Rochesterfan

I believe he has to play out year 1 on the deal signed. I believe if they want to restructure it can not happen until next year. My guess is after year 1 the Bills are happy with the contract.

I don’t think so, but without Beane here - I can not prove it. I think the Bills wanted a long term deal and Bates and company wanted to hit FA - so they would not want a long term deal without testing the market. I think Beane knew if he tendered him at the 2nd round and no one bit - Bates would be cheaper this year, but now you have a full years tape and his cost would have been significantly higher going forward - so that was the worse option. Using the right to match - allowed Bates to go out and create a deal that he felt comfortable agreeing to long term and if the AAV was right - Beane could match and the work was done. If he garnered little attention - you could offer up a longer term deal and if he did get offer sheeted - you can see how it fits. I think Beane played it right and makes Bates happier because he got a longer term deal and more at market value and Beane got him locked in before the tape and Kroger make him better.

They have to match the exact deal that the Bears offered. They cannot just match money - it is the terms as laid out by the Bears.

Yes, but the key to the deal was always AAV. The Bills are up against it, but they still have moves to free up money if they want. I think the Bills would of found a way to match even if it had been 8 million this year (rather than 1st 2 years) - they would of just had to do more moving this year of contracts. The only way the Bears win out in this is if the offer had been at an AAV that put Bates close to where Williams was 8-10 AAV for limited work. A deal with huge upfront costs hurts the Bills a bit, but gives them flexibility later in the contract.

I totally disagree with these takes. I think Beane had an AAV in mind, but was not very likely to be able to get full agreement on what his worth was as an RFA. If he had used a 2nd round tender - he might have been cheaper this year, but harder to sign next year after a full year as a starting guard. Plus agents and players do not like signing long term agreements as RFAs - they tend to sign 1 year deals to get to FA next year. You essentially allowed the player to test the market with little film and allowed the Bears to give him a long term option - so you can wrap him up and not allow him to hit FA with film. Beane knew what he was risking and had back-ups in place - just in case.

Not on him - you restructure others to move more of their money down the road and use that to pay him now. Then in 2 years - he is a nice bargain as a starting guard and his cost is lower.

That may be, but if as was discussed the AAV is still around 4 million over 4 years you are talking 3 later years at less than 3 million per. Therefore you kick the can this year and get a great deal in years 2, 3, and 4 on him. Beane had an AAV in mind and the way the Bears structure it has minimal impact if the AAV is in the acceptable range. Teams no longer have the ability to truly poison pill a contract - teams have found ways to move money around with great effect. They used to add contract statements making him the highest paid Lineman to discourage matching, but when the NFL blocked that and made the rule matching dollars - it has become easier to match these contracts.

This is 100% wrong. The Pegula’s don’t pay it back to the NFL. The set-up of the NFL loan process for stadiums is that this money is removed from the visiting teams shares to pay back the loans. It is money that does not go into the shared pool and is “payed back” by all of the Owners - not the Pegula’s themselves.

I don’t disagree and a good guard late in the first is ok, but you still struggle with the 5th year option piece. I believe the 5th year option is not position specific on the OL - so you are not paying him a 5th year option as a guard, but it includes Tackles salaries in the mix. I would still pick a guard over a RB in the first, but it is not a premium position and this makes it harder on a borderline guy to pick up the option for a last chance.

Maybe Watson is hoping Baker will be his personal masseuse. Now that would be a happy ending to the story. 😉

I believe @GunnerBill has said that. The issue is the Browns can not just decide to do it - as we did with Diggs last year and as was done to Bridgewater. The Browns need to have Baker agree to an extension to change the equation. The question is why would Baker do that. Currently he get 18+ million this year and is a FA next year to choose a team. Why extend unless he is getting a big fat paycheck from someone and postpone the FA.

They are not 7.6 million over. Within the thread there is the actual NFL listed Cap space which has the Bills at 2.89 million in space. The NFL does not allow teams to be over the cap. If a team is actually over as they make a signing - the team would have to make adjustments to get under the Cap before the previous signing is approved. If the Bills were over - none of the previous signing including Jones would make it through the NFL office and get approved. Beane knows exactly what he has and exactly how each new signing will impact the CAP space. It will take time for things like Spotrac to catch up and until the NFL office reviews and decides how some of the Bonuses are coded - they are typically off by a bit. In this case it appears they were off by about 10 million. Whether that is where some Bonuses hit or was there additional restructuring done that hasn’t come out I don’t know, but the one thing I am sure of is that by NFL CAP numbers - we are not over the CAP.

