Logic

Legitimately good tight end. 3,000 career receiving yards, 24 TDs in six years. Only 27 years old. Someone’s gonna pay him $9M. Won’t be us.

Today is the day we discover that Chandler Jones, who said “it isn’t about money”, indeed took more money to sign with a non contender. We then discover the Bills wound up with the ghost of Jason Pierre Paul.

From Watson’s perspective, why choose to stay in a stacked AFC? Why not go to the NFC, where the only good QBs are 45 and nearly 40 years old? Go own the NFC for 15 years instead of street fighting in the loaded AFC every year. That’s what I’d be thinking, anyway.

They’re gonna end up without Watson OR Baker. Absolute fools. Jimmy Haslam, who is apparently behind the effort to get Watson, is an AWFUL owner. I feel bad for Browns fans.

wow. I missed that somehow. Thanks. Seems like a pretty reputable source. I don’t recall pelissero reporting that. If it’s true, I wonder what the sticking point was that ended trade talks. Knowing Beane, I’m guessing it was the draft pick compensation, with rumors that CAR was holding firm on wanting a 1st round pick and more.

Sounds like Washington wasn't given the chance to match the Bills' offer. Also sounds like McKissic is another McKenzie when it comes to being a mouthy instigator in the locker room. Maybe it's a Mc thing. https://theathletic.com/3186834/2022/03/15/commanders-keep-bobby-mccain-but-j-d-mckissic-follows-other-washington-free-agents-out-the-door/ “We would love to have J.D. back,” general manager Martin Mayhew told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. “They’re all sort of in the same group where they were really important to what we did last year.” Washington had not made a tangible contract offer to McKissic’s representatives at the point of the combine, even though teams are permitted to sign their players prior to the start of free agency. Interest from other clubs entering free agency’s legal tampering period made it apparent McKissic would have options. The Commanders allowed the running back to test the market. The Bills pounced with a deal that could reach $8 million. At the finish line, Washington believed it was not given the chance to match Buffalo’s offer, according to a source close to the situation. ...... “They want me here and I want to be here. It’s as simple as it sounds,” McKissic said shortly after Washington’s 7-10 season concluded. “We just got to get something done over the time period.” Perhaps McKissic’s neck injury weighed on Washington’s decision, or it decided to invest elsewhere. The Athletic has reported for weeks of the Commanders’ interest in adding a running back capable of handling early-down duties with Antonio Gibson. McKissic caught 123 passes and averaged 4.3 yards per carry in 27 games with Washington. He offered quickness with the ball, and he gave offensive coordinator Scott Turner a moveable chess piece and quarterback Taylor Heinicke a valuable safety valve last season before a neck injury sidelined McKissic for the final six games. The chatty McKissic was a locker-room favorite, a player Washington’s defenders always cited as a playful instigator during practices. Fans grew to appreciate McKissic’s value, especially during his 80-catch 2020 season. McKissic’s deal on the surface is more than double the contract he signed in 2020. That’s not a break-the-bank contract. Teams are at times conflicted with making a concrete offer at the start of free agency over the fear of the player’s agent of shopping those terms elsewhere. The counter is that a player and his representatives may view that ploy as hesitancy and seek safe harbor elsewhere. In this case, McKissic joined an AFC powerhouse

I think Beane has it right: Avoid the big overpays in free agency for the top tier guys. Instead, use free agency to plug holes, scoop up young players with potential who needed a change of scenery, add veteran role players, and make it so that you don't have glaring holes on draft day. Use most of your cap money to re-sign drafted players and retain home grown talent. Wash, rinse, repeat. The flip side of that coin is the wild spending on contracts that look bad when they're signed, and look even WORSE a year or two later. We saw this last year with New England handing out funny money to the likes of Nelson Algholor and Johnnu Smith -- contracts that ALREADY look bad and will only look worse with time. We're seeing it again this year with the Jaguars, who have given out giant contracts to lesser players like Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Even Engram, and whose offensive personnel STILL doesn't look particularly threatening. Free agent mega spending doesn't seem to regularly translate to wins or to stable cap situations. Using free agency judiciously to fill roster holes and allocating most of your money to homegrown talent and committing to building through the draft DOES seem to translate to consistent team success and cap stability. Beane has it right. Cue the Beane haters in 3, 2, 1...

