Ed_Formerly_of_Roch

So he must have signed his 5th year option under the old CBA rules that still allowed this? Now can no longer do this without still taking the $$ hit from what I understand.

Mark Davis's personal grooming bill is bankrupting the team!

Yes but only the top 51 salaries count towards it as most teams after the draft have 90 players on roster. Was reading the other day how because we're drafting lower at #30 in each round and no 4th round pick, likely only the top three draft picks will be included in the top 51 players so the amount of money that needs to be allocated to draft picks is much lower for the Bills this year. Think I saw a number like about $1.6 mil From the sounds of another thread the Bills may be negotiating a new contract with Ertz, if Ertz agrees to it, then Philly will trade him to the Bills and he'll immediately sign a new contract with a lower salary. Got me thinking could it help Philly at all if he were to reduce his salary prior to being traded as then Philly would be taking a smaller hit. I'm guessing any salary reduction comes in the form of guaranteed $$ so probably not then? Maybe I answered my own question.

This was replaced in the last CBA with death by having to attend every BB press conference for one year.

Some article I read over the weekend suggested a 5th or 6th. With a cheaper contract the price may go up a bit though.

Is cool from a Buffalo standpoint as he'll get to play a game in Buffalo, I'm sure he'll get a big hand. Hope the Bills play them early before he gets benched again for some rookie draft pick.

I'm certain I have a 4 leaf clover in my backyard, but who knows where and likely never find it too!

I agree on TE and back up O line, one player, likely a tackle. WR think will be in the draft as will another O-lineman, For punter IMO will either be Bojo or draft pick, but likely will sign some lower level FA punter for training camp DE, the barn is full so to bring in another means letting one of current players go and can they afford to let a guy like Johnson or Zimmer on cheap contracts go. They have a total of 8 D lineman that played a fair amount last year plus Star. Can't see them going with more than 9 total. I didn't think they'd sign Addison to an extension unless there were no better options. RB could see them going either for a backup to fill Yeldons role, or they decide to go with three active RB if they go after a more starting type guy like some of the rumors about Hunt. Unless they are going to try and trade one of the current two, do you want to give up on one of your last two seasons 3rd round draft picks.

There's an article on the ESPN website discussing this very topic. (reading earlier on phone, can't find it now again) It mentioned the fact that Brady won the SB caused this and also the fact that they were 7-9 last year, he realized he needs to improve roster. But then went on to state that likely biggest reason was due to reduced cap kept many teams on the sidelines, so they were able to get better bargains than would be available in most seasons. The bidding pool was much smaller.

Hope you're not expecting any of those make a contribution to improve the team in 2021. A RG may start as a sub, the DE and RB would likely be inactive. Maybe the TE is active and plays when they go with 12 personal, but expecting much out of a rookie TE on a team with SB aspirations is likely going to be disappointing.

You wonder too if the Texans agreed to let him play some WR reps too and that made the appeal greater there? Not that I know he'll be any good at that but maybe they agreed to give him a fighting chance where as he knew in Buffalo that wasn't going to happen. And maybe on top of that Bills interest was lukewarm. Recall Taskers last year or two he got to play some WR and was actually played decent at it.

You wonder if he's just taking shot in dark after certain players or did someone whisper in his ear that the Bills are interested in them?

Besides pass rusher, what other holes are you referring to? I agree that pass rusher is the bigger issue, but do feel there's better chance of drafting a CB at #30 who can contribute and start right away than a DE or TE. More hoping to see they still address edge thru FA , maybe the guy from the Bengals Benson believe was his name?

One of the articles the other day was suggesting it was either a 5th or 6th for Ertz, or a 7th for the guy from the Rams

He use his left leg to punt so doesn't wear the right one out for place kicking.

Beane even works on Sundays! IMO wasn't that hard to do, but likely at the expense of not having as many options on Wednesday. With a few cuts and restructures/ reductions signing three mid to high FA wasn't hard, just had to decide which three, their own or outside. Will be an interesting Monday once legal tampering starts to hear the next group of names. I wonder if we'll still hear a couple more cuts and contract restructures in between. I suppose they could announce Monday a guy they are signing without having the $$ available, they'd just need to make the cuts by Wednesday to sign him.

I think much of the reasoning was the assumption that Williams was gone, so didn't want to lose two starting lineman. Wouldn't shock me if Beane was negotiating with both Williams and Mongo and basically told them whomever signs first gets the contract, loser is heading to FA. Having an opening at guard is maybe better than a tackle as can sign an interior lineman for less than a tackle. My expectation is they will draft an interior lineman fairly high, maybe Ike B is still resigned, he starts in the beginning of the season, but by November or so the rookie is starting. Likely they also sign a cheap mid level FA tackle as a backup.

I chose good bye, but not quite that simple. Bills need to find someone who can be return man, but also contribute other places. Maybe like a McKenzie as can be both a WR and returner. The Bills seem to have too many high priced guys who only play ST for the most part, Roberts, The LB (not going to try and spell his name) T Jones. I wonder if the team may view Gilliam as Jones replacement and also can play on the filed more as FB/TE

It's always easy to find a tango partner if you're willing to let the other person take the lead. i.e. you may not get 100 cents on the dollar, maybe you only take 90 to 95 cents back. In the Bills situation 90 cents may be worth it.

I'd argue the opposite about Diggs. He's way underpaid and due for a big raise, so give him big signing bonus, low salary this year, then add a couple new years onto deal and large increases starting in 2022. Seeing that Mahomes just got restructured really before the new deal even kicked in, sounds like anything can happen in particular this year due to the big cut leaving teams scrambling even more than normal.

True but at some point there won't be enough money next week in FA to sign him plus a TE and DE and maybe even a LB. And I'd put signing a a TE and DE above Mongo now that Williams has resigned. I do think they will draft a lineman early who will start so may not need Mongo at this point where as having two spots open may have been too much. Maybe Beane was working both Williams and Mongo. First one to agree to a deal gets it, loser is out?? Will see.

Doomed!

Does make me wonder a little about Feleciano. Will he now not be back?

Yeah he really had a very well thought out plan, but by the time the article was posted, they already signed Milano. Now Williams too!

I read a pretty good write up yesterday some place, may have been The Athletic that stated because we're drafting lower likely draft picks will only cost around $3 mil. Cap is based on top 51 salaries during off season and likely once you get beyond 3rd round those picks contracts would be lower than what person #48 thru #51 on the roster make today. So won't factor in. Found it in The Athletic, Joe B's article, Think the number went down from yesterday, liekly due to Milano signing, may go lower yet today now with Williams. Give it another day and the draft picks will need to pay Beane to sign here! Using the first-year cap hits of the players selected in the same slot in 2020, only the first three of the Bills’ seven picks would qualify for the Top 51. Those picks total $3.83 million in cap space. Removing the three lowest contracts from the Top 51, totaling $2.22 million, makes for a net draft pick allotment of $1.61 million. https://theathletic.com/2441292/2021/03/12/bills-mock-offseason-2021-post-matt-milano-re-signing-predicting-free-agency-cuts-draft-picks/