mjt328

On a side/related note with the Todd Gurley news... The Rams should be a cautionary tale for anyone promoting the "ALL-IN" approach to roster building. They were legit contenders for roughly two seasons, and are now watching everything fall apart. Salary cap hell and players getting cut. No draft selections to rebuild the roster. Brandon Beane has stated he wants this team built for the long-haul. They are not going to mortgage everything for a small window at the Super Bowl. They believe the best road to a Super Bowl is consistently fielding a contender year-after-year.

Rough average between the two guys. People have been estimating $15-16 per year for Dion Dawkins, and $12-13 for Matt Milano. Now contract average doesn't always equate to cap hit, and contracts can be structured in a million different ways. But the general idea is that we will absolutely need some extra space next year.

The discussion always starts with the QB. Tom Brady is gone. Andrew Luck isn't coming back. Big Ben and Phillip Rivers have clearly regressed, and now have retirement staring them in the face. As of today, the premier/young QBs in the AFC appear to be Patrick Mahomes and DeShaun Watson (sorry but Lamar Jackson needs another year of elite play to prove his game will work for the long-haul). There are several young QBs vying to join that conversation (Jackson as mentioned, Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and soon to be Joe Burrow). Even if Allen never reaches the heights of Mahomes or Watson, I think he can at least be in discussion for the #3-4 guy in the AFC very soon. He's definitely got some work to get there, but being in the Top 5 in your conference would be absolutely HUGE for this franchise. Don't forget, Watson is being pulled down by a ridiculously bad front office. The Bills do seem to have a better/smarter organization than AT LEAST New York, Cleveland and Cincinnati. So if Allen can make that huge step forward, and the Bills should be a major contender for years to come.

Melvin Gordon would need to come VERY cheap to make sense for the Bills. Otherwise, we should just focus on grabbing a guy on Day 2 of the draft. It's very likely that we can get someone that would be equally as productive. The Bills have enough cap space to play around with, but they still need to be careful. Thanks to the 5th Year Option, we do have some time before Tre White (likely) becomes the highest paid CB in the NFL. But both Dion Dawkins and Matt Milano are free agents next season, and I would have to imagine both are in our long-term plans. Rough estimates have each guy making $14-15 million per year.

I'm curious what everyone around here thinks about possibly taking a shot at Xavier Rhodes or Trumaine Johnson? Like Josh Norman, both guys have struggled mightily over the past few years. But maybe our defensive coaches/system could rejuvenate their careers, especially if we could do a one-year prove-it deal. I think we already have one of the best secondaries in the NFL. But I went into the offseason thinking we need 4 guys capable of playing the outside (we only had 3 last year). I would prefer that at least one of those CBs also be able to slide into the slot in case of another Taron Johnson injury.

Melvin Gordon is extremely overrated, and would likely cost over $10 million per year. Just like Jadeveon Clowney, he is one that I would definitely pass on, unless we can somehow get him to take half of what he's looking for. This is the point of free agency where smart GMs can often get players (who were disappointed in their markets) to take team-friendly/one-year prove-it deals. I'm not sure Gordon or Clowney will ever get down to a worthwhile price range, but there may be some other guys on the market who can contribute. Personally, I would really like another versatile CB who can compete with Levi Wallace and Josh Norman on the outside, but also help in the slot with Taron Johnson's injury history.

