GunnerBill

Yea I just said that in the Edwards thread. I gotta think one of our first four picks is gonna be on a lineman now!

Yea as of right now I imagine McGovern is our starting center and Edwards is starting left guard. Anderson will get a chance to compete as will any draft pick they make.

This one was easy.

Yea that may well have been the position. But if they were playing hard ball then at that point he was not a lock. I should say I like the restructure idea better than the extension idea with Douglas. Although it does mean this time next year we will likely be in the cornerback market early in the draft unless Elam suddenly turns it around.

You mean 2nd team all pro Taron Johnson??? Really?

I don't rate Haack. Bringing him back when Martin might have missed a playoff game made some sense. Less than a week to prep, familiarity with Bass etc. But bringing him back to be your main punter... yea not a fan.

What was quite a stretch? That it wasn't a lock he was back? Do you know that it was? He is back. I was clear that was still a possibility. What the presser did was raise the possibility he might not have been.

Void year.

Cutting Morse isn't a surprise. It was something I advocated for. But I'd have kept Bates as part of that. To be without both does surprise me.

I'd still rather that is what they did. They have gone a different direction. I get it. Not the decision I'd have made.

Yes.

Yea I do sort of see the thinking from a resource allocation perspective. I was talking about cost v talent for Edwards. They did. But if there was a game tomorrow and Morse was out they'd trust the vets IMO. Anderson absolutely has a shot at winning that job out of camp though.

As of today, yes. Let's see by September.

I don't think it is an overapy.

He will be their primary guard backup and the jumbo package tackle. I imagine Alec Anderson and a draft pick will end up battling out for backup center.

Yea he is better than Bates. Looking at those numbers I'm expecting $1.2m 2024 base salary guaranteed and $0.8m pro-rated bonus. Cap hit in 2024 of about $2m.

DJ Mangas will presumably be the crutch role for Joe Brady.

Andrew Whitworth was a FA signing and a key part of a Supebowl win for the Rams. DeMarcus Ware had sacks in the Superbowl he won in Denver. But it really depends on your definition of directly.

He looked old and slow this year. I'd rather they add some young legs next to Poyer.

They definitely like Anderson. It was very telling to me that after a strong pre-season last year at no point did the Bills dare expose him to waivers. They put him on the 53. Then even when they had obvious needs - at linebacker and punter for example - caused by injuries later in the year and they were trying to bolster those positions with street FAs they never cut Anderson even though he was the unused 9th OL all year. They were not willing to risk losing him.

It makes no sense. The team that has the #9 pick is the Bears. If we were trying to get to #9 why would we give the Bears a guard for a 5th and not try and use him as part of a bigger package to get to #9? If getting to #9 was the aim you offer something like #28, #99, 2025 1st Round Pick and Ryan Bates. You don't trade him for a 5th then offer them a package that includes their own 5th back.

I will add to that I absolutely think Poyer could get 1 year - $5-6m - on the open market which is what the Bills are actually paying him cash terms this year. So not sure there is an incentive for him to take a paycut. Hence do a little restructure and kick a small amont of money (like $2m) into a void year is the play for me.

Also fair to reflect on this regime's approach to injury risk. They have conservative as a rule when it comes to drafting players with injury red flags. I suspect that they'd swerve Latu (and certainly wouldn't trade up for him) for that reason but I am assured if the Bills take him that the neck is cleared by the medics. Because they have been very low risk on this stuff previously.

I am neither amazed by Beane or ignore the bad with the Bills. But I always felt Bates / Morse was an either / or this year. I'd have leaned the other way (cut Morse, start Bates, draft a young IOL 3rd or later) but I understand going the other way. Was a close call for me.

I agree it is funky but the Nabers to the Cardinals rumour is definitely out there. That one does not feel crazy to me. JC Latham at #6 would be shocking. Him being Lance's #1 OT makes me worry for his sanity. I have a low 2nd round grade.