Milano contract

[JAC'dUp]

Thoughts on whether the Bills can reach a more reasonable contract with Matt Milano after an injury riddled season? Seems like his being off the radar for much of 2020 should drive down his price tag.

Edited November 10, 2020 by JAC'dUp

[ogham26]

i think the covid related cap situation will help keep his cost down more than the injury issues.  teams will always overpay for talent in free agency but this upcoming off season could be really strange.  hope they can bring him back

[atlbillsfan1975]

Joe Marino of Locked On Bills brought up an interesting point today. He got a question about why Klein looked so improved. Joe said up front he wants to watch film but his first thought was Edmunds and Klein switched. Meaning, Klein played Edmunds role and Edmunds played Milano’s. Interesting if so, because I thought they both had much improved games. 
 

Edited November 10, 2020 by atlbillsfan1975

[thenorthremembers]

Milano is losing money by the week.  In total he has played in 87% of games he was available to play in since he was drafted.   On talent alone he probably is a $12 to $13 Million dollar a year linebacker, but no way you pay a guy who cant stay healthy that sort of money.  With the cap projected at $175 Million, the Bills would be 22 Million over the cap after paying draft picks and adding practice squad players to the roster (Yes,  I know only the top 50 players count against the cap.  So 22 is a little high).  

 

With the cap so low, you're probably better off to try and draft players to replace guys like Milano and Daryl Williams.  That said, I wouldnt offer Milano more than 8.9 million a year.

[atlbillsfan1975]

Just now, Buffalo619 said:

I think we let him walk. He is just too injury proned to be considered for a contract extension. 
 

Draft a LB in first round.   

Heck Milano was a 5th rounded who was starting by middle of his first season IIRC. 
Stud LB’ers can be found in rounds two and three without taking a big chance on the pick. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

5 minutes ago, JAC'dUp said:

Thoughts on whether the Bills can reach a more reasonable contract with Matt Milano after an injury riddled season? Seems like his being off the radar for much of 2020 should drive down his price tag.

 

That's a huge "it depends"

 

Certainly not being available and playing well to put tape out for other teams is going to lower his market value.

On the other hand...if he comes back healthy and plays well, he'll get offers.

[Rock-A-Bye Beasley]

3 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Joe Marino of Locked On Bills brought up an interesting point today. He got a question about why Klein looked so improved. Joe said up front he wants to watch film but his first thought was Edmunds and Klein switched. Meaning, Klein played Edmunds role and Edmunds played Milano’s. Interesting if so because I thought they both had much improved games. 
 

I head that too. I also noticed it during the game a couple times 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Joe Marino of Locked On Bills brought up an interesting point today. He got a question about why Klein looked so improved. Joe said up front he wants to watch film but his first thought was Edmunds and Klein switched. Meaning, Klein played Edmunds role and Edmunds played Milano’s. Interesting if so because I thought they both had much improved games.

 

I don't think they switched roles exactly.  But I think Frazier re-distributed responsibilities to put more of the coverage on the DBs and to create a role for Klein more suited for his skills instead of trying to plug Klein into Milano's role which was clearly a square peg/round hole mis-fit.

 

 

 

[thenorthremembers]

8 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Joe Marino of Locked On Bills brought up an interesting point today. He got a question about why Klein looked so improved. Joe said up front he wants to watch film but his first thought was Edmunds and Klein switched. Meaning, Klein played Edmunds role and Edmunds played Milano’s. Interesting if so because I thought they both had much improved games. 
 

This would be pretty eye opening.  The idea is strengthened by the fact that Milano went to IR. 

[Malazan]

I could never be comfortable giving him a huge contract. He's great, but if you have to replace him for 3-4 games a year...well, now you've got to pay (or invest draft capital) for a high quality backup too. 

 

Great player, seems like a great guy, the exact type of player I think you *should* pay, but his injuries seem to be increasing year by year so not only do you have the "Is he gonna play question?", but how long before these injuries affect the quality and not just the quantity of his play?

