MasterStrategist

He's just converting base salary to some type of bonus... just a cap-maneuver to spread the hits to future years. It doesn't change how much will be paid to Watson in TOTAL/Guaranteed, over life of his contract (unless he accepts a pay cut, highly unlikely)

If you're gonna be a troll/constantly negative about this team, at least get the facts straight... 1. Josh/Von: restructures free up close to $32m....which along with Milano and Settle deals, puts us around 23-$25m. 2. Draft: you're clearly one who doesn't look carefully at other posts/details...Likely need $3m (tops) for draft class. Def not $10m. 3. Dolphins: are setting themselves up for cap hell in 1-2 years, aka Saints/Rams. Admittedly, they have some blur chippers but those cap hits next yr are brutal...and figuring out what to do with Tua and a Waddle extension shortly around the corner after that 4. Other cuts/restructures: we have some more flexibility, depending how they handle Dion, Tre, Diggs contracts. Makatevich and Hines are possible extensions/cuts too. Same with Ed, extension or trade. 5. Draft: Miami has 4 picks this yr. No 1st or 3rd. We have leverage, and where we're at today is not indicative of tomorrow. Bottom line, this trade screams "all in" for Miami. With a polarizing QB, def not a tier 1 player, this Ramsey trade would make me skeptical as a Miami fan. And I'd be furious as a Bills fan, trading for him...we need OL and Wr investments

Strongly disagree about Tua. He is capable of beating us, but isn't leading that team thru a loaded Afc. Dolphins are obviously building a "Rams-esque" approach to draft capital. I'd say they have just as many, if not more, blue chip talent than us as of now. But QB outweighs alot. Tua hasn't played a full NFL season, coming off major head injury and never showcased the talent of Mahomes/Burrow/Josh. He's a clear notch below, and that won't get it done in the Afc with the gauntlet of Qbs.

Perhaps McDermott wants/wanted to have more control, and hence Frazier leaving...and not bringing in another DC. Just a guess...but either way here we are. I'd say we will be pleasantly surprised with Coach leading this defense, as opposed to Leslie. It's very likely will be making some changes.... Miami is w/o a 1st and 3rd rounder now. And more limited in future cap. Beane has to hit on the draft and FA plan. OL and WR, same thing everyone is saying, is critical. More speed in the secondary/aggressive up front.

Miami will be looking to deploy the exact same "cover 0"/aggressive defense against us this yr. While Jets will be continuing their 4-man rush/strong zone defense. Against both of these, we need: 1. Better OL that can hold up 1-1 blocks. 2. WRs (other than Diggs) that can win against 1-1 coverage /bring more speed to the table (Howard is slowing down). Hoping Beane has a good plan to upgrade these two areas. After that in priority list, find best LB/SS/RB replacements. And look to get more physical/bigger at DT.

They just fully guaranteed his 2023 and 2024 contract. $17m cap hit & $18m, 2023/2024. Too rich for me... That's why the trade comp was low

Same exact story as last offseason...yhey should be looking to add speed/quickness and/or a contested catch jump ball athlete for outside. I'd rather get two quick/speed guys, and release McKenzie. If you go back and watch the games from either past 2 seasons, this team had a tendency to struggle against press man/aggressive blitzing teams. We need more players that can win 1-1 routes, quickly and consistently. Right now that's only Diggs. Banking on Shakir in the slot is a gamble. He's not overly quick/explosive, and lacks some of that "feel" that goes into playing that spot. He's the ideal #4 WR, can backup inside and outside.

