Bills match Bears Offer Sheet for Ryan Bates, 4 yr deal

[Rochesterfan]

Just now, Aussie Joe said:

Isn’t this the opposite to “kick the can”?

 

They are paying him now.. not later..
 

Not a 100 percent sure though as it’s a saying I don’t hear where I am from…

 

Not on him - you restructure others to move more of their money down the road and use that to pay him now.

 

Then in 2 years - he is a nice bargain as a starting guard and his cost is lower.

 

 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Weird, for a guy that they refused to play most of last season (when the starters were playing at an atrocious level). 

[Aussie Joe]

Just now, Rochesterfan said:

 

Not on him - you restructure others to move more of their money down the road and use that to pay him now.

 

Then in 2 years - he is a nice bargain as a starting guard and his cost is lower.

 

 

oh ok.. I see…

 

Thanks for clarifying,,

[4BillsintheBurgh]

5 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

Yes.  

 

And there's something I keep thinking about that I think people don't see.  Beane professes to be, and I believe he is, strictly BPA in the first round.  He will take the BPA on his board, every time, in the first round.   However, that doesn't mean that he isn't thinking need.   Need is what causes him to trade picks.   If the BPA at his first-round pick is seriously someone he doesn't need, he won't take the BPA, and he won't take someone else.   He'll trade out of that pick.  

 

So, what I said about corner applies equally to WR.   I think what we'll see is Beane trade up in the first round to a place where the BPA also happens to be a position of need.  That is, he'll trade up for a corner or a receiver.   Maybe 25 to 20.   Trade a third or a fourth with the first to move up.  If he does that, we're all going to bed happy on the first night of the draft, because there's going to be a stud receiver or corner joining the team.  

 

One of the reasons he'll do this is that there aren't going to be many rookies making this team, so trading a pick or two is a smart move - why save a pick that will be used on a guy who's going to get cut instead of trading that pick to make it possible to move up for a player you want?   Also, of course, if you trade up, you help you cap situation, because it also means your likely to have fewer rookies eating cap.  

The door has swung wide open to continue hoarding DL. Maybe the broken kid from UM will be the pick.

[WotAGuy]

So how bad does the decision to not put a second round tender on Bates seem now?  Curious if folks think this 4 year contract at 17M is a better outcome than that. 

[YoloinOhio]

1 minute ago, Magox said:

I think he miscalculated.  If he were to do it all over again he would have given him the 2nd round tender.  

That’s only for 1 year… a 4+ mill cap hit - not a wise move 

1 minute ago, WotAGuy said:

So how bad does the decision to not put a second round tender on Bates seem now?  Curious if folks think this 4 year contract at 17M is a better outcome than that. 

I think it’s obviously a better deal. Will wait to see the AAV but why would you use the 2nd round tender in this case 

[GunnerBill]

11 minutes ago, Rochesterfan said:

 

That may be, but if as was discussed the AAV is still around 4 million over 4 years you are talking 3 later years at less than 3 million per. 
 

Therefore you kick the can this year and get a great deal in years 2, 3, and 4 on him.

 

Beane had an AAV in mind and the way the Bears structure it has minimal impact if the AAV is in the acceptable range.

 

Teams no longer have the ability to truly poison pill a contract - teams have found ways to move money around with great effect.

 

They used to add contract statements making him the highest paid Lineman to discourage matching, but when the NFL blocked that and made the rule matching dollars - it has become easier to match these contracts.

 

 

 

Yes but the Bills are tight this year. And they have to match the exact offer of the Bears not just the AAV. It now appears the $8.8m number is the first two years though. That makes it less poison pill.

[JGMcD2]

1 minute ago, WotAGuy said:

So how bad does the decision to not put a second round tender on Bates seem now?  Curious if folks think this 4 year contract at 17M is a better outcome than that. 

Well considering a team thought he was worth a little over $4M this year and we believe he’s an ascending player… who is to say he doesn’t get more money on the open market next season if he plays the way we believe he will?

 

It’s funny that so many people are struggling to grasp exactly what happened here with Bates. 

[YoloinOhio]

 

[skibum]

Inflation-proof contract, love it. 

[JGMcD2]

5 minutes ago, Magox said:

I think he miscalculated.  If he were to do it all over again he would have given him the 2nd round tender.  

Lol nope… he very clearly wanted Bates long term. 

[YoloinOhio]

4 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

Weird, for a guy that they refused to play most of last season (when the starters were playing at an atrocious level). 

“They” is no longer with the team 

[Doc]

I guess he was a Bear.  He was ready to be a Bear.  But he had unfinished business...

[BillsFanForever19]

38 minutes ago, FFadpecr said:

 

 

At first I was confused as to why they didn't put him on a 2nd round tender so they could have had him for cheaper with no competition.

 

But now that I think about it, I wonder if this was what Beane wanted all along. He wanted Bates to sign a long term deal with another team so that he could get Bates locked up long term at what his market is now after a small sample size. As opposed to what he perceives his market will be after a full year as a starter.

