The 4 protected PS spots

[ColoradoBills]

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but in reference to "vets" on the PS, doesn't a player need to be cut/waived before they can go to the PS?

So a vet would be a free agent after settling his contract (Dead Money etc).

It would be only then that he can sign up for the PS.

[atlbillsfan1975]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Nah I don't think Diggs supplants McKenzie. They haven't brought Diggs here to run sweeps and reverses. They have brought him here to make plays down the field. Why do they think they drafted two bigger bodied receivers who make contested catches? It isn't because they think Duke is about to break out. 

 

McKenzie is at more risk than last year, because there are 5 locks - Diggs, Brown, Beasley, Davis and Roberts - and that still leaves them with a draft pick unaccounted. Teams don't like cutting draft picks so if Hodgins shows anything he will get the 6th spot. Duke is a big bodied, non separator, with good not great hands, who doesn't play teams and was inactive almost all of last year. He has to take a significant leap to jump over any of those guys. 

I think Brown could take the jet sweeps. What do you think? 

[Rocky Landing]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Nah I don't think Diggs supplants McKenzie. They haven't brought Diggs here to run sweeps and reverses. They have brought him here to make plays down the field. Why do they think they drafted two bigger bodied receivers who make contested catches? It isn't because they think Duke is about to break out. 

 

McKenzie is at more risk than last year, because there are 5 locks - Diggs, Brown, Beasley, Davis and Roberts - and that still leaves them with a draft pick unaccounted. Teams don't like cutting draft picks so if Hodgins shows anything he will get the 6th spot. Duke is a big bodied, non separator, with good not great hands, who doesn't play teams and was inactive almost all of last year. He has to take a significant leap to jump over any of those guys. 

Why wouldn't they use Diggs for sweeps, reverses, end-arounds, and the like? They used him for all those things in Minnesota ,and to great effect. Why limit Diggs' versatility?

[atlbillsfan1975]

1 hour ago, Rocky Landing said:

I always chuckle a little when an NFL color commentator refers to Smith as, "blocking tight-end Lee Smith," when he's on the field. But, that (along with his vet presence, I suppose) is his value, and it isn't going to be replaced by Sweeney (or Kroft, for that matter).

I am not the biggest Lee Smith fan. I know he does a lot in the leadership department, but at some point the young guys got to grow Into those roles. How grown leaders. The whole blocking TE thing is lost on me as well. Heck, Dawkins can catch a wide open pass as easy as Smith can. Bring in an extra tackle on heavy packages. 
I do think Fromm is on the roster. In a regular year wit preseason games I have no doubt Fromm would beat out Barkley. Fromm will be an amazing backup. 3 QB’s isn’t something I typically advocate for, but if it means they keep Fromm I’d be for it. 

[TheyCallMeAndy]

I think Foster is a low key P-squad candidate 

[GunnerBill]

5 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

I think Brown could take the jet sweeps. What do you think? 

 

Doesn't have the same quick twitch short area quickness and direction change. 

5 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

I am not the biggest Lee Smith fan. I know he does a lot in the leadership department, but at some point the young guys got to grow Into those roles. How grown leaders. The whole blocking TE thing is lost on me as well. Heck, Dawkins can catch a wide open pass as easy as Smith can. Bring in an extra tackle on heavy packages. 
I do think Fromm is on the roster. In a regular year wit preseason games I have no doubt Fromm would beat out Barkley. Fromm will be an amazing backup. 3 QB’s isn’t something I typically advocate for, but if it means they keep Fromm I’d be for it. 

 

Fans hate blocking tight ends. Coaches love them.

5 hours ago, Rocky Landing said:

Why wouldn't they use Diggs for sweeps, reverses, end-arounds, and the like? They used him for all those things in Minnesota ,and to great effect. Why limit Diggs' versatility?

 

Sure Diggs could do it. He could do almost anything he is that talented. But I suspect they want his touches to be catching passes. 

[4merper4mer]

12 hours ago, Cruiserplayer said:

Per SI: 

All 32 NFL teams can carry 16 players on their practice squad, including six veteran players. That means experienced players across the league may end up on practice squads this season. 

Teams are allowed to protect four players on the practice squad every Tuesday. For example, the Bengals can block anyone that tries to poach one of their four 'blocked' players starting on Tuesday. If quarterback Jake Dolegala ends up on the practice squad, there would only be about a 36-hour window — Monday and part of Tuesday — where he can leave Cincinnati for an active roster spot on another team. Once the Bengals choose their four players, no team can sign them to their 53-man roster that week.

What's so special about this Dolegala guy?  

[DCbillsfan]

13 hours ago, MJS said:

Seems like crappy protection. Why not allow teams to protect them for the full week?

I believe this is the NFL's way of dealing with the virus.  If a team gets hit hard then they have a large pool of players to pull from.  I'm like you though.  I was hoping for full protection. 

[GunnerBill]

1 hour ago, DCbillsfan said:

I believe this is the NFL's way of dealing with the virus.  If a team gets hit hard then they have a large pool of players to pull from.  I'm like you though.  I was hoping for full protection. 

 

No way the NFLPA would have gone for that.... the ability to "trap" players on the practice squad all year.... not even sure it wouldn't represent and unlawful restriction of their trade. What they could have done is similar to what they have done with the "55" rule. They could have said you have the ability to protect a guy for the whole week but you can only use that protection on a single player 5 times over the course of the season. That would have been another route they could have gone.

[atlbillsfan1975]

5 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Doesn't have the same quick twitch short area quickness and direction change. 

 

Fans hate blocking tight ends. Coaches love them.

