2017 FA Party

[RyanC883]

Okay, so free agency will be upon us as the season is over. Who should the Bills go after and cut at each position listed below. Feel free to add other positions. "Go After" includes UFA's who I would like to keep. "Cut" also includes players who we are UFA who we should let go.

 

QB:

Go After:

Cousins

 

Cut:

TT

EJ

 

WR:

Go After:

Jeffrey

Pryor

Hunter

Britt

Cut:

Woods

Harvin

Goodwin

Tate

 

Kicker:

Go After:

Hauschka

Randy Bullock

Cut:

Carpenter

Gay (if still on roster)

 

Punter:

Go After:

Anyone. Perhaps Jeff Locke

Cut:

Schmidt

 

OLB:

Go After:

Jamie Collins

Humber

Alexander (if not cost prohibitive).

 

Safety:

Go After:

Swearenger

Blanton

(yeah, I'd love Berry, no way KC lets him go). Perhaps offer him something to up the price for KC.

Cut:

Ihedigbo

Sergio Brown

Colt Anderson.

 

[baskingridgebillsfan]

Being realistic give me Britt and two solid safeties. I need a rght tackle and it's a week draft for tackles but I will take my chances.

[dave mcbride]

Kirk Cousins is a pipe dream. He's not going anywhere. Over the past two seasons, he has been one of the best QBs in the NFL: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CousKi00.htm

[RyanC883]

Kirk Cousins is a pipe dream. He's not going anywhere. Over the past two seasons, he has been one of the best QBs in the NFL: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/CousKi00.htm

 

def a dream. But worth going after. Washington is being bizarre in its treatment of him. There are literally no other FA QB's I'd be interested in.

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/

 

can help people make their lists.

[Virgil]

What's the deal with the Franchise Tag these years? This will be the second year they put it on him. Can other teams sign him and give up two, 1st round picks?

[boyst]

Woods and Gilmore are my p2 & p1

[gsurdam]

Why would you want to cut Robert Woods ?? He is a great receiver and will be a free agent after the season any way.

[dorquemada]

Riddle me this; what FA that is any good and would improve this team from a talent perspective would want to come to Buffalo? I feel like that we had a window of the last couple years where between Pegs' money and a seemingly improving team, that Buffalo maybe somewhere just below the middle of the pack in terms of being able to attract FA talent. Now, with the dumpster fire in full rage, and a bunch of really dead weight on the SC (looking at you tubby dareus) I'm afraid we've probably slipped back towards the bottom. I mean, a player might still come if Pegs throws the bank at him, but a single player isn't going to fix this mess, especially with Dopey Rex and his transfat brother in charge

[RyanC883]

Why would you want to cut Robert Woods ?? He is a great receiver and will be a free agent after the season any way.

 

"Cut" also implied not keeping someone who is a FA. I like Woods, but would prefer Watkins, Jeffrey and Pryor, Britt, Hunter, etc. if possible.

Riddle me this; what FA that is any good and would improve this team from a talent perspective would want to come to Buffalo? I feel like that we had a window of the last couple years where between Pegs' money and a seemingly improving team, that Buffalo maybe somewhere just below the middle of the pack in terms of being able to attract FA talent. Now, with the dumpster fire in full rage, and a bunch of really dead weight on the SC (looking at you tubby dareus) I'm afraid we've probably slipped back towards the bottom. I mean, a player might still come if Pegs throws the bank at him, but a single player isn't going to fix this mess, especially with Dopey Rex and his transfat brother in charge

 

Rex will be gone.

 

Team still has talent to compete.

 

Moving from Chicago (Jeffrey) or Cleveland (Pryor) would be an upgrade. Esp. with Watkins on the other side.

[The Jokeman]

 

"Cut" also implied not keeping someone who is a FA. I like Woods, but would prefer Watkins, Jeffrey and Pryor, Britt, Hunter, etc. if possible.

 

Rex will be gone.