I think that it has been demonstrated over the years that the McDermott/Frazier defense is at its best when it has a legitimate space-eating, two-gapping 1T that must be accounted for and must be routinely double teamed. When they have had such a player, it has allowed the undersized but speedy linebackers to flow freely to the ball carrier, and has allowed the 3T and the ends more one-on-one opportunities, and thus, more pressures on the quarterback. When they have not had such a player for whatever reason, the linebackers get engulfed by offensive linemen more frequently. The ends get doubled or chipped more regularly, and thus, do not get as many pressures on the quarterback. The 3T who should be making plays is instead often getting doubled himself. It seems like a simple thing, and it makes some here roll their eyes, but it's the truth: Having a big man who can take up two blockers -- essentially eliminating an entire offensive player from the play -- allows what is generally an undersized defense to function SO much more effectively. It's why Star Lotulelei was one of their first big money signings when they got to Buffalo. It's why they went out and spent $7M a year on DaQuan Jones. In addition to the above, I DO think interior pressure is important to them. Hence the high draft pick spent on Ed Oliver, hence the addition of a big 1T this year to finally free Oliver up to wreak havoc, and hence the addition of Tim Settle.

I suppose it depends on how you define "dangerous weapon". By definition, I guess it's fair to say that 3rd down backs are rarely that. On the other hand, a guy who was second on his team in catches last year, had 80 receptions the year before, is the third leaving receptions and yardage leader from the running back position over the past three years, and averages over EIGHT YARDS after the catch certainly SEEMS like a bit of a weapon. A guy who can regularly turn a .4 yard catch into a 9 yard gain seems like a bit of a weapon. Just my opinion.

Add this guy to the list of pissed off Commanders fans. Their collective anger at letting McKissic go should tell us something.

My hopes of a first round WR just took a major hit. For the Bills not to match the contract Wallace signed, they must feel confident they can upgrade at CB, and/or they must really like Dane Jackson. I expect a free agent signing or two at CB. No way Beane walks into draft night with this crying a need at CB.

*****. I would’ve happily paid him that. Best of luck to you, Levi.

Indeed. Looks like adding a dependable double team splitting, space eating, two-gapping 1T was a high priority. In terms of the ripple effect it will have on Ed Oliver and our young edge guys, I can understand why.

Running a 5-2 next season? My goodness.

Imagine being so attached to one draft eligible player who's never even played a down of NFL football that you flippantly dismiss and belittle anyone who disagrees with you or is happy about a player who actually HAS proven useful in the NFL.

It's funny to me how many people are saying that a guy who sustained injuries two years in a row -- at a position where injuries frequently occur, no less -- is broken down, washed up, etc. If you feel like he's injury prone, fine. If you feel like he's overpaid, fine. But "broken down"? "Finished"? I think that's a bunch of nonsense. He's 25 years old and there are no indications that any of the injuries he has suffered are likely to be in any way career threatening. The exaggeration of his demise by some on this forum is comical.

I find the people who say "I really doubt this is true" to be quite interesting. Are you saying that because you don't WANT it to be true? Rumors from MULTIPLE sources last year said the Bills were very interested in drafting Travis Etienne. We know that coach McDermott likes to have a productive running game, because he has said so directly. This offseason, we know for sure that the Bills prioritized adding a talented receiving back, because they just signed one on the second day of the tampering period. We know that the Carolina-to-Buffalo pipeline is a real thing, because we've seen multiple instances of it. Knowing everything I just listed above, why is it so hard to believe that Beane would pursue this trade? I get that McCaffrey is oft injured and gets paid a ton, but is it so hard to believe that Beane would think that a 25 year old offensive weapon like McCaffrey, with 2,000-yards-from-scrimmage potential every year, would be the piece that puts the Bills offense over the top? It seems like very realistic possibility to me that the Bills would have done this trade at the right price.

You heard it here folks. ALL IT TAKES is high end talent at ALL positions. He's cracked the code. Somebody alert the GMs!

Someone on Twitter, I think it was YardsPerPas, said it best: The Bills have decided that instead of running you out of two-high, they're going to checkdown you to death. We started to see this more and more as last season progressed, starting in the second Patriots game. Josh got really good at hitting Singletary underneath when teams were dropping everyone into coverage -- which is something he previously was NOT very good at. He finally figured it, our had it drilled into him by the coaches, or whatever, and it changed everything. Now, instead of Singletary -- who I love, but who is not a receiving threat that strikes fear into opposing defenses -- catching those checkdowns, it will be a guy who is really productive with his opportunities. A guy who actually DOES strike fear into opposing defenses, at least as it relates to converting 3rd and short-to-medium and moving the chains. I also think that he will instantly be the best pass blocking running back on the roster. The extra second that a good pass blocking running back can buy a QB can often be the difference between a sack and a big play through the air. I STILL don't love the money, but I do like the player and the idea behind signing him.

They are. Commanders Twitter is not happy right now. They've lost Brandon Scherff, Landon Collins, JD McKissic, Tim Settle, and some high draft picks, and gained.......Carson Wentz and a 7th. Lots of "no one wants to play here, and who can blame them?" sentiment going on among Washington fans right now.

Washington reporters and fans are not too happy that the Commanders let McKissic go...

With this response, you have once again confirmed that you don't understand the meaning or nuance of the term "best player available". I therefore see no reason to continue this conversation. Good day.