Well, let's take a look at the teams who will (possibly) be needing a QB next year. It's actually a pretty lengthy list. I'm assuming right off the bat that Cincinnati drafts Joe Burrow, and that most of the teams with young (2nd/3rd Year) prospects don't give up their guys prematurely. Detroit takes a big dead-cap hit if they move on from Matthew Stafford in 2021. I think he will be with them a few more seasons. New Orleans new contract with Drew Brees is for two seasons, with a big dead-cap next year. I think he goes two more and then retires. Chicago: It's possible that the Bears have already given up on Mitch Trubisky, but I think next year will be the time they officially move on. Denver: The Broncos appear to be rolling with Drew Lock this year. But with him being a 2nd Round selection, he might get a short leash. Indianapolis and Tampa Bay: They signed Phillip Rivers/Tom Brady, but only on a one-year deals. Both could be QB shopping again next year. Jacksonville: The Jags already appear to regret the Nick Foles signing, and I don't expect Gardner Minshew to be a long-term solution. Los Angeles, Miami and New England: The Chargers, Dolphins and Patriots all need QBs right now. Will they get one this year, or wait until 2021? Las Vegas: The Raiders could move-on from Derek Carr at pretty much anytime, and have already been hinting at it. Pittsburgh: I'm honestly surprised Big Ben isn't calling it quits already. Could he retire next year if the comeback doesn't go well? Washington: With the regime change, Dwayne Haskins might be the only 1st Rounder in danger of getting less than 3-4 seasons. Out of this group, I think Indianapolis, Chicago, Denver, Tampa Bay, New England, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh will be in playoff talks - or at least good enough to be outside discussion for the #1 Overall Pick. By process of elimination, that leaves Jacksonville, the LA Chargers, Miami and Washington as the most likely teams to finish with a bad enough record to get the top pick. But all of these teams have Top 10 picks in April, so it's very likely that Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert take this list down to two.

This is why it's ridiculous when people claim the "salary cap doesn't matter" and you only need to be creative with structuring contracts. Once everyone is seeking a huge contract, you can't keep them all. The Titans made the decision to pay Ryan Tannehill and franchise Derrick Henry, and just didn't have the money to keep Casey on the books. In my opinion, they made the wrong decision. They should have franchised Tannehill to see if he could replicate last season, let Henry walk and kept Casey. But what do I know?

I hear you. It is definitely a risk going into the season with Cody Ford at Right Tackle. But at some point, you need to let your high draft picks play, work out the kinks and hopefully step forward. Going into last season, there were lots of Bills fans concerned about Middle Linebacker. But Tremaine Edmunds took a significant step in his development, and the position is now considered one of our strengths. It's one thing to have a fallback option (which I believe Ty Nsekhe and possibly another veteran free agent will end up being). But once we re-signed Quinton Spain, it was highly unlikely we were going to throw big bucks at one of the RTs on the market.

Waddle hasn't re-signed yet, but I could definitely see them bringing him back. Should come pretty cheap. They still have Nsekhe as depth, and he can play both sides. So they could wait until the draft to bring in another guy. Extending Poyer is great, and means they just need depth at the safety position. Siran Neal is pretty much set as the "big nickel" spot. They really like Jaquan Johnson. Marlowe and Coleman are free agents, and I'm not sure either guy comes back, so these are the guys we are seeking to replace. Knowing the way this team operates, they definitely want a veteran voice in each unit. I fully expect them to add another RB in the next couple days, but it may not be someone who gets a ton of carries. I think they prioritize this position in the draft, between the 2nd-4th Rounds. I really don't see them adding another veteran WR, unless it's someone deep on the back-end at the league minimum. Odds are very high that a really nice WR prospect will fall into their laps on draft day, and they simply don't have the room on the roster to keep everyone. It couldn't hurt to add another guy. But like safety, I don't see them adding anyone much higher than league minimum. The primary spots (Milano, Edmunds) are set in stone. AJ Klein has plenty of starting experience, and they really like Vosean Joseph (who was on IR all of last season). Tyler Matakevich fills the special teams aspect they like out of backup linebackers.

I would still expect the Bills to add the following positions via free agency: - Veteran RB to replace Frank Gore - Swing Tackle to provide insurance behind Cody Ford - Cornerback with both outside and inside versatility - Safety depth And Bills fans, that pretty much encompasses the remaining needs we have across the roster. Take care of those spots, and the Bills are free to go BPA at pretty much every slot in the draft. It's a beautiful thing.