 

Team still has talent to compete.

 

Moving from Chicago (Jeffrey) or Cleveland (Pryor) would be an upgrade. Esp. with Watkins on the other side.

Michael Floyd and Pierre Garcon are also set to be UFAs. If Woods walks (and suspect he will). I'd welcome Jeffrey, Floyd, Garcon, Britt and Hunter (as a 3rd WR) in the pecking order.

[Jamie Nails]

let's be honest, we won't have the money or the cache to lure a big dog here in FA. Draft well and hopefully resign players like Woods for a reasonable salary. If I am him thought, I catch the first flight to a place with a QB.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

I believe they can franchise him up to three years. Will he threaten to hold out and scare them off from tagging him, maybe, but I'll be surprised if they don't work out a long term deal

 

 

What's the deal with the Franchise Tag these years? This will be the second year they put it on him. Can other teams sign him and give up two, 1st round picks?

 

 

Offer them money and they will come

 

Riddle me this; what FA that is any good and would improve this team from a talent perspective would want to come to Buffalo? I feel like that we had a window of the last couple years where between Pegs' money and a seemingly improving team, that Buffalo maybe somewhere just below the middle of the pack in terms of being able to attract FA talent. Now, with the dumpster fire in full rage, and a bunch of really dead weight on the SC (looking at you tubby dareus) I'm afraid we've probably slipped back towards the bottom. I mean, a player might still come if Pegs throws the bank at him, but a single player isn't going to fix this mess, especially with Dopey Rex and his transfat brother in charge

[Perry Turtle]

Riddle me this; what FA that is any good and would improve this team from a talent perspective would want to come to Buffalo? I feel like that we had a window of the last couple years where between Pegs' money and a seemingly improving team, that Buffalo maybe somewhere just below the middle of the pack in terms of being able to attract FA talent. Now, with the dumpster fire in full rage, and a bunch of really dead weight on the SC (looking at you tubby dareus) I'm afraid we've probably slipped back towards the bottom. I mean, a player might still come if Pegs throws the bank at him, but a single player isn't going to fix this mess, especially with Dopey Rex and his transfat brother in charge

The defensive personnel on the Bills fits perfectly into a 4-3 cover 3 scheme. Bring in a coach to implement that scheme and all you really need is a safety who can drop into the box. That could be a free agent or 3rd round draft pick.

[OhDozeBills]

Go after Blanton?!?! Cut Woods, who is one of the guys who cares and gives 110% when on the field? Cousins isn't happening so just forget about that.

[metzelaars_lives]

Why would you want to cut Robert Woods ?? He is a great receiver and will be a free agent after the season any way.

If Robert Woods is a "great receiver," what was Steve Largent?

[Alphadawg7]

Okay, so free agency will be upon us as the season is over. Who should the Bills go after and cut at each position listed below. Feel free to add other positions. "Go After" includes UFA's who I would like to keep. "Cut" also includes players who we are UFA who we should let go.

 

QB:

Go After:

Cousins

 

Cut:

TT

EJ

 

WR:

Go After:

Jeffrey

Pryor

Hunter

Britt

Cut:

Woods

Harvin

Goodwin

Tate

 

Kicker:

Go After:

Hauschka

Randy Bullock

Cut:

Carpenter

Gay (if still on roster)

 

Punter:

Go After:

Anyone. Perhaps Jeff Locke

Cut:

Schmidt

 

OLB:

Go After:

Jamie Collins

Humber

Alexander (if not cost prohibitive).

 

Safety:

Go After:

Swearenger

Blanton

(yeah, I'd love Berry, no way KC lets him go). Perhaps offer him something to up the price for KC.

Cut:

Ihedigbo

Sergio Brown

Colt Anderson.

 

 

Kirk Cousins? See this is the kind of unrealistic dialogue people have around moving on from Taylor. There is zero chance we will be able to get Cousins, Washington is not letting him go period. And if he became available there are teams in better climates, situations, etc that would unload the vault for him and there is still about a zero chance Cold and Windy Buffalo with 17 years of losing and an injury riddled WR group is going to be his top choice.

