The Plan - WR First!

[MarlinTheMagician]

The more I play with the mocks and free agents, I think the roster is going to be easier to fix than many seem to think.

 

1.  Mike Evans - oddly, he seems like a real key.  Fixes "X" without completely breaking the bank. Sign him, draft Concepcion #1.  Voila!  WR room fixed.  I will take Z-Concepcion, Slot - Shakir and X-Evans all day.  It is a good and potentially very good top 3. 

 

Key potnts:  Evans will be relatively (compared to Alec Pierce), affordable .  And we still have Keon.  Plus, Evans may be able to "fix" Keon.  Evans is IMHO an all-time X, and if he can't fix Keon this year, next year we get our future X.  I think Palmer is a quality WR4, who can compete with Concepcion at the Z and back-up Evans at the X if Keon is still bad.  Plus blocker Shavers - who may be able to do more than that - if healthy.  Room fixed.

 

2. Aside from one Day 3 pick on a developmental OL, use remaining draft picks on defensive players that fit Leonard's scheme - and who are younger, faster, stronger.  

 

3. Because Evans won't break the bank, you can do some other stuff.  First, sign McGovern.

 

4. Love him, but let Edwards walk (unless we get an amazing bargain - we won't).  Getting older and bad concussion history. 

 

5. Sign Alec Anderson to 3 yr deal - love his nasty, younger.  Cheaper in the long-run than something shorter.  

 

6. Tender Vandemark so as to trigger relatively high picks if taken. 

 

7.  Sign Shaq to compete with a drafted or FA Mike; sign Milano to compete with Bernard (who will be injured anyhow).  Draft Pick/Shaq (Mike) and Bernard/Milano (weak) is a very strong IL group if the draft pick is good.  I think this is a hidden asset - we can get good value out of Shaq and Milano, don't think either want to leave and can be had at (relatively) good prices. Thought Milano played pretty much like his old self in back half/third of the year and he is still not "old". 

 

8. Same with Tre White - sign him too.  Probably a deal like last year.  He could beat out Hairston, depth at a minimum. 

 

9. Assuming we have free at the start $40+ in cap with restructures and cap expansion - we should have some money left to do a couple things - like sign an aging nose (Reader or the like), a mid-range edge (Mafe?), or some DB depth (especially if Strong can't go).  

 

10. Sign Poyer to PS - break glass in case of emergency. 

 

Ride this plan to the title!  

 

 

Edited February 15 by MarlinTheMagician
typo fix

[BarleyNY]

36 minutes ago, MarlinTheMagician said:

The more I play with the mocks and free agents, I think the roster is going to be easier to fix than many seem to think.

 

1.  Mike Evans - oddly, he seems like a real key.  Fixes "X" without completely breaking the bank. Sign him, draft Concepcion #1.  Voila!  WR room fixed.  I will take Z-Concepcion, Slot - Shakir and X-Evans all day.  It is a good and potentially very good top 3. 

 

Key potnts:  Evans will be relatively (compared to Alec Pierce), affordable .  And we still have Keon.  Plus, Evans may be able to "fix" Keon.  Evans is IMHO an all-time X, and if he can't fix Keon this year, next year we get our future X.  I think Palmer is a quality WR4, who can compete with Concepcion at the Z and back-up Evans at the X if Keon is still bad.  Plus blocker Shavers - who may be able to do more than that - if healthy.  Room fixed.

 

2. Aside from one Day 3 pick on a developmental OL, use remaining draft picks on defensive players that fit Leonard's scheme - and who are younger, faster, stronger.  

 

3. Because Evans won't break the bank, you can do some other stuff.  First, sign McGovern.

 

4. Love him, but let Edwards walk (unless we get an amazing bargain - we won't).  Getting older and bad concussion history. 

 

5. Sign Alec Anderson to 3 yr deal - love his nasty, younger.  Cheaper in the long-run than something shorter.  

 

6. Tender Vandemark so as to trigger relatively high picks if taken. 

 

7.  Sign Shaq to compete with a drafted or FA Mike; sign Milano to compete with Bernard (who will be injured anyhow).  Draft Pick/Shaq (Mike) and Bernard/Milano (weak) is a very strong IL group if the draft pick is good.  I think this is a hidden asset - we can get good value out of Shaq and Milano, don't think either want to leave and can be had at (relatively) good prices. Thought Milano played pretty much like his old self in back half/third of the year and he is still not "old". 

 

8. Same with Tre White - sign him too.  Probably a deal like last year.  He could beat out Hairston, depth at a minimum. 

 

9. Assuming we have free at the start $40+ in cap with restructures and cap expansion - we should have some money left to do a couple things - like sign an aging nose (Reader or the like), a mid-range edge (Mafe?), or some DB depth (especially if Strong can't go).  

