The Making of the 2020 Roster

[RyanC883]

2 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I have a thought that I want to throw out and figured this is a good place to start. Trade picks 22 & 54 for picks 24 and Kamara. The Bills get some explosiveness and can still take the WR at 24. The Saints get the ammo to make a move up in the draft for the eventual successor to Brees. The value for New Orleans is the equivalent of pick 50 and I don’t think they are going to pay Kamara. 

 

I love this idea.  But Daboll makes Kamara inactive and starts FA Peterson instead.  

[aristocrat]

It's a weird year for the CBA so we can use both the franchise tag and the transition tag not one or the other.  So I would use those two on phillips and maybe lawson.  But 15 mil for lawson is a tough pill so I'd hope he'd take a jordan phillips type deal to prove this year wasn't a fluke.  So I hope to use the tags on phillips and spain. 

 

I'd throw a contract at Kenyan Drake as he'd probably be in the 5 mil range I think.  I'd also sign Chris Harris if possible to go opposite tre and have a lockdown secondary.  Nigel Bradham would be a nice pickup and back in our jersey for lb. Now, he plays inside for the eagles...could he come here and play middle and move tremaine outside?  

[Motor26]

4 minutes ago, aristocrat said:

It's a weird year for the CBA so we can use both the franchise tag and the transition tag not one or the other.  So I would use those two on phillips and maybe lawson.  But 15 mil for lawson is a tough pill so I'd hope he'd take a jordan phillips type deal to prove this year wasn't a fluke.  So I hope to use the tags on phillips and spain. 

 

I'd throw a contract at Kenyan Drake as he'd probably be in the 5 mil range I think.  I'd also sign Chris Harris if possible to go opposite tre and have a lockdown secondary.  Nigel Bradham would be a nice pickup and back in our jersey for lb. Now, he plays inside for the eagles...could he come here and play middle and move tremaine outside?  

 

Neither player would be worth what it costs to tag them. Lawson I'd keep, Phillips only if the price is right. 

[The Jokeman]

35 minutes ago, Ed_Formerly_of_Roch said:

 

What about Derrick Henry?  He's a FA or is the assumption he'll never hit the market?  Would think he's be an even better compliment to Singletary.

The Titans aren't gonna let Henry walk, he's their MVP.

[SCBills]

It it were me...

 

Kick Ford inside, re-sign Spain and sign RT Conklin.  Feliciano utility inside and Nsehke swing tackle. 

 

Sign RB2 to pair with Singletary.

 

Draft a WR in RD 1 and RD 2. 

 

Let Phillips and Lawson walk.  Sign Ngaokue.

 

Draft a LB in RD 3.

 

Re-sign Kevin Johnson and Levi Wallace.

 

Do whatever with the rest of the picks.

 

That's a Super Bowl contending team. 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2020 by SCBills

[The Jokeman]

Devin Funchess might be a cheap guy that could pay devidends. He's not a number 1 but he could easily be in our top 3 and give us the size many are clamoring for.

[Reed83HOF]

You can't just look at this as the 2020 roster, our expiring contracts allows us to alter the make up of the team to build around our core guys we drafted the last 3 years and look at premium positions with our scheme.

 

So to be smart we should look at what was said in the past:

 

Ed Oliver selection:

https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2019/4/26/18517769/transcript-buffalo-bills-brandon-beane-sean-mcdermott-2019-nfl-draft-pick-ed-oliver-first-round

McDermott: As Brandon mentioned, it’s a key part of our defense. No different in where we came from and how we built that defense and the way we’re building our defense now. I’ll say this, no one is ever going to replace Kyle Williams, I just wanted to manage expectations, number one, with that. Ed Oliver is going to come in and, number one, earn everything that he gets. That’s how we do things here, you guys know that. No different in this case. He’s a good player that plays hard, brings his lunch pail, and he’s a guy that fits the way we play on the field.

 

Brandon alluded to the fact that he was used a little bit differently in college that probably how we’ll use him here in our system. He was more lateral, I would say, to be simple about it, in college. Here we play a penetrating, attack-style defense, playing really on the other side of the line of scrimmage as opposed to staying along the line of scrimmage or moving latterly. We’re a penetration, attack-style defense and we’ll use him in that area, in that regard. The thing about Ed that stands out first and foremost is how quick he is at the line of scrimmage. 

 

Q: Did you focusing on signing offensive players during free agency because you knew there would be defensive talent available at the draft?

Beane: We did know what the d-tackles, there was a lot of pass rushers, whether it was d-ends or d-tackles, so those were things. You can never have enough pass rushers. We did know this was a hole. Three-techs that are pass rushers rarely get to free agency. A lot of times you have to fill that in the draft. 

 

Q: Why do you feel a three-tech is worthy of being drafted with the ninth overall pick given him previously saying that interior pressure is critical?

McDermott: When you look at it, in the comment I made back at the owners meeting, I stand by. I believe in that philosophically. If you study the game, it’s a lot easier at times, I don’t want to say a lot, it’s easier at times to chip a defensive end, take away a defensive end, an edge rusher, as opposed to an inside rusher. A little bit more of a challenge offensively, systematically to take away an inside rusher that can penetrate and what not. He did it in college, he’s got to do it at our level. That said, just philosophically it’s a critical piece for us in terms of that position and being able to pressure the quarterback inside out.

 

Q: Several times over the last couple years you’ve talked extensively about building the defense up the middle. Obviously you got a few safeties for the last couple of years and you add Tremaine [Edmunds] last year. Ed Oliver, is he what you would consider the final piece to building the defense up the middle?

