Rochesterfan

I think most people assume they will not sign a punter for the initial 53. Use that space like a cut veteran to get someone to IR. I would assume Wednesday or Thursday they will sign a punter when they have opened up additional spots. I expect Doyle and Stevenson to go to IR with at minimum Doyle being on recall IR. We will also see about the Morris injury and if that becomes an IR/recall need. They will sign a veteran punter and give them about 1 week to get ready and work with Bass and Ferguson.

Totally Disagree. Beane and McD stated they were releasing Matt because it was best for him to focus on this case. Beane especially pointed out a couple of times that this was bigger than an wins - Matt needs to focus on himself. Beane also stated the reputation/culture the team is building is bigger than wins or losses on the field. He in essence says this decision is about our culture and that is paramount to Sean and I. At the same time - as McD stated last night - some things are bigger than the game and right now Matt needs to focus on that. This is more than his livelihood and career - this is Matt’s life and freedom and if he is innocent as he states - he needs to defend himself and focus on that. If he is guilty - then he needs to be punished and in either case - he is better off focusing on himself until this is settled.

There is easily a ton of middle ground. They can support him and recognize at this time the most important thing for Matt if he is truly innocent is to step away from the game and work with his lawyers on his defense. If he stays on the team - there is potential interference to his practice ability along with the team distractions. If you take Beane at his word (and I do within reason) - this was discussed with Matt early on and Matt understood the decision and they parted. Maybe if Matt clears this up and is acquitted- his respect would allow him to return - we will see. It could also be just fine to release him with less than compelling evidence- because there is now a case he has to defend himself in. Based upon McD yesterday and Beane today - I think there are still a lot of gaps in what evidence is available and what is true. I think the Bills Brass feel it is in Matt’s best interest to defend himself and in the Bills best interest to find a stable replacement before other things interfere at horrible times.

They pretty much stated they and confirming with the NFL - the league had no knowledge by the draft. Even Matt’s agent knew nothing. Matt was not the best punting prospect in ages - that is absolutely BS. He had the best leg, but there were huge questions about his hang time, directional kicking, control over kicks to prevent touchbacks, and his speed to get punts off. Most pre-draft things had 3-4 punters that depending on what you wanted being his equal or better - including the 2 guys drafted before him.

Agreed, but athletically speaking he is more similar to Howard than Knox and Morris is more athletically similar to Knox. If it was me and I was keeping 3 TEs - I keep Morris over Sweeney because I think Sweeney easily makes it to the PS if needed.

The only thing I will add - I see the TE3 as a choice between a back-up for Knox in Morris (more open and fluid in routes - less a blocker) and a back-up for Howard in Sweeney- less athletic more blocking traits. It is the reason I believe Morris started last game as TE1 with Allen - Knox was not available. They have also been trying Morris in blocking roles - see as a lead blocker on the long Moss run versus Indy - where Morris was stuffed. I think they like Morris, but he is limited and feel at least Howard and Sweeney can play in line and slightly in space. I myself lean toward Morris as losing Knox means you lose a big weapon and I would rather replace that and use Gilliam/Doyle when blocking is needed.

Maybe, but I am guessing we get at least 4 or 5 Vets minimum out of the 16 because I think they can cut those guys and not lose them. Barkley, Duke Johnson, maybe a Shaq Lawson, Van Rotten perhaps, could see a Sweeney, Gentry and a Joe Giles-Harris on the squad. From the money seen, all rookies put at at a bit over 3 million for the PS- vets can add more especially as they want a touch more to ensure they remain. We will see, but I expect the Bills to have a bit more expensive PS than some others.

Using Spotrac which is pretty good - the cutdown to 53 (keeping Tre on the roster and cutting some higher profile guys like Howard) I got 10.7 million after the restructure. Then taking 4.5 for practice squad drops you to about 6 million. That is right about where they like to be. That level drops even more if they put White on PUP and keep another player - as I suspect. It also drops further if they put Stevenson on IR to “protect” him. In that case it knocks another 1.4 million down to 4 and 1/2 million left for mid season signings. They may have a Knox extension in thought, but if that was the plan I would expect a different - larger restructure.

