Einstein's Dog

This would be great! Just the kind of thing I would like to have happen. I want to believe you.

But then where do you want to put the money? The Bills will have a dirt cheap RB room, moderate to low priced OL, high priced QB, and dirt cheap WRs too? Just look around our division, that's not what the Jets are doing (Aaron/Keenan/G Wilson even Lazard). Dolphins will soon have Tua/Tyreek/Waddle. I would like one more good WR to move the Hollins/MVS/Claypool group further down the bench never to see a significant role during game time. Maybe not a $30M guy but an outside WR with reliable hands, good separation, and a track record.

Me too. I didn't think it was going to happen this way. I thought there was going to be a trade for a WR after getting the Tre money but that has passed. From an ownership/GM perspective this looks like a reset/cash limited/cap restoring kind of year. If the Bills don't get a KC type fluke postseason run maybe they'll make a decent sized WR move next off-season to help usher in the new stadium.

But what other WR can you have hope in for the outside? No one can seriously consider Hollins. MVS was worse than Gabe and let go by KC. It's bad enough to pencil in one of the outside spots by default to a rookie. I'm having difficulty with this.

Seems like you'd run something this drastic by ownership. But I would think it would be the other way around. Beane would have presented what it would take - cash wise -to put through a plan or the different options available.

I'm with many that are interested in the outside WRs. Also RB2 - if/when Davis can overtake Ty.

But why is my question. A very inexpensive RB room (someone in another thread said it was the lowest), now going to be coupled with one of the lowest priced WR rooms. Where do they want to allocate the resources (aside from one of many teams that pay QB)? What is the plan? And who exactly is "they'? Do you think Beane did this on his own or was he directed/under budget constraints from above?

I am concerned that without the influence of Kim the Bills might have a more financial focused view. I felt Kim liked the attention of the Bills community and enjoyed bringing a winner to the area. For Terry and the new one Laura that might not be the case (I would have preferred a larger role for Jessica). The first test may have been bringing in a top tier WR. It would have taken a large guarantee and a large upfront signing bonus - the things teams that are flush with cash do. Instead it looks like the Bills are going to take the cap hit and do a reset, they're going to see how it goes on one of the lowest salaried offensive playmaking units in the NFL.

Of course it should mean something. Yes, Samuel = Jennings, Pearsall = K Coleman. The difference is WR3 + WR4 for SF vs the Bills WR1 + WR2. If we still had Diggs + Davis and had brought in Samuel and drafted Coleman my money would be on one of them being moved soon. Having one top tier WR plus Jennings + Pearsall combo (backed up by a 4th rounder as a fallback) seems like a fine idea for a WR room - especially when combined with other playmakers in Kittle + McCaffrey. That's what the SF future looks like to me. Solid plan. The Bills could have something similar with a top tier WR. That's what I was hoping for. SF may be waiting on 2025 to implement its plan. That's thinking ahead. But if Aiyuk is a real problem they may want to accelerate their plan.

News that SF just upped C McCaffrey to $19M per for 4 more years. Brought in Logan Thomas. And as stated above paid J Jennings and 1st + 4th WR in draft. Who is getting Aiyuk? Pitt, New England, Bills??

I think this year is a huge year for Cook. If the Bills are going to extend him it is easiest to do before his contract ends. But I think the Bills need to see continued improvement - catch rate, pass-pro and ball security. Also a factor might be his locker room presence, how he fits the culture and if he picks up more of a leadership position.

They seem to think Aiyuk is going to take a team friendly franchise tag? I don't know if SF really believes that - they double dipped at the draft 1st + 4th and just paid J Jennings $10M guaranteed over 2 years, $15M total.

It's not just a view from Madden that makes our WR room a huge downgrade - it's an opinion by a vast majority of impartial observers. We're going from a $22M + $13M WRs to $8M + $3M. Our top WR would be battling for the number 3 spot on numerous other teams - including two in our division. Yes, we were able to do well in the second half when Diggs + Davis weren't doing well - but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to replace at least one of them with established top tier talent. I was hoping Beane would supply Brady with a full complement of offensive weapons. We have the underneath hands guys and badly need some outside boundary WRs. The idea of a rebuild when Josh is 28, really negatively affects my view Beane's job. This idea that we don't have a choice is ridiculous. And the cap situation is a direct result of prior moves Beane made. Like it or not? No, I don't like it. I'm still in denial.

Don't wait - a 1st and 4th for Metcalf. Bring in his $13M salary and immediately restructure to a $6M cap hit. Leaves about $7M for the season. Bring back Hyde in a low cost vet/coach role to bring our new safeties up to speed. Back to contender status!

My "literally 0% chance" quote was from the possibility to trade for a vet WR, which I am of course still hoping occurs. Although each day out decreases the odds. C'mon Beane. You make it sound like a trade for Diggs just fell into Beane's lap and he couldn't turn it down. I feel Beane was actively shopping Diggs. Remember the "Ready for watever" and "Well...." cryptic quotes from Diggs. Diggs knew something was up, Diggs had initiated it. IMO, Beane didn't do this on a lark. Josh wasn't blindsided. I've felt Beane had a plan. This is part of what makes it hard for me to accept - this is Beane's plan? The C Samuel/rookie Coleman/Shakir/Kincaid/Cook core?

