Doc Brown

A.) If Metcalf only produced a 2nd than I doubt the Bills could do any better than a 2nd. Teams know they'd have to pay him a top of the market deal. B.) As long as it isn't the Chiefs.

We just lost the AFC Championship game by three points against a healthier Chiefs team. You make it seemed like we're doomed to never make the Super Bowl if Beane doesn't make some drastic change in philosophy.

You're right. I misread. The idea that at least if we overpay for Cook he'll give us more production than we got from overpaying Knox is probably what I'd do to cope. Lol.

Not really. Definitely in free agency but he'll let Bills players walk if they can find a better deal elsewhere (Edmunds, Davis, Phillips, Wallace, etc.). As for Knox, TE's make a little more and have a longer shelf life than RB's so I understood the contract at the time as he looked great his 3rd year (587 receiving yards, 9 TD's). However, I didn't love the move as TE isn't a premium position. It's very possible that Cook's year last year will be the best of his career. Also, you can't use one bad extension to justify another potential bad extension.

Most RB's start to lose a step around 27 years old regardless of "wear and tear" on their body. Seemed to be the case with Dalvin. James will turn 26 in June. The rookie salary structure screws RB's more than any other position. Beane could very well play hardball with Cook and put the transition tag on him after next year but he hasn't done that (or the franchise tag) since he gotten here. Should be interesting.

Had two the year before with more touches. He seemed to put on some muscle and that helped near the goal line. However, rushing TD's are extremely volatile and it's certainly not the sole reason you re-sign a RB.

Mahomes fumbled a snap I believe in last season's AFCCG. It was more of a joke that when you point to anything positive this defense has done under McDermott they'll just point to the Chiefs playoff losses to invalidate all of it.

But what about against the Chiefs in the playoffs? I kid.

Tenth in yards. Turnover differential was amazing last year at +24. Eight better than the second place team. Only turning it over 8 times is insane. We had 28 in 2023. I don't even think we turned it over in the playoffs. There will be regression to the mean in that department though on both sides of the ball so both units need to be better next season.

The Coleman pick still perplexes me given Josh excelled targeting Diggs and Beasley in their prime. Both smaller and shiftier WR's who were great route runners and separators. Beane even said in the past that he learned Josh does better targeting that type compared to the big bodied contested catch WR's. Worthy, Mitchell, and McConkey seemed like much better choices based off Beane's own words.

I read the title too quickly and thought it said Coleman faces jail time. I just thought the ice tea originated in Long Island.

Let’s just say if one TE had a one week deal injury in the playoffs. At this point I’d prefer Knox to play over Kincaid. Josh and him have better chemistry even though he has fewer targets lining up more inline. That’s how disappointing Kincaid’s been imo. There’s still a lot of upside with Kincaid but he needs to make a big leap this year. BTW, if you watch the tape it’s not due to a lack of effort on Kincaid’s part.

The Giants and Raiders did that with Barkley and Jacobs after franchise tagging them. Albeit, they were first round picks and every down backs. It might be a good compromise though.

I'm assuming it would be a top of the 3rd round pick because any team dumb enough to do it pry sucks anyways so they'd have a high pick. There should be plenty of RB's that are just as explosive as Cook in this draft that will be available in the late 2nd/early 3rd. You'd be looking at paying a RB a little less than $2m per year as opposed to the $15m that Cook wants. Beane would have to bet on himself though and trust his scouting department. That's the part that scares me. LOL.

You think some team will give up a 2nd rounder and then sign him to a top of the market deal? You're delusional. The Seahawks only got a 2nd at a premium position for a much more hard to find #1 WR in his prime. Cook had great efficiency but still only broke 1,000 yards last year because he's not a bell cow back. The best we could pry do if he stays this year comp wise is a 5th rounder next year. That's assuming he repeats last year's performance. In a deep RB draft I'd just use a 2nd or the 3rd round pick used in the trade to draft another RB. I'm not sure any team would do that though. It's 15 million per year we could use to re-sign guys like Benford and extend McGovern. Maybe a big ticket free agent next year at a premium positions.

A RB on a rookie deal shouldn't give a crap about a Super Bowl until he gets that big second contract imo. The combination of the rookie wage scale and the integration of analytics depressed that position way more than others. You only have a small window to make life altering money. I don't think complaining on social media is helpful but I can't blame the guy to cash in when his stock is at an all time high. FTR, I'm vehemently against giving Cook $12m per year. I'd rather use that money to keep the o-line together as long as possible.

I just didn't know if they could be modified by adding extra incentives to the final year of the deal. Thanks. I assume they could give him $3 to $4m in likely to be earned incentives. Correct? I could see Beane doing something like that to avoid the awkward hold in type situation. It's interesting to me that his brother was in the same situation where he ended up "sitting in" during training camp and the Vikings finally caved right before the start of the 2020 season giving him a five year $63m dollar extension with about $27m in guarantees. He was a bell cow back though with more tread on the tires. They knew he was spent only two years into his new deal and took a small dead cap hit because of it. I'm wondering if James plays the same game his brother did.

It's not an unpopular take at all. I prefer we keep him but if we can get a 3rd round pick for him I wouldn't hesitate. His stock is at an all time high now because of the disproportionate TD's last year compared to the year before. Plus, he was one of the few players who had a great game the last time we saw him. Either trade him now and draft a RB if you can get a desperate GM gives up a 3rd round pick or better. If not, let him play out his final year of his contract and if he produces the same numbers as he did the previous season then you pry have to let him walk. If his numbers regress then you can pry sign him at $6m to $8m a year next off-season. If some team offers more then so be it.

Foreign steel with higher tariffs applied are more expensive. Because of said tariffs domestic steel makers raise their prices. I'm guessing you already know who'll foot the bill.

Leave Jerry Jones out of this.

Bills don't have to do it but for the cap experts on here ..... can teams add incentives to the final year of a rookie contract to make him shut up on social media?

We know.

As long our state tax rate doesn't go up the taxpayers can fund the whole thing for all I care. They'll just waste it on other nonsense projects anyways knowing the way NYS operates.

How the hell are we going to throw snowballs at the opposing team?

That's why I think a trade up is in play ONLY IF a CB they have in the top 10 overall board falls to the lower to mid 20's. Benford might be gone after this year and the thought of Jackson beating out a 4th round CB for that WR2 spot is not a position I want the Bills to be in. A trade up also is pry in play for DE and DT for the reasons you mentioned. I think Jihaad Campbell would also be in play at LB. Or they just sit tight at 30 and draft the best player available at a position of need which is what I'd pry advocate for.