 

All I wanted for Taylor was a fair chance to play with his weapons and prove himself, he earned that after last year. While I firmly believe he has played at a significant disadvantage this year with the plethora of injuries to his weapons, he has also proven to not see the field well enough to capitalize on opportunities that were there. I also said he really needed to show us something these last 4 games and there was little room for error. Yesterday, while we still scored on the drive, he missed wide open WR down the seam in the end zone in a critical scoring scenario with a fully protected pocket. Yes we still scored a handful of plays later, but it cost us precious time when we needed 2 scores, not just one, at the end of the game that we could have saved having scored when the opportunities were there. This was not the first time either, he has not seen opportunities that were right there too often regardless who was on the field.

 

Now, that being said, the REALITY of our situation is that there will not be a better QB than Taylor on the FA market or available via trade. The only realistic option is honestly Tony Romo, but he has been knocked out for large portions of the season or for the entire season on literally three of his last five plays in the NFL. The odds he can come in and last to make a difference are very slim, his body has failed him and once again Father Time is undefeated.

 

So, if we don't pickup Taylors option as I think we all expect, then I think the best course of action is to attempt to renegotiate his contract (or even resign EJ) rather than pickup the option and let him know he is coming to camp to compete for a job. Let him, Cardale, and hopefully whatever promising rookie QB we bring in at the point battle it out. Otherwise, I fear we are looking at a year where our QB situation will be worse. People focus on the missed opportunities in passing while over looking the insane performances and plays he has done with his legs to extend drives and/or score. I would take him over several QB's starting around the NFL still right now even though I do feel he didn't improve enough to justify his current contract. My fear is if we just cut him we might be staring at a QB next year who has no business starting in the NFL.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

There will also be cap casualties - brandon marshall probably, maybe barwin, as well as a ton of mid-range guys. Assuming we lose woods, zbrown, lorax, and gilmore we may want to try and retain our comp picks.

[RyanC883]

 

Kirk Cousins? See this is the kind of unrealistic dialogue people have around moving on from Taylor. There is zero chance we will be able to get Cousins, Washington is not letting him go period. And if he became available there are teams in better climates, situations, etc that would unload the vault for him and there is still about a zero chance Cold and Windy Buffalo with 17 years of losing and an injury riddled WR group is going to be his top choice.

 

All I wanted for Taylor was a fair chance to play with his weapons and prove himself, he earned that after last year. While I firmly believe he has played at a significant disadvantage this year with the plethora of injuries to his weapons, he has also proven to not see the field well enough to capitalize on opportunities that were there. I also said he really needed to show us something these last 4 games and there was little room for error. Yesterday, while we still scored on the drive, he missed wide open WR down the seam in the end zone in a critical scoring scenario with a fully protected pocket. Yes we still scored a handful of plays later, but it cost us precious time when we needed 2 scores, not just one, at the end of the game that we could have saved having scored when the opportunities were there. This was not the first time either, he has not seen opportunities that were right there too often regardless who was on the field.

 

Now, that being said, the REALITY of our situation is that there will not be a better QB than Taylor on the FA market or available via trade. The only realistic option is honestly Tony Romo, but he has been knocked out for large portions of the season or for the entire season on literally three of his last five plays in the NFL. The odds he can come in and last to make a difference are very slim, his body has failed him and once again Father Time is undefeated.

 

So, if we don't pickup Taylors option as I think we all expect, then I think the best course of action is to attempt to renegotiate his contract (or even resign EJ) rather than pickup the option and let him know he is coming to camp to compete for a job. Let him, Cardale, and hopefully whatever promising rookie QB we bring in at the point battle it out. Otherwise, I fear we are looking at a year where our QB situation will be worse. People focus on the missed opportunities in passing while over looking the insane performances and plays he has done with his legs to extend drives and/or score. I would take him over several QB's starting around the NFL still right now even though I do feel he didn't improve enough to justify his current contract. My fear is if we just cut him we might be staring at a QB next year who has no business starting in the NFL.