Edited March 28, 2022 by BillsFanForever19

[JGMcD2]

Just now, BillsFanForever19 said:

But now that I think about it, I wonder if this was what Beane wanted all along. He wanted Bates to sign a long term deal with another team so that he could get Bates locked up long term at what his market is now after a small sample size. As opposed to what he perceives his market will be after a full year as a starter.

Your critical thinking skills are MUCH appreciated! 

[MrEpsYtown]

11 minutes ago, Buftex said:

I wonder, did Beane overplay his hand with Bates at all?  He probably could have offered him less, and he would have been happy to sign a contract, knowing that he was was returning. But he let Bates go out and find another team to draw up a contract for him.  It looks as though the Bears structured a deal they didn't think the Bills would match.  Glad he is back, but wondering if this is one of those few times where Beane got a little too cocky.

 

Definitely not. If they give him the 2nd round tender he signs it and he has a great year, now he’s a free agent next year at 26 years old and getting paid. This was the only way to get this type of deal done. He was playing with fire, but now we have a guy locked up with huge upside entering his prime. 

[Magox]

5 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

That’s only for 1 year… a 4+ mill cap hit - not a wise move 

I think it’s obviously a better deal. Will wait to see the AAV but why would you use the 2nd round tender in this case 

Personally, I think this is better because I believe Bates will be the long-term option.  But, I think in a perfect world they would have wanted to see one more years worth of production before committing to the $8m, hence the 2nd round tender.

[HOUSE]

Holy Visa card...

 

 

[No_Matter_What]

1 minute ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

This is really a weird logic. It's not like Beane haven't signed Williams and Feliciano at the first place.

 

This is not a knock on Beane. Just saying that if he is a wizard now for this he is less of a wizard for what he had done in 2021.

 

I'll eat my socks if I used correct English tenses in previous sentences btw

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

Per Spotrac

 

Ryan Bates signed a 4 year, $17,000,000 contract with the Chicago Bears, including $8,800,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $4,250,000. In 2022, Bates will earn, while carrying a cap hit of .  (leaves that blank) LOL

[Rochesterfan]

8 minutes ago, Buftex said:

I wonder, did Beane overplay his hand with Bates at all?  He probably could have offered him less, and he would have been happy to sign a contract, knowing that he was was returning. But he let Bates go out and find another team to draw up a contract for him.  It looks as though the Bears structured a deal they didn't think the Bills would match.  Glad he is back, but wondering if this is one of those few times where Beane got a little too cocky.

 

 

3 minutes ago, Magox said:

I think he miscalculated.  If he were to do it all over again he would have given him the 2nd round tender.  

 

I totally disagree with these takes.  I think Beane had an AAV in mind, but was not very likely to be able to get full agreement on what his worth was as an RFA.  If he had used a 2nd round tender - he might have been cheaper this year, but harder to sign next year after a full year as a starting guard.

 

Plus agents and players do not like signing long term agreements as RFAs - they tend to sign 1 year deals to get to FA next year.

 

You essentially allowed the player to test the market with little film and allowed the Bears to give him a long term option - so you can wrap him up and not allow him to hit FA with film.

 

Beane knew what he was risking and had back-ups in place - just in case.

 

 

[NewEra]

21 minutes ago, nucci said:

why, they wanted to make it so Bills wouldn't match

 

7-8M is pretty nuts for a guy like Bates. He’s started 5 games and didn’t grade out very well.

[Magox]

4 minutes ago, JGMcD2 said:

Lol nope… he very clearly wanted Bates long term. 

If they did before the tender then they would have offered him a contract.

 

Their hand was forced once the Bears offered him one.  With that said, I still think it ends up being a really good value signing because I believe Bates will be our long-term starter.

[nucci]

Just now, NewEra said:

 

7-8M is pretty nuts for a guy like Bates. He’s started 5 games and didn’t grade out very well.

I concur

[SCBills]

4 minutes ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

At first I was confused they didn't put him at a 2nd year tender so they could have had him for cheaper with no competition.

 

But now that I think about it, I wonder if this was what Beane wanted all along. He wanted Bates to sign a long term deal with another team so that he could get Bates locked up long term at what his market is now after a small sample size. As opposed to what he perceives his market will be after a full year as a starter.

 

I was definitely wrong in how I thought they viewed him.  I thought maybe they simply viewed Bates as a back up quality OG.

 

This seems very much plausible as to how Beane calculated Bates this offseason.  

[JGMcD2]

1 minute ago, Magox said:

If they did before the tender then they would have offered him a contract.

 

Their hand was forced once the Bears offered him one.  With that said, I still think it ends up being a really good value signing because I believe Bates will be our long-term starter.

Why would Ryan Bates accept an offer when he’d have the option to head to a (semi) open market and get other teams to drive the price up ? 
 