Yep - that is why the HC wanted to start Fitz over him in year 1 and had to keep pulling him late in games, why they ruined last year wanting to trade for Watson, why there are constant rumors they tried to get Brady this off season, etc. The Dolphins think he is a scrub to the point they have inquired about every available QB to replace him. I expect this year will continue with the high completion % for less yards, a few injuries, and lots of excuses about getting better, but issues when they miss out again. 🤦‍♂️ I think Josh throwing left handed would still be better than Tua and have more arm strength. Less accuracy, but a bigger weapon still.

You keep talking with him. I have seen nothing that suggests Diggs wouldn’t be willing to work with the Bills to stay put. He has been a great team mate and has not complained publicly about his contract at all. My guess is both your options are wrong. They work out a nice deal to make him happy, but maintain flexibility. Beane seems to be very open and talks to the guys and has a plan - not worried - go win a SB and then deal with things.

Plus Jimmy Johnson got to do it when there were few limits on things like practice, time with players, even pre-season scrimmages and games. He was able to keep some of the college schedules. If he came in now from college - like Meyer - he would fail with the shift to a tight ship and mandatory timing. It is not easy to get everything done on a limited schedule.

We will see. The defense which was built in the NE style for Flores most likely takes a couple of steps back with scheme change. They still have the same QB - so maybe 3rd or 4th best in AFC east. The Jets have gotten better and NE started better than them. I think all 3 are in a dog fight for finishing 9-8 to 6-11 and missing the playoffs. I am not sure this moves the needle much for me with the injury history and the QB style.

Do not be surprised if they sign at least one more DB before the draft. Today alone they filled the RB and a WR hole. There are at least 2 Vet DBs that might chase a ring - I am not concerned. I would still expect a high DB drafted, but it may not be the gaping hole at that point.

His salary is guaranteed - so even if it is a 7th - the Browns want to trade rather than keep him - get something back and limit where he can go.

Why - because he is young and at least a mid-level QB and the last time a team pissed him off - he took his ball from TT to Oklahoma and won a heisman trophy and took his team into the CFB playoffs. He is better when playing the underdog/lesser role. If you can get that for a 3rd or 4th and get maybe a couple of better picks for Ryan - it is win/win.

I would assume with the picks from this - they (along with Seattle and NO) will be reaching out to Cleveland for Baker. I would assume Cleveland wanted to avoid an AFC trade as they are looking at Wildcard seating - so swing Ryan to Indy and use the picks for Mayfield. That would be my thought. Get Younger and better and maybe make out with an extra pick.

It is a fine signing. As people should know by now - Beane does not like to go into the draft with any major holes that dictate what he needs. This is the RB fill position and allows if BPA is RB - so be it, but if it is CB or WR - we are not forced to over draft.

Because everyone else followed the request and put it in the FA thread. That way we don’t have 100’s of threads about individual FAs.

Honestly - I think it helps GB a ton. They now have 4 picks in the first 2 rounds to get some cost contained players that they need. Adams is great with Rodgers, but trying to fit that 28 million WR salary with the 50 million QB salary would of eliminated any other players. Get a couple of WRs and couple of DBs - resign Douglas as a CB and they will be fine. The QB makes the WR. Carr will have tons of options, but I don’t think he makes Adams anywhere near worth 28 million. I think that salary will look bad from year 1. I do hope LV finds ways to continue to play KC tight and win, Denver should be able to play with and beat KC, LA already had Mahomes’ number early last year. I can easily see KC with 4 division losses with that defense they will be sporting.

Cover 1 was talking about this yesterday. They basically left Star out when talking big guys. They think they were doing mainly a 3 man rotation with Jones and Oliver as starters and Settle as a relief for both. At that time the Phillips signing was still a rumor - so they felt Bryant and Ankou both filled in as 1TDT and either 1 could provide minimal depth. I think Phillips signing becomes another sign that they are moving on because they now have 6 DTs plus Star. I know positions matter, but they felt strongly that Jones was the 1TDT the team wants and Settle can do that for stretches as needed helping to free up Oliver. I don’t know, but when you hear basically guys like Sal and Cover 1 talking about the DT and basically Star is not even mentioned in the rotation conversation - I think they are reading the tea leaves in a similar way.

Correct - you could cut him now and get 1.5 or designate/wait post June 1st and save more - you can’t do both. That is why I said there is no rush. (I reread my post and had merged/muddled my thoughts) I only think he is done because all of the guys like Sal have basically said - follow the signings - they have gone out and signed 3 guys to DT position and had Oliver and 2 depth guys in Bryant and Ankou already on the roster. Even if Phillips had not come free - they were looking at Hicks - so it seemed like the plan was 3 DTs and Oliver - which makes me believe they are planning around Star not being available. No you are fine - I just think if he is getting cut - it is post June 1st and they have no reason to rush it. Things might change and he decides to retire and you can come to an agreement and recoup a bit more. There are lots of reasons to wait and as long as no bonuses are coming due - few reasons to do it now.