Rochesterfan

I don’t disagree and a good guard late in the first is ok, but you still struggle with the 5th year option piece. I believe the 5th year option is not position specific on the OL - so you are not paying him a 5th year option as a guard, but it includes Tackles salaries in the mix. I would still pick a guard over a RB in the first, but it is not a premium position and this makes it harder on a borderline guy to pick up the option for a last chance.

Maybe Watson is hoping Baker will be his personal masseuse. Now that would be a happy ending to the story. 😉

I believe @GunnerBill has said that. The issue is the Browns can not just decide to do it - as we did with Diggs last year and as was done to Bridgewater. The Browns need to have Baker agree to an extension to change the equation. The question is why would Baker do that. Currently he get 18+ million this year and is a FA next year to choose a team. Why extend unless he is getting a big fat paycheck from someone and postpone the FA.

They are not 7.6 million over. Within the thread there is the actual NFL listed Cap space which has the Bills at 2.89 million in space. The NFL does not allow teams to be over the cap. If a team is actually over as they make a signing - the team would have to make adjustments to get under the Cap before the previous signing is approved. If the Bills were over - none of the previous signing including Jones would make it through the NFL office and get approved. Beane knows exactly what he has and exactly how each new signing will impact the CAP space. It will take time for things like Spotrac to catch up and until the NFL office reviews and decides how some of the Bonuses are coded - they are typically off by a bit. In this case it appears they were off by about 10 million. Whether that is where some Bonuses hit or was there additional restructuring done that hasn’t come out I don’t know, but the one thing I am sure of is that by NFL CAP numbers - we are not over the CAP.

Yep - that is why the HC wanted to start Fitz over him in year 1 and had to keep pulling him late in games, why they ruined last year wanting to trade for Watson, why there are constant rumors they tried to get Brady this off season, etc. The Dolphins think he is a scrub to the point they have inquired about every available QB to replace him. I expect this year will continue with the high completion % for less yards, a few injuries, and lots of excuses about getting better, but issues when they miss out again. 🤦‍♂️ I think Josh throwing left handed would still be better than Tua and have more arm strength. Less accuracy, but a bigger weapon still.

You keep talking with him. I have seen nothing that suggests Diggs wouldn’t be willing to work with the Bills to stay put. He has been a great team mate and has not complained publicly about his contract at all. My guess is both your options are wrong. They work out a nice deal to make him happy, but maintain flexibility. Beane seems to be very open and talks to the guys and has a plan - not worried - go win a SB and then deal with things.

Plus Jimmy Johnson got to do it when there were few limits on things like practice, time with players, even pre-season scrimmages and games. He was able to keep some of the college schedules. If he came in now from college - like Meyer - he would fail with the shift to a tight ship and mandatory timing. It is not easy to get everything done on a limited schedule.

We will see. The defense which was built in the NE style for Flores most likely takes a couple of steps back with scheme change. They still have the same QB - so maybe 3rd or 4th best in AFC east. The Jets have gotten better and NE started better than them. I think all 3 are in a dog fight for finishing 9-8 to 6-11 and missing the playoffs. I am not sure this moves the needle much for me with the injury history and the QB style.

Do not be surprised if they sign at least one more DB before the draft. Today alone they filled the RB and a WR hole. There are at least 2 Vet DBs that might chase a ring - I am not concerned. I would still expect a high DB drafted, but it may not be the gaping hole at that point.

His salary is guaranteed - so even if it is a 7th - the Browns want to trade rather than keep him - get something back and limit where he can go.

Why - because he is young and at least a mid-level QB and the last time a team pissed him off - he took his ball from TT to Oklahoma and won a heisman trophy and took his team into the CFB playoffs. He is better when playing the underdog/lesser role. If you can get that for a 3rd or 4th and get maybe a couple of better picks for Ryan - it is win/win.