[BillsVet]

5 minutes ago, thenorthremembers said:

Milano is losing money by the week.  In total he has played in 87% of games he was available to play in since he was drafted.   On talent alone he probably is a $12 to $13 Million dollar a year linebacker, but no way you pay a guy who cant stay healthy that sort of money.  With the cap projected at $175 Million, the Bills would be 22 Million over the cap after paying draft picks and adding practice squad players to the roster (Yes,  I know only the top 50 players count against the cap.  So 22 is a little high).  

 

With the cap so low, you're probably better off to try and draft players to replace guys like Milano and Daryl Williams.  That said, I wouldnt offer Milano more than 8.9 million a year.

 

The market for WLB's in the NFL is nowhere near 12-13M per.  I know people have read that here and translated it to fact, but it's TBD narrative/fiction now.

 

Bills fans, after about 20 years, need to grasp that some positions and some players will not be re-signed.  You start finding enough talent and it'll squeeze other areas of the roster.  

 

This is why the draft is so important when you put together a better roster.  With fewer needs, drafting is harder because you're not looking to improve all these areas like the 2001-circa 2015 Bills had to.

 

LB, S, G, RB, and perhaps 1T DT are positions that they'll need to replace in the draft so they can afford to keep guys like Allen, Diggs, and the now re-signed Dawkins and Tre.  

 

Ain't gonna have enough for every home-grown player.  Particularly at the aforementioned positions because it's not as value-added to producing wins. 

[thenorthremembers]

Just now, BillsVet said:

 

The market for WLB's in the NFL is nowhere near 12-13M per.  I know people have read that here and translated it to fact, but it's TBD narrative/fiction now.

 

Bills fans, after about 20 years, need to grasp that some positions and some players will not be re-signed.  You start finding enough talent and it'll squeeze other areas of the roster.  

 

This is why the draft is so important when you put together a better roster.  With fewer needs, drafting is harder because you're not looking to improve all these areas like the 2001-circa 2015 Bills had to.

 

LB, S, G, RB, and perhaps 1T DT are positions that they'll need to replace in the draft so they can afford to keep guys like Allen, Diggs, and the now re-signed Dawkins and Tre.  

 

Ain't gonna have enough for every home-grown player.  Particularly at the aforementioned positions because it's not as value-added to producing wins. 

I mean you can go ahead and check the contracts at overthecap and spotrac and see for yourself that its not just conjecture.   Shaq Thompson, who was playing the exact role Milano is in McDermott's defense got paid that exact amount of money.   If Milano was healthy, and the cap stayed at 198.2, not impacted by COVID, I think they rush to resign him.

 

I am sorry but this idea that you cant pay your top talent is crazy.  Look at the Chiefs for instance, they have paid Mahomes, Watkins, Kelce, Chris Jones, Frank Clark, and Tyreek Hill.   You pay your best players if you can circumvent the cap, which a lot of teams do by paying roster bonuses.  Milano's issues isnt the money, its his availability.

[Rc2catch]

I think we will see a similar situation like we had with lawson. 
I think Beane will let him test the market to see his value. 
 

Milano is a good player, but I’m not sure he’s going to command a ton on the open market. Especially given the reduced salary cap. 
His value in this defense is so much higher than it would be in some others. 

[Doc]

I’d tell him to shop himself around and give the Bills the chance to match any offer he gets.  But I think the wisest move would be to slide him into Milano’s spot and look for a true middle linebacker.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Doc

[Mango]

20 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Joe Marino of Locked On Bills brought up an interesting point today. He got a question about why Klein looked so improved. Joe said up front he wants to watch film but his first thought was Edmunds and Klein switched. Meaning, Klein played Edmunds role and Edmunds played Milano’s. Interesting if so because I thought they both had much improved games. 
 

This was actually my gut instinct as well. I cut the chord so don't have a DVR and have not looked back at the game online yet. Unsure if my feels=reels.

I noticed Klein and Edmunds being at the point of attack. Even yelling "yeah Klein" at my screen. Normally I see Edmunds behind a play making a tackle or chasing. Sunday he was in front of it. 

