Estro

My opinion: Bills will add 1 year to the deal with some funny money on the back end so the agent looks good, and they'll turn some of this upcoming years base salary into a signing bonus. Agent looks good with the "new 4 year deal", Shady is happy because he gets some money guaranteed and upfront in the form of the signing bonus, and the Bills are happy because they can prorate the signing bonus over the duration of the deal and pickup some immediate cap relief. His deal as is stands today: 2015: $10.25M, cap hit the same 2016: $7.15M, cap hit the same 2017: $7.85M, cap hit the same 3 years - $25.25M Prediction for his extension/restructure: Signing Bonus of $8M (prorated over 4 years, $2M/year) 2015: $2.5M, cap hit of $4.5M 2016: $7.5M, cap hit of $9.5M 2017: $8M, cap hit of $10M 2018: $9M, cap hit of $11M 4 years - $35M, $10.5M Guaranteed. Essentially a 2 year - $18M or 3 year - $26M deal depending on if the Bills cut him after 2 or 3 seasons.

LOL, agreed. Just give the damn tour will you. Show some assertiveness!

The kid sounds like a dumbass when he speaks.

No he's a RT. Most fans don't realize though that RT is more of a need than RG. Urbik isn't good, but he graded out much better than Seantrel Henderson did at RT. We really need an upgrade at that position.

1. RT - Joseph Barksdale 2. DE/OLB - Jerry Hughes (if he counts) 3. TE - Virgil Green

We need a new RT. Not talked about as much, but I'd argue it's just as big of a need as OG. Seantrel Henderson was very bad last year. If given the choice of only being able to sign an OG or a RT in FA....I'd definitely pick RT, and try to find an OG in the draft.

I'm glad you brought up Jeremy Parnell, he's a guy who I overlooked and he should definitely be on the list. He graded out well. He was a +8.7 (played 388 snaps). He was +3.4 pass blocking & +5.3 run blocking, so above average in both. A very intriguing under the radar guy, that I actually like quite a bit. He actually only played 1 year of college football (he played college basketball for Ole Miss), and that was on the defensive side of the ball. He's only played o-line for a few years so he's a very late bloomer, and a guy I think that could still be viewed as being on the upswing. Justin Blalock was graded at +3.8 (991 snaps played). He was a +7.5 the year previous. Not too shabby at all. He is a LG though, and we did just sign Incognito so I'm not sure if the Bills would be looking to sign 2 FA LG's with starter potential. Jahri Evans, who is a RG, was a -6.5 on his 1158 snaps in '14. He graded out very poorly as a pass blocker and good as a run blocker. In '13 he graded a +11.1 on 999 snaps, and unlike his '14 season, had better marks as a pass blocker than a run blocker. So teams would have to assess if last year was an outlier, as far as poorer play, or if he's beginning to decline. Thanks for bringing up Parnell, though, he is really intriguing and could maybe be had for a reasonable deal. By the way was Jahri Evans ever cut?

Glenn's rookie year was his worst according to profootballfocus.com. But you are right about him falling off quite a bit this past season compared to the 2013 season In '13 he had a +19.6 grade, much better than his +6.5 in '14. I think he'll bounce back in a big way under Rex, Roman and Kromer. BTW, for those curious here are the grades on Incognito: 2012: +9.4 with 1048 snaps played (+6.3 pass blocking & +1.7 run blocking). Played LG 2013: +7.2 with 472 snaps played (+3.6 pass blocking & +2.3 run blocking). Played LG 2014: DNP So, pretty good.

Yea, I didn't realize how bad Seantrel Henderson really was until I put this post together. He was almost the worst tackle in all of football. Signing a RT is a much bigger need than what has been discussed, as you mention. Rex also brought up the fact that they'll be looking to add T's. Doug Free, would be a nice get for this team if we can't land Bulaga or Newton.

Yea I referred to Iupati scaring me a bit in the original post. He's a dominant run blocker, 2nd best of any G in the NFL last season, but his pass blocking was bad. Not just below average, but bad. The Bills already have a bunch of poor pass blockers on their roster. Adding another one, and paying him a lot of money to do so would be a definite concern. I'd actually prefer Boling, and he will probably sign for less.