 

Alpha: going after and getting are different. I don't expect to see him here next year, but you at least have to attempt to get him.

[quinnearlysghost88]

Reality Headline: "The Bills Relatively Quiet on the Free Agency Market. Look to Grow Through Draft"

[RyanC883]

Okay, so free agency will be upon us as the season is over. Who should the Bills go after and cut at each position listed below. Feel free to add other positions. "Go After" includes UFA's who I would like to keep. "Cut" also includes players who we are UFA who we should let go.

 

Coach:

 

Go After:

Chris Petersen

Jim Harbaugh

Jim Cooter

Matt Patricia

 

Cut:

Rex and Rob Ryan.

 

QB:

Go After:

Cousins

 

Cut:

TT

EJ

 

WR:

Go After:

Jeffrey

Pryor

Hunter

Britt

Cut:

Woods

Harvin

Goodwin

Tate

 

Kicker:

Go After:

Hauschka

Randy Bullock

Cut:

Carpenter

Gay (if still on roster)

 

Punter:

Go After:

Anyone. Perhaps Jeff Locke

Cut:

Schmidt

 

OLB:

Go After:

Jamie Collins

Humber

Alexander (if not cost prohibitive).

 

Safety:

Go After:

Swearenger

Blanton

(yeah, I'd love Berry, no way KC lets him go). Perhaps offer him something to up the price for KC.

Cut:

Ihedigbo

Sergio Brown

Colt Anderson.

 

 

See above: Updated to include Coach:

[Alphadawg7]

 

Alpha: going after and getting are different. I don't expect to see him here next year, but you at least have to attempt to get him.

 

I agree with you, but to go after him he has to be a FA available. Does anyone really believe Washington won't make sure that doesn't happen? And if we do get a shot at an offer to him, we will almost certainly be the least appealing team to a QB like him making an offer given our conditions, history, and marginal WR group with Sammy always hurt. Again though, he has a ton of weapons in Washington along with a good OL...he isn't going to leave and Washington isn't going to let him leave.

 

My main point is there is all this talk about replacing Taylor with little regard for the reality of what is or isn't available to replace him with. People are talking most about 2 guys who almost certainly will not be available in Cousins and Jimmy up in NE.

 

So that is why I keep saying, "be careful what you wish for" because replacing Taylor doesn't mean it will be an upgrade, and the odds suggest it will be a down grade. Taylor will almost certainly be the #1 QB on the FA market, he is a .500 winning QB who did it without his best weapons for large chunks of the last 2 years who is incredibly dangerous with his legs. He has his flaws and I do agree his option should not be picked up. However, that doesn't change what is available this year, and in a weak FA crop he is penciled in as the top option available.

 

For every 1 Dak or Wilson, there are 100 Brohm's. Think about how many QB's have been drafted over the last 10 years. Now remove all of the ones taken in the top 10 of the draft as we more than likely wont be picking top 10. For all the ones taken after pick 10 throughout the whole draft and undrafted RFA, how many of them went on to be a better QB than Taylor, let alone start and have success in their rookie year? Not many in relation to how many drafted. Its not easy to strike gold in the draft at QB. The odds of us upgrading are possible, but also low. It can get, and has been, worse for this team at QB than what Taylor has been for us the last 2 years. Moving on doesnt necessarily mean getting better is my point.

 

If we move on from Taylor, I would suspect QB becomes the top draft option...then that sets us back more at finding a top prospect to fill big holes at WR and S as well. Having Taylor back on a cheaper contract to compete with Cardale would allow the Bills to maybe wait to draft a QB. Rolling into the season with ONLY Cardale and maybe some scrub retread we sign almost certainly pushes down other needs come draft time to focus on a QB, which also means we could reach again out urgency like we did with EJ.