 

10. Sign Poyer to PS - break glass in case of emergency. 

 

Ride this plan to the title!  

 

 

 

Mike Evans will be a very interesting free agent this offseason - and yes, the Bills should be very interested in him. But there is much to play out with him. I don’t know where his head is at the moment, but the play book for players like him is usually to first see which team will pay what for his services. Then play the contenders (and maybe home team) off the also-rans. Then make a decision based on the whole landscape. He should have a lot is suitors - including Tampa Bay (current team), KC, Buffalo, Houston (hometown team) and others. If I wasn’t the GM of a team ready to compete for a SB, I wouldn’t even bother with more than a courtesy call to check his asking price. 

[mannc]

20 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

 

Mike Evans will be a very interesting free agent this offseason - and yes, the Bills should be very interested in him. But there is much to play out with him. I don’t know where his head is at the moment, but the play book for players like him is usually to first see which team will pay what for his services. Then play the contenders (and maybe home team) off the also-rans. Then make a decision based on the whole landscape. He should have a lot is suitors - including Tampa Bay (current team), KC, Buffalo, Houston (hometown team) and others. If I wasn’t the GM of a team ready to compete for a SB, I wouldn’t even bother with more than a courtesy call to check his asking price. 

It would be wild to roll with Mike Evans and Brandon Cooks at WR in 2026--two guys from the 2014 draft class, which of course also included Sammy Watkins.

[DJB]

Beane has options at WR this year . There are no excuses 

 

Evans -  FA

AJB - Seems to want out of Philly

DK - Rumors he may be dealt 

Jefferson - Confinues to insinuate that he wants out of Minny and play for Buffalo 

 

NO EXCUSES 

[3rdand12]

29 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

 

Mike Evans will be a very interesting free agent this offseason - and yes, the Bills should be very interested in him. But there is much to play out with him. I don’t know where his head is at the moment, but the play book for players like him is usually to first see which team will pay what for his services. Then play the contenders (and maybe home team) off the also-rans. Then make a decision based on the whole landscape. He should have a lot is suitors - including Tampa Bay (current team), KC, Buffalo, Houston (hometown team) and others. If I wasn’t the GM of a team ready to compete for a SB, I wouldn’t even bother with more than a courtesy call to check his asking price. 

I dont think Mike leaves his team.

 But I like the thought as a holistic fit with Marlins other suggestions

[finn]

4 minutes ago, DJB said:

Beane has options at WR this year . There are no excuses 

 

Evans -  FA

AJB - Seems to want out of Philly

DK - Rumors he may be dealt 

Jefferson - Confinues to insinuate that he wants out of Minny and play for Buffalo 

 

NO EXCUSES 

He didn't have excuses the past several years, either. He just didn't think the position was important, and he still might not, beyond the PR value of looking like he did something.

 

I'm thinking less and less of Beane all the time. The Athletic has a piece up today that quotes an ex-PFF exec who said Beane would call up to threaten cutting off business with PFF unless they graded his players higher. Is he child? Together with his lackluster draft and free-agent, record, his failure to secure a WR at midseason (arguably costing a SB appearance), his shrill attack on WGR, and his implied "all bad picks were Sean's" stance, I'm beginning to think we have an insecure, immature GM with poor judgment. Good at financials, though. Maybe in his new position he'll leave the draft and free agency to his experts. I doubt that will happen, though. 

[NewEra]

13 minutes ago, DJB said:

Beane has options at WR this year . There are no excuses 

 

Evans -  FA

AJB - Seems to want out of Philly

DK - Rumors he may be dealt 

Jefferson - Confinues to insinuate that he wants out of Minny and play for Buffalo 

 

NO EXCUSES 

I agree that Beane needs to remedy our WR situation.

 

what confuses me is the Jefferson stuff.  I’ve been following pretty closely and haven’t seen much other than him talking about Brady when asked about which player he’d like to play with on the Bills.  Is there anything else?

 

 

[Sojourner]

35 minutes ago, BarleyNY said:

 

Mike Evans will be a very interesting free agent this offseason - and yes, the Bills should be very interested in him. But there is much to play out with him. I don’t know where his head is at the moment, but the play book for players like him is usually to first see which team will pay what for his services. Then play the contenders (and maybe home team) off the also-rans. Then make a decision based on the whole landscape. He should have a lot is suitors - including Tampa Bay (current team), KC, Buffalo, Houston (hometown team) and others. If I wasn’t the GM of a team ready to compete for a SB, I wouldn’t even bother with more than a courtesy call to check his asking price. 

