Resign Jerry Hughes

[Overseas Bills Fan]

Dude found his calling. . .he will get another 10+ sack season this year. Him, KW, Dareus and Mario with Kiko, Brown, Bradham and Lawson as LBs. I know that's eight, but I am switching in and out at LB. That's a front seven to go to war with EVERY week.

 

Searcy, Aaron Williams, McLovin and Corey Graham, with Robey and Gilmore in the mix is a secondary that is just sick.

 

Bills fans, they have their defense! Now we need the offense to come into play, and it seems to with an above average QB. With the receiving weapons the team has, as well as the RBs, this team could have finally turned the corner. Just need one or two more pieces, namely a future QB and a Guard.

[Virgil]

There is no way we are going to be able to keep all of these guys together. Hughes is going to command big money as is Dareus. We can't afford to pay our 4 D-Lineman that much and field the rest of the team. The only thing we have going for us is that we don't need to pay our linebackers crap as they are all in their rookie deals.

[FireChan]

Why would we ever want Jerry Hughes to quit? Why would he want to?

[PromoTheRobot]

Any chance people take a little less to keep the band together?

[Kelly the Dog]

There is no way we are going to be able to keep all of these guys together. Hughes is going to command big money as is Dareus. We can't afford to pay our 4 D-Lineman that much and field the rest of the team. The only thing we have going for us is that we don't need to pay our linebackers crap as they are all in their rookie deals.

You answered your own problem. If you look at it as paying the front seven as a whole instead of just the front four, we surely can pay both.

[NewEra]

Agreed. Also need to extend Dareus. How much is he worth? How much does he think he's worth? I bet he get 9 mill a year+

[FireChan]

Any chance people take a little less to keep the band together?

 

Get real. This ain't the NBA.

[NextYearGuys]

We will likely lose either Dareus or Hughes. Too much money. I hate to say it but it looks like that's what's happening. I'd probably rather keep Dareus because he's younger and a stud DT like him is hard to come by.

[Kirby Jackson]

Agreed. Also need to extend Dareus. How much is he worth? How much does he think he's worth? I bet he get 9 mill a year+

Gerald McCoy is getting $14M a year which is the neighborhood that Dareus will be in. He is going to be around $100M with about half guaranteed.

[clearwater cadet]

In 2014 there was 20 mil in dead money between fitz stevie and mark anderson. I think we can sign then both.

[billsfan714]

In 2014 there was 20 mil in dead money between fitz stevie and mark anderson. I think we can sign then both.

 

How much will we have in dead money salary tied up in Stevie's bonus and Mike Williams in 2015. I ask because Im not sure but I think its significant.

[billsfan89]

Gerald McCoy is getting $14M a year which is the neighborhood that Dareus will be in. He is going to be around $100M with about half guaranteed.

 

I think Dareus is just a notch below. Probably get on the low end 9 million a year and on the high end 12 million a year. Also get a good chunk guaranteed. Hughes will likely get 6-8 million a year too. The front office should use the dead money that Fitz and Mark Anderson are taking up this year to take care of those guys. Maybe Mario restructures his deal (Probably won't take less money but maybe he just makes his deal more cap friendly) to give the Bills some more cap room

[metzelaars_lives]

Why would we ever want Jerry Hughes to quit? Why would he want to?

I was wondering the same thing. I thought he was playing pretty well myself. I can't imagine he would call it quits midseason despite the OP's request.

[billsfan89]

How much will we have in dead money salary tied up in Stevie's bonus and Mike Williams in 2015. I ask because Im not sure but I think its significant.

 

Mike Williams has zero guaranteed money due to him next year. So in the likely even Williams gets cut (Only way he stays on the team is if he takes a restructured deal which I don't think he will do and I don't think the team wants him anyway) the team will clear his full salary with no cap penalty. Not sure about Stevie but I thought that his bonus was tied up in this year.

[Kirby Jackson]

 

 

I think Dareus is just a notch below. Probably get on the low end 9 million a year and on the high end 12 million a year. Also get a good chunk guaranteed. Hughes will likely get 6-8 million a year too. The front office should use the dead money that Fitz and Mark Anderson are taking up this year to take care of those guys. Maybe Mario restructures his deal (Probably won't take less money but maybe he just makes his deal more cap friendly) to give the Bills some more cap room

Dareus has already indicated that he wants $100M and with that McCoy contract he will be right in that neighborhood. They were both 3rd overall picks, both went to the Pro Bowl in year 3 (McCoy may have already gone in his 2nd) and both are ascending. Their contracts will be very, very close.