I would assume with the picks from this - they (along with Seattle and NO) will be reaching out to Cleveland for Baker. I would assume Cleveland wanted to avoid an AFC trade as they are looking at Wildcard seating - so swing Ryan to Indy and use the picks for Mayfield. That would be my thought. Get Younger and better and maybe make out with an extra pick.

It is a fine signing. As people should know by now - Beane does not like to go into the draft with any major holes that dictate what he needs. This is the RB fill position and allows if BPA is RB - so be it, but if it is CB or WR - we are not forced to over draft.

Because everyone else followed the request and put it in the FA thread. That way we don’t have 100’s of threads about individual FAs.

Honestly - I think it helps GB a ton. They now have 4 picks in the first 2 rounds to get some cost contained players that they need. Adams is great with Rodgers, but trying to fit that 28 million WR salary with the 50 million QB salary would of eliminated any other players. Get a couple of WRs and couple of DBs - resign Douglas as a CB and they will be fine. The QB makes the WR. Carr will have tons of options, but I don’t think he makes Adams anywhere near worth 28 million. I think that salary will look bad from year 1. I do hope LV finds ways to continue to play KC tight and win, Denver should be able to play with and beat KC, LA already had Mahomes’ number early last year. I can easily see KC with 4 division losses with that defense they will be sporting.

Cover 1 was talking about this yesterday. They basically left Star out when talking big guys. They think they were doing mainly a 3 man rotation with Jones and Oliver as starters and Settle as a relief for both. At that time the Phillips signing was still a rumor - so they felt Bryant and Ankou both filled in as 1TDT and either 1 could provide minimal depth. I think Phillips signing becomes another sign that they are moving on because they now have 6 DTs plus Star. I know positions matter, but they felt strongly that Jones was the 1TDT the team wants and Settle can do that for stretches as needed helping to free up Oliver. I don’t know, but when you hear basically guys like Sal and Cover 1 talking about the DT and basically Star is not even mentioned in the rotation conversation - I think they are reading the tea leaves in a similar way.

Correct - you could cut him now and get 1.5 or designate/wait post June 1st and save more - you can’t do both. That is why I said there is no rush. (I reread my post and had merged/muddled my thoughts) I only think he is done because all of the guys like Sal have basically said - follow the signings - they have gone out and signed 3 guys to DT position and had Oliver and 2 depth guys in Bryant and Ankou already on the roster. Even if Phillips had not come free - they were looking at Hicks - so it seemed like the plan was 3 DTs and Oliver - which makes me believe they are planning around Star not being available. No you are fine - I just think if he is getting cut - it is post June 1st and they have no reason to rush it. Things might change and he decides to retire and you can come to an agreement and recoup a bit more. There are lots of reasons to wait and as long as no bonuses are coming due - few reasons to do it now.

This doesn’t make any sense. There is a huge amount of time between now and camp. They will make the cut when ever they want - they can do it now and designate it post June 1st or wait until after June 1st to cut him. Star isn’t going to retire and miss out on the money owed to him, but I suspect both he and the Bills know he is done. There just is not a need to cut him now because you only free up a small amount - even if you designate him a post June 1st - you only get 1 to 1.5 million now or the most post June 1st. I think basically Star is the rookie signing money. Come June 1st he gets cut and then officially retires with his money and the Bills recoup 4.5 million to spend on rookies. He is not taking snaps or going to camp - he is done.

The thing is - the Bills get no relief cutting him now versus later. The can designate him a post June 1st, but as he does not have a bonus coming up - there is no rush. Beasley had a bonus due - hence the need to cut him before that. They know what is up with Star. I think if he wanted to play - they would have already cut him and designated it post June 1st and let him move on. I think they know he is done and so there is no rush as the money is limited and really only valuable after June 1st.

So let me understand: 1) Take Mack (a significantly lesser player) and give up draft picks plus over pay for him 2 Get Miller (a better player with a history of helping his team win) and no draft picks for a similar cost. Hmm - unless I have a lobotomy- give me #2 all day long. I would always take the better player and retain picks. Mack is nice for LA, but Miller is a 2 time SB champion that works hard to help younger players grow. Mack is good, but his teams have not won and he has not made them significantly better. This should be an easy choice.

