Bills re-sign Isiah McKenzie

[atlbillsfan1975]

17 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Agree. Diggs, Brown, Beasley and Roberts are locks. With the 55 man limit there might now be space for 7 including Roberts as their primary return man. If they draft a guy (still think they will somewhere) then I expect it to come down to McKenzie, Foster and Duke for 2 spots.... as it essentially did last year. But they could have company in that chase from UDFAs who in any other year are drafted receivers and will likely be more effective competition from Sills and Easley. 

Agree with this. Honestly the player with the highest ceiling not yet seen on a consistent basis is Foster. He is really one of the handful of players that could take a step up and have a significant impact. 

[billsfan89]

The Bills WR core is locked at the top 3 and locked with Roberts as WR5/6 (Depending on how many WR's they carry) but there is a wide open landscape at WR4 and possibly WR5 (If they carry 6.) I like Mac as a WR5, good gadget player and quality depth. Good to see him there. I would like to see the team carry 6 WR's. The top 3, a WR4 drafted in round 2 or 3 (need depth and youth), then have Mac, Duke or Foster at WR5 and Roberts as WR6 as a returner. 

[purple haze]

2 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

So, fully expecting RayRay to surrender his uni#, our WRs are #s 10, 14, 15, 16 & 19? With the QB wearing 17? Hell, give McCloud #13 and the highly likely rookie 18. That’ll just leave 11 & the retired #12 not on the roster.

 

Gone are days of 80 & 83.

Lofton/Reed

Moulds/Price

Andre Roberts is #18

[bigK14094]

19 minutes ago, purple haze said:

Andre Roberts is #18

Best return guy the Bills have had in a decade or more.  A real pro imho.  Others are the return game are all below this guy.  So, he m akes the roster, but maybe just as a special teams guy and diasaster  receiver.

[LABILLBACKER]

Very good move. He may not get alot of touches but he does make big plays on the pitch passes.

[BringBackFergy]

3 hours ago, WMDman said:

Per his agent/Isiahs IG. We don’t know the numbers yet

I gave you an “Awesome” for this post, not because we secured McKittrick, but for your proper use/spelling of “re-sign”. 

[jwhit34]

Still believe that they will draft one in rounds 2-4 who will make the team and if Roberts is a given as return man that leaves McKenzie, D. WIlliams, Foster, Ray-Ray, maybe a round 6-7 draft pick or other vet FA to battle for the last spot in the WR group:

 

1. Diggs

2. Brown

3. Beasley

4. Draft pick round 2, 3 or 4

5. Roberts

6. Open competition (see above)

Edited March 24, 2020 by jwhit34

[34-78-83]

I was hoping for this. He's a valuable player in spite of being a notch down on the depth chart. Very versatile, good quick change of direction, makes explosive plays, good in the lateral deception game this offense likes to employ...

[thunderingsquid]

Jet sweep!!!!

[Hapless Bills Fan]

3 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

He is better than Duke. 

 

I am guessing he has come back for less than the RFA tender. So gonna be somewhere near vet minimum.

 

Now I'm all confused, I thought the RFA tender was vet minimum?

[YoloinOhio]

 

9 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Now I'm all confused, I thought the RFA tender was vet minimum?

He was a 5th rd pick so not sure how much that equates to

 

edit 2.13 mill

https://overthecap.com/franchise-transition-and-rfa-tenders/

Edited March 24, 2020 by YoloinOhio

[YoloinOhio]

 

[Fixxxer]

Glad to see him back. Watching last years games, when called upon, he made plays and scored important TDs. Plus, he's still young (25), he can get better.

[JaBu]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

He was a 5th rd pick so not sure how much that equates to

 

RFA - After 1st & 2nd round tenders, in 2020 it goes to: Original-round tender: One-year contract worth the greater of (a) $2.133 million or (b) 110 percent of the player's prior-year base salary. Then.... the tender amount increases each year by the same rate of increase as the NFL salary cap, at a minimum of five percent and a maximum of 10 percent.

 

The RFA tender would be significantly higher than the vet minimum. For example:  Players with seven or more years of experience will have a minimum salary of $1.05 million in 2020 under the new deal.

Edited March 24, 2020 by jabu

[Nester]

nice pick up!

 

Would love to see this guy step up his game

[Logic]

Good move.

They'll try to upgrade the "gadget guy" position in the draft, but it's always smart to bring back a guy that you already know can do it well, for competition's sake.

[GunnerBill]

32 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Now I'm all confused, I thought the RFA tender was vet minimum?

 

I am the wrong man on this one Hapless. The whole RFA thing remains a mystery to me. 