All of what you said is certainly true. I believe Bill Belichick's "Patriot Way" mentality, which he installed across every aspect of the franchise, was THE main reason for New England's unparalleled success over the past 20 years. Even more than Tom Brady. But I also believe that Belichick and Kraft's power struggle following Super Bowl LI was the end of the "Patriot Way" - and the ultimately the beginning of the end for New England's run. Yes, the Patriots still went to two more Super Bowls after that and even won another ring. But the battle over Jimmy Garoppolo was the moment that Belichick lost full control over the team's personnel decisions. It started the team down a path that finally reached a dead-end yesterday. If you believe all the reports out of Boston, you know that Garoppolo was Belichick's plan for succeeding Brady. Regardless of how indestructible Brady seemed, Belichick knew the day was coming that age would finally catch up to his Hall of Fame QB. While other franchises with veteran QBs usually sit on their hands until it's too late, Belichick has always been very forward-thinking and aggressive in drafting QBs. After-all, the only mark against Belichick's legacy is the fact that he only did it with Brady under center. If he could transition and then win a Super Bowl without Brady, his status as the greatest ever would be unquestioned. Reports say that Belichick wanted to trade Brady after the 2017 Super Bowl win against the Falcons. At that time, the Patriots still could have gotten a massive draft-haul for Brady and then handed the reigns of a championship roster over to Garoppolo. But Robert Kraft pulled rank, and refused to part with his boy. With Garoppolo set to hit free agency, this destroyed Belichick's transition plan that had been 3-4 years in the making. You will notice that in March 2017, the Patriots became uncharacteristically aggressive in both Free Agency (Stephon GIlmore) and trading draft picks for players (Brandin Cooks). This team had operated under the same mentality for almost two decades, and been massively successful. But suddenly, they were mortgaging their future for one-last chance at championship glory. This is because of everything listed above. The plan Belichick had been setting in motion was toast. The "Patriot Way" was dead. Until it happens on the football field, many will refuse to believe it. They will cling to the idea that Belichick has some magic trick up his sleeve. He doesn't. His magic trick was traded three years ago to the San Francisco 49ers. The Patriots have very few options left at QB for the 2020 season. They have an offense with very few weapons, and virtually no cap space/draft capital to improve it. They do have a strong defense, but I would anticipate a very ugly season.

As always, much of this will come down to the QB. The Dolphins very possibly amassed all these picks, but then played themselves out of the top two prospects in the draft. Sounds exactly like our approach for much of the last 15-20 years, which led to the longest playoff stretch in the NFL. My hope is that Washington takes Tua, just so the Dolphins get stuck with the leftovers. The Patriots are pretty much screwed for 2020. I don't care who the coach is. The best QBs left on the market include Cam Newton, Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton. The top QB prospects will be long-gone by pick #23. Combine this with among the worst RB/WR combinations in the league. They will likely still have a strong defense, but the fall from grace isn't going to pretty for the people of Boston.

We probably keep 6 guys. Stefon Diggs, John Brown and Cole Beasley are all locks. With the ridiculous depth in this draft, I fully expect the Bills to draft another WR in the first 4 rounds (and I expect them to make the active roster). The skill-set of that receiver will likely determine which of the other guys is expendable. - Duke Williams is still our only bid-bodied WR. If we draft a big guy, he's in trouble. - Andre Roberts is still our only returning. If we draft a guy capable of handling KR/PR duties, he could be in trouble. - Robert Foster is likely our default gadget-guy to replace Isaiah McKenzie. But I wouldn't be surprised if McKenzie is brought back on a lower salary.

Agree that New England will still be a decent team and play hard. But what "good QBs" are still on the market? The best options for New England look like Jameis Winston and Teddy Bridgewater.

Sounds like Brady is going to either Tampa Bay or the LA Chargers. I'm WAY more interested to see what New England does at Quarterback. What options to they have available right now? - They pick #23, and then not again until the 3rd Round. - Dak Prescott was franchised. Ryan Tannehill was re-signed. Drew Brees is apparently working on an extension. - All word says Phillip River to Indianapolis, but it's not been officially announced yet. - Even Marcus Mariota and Case Keenum have been snatched up. At this point, their best bet would probably be Jameis Winston or Teddy Bridgewater...

The Texans only fired Brian Gaine last June. So Bill O'Brien has been the GM for roughly 9 months. Most of that was during the actual season, so this will be his first full offseason in control of the roster. Free agency, draft and all. Not sure why you would have been expecting a collapse for "a few years." Until recently, I thought most fans viewed Houston as an up-and-coming team, with one of the NFL's premier young QBs.

