Thurman#1

So, he didn't know Josh was on this team and that we were pretty good until a bunch of teams didn't really work out for him? I like the guy, but this is athlete-speak.

Yeah. They usually do this earlier before the draft. My guess is they have four or five or even a few more guys they are still interested in and as long as there are still a smorgasbord available, why hurry when as time passes prices tend to go down.

Right, the cash was a bit front-loaded, but the salaries were pretty even year to year. But there are plenty of reasons to re-structure outside signing someone. One is just to have money available if you need it suddenly. It could be they're signing someone, certainly, but doesn't have to be.

We only two choices: sign the contract the Bears structured to make uncomfortable for us, or let him go. We didn't write that contract. The Bears did.

Just turning that contract that the Bears structured to make it hard for us to bring him in. Turning that into a Bills-styled contract.

If "of the eligible players, only 28.5% (n = 59/207) remained in the league 3 years postinjury," is your headline here, you're right that it is a bit shocking, but less so when you remember that the average NFL career is 3 years. But yeah, they're not nothing. You can't just assume things will be hunky-dory automatically.

No, we traded one first round pick for Diggs, along with a 5th and a 6th in that year and a 4th the next, receiving a 7th that year. This is two 1st round picks plus a 3rd and a 5th. Terrible trade. For Diggs, we traded away: 2020 #22 2020 #155 2020 #201 2021 #134 and received the Vikes 2020 #239 For this new trade, we'd be trading away: 2022 #25 2022 #89 2023 1st 2023 5th Only for a franchise QB. That's the standard rule. Never trade away two firsts except for a franchise QB. Again, we have one. The analytics tell us that this kind of trade works out infrequently. Check "The Loser's Curse: Decision Making and Market Efficiency in the National Football League Draft" by Massey and Thaler. All the articles say the same thing as well. The Harvard Sports Analysis Collective article "How to Value Draft Picks" backs up Massey and Thaler. They all do, really.

Trading away Mahomes sounds idiotic till you realize we got Allen and Tre. A fantastic trade. The making of this team. Very nicely put.

Much too much. As a thought experiment, it's interesting. But you don't give up ths much except for a franchise QB. We've already got one. This would go down as a second Watkins trade.

Singletary was 3rd in the league in 2020. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2020/rushing_advanced.htm His contact balance must've gotten worse. Not much worse, though, he was 11th in 2021, the next one after Harris there..

Draft an enforcer and return to 1950 in the wayback machine.

Thoughtful post, Bill. I do question the word "exceptional." Again, 13 guys in ten years, and at least one in eight of those ten years says it's not exceptional at all. It's actually a pretty frequent thing. It happens with great consistency. And that leaves out a few tackles moved to guard, with again a pretty good record when it happens. And one or two of them were drafted and immediately moved inside. Yet they're not being counted. I totally agree that if there's a CB or a WR that they have at the same grade as they have for any potential first round guards, of course they'll go with the other positions. You're unquestionably right that there is an opportunity cost in picking somebody at a less premium position. Equally, though, there is also an opportunity cost picking someone at a premium position who isn't as good as the guard they could have taken. There's an opportunity cost either way.

Dude, you seem desperate to kid yourself that I'm angry, upset ... this is like four or five posts in which you've desolately claimed that you think I'm angry, and that it's your post that caused it. The "uncalled for insult" was to your idea, not you. I called it stupid because it was stupid. And isn't it interesting that it's not only me who has hung on so long? This seems to mean a lot to you. Honestly, if some merkin on the internet whom I've never met and never expect to says something stupid, it just doesn't affect me. I mean, not in the slightest. But I'll tell you what, would it make you happy if I pretend? Anything for you. How's this? "Damn it. I'm just ferociously upset. I mean, something dumb was said on the internet!! When that happens, I just get so irate!! Why, I'm incandescent with rage that some stranger believes something nonsensical!! Irate doesn't even begin to say it. I'm seething. I'm incensed!! I'm apoplectic some guy on the internet believes some total poppycock!! I hate those meeces to pieces!!! Oh, the fury! I'm hacked off. I'm steamed up. I am registering umbrage. I'm so provoked that some marshmallow on the internet said something senseless, because that never happens. So when it does, oh the ire it generates in me." Hope that makes you feel better, dude. Makes me feel like a drama queen to play into this sad little fantasy here, but whatever, anything to get in the spirit. "Oh, oh!! So very very angry! I'm chafed. I'm stewing!! So vexed!! I'm nettled!!! I'm riled!! My anger is inflamed." Seems a weird fantasy you've got there, but whatever floats your dinghy.

Don't be sorry. You seem desperate to believe I'm angry or that you bothered me. You flatter yourself. Again, when I see stupid ideas posted, sometimes I point out how stupid they are. It's no bother at all.

Nah, I didn't see what extra picks do. I saw what extra picks do in one particular situation with one particular set of players. Why would I want more picks? I would want more picks because they can be used in many ways. One way is indeed to see if they make the roster and if they don't, then put them on the practice squad. They might be grabbed by someone. Or they might not. But the picks could also be used to trade up this year or to trade for picks next year to help us then. Teams can steal your picks, but plenty of times they don't get napped at all. Plus any of those picks might turn out to be better than they expected and make the roster. It happens. In fact, if it's an extra 3rd or 4th or something, he would likely easily make the roster.

He's only 48. This could work.

Nah.

Wouldn't like to have Rexy as a coach. But no, the money issue was understated, if anything. The dead space was the result of the need to free up cap space as quickly as possible, not the cause. Whaley had a middle-of-the-road roster without a QB and yet their cap situation looked like a team near the end of a Super Bowl window. They even had a chance to put post June 1st designations on a couple of their later cuts and they didn't. They wanted to take all the cap pain that year that year so they'd have cleared the cap superbly in just two seasons.

Money absolutely was an issue. The Bills were in poor cap shape at the start of a rebuild. That was something they spent two seasons digging their way out of. Money was a huge issue for the Bills at that time.

May have burned some fans bridges, but picking a higher contract isn't burning any bridges for team personnel. Nor is saying nice things about your new team once you get there. This irritated fans, but wasn't even a pea under 100 mattresses for the FO. Price and fit would be much much much bigger factors.

I'm sure they'd love to get him. I have drastic doubt they can afford him. Totally makes sense to kick the tires, though.

We don't need extra picks. Hell, we don't need much of anything. We sure could use some extra picks, though, always, whether for trade or for use. Can't speak for him, but I'd sure be interested, but it would depend on the complete terms of the deal, and I myself doubt we get much back beyond that first and, what, a 4th or a 5th this year? Which I probably wouldn't take.

It's generally the team that trades up that has to sweeten the deal. Not always, true. But far more often. That's not the Bills who "want players who are going to make an immediate impact." It appears to be you. The Bills have shown that they love their picks, particularly the top five rounds or so. The Bills might trade up. Or back. Generally they seem to like to trade up, but only just a bit, using 6ths or 7ths to sneak up a bit, outside gathering a ton of draft capital to move up for a QB.

IMO it's not as clear as all that. That's absolutely one of the possible reasons for what they've done. There's a solid chance that's the reason. I think another reason could be that they are more confident about Dane Jackson and the guys behind him that we are. I'm not, but perhaps they are. And they also may feel that the second CB is one of the least important spots in their defensive scheme. Still, I'm with you and would like to see them upgrade. I hope we see it fairly early.

For me, still high. It would still be a top three need, since Wallace is gone.