Edited December 12, 2016 by Alphadawg7

[BuffaloBud]

If I remember correctly, we are slammed up against the salary cap. Sounds like you are going to have a lot of dead money on the books. Where is all this money that you are spending coming from?

[mob16151]

 

def a dream. But worth going after. Washington is being bizarre in its treatment of him. There are literally no other FA QB's I'd be interested in.

 

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/

 

can help people make their lists.

He's actually the worst QB in the NFL inside the red zone.

[Franchiseneedsme]

I'd love Berry. We should do whatever to get him if possible. If we can't get that done.I'd like to keep Gilmore (FT or long term deal) and a WR like Marshall or Jeffrey's. AJ should be comparable to What Woods would get with his baggage, but he is better and I would gamble on him. Then draft Safety and Oline.

[Alphadawg7]

He's actually the worst QB in the NFL inside the red zone.

 

I have not looked at any stats about that, so my question to you is that your opinion based on what you have seen about him or is that something that is statistically accurate?

 

Since I don't know your answer yet, let's assume it is a statistical accurate statement and not opinion. Scheme and play calling have a big impact on the red zone. Players execute the offense installed, and there are teams who continuously shoot themselves in the foot in the red zone through play calling and coaching. So I would be interested in what the core struggles are and if it has been more his struggles in the red zone or the play calling and/or game plan that has been a bigger achilles. My guess its probably some combination of the two.

 

Again, I have no idea if your statement is accurate or not, but if it is I would be interested in finding out more context to the contributing factors.

[mob16151]

 

I have not looked at any stats about that, so my question to you is that your opinion based on what you have seen about him or is that something that is statistically accurate?

 

Since I don't know your answer yet, let's assume it is a statistical accurate statement and not opinion. Scheme and play calling have a big impact on the red zone. Players execute the offense installed, and there are teams who continuously shoot themselves in the foot in the red zone through play calling and coaching. So I would be interested in what the core struggles are and if it has been more his struggles in the red zone or the play calling and/or game plan that has been a bigger achilles. My guess its probably some combination of the two.

 

Again, I have no idea if your statement is accurate or not, but if it is I would be interested in finding out more context to the contributing factors.

Here's the article

https://theringer.com/washington-redskins-kirk-cousins-value-2af5e348c1a4

[Nitro]

Factor in contracts, how much cap, who is coaching etc. This is not fantasy football. Bills will do what they do. Sign some low level FA build through the draft and let their FA walk. Bills have talent but the coach has surrounded himself with some bad coaches namely his brother and Dennis Thurman.

[baskingridgebillsfan]

If Robert Woods is a "great receiver," what was Steve Largent?

A nutty right wing senator

[Rico]

I'd welcome Shady back and maybe Richie too. Really wouldn't miss anyone else.

[Colorado Mike]

Okay, so free agency will be upon us as the season is over. Who should the Bills go after and cut at each position listed below. Feel free to add other positions. "Go After" includes UFA's who I would like to keep. "Cut" also includes players who we are UFA who we should let go.

 

QB:

Go After:

Cousins

 

Cut:

TT

EJ

 

WR:

Go After:

Jeffrey

Pryor

Hunter

Britt

Cut:

Woods

Harvin

Goodwin

Tate

 

Kicker:

Go After:

Hauschka

Randy Bullock

Cut:

Carpenter

Gay (if still on roster)

 

Punter:

Go After:

Anyone. Perhaps Jeff Locke

Cut:

Schmidt

 

OLB:

Go After:

Jamie Collins

Humber

Alexander (if not cost prohibitive).

 

Safety:

Go After:

Swearenger

Blanton

(yeah, I'd love Berry, no way KC lets him go). Perhaps offer him something to up the price for KC.

Cut:

Ihedigbo

Sergio Brown

Colt Anderson.

 

Add RT:

 

-cut: Mills

-add: practically anyone else