WGR

‘Ngakoue is regarded by most as the prized edge rusher of the year’s free agent class.’

‘But Cooper will most likely be the highest-paid free agent receiver on the market and the Bengals are reportedly going to put the franchise tag on Green. So, those two options are most likely off the table for the Bills. But here are some other wideouts who could fit what they’re looking for…’.

‘Crucial to the success of the team. Core pieces. Glue guys. This was the description of many former Buffalo Bills that enter the 2020 NFL free agency period perhaps without the same seen value and ability.’

‘So while there will definitely be many who see Brady’s return as more “Same Old Bills Losing to the Patriots” continuity, there will definitely be many who are no longer afraid to go into the TB12 Funhouse, and even welcome it and not want a change, since beating the Patriots with Brady under center would be so much more rewarding than with anyone else. And they believe now is the time that will finally happen.’

‘Salgado is now the Nickel DB Coach, which is another indication of how football has evolved over the past several years and how important the Nickel/slot cornerback position is to a team. Salgado was previously a defensive assistant, but now will apparently strictly work with that inside cornerback position.’

‘“[Drafting and developing players] is the ideal way. When it’s time to re-sign a guy that you have on your roster, it takes two. The best deals are win-win, a win for the player and a win for the Bills. Sometimes we want to sign or re-sign a guy here, and the agent just feels that the market is higher than where we see it, and so those deals don’t get done. Or, vice versa, [the player] feels this isn’t necessarily the right spot for them, or they want to wait. Sometimes guys just want to wait and see what free agency holds this year or how the market shapes out, and just get a little bit more clarity on it. And I think one of the things going on right now is the CBA, there hasn’t been a lot of deals and I think a lot of people are waiting to see if a new CBA is ratified, and what that would do to the cap this year, and also what it would start looking like in 2021 and beyond.”’

‘Biggest need for depth: Cornerback.”

‘”If you add a 17th game, there’s additional risk that we incur. We’re trying to figure out how we can mitigate as much as possible. Having a longer wrap up time before you put pads on, maximizing the pads that you can have on, as well as increasing the off days.”‘

‘“[I haven’t read] the full-on, full-out CBA. I mean, it hasn’t been truly written out yet. We kind of scaled it to what the 2011 one was, and then we went over all the tweaks, all the changes. The big impact thing, of course, is the 17th game. That’s the toughest selling point for any rep. going back to the locker rooms. But, there are a lot of good things in this CBA. It’s not perfect. Nobody really wants to play another game, but if we can make it work, then we’re going to make it work.”’

‘“I’m looking for a good player. Receiver, of all positions probably, comes in the Baskin-Robbins 31 flavors. Size, speed, length, guys who can run after catch. All sorts of variables… There are guys who can play above the rim. This is a deep receiver draft… one of the last things left is the medical with some of these guys, and making sure they medically check out. We’re not just looking for a certain thing, a speed or size. We’re looking for good players that we know that can come in and fit alongside what we’ve already got. The John Browns, the Cole Beasleys and the rest of that group.”’

‘Of this trio, Henry Ruggs is getting the most attention as a legitimate top-three receiver in this draft. Along with Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb, Ruggs is a potential top-10 or -15 pick in the draft, and everyone will have their eyes on the TV when he lines up for the 40-yard dash. He’s expected to closely contest John Ross’ combine record of 4.22 seconds, given that he recorded a 4.25 second time at Alabama’s Pro Day. He’s already making waves early in the combine after measurements.’

‘The Bills and Washington Redskins had familiarity with Olsen, but it proved to not be enough to lure him in. Olsen spent time in Carolina with Bills head coach Sean McDermott, general manager Brandon Beane, as well as new Washington head coach Ron Rivera.’

‘The idea of franchise tagging Phillips has nothing to do with the $15.5 million. It has everything to do with it only being for one year. The worst thing I believe the Bills could do is sign Phillips to a multi-year extension. By 2021, the Bills will have to give out new deals to cornerback Tre’Davious White, left tackle Dion Dawkins, linebacker Matt Milano, and even safety Jordan Poyer if they want to keep him around. A multi-year deal for Phillips would stretch into a time period where the Bills have to pay all those guys, and possibly quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds too.’

‘Lotulelei was set to count $10.1 million against the team’s salary cap in 2020. The restructure will give the Bills some cap relief, although the team will already have close to $90 million in available space when free agency opens in March.’

‘One way the Bills can get better on defense next season is a more productive pass-rush on the edge. While Shaq Lawson had a career year in his contract season, it still only resulted in 6.5 sacks. There are better options in free agency that the Bills can pay if they are going to reach deep into their pockets for an edge-rusher.’