Might we have more spending money this offseason than seems to be the common understanding?
According to Spotrac (http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/cap/2018/), we have an estimated $61M in cap space next year with 25 active (currently signed) players.
We know OBD can craftily draft contracts, a la Clay; leaving production out of it, the point is they succeeded in getting him from Miami.
So even though our current cap space of ~$20M seems relatively small given other teams' larger cap spaces and the amount of players we need to acquire, it could be that we are able to spend more than it would appear at first glance based on our ability to offer more money in 2018.
Just a thought on which I am curious to hear your opinions.
It's funny because before having a franchise QB, I'd sign off on trading away almost all picks for getting a franchise QB, but then once you get the guy, I would sign off on trading down almost all the time.
Either you trade everything for a sure bet to win the lottery or you accumulate as many lottery tickets as possible.
No, instead of losing him for a 2nd. EDIT: or not losing him at all...
Unless he becomes the starter, whether it be from McCoy injury or eventual retirement. And you're right - he has been a very valuable part of our running game. No one is asking him to start, but I have no problem with them asking him to come back and be one of the top change of pace backs in the league. I do think having him in the pipeline as a McCoy heir apparent is smart.
I understand that allocating too much money to one position is a problem, but somehow I do not buy that $1M at running back versus wherever else it might go is going to change much. We were never going to be huge FA players this year anyways. I don't care if we didn't draft him - retain your own applies to buy-low FAs who have proven themselves productive and valuable to the Bills.
Being 2+ years younger than the oft-injured McCoy, and producing at almost the same level, Gillislee is far and away worth the extra $1M tender, regardless of HB draft class strength.
Gotta realize we have the chance to match an offer. Gotta also realize that giving him an extra $1M is well worth it to ensure a team doesn't come in and offer a Clay-like contract that we can't match. Would not be happy with losing Gillislee if we are only getting a 5th as compensation.
They way McDermott came off in one interview I saw, no link sorry, was that he seemed confident in Darby and Seymour as our starting corners. McDermott also got a lot out of young, inexperienced corners (think letting Norman walk) last year. Look for a signing like Jerraud Powers, a veteran from Baltimore who played a lot there, and who is familiar with Coach Frazier from their time together there.
Re: ^, almost certain that Taylor and Aiken did play together in Baltimore. Could speak to whether or not they're keeping Taylor. Hardly a signing to be upset with, this would be a prudent move based on value.
Hopefully the idea that he is an athlete and not a football player is held widely and he falls to us in the 2nd, like he just did in my Fanspeak mock draft. And we had Hooker in the first...
I hope Washington continues to improve, both for depth and spelling Williams, as well as to give Dareus someone to look at over his shoulder in competition.