Yes. They had Dane playing CB1 and left Wallace as CB2. Sal talked a lot about this. They Bills brass felt very comfortable with having White and essentially Johnson as the de facto #2 covering the slot. The outside CB#2 typically has help with the 2 safeties. In the KC game - multiple times Jackson held his own and Wallace was out of position - including the huge catch at the end. That was on Wallace. They were ready for Dane to take over and they already have younger depth. If things go well and BPA is a CB - all the better, but I think they will look for 1 more CB before the draft, but it does not need to be a big name - just depth.

I don’t understand this thinking at all. Why tender him at 3.9 million when that is probably at least 1 - 1.5 million more than you think he is worth. The Bills did this exactly right. Low tender him with right to match. Let the Vikings do the work and if the deal comes in at a palatable rate - you match and it is done and you have 10 days to get the money in order. If the cost is to high - then you wait to decline and let that eat money up in Minnesota without having a back-up plan. In the mean time you can research other guys while you wait. Bates was a nice find, but he was an average guard - his real value is in his flexibility. My guess is the Vikings will try to sign him, but the Bills will match and since there is no longer the ability to do poison pills since the CBA - 2 times ago- you just have to determine his worth - no different than every other player. They had a worth on Wallace, Beasley, Harrison Phillips and they use that to determine offers and who to let walk.

I have no issue bringing him back and would actually love to get the guy a ring, but it has to be on a super low salary. I am shooting for around vet minimum with incentives and working both Jerry and Shaq Lawson. If either want to be on the team (1 or the other) I need super low salary for about 20% of the snaps - all out effort when you get a shot. I want Von hitting about 65-70%, Groot hitting 55-60%, AJ and Bash hitting 30% each with Bash getting some play inside. That leaves about 15-20% with probably a few weeks as an inactive as needed for a vet DE that should not make much. If Hughes wants more - I look to guys like Ingram, Houston, JPP and other vets looking for a guy chasing a ring that can give us games if needed, but will settle for limited snaps to help the youngsters grow. That is my opinion on it and I would love for that vet to be Jerry, but I am not wedded to that idea.

Just say No. Give me a value position in the first - CB/WR - even if they pick up more guys via FA. Hall would be ok, but I would much rather see the Bills move back than draft Hall in the 1st. If they can get him early 2nd and pick up another CB/WR later then great, but RBs are so devalued that they should not be allowed in the first at all. Their initial contract with a 5th year option already prices them out of what you should pay a RB. For example Harris taken in Round 1 last year will be over a 4 million cap hit in year 4 and the 5th year option will double that. You can pick up fresh FA RBs at 1/2 that cost year after year.

First off if the Bills did run back the same team, but if they had Tre White in the Playoff game do they win like they did earlier in the year? The difference in the playoffs was the one key elite player the Bills had on IR that KC didn’t. That 1 player was responsible for eliminating 1 other receiving target and allowing Hill and Kelce to be double teamed by coverage and safeties. He also as needed switched off and picked up Kelce. That allowed the LBs to play a zone/man coverage on RBs and to spy more on Mahomes. Second - at this point the Chiefs primary weapons are Hill and Kelce. Kelce had times where he looked slowed down and I think the same can be said of their DLine. The Bills were younger at a number of key positions - so yes I think just year over year growth of younger players versus aging players improves the Bills slightly. Third - KC has lost more than they gained so far and I will be hard pressed to say they are a better team - the Bills have gained more in FA than they lost - so I think that matters also. Lastly - the Chiefs had an advantage and got the game at home. This year - I am not sure they win their division. They will have 6 tough division games to fight through and potentially more beaten up than ever before. So I give another advantage to the Bills even if they had just run it back. In the end - the Bills did what you asked and added an impact defensive player. I just think your post was: A) Way to Early in the FA process B) Not correct as the biggest reason we lost in the playoffs is the player we IR’d versus the Chiefs being healthy.