practiced this week but listed as questionable.

[osugrad21]

Link


The Buckeye biographies

11/5/2006
NATE CLEMENTS

Draft: First round (21st overall), 2001
Position: Cornerback
Most memorable moment at Ohio State: "First start against Miami. We lost the game, but I had something like 14 tackles and an [interception]. It was pretty good."
Most memorable moment in the NFL: "First pick, Peyton Manning, took it back for a touchdown against Indy."

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Clements' play resonates

Cornerback's big stop turns tide against Texans

By ALLEN WILSON
NEWS SPORTS REPORTER
11/20/2006 HOUSTON - With the Houston Texans facing third-and-2 from their 19-yard line, Buffalo Bills cornerback Nate Clements' thoughts turned to a week ago in Indianapolis.
Like the Colts, the Texans were trying to protect their lead and run out the clock. Clements and his defensive mates were in the same situation last week but couldn't stop the Colts.
Someone needed to make a play to halt the Texans' drive and Clements delivered, breaking up a quick slant pass intended for wide receiver Andre Johnson to force a punt and set the stage for the Bills' game-winning drive.
"It was third-and-1 [actually 2], and I'm anticipating something quick," Clements said.
Clements said he was anticipating "something quick" on the play.
"You've got to have a lot of courage to throw something deep on [third-and-2]. They happened to run a slant and I saw it and batted it down."
That proved to be the biggest defensive play of the day and put the capper on another strong effort by Clements.
Johnson entered the game as the NFL's leader in catches and second in yards. But with Clements shadowing him all day, Johnson finished with 76 yards on six receptions. Not bad numbers, but not enough to make a significant impact.
"I just wanted to stay focused on technique," Clements said. "They do a lot of things with him. I knew he was going to get the ball. Whatever the defensive call was I just tried to play to the strength of the defense and go from there."
Johnson, who combines great size (6-foot-3 and 222 pounds) and speed, is a tough matchup for any cornerback. He got Clements a few times, but more often than not Clements held his own.
Clements also ended a long interception drought with an interception in the first quarter. He hadn't recorded a pick since Week 13 against New England last season.
"I didn't even feel like celebrating because I was so happy to get that ball," he said. "It just felt so good to know what that feeling feels like again."
The Texans tried to test Clements deep but suffered the consequences of those actions. Clements outfought Johnson to make a leaping interception on one long pass and would have had another had Johnson not pushed him from behind.
"They tried to hit me twice with straight go routes," Clements said. "They tried to trick me the third time with a stutter and go. I knew they would do that. [Johnson] is a deep threat and he can run, so why not try to stretch the field for your offense? I just played to the strength of the defense and made plays on the ball when the opportunity came."</B>? ? ?
Bills left tackle Jason Peters obviously didn't buy the hype surrounding Houston rookie defensive end Mario Williams. The top pick in April's draft was mostly invisible Sunday. He was in on two tackles but didn't record a sack.
Thanks to the prodding of his teammates, Peters was fired up about facing Williams.
"I went into the game with a chip on my shoulder," Peters said. "Everybody was talking about Mario Williams this, Mario Williams that and him being the first pick in the draft. Guys were saying, "What are you going to do about it?' I just said I was going to go out and block him like anybody else."
? ? ?
Clements, safety Donte Whitner, defensive tackle Tim Anderson and cornerback Ashton Youboty were in extra high spirits in the locker room. Not only were they celebrating a Bills win, they were still aglow over Ohio State, their alma mater, beating Michigan on Saturday.
"To win this game and to get that big win on Saturday, it doesn't get any better than this," Whitner said. "It was a good weekend."
Conversely, the weekend was bittersweet for running back and former Michigan star Anthony Thomas, who was saddened by the death of legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler the day before Saturday's game. "He had an office on campus and he was always a guy you could talk to," Thomas said. "He tried to mentor us and tell us what is going on. He watched over us like he was still the coach."
? ? ? The Bills announced there are 7,500 unsold tickets for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. . . . Running back Willis McGahee, linebacker Keith Ellison, offensive guard Tutan Reyes, wide receiver Josh Reed, defensive end Eric Powell and defensive tackle Jason Jefferson were inactive.

e-mail: awilson@buffnews.com

[ScriptOhio]

Washington's secondary has been ineffective, and there could be changes. Springs is coming off another major injury and, with his salary cap figure around $7 million next season, restructuring his contract may be required. The Redskins will definitely need a new nickel corner with Wright and Mike Rumph not panning out, and many in the NFL expect them to pursue Buffalo cornerback Nate Clements, considered the best free-agent defensive back available.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...121401589.html

[korchiki]

At the start of the year he wasn't playing up to his potential...but his last 3-4 games he has been playing lights out...the bills will not keep him next season so it will be interesting to see where he gets moved to