[The Jokeman]

20 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Heck Milano was a 5th rounded who was starting by middle of his first season IIRC. 
Stud LB’ers can be found in rounds two and three without taking a big chance on the pick. 

They can but we might want a stud to replace Milano because we might end up getting a sub par athlete to replace Edmunds in two seasons. It's all about balancing the roster, personally I'd prefer we go after a stud TE in Round 1 next year (see Kyle Pitts) and look for a good LB/CB in Round 2/3 of the draft. 

[DCofNC]

I would not offer more than a 1 year 7M, fully guaranteed deal.  Take it or leave it.  He’s talented, but the injuries are more and more frequent, he’s undersized for the league and this is exactly why there is a prototype.   He has not been able to shed the tag of too small, which only comes when you play big and don’t get hurt.  I like him, he’s the best Lb on the squad, when healthy, but availability is just as big as talent. 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Can't sign everyone. Have to pick and choose. You let a small LB walk and keep Williams and Feliciano. They can find a LB on the cheap in the draft and/or free agency. The biggest question will be is if they pick up Edmunds fifth year option.

[Comebackkid]

27 minutes ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Joe Marino of Locked On Bills brought up an interesting point today. He got a question about why Klein looked so improved. Joe said up front he wants to watch film but his first thought was Edmunds and Klein switched. Meaning, Klein played Edmunds role and Edmunds played Milano’s. Interesting if so because I thought they both had much improved games. 
 

Much improved being an understatement 

[gonzo1105]

I think the only way he is back is on a 1 year or two year deal. I just think someone will give him that big contract.  

[Ethan in Cleveland]

They will have plenty of money. There are a number of contracts that will expire or they can rework. Star and Hughes can be reworked if they even keep Star. Murphy will be gone. Klein will be gone. They will draft 3 front 7 defenders next year and get younger. Alot will depend on what they think of Epenesa and Johnson as DEs. I would not but they could part with Hyde and get a high draft pick safety to replace him. If they keep Hyde I still think they will still get a safety in the first three rounds. 

[JaBu]

1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I don't think they switched roles exactly.  But I think Frazier re-distributed responsibilities to put more of the coverage on the DBs and to create a role for Klein more suited for his skills instead of trying to plug Klein into Milano's role which was clearly a square peg/round hole mis-fit.

 

 

 

 

Yes, I thought they had Klein playing "more" of the Lorenzo Alexander role -- which is what I thought he was brought in for. He is not a skill fit for Milano's role in this defense.

Edited November 10, 2020 by jabu

[Nester]

If he goes elsewhere could we get Comp picks?

 

I don’t really get how that works.

[Hebert19]

I'd think it'll be like shaq...they would take him at the right price but if he can get a pay day.  Ba bye 

[Niagara Dude]

1 hour ago, JAC'dUp said:

Thoughts on whether the Bills can reach a more reasonable contract with Matt Milano after an injury riddled season? Seems like his being off the radar for much of 2020 should drive down his price tag.

Why should the Bills pay this guy anything more than 8 million a season,  good but not great player.  Bills need to stop overpaying on fringe players.  What has he done that is so amazing?  if he leaves he would not be hard to replace. IMO

[Rochesterfan]

57 minutes ago, High Football IQ said:

 

If that's the case it's good to see this coaching staff isn't stubborn after all may be ready to concede that Edmunds is not a true NFL MLB.

 

Also sets the stage for the obvious with the Milano leaving and moving Edmunds to his role permanently.

 

This is just a huge bad take when talking about the Bills defense.  
 

They play nickel around 80% of the time.  They do not use a true MLB most of the game and they are not asking Edmunds to be a traditional MLB.

 

They play the majority of the time in a 4-2-5 set-up with Milano playing a WLB and Edmunds playing more mid and strong side responsibilities with a “big safety” helping as an extra coverage LB.

 

They want Edmunds in the middle because of his size and his range.  They are not looking for him to be Leighton Vander Esch or Ray Lewis as fans seem to think of as a true MLB.

