Lawson's 5th yr option ($9.451M) declined & Ziggy update

[YoloinOhio]

9 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

You are acting like those guys are Peterman!! Both guys are quality NFL players. They are borderline starters. They aren’t scrubs.

You do when said RB was ranked nearly 30 spots ahead of the next available player on your board which is what I heard yesterday. The Bills has a way higher grade on Singletary than anyone left at that pick and stuck to their board (as they said that they would).

Yeah I think they LOVED Singletary. Can’t fault them for sticking to the board when there is that much of a disparity and again, the draft is for building a team for now AND the future. Shady pulls a hammy this season and we will all be glad our rook is waiting in the wings because Gore is not an every down back and neither is Yeldon. Singletary is used to getting the rock all damn game.  Plus, neither of those top 2 guys will be here next year and Devin will. 

Edited May 2, 2019 by YoloinOhio

[Happy]

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Yeah waiting until the last minute sorta' implies that they value him and think it was a borderline decision.......even if it wasn't.     A quick dismissal sends a less positive message.   I think they handled it the best way if hoping to get the most out of Shaq.

 

completely agree.  Additionally, Shaq has to know that going from making $3.2M in 2019 to $9.5M in 2020 is not realistic.  I doubt he takes the Bills not picking up his 5th year option personally, and hope it brings out the best in him this year.

[Misterbluesky]

23 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Yeah I think they LOVED Singletary. Can’t fault them for sticking to the board when there is that much of a disparity and again, the draft is for building a team for now AND the future. Shady pulls a hammy this season and we will all be glad our rook is waiting in the wings because Gore is not an every down back and neither is Yeldon. Singletary is used to getting the rock all damn game.  Plus, neither of those top 2 guys will be here next year and Devin will. 

So Keith Jennings had somebody follow him all year,LIVE is your point.Murfreesboro,TN,Denton TX,Huntington,WV must have been great travels.The scout needs a raise in salary and probably a antibiotic for his pillow mites he got from those shotty motel pillow case covers.

Dedication is a mystery?

[Big C]

8 hours ago, SCBills said:

 

I'm torn on whether I believe this or not.

 

I do believe they had Singletary rated higher, and a lot of people outside of us grumbling fans rave about the kid.

 

That being said, DE is such a tougher spot to fill, and we "could" be headed into next season with none.....NONE.  I'm sure that won't happen obviously, but Hughes, Murphy and Shaq are all in the last years of their deals.  I just have to believe Beane and co. have a plan... ie, extending Hughes, a trade, expected cuts etc..

 

I also don't believe that the staff (correctly) viewed Ferguson/Winovich as anything more than rotational DE's, so I can see the temptation to grab a potential offensive weapon over a guy that we rotate in with the second wave of our DL.

 

Not for nothing, many of the elite QBs in this league have extremely fast release times (Brady, Ben, Rivers, Brees, Luck). Many QBs with slower release times happen to be elite escapists and runners (Allen, Jackson, Watson, Rodgers, Wilson). Rotational pass rushers are likely becoming devalued at this stage in the game's evolution. Versatility is paramount now. You need linebackers that can cover sideline to sideline, man up and rush the passer. You need edge defenders that can play the run and drop into coverage. Etc, etc.

 

Winovich is a good get in the third, and I'm sure the Pats will get the most out of him, but these explosive young backs are carving up defenses right now and the potential with Singletary is greater for us. I like what we did going after a plethora of OL to compete and getting a dynamic runner on O. We are building our linebacking corps with athletes that can cover a lot of space and bolstering the interior of our DL. And with declining Shaq's option, they are making a prudent financial decision. If he shows more growth this year, they can extend him. If not, they look to replace him. 

[YoloinOhio]

17 minutes ago, Big C said:

 

Not for nothing, many of the elite QBs in this league have extremely fast release times (Brady, Ben, Rivers, Brees, Luck). Many QBs with slower release times happen to be elite escapists and runners (Allen, Jackson, Watson, Rodgers, Wilson). Rotational pass rushers are likely becoming devalued at this stage in the game's evolution. Versatility is paramount now. You need linebackers that can cover sideline to sideline, man up and rush the passer. You need edge defenders that can play the run and drop into coverage. Etc, etc.