Right now it is the top 51 salaries plus dead cap. On cutdown day to 53 - it becomes all active 53, PS, IR, PUP, and deadcap (old and new). The only thing that does not count is Andre Smith as he moves to suspension, but you have to have the space for him set aside after week 6 to activate him.

They were under the cap for the top 51, but at cutdown to 53 that changes to all 53 players, IR, PUP, Practice Squad, and dead cap from bonuses to players you cut (minor amount, but always present). It adds easily 4-5 million from the current cap and I think with Ike on PUP and some veterans they will PS - I think the Bills will need 7 million plus to be under the cap at cutdown.

I believe he stated they need a cushion when the salary cap flips shortly from top 51 to all 53 + PUP, IR, Practice Squad, and dead cap additions from the cuts. Plus as @Warcodered states - he wants a cushion for the regular season because you may need to have additional IRs or other roster moves (maybe an OBJ type) that you need to add. Because it was Dawkins which was only 5.6 million - that screams to me - nothing is incoming this is just to get the roster in order and ready with a small buffer. If it had been a bigger restructuring then I could see a move coming, but not really from Dawkins.

Couple of minor quibbles. Boettger is already on PUP inactive- he will not be put on IR until sometime in the season if at all. The inactive PUP means 4 games where he can’t practice at all. The Bills then have I believe up to 6 weeks to activate him (which moves him to active PUP), but not a member of the 53 or they can IR him at that point. If they shift him to active PUP - I believe the Bills then get 3 weeks to allow him to practice and not count on the roster and during those 3 weeks at any point - they can move him to the active roster (part of the 53), keep him on active PUP for the 3 weeks, or move him to IR. At the end of the 3 weeks - it is either active roster or IR. So the earliest they have to think about Ike is after week 4, but they have until week 10 - I believe before they need to act on him and then they have 3 more weeks to get back to speed - so really the Ike decision may not come until week 13 and may depend on o-line health. The other small quibble is you have Stevenson (PUP) and that is not an option for him since he was on the active roster to start camp. He will need to either be IR (pre 53 and done for the year), on the active 53 and moved to IR once everyone clears where he can be activated after week 4, on the active 53 with no IR, or cut and tried to go to the PS. PUP is not an option from my understanding. I have minor quibbles with the roster, but overall it is fine based on what we know - I want to see Friday’s game to finalize my last few spots based on what groups they roll out and who they try where on the field and on special teams.

My understanding of the Smith situation is as part of the cutdown - he moves to the Suspended list. He does not have to go onto the 53 man roster or anything. Once he slides on to the suspension list - his salary goes away for the next 6 weeks. The Bills do not need to count his salary in the cap, BUT they will need to prepare because at the end of the 6 weeks - they will need to activate or cut him and if they activate - his remaining salary will need to be accounted for. That will all be part of what BBB will need to look at to figure out the cap. He has the 53 man roster, IR, PUP, PS, and suspended players once they return. Andre Smith actual gives the bills a potential spot to add a young player and then cut them in 6 weeks if you need a LB or cut Smith and save cash at that time.

But why - the NFL adjusted PUP to 4 games to mirror IR - so what advantage do you see cutting a player to IR Tre versus using his PUP designation if needed.

He and Ike are already on PUP - in the training camp they still count.

Are you a giants fan? If no - why would we want to help the Giants save 13 million against the Cap when we don’t have that. Let them cut him and then sign him for a fraction of that if you want - if not oh well. Don’t let teams off the hook for stupid contracts for below average players.

Great, but if because of injuries or a death in a family or a birth - you only dress 48 players and your opponents get to dress 53 plus 2 PS call ups is that fair. Those 7 players may not make a difference, but a couple of injuries in and they might. The NFL came up with a system to keep the numbers fair and not have teams forced to tweak rules to move guys around.