Everyone who shares your opinion....pls tell me why Beane won't pay him like a Tier 1 MLB then? I'm not a Edmunds hater, but realistically think he's a Tier 2 guy (likely around 10 best). Beane pays his top-end players...Allen, Diggs, Tre, Milano, Dawkins, etc... It's an indictment on how they view Tremaine, if he's not resigned... plenty of ways to free up cap/spread Maines cap hit

Before the season, I hoped we could find a way to extend Maine, and that he would take another step forward....but not gonna lie to myself and say he's a "game changer". He improved, albeit not enough to break the bank for. He's a tier 2 MLB....very good/occasionally incosnsistent or limitations, but not great. Equivalent of Daniel Jones, Geno Smith, Derek Carr etc QB2 tier contracts....do you spend that money there or focus elsewhere, like OL, WR, etc...and sacrifice to a tier 3 MLB/rookie. This is Beane's true time to measure up, bc the cap isn't there and needs to make difficult decisions. We also used a 3rd rounder on Bernard LY, perhaps they see a scheme change coming. Example - 2 down MLB replacement, and Bernard plays on passing or situationally. Or maybe we convert to a dime defense, on 3rd downs. Both options have been successful for other teams, and used the LB position as a rotational piece, similar to RB.

Schmitz can add weight if needed, he is also strong as all get out. He's said he wants to be known as an "interior OL", not just center. He's willing to do what is needed, if we desire to put him at OG. Rice is difficult to project completely, but he reminds me of Chris Godwin and the type of playmaker we are lacking. He's a different Wr body type, than alot of other options likely to be available to us. I'd be very excited to go: 1. Schmitz 2. Rice 3. best LB or S - depending on FA 4. Gray or best DL 5. whichever not used round 4 6. depth

1. Eric Gray -Rb, Oklahahoma. I'm a fan of his style. Super quick feet, great vision. Likely a 4th-5th round type, with starter potential. 2. OL: two key moves, I like John Michael Schmitz....he solves a G spot immediately, future at C. He's likely take our 1st round pick, but better value to move back into early 2nd. The other is counting on Spencer Brown to improve/stay healthy, but I'd like someone such as Jermaine Elurmenor (Fa-Raiders), depth that can compete. I'd look to draft another guy late, depending on Doyle's recovery. 3. Wr: Rashee Rice -Smu, likely a 2nd rounder. He's got the quick feet/separation skills (although not a burner), to play all the Wr spots. And he offers Yac, physical blocking, and likely a future #2 Wr.

Hard pass... 1. Draft a RB: very deep Rb class, beyond just Bijan (who is a no-brainer at 27, if he somehow slides). Look round 4/5 range. 2. Fix the OL: first off, we need to create cap space...yes, multiple ways to do this quickly (ie:cuts, restructures, etc) but it would be unwise to invest said $$$s in anything but the trenches. We need to protect Josh, and this run game struggles because of our blocking. FA $$s and early draft capital should be invested in OL, much overdue. 3. Playmaker: with our scheme and Joshs talents, WR is a much better choice to help this offense take the next step. Diggs gets constant bracket coverage/doubled...we need a legit #2 who can consistently produce and win against single coverage. Davis had his chance, just think we need more twitch/separation ability for that #2 spot.

My larger point is: 1. We need a legit WR2 2. Gabe was closer to that, than Hodgins, and we should be setting our bar above Isiah (hence why he's no longer here) Understandable we aren't going to chrck all those boxes, that's the list for a Wr1. But we should be trying to either draft/sign someone who checks most OR build our Wr room in a complimentary style to achieve that...I'd say that's why teams like the Steelers draft a Wr in rounds 2-4 most years, and have been very successful building complimentary skill players.

I like LaPorta, out of Iowa. Think his playing style fits our offense, and would slide in very nicely as a TE2. Probably going in the 3rd round...that might be a luxury we can't afford, given our needs elsewhere: 1. OL 2. WR 3. LB 4. S 5. DT/DE - pass rush 6. RB

We need thr following traits in a WR: 1. Can win against single coverage/top corners. 2. Can win against press or zone 3. YAC ability 4. Deep ball/speed ability 5. Reliable hands/catching 6. Solid blocking Basically, looking for a well-rounded #2 to play opposite Diggs. Hodgins brings 1, maybe 2, of those traits above. Gabe brings 2, maybe 3 of those. He has potential to be our #2, unlike Hodgins, and was given every opportunity to take that job this year. But he was too inconsistent. To me, we should be looking for a WR early. If thr right guy falls in round 1, or more likely in the 2nd-3rd round range.