By this time of year most of us have familiarized ourselves with the "big name" FA's that are about to hit the market. They'll be some last minute signings and some franchise tags applied, but there is a large crop of quality players about to hit the open market. With the help of profootballfocus.com's grading system I decided to highlight, not only the marquee FA's, but also some of the players who don't have the biggest names, but who graded out well this past season. I'm only listing players that are UFA's. Offensive Guard: (Player, Team, Age, Position, Snaps Played, Overall Grade) 1. Orlando Franklin, Broncos, 27, LG, 1123, +12.0 2. Mike Iupati, 49ers, 27, LG, 970, +11.2 3. Clint Boling, Bengals, 25, LG, 950, +5.0 4. Mike Pollack, Bengals, 30, RG/LG, 450, +5.0 5. Rob Sims, Lions, 31, LG, 1111, -1.0 6. James Carpenter, Seahawks, 25, LG, 846, -6.6 To put their numbers into perspective Eric Pears graded out with a -25.0 (1086 snaps played), Kraig Urbik -9.1 (636 snaps) and Cyril Richardson -13.7 (321 snaps). Not a whole lot of explanation needed here. Our guard play was atrocious and these numbers show it. Pears was almost dead last, Richardson would've been right there w/ Pears if he played more, and Urbik was also pretty bad. Urbik wasn't as terrible as the other two, but certainly well below average. Even with the signing of Incognito, the Bills need another big upgrade at G. Franklin and Iupati will both command big $$$ on the open market. Franklin is a well balanced G who is above average in both run and pass blocking. Iupati, is a dominant run blocker (2nd best in the league last year), but actually graded out rather poorly pass blocking, which should be a concern, IMO. Clint Boling, is a little under the radar, and graded out average pass blocking and above average run blocking. Carpenter is a bit like Urbik, an average pass blocker and a below average run blocker. Both Rob Sims and Mike Pollack, won't command nearly as much as the others due to age, but would still represent huge upgrades to what we currently have on the roster. Keep in mind, average G play is a huge upgrade compared to what the Bills trotted out onto the field for the 2014 season. Offensive Tackle: (Player, Team, Age, Position, Snaps Played, Overall Grade) 1. Bryan Bulaga, Packers, 25, RT, 947, +11.9 2. Derek Newton, Texans, 27, RT, 1130, +8.9 3. Doug Free, Cowboys, 31, RT, 716, +8.5 4. Ryan Harris, Chiefs, 29, RT, 980, -1.6 Cordy Glenn graded out with a +6.5 (1069 snaps). Solid enough. Seantrel Henderson graded out with a -29.9 (1086 snaps), downright putrid. He graded out very bad pass blocking and graded out as one of the worst run blocking T's in the league. Given how much Rex and Roman want to emphasize the run this year, you'd have to think they'll look to replace Henderson in the starting lineup. Any of the above players would be huge, huge, huge upgrades over Henderson. Bulaga and Newton are the guys that will command the most $$$. They have the right combination of being both young and good. Bulaga is one of the better pass blocking RT's in the NFL, and is a competent/average run blocker. Newton, on the other hand, graded out as the best run blocking RT in the league, but is a below average pass blocker, though not nearly as bad as Henderson. Doug Free is more evenly balanced as a slightly above average pass blocker and a good run blocker. Finally, Ryan Harris graded out middle of the pack as both a run and pass blocker. Centers: (Player, Team, Age, Position, Snaps Played, Overall Grade) 1. Rodney Hudson, Chiefs, 25, 1031, +13.0 2. Stefen Wisiniewski, Raiders, 25, 1041, -2.5 Eric Wood graded out with a -5.5 (1083 snaps). Not terrible, but not good either. He was slightly below average as both a run and pass blocker, and hasn't had a positive run blocking score since his rookie year. I'm hopeful Eric's play can bump up under Rex and Roman because he hasn't been playing up to his contract. I know he is a fan favorite, but this will be a big year for Wood. If he can't become a plus run blocker in '15 his tenure with the Bills will be on shaky grounds, IMO. Hudson is a nice young C, who graded out well as a run and pass blocker, and represents a big upgrade over anything we currently have on our roster. Wisniewski is a decent run blocker, but was a below average pass blocker. In summary, I tend to like the offensive lineman who are at least competent as both run and pass blockers. It scares me to see a guy who struggles in one category even if he dominates in the other. Teams prey on their opponents weaknesses, so if you have one it will get exposed. That makes me a little weary of Mike Iupati and Derek Newton who are both big pluses in the run game, but are weak as pass blockers, particularly Iupati. One last note, boy was our offensive line just atrocious under Marrone. It seems like every single lineman regressed, let's hope that changes.

