MrEpsYtown

yep same here. Really liked him that draft year

All these front loaded deals make a ton of sense. I always wondered why teams didn’t do this more. We are signing some quality players so you aren’t scanning the waiver wire for a new starter when someone pulls a hammy. Quality depth for a coach that loves to rotate guys is huge.

Essentially replaces Julian Stanford. One of those Temple tough single digit guys. I attended a clinic with their d line coach a few years ago and Matakevich flashed on film big time. This is “Kelsay lunch pail” process guy to the max. Dude is gonna be a fan favorite and upgrades a sub par special teams unit.

If we had a guy to make a catch or two like that, we beat Houston no problem. Can’t wait to watch him play for us.

Klein is also a great leader and oozes process.

Klein is your starting Sam. He also has a lot of experience in the nickel and can play mike or will as well. Honestly I think he is on the field a lot and maybe the Bills use Edmunds as a pass rusher a bit more in nickel and dime situations. So basically Klein and Tremaine replace Lorax.

I’m good with this. I’m guessing he was a goner if they signed Olsen. But they probably like him better than the mid tier free agents at tight end, so might as well keep him. I dont think they spend big on Hooper or Henry.

This would be a great signing. He can do a lot of things and from all accounts is a great dude.

Reminds me of McDermott working Ed Oliver to death on all those d line drills at his pro day.

Having five returning starters on the offensive line is unprecedented around these parts. I honestly can’t remember the last time that happened in Buffalo. For that reason alone, this is a great signing. Spain had his ups and downs, but when he was up he was really good. Plus having primary backups in Long, Nsehke, Bates back? Seriously never happens. On Ford, people need to understand how incredibly hard it is to play the offensive line. It takes time. What Ford was asked to do in this offense was so far advanced from what he had to do as a Sooner. Ford is raw with a lot of upside and will take time. Very similar to Dion Dawkins, last year’s “guy who needs to move to guard but now we all want to extend.” Give it time and Ford will be very good.

Derek Schouman and Derek Fine I got one: and one more: Both of these guys were linebackers

I think this is the offseason where McDermott re-builds the defensive line room. It's a position that has been left relatively untouched aside from the Murphy signing. I could see Murphy and Lawson both gone and replaced.

Nice job! I will be banging the table all off season for Kyler Fackrell. I really liked him during draft time, and he is the perfect replacement for Zo. He can cover, rush the passer, and stop the run. He has been used in a variety of ways by Green Bay and needs to get a shot at being a full time player. He would be the starting SAM linebacker and move to Defensive end on passing downs. He can do a lot of different things well and is a true hybrid type player stuck behind the Smith brothers in GB. And in terms of process and such, he fits like a glove. This is what DC Mike Pettine said about him a couple of weeks ago: "He's the consummate professional. Unselfish. Knowing his playing time is limited, he's the same guy whether he knows he's featured in the plan and pressures are in for him, or he has the more thankless jobs. He just goes out and does his job and does it well. This year there were times he was winning, just not winning fast enough. He's had a lot of near misses. He's been one of our better droppers as well. Whatever we're asking him to do, he's just coach, tell me what to do and I'll do it. He's a team guy, and very quietly been a really big part of our success."

Defensive end. Jerry is nearing the end here and a part time player. Shaq is a FA and Lorax (though he is not a DE had rotational reps) is retiring. I do think they may wind up cutting Murphy, simply base on the cap savings and the fact that his production does not match the salary. Maybe ask him to take a pay cut. I don't love Yannick Ngakoue's game honestly and don't think he is a great fit for what McDermott wants to do. I also don't think he is a good locker room guy. I know that people think that Clowney is a diva and a selfish guy...I actually think that applies to Ngakoue much more. I think Clowney makes sense, and he is the prototype. I don't really like Vic Beasley or Dante Fowler much either, in terms of their fit. Outside of Clowney maybe you can look at the next tier like a Robert Quinn type. I also think Leonard Williams could be interesting as a 4-3 DE if he lost like 15-20lbs. So plan A sign Clowney. Plan B, sign Leonard Williams and a hybrid guy like Kyler Fackrell/Bruce Irvin. Base downs Williams plays LE and Fackrell/Irvin plays SAM. In passing situations Fackrell goes to DE and Williams goes in side and rushes the passer next to Ed Oliver. You are basically replacing Lorax, Shaq, Murphy and J. Phillips. Just my 2 cents.

