BillsFanForever19

It's more valid because it's a BILLS Beat Reporter, who is *actually* seriously connected to the team and has covered them for 15 years, outright saying they won't be trading for him. He wouldn't say it like that unless it was confirmed to him. Not a beat reporter from the Texans. Not some rando on Twitter. It's Tim Graham. If you don't know who Tim Graham is and why his word means more than ErieCountyBulls - I don't even know what to say. As for Beane, he didn't just say he looked into it and they can't talk about him because he's on another team. He made a point to say that Social Media blows things out of proportion. He didn't have to say that and probably wouldn't have if things were serious. That was specifically done to let fans know it wasn't as serious as everyone around here thinks or hopes. Combine all of this with their reported asking price that we were never and will never pay - it's time to face reality. We probably made a call last Wednesday when it was being reported they weren't going to get much and when we found out what the actual price was, that was that.

I honestly think Hopkins is going to be a Cardinal this year. The price tag they're asking for says they're not really willing to trade him. If they were motivated to move him, they wouldn't set the price so high. No one is going to give up "Christian McCaffrey" trade compensation for a 31 year old WR on a massive two year cap hit. I don't care how good he's been. That's too much for a guy who could lose a step at any moment.

Oh believe me, there's a couple posters in particular that are going to read this and say that Tim Graham doesn't know what he's talking about or that this is more proof than ever it's getting done. But it's... Back to OBJ watch. Or a 1st Round WR. Hopefully it OBJ doesn't get done, one of Quentin Johnson, Jordan Addison, or Jaxon Smith-Njigba falls to us.

We're back on OBJ watch people.

This was obvious when the price tag came out as a "Christian McCaffrey" level trade a couple days ago. A significant development would be Arizona drastically dropping their price. Short of that, it's never going to happen. Beane is never going to pay a price of 2-3 picks starting with a 2nd this year AND pay 34.5 in cap over two years for a 31 year old WR. I don't care how good they looked as of last season. I don't know that any team is paying that price. I don't believe Jerry Jeudy was ever available to be traded for even though fans clamor for it. Same goes for Mike Evans. https://bucswire.usatoday.com/2023/02/16/nfl-news-trade-rumors-mike-evans-tampa-bay-buccaneers-free-agency/ So as of right now, it's pretty much OBJ or a 1st Round Pick as far as a legit WR addition goes. Some of you are just going to have to learn how to deal with it.

It's March 27th.

Right. They lost Hill and replaced him with Schuster. The point is, if they do the trade, they'll be adding Hopkins but will have lost Schuster and Hardman. Adding one maybe elite WR, but also losing two very good WR's that have hurt us. So i'm not buying the idea that the Chiefs will become so much more superpowered than they were last year and adding Hopkins means "we're doomed", can never possibly hope to beat them, and it's a total failure if we don't stop it from happening.

Exactly. And if the Chiefs do land him, he'll be added to a WR core currently headlined by Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, after losing JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman. Addition and Upgrade to WR1, but to a core that has faced substantial reductions.

Makes about as much sense as believing ErieCountyBulls is a legitimate reporter.

I don't believe the MLB is fully in house. I think we're definitely going to add there in the Draft. Probably in the 2nd or 3rd Rounds. They'll then compete with Bernard and Dodson and whoever looks the best will take the job for this year.

Good to know.

I like the idea of getting that 3rd Round Comp pick. But I also feel like he shouldn't lose out on players that will help this team now because of it. If he wants OBJ and OBJ wants to sign, I want them to do it. If he likes Calais Campbell and his fit on the Line, I don't want him to not do it because of a Draft Pick in 2024. Hopefully some schmuck signs Rodger Saffold to a 2 million plus contract soon so that we can have our cake and eat it too.

I can't believe the Jets, who have Garrett Wilson and have signed Allen Lazard AND Mecole Hardman, are going to sign OBJ too. I can't believe OBJ would want to sign with them with those 3 already there.

Exactly. Notice how "the insider" had nothing to say about Taylor Rapp? That's because there were no giveaways or tea leaves to play off of with him. To add to the ridiculousness of putting faith in random Twitter accounts - Ian Rappaport has said in the past "The Bills are always the mystery team". He, Schefter, and the like don't get leaks from them or break news until it happens. So what sense does it make that random Twitter people get info when it's a front office shrouded in such secrecy that even the top reporters in the game can't find anything out?