 

It looked like in the Seahawks game they switched up roles part of the time.  Edmunds made some plays in the middle in his traditional role and Klein was outside covering Lockett on at least one pass, but there were also several times - especially once they were ahead - they shifted Edmunds to the outside for coverage and let Klein attack from the middle.  They also used Klein up on the line of scrimmage outside Murphy a few times and blitzed Klein and dropped Murphy.  That was a Lorax type play with last years defense.

 

It looked to me like they are starting to get a better feeling of the players and how to attack - I think the lack of preseason, practice, and injuries caused them to fit people in without identifying ideal roles and they are now starting to make some adjustments.  I also think they really miss that Lorax pass rush where he would attack through the guard toward the tackle and allow the end to loop under to creat quick pressure up front.  I have seen fewer stunts and more straight 1:1 attacks this year.

[smuvtalker]

Not sure if this is something that's been brought up, but could alot of his injuries be attributed to the fact that he's a bit undersized for a typical LB at his position?  I know with all the hybrids now playing positions they're typically a little light in the arse for, could there be a link there?  Just curious.

 

When healthy, Milano is an awesome linebacker.  But it kinda makes me think about the question which employee would I rather have:  the one who's an absolute rock star when he's in there, but misses time off here and there, or the guy who does his job, what he's supposed to do, but nothing flashy, but he's at work every day, on time, never calls in sick, and works overtime when I need him to?

 

In regard to the draft, I say we go pass rushing DE r1, LB r2, CB r3

[Albany,n.y.]

My priority re-signings in order are

1) Feliciano

2)D. Williams

3) Roberts

4) Milano

[Hebert19]

11 minutes ago, Rochesterfan said:

 

This is just a huge bad take when talking about the Bills defense.  
 

They play nickel around 80% of the time.  They do not use a true MLB most of the game and they are not asking Edmunds to be a traditional MLB.

 

They play the majority of the time in a 4-2-5 set-up with Milano playing a WLB and Edmunds playing more mid and strong side responsibilities with a “big safety” helping as an extra coverage LB.

 

They want Edmunds in the middle because of his size and his range.  They are not looking for him to be Leighton Vander Esch or Ray Lewis as fans seem to think of as a true MLB.

 

It looked like in the Seahawks game they switched up roles part of the time.  Edmunds made some plays in the middle in his traditional role and Klein was outside covering Lockett on at least one pass, but there were also several times - especially once they were ahead - they shifted Edmunds to the outside for coverage and let Klein attack from the middle.  They also used Klein up on the line of scrimmage outside Murphy a few times and blitzed Klein and dropped Murphy.  That was a Lorax type play with last years defense.

 

It looked to me like they are starting to get a better feeling of the players and how to attack - I think the lack of preseason, practice, and injuries caused them to fit people in without identifying ideal roles and they are now starting to make some adjustments.  I also think they really miss that Lorax pass rush where he would attack through the guard toward the tackle and allow the end to loop under to creat quick pressure up front.  I have seen fewer stunts and more straight 1:1 attacks this year.

Good analysis.  If you have 2 LBs with pass coverage ability that can tackle that is what this defense calls for.  Allows them to bring corners and safties on blitzes more and makes it hard to get chunks down the seam.  Now when 1 isn't in there the middle seems to open up like there is no tomorrow because you have to have the speed to hover around LOS until you identify if it is pass or run and then haul ass back if its a passing play. 

[NoSaint]

2 hours ago, ogham26 said:

i think the covid related cap situation will help keep his cost down more than the injury issues.  teams will always overpay for talent in free agency but this upcoming off season could be really strange.  hope they can bring him back

Yea - I don’t think his reputation really changed much this season. Good player, struggles to be healthy. 
 

they get paid but sometimes not long term or high guarantee. But they get paid.

 

what this offseason ends up being will be a question mark though.