Cooks was my #1 target at the trade deadline. But cap/other reasons prohibited that.. For whatever reason, this team really struggles to integrate rookies (both sides of the ball). If that's cosching/player development, or draft strategy (drafting upside/who need time), I'm not certain... The better "value" is to draft a WR round 1, and get 4 cap friendly years of production....but this is where I'm starting to feel more and more pessimistic about Beane....we haven't exactly drafted well, and wasted alot of capital on the DL without much return

Funny how many people blame the coaches/Mcd, when this team doesn't have near the top-end talent of other teams. We take Josh and Diggs off this team, and we are below average. This team continues to lack speed, on both sides of the ball. I continue to point the finger at: 1. Beane: wasted FA capital on the DL, too many bust selections at DL. I give him credit for Josh and Diggs, which buys him time, but he quickly needs to put together a solid draft. 2. Situational coaching: overall, I like our coaches and what they bring. But, certain situations have lacked creativity/poor schemes. I'm excited to see if our defense can make schematic changes/player development is improved with Frazier gone. On offense, we lack a Wr2 and OL...no surprise when appropriate resources have been misallocated (again Beane). If anyone is on the hot seat, it's Beane and his minions. When you have a superstar QB, the bar automatically rises and he's been lackluster to say the least since acquiring Josh/Diggs

Million $ question: are we lacking talent/speed on defense, or is it a combination of poor scheme/execution (maximizing adequate talent) that is holding us back in playoff games? I tend to think it's both, and mainly poor resource allocation by Beane: 1. FAs: Trent Murphy, Star, Butler, Addison: just to name a few that underplayed their contracts 2. Draft: 2 1st round picks, 2 2nd round picks - Ed, Groot, Boogie and AJ. Did Beane get value for these picks, because it seems like Boogie and AJ are just "average/replaceable" and Ed/Groot are solid, yet inconsistent. I've stated before that I'm not a huge fan of Frazier, but he hasn't had a Cincy, Chiefs, 49ers, or Eagles dline to work with here. When we start to see players leave, ie: Boogie, AJ, others in upcoming years, we will see if it's player evaluation or player development/scheme issues. My eyes tell me it's player evaluation, and that Beane/team NEED to start hitting on dline investments. Otherwise, we are counting on Josh to be near perfect.

It's a combo of both, IMO. Not using him and teams focused on other aspects of our offense, that are better than Motor. Motor bought value when he was on a rookie contract. Now that he is going to cost something $3-$5.5m per year, he needs replaced with a cheaper option. It's a combo of both, IMO. Not using him and teams focused on other aspects of our offense, that are better than Motor. Motor bought value when he was on a rookie contract. Now that he is going to cost something $3-$5.5m per year, he needs replaced with a cheaper option.

Please look at this list and tell me who is signing Motor, for $5.5m or to be a starter. Understandably some of these Rbs are FAs too, but this is comparing how Motor would rank. I'd find maybe 4 teams, other than us. Where Motor would be either an upgrade or worth $5.5m as a "1b". Dolphins, Pats, Rams, and Panthers. And personally can't see the Phins or Pats as being interested. Definitely No (order is random): 1. Jets - Breece Hall and Zonovan Knight 2. Ravens - JK and Edwards 3. Steelers - Najee and Warren 4. Browns - Chubb and Hunt 6. Bengals - Mixon and Perrine 7. Houston - Pierce 8. Colts - Taylor 9. Jags - Etienne 10. Titans - Henry 11. Broncos - Javonte 12. Raiders - Jacobs 13. Chargers - Ekeler 14. Chiefs - Pachecho and McKinnon 15. Cowboys- Pollard and Zeke 16. Giants - Barkley 17. Eagles - Sanders and Gainwell 18. Bears - Montgomery and Herbert 19. Lions - Jamal and Swift 20. Pack - Jones and Dillon 21. Vikings - Cook and Mattisson 22. Falcons - Allgeirer and Patterson 23. Saints - Kamara and Ingram 24. Bucs - Fournette and White 25. Cards - Conner and Williams 26. 49ers - Cmac and Mitchell 27. Hawks - Walker and Penny 28. Commanders - Robinson and Gibson

On defense: Biggest thing to me is 1st and 3rd down Yards per play. Especially 3rd down, we gave up alot more yardage than in 2021. Definitely an area that stood out, from just watching games (and not looking at stats).