Yeah, but he did it after Hopkins posted the infamous "Buffalo Soldier" video and everyone was talking about it. Just like he "broke" that Edwards was going to sign, but only after it was announced he came into town. Every year, you see tons of Twitter accounts making bold claims based off tea leaves. They do it hoping that if they're the first to say it and it happens, they'll be legitimized and get a million followers. Even if it does happen, I'd bet the guy still doesn't know anything more than the random fan.

Erie County Bulls barely has more followers than I do. Their big proof of "legitimacy" is that they said we'd sign David Edwards... after it was announced he was in town for a visit. They just look like another Twitter "source" making claims before things happen to make themselves look "legit" in the event that they do happen. They're a dime a dozen. Couldn't roll my eyes harder when I hear people say "Erie County Bulls says" like it means a damn thing.

Hey, we signed our first guy on ProFootballTalk's Top 100 Free Agents. And to be a Backup to boot. Solid.

No, it won't. You'll watch every game and then come here to complain and threaten. But unless you're not a true blue Bills fan and just a fair weather fan, you won't stop following the team. I get fans wanting a Super Bowl so bad you can taste it. And yes, it's incredibly frustrating to come so close and not get there. But before Beane got here, we were in purgatory. Laughing stock of the league. It's important to keep that in perspective of where we are now. Maybe Hopkins will happen. Maybe he won't. But there's still a lot of time left in the Offseason. Who knows what this team will look like in the Season Opener. And if it weren't for a myriad of injuries and unfortunate situations derailing the team last season, who knows what we could have been if those things didn't happen. Who knows what we could be with the same team if those things don't happen this season.

How do you figure? Whoever we take in the 1st we have for 4 years automatically, 5 years if we want it. And for pennies on the Hopkins dollar. Hopkins turns 31 before the start of the year and is only under a (massive) 2 year contract. There's no telling when he'll fall off. Could be within the next 2 years for all we know. Even if we did sign him to an extension and kept him for 5 years, he'd be 36 at the end of it. WR's don't stay "Elite" at 36. And that would cost more money than the 34.5 cap hit we'd already be on the hook for. And you don't know who could be the next Elite WR. How many people had Justin Jefferson coming into the league at Pick 22 and immediately lighting the league on fire? Not many, but it happened. No one has the ability to say it's an impossibility for Johnson, Addison, or JSN to be just as good. Either way, you don't take on a 31 year old WR's 34.5 million dollar cap hit over 2 years AND give up a 1st Round Pick to do it. You just don't.

Or it was just done at the same time? From the sounds of it, David was already in the process of re-signing with the Bucs when we called. Very likely Beane checked in, saw where he was in negotiations and what Tampa was paying him and just said "alright, cool". If we were really putting the full course press on him like we were with Von - he wouldn't have been saying "Von didn't call me".

I mean, I guess this is a post for what you'd give up. And if that's the most you'd give, that's fair. But in no way shape or form are they giving us Jerry Jeudy and a 2023 4th for a 2023 2nd and a 2024 4th. That's less than a 2nd for a guy they don't seem to be willing to give up for a 1st.

We need to add to Diggs and Davis, not add and subtract. Gabe had a down year last year after starting the season with a high ankle sprain that he pushed through. Beane talked up the hope to have him as a Bill for years to come after his rookie contract. I don't think we're giving up on him nor do I think we should. He's done his best stuff when he's had two other WR's taking the bulk of the coverage. Harty and Sherfield are upgrades from what we had as depth behind Diggs and Davis. But I'd rather sprinkle them in than have them be our go to guys if something were to happen to Diggs or Hopkins.

I mean, if that's what Arizona wanted I'd say do it. But Arizona wants to deal Hopkins to get rid of his salary. Not sure how interested they'd be to take on Oliver for one season at a 10 million cap hit if they're doing the deal to help their cap to begin with.

I don't think the Bills underappreciate Gabe Davis. But the fans most definitely do. I'm not saying we shouldn't get another outside WR at his level. But that's just out of necessity bc we can't be in a situation like we were last season where he or Diggs get banged up and we're trotting out Jake Kumerow regularly. He underperformed last season. But he also started the year with an Ankle Sprain that he pushed through and could have affected his production and focus. We should add more at the position. But the people who say we should trade him, outright replace him, or that he's completely incapable of being a #2 are misguided to this point.

Yeah, regardless of speculation, publicly this has been their stance since Day 1. They could be hoping that in constantly saying that someone might give them an offer they can't refuse. But I tend to feel like they're just being honest and they really don't have any desire to move on from Jeudy. I can't imagine Payton coming in and immediately getting rid of their #1 WR while trying to rebuild Russell Wilson. And I don't think he came back for a rebuild of the team. Pretty sure that's why he left New Orleans in the first place.