biggerdaddynj

Don't think going back to Byrd is a good move based on his recent past (injuries and performance). Anyone know anything about Bradley McDougald a 26 year old FA safety who played for TB? On their initial FA top 50 rankings, PFF had him down as the 31st ranked FA on their top 50--a few spots below Cyprien (Jax) and Swearinger (Az). On their recent top 25 remaining FAs list, he's number 8. https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-25-best-free-agents-still-available/. Seems like he's been inconsistent but has produced and has upside that might be tapped by someone like McDermott (who took a 5th rounder named Josh Norman and did a decent job coaching him up--might work again). Last year McDougald played on a one year contract for about $2.5 million. Not sure what he's looking for and would rather have used money on a RT but seems like that ship has sailed (and we can shore up the secondary in the draft a lot easier than the o-line but that's a different thread!). EDIT--just found a whole piece on him on "Billswire"--whoops (but they do a much better job than I did!! 😉) http://billswire.usatoday.com/2017/02/10/could-s-bradley-mcdougald-be-a-2017-nfl-free-agent-target-for-the-bills/

That's Seantrel's strain of choice (but at least he's a medicinal user!).BTW--like Hyde signing versatile and competent.

I'm nervous about RT too and think that Reiff, if he can be signed at the Sportrac valuation, would be a nice, solid pick-up. FWIW--PFF has Reiff graded as the 7th best FA tackle slightly edging out Remmers (who we know has the Carolina tie) and is a baby-step above Jake Long (coming off an Achilles injury who was lost for the season in November) and Will Beatty (another injury risk--played 7 snaps last year after coming back from a missed 2015 season and though the Giants need o-line help too--no one mentions Beatty who was once their LT of the future). Only FA tackles left in our price range coming off decent years with significant snaps last year are Reiff and Remmers. Please get one of them signed ASAP (Ducasse seems to be a Juan Castillo reclamation project/depth guy--Jets fans were so upset he didn't pan out ).

Brandon Marshall was due $7.5 million in base salary in 2017 DeSean Jax has a market value of $7.5 million per Sportrac Robert Woods has a market value of $8 million per Sportrac We don't have money for any of the above barring a tear down (which is not likely based on KYle Williams' returning) and even then, we'd be wiser to spread around the $$ to pick up more players--not shooting our wad on one big splash and four dumpster diving pick ups. We need Whaley to do one of the things I think we'd all agree he has a pretty good knack for ... finding FAs who produce on one year prove it deals and he's hit on some pretty damn good ones (even the haters have to concede that fact).

Everyone is always saying BPA, BPA, BPA. That's how the winning franchises draft. Now, this year, I haven't heard a peep about drafting the BPA. Just extend TT or draft Watson or Trubisky or trade down and take Mahomes. With that said, I will ask the more learned and wise ones out there--who will be the BPA at 10? WR (Williams), Safety (Adams--please! or Hooker), or Corner (Humphrey, Lattimore) or is it QB with Mahomes (or Watson or Trubisky), All positions of need and it seems like the consensus is that the BPA is not a QB but will rather be one of the others and that that player will likely be at least a damn good plug and play starter for a number of years, a starter with one pro bowl year or a multiple pro bowler (all assumimg the medical staff has been replaced!). Why draft purely based on need when one of our needs will be the BPA. The stars are aligned (because we have so many needs!) so why screw it up? There is no franchise QB and we have the option to sign, i.e., extend the contract of, the best FA QB (who is likewise not a franchise QB but who can be here two more years at an avg salary for a starting QB--crazy but true, look at Sportrac--and who can compete for a wild card with some healthy WRs, a RT via FA who isn't a turnstile and a bettter defense--via draft picks this year and last years' being healthy for the entire offseason). Draft a QB late, continue to develop CJ and maybe we hit the QB lottery next year (I'm now with the draft a QB each year until, we hit--but let's not reach--never seems to work for any team). Thanks for letting me share!

Mike Mayock on drafting QB in top 10 this year: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000784491/article/mayock-id-be-scared-to-death-to-draft-qb-in-top-10-this-year And, he's one of the few "experts" most people seem to respect--FWIW...

Should just paste the link--you clearly debunked the false mythology behind drafting a QB early--might help others to see the light ... whether they like it or not (it's like a gambler who brags about hitting on a big bet--doesn't tell you about the other nine big losses). Thanks again for that post--was good stuff--need Jack Nicholson with his "you can't handle the truth" rant.

