Ryan Bates traded

[DJB]

11 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

I don't agree with this at all. Dawkins is inarguably our most important OL. I think center is the least important position on the OL. As long as they are capable and can snap the ball reliably, and you have a vet QB that can set his own protections, I just don't see it as a difficult position to fill. I'd much rather have two stalwart guards than a stalwart center.

I don’t agree. Yes LT is the most important position but C is the 2nd most important as they are the brain of the OL. Setting protections and covering those A gaps with how defenses are attacking is very important. 
 

Another poster above alluded to as well how bad Josh was before Morse was here and he has been paramount in Josh’ development. The guard spots to me are the least important on the line 

[HappyDays]

2 hours ago, gonzo1105 said:

I actually disagree with the sentiment we won’t use the vast majority of these picks. I think we’ll make an early trade to get a guy of need but this team desperately needs to get young and quick. 

 

Yeah I HOPE we use all of these picks. One way Beane could stop the bleeding with our cap issues is to replace the likes of Tim Settle and Ryan Bates with late round rookie contracts. Instead of paying players like Siran Neal and Tyler Matakevich, find special teams aces in rounds 6 and 7. The biggest thing hurting our team right now is that the bottom of the roster is full of bloated contracts. We need a big philosophical change to our spending habits, starting with this upcoming draft.

[msw2112]

14 hours ago, QCity said:

 

Seems like a small amount of space to give up that much versatility. 

 

I was thinking the same thing.  Bates can play any of the 5 positions along the line and has starting experience at guard.  The Bills were fortunate to go the entire season without injuries on the OL, but that's unlikely to be the situation again this upcoming season.  It's possible that Bates asked out so that he could get an opportunity to start and Beane did him a solid, and along the way, saved some salary and cap space and netted a 5th rounder in return.  

 

I typically give Beane the benefit of the doubt.  I don't think they would have made this move without 1) a good reason to make it; and 2) a plan for replacing the function that Bates provided to the team.

[Scott7975]

Not a bad trade. I don't mind it.  I just feel like this year we will start having the bad luck with the oline injuries.  That the crap that seems to happen to our team.

[SCBills]

4 minutes ago, Scott7975 said:

Not a bad trade. I don't mind it.  I just feel like this year we will start having the bad luck with the oline injuries.  That the crap that seems to happen to our team.

 

If they bring back David Edwards, their primary active Gameday backups could likely be Edwards, Anderson and Van Demark.  That's a vet they like and then two guys they've now spent some time developing .. who by all accounts, the organization are very high on.  

 

I'm not overly worried.   I like our Top 7 under contract as it currently stands.  

[mannc]

The trade could just be a case of the organization doing right by Ryan Bates…giving him a chance to start for an NFL team, an opportunity he really doesn’t have in Buffalo, barring injury.  At the same time, it’s not a trade that hurts the Bills in any significant way…

[T master]

15 hours ago, IBTG81 said:

Bated traded to Chicago for their 5th round pick. 

 

With a trade like this do the Bears also acquire his contract that he had with the Bills or do the Bills still have that against their cap because of the 5th round pick makes them even ? 

 

Stupid minds about the cap want to know !

 

 

Edited March 5 by T master

[Nephilim17]

12 minutes ago, T master said:

 

With a trade like this do the Bears also acquire his contract that he had with the Bills or do the Bills still have that against their cap because of the 5th round pick makes them even ? 

 

Stupid minds about the cap want to know !

 

 

Spotrac says the Bears pick up his 4 million per year deal for 2 years.

[SoCal Deek]

56 minutes ago, Billl said:

What do you think the going rate is for backup centers?  I think they did well to get anything more than a seventh rounder for him.

These are the folks who would scream if the trade was reversed and we gave up a 5th round pick for somebody else’s backup center. 😂

[ColoradoBills]

5 hours ago, Magox said:

This move puzzles me a bit.  The cap savings this year is minimal, however in 2025 I believe the cap savings is over $5m.   
 

Bates I thought all along was going to be given pole position on being Morse’s replacement and provided valuable depth.   I’m not sure a 5th rounder and some cap savings is enough of a trade off.    
 

Beane and McD must really like who we have on the roster that can replace what Bates was providing.

 

Bates, in his 5 years in Buffalo had 1436 snaps and only 203 at Center.  I personally never understood how fans had him as a Mitch Morse

replacement level player at the Center position.  He performed decently but the coaches know more about what his effectiveness

would be at Center better than me.  

 

Beane hopefully takes a couple of these Day 3 picks and get a true college center that can take over when Morse hangs them up.

[Xerx]

1 hour ago, HappyDays said:

 

I don't agree with this at all. Dawkins is inarguably our most important OL. I think center is the least important position on the OL. As long as they are capable and can snap the ball reliably, and you have a vet QB that can set his own protections, I just don't see it as a difficult position to fill. I'd much rather have two stalwart guards than a stalwart center.

 

I'm not sure this applies in 2024 that LT is most important OL position, it used to be for sure when QB's where far less mobile and stayed in pocket.

