ColoradoBills

No. They shouldn't have because of Watson. They just pushed out his cap hit (now $54M and will be even more next year) into 2027 when he will no longer be on the team, and they will be FORCED to take the cap hit. The cap hit will not "disappear". https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/player/_/id/21753/deshaun-watson

LOL. I have, but I would never have come up with the way you put it! Cleveland is pretty crazy too. Tripling down with the Garrett signing is pretty wild. I'm not sure yet, but I'm getting a feeling that because Beane, McDermott and Josh are all tied together at the hip that a cap push is coming. I want to see the contract structures and what they get done in FA. This is a good year for Beane to sign FA players. He is not getting anything in comp picks with the outgoing FA group.

You should post this in the Salary Cap Thread to give some fans the basics of the cap.

Dead Cap is part of the system. Currently with Von's dead cap Bills have $27M. Miami has $30M, NYJ have $45M and the Eagles have $60M.

$40M, $122M guaranteed. No Trade Clause. LOL. Watson's cap hits with the new Garrett contract and a whole bunch of players with void years just seems like a crazy plan. I so want to see who they select with Pick #2. Who thinks the Browns make the playoffs this season?

The cap is real. Pushing a huge amount of cap out in the future always has consequences. IMO the Saints should have tanked and cleared that future cap a few years ago after Brees left. They kept trying to do it and now are in the bad situation you described. That being said, while I am very conservative with the cap, I do believe it's time for Beane to make a push with Josh in his prime! Beane could open a 4-year window to get a couple of Lombardi's with smart cap moves.

That's how I'm seeing it. IF what he wants is not going to be provided by Beane and Bills, he's best just to play this year and go to FA next year. Messing around this year just hurts himself like you said.

If Beane did that none of his cap savings can be used until after June 1st. Best to cut loose now and use that cap.

Just want to open a discussion on this "holdout" stuff. What are the rules and the consequences of a Cook holdout? He cannot hold out long enough to not accrue a season. He only has 3 and if he did that, he would become an RFA next spring. It's not like a guy who was tagged that already had his 4-years accrued completed. He stands to make $5.3M in salary. That equates to $312k per gameday checks. Cook has only grossed $4.3M his whole career. But even before that he will start losing money holding out mandatory minicamps. For anyone who knows more than I, what am I missing here? Does anyone really think James Cook is going to holdout like Le'Veon Bell?

Yep. I'm glad they let him go.

What I am seeing is a lot of Beane's recent contracts are like this. Take Spencer Brown. Even after the 2026 salary guarantees that kick in next week, he still could dump the contract next year for $10M. I'm just hoping he hits on a good percentage of these the way he did Spencer's.

It's $25M guaranteed. I think Beane can get out of it after the 2nd year of the extension if need be.

Agree on Dion, plus Stanley has missed a lot of games.

I will admit I can see both sides of this situation. I have gone back and forth on it a number of times. I keep coming back seeing him wanting to sign above all the $12M+ RBs. That puts him at a minimum of $12.5M as his floor. That's just above Kamara. One minute I say do that and the next I say sign Johnson to a 3-year deal and/or draft another rookie. I agree it's going to be a tough decision for Beane and Brady.

Thanks for that info. With the extensions it seems pretty certain after Groots' cap savings Beane has the Bills currently under the cap. As many have already said in other threads, Beane will free up cap as he needs it. Nothing really to do but sit back and see if trades and FA signings happen.

When I started this thread, I mentioned Spotrac at $8M AAV. I thought that was so low you would run to sign him. $12M is what I think him and his agent think he is worth. If you lock up the tackles and the center to big contracts, you have to go lower on the guards in the future. IMO. I think this one might have to have Josh's input.

It seems to me all the recent signings (even going back to Spencer Brown, Taron Johnson and Dion last year) have been very reasonable. Fair for both parties. It's like these guys really do want to stay in Buffalo. Josh is the leader of this team, and he still is OK with being the 14th (I think) highest AAV QB in the league. That might have something to do with it. On that note, I think Josh does an extension next spring.

Bills GM thinks differently.

If sacks are the only criteria, Beane did not do well. Neither did other teams. Let's look at "team sacks". Buffalo 39 KC 39 Phil 41 Browns 41 Wash 43 https://www.nfl.com/stats/team-stats/defense/tackles/2024/reg/all Bills need more sacks and pressures but let's not think sacks is all there is.

Offenses also knew that too. RTs walked Von up the field and QBs drifted away from Groot. I'm not saying Groot is outstanding, but he was needed to be extended and Beane needs an RDE.

Not so fast. On May 28th, 2021, Reid signed a 3-year extension. He was cut on Aug 31st that year and resigned on Sept 1st.

Groot needs a partner on the other side. Von is not it. Greg led the team in TFLs with 16. Double the next D player with 8 (AJE). Greg led the team in QB Hits with 24. Greg led all DEs in tackles. Greg led the team in FF with 3. Von rarely pushes the QB toward Groot. My eyes has Von running past the QB more often than not. Another good or great DE will make a huge difference. I do think Beane is going in on another DE in FA. Groot also needs to move back to LDE>

Cap is $279M this year and Spotrac has next year's cap estimated at $307M. $28M increase.