Agree 100% (as if I matter!) and I think the BPA will be a WR or CB or S--all positions of need. And great work from the OP! Much appreciated. A+

BPA over need? Seems like there are lots of higher ranked players who would be the BPA instead of Watson and it so happens we have needs at some of those positions--secondary, WR... Definitely want to draft a QB but in another thread (I think) ma poster did an outstanding job of objectively debunking the draft a franchise QB early. And, what's happened when we, like other teams, drafted QBs early based on need (look no further than EJ). Lots of people get very passionate about drafting BPA--can some of you chime in about your views on this year's draft and Watson as BPA at 10? Thanks.

Amen!!

Of course, he was a knucklehead because he knew the rules. Should have tried to work with the NFLPA and taken alternative medication or treatments until the issue was resolved. If it was really bad and marijuana was all that he could use to relieve the pain then I guess he could have retired. That said, are the results of the currently available and highly effective alternative approach Seantrel and other NFL players with pain management issues can use: http://www.espn.com/espn/eticket/story?page=110128/PainkillersCurrentUse Better, huh? Used to be up there with concussions as another of the NFL's second dirtiest secrets (sadly, I'm sure it's still going on due to the nature of the game and the unavoidable need for relief from the pain). For chronic pain patients, and current and retired NFL players have a substantially higher rate than the general public by far, the federal government (and NFL) provides them with no viable options to relieve their pain than to take the highly addictive and destructive synthetic heroin called opiate pain medication (and Crohn's is up there with conditions that cause chronic pain--I had a relative with Crohn's who had to have a morphine pain pump implanted in her). Until we had to live life with chronic pain, we could never empathize with people who do (and by that I mean pain 24/7 for months and years). No one knows the extent of his pain but if his pain was medically documented at a high level for a long time and he tried other treatments that failed or were more dangerous, then I'm sympathetic to his plight. From what I've read, I don't think he was using his Crohn's as an excuse to smoke some weed.

Maplewood, NJ. Became Bills fan because OJ was my childhood idol (when he was running through airports on tv commercials not on tv running from police).

I thought he won some "recognition" as one the best picks for value his rookie year which must have been before the Crohn's Disease took him down. I found one site in which he was voted "steal of the draft" (not a big time site but still): http://www.zoneblitz.com/2015/01/25/2014-zoneblitz-nfl-awards/ And, I could have sworn PFF or some other more recognized site recognized him as the best value pick in the draft based on analytics and his performance as a starting RT although he was only a 7th round pick. If the Crohn's was the issue and he's back in playing shape, give him a shot, Mills sure isn't the answer. Something to give us hope about (I'm looking for something folks!).

Not that I think we shouldn't be giving our young WRs a chance to prove us all wrong but if you're set at taking a vet WR I'd take Boldin's hard nosed physicality--more to offer (Ed Reed--wish you could tell us what you think!).

... who shops for his leather goods ("man purse", et al) at Versace.

He's a natural D cup!

Shame on the Bills organization--kid wasn't AWOL from Bills--the staff of Bills was AWOL from the kid (from top to bottom). At a time when he could have probably used a lift from the FO after up what he's been through. Seems a little like scapegoating this kid which would be as low as you could sink. I hope I'm missing something here about NFL restrictions that didn't allow them to make contact or to let us know they were on the scene and no need to expect the worst, etc.. And, what makes this worse is that this was one of the few and far between feel good stories we've had (next to Incognito's LGBT Sensitivity Award). http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/13/seantrel-henderson-leads-all-players-in-performance-based-pay/. (no time for the PFF link anointing him in the same manner) Regardless, speaks volumes that the medical staff of the Bills missed this one--bring back Quincy!

Thank you very much!!! Much appreciated (we're so much classier than the Jets' fans who live around me!).

