vtnatefootball11

Haha not gonna lie I am a little.

Why do I care what Bills are paying?? Because the Bills, like every other team are subject to a salary cap and this signing has implications on others who need signing and make more of an impact to our team IMO. I'm looking a couple years ahead at Bills ability to keep one of the best rosters for years and not just be like Green Bay with a QB and nothing else. How would you not care about that? Like I've said repeatedly, hope I'm wrong and Knox becomes an elite player, I just think its a reach, and if it ends up meaning we don't sign Oliver, I bet you I'm not the only one who ends up upset about it. Fair it is an opinion. But saying Knox is elite right now is a pretty wild take, in my opinion. Hope I'm wrong and you're right. Thanks for your hard work as mod, go bills!

Considered one of the best TE's?? By who, us delusional bills fans?? And we just paid him near the top of the TE range! He is good, but he is not on the same level as Andrews/Kelce/Kittle, nor is has he shown the elite receiver skills of Pitts, Waller. Maybe he develops further, everyone here wants that (and appears the Bills are banking on that). I just think it's a risky bet at the expense of not resinging an impact player on defense. He has not shown he can be elite yet, Josh did and is a quarterback. Comparing these two signing is laughable.

Wow did you even watch the games last year? Several gimmicky (Josh Allen pitches near the goal line) and fluke (see broken coverage in long touchdown in KC game) touchdowns for Knox last year. You are a fool if you think that will happen again year over year. His touchdown production was far better than his catches/yards production... all signs point towards a regression in touchdowns. Now his overall usage better increase, and he better continue to improve, or the Bills just made a terrible, terrible decision in singing Knox prior to resigning Oliver. Like I said, I can live the with that gamble, but Dawson Knox has not shown to be an elite player yet, that's a fact.

His open market value would be very similar to what we just gave him. In fact, if his touchdowns regressed (which the probably will) he may even be less. His yards/catches were not impressive (not nearly enough to warrant that money). Most importantly, watching the games, no defenses are losing sleep over Dawson Knox. His salary demands he be an impact player, I'm not so sure he is, nor has TE been a premium position in our offense (maybe that changes with Dorsey). My whole point is that we shouldn't overly spend on TE, which is being inflated by some elite receivers at the position, unless the TE is in fact elite. I don't think that's Knox but hope he proves me wrong and develops further.

That's all fair I don't disagree with any of that. Just for that kind of money, Knox better be (or quickly develop to be) an impact player that creates his circumstances, not a guy that merely benefits from attention from others. We can only resign so many, this deal will likely prevent us from signing one of Oliver or Edmunds (I could live with Edmunds going for Knox, not Oliver).

That's how long it took to groom Knox, one of the least polished and raw TE prospects in recent memory. A more polished TE like Notre Dame's Michael Mayer (this is just an example) may be ready in a year or less to do what Knox did last year. We could debate the pro-readiness of every eligible TE and maybe its safer to say replace in year or two by grooming an early round draft pick and sign a solid FA signing in the meantime, but my point still stands.

I have been vocal about not liking this deal, but this is a fair (and non-homer) analysis, ie. acknowledging we are not getting great deal value wise, but considering he is a fan favorite/one we drafted, that we can't control the TE market, and that he shows potential for further development, we can hope the development continues and he earns this contract over time. I can live with that and respect that opinion. Bottom line, he is not elite right now, but if he continues to improve and even become a just great player (near elite) its probably worth it. I just don't think he will ever be better than good. What I saw last year was an improved player that did benefit quite a bit from circumstance. No way he gets some of those odd/long touchdowns this year. I'm still not fully confident in his blocking and hands either, even despite some clear improvement there. Sincerely hope I am wrong and he blows up the next few years but time will tell. Go Bills!

Those were terrible decisions by their respective franchises! I would rather have Knox of that group but barely and more importantly I would rather not make the same mistake the Pats/Browns did. If Knox puts up close to the same numbers as last year but with less touchdowns moving foward (which is incredibly likely btw) is it worth paying him elite TE money which is a now a premium paid position? Hopefully Beane see's something I don't, not gonna doubt him, I just haven't seen it on the field myself. I view Knox as more of a complimentary than impact player.

Gessicki, Schultz, Hockenden, and Fant MAY get a jump, IF they produce this year. It's a fair consideration though I will give you that. I would have liked to take the same risk with Knox. Think we could have signed him cheaper at year end, hope he blows up and I'm wrong, but just saying. I don't think any team goes into playing Buffalo saying "we gotta stop Dawson Knox". His production could be replaced by an early round draft pick. I just can't get on board with paying a guy top 5 money at a premium inflated market position for that.

Oh you got me good man 😂. If you looked, at the time I was typing that post, literally every single comment before was glowingly positive of the extension. I was obviously referring to the board at that time, not the general population. Knox is not, by any standard, a top 5 TE. That is a delusional take colored by red and blue lens. Don't get me wrong, we all wear em, but take them off for second. He is due for a touchdown regression and by any other measure (especially when you account for blocking) he is not an elite player. Hope he takes some big steps forward and becomes an elite all around TE, but that's a reach to say currently.