Agree on Frazier/his scheme being a big concern. As other said, it's a great defense against middle-of-the-road offenses (ie: making them drive the field, hoping for 1-2 mistakes). But against top tier offenses, you can't count on Mahomes/Burrow types to make critical mistakes or get behind the chains. I'm least concerned about Dorsey, of all the other problems we have. Dorsey is just over-aggressive, he needs to dial it back. He did have issues acclimating everyone, but that improved (some) with getting Knox more involved. We need more of an identity, seemed like he was overcomplicating himself with so many formation/package variations. I'm not looking up the stats, but Dabolls run game was definitely not better. He got it balanced toward the end of his time here, but he too lacked "balance" in multiple games. Our offense started great this year, it lost momentum at crucial times....turnovers didn't help either. Frazier I'm fine with leaving, but Dorsey would be a mistake.

Thanks @Alphadawg7, great post and insights! Agree with alot of what you said. I'd summarize by saying: 1. Top focus should be OL/WR. 2. Hope Beane doesn't waste cap on VERY good, but not great players who are gonna cost a ton (ie let Poyer, Edmunds walk) 3. Retool the defense: need more dynamic players up front and at S. Need to keep spending picks, albeit 3rd-5th (not 1st/2nd) until they get this right at DL 4. Coordinators: to me, it's risking alot to let Dorsey and Frazier go. Dorsey/Josh relationship is so strong, also high upside still there. Frazier is just a pure leader. Rather see them adapt their styles, however unlikely, it is needed. 5. Defense: like us to move to a dime defense on 3rd downs. Just like RB has moved to a "committee", so has MLB for some teams that don't have a stud/dynamic 3-down type. Get Benford or another draft pick some time, and limits our need for Edmunds...we waste guys like Neal/others that play <10% snaps (outside of specials). If they can fix 1-2 spots on OL, add another key WR/weapon, diversify the offense/scheme, and Retool the DL/scheme...then we're looking at a team who can compete with anyone.

Great write up and analysis! Only disagreement is on Jawaan Taylor. He doesn't impress me. 1. I would release Morse, Neal, and Maketevich. 2. Don't resign Poyer or Edmunds 3. Extend Oliver, as mentioned 4. Restructure Josh and Von, as mentioned 5. Use remaining FA money on a starting C, G, S, MLB, rotational/depth RB, and backup DE (ideally with speed). 6. Move Benford to safety, likely as a primary backup year 1 7. 1st-4th rounds of draft: RT (with guard versatility), Wr, 3-tech DT, and DE. 8. Rest of draft: Best slot WR/gadget type, 2 CBs, and LB or RB depth Most important: improve OL play, get 1-2 additional WR playmakers (Shakir will also take more on) Next: get more dynamic with pass rush/DL play. Yes, we need to keep putting resources here, ie: round 3-5 type draft picks and 1 yr rental types. Concern: MLB without Tremaine. I'd rather us sign a middle of the road vet type, but mitigate this concern by... Transition defense: move to a dime defense on 3rd/obvious passing downs. Either a drafted CB, or Benford transitioning to a safety/CB hybrid role would fill the dime (ie:MLB becomes less important and Milano remains on the field). Gets more speed and athletic ability, similar to Pats/Chiefs/Steeler defenses recently.

Suck it Burrow....maybe go smoke a cigar at halftime. Glad to see these arrogant pr*cks put back in their place