Let me be start by saying "in Doug I trust"--his overall track record speaks for itself--with the draft, UDFAs, re-signings, those he chose not to re-sign (e.g., Byrd), trades (e.g., Hughes), I have to give him the benefit of the doubt. That said, he is only human and that's why you should of course consider and keep in mind what you read from Ledyard about the Washington selection. However, the sky isn't falling--please don't fall into the "negative trap" that I did for a few minutes after reading the potentially biased--don't know if there's any history or reason but it was a pretty harsh in most spots--dissection of the kid--and the devolution it might start to trigger in you needs to be toned down for now (after all, we share one thing--in part or in full--many of us are beaten down Bills' fans who have suffered for decades). I felt this post was attempting to draw me away from the positive feelings I'd felt after pouring through the many so-called experts' draft grades. Now down to business, if you read the rest of Ledyards' assessments of the other six of our seven picks, I believe he would have a hard time arguing with Pro Football Focus and the other "experts" who gave us an A-. Regardless, you'll personally feel a whole lot better (at least you won't believe the sky is falling in regard to our draft). Here's the main link to Ledyards' work, starting with a nice link to summaries of Lawson and the rest of the "edge rushers"--you'll have to go through and find the links to the other five picks on your own (though I will try to summarize his opinions for those who don't want to scour his site for the assessmeets of our picks: http://draftwire.usatoday.com/2016/04/25/2016-nfl-draft-big-board-final-edge-defender-rankings/ (1) He grades Lawson and Ragland as the 2nd best in the draft at their positions and are all clearly in his opinion EXTREMELY outstanding 1st round picks (he's really high on both--has very flattering things to say about them in his intro summaries--a few adjectives and a couple of sentences away from man crushes). (2) Jones is his #3 QB--that's right #3 (ahead of Wentz, interesting) and he grades him as a 2nd round talent who Whaley and company got us in the 4th. (3) Williams is his #4 overall RB (might be #2 if the medical cleared which I believe it did) and is another 2nd round talent--who we stole in the 5th--nice work Dougie fresh (4) Listenbee we got where we were supposed to--6th--and if we were looking for a role player who is a legit deep threat, Ledyard would have to say we did our job here (5) Seymour--we only got him a round later than we should have been able to--6th instead of 5th--but Ledyard seems to think if you've got patience, he's got cover skills that are worth waiting for. And, this is a passing league so taken a chance to develop a CB with cover skills seems to be smart So, out of our 7 picks, according to Ledyard, we had only ONE dud (and it was after we jumped out to take a nice lead, using baseball analogies, with back to back HRs). We got 2 of the #2 talents at their positions in rounds 1 & 2--and both were guys he seemed to get a stiffy about in his summaries. 2nd round talent with the #3 QB in Round 4 and additional 2nd round talent and either the 4th or 2nd best RB in the 5th round (sounds like a steal to me--perhaps talent wise and technique wise with the chance to perform better than what Karlos did last year for us--which is an amazing thing to be able to say in good faith with no offense meant to Karlos, I love watching him run with the ball). A CB with cover skills (in a passing league) that make it potentially worth waiting to see if he can develop in those other areas of his game--a round early. And, one role player, burner who is a legitimate deep ball threat, where we were supposed to get him (and who hopefully isn't a fragile track athlete trying his best to play football). Does our alleged breakdown with the Washington pick still bother you? If it does, you need some Prozac or medicinal marijuana (not making fun of antidepressants at all, because they are indeed very valuable tools for millions--included in there I assume some very depressed Bills' fans). Hope this was helpful for at least a few people out there. Sorry for wasting time of anyone else, just trying to help out (I'm recovering from a major surgery--2nd time in 4 years for same procedure--major spinal work--so I got time late at night to hit the books!). "Stay classy".

Just ran across this nice article about our UDFAs--apologize if someone already posted this--it's a few days old: http://cover32.com/2016/05/09/buffalo-bills-go-talent-undrafted-free-agent-signings/

He's very fast at Madden---what more could you want?

Then you missed the Eugene Parker thread. Sorry for pointing out the hypocrisy.

Think Whaley must believe we can replace Hogan easily--Salas (he looked pretty good and that was with no time with the team)--if not, maybe Boykin or Little bounce back to what they once looked like they were gonna be. 24 pages on this and counting--man, it's gonna be a long and boring offseason!

I like Hogan and wish him well. He was a nice complementary player whose loss we can withstand. If not, we're really in a LOT of trouble. The Pats weren't going to overpay in a thin WR FA market. And, as a bonus, Bellicheat gets to screw with us ... again--he gets to double down on the Chandler signing last year (though Hogan's numbers will surely be better--more targets).

Re-sign Richie and give Miller some time to develop. Spend what little we have trying to keep what we got intact (and this year is just the beginning of the "lean years", e.g., Gilmore, what to do if Tyrod stays healthy and continues to improve his game). Can one of you "capologists" out there please help this simpleton feel a little better about our future $$ situation (I trust Whaley with the draft--he's earned as much--but I used to feel like we had a good cap plan too). Thanks!