McDermott: I don’t know if he’s the final piece, he’s certainly a piece. Obviously with the answers we’ve given so far you know the importance of that position and how integral it is to stopping the run and also being able to pressure the quarterback as I mentioned, inside-out up front. Being able to rush four as opposed to having to pressure, that gives defensive coordinators a lot of flexibility if you will

 

Q: These past couple of years you’ve drafted three defensive players in the first round, aside from Josh Allen. Is there any preference to drafting a defensive player at the top of the draft opposed to an offensive player because the defensive player may be able to contribute right away easier than an offensive player?

Beane: No, not really. I think you truly have to set your board to their skill set and how you think they’ll fit what you do. There were offensive players, one went right before us, still on our board that deserve to be and will be drafted in the first round. We’ll continue to do that. We’re at 40 the next pick and if it’s defense, it’s defense and if it’s offense, it’s offense, and we’re going to stick with that.

 

2019 Free agency

 

https://www.buffalobills.com/news/why-gm-brandon-beane-could-not-relax-during-the-2019-free-agency-period-buffalo-

 

When the regular season was over, Buffalo’s pro personnel department reviewed all of the work they had compiled on the prospective 2019 free agent class. Meeting as a department players were targeted, but not in the same way prospects are in the NFL draft.

 

“Unlike the draft where you’re looking to take the best player available all the time, in free agency you’re not,” said Beane. “We focus on what are our areas of greatest need. What do we want to come out of free agency with at the very minimum?”

That was the approach Beane and his pro personnel department had to take in the 2018 offseason when their cap situation was not conducive to significant spending in the free agent market.

 

“If our cap dollars are short we set a priority for coming out of it with a minimum of some good talent at these three positions as an example,” he said. “Then we’ll save some funds.”

 

“Obviously our cap was in a position where we could be aggressive in spots where we needed to be, but again try to be smart with our money,” Beane said. “Our offense, we knew where we ranked statistically, and it held us back in some games.

 

“We covered a lot of areas. You’re always greedy. You’re always saying you can try to upgrade here or there. Free agency is not over,” said Beane. “It doesn’t mean because I’m standing here that we’re done. We’re continuing to work. Someone could call in a week and say, ‘Hey we signed this other guy, do you want to trade for this guy?’

 

We still have plenty of room to maneuver, should the opportunity be there for a marquee player becomes available via trade or release.”

 

[SoTier]

4 minutes ago, KD in CA said:

And then the Bills have to pay him?  Too many holes on the team to tie up big $ on a RB.

 

Just draft a bruiser to compliment DS.

 

I disagree with this view because it reflects the typical Bills fan fantasy that a team with a couple of stars and a bunch of bargain basement JAGs can compete with teams loaded with talent throughout their roster.   The Bills as an organization has fed fans that fantasy for the almost twenty years -- and their record between 2000 and 2016 demonstrates how much of a fantasy it is.

 

The Bills have two windows that they need to act upon:  Josh Allen's rookie contract and winning a Super Bowl.  Determining Allen's worth is by far the most pressing and important window.  You can't build a Super Bowl contender with a poor offense lacking a franchise QB and playmakers to support him.  You also can't accurately assess Allen as a QB when the only weapons he has are 2 small WRs (Beasley and Brown) and a rookie RB (Singletary).  Kamara would be one, especially paired with a between the tackles runner like Singletary.  AJ Green would be another one.  Not only is the draft a crap shoot as to who may be available and whether that pick turns out to be a diamond or a dud, but it generally takes time for rookies to develop.  The Bills can't afford to waste Allen's rookie contract because they're waiting for a rookie RB to learn to block or a rookie WR to learn to run routes, because if he's not a true franchise QB, then the Bills don't really have a window for winning a Super Bowl.

 

The Bills need to invest in the offense, and Kamara and Green would be good investments because they would enable the Bills to more accurately assess Allen.

 

 

 

 

[Kirby Jackson]

1 hour ago, JGMcD2 said:

In what ways are Singletary and Henry similar? 
 

Henry is 6’3” 238 and ran a 4.5 40 

 

Motor is 5’7” 203 and ran a 4.66 40

 

Henry will run right through you and can also run right past you with breakaway speed. Motor is patient and uses his small size and unique cutting ability to churn out consistent 4-5 yard gains and the occasional 10-12 yard run. He isn’t a home run threat nor is he a bruiser. 

Because they both are ball carriers first and work inside out. Kamara works outside in.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

1 hour ago, Motor26 said:

 

I don't see the Bills wanting to lock themselves into Henry for what he's going to want. Jordan Howard could be had for cheap, could draft Najee Harris in the 3rd/4th. 

 

I agree with you on the Bills not wanting to pay that much, but the league has gone in a direction of not paying RB's in general.  So what Henry wants vs what other offers he gets in general, may be way different.  That could leave the Bills an opening.

 

1 hour ago, JGMcD2 said:

In what ways are Singletary and Henry similar? 
 

Henry is 6’3” 238 and ran a 4.5 40 

 

Motor is 5’7” 203 and ran a 4.66 40

 

Henry will run right through you and can also run right past you with breakaway speed. Motor is patient and uses his small size and unique cutting ability to churn out consistent 4-5 yard gains and the occasional 10-12 yard run. He isn’t a home run threat nor is he a bruiser. 

 

Could really create havoc if you put the two out there together.

 

This could also make all the DeMarco haters happy as having a guy like Henry in the backfield, you really don't need a fullback.  Or maybe then you keep Lee Smith and he's both a blocking TE and on rare occasion, lines up as FB.  Saves one roster spot.

[aristocrat]

58 minutes ago, Motor26 said:

 

Neither player would be worth what it costs to tag them. Lawson I'd keep, Phillips only if the price is right. 

 

phillips transition would be 12 million. thats what i think he gets on the market. spain franchise is 16 mil