 

The game has evolved quite a bit, evading a quick beat off the edge is far easier than one up the middle

 

With how much shotgun Allen prefers to be in, his blind side isn't as open as a straight drop back.

 

Elite offenses/QB's seem to have a high level center was more often than not as well over the past 20 years

[CaptnCoke11]

They obviously feel good about Alec Anderson to make this trade.  Pretty good value for 4million a year guy who hardly plays.  

[No_Matter_What]

Am I really the only one who doesn't see this 5th round pick as ammo for trade up only?

 

I for one want Beane to use those pick to draft 10-11 players and then I want 8-9 or them to actually make a team. Don't bring tons of random useless vets, draft and use cheap talent.

[Big Blitz]

1 hour ago, Prospector said:

 

 

Unless you meant that you like Morse more than others do... which would make morse sense now that I think about it.

 

This was what I meant.  Yes

[SoCal Deek]

7 minutes ago, No_Matter_What said:

Am I really the only one who doesn't see this 5th round pick as ammo for trade up only?

 

I for one want Beane to use those pick to draft 10-11 players and then I want 8-9 or them to actually make a team. Don't bring tons of random useless vets, draft and use cheap talent.

That's an interesting comment. For over a decade people would critique the Patriots strategy of moving down and stockpiling picks. They had their Franchise QB in place. But I have to admit that I never followed it close enough to know if Billy B stuck with those picks on Draft Day, or used them as trade bait to move up. Does anyone know?

[No_Matter_What]

1 hour ago, HappyDays said:

 

Yeah I HOPE we use all of these picks. One way Beane could stop the bleeding with our cap issues is to replace the likes of Tim Settle and Ryan Bates with late round rookie contracts. Instead of paying players like Siran Neal and Tyler Matakevich, find special teams aces in rounds 6 and 7. The biggest thing hurting our team right now is that the bottom of the roster is full of bloated contracts. We need a big philosophical change to our spending habits, starting with this upcoming draft.

Oh now I see I am not the only one I wrote something similar couple posts above. Exactly this. Don't fill all holes by vet FAs before draft. Draft good and roster draft picks.

[Alphadawg7]

1 hour ago, DJB said:

I don’t agree. Yes LT is the most important position but C is the 2nd most important as they are the brain of the OL. Setting protections and covering those A gaps with how defenses are attacking is very important. 
 

Another poster above alluded to as well how bad Josh was before Morse was here and he has been paramount in Josh’ development. The guard spots to me are the least important on the line 

 

It is easy to say "how bad Josh was" before Morse got here...doesn't mean the correlation is that Morse getting here was the biggest catalyst to Josh's development when Morse joined Buffalo.  Josh was an ascending QB the moment he last stepped off Wyoming's football field.  Nothing against Morse, but some of you are heaping way too much credit onto Morse for Josh Allens development.  

 

Its kind of crazy how many people get "credit" for Josh Allens development.  It is talked about as if Josh never would have developed without "X" person and just glosses over Allens insane talent level combined with his commitment, drive, and competitiveness.  All anyone needs to do is watch his first road game as a double digit underdog vs Minnesota to see that what Josh Allen has become was inevitable, he was going to get there one way or another.  

 

Im not saying nobody had a role in his development, but its weird to me that Mahomes, Burrow, Rodgers, etc never get that same statement of how they developed because of so and so, people just accept their talent level as to why they are so good.  With Allen, its never about how talented he is, its alwasy talked about it being because of Daboll, or because he has Diggs, etc etc.  

[Ethan in Cleveland]

1 hour ago, DJB said:

I don’t agree. Yes LT is the most important position but C is the 2nd most important as they are the brain of the OL. Setting protections and covering those A gaps with how defenses are attacking is very important. 
 

Another poster above alluded to as well how bad Josh was before Morse was here and he has been paramount in Josh’ development. The guard spots to me are the least important on the line 

Generally agree. 

I'd just add that any good DC can find the weak link on the OL and exploit it. The last few years that was generally up the middle against our very poor OGs. 

Beane fixed both guard spots in one year and it looks like Brown is good enough at RT. 

Just need Dawkins and Morse to stay healthy and above average for one more year.

[eball]

7 hours ago, Matt_In_NH said:

Huh?

 

Maybe I phrased it poorly...if the Bills simply cut Bates they'd be fully on the hook for and dead cap part of his contract, but by trading him they have more cap savings...I think?

[Rubes]

2 hours ago, msw2112 said:

 

I was thinking the same thing.  Bates can play any of the 5 positions along the line and has starting experience at guard.  The Bills were fortunate to go the entire season without injuries on the OL, but that's unlikely to be the situation again this upcoming season.  It's possible that Bates asked out so that he could get an opportunity to start and Beane did him a solid, and along the way, saved some salary and cap space and netted a 5th rounder in return.  

 

I typically give Beane the benefit of the doubt.  I don't think they would have made this move without 1) a good reason to make it; and 2) a plan for replacing the function that Bates provided to the team.

 

Bingo.