 

Hughes is probably $10M in my mind. Tamba Hali is 5 years and $55M. I think that Hughes will be a tick below that but not far.

[NoSaint]

 

 

Mike Williams has zero guaranteed money due to him next year. So in the likely even Williams gets cut (Only way he stays on the team is if he takes a restructured deal which I don't think he will do and I don't think the team wants him anyway) the team will clear his full salary with no cap penalty. Not sure about Stevie but I thought that his bonus was tied up in this year.

 

Stevie had a relatively old contract (ie time to amortize the bonus) and not a huge signing bonus to begin with. It'll be noticeable but not crippling by any means.

 

Dareus has already indicated that he wants $100M and with that McCoy contract he will be right in that neighborhood. They were both 3rd overall picks, both went to the Pro Bowl in year 3 (McCoy may have already gone in his 2nd) and both are ascending. Their contracts will be very, very close.

 

Hughes is probably $10M in my mind. Tamba Hali is 5 years and $55M. I think that Hughes will be a tick below that but not far.

 

I originally thought it'd be closer to 10 for MD but it's very clearly going to be near identical to McCoy. I think Hughes is probably about where you put him too. You can get some good role playing pass rushers in that ball park if it doesn't work out though.

[boyst]

I place more value on Spikes because his value/cost ratio is much friendlier. Signing Hughes now too big will impact many other players on this tea.

 

I would extend corbin Bryant now and spikes around mid December and keep open dialogue in the meantime to Hughes. Locking up Bryant now clears that up and keeps a backup plan entact.

 

Wynn and searcy are also set to be free agents.

[DrDawkinstein]

I think Dareus is just a notch below. Probably get on the low end 9 million a year and on the high end 12 million a year. Also get a good chunk guaranteed. Hughes will likely get 6-8 million a year too. The front office should use the dead money that Fitz and Mark Anderson are taking up this year to take care of those guys. Maybe Mario restructures his deal (Probably won't take less money but maybe he just makes his deal more cap friendly) to give the Bills some more cap room

 

 

I think it's going to be more along the lines of Hughes getting over $10mil/year on the open market and Dareus is probably now thinking more like $15mil/year after seeing what McCoy is got.

 

I place more value on Spikes because his value/cost ratio is much friendlier. Signing Hughes now too big will impact many other players on this tea.

 

I would extend corbin Bryant now and spikes around mid December and keep open dialogue in the meantime to Hughes. Locking up Bryant now clears that up and keeps a backup plan entact.

 

Wynn and searcy are also set to be free agents.

 

Even with the emergence of Preston Brown at OLB, who happens to really be more of a MLB. and needs to find a spot with Kiko coming back?

 

Personally, I think asking Mario to restructure and extend is priority number 1. Depending how that goes, Dareus is the most important, IMO. I'd be willing to lose Hughes and Spikes if it meant being able to sign Bryant, Wynn, and Searcy to more affordable contracts since we still need some cash for Glenn on the other side of the ball.

Edited October 28, 2014 by DrDareustein

[Ohiostyle]

Dareus has to be resigned, I'd love to have Hughes as well but I think he's more easily replaced. I fear giving Marcel f-you money though. In the end I think you have to pull the trigger.

[TheFunPolice]

I'm worried about giving Dareus 100 mil but I think you have to keep him

 

One plus of not having a big time QB is that there should be $

Edited October 28, 2014 by TheFunPolice

[Nick the Greek]

I'm a Hughes fan.

 

That said, where was he against the Jets?

 

I know this because I played him on my fantasy team as an IDP and he scored zero points!

 

Not happy about this.

[DrDawkinstein]

I'm a Hughes fan.

 

That said, where was he against the Jets?

 

I know this because I played him on my fantasy team as an IDP and he scored zero points!

 

Not happy about this.

 

It's tough being a pure speed rusher against guys like Vick, and even Geno Smith. The one thing they do well is step up out of the way and take off. Hughes was his usual beast, all over the field. He played his role of disrupting the pocket and causing broken plays, it just doesn't show up in the stat column.

[billsfan89]

Stevie had a relatively old contract (ie time to amortize the bonus) and not a huge signing bonus to begin with. It'll be noticeable but not crippling by any means.

 

 

 

I originally thought it'd be closer to 10 for MD but it's very clearly going to be near identical to McCoy. I think Hughes is probably about where you put him too. You can get some good role playing pass rushers in that ball park if it doesn't work out though.