I agree. I love Marcell Dareus. I'm also aware that we lost that game in Oakland because our qb play stinks. drew brees over a below average qb gains this team 4 wins. Losing dareus might lose hs 1 game. 1 great qb means so so much more than 1 great DT. And I know most any Bills fan fully understands that.

Talking bout Drew Brees trade seems silly at first glance....but given a lot of thought it does seem like a scenario that is at least plausible. Consider some of the facts: The Saints are come off of an atrocious season w/ a fully healthy Brees. They have serious cap problems. Brees is 36. If the Bills came knocking with say this year's 2nd round pick, next year's 1st and 4th round picks and Marcell Dareus I think it's a consideration the Saints would have to consider. it'd be a kings ransom.....but the Bills would come away with a franchise qb for a team that's reasy to win now. The Saints lose a helluva qb but they get one of the best DT's in the game plus a bevy of draft picks for the future. When Brees decides to hang em up in 2-3 years the Saints can say see now we have all these young promising players here in NO that we wouldn't have if we hung onto an aging Qb.

Bills save $2.475M in cash if they cut Chris Williams. They only save 725k on the cap due to his prorated signing bonus. I'd say there's still a chance he gets the axe as $2.475M saved in cash is far above the vet. min. and I think his services can probably be replaced by a vet. minimum contract. He graded very poorly with the Rams, and was gradidn out extremely poor with the Bills before he got hurt. He has a 2015 roster bonus of 500k, so if the Bills are going to make a move they will certainly do so before that 500k payment is due. Does anyone happen to know when roster bonuses are due? I believe most agents negotiate those bonuses to be paid prior to FA opening, that way if the team chops him the player is at least a FA before the FA spending is all dried up.

I don't like Lee smith all that much but he actually grades out a lot higher than Fasano. Fasano is an aging declining player. He graded out as one of the poorest TE's this past season, 61st out of 67 TE's graded. He was particularly putrid run blocking. Lee smith graded out much better ...... long story short: No thanks to Fasano

Old and declining. Graded out very poorly according to profootballfocus.com this past season. Pass

FA's - I like Charles Clay (almost a hyrbrid TE/FB), Virgil Green (mean blocker, young, Broncos fans love him) and Lance Kendricks (Bills brass liked him during his draft year, pass catching threat, 10 TD's the past 2 seasons) DRAFT (Under the Radar) - Rory "Busta" Anderson, South Carolina, 6'5", 244 lbs with pretty good athleticism. Maybe a guy who could be had with one of our 5th round picks. He was a t the combine, but didnt participate in on field stuff due to injury. I'll be interested to see his 40, shuttle and 3 cone numbers....just to see how athletic he is. He didn't put up good numbers at South Carolina, but he has a lot of positive traits physically. http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/rory%20'busta'-anderson?id=2552638&id=2552638

This doesn't help CJ Spiller at all........the more backs on the market, especially those that have a similar skill set to CJ......the less the demand. Simple supply and demand mathematics. At this point I'd be surprised if CJ gets more than $4.5M per. My guess is he's looking for $6M per, and the Bills are prob. offering $3.5M per.