We seem to go through this every year - it was done as a way to help competitive balance. As you state injuries occur and if let’s say New England or New York was healthy and had 53 players on their roster and all could play, but the Bills just come off a hard fought game have 3 guys banged up - they would only have 50 guys available and would be at a disadvantage. This allows teams to keep nicked up players on the roster that may miss a game, but not be at a competitive disadvantage against a healthy team as both teams would only be allowed to dress 48. That gives each team potentially up to 5 guys to be nicked and not have a team with fewer dressed players. Over the last couple of years they have even expanded it with PS call ups, but each team can still only dress an equal number of 48 active players. It may not be your best 48, but the teams are even in what they are allowed.

Even protecting weekly doesn’t mean protected. It means from Wednesday to Sunday as you build your game plan - he can’t be poached, but teams can take him after the game until the next protection. It just keeps a guy you may be using in the game plan due to injury and keep him from going elsewhere. You can’t keep a guy there indefinitely if another team wants him.

Breida and Williams have both done considerably more in the NFL and over years than Blackshear has done playing in two preseason games in the late third or 4th quarter. They also have a 3 other guys - 2 guys that regime brought in - when they could easily have had Blackshear. Maybe they do sign him, but to be back number 4 and non-active. I think it is a huge worry for a guy considered to be RB5 and was a late UDFA add. We heard the same think about Williams getting picked up in camp last year and Wade the year before with his 2 long runs. Just watching across the league there are #4 and #5 RBs on a ton of teams that have shown out, but will get cut and next camp there will be 3 guys to replace Blackshear if he is picked up.

We will have to see - that was a common thought on Williams and Wade in previous years (and honestly going back years at RB and WR) and the truth is most teams have 5 RBs right now good enough to play in the NFL and several were drafted higher and have more NFL game experience than Blackshear and will be cut in the coming days. I love what Blackshear gives, but he just went through the entire draft and no one wanted him and then went to UDFA where he was not an immediate sign priority guy, but a later pick-up by the Bills.

They do not have to make a move with White or Boettger. They are on PUP (active) right now and count on the 90/85/80 man roster. Because they were designated PUP before camp they can be moved to PUP (inactive) and do not count as part of the 53, but then have to sit out the first 4 games (this changed from 6 in previous years). They can then get activated from PUP with a roster move to get on the 53. The 2 injured people that may need this move right now are Stevenson and Doyle if either are hurt enough to be unavailable and need the 4 week IR with return designation. They can also activate White (or Boettger) from PUP at any time now and then would need them on the 53 when cuts come. There is no longer an advantage I do not think to activate from PUP and move to IR return prior to the season.

Giants already have 4-5 backs better than Blackshear or Johnson including 2 former Bills, a #2 overall pick, a draft pick from last year and they have 2 rookies/UDFAs from this year. I am not sure that the Giants need 2 more former Bills - neither of which were in Buffalo with the current HC or GM. I get the concern, but there are a butt ton of RBs around the league that are going to get cut that have as much or more overall “film” than Blackshear.

What changed is that most likely the 2nd reviewer was not going to give him a year and warned them that he could not give them what they want without a lawsuit that could compromise the entire suspension and that most likely a court case could bring about the original 6 game suspension as an outcome. Just because someone has a strong opinion does not give him the freedom to do everything he wants - especially if the other owners are like get a settlement and get this over with. Personally my guess is Goodell would love to throw him out of the league, but he is bound to rules that are bargained for and he does not want a hard fought change to get weakened within the first 6 months of the deal.

I agree that he is a disgusting person and my preference would have been 6 games per settled suit - so 6x24 games and then he is still on the browns and the contract must be payed out by the Browns - screw them both. The problem is that is not the way the world works with unionized employees and why should the NFL be made accountable to punish someone severely when the law didn’t. I just feel that this was a bunch of crap by the OP acting with fake outrage that this is the straw that makes him leave the NFL. It is pure crap as he posts it on an NFL board and will be on here trolling about the Bills all season. I hate people that feign outrage about something, but are not going to do something or suggest a fix. Changes should be made and the NFL could impose better qualifications around situations like these, but to blame the NFL for the actions of Watson - that is terrible.