Bleeding Bills Blue

well... New england traded several players coming up on extensions for picks. Rather than count them in the comp pick formula they acquired picks earlier. This is essentially trading glenn and dareus before extending them. They can sign a gilmore because they decided to trade jones and collins and get picks instead of waiting for comp picks - and won the super bowl without them. Also - they have no problem recruiting players to come to an annual super bowl contender. Cap casualties are typically guys going on their 3rd contract in their late 20s. They want to win when they get there. 3rd - they structure all their contracts as "option" years, so the team doesn't pick up the team option rather than cutting them. They can do this because they're the patriots and they can underpay everyone to play there. Jacksonville does this too, but they just overpay in general so thats their incentive to sign on the dotted line. We're in a tough spot because we had a few big cap hits they could get rid of to acquire players... and a ton of holes. It's not easy to play the comp pick game when you need 2 WRs, 2 starting safeties, a corner, and WLB, and a RT.

Could that issue possibly be the coach that thinks trotting out EJ manuel for hard counts and QB sneaks is a smart move?

Several of our most "talented" players - Dareus, Watkins, Ragland, Lawson, Hughes - were either injured or played very poorly last year. So it is very much a up in the air type of feeling for me. Not having any WRs seems to alarm everyone... but we didn't have anyone really last year either and everyone wanted us to draft treadwell and doctson... I'd like to see us grab at least SOMEONE though.

They got a higher pick than they wouldve as a comp pick for jones. Hightower probably is cancelled out by the gilmore signing. And they've backed butler in a corner. He can sign and play for them, sign and get traded, or refuse to sign and hold out for an extension. I think Bill probably knew he was going to hold out - so by signing gilmore they've made him expendable.

I think we're waiting on some cap casualties honestly... As more and more guys get signed to these big time deals, guys get cut to make cap space.

Well... 200 yard rushing games certainly don't help. The corners played poorly to start, they rounded into a bit better form but then we were trotting out terrible safeties. In the 2nd half of the year we couldn't generate any pressure. Dareus contract is bad if he's good... and top 5 worst in the league if he continues to be as bad as he was last year. Guy needs to be a major contributor to justify that pay day - as he's hamstringing our ability to sign people.

Is he still a rfa after this year then? I don't think the guys ever going to get paid

If we only carry 5 receivers, one of these guys needs to be able to play special teams...

The guy was forced on multiple occaisions to play corner, nickel, and both safety spots because of injuries

The talent gap is enormous between them and other teams. Their QB play is worst in the league. They are vying for #1 pick next year, and are adding as many young pieces as they can. More picks means more chances to hit big.

If they like JImmy G - its just one more piece of ammo they can use to get him (the pick... not Brock)

Yeah - my thoughts exactly. Gotta hit the floor, and you don't really have anyone at the position anyway. Add some solid playmakers in the draft this year - keep the team really green and really cheap. Do it sabres style - guy plays well and sprains his ankle... put him on IR. Draft your QB in 2018 and attack 2018 free agency.

They have the cap space to legit cut him today if they wanted to as well. But it seems theyre striving towards top pick in 2018 - so why not just start him and see what happens?

Can't keep them all - i don't blame them. Woods got above market value with 8 AAV and 15 guaranteed. Clearly Aaron had no interest in retiring so.... we had to make that choice. And gilmore's deal wouldve handcuffed our ability to replace both of the other guys. Sucks... but its probably necessary tbh.

3 200 yard rushers. Torched by pretty much every decent qb we faced all year. I saw Carolina struggle badly out of the gate, but they seemed to improve. We were consistently bad all year

I personally find dvoa to be a bit more of an accurate representation of a teams defensive stats. We shut out injured jacoby brissett and buried the vaunted 49ers and rams...

Well with Boyer and Glennon signed... that left us with what? Kaep and cutler? Maybe geno? Gross.

Well it's fairly clear we want to run the ball, I think we will end up passing more than we did a year ago. Zone rushing concepts set up a lot of play action, and I wouldn't be surprised to see McCoy and gillislee involved a bit in the passing game as well.

Lot of open spots... we were going to sign people. It's inevitable

We werent going to be worse than SF, CLE, and NYJ anyway. Those 3 are all seeming to head down the tank for rosen/darnold.

yeah - sometimes leaks are on purpose. Or to help drive up the price for other teams.

We can't win the division anyway over that time frame - so keep trying to find the guy. If the coaching staff believes they can win with him, then keep him. If you believe he can improve, then keep him. I think it would hurt more to see him succeed elsewhere than it would for him to fail here. Our fanbase is used to failure at this point. However much money we pay him does not prohibit the team from continuing to search for a QB, nor does it prohibit us from drafting someone in the first this year or next. We also drafted a project QB who could benefit from valuable reps that he won't get as a scout team QB. If you care to see whether Cardale's abilities can transition into an NFL offense, you have to give him more reps and responsibility. I know the anti-Tyrod people hate this perspective, but to me its the unfortunate truth. We cannot win the division, and we aren't currently positioned to bottom out (bad contracts can't be terminated yet). Why not try to make the playoffs the next couple of years with the guys you got, and give this team and it's fans a small win with a playoff game (even if it will 100% be an away game). This is my take and trying to make it as realistic a take as possible. I'm sick of stupid Russ Brandon "splashes", and trying to sell tickets. Just get the best team together that you can and try and win. I don't need stat or height comparison's to make this judgement. It just seems like the locker room is behind the guy, and McDermott seems to have a good head on his shoulders. This probably gives him the best chance to burst that playoff bubble (as soon as possible) that has been hanging over our collective heads for the last 17 years.

Or better yet - marios...

Who cares... we could have rivers or brees and we're still not winning this division. Sorry.

I wouldn't cut McCoy as the cap savings aren't that great. You can split it over 2 years, but you're just compounding your cap issue by creating a hole where we didn't have one. I'd consider trading him though, as you can actually get an asset for him. Our leading receiver was clay - who i thought had a lousy year (drops, and low targets).