Just out of curiosity, do you mean Bud Light paid more than the revenue of the 500 seats? I ask, only because I'm business minded and numbers interest me. I'm trying to get my mind around how Bud Light's fees could trump 500 sold tickets. Even if the tickets were cheap, let's say $50 a pop that's $25,0000 per game. That means Bud Light pays in excess of $25,000 per game? I ask sincerely out of curiosity.

Marcell Dareus is a much more pivotal player, so whatever they do I hope it's not so much that Dareus leaves next year. I really don't think Hughes is worth more than $6-7M per year, but I realize he'd prob. get closer to $10-$12M on the open market so if they're "getting close" I'm guessing the Bills offers are getting closer to that $10M per year mark. Let's just hope they have a plan for Dareus next year if they do overpay Jerry this year, definitely don't want to see that guy go.

The 2 bigger name Tight End FA's this year are Julius Thomas and Jordan Cameron. Julius Thomas is an attractive option, but he will command big $$$ and I wonder how much of his success is based purely on playing with Manning. Cameron's had quite a few concussions and he also graded out very poorly according to pff's grade this past season. 2 guys that will be a lot cheaper and might be good fits with the Bills are Virgil Green from Denver and Lance Kendricks from the Rams. Virgil Green is more of your blocking type and would replace and upgrade Lee Smith. Broncos fans love him and don't want to see him go. Lance Kendricks was a guy I remember the Bills brass were high on entering the 2011 draft. He's more of your pass catching TE. He wasn't highly productive in STL, but he was a backup to Jared Cook the past 2 seasons. Might be a nice pickup on the cheap. Here is how profootballfocus.com has the FA Tight End class graded out: https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2014/12/25/2015-free-agents-tight-ends/

I'd be surprised if Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana is still around when the Bills pick in the 2nd round. He's not a big name right now.....but come draft day I think it'll be clear even to the media that this guy is a beast of a RB and will be gone late 1/ early 2nd round.

http://www.buffalobills.com/video/videos/Bills_Focus_Inside_Buffalos_Draft_Room/b37321a3-5a95-4c80-b662-46ed9aa57696 With the recent news that Marrone stormed out of the draft room after the Watkins pickes I wanted to revisit this video. From the video, there's really no telling if he did or didn't, but I thought there were a few nuggets. - Marrone is barely shown in the video, with the exception of the Bills working to trade up to get Carlos Hyde in the 2nd round. - When it was all hugs and handshakes in the war room....Marrone was no where to be seen. Whaley, Russ, Overdorf, Monos and others are fist bumping and hugging after picks 1 and 2, and Marrone is never on the camera which is a bit odd. - Please let's not have Russ in the war room next year. First off, the dude appears to be wearing his Florida Marlins championship ring........really? Second, the guy is working phone lines and is clearly gung-ho about getting Sammy. When Cleveland says they have another call and Whaley puts the phone down....Russ looks like he's ready to cry, thinking they missed out on Sammy. His face reads like a kid who's parents just told him he can't go to a sleepover. I want that guy no where near negotiations for the Bills in the future. Any competent negotiator will and has steam rolled him (see Jimmy Sexton and the Cleveland Browns.) - I really get the impression Russ was a huge part of the aggressiveness and foolishness to move up for Sammy. Whaley admitted that Russ was the "point man" if they were going to trade up with Jacksonville, as far as discussing proper compensation to move up to that pick. Once again I don't want Russ Brandon anywhere close to being in a position to discuss compensation for moving up in a draft. The dude is totall incompetent when it comes to anything involving football. Get him out of the building please!

Make no mistake about it, obviously, my lasting memory of Marrone will be the punt on 4th and 1 in the Raiders game, obviously on the 46 yard line, obviously down by 2. Make no mistake about it, the Raiders made a great play down the field on 3rd and a mile.....went onto score a TD and the Bills season was effectively over. Obviously, the Raiders threw a deep pass past the sticks on 3rd and a mile, meanwhile the Bills, obviously threw a 2 yard slant pattern to Robert Woods on 3rd and 10 a possession before that. Make no mistake about it, obviously that is why Marrone was never going to be a good coach, his offensive philosophy was, obviously painful to watch and completely ineffective. (Spoken like Saint Doug)