I have to agree. I never really liked Conklin, even during draft time. He's a grinder, and an overachiever, but he's not a big deal and I hate teh idea of paying a RT anyway. And he's had injury issues. I'd rather invest big bucks in an elite guard like Scherff.

Surrounding a young, first time head coach with older guys who have done it for a long time is the right move. If Stefanski makes it, they will move on from Wade when they don't need him anymore. Essentially, Stefanski does not have to worry about teh defensive side of teh ball.

This! McDermott hand picked the guy to be his DB coach. This is the guy he wanted when he first got the job here but couldn't get him. But just in case I'm keeping Kris Richard on speed dial.

Man Marrone is a quality con man. How this guy still has a job and has gotten rid of everybody else is beyond me. How he even got another job after quitting on the Bills is beyond me. And again, this guy's situation is one of the reasons people get so pissed when guys like Eric Bieniemy and Kris Richard can't sniff a job and Steve Wilks gets one year. Oh well. Marrone is a loser.

I agree completely, but I think that is unlikely. I think the more likely outcome is a Russ Brandon meddling type. Probably less players playing through pain and things like that.

Very sad. RIP and condolences to the family. The way my blood pressure jumped during the Texans game scared the heck out of me and made me reconsider the meaning of fanatic. Take care of yourselves out there,

I am typically a pretty positive poster, but... The Seattle Mariners tried this. It ended with a lawsuit. I think it is a terrible idea. You are bringing non-locker room culture people into a locker room and it spells disaster in my opinion. We are a forward thinking organization in some ways, but with the Mariners, their doctor of performance starting undermining what the trainers and coaches were doing and then sued the team for discrimination. It is a very strange story. https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/lorena-martin-sues-mariners-says-she-complained-to-owner-john-stanton-ceo-kevin-mather-about-discrimination/ https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/in-court-documents-mariners-allege-that-lorena-martin-was-dishonest-and-misrepresented-herself/ Not saying this is going to happen here, but bringing "specialists" from the free world into the old boys club doesn't always work out.

To me he's the guy to go after. We have 90 million in cap and can make a bunch more cap avalable cutting Kroft and Murphy. I have always liked Clowney and I do think he would excel in our defense.

Dream additions at positions of need would be: Clowney Scherff Cooper Henry Not happening. But I could see them going after one of them. I think Amari needs some love and needs to be held accountable. He would get that with Bills Mafia and Coach McDermott and I think his skill set would excel here in Brian Daboll's offense. Again it seems unlikely, but he could be the missing piece. I would also say that there are some pretty interesting corners on the market who could challenge Levi Wallace. We also need to add safety depth.

Nice job! Excellent write up. To me, at 22 in the draft, the best linemen avalable might be Tyler Biadasz. I know he is a center and we have Morse, but take the best linemen and figure everything else out later. Maybe he could play guard for a year or two ala Eric Wood. Maybe Morse moves to left guard (he is a former left tackle, and maybe a move to guard help his concussion situation). Anyways, Biadasz is elite and one of my favorite offensive linemen I've seen in a while. Probably the best interior linemen I have seen since Quentin Nelson. Just take him and he will give you elite production for 15 years.

Alright, so I am a big Dion Dawkins supporter. I like him a lot and I think he still has potential to get better. I know a lot of people on the board still think he is a guard. I think he is a left tackle...not elite, but probably top 15 right now, and a pretty young guy at 25 who has the chance to get better. I would extend him. That said, with the Matt Rhule stuff, the guy that he should want in his locker room to establish culture etc, is Dion Dawkins, who started for him for four years at Temple. Dawkins was an integral part in helping Rhule turn things around at Temple. If I'm Rhule, that's the guy I want anchoring my offensive line, where Carolina has struggled to find consistency. Dawkins was one of the first guys Rhule recruited when he got the job at Temple and they go way back and are very close. So...Dion Dawkins to Carolina for DJ Moore....who says no? Again I would not do it because I really like Dawkins and he's home grown. I think he's going to get better. But you do have a stop gap guy in Nsekhe in house who could play left tackle while you look for a long term replacement. This is a strong receiver draft class, but is the guy you are getting at 22 better than Moore? I'm not sure about that. You would be getting what looks to be an elite playmaker, but removing the heart and soul of your offensive line. I guess it depends on the drop off to Nsekhe and whether the Bills are planning to pay Dawkins or not. Anyways, I'd love to get people's thoughts.