 

Even if you have to shell out 25 million for Dareus and Hughes its worth it. Mario and Kyle are older players their big contracts will either be restructured or off the books in the next year or two. Keep the young guys there and use the dead money to cover you on the cap to cover the costs and in order to upgrade other positions of need (Guard, Tightend, WR, and corner) find the money with cuts to other guys on the roster and draft choices (Mike Williams would be a good place to start).

[ganesh]

There is no way we are going to be able to keep all of these guys together. Hughes is going to command big money as is Dareus. We can't afford to pay our 4 D-Lineman that much and field the rest of the team. The only thing we have going for us is that we don't need to pay our linebackers crap as they are all in their rookie deals.

Agreed. Hughes, Dareus, Spikes and Searcy will be FA. I don't how many of those we can re-sign. I think the priority would be Dareus and Hughes. BUt I think Spikes is the bonding player, brings toughness to the locker room, like a Talley.

[RuntheDamnBall]

Dareus has to be resigned, I'd love to have Hughes as well but I think he's more easily replaced. I fear giving Marcel f-you money though. In the end I think you have to pull the trigger.

Now we want Dareus to quit, too?

 

Half our defensive line should resign! But Hackett stays!

[billsfan89]

Agreed. Hughes, Dareus, Spikes and Searcy will be FA. I don't how many of those we can re-sign. I think the priority would be Dareus and Hughes. BUt I think Spikes is the bonding player, brings toughness to the locker room, like a Talley.

 

I think you could survive Searcy and Spikes. Dareus will be franchised. So Hughes is the big time guy you would need to work on an extension.

[smapdi]

There is no question Hughes and Dareus are the top priorities for resigning. We have Dareus' 5th year option picked up but I only see his new deal sky rocketing in price the longer they wait.

 

Hughes has proven he is a dynamic talent that can consistently pressure the QB. He is also entering the prime of his career at only 26. I would be on the phone with his agent right now offering a Hali type deal- 5 years / 50 mil range. He is well worth that considering Mario isn't getting any younger.

 

Dareus is even more important in my eyes. DTs with his skill set are nearly non existent. He opens everything up for everyone else on the line consistently taking on double teams. 7 sacks is a great year for a 340lb DT. He's on pace for 14. I would offer him McCoy's deal right now and hope he takes it. You just cannot let him get away

[Orton's Arm]

I'm worried about giving Dareus 100 mil but I think you have to keep him

 

One plus of not having a big time QB is that there should be $

 

> One plus of not having a big time QB is that there should be $

 

Orton is having a very good year. This season he's averaging 8.0 yards per pass attempt. That's higher than the career average of either Manning or Brady. Granted, that one stat doesn't tell the whole story. But I'm sure it will be mentioned in contract negotiations.

 

What contract negotiations, you ask? Orton is on a two year deal. But that second year is voidable, I believe by him. The better he plays, the more likely he is to conclude that it's in his interest to void that second year.

 

The Bills simply can't afford to lose Orton, because they have no Plan B if he leaves.

[Dibs]

How much will we have in dead money salary tied up in Stevie's bonus and Mike Williams in 2015. I ask because Im not sure but I think its significant.

 

None at all for either player. Williams will cost us $6.8M if we keep him, but zero dead money if we cut him(which I am sure we are going to do).

 

 

I am uncertain about Hughes. Where Dareus is obviously a stand alone star, I feel that Hughes could well be benefiting from having 3 star DLmen to play with. Ignoring the whole cap implications, Hughes may well be way overpriced for his talent level IMO.

 

With Kyle Williams becoming a FA in 2017(aged 34), I would think that Dareus is the #1 signing priority for the Bills. For those interested, Dareus will be earning $8M+ next year.

 

One also needs to consider the amount of money already invested in the DL. The 2015 Bills roster sees the top 2 players being DL (Mario & Dareus) as well as the 6th highest salary (K.Williams). With Dareus likely to get a pay increase re-signing, I cannot fathom how the Bills could justify adding another big contract to the DL.

 

There is only so much money to go around. We certainly could re-sign Hughes, but with Glenn and Dareus needed to be signed for big dollars.....and with the hopeful re-signing of Spikes....plus maybe re-signing Gilmore......by the time we want to re-sign Kiko, Watkins, Brown etc there will be little money left......and if KW and/or Mario are still playing at elite level, we will also want to re-sign them in the future.

 

I tend to think that Hughes has earned himself a big payday, but with a different team. I also tend to think that the team who signs Hughes will not get good value for money.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Dibs

[SoulMan]

Both would get sick money on the open market. OBD needs to do what they need to do to keep that from happening. They pay a lot less taxes in Texas than they do.in the people's republic of NY.