I don't disagree that he has the potential to improve further I just don't see Knox as ever being an elite player (he certainly isn't close now). He is not the blocker that Kelce, Andrews and Kittle and will never be able to offer that all round TE package at an elite level. Even with the improvement in dropped balls, he will never be a Pitts or Waller as a receiver. If Allen wasn't his qb, he's probably an average starter on another team. I just don't see his ceiling as elite, and for top 5 TE money with the now inflated TE market, it better be. Hope I'm wrong, but particularly if this comes at the expense of losing Oliver, count me as skeptical.

Am I the only one not super excited about paying Knox top 5 TE money? The market has already been inflated this offseason with Njoku signing and others. Knox is good and getting better, but still has significant weaknesses and is not near the difference maker of Kelce/Andrews/Pitts etc. I just don't see the value there for the Bills. If he gave us a good deal, sure lock him up, but not for top 5 TE money. I guess I'll wait to see all the contract details but Would have rather locked up Oliver long term and Poyer short term. I feel like we could have replaced Knox with an early round draft pick if needed.

Assuming he meant the Tampa Bucs

Oh boy now AB is weighing in on this and calling Brady out. Somebody pass the popcorn! https://www.yahoo.com/sports/antonio-brown-calls-tom-brady-135156860.html

Wondering if there may actually be something going on here. Maybe Tom is second guessing coming out of retirement now with the injuries at center, and/or something behind the scenes with this whole Dolphins/Ross fiasco, and is now actually re-considering his options? Not his style to pull a Lebron and basically acknowledge he can do whatever he wants and take time off while the rest of his team works. Maybe he's finally pulling rank but I'm probably a little worried if I'm a Bucs fan.

Well it was a 6 year extension to his rookie deal that included in the 5th year team option, ie. 6 years starting after this season. We have him locked in through the 2028 season.

C'mon now I'm far from a Watson defender, but calling him a "sexual predator" is too far. There was not one single instance where physical force was alleged to be involved. Have you ever bought a girl dinner/drinks in hopes she might have sex with you?? You're a sexual predator. Obviously that's some hyperbole, but I think you see where I'm going, stop with the virtue signaling. What he did was deplorable, he has a real problem. And he did it in a careless and excessive manner (I mean 60+ massages or whatever good lord!). Not defending his conduct, he deserves a lengthy suspension and all the heat/trouble he has got. But to say he should never be allowed to participate his profession again... c'mon man. What about Big Ben who was credibly accused of forcibly raping someone? Why weren't you up in arms about that?

Bill Belichick and Marv Levy had losing records their first go around as head coach, did their records lie?

You mean like Quessenberry? Who the Bills just signed and has starting experience at both RT and guard.... Not to mention Ford still has potential and maybe now realizes some of that under Kromer, and Doyle is still raw and can push Brown. Not saying it wouldn't be nice to have another quality depth/spot starter option and maybe if Kromer is not high on Doyle/Ford after getting to work with them a bit we look to add someone else near end of preseason, but right now it looks like Bills FO has is pretty satisfied with the OL as is.

No need, the unused cap space would roll over to next year. I'd be surprised though if there was ultimately any significant cap space remaining when it's all said and done. Need reserves for the draft picks plus at least $1mil for potential in-season signing due to injury or what not. Also, the Bills will likely sign a veteran CB ahead of the draft just so it's not a glaring need (or at least as a smokescreen to make it appear not) and then maybe keep a few mil loose for potential post June 1 cuts and if nothing is there can always roll that space over to next year.

These are fair points and I think there is subjective room to argue just how highly the Bills FO values Taron and the nickel position generally in their system. I don't see cutting Taron after this coming season as a serious consideration but I acknowledge it's a remote possibility as you laid out, particularly if he somehow regresses terribly or has career threatening injury or something like that in 2022.

I understand where you are coming in that concessions will have to be made but $5mil dead cap is pretty prohibitive. Taron would have to have a remarkable regression in ability for Beane to even consider that. Cutting others, in addition to restructures/extensions/covering salary to bonuses etc. can free up cap space, there are plenty of ways to maneuver as we saw this offseason. Taron being cut won't be one of them. Plus, who knows how much the cap will increase next year.

In our base defense we start 3 corners. Taron is the the nickel corner we still need two starters on the outside. Is this really not common knowledge? Edit: I apologize, read this too quickly, missed that you said draft "two" corners high. Yes, that may be unnecessary, although you could always see who pans out better and trade the other. Plus, statically speaking it is far more likely that only one, rather than both, would turn out as a good pro so if you the highest player on the board is a CB at both in both 1st and 2nd round you still take them both. Assuming we don't sign any vet FA, we absolutely must hit on a corner that can play right away early in this draft. Huh?? Taron just signed an extension last year through 2024 where he is getting avg of $8 mil per year. We could get out after 2022 but would cary a $5mil dead cap, which won't happen. Bills coaches and FO have made it very clear they view him as a long term nickel starter, key piece of the defense etc.. We prioritized extending him, arguable over other key defensive pieces too. Bills paid Levi Wallace less than $2mill last year but Taron got $8mil per, that should show you how highly they view him. He isn't going anywhere.

Chad Muma LB Mario Goodrich CB