Agreed. I do think Tampa will offer him something competitive and keep him. That passing game wasn’t the same last year when he was out… Egbuka’s hot start tailed off when defenses were focused on him and Godwin, as much of a player as he is, is similar to the previously mentioned. Jalen McMillan could fill out that X role but after a decent rookie year they still drafted Egbuka to fill out their WR room and retained Godwin via extension. That last part might be the biggest play for Tampa; Godwin’s extension of 3y/$66m. 
 

A lot in the air and a lot of suitors I’m sure. 

[Urban Achievers]

JJ. 

[Walking Tall]

Evans would be a troubling signing, especially with him coming off the year he had and the issues we have had with Palmer and Samuel.

 

Hard pass for me.

[BarleyNY]

36 minutes ago, mannc said:

It would be wild to roll with Mike Evans and Brandon Cooks at WR in 2026--two guys from the 2014 draft class, which of course also included Sammy Watkins.

That would be wild. 

[BarleyNY]

30 minutes ago, 3rdand12 said:

I dont think Mike leaves his team.

 But I like the thought as a holistic fit with Marlins other suggestions

Especially tough for me to see him heading to a cold weather team for the end of his career too. Galveston, Texas A & M, Tampa Bay and then where? Buffalo? Might be a tough sell, but we gotta try!

[RoscoeParrish]

1 hour ago, BarleyNY said:

 

Mike Evans will be a very interesting free agent this offseason - and yes, the Bills should be very interested in him. But there is much to play out with him. I don’t know where his head is at the moment, but the play book for players like him is usually to first see which team will pay what for his services. Then play the contenders (and maybe home team) off the also-rans. Then make a decision based on the whole landscape. He should have a lot is suitors - including Tampa Bay (current team), KC, Buffalo, Houston (hometown team) and others. If I wasn’t the GM of a team ready to compete for a SB, I wouldn’t even bother with more than a courtesy call to check his asking price. 

I’m not sure Evans is that interesting. He is going to be very tough to convince to leave TB under any circumstance. He is arguably their greatest player in franchise history. I doubt he’s interested in making any kind of move.

[MarlinTheMagician]

Apparently, Evans says he wants to be on a team that competes for the Super Bowl.  

 

Another good option in similar price range ($15 million) is Romeo Doubs. Then draft Concepcion who can take the top off.  

 

I am interested in the overall plan and people's thoughts on that, though Mike Evans is a key!

[Steptide]

Imo we need TWO receivers. Get them both in free agency, or one from the draft and one from free agency. I don't care, but I'm tired of saying we need receivers. It's actually somewhat laughable that we have Josh Allen and this has been an argument for so long. Beane wiffed hard on Coleman (book is still out) and even Kincaid to an extent. Kincaid staying healthy would be huge 

[MarlinTheMagician]

1 minute ago, Steptide said:

Imo we need TWO receivers. Get them both in free agency, or one from the draft and one from free agency. I don't care, but I'm tired of saying we need receivers. It's actually somewhat laughable that we have Josh Allen and this has been an argument for so long. Beane wiffed hard on Coleman (book is still out) and even Kincaid to an extent. Kincaid staying healthy would be huge 

Agree, affordable X in Evans/Doubs, draft Concepcion - his film is electric.  I would rather that than pick Boston #1 and take the separation risk. Concepcion is known as an elite separator, which is what I think we most need. 

 

Check this out.  Tough, sudden, fast, goes deep, RAC, runs routes -- and electric returner. 

 

 

[SoCal Deek]

I have next to no interest in bringing in Evans. For some reason I see a Joe Brady offense as where WRs go to disappear. 

[MarlinTheMagician]

Then bring in Doubs.  Concepcion is electric - and we got no electric other than Cook out of the backfield.  Runs jet sweeps too.  He is my dream pick of what is realistic for us in the draft. 

[T.E.]

49 minutes ago, NewEra said:

I agree that Beane needs to remedy our WR situation.

 

what confuses me is the Jefferson stuff.  I’ve been following pretty closely and haven’t seen much other than him talking about Brady when asked about which player he’d like to play with on the Bills.  Is there anything else?

 

 

It's pretty much a rehash of the Myles Garrett talk:

 

"I'd really like for his team to inexplicably trade him in the prime of his career to the Bills, so it's probably going to happen."

[MarlinTheMagician]

Other than Jefferson and Pierce, which I think are like the Myles Garrettt talk, a lot of the other WRs out there feel like taking somebody else's problems.  

 

That''s why I like Doubs/Evans and a pick - for me, Concepcion.