Free Agency isn't even 24 hours old yet, so things are bound to change. At this point: - The Quinton Spain extension means starting O-Line is pretty much set. - The Stefon Diggs trade knocks WR from top of the need list, down to the bottom. In my opinion, the biggest need on the team is now Edge Rusher. We have basically swapped Shaq Lawson for Mario Addison in the DE rotation. But with Jerry Hughes aging and Trent Murphy always hurt, I would really like to see another good player in the mix. Josh Norman was a nice depth addition, but we still need one more CB. Depending on what happens with Jordan Phillips, we may need another DT for the interior rotation. We need another RB to pair with Devon Singletary. And I wouldn't mind another TE to pair with Dawson Knox. And that folks, is pretty much it. If Beane can make 4-5 more moves this week, we could walk into the draft without a single glaring need on the roster.

The problem isn't how good Houston was in 2019. They were definitely among the best teams in the AFC last year. The problem is how good these moves are setting them up for 2020 and beyond. In all my years watching the NFL, I haven't seen anyone consistently get LESS VALUE in trades that Bill O'Brien. Trading away Jadeveon Clowney was fine. Doing it for Barkevious Mingo, Jacob Martin and a 3rd Round Pick was downright highway robbery for Seattle. Trading for Laremy Tunsil was a good move for his young QB. Spending two 1st Rounders and a 2nd Rounder was a ridiculous over-payment. And I refuse to believe that Arizona's deal was the best he could get for DeAndre Hopkins. Absolutely no way. And I'm not sure why he wanted David Johnson so badly, when he already traded away a 3rd Rounder for Duke Johnson. When everything is added together, the Texans roster is no better than before O'Brien started making moves. One could certainly argue it's worse. Yet the team is in deeper trouble with the salary cap, and has wiped out a good chunk of its draft capital for the next two seasons.

Despite the narrative around here, Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott aren't trying to build a team full of church-going boy scouts. They never have. The Bills have embraced players with strong, vocal and outgoing personalities (Tre White, Jordan Phillips, Dion Dawkins). The front office has also stood by players with both on-the-field and off-the-field incidents (such as Josh Allen, LeSean McCoy and Zay Jones). Most teams value character to a certain extent, and the ones who don't usually regret it. There is a reason Antonio Brown and Josh Gordon aren't on NFL teams. The teams who kept giving them chances ended up getting burned, and eventually everyone stopped believing they were worth the headache. Beane/McDermott believe that in addition to talent and skill, it's important for players to match: A) Their scheme/system and B) Fit into the locker room. They value players who put in the work, and desire to win games more than rack up stats. It's a stark contrast against Doug Whaley, who believed in just grabbing the most talented guys available, and worrying about how they actually fit later.

I would disagree with the general premise. In my opinion it's better to have a deep roster full of good players, rather than a team with several big holes and a couple so-called superstars. Outside of QB, one player RARELY puts you over the top. But even if your argument is true, what game-changing superstars are we missing out on? Jadeveon Clowney? Austin Hooper? Jack Conklin? These guys are nice players, but hardly superstars. True superstars rarely hit free agency. If you want superstars on the team, you usually need to draft them or trade heavily for them (Arizona and DeAndre Hopkins notwithstanding, ugh). Sometimes it's nice to make a big splash (see last year with Mitch Morse), but generally speaking the best value comes in the 2nd-3rd wave of free agency. This is where Beane generally makes his mark, and it's where most of us were expecting him to attack this year again. His best signings last year were arguably John Brown and Jon Feliciano, and both were guys not highly sought after on Day 1 of free agency. With the progress Beane has made so far on the roster, he's earned a little bit of trust.

I want to treat PFF like a legitimate thing. I really do. But these guys are really just becoming a waste of space on social media. We have a whopping three moves so far, and have somehow decreased by 3 percentage points... - We signed Josh Norman, who very likely could be a depth move and not even a starter on this team. - We re-signed Quinton Spain, which would be a total wash since he was on the Bills last year. - We lost Shaq Lawson, who according to PFF wasn't even a Top 100 free agent.

This is how you waste the career of a very talented young QB. Reminds me of the Colts with Andrew Luck... before he prematurely retired.

Yikes. Some really bad trades going on today. NFC West is cleaning up. AFC South is on crack. DeForest Buckner isn't anything special. Indy very likely could have kept that pick and gotten Derrick Brown or Javon Kinlaw, and not given out a massive contract.

They still should have gotten more for Hopkins. WAY MORE. It's almost like Bill O'Brien decided to shop him around, started down the list of 32 teams in alphabetical order, and then took the first deal Arizona threw at him. OK, DONE!