Looking WAY ahead.....

[BillsFanForever19]

I'm getting bored waiting for this last, pointless preseason game and then the week off between it and the regular season. While this offseason was boring at best, I started thinking of next offseason and WHOA!

 

First off, the Nate Clements issue. There's many different ways to look at it. The best situation would be Donahoe and Clement's agent coming to a cap-friendly agreement before 9/11. But the odds of that happening is slim and none. Then we'd have to hope for him sign an extension at the conclusion of the season before the market hits.

 

If he isn't a Bill when the market opens up the only way we're keeping him is to "Franchise" him. If none of those things happen, Nate will be gone. Pure and simple. The amount of money he will demand is going to be staggering and knowing TD there's no way he'll pay the bonus that Nate's looking for.

 

What happens to cap money that isn't used? Apparently, we're sitting on around $5 million in cap money this year. Is there anyway we can use it this year on an extension for Nate? Also, does anyone know what CB's will be UFA's after this year besides Nate?

 

Next, the 2006 NFL Draft. What an interesting draft this is shaping up to be! This year we're going to have a 1st rounder. Not to mention two 3rd rounders. And it probably won't stop there. I figure we'll get an extra 3rd and 4th compensatorily for Jonas and Big Pat (if Denver got two 3rds for the bums they lost, I think we should get at least that). So what should we do with all these picks? We'll get to that in a minute.

 

Eric Moulds. His is a name that is as big a celebrity in Buffalo as it gets. But his age began to show last season. I hope that Eric bounces back this year with JP. But the bottom line is that next year Moulds' staggering salary is even higher. I've heard that it's around 8 million. If that's the case, there's no way he'll be a Bill next season unless he restructures. The problem being Moulds contract has already been restructured at least once. Will he do it again? And if he has a lack-luster year will we even give him the chance? Lee Evans has emerged as our new #1 WR in my eyes and who knows what Roscoe Parrish can do for us.

 

I would not be shocked one bit if this is Eric Moulds' last season as a Buffalo Bill. If it is, do you think we could get anything for him? If he shows some promise this year and TD doesn't want to pay, do you think we could get a late 2nd for him?

 

Back to the draft. If we lose Eric Moulds, I think we'll have to do another year of drafting a WR high. Evans is a stud, but I don't think we drafted Parrish to replace Moulds. I think we would need another WR. Here's what our draft COULD look like:

 

1st

2nd

*2nd (Late for Moulds MAYBE)

3rd

3rd (from Tennessee for Henry)

3rd (compensatory)

4th

4th (compensatory)

5th

6th

7th

 

Here's to hoping that Losman comes on and we have a good year. Realistically, i'm thinking our pick will be somewhere between 13-23. If we have a pick there and package it with some of the MANY picks we'll have, perhaps we can grab a stud. Maybe the top WR taken. If Moulds had to go and we replaced him with the top WR in the draft along with Evans and Parrish, i'd feel comfortable.

 

Reggie Bush is someone i'd be interested in. I know he's listed as a tailback. But I think he'll be drafted as a WR. He's fast as hell and catches like a stud WR. He's on the tiny side for a RB, but look's like a prototype wideout. What do you guys think about him being in the red, white, and blue?

 

If Nate leaves, I wouldn't feel comfortable replacing him with a rookie. His is a position that isn't all that deep and is really green. If we can't resign him, I think we'll need to bring in a veteran from FA.

 

If a STUD OT comes out this year, then I think we'd need to trade up huge to get him. Even if Moulds left.

 

Other than that, let's take a look at the rest of the FA's:

 

C Trey Teague - I think the drafting of Duke makes him expendable depending on how he comes along.

 

DT Ron Edwards - He should be re-signed. He has had a tremendous preseason and has made me forget about Pat.

 

WR Josh Reed - Let him walk.

 

DE Ryan Denney - If we have the room, why not? But is easily replaced.

 

CB Kevin Thomas - Tender him. We do every year it seems like.

 

DT Justin Bannan - Let him walk.

 

RB Joe Burns - Let him walk.

 

LS Jon Dorenbos - Sign him cheap.

 

OL Lawrence Smith - Let him walk.

 

 

 

Thoughts?