 

Winovich is a good get in the third, and I'm sure the Pats will get the most out of him, but these explosive young backs are carving up defenses right now and the potential with Singletary is greater for us. I like what we did going after a plethora of OL to compete and getting a dynamic runner on O. We are building our linebacking corps with athletes that can cover a lot of space and bolstering the interior of our DL. And with declining Shaq's option, they are making a prudent financial decision. If he shows more growth this year, they can extend him. If not, they look to replace him. 

Excellent post - I do believe that the Bills want to upgrade their pass rushers but the key to defending Brady is pressure up the middle. He can see the DEs coming  and will get the ball out too fast. Winovich was a good value at the end of the 3rd but not where the Bills were picking. 

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

4 hours ago, LSHMEAB said:

Say what????? Since I've been a "grown" fan, I've seen Thomas Smith, Jeff Burris, Antoine Winfield, Nate Clements, and Stephon Gilmore walk as FA's. That obviously goes back further than 15 years, but it's kind of a big deal.

 

And yeah, Shaq is a bust considering his draft slot. Maybin would have been a bust in the fourth round. Not a fan of that either. It's been 20 years since we were relevant. I can walk and chew gum at the same time here.

 

Yeah I understand those guys but Gilmore is the only example in a decade and a half. I’m just saying there are a lot more recent and relevant things to be tired of... 

 

Burris and Smith were not worth keeping... Winfield was awesome and Clements hung in there forever too but ‘99 and ‘01

 

hardly an ad nauseam pattern...

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

4 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Excellent post - I do believe that the Bills want to upgrade their pass rushers but the key to defending Brady is pressure up the middle. He can see the DEs coming  and will get the ball out too fast. Winovich was a good value at the end of the 3rd but not where the Bills were picking. 

 

Spot on..  

 

Bills D played the pats best when Dareus was young hungry and fired up at 3 tech. 

 

The only time I can remember Ends win vs Brady was the year the Broncos won the AFC conf game. Miller and Ware were meeting at Brady in under 2 seconds like every snap... it was ridiculous  

[BarleyNY]

2 hours ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

That's pretty amazing.  I figured it was low but not that low.

 

Yeah, I was surprised too.  It’s also surprising to see how many aren’t even with the teams that drafted them when their options come up. 

[Big C]

21 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Excellent post - I do believe that the Bills want to upgrade their pass rushers but the key to defending Brady is pressure up the middle. He can see the DEs coming  and will get the ball out too fast. Winovich was a good value at the end of the 3rd but not where the Bills were picking. 

 

The key is pressure up the middle and either sticky coverage or well-disguised zones. The Rams had the blueprint in the Super Bowl. If only McVay hadn't been so stubborn with his offensive game plan.

[ColoradoBills]

5 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

 

Yeah, I was surprised too.  It’s also surprising to see how many aren’t even with the teams that drafted them when their options come up. 

 

Well you have to figure the bust type guys are not getting the option but guys like Shaq who I think is a pretty good football player

would stick with the drafted team more often.

 

I think Shaq can continue to improve in areas but he could very well end up as a tweener.  Not quite ever going to be a good starter but

better than a typical backup.  If he is an exception and sticks with the Bills in that role I say great.

[YoloinOhio]

17 minutes ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

 

Spot on..  

 

Bills D played the pats best when Dareus was young hungry and fired up at 3 tech. 

 

The only time I can remember Ends win vs Brady was the year the Broncos won the AFC conf game. Miller and Ware were meeting at Brady in under 2 seconds like every snap... it was ridiculous  

I think that was also the only year that they didn’t have their Dante scarnecchia as OL coach. Belichick promptly coaxed him out of retirement after that game. 