[The Dean]

I'm shocked there weren't a few negative comments*, knowing how some post on this forum. For what was obviously less than tendering him as a FA, they managed to keep him around. A great signing, even if he doesn't end up sticking on the roster to start the season**. I'm guessing he will.  

 

Well done (so far) Bills fans.

 

* There was one less than intelligent comment:  ("Camp Fodder") which seems odd for a guy who played in nearly every game last year and started in eight.

 

**If there is a season.

 

[ColoradoBills]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

He was a 5th rd pick so not sure how much that equates to

 

edit 2.13 mill

https://overthecap.com/franchise-transition-and-rfa-tenders/

 

There are different ways to sign a RFA.

Not sure but i'm willing to bet that the Bills are going to use "Right of 1st refusal" which allows them to sign for vet minimum.

 

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2017/3/8/14834554/nfl-restricted-free-agents-rules-tender-amounts

 

What makes a restricted free agent different?

Unlike an unrestricted free agent who can either re-sign with their current team or test the open market and go elsewhere, restricted free agents are tied down unless a team allows them to become an unrestricted free agent.

Teams have four different tender options they can place on their restricted free agent that usually keeps those players from leaving.

1. First-round tender: Free agent can negotiate with other teams, but original team has option to match any deal and will receive a first-round selection if it opts not to match the deal.
2. Second-round tender: Free agent can negotiate with other teams, but original team has option to match any deal and will receive a second-round selection if it opts not to match the deal.
3. Original-round tender: Free agent can negotiate with other teams, but original team has option to match any deal and will receive a selection equal to the round the player was originally selected in if it opts not to match the deal.
4. Right of first refusal: Free agent can negotiate with other teams, but original team has option to match any deal. The team will not receive any compensation if it opts not to match another deal.

[Sherlock Holmes]

5 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

Thrilled! I figured he wouldn’t be signed back, but thrilled he is. Rewatching last years games, he’s very adept at running.

i should know better than to take anything C.Biscuit97 says seriously..?‍♂️

 

So, fully expecting RayRay to surrender his uni#, our WRs are #s 10, 14, 15, 16 & 19? With the QB wearing 17? Hell, give McCloud #13 and the highly likely rookie 18. That’ll just leave 11 & the retired #12 not on the roster.

 

Gone are days of 80 & 83.

Lofton/Reed

Moulds/Price

Uhuh!!! 18 is reserved for Kupp

[hjnick]

So we save at least a million with this release and resign???

[Doc Brown]

I was wondering who was going to be our jet sweep gadget player when we didn't tender McKenzie.  Looks like we found our answer.

[CSBill]

No surprise. And as many have said, lessens the probability of trading up or picking a WR in round 2. 

[CSBill]

3 hours ago, thunderingsquid said:

Jet sweep!!!!

no we didn’t, we split with them 

[atlbillsfan1975]

2 hours ago, Fixxxer said:

Glad to see him back. Watching last years games, when called upon, he made plays and scored important TDs. Plus, he's still young (25), he can get better.

The jet sweep with him against Tenn was a pivotal play. Like to see him catch the ball a little better but he can make plays. 

[njbuff]

You would think the top 5 would go like this............

 

 

Diggs

Brown

Beasley

draft choice (2nd, 3rd or 4th round pick)

Roberts, who will be the return man and 6th WR.

 

It comes down to Duke, McKenzie and Foster for the final spot (assuming the staff still likes Roberts)

[John from Riverside]

I remember being miffed when we released him.....and thought maybe they were going to use Robert Foster for those jet sweeps.

 

I am not positive Robert even makes the team now.

[LABILLBACKER]

5 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Agree. Diggs, Brown, Beasley and Roberts are locks. With the 55 man limit there might now be space for 7 including Roberts as their primary return man. If they draft a guy (still think they will somewhere) then I expect it to come down to McKenzie, Foster and Duke for 2 spots.... as it essentially did last year. But they could have company in that chase from UDFAs who in any other year are drafted receivers and will likely be more effective competition from Sills and Easley. 

I have no doubt that with the roster increase, McB will not only decide on carrying 7 wrs but they will be drafting a wr somewhere 2-4 rounds. And most likely Foster will be the one released. 

Diggs

Brown

Beasley 

Claypool 

Duke

McKenzie 

Roberts (pr/kr)

Edited March 24, 2020 by LABILLBACKER

[LB48]

6 hours ago, MrEpsYtown said:

Good re-sign. I’m not sure he makes the team, but competition at the bottom of the receiver depth chart is not a bad thing to have and this dude adds a unique skill set. 