Well you did say "literally 0% chance" which came across pretty conclusive. Now with each passing day your point is looking on more on target. Hard days for me to handle. I've felt the Bills weapons have been pretty good. And I've always followed Beane's logic. I could see giving G Davis a bigger role. I even could see Crowder and even McKenzie for bigger roles. And this year I was hoping for a bigger role from Shakir - or at least maintain the role he had at the end of the year to extend throughout the season, same with Kincaid. But I'm not on board with this year's moves. The idea that you go from Diggs/Davis/Shakir/Kincaid/Cook to C Samuel/rookie Coleman/Shakir/Kincaid/Cook is a shocking downgrade. My evaluation of Beane's work is primarily based on the off-season moves and their expected talent level for the upcoming season. As it stands, IMO, this is by far his worst off-season. Is he really going to do a rebuild in the middle of Josh's prime?

That would only be if Tua doesn't hold out now. It's now that Tua has the upper hand. Very risky IMO for Tua to go into this season without a mega-deal, he could easily get a career ending concussion. If the Fins play hard ball and don't cave, they won't have a QB this year worth anything and Tua will be at his same market value next year since he wouldn't have gotten hurt.

"Ready for watever."

I agree, especially if Cook does not improve. While Cook had good 2023 numbers he didn't look special in the eye test. A lot of what he did was based on circumstances, being the RB1 for the team and having a better O line. I hope the FO gets back to the strategy of inexpensive RBs - and put those resources into WR (and of course the franchise QB).

I didn't address the draft compensation because your complaint was about cost. The Bills have an extra 2nd + 4th for 2025 so they have plenty of ammo. I think the Bills could offer up a 1st + 4th for either Metcalf or Aiyuk. They just fit the Bills current roster like gloves- bring the entire offseason moves together. It would create a young Phase 2 on the offense. Metcalf/K Coleman/Shakir /Samuel w Kincaid + Cook/Davis what a new core for several years. If Beane can't swing it for either of those 2, I would offer a 2nd to the Raiders for D Adams. Get him on a 2 year deal. If that doesn't work DHop for the late 2nd for 2 years. As to your earlier question to someone else I was worried about the doubling down with Franklin. He was there in the third. That would have been the rebuild way to go IMO. If the Bills don't do a trade for a vet WR, I will be wondering why Beane didn't do that.. At the time I was rooting against it because it would have signaled to me the end of the WR search.

Cap space is fluid, especially a year out. Remember the thread from tranplantbillsfan "$23 million in CAP in 2025 if no more moves as of 5/14". The point is a team should be able to afford an expensive QB, expensive WR1 and expensive LT. That has been a gold standard strategy that the Bills have applied.

Why can't the Bills pay market rates for a top tier WR? It's been an excellent working strategy to date. Just because they shipped Diggs out doesn't mean you abandon the winning strategy. The Bills have adopted an inexpensive RB room, in part to allocate funds to the WR. With a backloaded contract a WR like Aiyuk could be done. The Bills currently have very inexpensive offensive playmakers under contract for several years so having one expensive playmaker should be able to be budgeted. It had been in the past. Prices for good WRs is on the rise. Lets not shut down reasonable discussion of the Bills wide receiver situation just because you have a preset bias. You believe the Bills won't add a WR and can't afford it under the cap. I don't fully buy into Beane's off-season words, think the strategy all along has been to add one, and believe it is entirely possible cap-wise.

I'm with you, I'd much rather be looking at what Franklin could be than giving chances to the retreads of Claypool or MVS (and lets face it Hollins was never supposed to be a starting outside WR). For me, if they bring in a top tier WR via trade it all makes sense. Then you don't take two in that instance because it would conflict with the path/increased role for Shakir. The backup for K Coleman would be the versatile C Samuel - while not the same type of player you can adjust the offense until he develops. If they don't add a top tier WR, I am baffled and disappointed at the new direction.

Mortgaging or Investing? Getting a real WR1 for several years is team building. Getting an Aiyuk or Metcalf is not some band-aid, it's obtaining a bedrock core piece of Phase 2 of Josh's career. You're okay with D Adams or DHop who are much older? Those would be fallback positions IMO. They would solve the 2024 problem but would have 2026 questions. I don't know which ones are really available, just showing there seem to be options. It's Beane's job to bring one in. SF is acting like they are moving someone (drafted 2 WRs and just gave $10M guaranteed to J Jennings).

I would add any of Metcalf/Aiyuk/Sutton/D Adams/DHop.. No to BTJ. The addition of one of those takes the CB1 and safety and changes the way defenses will play us. This helps the rest of the offense which I think is pretty solid. The addition also moves down Hollins/MVS/Claypool.