BarleyNY

It’s difficult for me to believe that more eyes aren’t on a 2 minute discussion about the game - complete with advertiser logos on screen - versus a set of breakaway commercials.

While I think that you’re correct in general, it’s not an either-or situation. Yes, it’s a business and cashing in is almost always priority #1. The main exception is when we see players at the end of their careers who want a ring. While they all want paid the vast majority also want to achieve at the highest level in their careers. That means winning a championship (as well as individual awards). There also are teams that bond well and those players want to help their teammates and team achieve. Look no further than the current Browns team to see an extreme example of that. From most reports the Bills have that too. I see it as two separate mentalities and seasons. The regular season and the associated contracts are about getting paid well. The postseason is about winning a championship because those paychecks are not close to what players make for the regular season (unless they are making league minimum).

Agree on 1-4 and that #5 is the tough one. I’d throw a defensive player in there, but it’d be difficult to pick from Garrett, Watt, Parsons, Crosby, etc. I think I’d go with Lamb.

My initial thought was 4/$52M with $26M guaranteed, but with the rising cap - and Bosa re-setting the top of the market - I certainly can see him getting your estimate of 4/60/30 on the open market.

A long time ago I was a design engineer at a truss plant. Somehow, someway, I’d get selected for a “random” drug test twice a year during the busy season when they were running extra shifts. Oddly it never happened during the slow times of year when they had one skeleton shift and the odds of an office person being selected were much great. Only during the time of year they couldn’t afford to lose anyone in the shop. Hmmm.

I remember this. I was almost 12 years old. My reaction at the time was that it was better than with the broadcasters. Also I remember laughing at the announcers who all thought it was so terrible. Even at that age I thought that was hilarious. Like they were going to say it was great and they should all be fired. One of my favorite things about NFL+ is watching the condensed games. The garbage announcer filler is dramatically reduced and I can watch a game in about 40 minutes.

Let’s keep it civil.

My daughter waited on Isaiah McKenzie at a Williamsville restaurant many Bills players frequent. She raved about how nice he was to her. I was there that night and saw some of it myself.

I have wondered for years why all teams don’t always match the gloves to opponent jerseys (as much as possible).

Ah, I remember the Before Times.

Apologies for the confusion on my part. I ran everything a year off. The Bills will be fine cap-wise in 2024. Restructures and moving on from overpaid/underperforming players will give the Bills enough room to operate in 2024. The real pain will be in 2025 and/or 2026. I’ve been over it a bunch of times in other threads. I’ll link one. see below) Others, including Tompsett, have done solid work too. Cap management is a lot of work every year for teams that are contenders. Just because 2024 will require that doesn’t mean it’ll be particularly painful. We may part with players like Tre White, which could be characterized as painful. But that’s play related, not cap related. When talking about salary caps and contracts cash and cap are very different. Cash is literally money paid to a player. Cap is the allocation of those dollars. Cash strapped teams are ones where ownership does not have the liquidity to offer contracts (or restructures) with high signing bonuses and/or guarantees. That obviously is not the case with the Bills. https://www.twobillsdrive.com/community/topic/251384-the-bleak-cap-situation-going-forward/page/5/

First, a couple points of clarification: - The Bills absolutely are not CASH strapped. They have some CAP pain coming in the future, but that is a different issue. - As currently constructed, yes, cap hits for Poyer would be $2M to cut or $7.5M to keep, but the only part of those numbers that is meaningful to a discussion of whether or not to keep him on the team is the $5.5M i. new money. To the first point, the 2024 cap will not be an issue, in part because the Bills are not cash strapped. 2025 is likely to see some cap related pain though. That could even be pushed to 2026 or split between the seasons if the Bills are so inclined. It is coming, just not this offseason. To the second point, if the Bills keep Poyer they could push out some of his cap hit with a restructure and void year(s). Still, we’d be adding a total of $5.5M to our cap responsibilities unless he took a pay cut. The other option is to replace him, which quite obviously means paying a FA and/or drafting a player. I don’t see the Bills drafting a safety early this offseason so I’ll cross that off. They could pay a younger safety of near equal talent, but they aren’t saving any money/cap space doing that. Still, I wouldn’t have any issue with this if the team goes this route. The last option is to bring back Poyer (or other short term vet) and draft a mid round (or later) S that can be groomed. I think they’ve tried this, but it hasn’t worked out. It’s a viable option. tl/dr: if the Bills don’t keep Poyer, it’ll be because of his play not his contract.