That’s just bad business on his end. 
 

I don’t think you’re understanding how this process works…

Edited March 28, 2022 by JGMcD2

[Slippery Rubber Mats]

Ricky Bates you dashing son of a B word. Like it or not we got our RG locked in with that money

[Warcodered]

5 minutes ago, Doc said:

I guess he was a Bear Chicago.  He was ready to be a Bear Chicago.  But he had unfinished business...

As McKissic would say.

[MAJBobby]

And one last priority before the Draft. A CB. Well done Beane and the FO. 

[BeastMode54]

this is a fantastic deal by Beane. AAV is about 4.5 a year. the last 2 years he'll be playing for less than 5M. The Bears pretty much did all the work here and we get him back. I have no problem with this at all. Now we can draft CB, RB, or WR in 1st two rounds

 

[Magox]

Just now, JGMcD2 said:

Why would Ryan Bates accept an offer when he’d have the option to head to a (semi) open market and get other teams to drive the price up ? 
 

That’s just bad business on his end. 

 Because if you’ve been a career backup all your pro life and now you are being offered a 3-4 year contract with millions on the table, you become very tempted to take the deal.

[WotAGuy]

9 minutes ago, JGMcD2 said:

 

 

It’s funny that so many people are struggling to grasp exactly what happened here with Bates. 

Perhaps not everyone puts in the time and effort you have to understand the RFA tender system?

[JGMcD2]

1 minute ago, WotAGuy said:

Perhaps not everyone puts in the time and effort you have to understand the RFA tender system?

Well then how can you make educated comments about the process that Beane went through? 

 

I’m not faulting you for not spending time and effort to understand it.
 

I’m addressing the fact you feel the need to comment on the decision making without understanding the process. 

4 minutes ago, Magox said:

 Because if you’ve been a career backup all your pro life and now you are being offered a 3-4 year contract with millions on the table, you become very tempted to take the deal.

But that’s not how it works… 

[billsbackto81]

58 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

Wow. Not what I was expecting!

I think this speaks volumes about their commitment to Josh. Keeping him upright and healthy with emphasis on a more complete run game. Go job by Beane and Co.

[Mango]

50 minutes ago, Rubes said:

 

Draft another G this year and have those four duke it out for the starting 2 jobs next year.

 

 

I think we need to get a guard and center in house this year. I am not sure Morse plays 2024. $11.5M cap and $2.5M dead dead money. Not that I don't think he is great, and he certainly isn't old. But his eggs are pretty scrambled with 5 concussions. He could (rightfully) decide to bow out at any time or the decision may be taken out of his hands completely. 

[WotAGuy]

Just now, JGMcD2 said:

Well then how can you make educated comments about the process that Beane went through? 

 

I’m not faulting you for not spending time and effort to understand it.
 

I’m addressing the fact you feel the need to comment on the decision making without understanding the process. 

 

Third grade reading comprehension would tell you I was asking for others’ input on the issue. 

[Rochesterfan]

11 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Yes but the Bills are tight this year. And they have to match the exact offer of the Bears not just the AAV. It now appears the $8.8m number is the first two years though. That makes it less poison pill.

 

Yes, but the key to the deal was always AAV.  The Bills are up against it, but they still have moves to free up money if they want.

 

I think the Bills would of found a way to match even if it had been 8 million this year (rather than 1st 2 years) - they would of just had to do more moving this year of contracts.

 

The only way the Bears win out in this is if the offer had been at an AAV that put Bates close to where Williams was 8-10 AAV for limited work.  

 

A deal with huge upfront costs hurts the Bills a bit, but gives them flexibility later in the contract.

 

 

[NewEra]

15 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

So how bad does the decision to not put a second round tender on Bates seem now?  Curious if folks think this 4 year contract at 17M is a better outcome than that. 

Not for our 2022 cap…..but it’s much better long term if Bates plays at a high level this year, or even just an average level.  Bates is now ours at a VERY reasonable starting OG rate for 4 years.  He likely would’ve garnered much more after next season…. A season in which he will have the SB and blocked for the MVP.  If he’s turns out to be average, this is a good move.  If he’s better, this is an amazing move.

[billsbackto81]

5 minutes ago, Magox said:

 Because if you’ve been a career backup all your pro life and now you are being offered a 3-4 year contract with millions on the table, you become very tempted to take the deal.

True.

How many teams were looking at the limited tape on Bates telling themselves, "we gotta get this guy!"

😂

[NewEra]

1 minute ago, Mango said:

 

I think we need to get a guard and center in house this year. I am not sure Morse plays 2024. $11.5M cap and $2.5M dead dead money. Not that I don't think he is great, and he certainly isn't old. But his eggs are pretty scrambled with 5 concussions. He could (rightfully) decide to bow out at any time or the decision may be taken out of his hands completely. 

Agreed. Preferably 4-5 rd imo.  But if it’s rd 3, so be it.