[FarrellsFinest]

I am not a fan of spending big money on 4-3 LBs. I feel like like he can be replaced with a 3rd or fourth round pick. Offer the 6 ir 7 mil we get for letting Trent Murphy walk. If he dont like it kick rocks and play a rookie for a fraction of the cost

[Dkollidas]

I would try to to draft Owusu-Koramoa from Notre Dame.

[artmalibu]

Fun to play armchair GM, but I trust McBean to offer a contract that makes sence.  

 

The question is will Matt be looking for the biggest payday?

[Mr. WEO]

Offer him a per diem position.

[ROCBillsBeliever]

Does anyone recall the interview / article with Milano, where he talked about his penchant for minimalism? The guy literally has like three tee-shirts one pair of shoes and two pairs of jeans. He has almost nothing in his apartment. He's not about "things" or high-priced anything. Maybe, if he really likes it here--who can tell, other than his coaches and teammates?--he might take a team-friendly deal. It seems in line with his nature. Just a, hopeful, thought.

[FarrellsFinest]

1 minute ago, ROCBillsBeliever said:

Does anyone recall the interview / article with Milano, where he talked about his penchant for minimalism? The guy literally has like three tee-shirts one pair of shoes and two pairs of jeans. He has almost nothing in his apartment. He's not about "things" or high-priced anything. Maybe, if he really likes it here--who can tell, other than his coaches and teammates?--he might take a team-friendly deal. It seems in line with his nature. Just a, hopeful, thought.

Its the agent that will push the issue.  

[Rc2catch]

3 minutes ago, ROCBillsBeliever said:

Does anyone recall the interview / article with Milano, where he talked about his penchant for minimalism? The guy literally has like three tee-shirts one pair of shoes and two pairs of jeans. He has almost nothing in his apartment. He's not about "things" or high-priced anything. Maybe, if he really likes it here--who can tell, other than his coaches and teammates?--he might take a team-friendly deal. It seems in line with his nature. Just a, hopeful, thought.

I get the logic, but this is also the one big giant set for life payday players need. He didn’t have a big rookie deal. Health concerns of football not even counting his injuries but just long term. This contract is the one that sets him for life. 

[BillsVet]

1 hour ago, thenorthremembers said:

I mean you can go ahead and check the contracts at overthecap and spotrac and see for yourself that its not just conjecture.   Shaq Thompson, who was playing the exact role Milano is in McDermott's defense got paid that exact amount of money.   If Milano was healthy, and the cap stayed at 198.2, not impacted by COVID, I think they rush to resign him.

 

I am sorry but this idea that you cant pay your top talent is crazy.  Look at the Chiefs for instance, they have paid Mahomes, Watkins, Kelce, Chris Jones, Frank Clark, and Tyreek Hill.   You pay your best players if you can circumvent the cap, which a lot of teams do by paying roster bonuses.  Milano's issues isnt the money, its his availability.

 

I'm sorry, I'd rather not be like the Carolina Panthers.  And Thompson, he of the 0 Pro Bowls and 0 All-Pro team nods in 5 seasons, is most definitely not the one to spend 12-13M on.  Besides, he's missed 2 games each year for the last 5 seasons. 

 

MIlano's a good defender against the pass when healthy, but he's missed 8 games in the last 2.5 seasons.  If I'm giving out contracts and using the owner's money I want something more than that. 

[Augie]

1 hour ago, DCofNC said:

I would not offer more than a 1 year 7M, fully guaranteed deal.  Take it or leave it.  He’s talented, but the injuries are more and more frequent, he’s undersized for the league and this is exactly why there is a prototype.   He has not been able to shed the tag of too small, which only comes when you play big and don’t get hurt.  I like him, he’s the best Lb on the squad, when healthy, but availability is just as big as talent. 

 

Because of the injury history, why not pay him fairly, but only for production on a more incentive laden deal? Why guarantee the money? Pay for play. That has a better chance of coming to terms, I’m guessing. Let him bet on himself.  We still need to find better depth there, regardless. 

[LABILLBACKER]

I like Milano and the way he plays but knowing what I know now about his size and durability, there's no way I give him anything over 9/ yr.