Poyer is due $5.5M in new money for 2024. I think that makes it worthwhile for the Bills to keep him and for him to play it out and then retire. However, you certainly could be correct. Maybe his body is telling him to step away now. Or maybe the Bills don’t want him back at that price - or even at all. Hyde’s contract is up so having some continuity at safety might play into it. Honestly, none of those outcomes would surprise me.

I believe that Dugger and Poyer play the same SS role so that would mean moving on from Poyer. I haven’t watched Dugger’s play so I don’t have an opinion on him, but I would not mind getting younger at S - especially if the money is right.

While I would have no issue with Davis coming back at the right price and with a diminished role, but ultimately that would not be good for either him or the team. I’m sure his agent will (correctly) steer him to a team where he can get playing time and have the opportunity to earn a bigger contract than what he would get this offseason (especially here). On the Bills side I can see potential for hard feelings and frustration. The locker room doesn’t need that. So I voted to not have him back.

Not that I care personally, but wouldn’t the Bills be in violation of league rules for not including this on injury reports?

CB - Douglas, prefer to extend CB - Benford N - Johnson, prefer to extend FS - FA (or draft pick) SS - Poyer White - released w/post 6/1 designation Hamlin - depth Neal - depth or cut Elam - developmental depth or trade Hyde, Rapp - allow to leave in FA Jackson, Lewis - allow to leave as FA unless kept as inexpensive depth

Highly - as in almost impossible level - unlikely. If the Bills were to trade Diggs in the off-season even if the new team took on all of his future salary, bonuses, etc. his cap hit would increase from $27.9M to $31.1M. Plus they would have to find two starting caliber outside WRs. Davis getting replaced after this season and Diggs after next is what is much more likely. Diggs likely would be designated a post 6/1 cut that season.

A couple decades ago my wife took a job where she was going to have to travel to Brazil. She went through all of the training - including what to do if you are kidnapped, bought a cheap wedding ring, etc. She never went because the business demands of the Brazilians were setting the company up to be victimized by fraud and the deal fell through. That all made me never want to go there.

Agreed. You’d have to disguise it somehow, like loop someone back as soon as everyone started to go after the ball carrier. Still. unlikely. Probably would be better off faking the Hail Mary and letting Allen take it up the sideline and then throw it back to a player coming back out of the EZ. Still low percentage, but maybe better than a HM.

Exactly. A) Highly unlikely the player is uncovered. The offense will have (at most) 5 players in the EZ while the defense will have 8 (plus or minus one). B) Even in the unlikely case that a player does break open, the defense will have time to get there while the ball is in the air.

Thank you. I have looked into the cap a fair bit (probably too much) and I think the Bills are going to be okay with the cap next season. It isn’t a stellar situation, but at first glance it looks a lot worse than it is for that season. I’m less optimistic about the added pain in 2025 and/or 2026, depending on how the team manages the situation.

I don’t disagree with any of that, but it’s important to look at things realistically too. Diggs has been a top WR in this league. Top 5. Top 8. However you want to slice it. I lived the trade for him at the time and love it still. But he’s 30 now and he’s more of a top 16 WR now. (I like to use 4/8/16/32 due to there being 32 teams.) I’m still very happy to have him on the Bills. Looking forward, the big fall off for WRs tends to be around age 31. I expect Diggs to have another good, top 16-ish WR season next year and I think he’ll stay a Bill through that season. But you have got to look at the money going to him too. His AAV is still top 5 among WRs. While the cap and contracts continue to increase, it doesn’t take a math major to see that Diggs will soon be very overpaid for his contributions. One last point: people have mentioned that he doesn’t rely on stellar physical tools to win as a WR. That’s true. That may extend his career as a productive role player, but not as a top flight WR. He likely will have the role of savvy vet on a SB contending team. But he won’t be paid anything like the Bills are scheduled to pay him. There will likely be a transitional period where he gets released by the Bills and overpaid elsewhere so I don’t expect him to stay here with a pay cut. After that he will have the option to chase a ring again if he doesn’t already have one.

A second cousin of mine was on a country road near Penn State when he was home from college. He was alone driving his pickup at night. He hit a mailbox that was set in a 55 gallon drum filled with concrete. That impact did not kill him, but he was not wearing his seatbelt. So he was halfway out of the driver’s side window as the truck rolled over him and crushed his chest. It was his only significant injury, but was enough to kill him. Never any word if alcohol was involved or not.

I was wondering that about the car too. Also he was not wearing his seatbelt. That’s a good way to get dead.