[Dr. Fong]

I think Moulds restructures and stays a Bill. Nobody is going to give him a lot of money on the free market. As for Clements, I think it will all work out fine in the end. I see him being franchised and possibly even being traded off to another team if someone wants him bad enough. Either way it's a good situation for the Bills.

[BuffaloDynamite]

Doesn't sound too bad. I hope we really do get all those picks-that would be sweet.

[Rubes]

I'm reasonably certain that next year will finally be the year that Josh Reed finally steps up and fills in at the #2 WR spot.

[BuffaloRebound]

Kelsay is also going to have to be locked up long term. I could see him commanding more than Schobel. Unfortunately, the Bills won't be able to pay all these guys what they are worth and will lose some good players. McGahee, Clements, Kelsay, McGee, and possibly Edwards will command large contracts over the next year or so. Guys like Bannan and Denney are no brainers to extend because they are valuable backups and will probably come cheap. Tough decisions will also need to be made on veterans like Moulds, Fletcher, Milloy, Vincent, Adams, and Teague. The Bills could go in almost any direction when it comes to the 2006 draft.

[Ramius]

for what its worth, next years draft is supposed to be stacked with offensive tackles...

[d_wag]

clements -- pay him.......f-tag doesn't make sense from a salary cap perspective and he's too valuable to lose......extending him will keep his cap hits at a moderate level while the team is at it's peak level.....

 

moulds -- has a lot of leverage against the bills........if he wants to stay, something can be worked out.......but if he wants to go he will get his release and likely make more then his scheduled salary on the open market........if he doesn't want to play ball with the bills it's really going to hurt the cap with the dead money.....

 

teague -- writing is on the wall with the drafting of preston.....will free up a lot of cap dollars......

 

edwards -- if the bills wait and he has a breakout season he is as good as gone......if the bills want him long-term they better hammer something out now and show faith in him.......he's been around long enough to be properly evaluated.....

 

kelsey -- it will not take "schobel" dollars to lock him long-term now, but if the bills wait till after this season it may....one positive is he will never post huge sack numbers due all the zone blitzing the bills do now......

 

other big issue not mentioned -- fletcher -- he will be in the last year of his contract in '06 and the cap charge is over 5M.....he'll either have to be extended or be cut.........can't see the bills letting him play out the year at that kind of number....

 

as mentioned, next year's crop of LT's is the best in quite some time........could be as many as 7 or 8 picked in the first round alone.......love to see the bills go in this direction and address the need long-term........extra 3rd rounder also gives good ammunition to trade up if need be........

[d_wag]

CB Kevin Thomas - Tender him. We do every year it seems like.

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one other note -- kevin thomas is a UFA next off-season

[MartyBall4Buffalo]

Nate clements is a defensive player that scores the first example of someone like that who comes to mind is ed reed (Yes I know he's a safety but still) You don't let players like that just walk. Clements is the best cb in the league, One game against Jimmy Smith isn't going to change my mind. Chump Bailey got owned by a lot of people last year and throughout his career and for some reason people think he's "shutdown" Clements is a difference maker in the secondary, without him our secondary is garbage, the dropoff in production would be huge. Save all the Eric King talk for when he actually does something if not for the injury to Kevin Thomas King is our 5th cb instead of 4th. You don't jump from being the #4 cb to replacing Nate Clements. Terrence Mcgee has potential out this world.... Nate he is not. This isn't similar to the redskins situation when they traded Champ Bailey and a better cb in Shawn Springs was available in free agency. There is no Shawn Springs in free agency this year, or any better cb. Nate Clements is the premiere cb in the league. You simply pay the man his money.

 

 

Eric Moulds- As much as I love eric moulds and he's been my favorite bill for years, his age is getting up there however a reliable option would have to be found before I'd feel comfortable letting him go. No one's gonna trade for him. He's ours and gets his deal re-done to lower his salary or he's gone. It'll be dissapointing to see eric go, but if he doesn't re-do his contract I'd much rather let him go and use that money to re-signing nate.

 

 

Personally theres 2 guys in the 1st rd of next years draft who I'd love to get. DT Rodrique Wright and the next Julius Peppers de Mario Williams. If Clements could be taged and traded for a high 1st rd pick in order to get Williams I could learn to accept it, but either way no matter what we need to build defense in the draft next year a lt and moulds replacement.