Glad he's back also. 

[thunderingsquid]

11 minutes ago, njbuff said:

You would think the top 5 would go like this............

 

 

Diggs

Brown

Beasley

draft choice (2nd, 3rd or 4th round pick)

Roberts, who will be the return man and 6th WR.

 

It comes down to Duke, McKenzie and Foster for the final spot (assuming the staff still likes Roberts)

That's some pretty good depth right there.  Unless we get a 2nd WR in the draft.  

[YoloinOhio]

13 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

I remember being miffed when we released him.....and thought maybe they were going to use Robert Foster for those jet sweeps.

 

I am not positive Robert even makes the team now.

He gone unless someone gets hurt 

[Cal]

He sucks

[Shaw66]

The final wideouts on the roster could be any one of several different groups.  Each group says something about the kind of football McDermott wants to play. 

 

If McKenzie is on the final 53 it will say the Bills want to play different styles, McKenzie is useful in different ways.  

 

Foster says they want the speed.  Williams says that possession is important to them.  

 

And could be a rookie added to the mix.

[njbuff]

25 minutes ago, Cal said:

He sucks

 

Thanks for your insightful input.

[John from Riverside]

1 hour ago, Cal said:

He sucks

Thank you so much for that insightful post

[Meatloaf63]

52 minutes ago, njbuff said:

 

Thanks for your insightful input.

He’s right, if he makes the team we haven’t improved the receiving group enough. He had average hands, poor separation. And even if Duke dropped a few key passes in the play off game, it showed how much Allen preferred a big target over a Smurf who can’t get open. Keeping a roster spot for someone who runs a gadget play once or twice a game isn’t a good use of resources IMO....

[John from Riverside]

7 minutes ago, Meatloaf63 said:

He’s right, if he makes the team we haven’t improved the receiving group enough. He had average hands, poor separation. And even if Duke dropped a few key passes in the play off game, it showed how much Allen preferred a big target over a Smurf who can’t get open. Keeping a roster spot for someone who runs a gadget play once or twice a game isn’t a good use of resources IMO....

He is absolutely NOT right

Not evert player in the NFL needs to be the best at their position in order to avoid "sucking"

 

He fills a need especially in this OC's offense....he has helped us win games.....he cant do EVERYTHING that I want out of a go to receiver.....that does not make him "suck
 not everyone can be Stephon Diggs

 

Jesus.....just a horrible take....from both him AND you

[below]

poor Ray-Ray McCloud...

did we save anything by not tendering him?

[Shaw66]

5 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

 

He fills a need especially in this OC's offense....he has helped us win games.....he cant do EVERYTHING that I want out of a go to receiver.....that does not make him "suck

I'm not a McKenzie fan.   I don't think he runs routes well, and I think he catches only the easiest of throws, in rhythm, on target, etc.   

 

But at the same time, there's something about that makes him like Tasker.   I never liked Tasker as a receiver, either, but then he'd make a play.  Then he'd make another play.   McKenzie is sort of like that.   It seems like he's on the field for 15 or 20 plays, total, offense and special teams, and he always makes a play or two.  

 

He's not the best at anything, in fact sometimes I think he's only barely adequate.   But he's barely adequate at a lot of things, and that's valuable.   Punt and kick returner, wideout, deep threat, slot receiver, jet sweep specialist, maybe running back in a single wing set for a play or two.   

 

So, yeah, I can agree with those who say that, other than Diggs, the receiving corps hasn't improved with McKenzie part of it.   But the team may have improved by having him on the roster.    He's an unusual player.  

[John from Riverside]

12 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I'm not a McKenzie fan.   I don't think he runs routes well, and I think he catches only the easiest of throws, in rhythm, on target, etc.   

 

But at the same time, there's something about that makes him like Tasker.   I never liked Tasker as a receiver, either, but then he'd make a play.  Then he'd make another play.   McKenzie is sort of like that.   It seems like he's on the field for 15 or 20 plays, total, offense and special teams, and he always makes a play or two.  

 

He's not the best at anything, in fact sometimes I think he's only barely adequate.   But he's barely adequate at a lot of things, and that's valuable.   Punt and kick returner, wideout, deep threat, slot receiver, jet sweep specialist, maybe running back in a single wing set for a play or two.   

 

So, yeah, I can agree with those who say that, other than Diggs, the receiving corps hasn't improved with McKenzie part of it.   But the team may have improved by having him on the roster.    He's an unusual player.  

He is a gadget guy especially at his size

 

i can think of a lot of wr we had on this team that def sucked

 

if they use him correct he can make plays just stop throwing him end zone boundary passes