Name a player that left the Bills as a FA in the McBeane era that made an impact on their next team

[MJS]

2 minutes ago, RoscoeParrish said:

They tried. They brought in guys like Addison and Murphy to replace him and none of them were as good as Jerry.

 

Teams generally don’t move on from their best pass rusher without having a plan to replace them.

They weren't there to replace Hughes. They were there to start opposite him.

[The Frankish Reich]

My crystal ball says I shouldn't be shocked in Von Miller produces more than Bosa.

[Doc Brown]

Diggs was on pace for a 1,000 yard season before tearing his ACL in week 8 averaging 62 yards a game.  Khalil Shakir was our best WR and averaged 54 yards a game FWIW.

[LABILLBACKER]

5 hours ago, RoscoeParrish said:

Optimist is that the Bills don’t let good players out of the building.

 

pessimist is the Bills don’t have enough good players to let out of the building.

 

who are the last couple players to get a big FA contract out of Buffalo? Gabe Davis? Tremaine Edmunds 3 FAs ago? Was there any before that?

 

I think the truth is somewhat in the middle. The Bills generally do very well paying the right guys, but are definitely not a team that has so many good players they just can’t pay them all.

The 2 smartest decisions Brandon ever made was not extending Edmunds or Davis. He recognized mediocre players and didn't overpay.  I'm a little disappointed he didn't do the same with Epenesa. For the most part BB is wise enough to not overextend. 

14 minutes ago, MJS said:

7 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

My crystal ball says I shouldn't be shocked in Von Miller produces more than Bosa.

 

Bosa's production will 100% be dependent on his health.  I don't expect a 10 sack Floyd season, but he could scratch out 7-8 sacks, which would help.

[The Frankish Reich]

7 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Bosa's production will 100% be dependent on his health.  I don't expect a 10 sack Floyd season, but he could scratch out 7-8 sacks, which would help.

I'm just saying that even a greatly diminished Von at 36 may have more left in the tank than Bosa at 30.

[Special K]

41 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

My crystal ball says I shouldn't be shocked in Von Miller produces more than Bosa.

 

I hope your crystal ball is a little cloudy on that one!!

 

40 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

Diggs was on pace for a 1,000 yard season before tearing his ACL in week 8 averaging 62 yards a game.  Khalil Shakir was our best WR and averaged 54 yards a game FWIW.

 

Diggs was traded....not a FA loss or a cut.

[Doc Brown]

7 minutes ago, Special K said:

 

I hope your crystal ball is a little cloudy on that one!!

 

 

Diggs was traded....not a FA loss or a cut.

You and your thread rules.  Wyatt Teller and Cody Ford were mentioned so I figured he was fair game.

[LABILLBACKER]

1 hour ago, The Frankish Reich said:

I'm just saying that even a greatly diminished Von at 36 may have more left in the tank than Bosa at 30.

We'll see this season with the Commanders. It's going to be a race between who stays healthier and their snap count. Von is probably on his last contract.  Joey is probably trying to get one more big payday.

[LABILLBACKER]

54 minutes ago, Special K said:

 

I hope your crystal ball is a little cloudy on that one!!

 

 

Diggs was traded....not a FA loss or a cut.

Cataracts 👀

[RoscoeParrish]

2 hours ago, MJS said:

They weren't there to replace Hughes. They were there to start opposite him.

We started 3 DEs? 

[billsfan89]

13 hours ago, eball said:

Very strange case. Some day I’d like to hear what happened there. 
 

 

The year before he signed with the Bills he had a really bad injury that's probably why the Bills got him cheap and he played like a fairly marginal player. Most likely why after he left being 2 years removed from a serious injury his play picked back up to where it was or close to where it was before the injury would be my guess? 

[NoName]

What about MVS?  He did some good things after leaving us.

 

Marshawn Lynch did as well.

 

Zack Moss also did better after he left,

[Big Blitz]

Quinton Spain whiffed badly on Aaron Donald on the last play of the SB leading to a Burrow throw that was just off to Chase and cost the Bengals the game.  
 

Thank you Quinton!   

[Special K]

11 minutes ago, Big Blitz said:

Quinton Spain whiffed badly on Aaron Donald on the last play of the SB leading to a Burrow throw that was just off to Chase and cost the Bengals the game.  
 

Thank you Quinton!   

 

I remember that....it prompted me to make the joke "The rain from Spain falls mainly on Joe Burrow."😁

[nuklz2594]

Elam...made a funny 

[T master]

Singletary and Moss have had some decent production for other teams, Isaiah Hodgins did pretty good in NY, Marquise Goodwin also did pretty good in SF , not real sure if any went on to be like Teller a all pro but many have had decent success . Levi Wallace too did okay in Pittsburgh .

[Mark Vader]

4 hours ago, The Frankish Reich said:

I'm just saying that even a greatly diminished Von at 36 may have more left in the tank than Bosa at 30.

They are much different players, but I see your point.

[NewEra]

Tbh there isn’t a guy I regret letting walk.  Jerry was my sentimental favorite, but he wasn’t worth (to the Bills) what the Texans gave him.  
 

Good teams have to let some good players walk.  That’s business

[BillsVet]

12 hours ago, RoscoeParrish said:

Optimist is that the Bills don’t let good players out of the building.

 

pessimist is the Bills don’t have enough good players to let out of the building.

 

who are the last couple players to get a big FA contract out of Buffalo? Gabe Davis? Tremaine Edmunds 3 FAs ago? Was there any before that?

 

I think the truth is somewhat in the middle. The Bills generally do very well paying the right guys, but are definitely not a team that has so many good players they just can’t pay them all.

 

Of their 22 2017-2022 draft picks who reached or neared the end of their rookie deals, they've re-signed 16.  And of those, 12 got 9M+ AAV extensions.  

 

That's all well and good, but it's getting expensive re-signing all these players.  Truth is, they've got to start seeing starting caliber play out of guys on rookie or value UFA contracts.  They can't sign everyone to market-based deals because it's how you're cap-challenged each March.  Which is what Buffalo is now.   

 

Truth is, Buffalo has not been good finding value-type UFAs which would alleviate their cap pressure.  Sure, it's great to give a MLB 9M AAV, but where a team really gets it done is letting him hit UFA and either having his replacement on a rookie deal or a UFA making 4M for 1-2 seasons without much drop in play.  Not easy, but that's how teams can keep have a big QB contract with WR and DE talent signed long-term.  

 

Buffalo has become a very safe team in their personnel decision-making and re-signing your own to market-based contracts sometimes is that.  Not saying it'll happen, but re-signing James Cook fits there.  He's a known entity and there's mild risk drafting a RB in RD3/4 who'd need to come in and learn.  Or, draft a WR when you acknowledge that scouting them is hard...so just sign another Elijah Moore or Josh Palmer because there's tape on those guys.  

 

 

[Sojourner]

A few mentions of Harrison Phillips, agree on that. (Wyatt Teller too, obviously. Even though it wasn’t FA)
 

Mongo went to the SB with the 9ers, pretty solid play when he wasn’t injured after leaving. 

Edmunds, love or hate him has been decent for Chicago. 
 

The only other guy I can think of under Beane is Dean Marlowe. Had a solid season in Detroit before fading back into obscurity/journeyman status and out of the league. 

Edited August 7 by Sojourner