7 minutes ago, Big C said:

 

The key is pressure up the middle and either sticky coverage or well-disguised zones. The Rams had the blueprint in the Super Bowl. If only McVay hadn't been so stubborn with his offensive game plan.

Yeah and thinking back to the Eagles SB, it was Brandon Graham up the middle to force the fumble that sealed it. 

[Big C]

20 minutes ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

 

Spot on..  

 

Bills D played the pats best when Dareus was young hungry and fired up at 3 tech. 

 

The only time I can remember Ends win vs Brady was the year the Broncos won the AFC conf game. Miller and Ware were meeting at Brady in under 2 seconds like every snap... it was ridiculous  

 

That defense was loaded. But yeah, that's the last I remember the edge guys getting there consistently too. Wade Phillips seems to have the formula down.

[LSHMEAB]

1 hour ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

 

Yeah I understand those guys but Gilmore is the only example in a decade and a half. I’m just saying there are a lot more recent and relevant things to be tired of... 

 

Burris and Smith were not worth keeping... Winfield was awesome and Clements hung in there forever too but ‘99 and ‘01

 

hardly an ad nauseam pattern...

I guess the fatigue would be that corner is probably the only position we've drafted relatively well in that LONG time span. I suppose that is much more concerning than losing a few FA's. 

 

Nevertheless, lock Tre up now. Why wait?

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

21 minutes ago, LSHMEAB said:

I guess the fatigue would be that corner is probably the only position we've drafted relatively well in that LONG time span. I suppose that is much more concerning than losing a few FA's. 

 

Nevertheless, lock Tre up now. Why wait?

 

Agree on that. ? 

[BarleyNY]

1 hour ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

Well you have to figure the bust type guys are not getting the option but guys like Shaq who I think is a pretty good football player

would stick with the drafted team more often.

 

I think Shaq can continue to improve in areas but he could very well end up as a tweener.  Not quite ever going to be a good starter but

better than a typical backup.  If he is an exception and sticks with the Bills in that role I say great.

 

I guess they would rather test free agency and try to find a better fit elsewhere if they don’t get the option or extension.  I can understand that.  

[SCBills]

If we’re going with an increased importance of interior pass rush vs edge pass rush, do y’all think going after Gerald McCoy might be the move to keep an eye on?

[Alphadawg7]

1 minute ago, SCBills said:

If we’re going with an increased importance of interior pass rush vs edge pass rush, do y’all think going after Gerald McCoy might be the move to keep an eye on?

 

See:  Ed Oliver.  

 

In all seriousness, we have Star and Oliver in the trench with Jordan and Horrible Harry ready to rotate in.  I would never say never, but I think this as close to a 0% as it gets with the current makeup of the roster.  Nothing against McCoy, and he could have easily been a trade target had Oliver been off the board at 9, but not anymore for those reasons.

[BADOLBILZ]

15 hours ago, SCBills said:

If we’re going with an increased importance of interior pass rush vs edge pass rush, do y’all think going after Gerald McCoy might be the move to keep an eye on?

 

Probably not because McCoy has like a $13M cap hit and plays the position that Oliver and Jordan Phillips already play.   They might be in the market for more of a PS guy at 3T.

 

And in reality interior pressure is no more important now than before.   For every pocket statue like Brady or Rosen there is mobile QB like Allen or Darnold who will not hesitate to run thru vacated gaps or who can dodge a lunging tackle and make a big play.    Bills lost to Darnold on one such play when KW dove for a sack and whiffed.......allowing Darnold to circle back, open up his options and find a WR in the end zone for the game winning TD.     Of course Allen did plenty of that too.   

 

[Alphadawg7]

Any updates on Ansah?

[MrEpsYtown]

I still think Shane Ray should be the guy. He was SEC defensive player of the year. He's been effective for the Broncos as an OLB in limited playing time. He's only 25. I know he might has off field things and some injury issues, but he plays like his hair is on fire. To me he's a younger Jerry Hughes, who was miscast in a 3-4 and found his home as a 4-3 end here after some lackluster time in Indy. Mitch Morse, EJ Gaines, and Marcus Murphy are all former teammates at Missouri, and could in theory vouch for him. I think there is tremendous upside here. 

