Archives for February 2024

‘Let’s start with the numbers. The 29-year-old White is under contract for 2024 and 2025. His scheduled salary cap hit in 2024 is $16.443 million. White is due a roster bonus of $1.5 million on March 18, so that date serves as a deadline of sorts for Beane to make his decision. If White was released (or traded) before March 18, he would count $10.369 million against the 2024 cap in “dead money,” but the team would save $6.073 million in cap space. If Beane waited until after March 18 to release White, but did so before June 1, the cap savings would decrease to $4.573 million, while the dead money against the cap would increase to $11.869 million – making that an unlikely option.’

‘Bass, meanwhile, started the season on a heater, making his first nine field goals and 18 extra points through the first five weeks. From there, however, things got worse. While he remained reliable on extra points, missing just one in the regular season and playoffs (that came during a 32-6 win over the Jets), his field goal accuracy plummeted. From Week 6 through the Bills’ two playoff games, Bass went just 17 of 25 on field goals – a conversion rate of 68%. That’s woefully low for an NFL kicker. Of the 30 kickers who attempted at least 23 field goals in the regular season, Bass’ overall conversion rate of 82.8% ranked 22nd.’

‘“I believe that I saw was his best game was the last game of the season – the Kansas City game,” said Bills General Manager Brandon Beane after the season. “And my hope is that that is a good direction for where we pick up at the beginning of next season. What he came back from and the way he worked certainly was impressive. Do I wish he was healthier through the course of the body of the season? Absolutely. But nobody worked harder to get himself back. And my hope is that he is healthy at the beginning of next season and ready to really play his best football and that this was another steppingstone.”’

‘For starters, the Buffalo Bills would have to give up a lot more than just their 2025 first-round pick. Let’s look at the top five of the draft. Chicago, Washington, New England, Arizona and the Los Angeles Chargers. The first three of those teams are in desperate need of a quarterback, and there are three of them expected to go in the top half of the first round. The Patriots also don’t figure to be a likely trade partner with the Bills, a divisional rival. If three quarterbacks don’t go in the first three picks, Harrison may very well go to one of those teams. Let’s say he does make it to No. 4, though.’

‘Costs have gone up more than 50%, Superintendent David Lilleck said last week. Orchard Park is among districts running into inflation and a shortage of contractors willing to bid on building work because they are, or will be, tied up with major projects that include the $1.54 billion Buffalo Bills stadium, the $110 million renovation of Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Park (formerly LaSalle Park) and coming construction of the $550 million Amazon mega-distribution center in the Town of Niagara.’