 

Sure Diggs could do it. He could do almost anything he is that talented. But I suspect they want his touches to be catching passes. 

Maybe, but coaches really love a TE that can block and catch equally well. No tipping of your hand. Offensive coaches love the element of surprise. Lee Smith gives minimal surprise factor as to what’s coming. 

[ProcessTruster]

18 hours ago, Paul Costa said:

There are 4 protected PS spots this year. Mine are:
1. Darrell Johnson DE
2. Tyler Bass K
3. a OL ( Boehm)
4. a LB ( Joseph/Dodson)

Tyler Bass has made the team for sure.  Can't have just one kicker, thats for sure.   Long snapper as well.   4th QB as well, and they all stay home all week and work out alone

[GunnerBill]

2 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Maybe, but coaches really love a TE that can block and catch equally well. No tipping of your hand. Offensive coaches love the element of surprise. Lee Smith gives minimal surprise factor as to what’s coming. 

 

Sure in an ideal world everyone would have Gronk. But they don't. The Bills scheme uses an in line tight end a lot and as a result that guy needs to block. I thought Knox showed really good potential as a blocker last year with some huge blocks (yes he whiffed some, noteably in the playoff game) and I think he can develop in that regard. But Smith is by a distance the best blocking tight end on the roster and I doubt the Bills are willing to sacrifice that for a guy who will at most catch 20 balls as a 5th or 6th receiver (if you consider that bumps Roberts down to the #7 who is a return specialist).

[atlbillsfan1975]

23 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Sure in an ideal world everyone would have Gronk. But they don't. The Bills scheme uses an in line tight end a lot and as a result that guy needs to block. I thought Knox showed really good potential as a blocker last year with some huge blocks (yes he whiffed some, noteably in the playoff game) and I think he can develop in that regard. But Smith is by a distance the best blocking tight end on the roster and I doubt the Bills are willing to sacrifice that for a guy who will at most catch 20 balls as a 5th or 6th receiver (if you consider that bumps Roberts down to the #7 who is a return specialist).

I do think Knox can fit that role. i look at it more like 5 receivers and then 2 players (Roberts and Foster) who are specialists. I think the Bills will spend considerable amount of time in 11 personnel;  3 wide, 1 TE, 1 RB. This staff loves having specialists. 

[GunnerBill]

7 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

I do think Knox can fit that role. i look at it more like 5 receivers and then 2 players (Roberts and Foster) who are specialists. I think the Bills will spend considerable amount of time in 11 personnel;  3 wide, 1 TE, 1 RB. This staff loves having specialists. 

 

Agree. And I am pretty sure they see Lee Smith as one. You have to remember Daboll is from that Patriots tree. They always have a dominant blocker at tight end. They were spoilt for years with Gronk who could do it all, but look at what they have done before and since (and in some of the years Gronk was injured for example they had guys like Michael Hoomanawanui who was a pure blocker).

[atlbillsfan1975]

17 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Agree. And I am pretty sure they see Lee Smith as one. You have to remember Daboll is from that Patriots tree. They always have a dominant blocker at tight end. They were spoilt for years with Gronk who could do it all, but look at what they have done before and since (and in some of the years Gronk was injured for example they had guys like Michael Hoomanawanui who was a pure blocker).

I agree. Funny you bring up the Pats. I think the Pats showed last year how much special teams can impact a season. 
I do think the staff will do what they think is best. I can understand keeping Lee active. I would like to see the young wideouts active too. From what Brown has said they are prepared mentally. In two years Brown and Beasley could and probably will be gone. 

 

[BritBill]

Lee Smith's excited little shuffle after his TD catch versus Titans was one of the highlights of last season. 

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

I agree. Funny you bring up the Pats. I think the Pats showed last year how much special teams can impact a season. 
I do think the staff will do what they think is best. I can understand keeping Lee active. I would like to see the young wideouts active too. From what Brown has said they are prepared mentally. In two years Brown and Beasley could and probably will be gone. 

 

 

Oh and from a special teams perspective.... Smith is their backup long snapper.

[Paul Costa]

Will the Bills have confidence in Tyler Bass from watching college tape and practices to make him the full time kicker from day 1 ? I’m not sure but we’re not at practices watching. Hauska is a solid kicker inside 50. Just think about the Jets & Titans games last year where the kicker played a pivotal role in the outcome of the game. 

[GunnerBill]

5 minutes ago, Paul Costa said:

Will the Bills have confidence in Tyler Bass from watching college tape and practices to make him the full time kicker from day 1 ? I’m not sure but we’re not at practices watching. Hauska is a solid kicker inside 50. Just think about the Jets & Titans games last year where the kicker played a pivotal role in the outcome of the game. 

 

I doubt it. I really do think there is a chance they keep two kickers if Bass impresses them. 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

5 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

No way the NFLPA would have gone for that.... the ability to "trap" players on the practice squad all year.... not even sure it wouldn't represent and unlawful restriction of their trade. What they could have done is similar to what they have done with the "55" rule. They could have said you have the ability to protect a guy for the whole week but you can only use that protection on a single player 5 times over the course of the season. That would have been another route they could have gone.

 

Yeah - Big factor is how little a player makes on the practice squad vs. what they would make on another teams 53.  Minimum is 8400 per week for about 142k per year.  A UDFA with a roster spot earns about 600K in 2020.  They also get a guaranteed 3 weeks on the 53, plus pay at that level.  So 3 weeks at 35K per week (assuming league minimum salary).  Even if you end up on a PS you just made 105K in 3 weeks when you would've earned 25k.

 

There are only so many roster spots available - poaching off of other peoples PS is relatively common, but lets not act like these aren't guys that are bouncing around between 53's and PS's.