Shawne Merriman Signs New Two-Year Contract With Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills have signed linebacker Shawne Merriman to a new two-year contract this weekend, as was reported by ESPN's Chris Mortensen. The deal assures the Bills that if Merriman has the ability to return to health, they will reap the rewards of having a top-flight pass rusher as part of their defensive corps.

But since nobody claims to have a crystal ball, this deal has the potential to come back and bite Buffalo Bills General Manager Buddy Nix, just as easily as not. What if Nix decides to forgo drafting a stud defensive pass rusher with his first round draft pick, because he believes he has a healthy Merriman on board? Just imagine Nix's chagrin if Merriman turns up lame again in the first month of practice.

Merriman has a past history of alleged steroid use, and to what extent his body has been in the process of breaking down is a reasonable question.

Bills Are Throwing Money Around To Resurrect the Defense

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TORONTO, ON - NOVEMBER 07: Shawne Merriman of the Buffalo Bills stands on the field prior to play against the Chicago Bears at Rogers Centre on November 7, 2010 in Toronto, Canada. Merriman was claimed this week after being waived by the San Diego Charge

The deal is loaded with incentives, so Nix is not totally crazy. He will only be on the hook for $2.5 million in guaranteed money in 2011 if Merriman winds up getting hurt again.

According to the report that Mortensen turned in, the deal has incentives that could bring the total contract to $9.25 million for the year. The deal is supposed to bring Merriman an average of $5.5 million over the two-year period.

This is clearly a gamble, because Merriman has really not been healthy for the last two seasons. Nix said that the Bills have done their homework, and have checked Merriman out thoroughly. He has been in attendance at the Bills facilities to continue to rehab from his leg injuries.

This deal follows the other deal earlier this season that raised many eyebrows, when Buddy Nix re-signed defensive end/linebacker Chris Kelsay to a four-year extension worth $24 million. Apparently there is no shortage of money in the Bills' coffers when it comes to resurrecting a pass rush.

Wonder what it would take to coax Aaron Schobel out of retirement?

Shawne Merriman Has Already Taken To Mentoring Arthur Moats

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 05: Brett Favre (bottom) #4 of the Minnesota Vikings is tackled and injured by the Buffalo Bills defense at the Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on December 5, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by

Arthur Moats has shown great promise in his rookie season. Shawne Merriman has been paying attention and has been giving Moats pointers to add to his repertoire of moves.

As Moats continues to gain experience, the Bills defense could potentially develop into a much more formidable unit if they can generate pressure on the quarterback from multiple sources.

The potential is there: Kyle Williams up the middle, Moats, Merriman and Kelsay from the outside. If the Bills can just get to the quarterback with more regularity, the secondary would probably see their interception totals return to what the unit generated in 2009. The lack of interceptions in 2010 has been a major disappointment.

How effective can Shawne Merriman be? We need to reflect on what he accomplished previously. Merriman has made the Pro-Bowl three times. That is nothing to sneeze at. He has registered 43.5 sacks to date, which is very impressive. The down side is that he only has four sacks in the past three years.

How Will the Merriman Deal Influence Buddy Nix at the Draft?

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 16: Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli #8 of the Ole Miss Rebels passes the ball while being pressured by Marcell Dareus #57 of the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 16, 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevi

As of this writing, the Bills still have to complete today's season finale against the New York Jets. Based on the outcome of the contest, and the rest of the NFL slate of the league's bottom dwellers, the Bills could find themselves drafting anywhere from the second overall selection up to the 10th overall pick.

So, assuming that the Bills stay where they stand right now, which is fourth overall, you know that there will still be some extremely strong pass rushers available on the draft board. The quality defensive linemen that are projected to go in the first round include: Nick Fairley (Auburn), Da'Quan Bowers (Clemson), Robert Quinn (North Carolina), Marcell Dareus (Alabama) and Ryan Kerrigan (Perdue).

So does Buddy Nix assume that Merriman is healthy, and therefore passes over these defensive studs to draft a quarterback or a tackle?

There are other defensive talents there for the taking, from linebackers Von Miller (Texas A&M) to Akeem Ayers (UCLA).

Shawne Merriman's health and rehab will have to be monitored closely leading up to the draft, because I see this as a potential security blanket for Buddy Nix that could blow up in his face.

How Big of an Influence Can Merriman Be on the Rest of the Defense?

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GREEN BAY, WI - SEPTEMBER 19: Aaron Maybin #58 of the Buffalo Bills sits on the bench during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on September 19, 2010 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Bills 34-7. (Photo by Jonathan Danie

This may be asking for too much, but is it at all possible that Shawne Merriman can take Arthur Moats under his wing, and while he is at it, bring Aaron Maybin along for the ride?

One has to wonder if Maybin will be a member of the Bills next season. With not that much to play for last week in the blowout loss to New England, the Bills thought enough of Maybin's progress to let him play one snap. That is a very telling barometer of where Maybin fits in to the Bills' overall plan.

Maybin needs to have a fire lit under his butt, and pronto. He needs to develop more size and strength, legally of course. He needs to stop bouncing up and down on the field like he is a jacked up bunny rabbit, and produce some plays. Earn your money, and prove that you are not a total bust.

If there is anyone that could potentially reach Maybin, I believe it could be Shawne Merriman. They both hail from Maryland and their paths have crossed in the past. Maybe I am guilty of wishful thinking here, but at this point, can you blame me?

This Deal Is a Statement to the NFL

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SAN DIEGO - AUGUST 14: Linebacker Shawne Merriman #56 of the San Diego Chargers works out before the game with the Chicago Bears on August 14, 2010 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. Merriman signed his one year tender contract on Friday and

Another consideration that is a byproduct of this deal is that it speaks volumes to the rest of the NFL that the Bills are prepared to spend money on defensive talent, especially for the free agents coming up in the 2011 season.

The Bills brought in Andra Davis, Dwan Edwards, Reggie Torbor and Akin Ayodele all via free agency. It is not out of the question to think that the Bills will bring in additional free agents to help shore up the defense, especially against the rush. Between the injured Bills that are due to return next year, the draft class that Buddy Nix will put together and the expected haul from free agency, there could be a revamped defense for George Edwards to oversee next year.

As much as a healthy Shawne Merriman would mean to the Bills' defensive fortunes, an injured Merriman would leave a gaping hole that the Bills would find difficult to fix on the fly.

This deal is also one more interesting highlight on the Buddy Nix rebuilding effort. For Bills fans, they can only hope that this is a defining moment that can be pointed to as a great move by the front office, similar to when ex-Bills General Manager Bill Polian made the trade to acquire "Sea Biscuit" Cornelius Bennett. Or, consider it to be nothing ventured, nothing gained. We will reserve judgment until the two years have come and gone on this deal.