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

14 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Any updates on Ansah?

 

...medical clearance slated for August per Yolo's post.....McBeane was quoted as saying, "we're neither in or out on Ziggy right now"...stay tuned........

Edited May 4, 2019 by OldTimeAFLGuy

[Alphadawg7]

28 minutes ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

 

...medical clearance slated for August per Yolo's post.....McBeane was quoted as saying, "we're neither in or out on Ziggy right now"...stay tuned........

 

Thanks bud.  Yeah saw that stuff, was curious if anything more had come out, so thanks man looks like I was up to date.  

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

14 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

Thanks bud.  Yeah saw that stuff, was curious if anything more had come out, so thanks man looks like I was up to date.  

 

...here is the latest info I read along with the McBeane quote..........

 

Posted by Josh Alper on April 29, 2019, 6:13 PM EDT -PFT

 

Free agent defensive end Ziggy Ansah visited the Ravens last week and another AFC team continues to keep tabs on the veteran pass rusher.

 

Ansah visited with the Bills in March before reports that he would not be signing with any team until there was more clarity on his recovery from shoulder surgery. Word last week was that Ansah is expected to be cleared in mid-August.

 

Bills General Manager Brandon Beane was asked about Ansah during an appearance on WGR 550 on Monday and said that the team has remained in touch with his agent since their visit. Beane said the Bills “aren’t in on him or out on him” at the moment.

Edited May 4, 2019 by OldTimeAFLGuy

[NewEra]

35 minutes ago, MrEpsYtown said:

I still think Shane Ray should be the guy. He was SEC defensive player of the year. He's been effective for the Broncos as an OLB in limited playing time. He's only 25. I know he might has off field things and some injury issues, but he plays like his hair is on fire. To me he's a younger Jerry Hughes, who was miscast in a 3-4 and found his home as a 4-3 end here after some lackluster time in Indy. Mitch Morse, EJ Gaines, and Marcus Murphy are all former teammates at Missouri, and could in theory vouch for him. I think there is tremendous upside here. 

There’s upside.  Too bad there’s no brain.

[DaBillsFanSince1973]

https://12thmanrising.com/2019/05/02/seahawks-predicting-ziggy-ansah/

 

Ziggy Ansah

This week Seattle has entertained Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah and what basically amounts to a recruiting visit by NFL standards. Ansah is dealing with a shoulder issue, though, and has had a history of injury issues so signing him would be a risk. Seattle, though, will sign Ansah, I believe. It won’t be until after May 7th, however.

 

Waiting until after May 7th to sign Ansah means the Seahawks won’t lose a compensatory pick in 2020. Seattle currently is in line for four such picks, projected for the one each in rounds three, four, six and seven.

 

According to the NFL compensatory pick formula, because Ansah is a free agent and not released by his former team, the Detroit Lions, he would take away one of these compensatory choices if signed by Seattle before May 7th. 

[MakeBuffaloGreatAgain]

If we pick up Ansah, our D-Line would be Hughes, Oliver, Lotulelie, and Ansah...  H.O.L.A! Hopefully they will be able to greet Brady in backfield on a regular basis.

[BuffaloBillsGospel]

Shouldn't surprise anyone really, he's a rotational guy who doesn't get to the passer and I guess is an adequate run stuffer? Glad to see we didn't give 9.5M for that.

[Fan in Chicago]

4 hours ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

 

 

 

Bills General Manager Brandon Beane was asked about Ansah during an appearance on WGR 550 on Monday and said that the team has remained in touch with his agent since their visit. Beane said the Bills “aren’t in on him or out on him” at the moment.

Which means they probably made him an offer and sticking to it. 

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

21 minutes ago, Fan in Chicago said:

Which means they probably made him an offer and sticking to it. 

...probably dead on accurate...McBeane has said many times that " we assign a value to a player and that's it"....code for "take it or leave it"......