[Billsrhody]

I'm not sure about Gerald McCoy's history with the law, but Dareus's legal past has to give the bills some leverage in negotiations. I cant see this front office giving a $100 m contract to a guy who has had so many issues off the field.

[vincec]

Sign the man. And Dareus too.

 

They're not paying a qb, not going to re-sign Spiller, not paying much for the LBs. Where is the money going?

[Hazed and Amuzed]

No offense to the OP but these threads get under my skin. Basically my first thought is- why would Hughes WANT to resign? Money? Keep the band together? To win a championship?

 

Truth is that the Bills need to become contenders fast, because these players want to play somewhere they can win. While money is an important factor, it's not the only factor usually. A player of Hughes' caliber can get paid similar money to what the Bills will pay but on a playoff caliber team. If the Bills crap the bed the rest of the season I'm guessing that Hughes may look for greener patures. Wouldn't you?

 

It takes two to tango and the onus isn't only on the Bills, people forget that. It's not a matter of just signing Hughes or Dareus, they have to WANT to play here. If the Bills finish 9-7 or better it will be much easier to sign these guys at a resonable price. A lot of fans seem to forget that. I have a feeling that if Buffalo were a winning team over the last few seasons they'd still have either Levitre or Byrd or both. Nobody wants to play for a perennial loser unless that loser breaks the bank. Just like we did for Mario.

[Dibs]

Sign the man. And Dareus too.

 

They're not paying a qb, not going to re-sign Spiller, not paying much for the LBs. Where is the money going?

 

We are paying Mario top QB money. $18.8M this year, $19M next, and $19.9M in 2016.

 

If you want to know where the money is going next season:

http://www.spotrac.c...falo-bills/cap/

(You will need to change the year to 2015 in the link)

 

We will have a bucket load of cap room($15.6M plus annual increase....plus $6.8M when we cut Mike Williams). Hitting FA we have starters Hughes, Spikes, Searcy, Pears & Gay....and role players Hogan, Easley, Smith & Summers.

 

Glenn will likely be seeing a $10M/year increase and Dareus a $5-6M/year increase. A quick look at the math shows that we will be hard pressed to re-sign Dareus, Glenn, Spikes and Hughes.....and then our future seasons will be tight so likely won't be able to re-sign all of our future stars.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Dibs

[Dorkington]

3.6m cap rollover + cap increase + dead money release should mean we'll have some wiggle room.

 

If we can unload Mike Williams, and restructure Mario's contract, we should be pretty golden for a couple years.

[Dibs]

3.6m cap rollover + cap increase + dead money release should mean we'll have some wiggle room.

 

If we can unload Mike Williams, and restructure Mario's contract, we should be pretty golden for a couple years.

 

I gave the link just above your post. We are committed to $121M in 2015....which leaves $15.6M plus cap increase plus $6.8M for cutting Mike Williams. This gives $22.4M plus the cap increase. We can definitely re-sign Hughes and extend Dareus......but we also have Spikes....and need to fill a few gaps from lost starters. We also have Glenn who I'm sure will be restructured during next season.....plus Gilmore.

 

Loading that much money into the DL would mean that in 2016/17 when we want to start re-signing young stars, the cap gap would become very small indeed. Orton will be making $7M next season if he chooses to stay. If EJ hasn't shown anything by then, I can see a 2-3 extension for Orton as well.....meaning even less money under future caps.

 

It all comes down to whether Hughes is worth the massive amount that he will surely be asking for. Is he a star player......or is he the product of a good player playing along side 3 star players?

[altleg]

Didn't we already pick up a 5th year team option in Dareus's contract?

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

Surrender Dorothy!

[Cold Front]

They should give Hughes an extension, franchise Darius (too much of an off season risk to hand a large extension to now), and let C.J. walk.

[GunnerBill]

I'll reiterate what I have said before - Dareus and Glenn are priorities. Then Jerry Hughes. I didn't realise Searcy was an impending FA as well - I'd want to re-sign him for reasonable money. I want to keep Hughes, this D-Line is the strength of this team and I don't think you dismantle your own strengths. However, Dareus and Glann are cornerstones of this franchise in cornerstone positions.

 

Then Spikes and Spiller are both in the nice to hav bracket for me. If I can afford to keep them, great, if I can't then I take a running back somewhere in the mid rounds next year. Linebacker I continue to trust our young guys - Bradham, Kiko and Brown and supplement with sensible mid-range free agents where possible.