[Estelle Getty]

We need to assign some value to Clowney. 2nd next year and 3rd in 2021. They can’t afford to re-sign him anyway. 

[buffaloaggie]

With Ansah looking for just a one-year deal in 2019 to prove himself for one last big contract, I doubt he fits the Bills plans. Lawson is around for this year, so why would the Bills want Lawson and Ansah for this year, then neither in 2020. Likely the Bills offered Ansah a multiyear deal, but that may not be what he's looking for.

[John from Riverside]

On 5/2/2019 at 6:10 PM, SCBills said:

If we’re going with an increased importance of interior pass rush vs edge pass rush, do y’all think going after Gerald McCoy might be the move to keep an eye on?

I think we are probably done with interior pass rush this season...dont forget Shaq can also move inside and rush the passer.....

 

[Gugny]

On ‎5‎/‎4‎/‎2019 at 1:09 PM, MakeBuffaloGreatAgain said:

If we pick up Ansah, our D-Line would be Hughes, Oliver, Lotulelie, and Ansah...  H.O.L.A! Hopefully they will be able to greet Brady in backfield on a regular basis.

 

With our Jesus-freak HC, I think H.A.L.O. would be more appropriate.

[JM57]

51 minutes ago, buffaloaggie said:

With Ansah looking for just a one-year deal in 2019 to prove himself for one last big contract, I doubt he fits the Bills plans. Lawson is around for this year, so why would the Bills want Lawson and Ansah for this year, then neither in 2020. Likely the Bills offered Ansah a multiyear deal, but that may not be what he's looking for.

They're moving into win mode. Anyone who can contribute positively in 2019 should be in their plans. A one year deal could be mutually beneficial. 

[Green Lightning]

1 minute ago, JM57 said:

They're moving into win mode. Anyone who can contribute positively in 2019 should be in their plans. A one year deal could be mutually beneficial. 

Absolutely. If he's not hobbled by the shoulder McBeane will make a run at him. 

[buffaloaggie]

28 minutes ago, JM57 said:

They're moving into win mode. Anyone who can contribute positively in 2019 should be in their plans. A one year deal could be mutually beneficial. 

A one-year deal for a guy with a questionable shoulder. Not much sense to me. Multi-year, yes. Shoulders are tough to rehab quickly.

[John from Riverside]

8 minutes ago, buffaloaggie said:

A one-year deal for a guy with a questionable shoulder. Not much sense to me. Multi-year, yes. Shoulders are tough to rehab quickly.

If Lawson blows up this year they can STILL sign him to a multi

[buffaloaggie]

3 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

If Lawson blows up this year they can STILL sign him to a multi

Talking Ansah. Lawson, who knows. He may not be a McBeane guy. Lawson sounded upbeat coming into this year according to this article, but that was before they declined his 5th year option. He'll have to show something special in camp or early in the season to get a multi-year deal. They'd have to re-sign him before he gets to FA. If he does blow up this year, I'm doubting he re-signs with the Bills. 

https://www.buffalobills.com/news/optimism-prevails-as-the-bills-get-set-to-begin-offseason-workouts

[JM57]

52 minutes ago, buffaloaggie said:

A one-year deal for a guy with a questionable shoulder. Not much sense to me. Multi-year, yes. Shoulders are tough to rehab quickly.

Guess they should sign him multi year then and just wait until 2020 for production. A one year deal is a no lose situation. Their cap situation is fine and he will be motivated to perform well so he can try to cash in on free agency next year.

[BuffaloRebound]

6 minutes ago, JM57 said:

Guess they should sign him multi year then and just wait until 2020 for production. A one year deal is a no lose situation. Their cap situation is fine and he will be motivated to perform well so he can try to cash in on free agency next year.

 

Its a tricky situation.  Ansah is probably looking for one last big contract especially since there’s questions about how old he is.  So his preference is probably a 1 year deal and he cashes in next year.  But teams aren’t gonna give him a 1 year deal if he’s hoping to be ready by mid August until he’s actually healthy.