GASabresIUFan

I wrote earlier in this thread how much I like Metcalf and would love him on the Bills. Sadly I agree that it was unlikely even before the recent trade. I also am a big believer in retaining Cook for the next few years. I believe in retaining our drafted and developed players over FAs and trades. I also agree with you on Cook’s importance to this team. I suspect the Cook deal will get done. I further agree that Beane is probably looking at someone like Slayton if he goes the FA route. I suspect, if he goes for FAs on defense, then WR goes up in importance in the draft. Despite a smaller high end class vs last draft, I like Egbuka and Golden. I also am interested in Felton, Arian Smith, Kyle Williams and Bond. There are a ton of dominos still to fall this offseason. We need a starter at CB to replace Douglas. We need a starter at S to replace Hamlin and we likely need a starter at DE to replace Miller and upgrade AJE. Lastly we also need someone to replace Cooper at WR. I’ll admit I really wanted Crosby or Garrett, but that isn’t how Beane operates. He is a keep my guys GM and fill holes with value like McGovern and Douglas. Going for Miller was an out of character move. Sweat from Philly is the biggest DE prize in free agency, but I suspect someone like Koonce is who Beane will go after.

The OL has stayed heathy the last 2 years and has significant young talented depth. The team was 2nd in TDs and our style of offense is designed to limit turnovers. No one is saying don’t improve the WR group, but the defense is why this team lost in the playoffs the last 2 years. We are desperate for help on the DL, at CB and S. This is where Beane will and should be concentrating his cap spending. Defense still wins championships, just ask Philly and KC.

That offense scored 30 points a game. The offense isn’t the issue. The defense is the issue (this is a recording).

Maybe he'll buy the Sabres and teach them how to win.

Have any of these extensions freed up any 2025 cap space? With a Josh Allen extension also coming how behind the 8 ball are we in 2026?

Oh well. Next!

KC is rapidly becoming the Cleveland Browns.

Just about to post this. Maybe Worthy has some character issues that Beane wanted to avoid.

A little surprising the Bernard was completed before Benford. No idea if the money to right, but I trust Beane.

I'm not surprised this is the route Beane and Miller are taking. Beane gets his cap savings and one less roster spot to fill. Miller gets to play another year, make good money and play for a contender. The Bills get a reasonably effective depth player with tons of experience to help mentor guys like Carter and Solomon and whomever they draft along. A Win-Win-Win for all everyone.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6179010/2025/03/06/dk-metcalf-trade-offers-raiders-packers-patriots/ “Buffalo Bills Trade offer: 2026 third-round pick, WR Curtis Samuel for Metcalf and 2026 sixth-round pick Contract offer: Three years, $85.5 million Metcalf would be an interesting fit for the Bills because he isn’t the smaller, speedy separator you would think of adding, but he does provide most of what they lacked from the receiver room last year. The Bills need someone who can separate in man-to-man coverage and provide a big-play, deep-field threat to utilize Josh Allen’s big arm properly. In the AFC Championship Game, it was abundantly clear the Bills lacked a target who could stretch the field and attack the intermediate areas. Metcalf would accomplish all of those things. The biggest challenge would be paying him a higher market deal, especially after Buffalo extended slot receiver Khalil Shakir on a team-friendly deal last week. Metcalf would likely want something near Amon-Ra St. Brown and Brandon Aiyuk, around $30 million, and that could be tough, considering the Bills desperately need an impact edge rusher and have somewhere around $30 million in cap space this offseason. That’s why the offer is a bit muted. However, if the Bills believe Metcalf is their missing piece, and that they can address the defensive line through the draft, the offer certainly has room for negotiation and improvement. — Joe Buscaglia”

I forgot we are also going to sign Hollywood Brown because Josh wants him.

We’ve lost in the playoffs because of bad defense the last two years. It seems to me that upgrading the defense is much more important.

I’m glad the off-season plan is coming together. We are going to trade for Metcalf, Garrett and Hendrickson. We then are going to sign Adams, Slay, Lockett, Kirk, Holland, Hardgrave, Jackson and Bosa.

Pittman was extended for 3 years 70 mill last season. First year cap hit was 18 mill, followed by 23 mill in 2025. Metcalf wants even more. Even if Metcalf comes in year 1 at 18 mill, that basically eliminates over 50% of our possible cap with Hollins and Johnson to re-sign, plus upgrades to DE, DT, CB and S. The money just doesn't work.

@Warriorspikes51 Disagree with me all you want, but show me the math how Beane accommodates a new deal for Metcalf while retaining our key internal FAs and finding upgrades at DE, DT, CB and S filling out 12-15 other roster spots. Right now our cap space is -10 mill according to Spotrac. The best articles I've seen show a reasonable way for Beane to get to 35 million in cap room. Show us how you make the money work.

We ate 31 mill in dead cap just to get rid of the locker- room cancer named Diggs and the team was better for it. As to Metcalf, who I really like, spending 27 mill on a WR does not work in our current cap structure when you have very limited cap space (-12 mill right now), 12-15 roster spots to fill, key internal FAs to re-sign like Ty Johnson and Hollins, and a need to upgrade DE, DT, S and CB in addition to WR. Even if Beane is able to manipulate current contracts to create 35 mill in cap space, using up 27 mill on Metcalf still doesn't work. There just isn't enough money to acquire and pay Metcalf and fix the other roster holes. Does that make it clearer? Truthfully we can get much of Metcalf's production out of a good rookie and or with a lower cost FA like Slayton or Brown or Moore. Lets also be realistic. It's our defense that cost us the last two years in the playoffs. Allocating our limited resources there makes infinitely more sense then spending wastefully on a luxury WR. PS: Beane just investment 15 mill per season in Shakir, is still on the hook for Samuel and has Hollins to re-sign. I doubt he drops another big contract at WR given our other needs.

Thanks for the info. Don't see how a 27 mill extension works for us either. Oh well.

I'd love to see Metcalf in our offense. He's still only 27. He is big and fast is a minimum of 900 yards and 7 TDs (but 2 fumbles) guaranteed. Wow, his cap hit is $31.875 Million. Someone much better with cap manipulation is going to have to explain how the Bills would fix that deal to make it work.

So Lockett, Adams and Kirk have been released in the last few days. Maybe this is the beginning of the end of overpaying WRs?

The Browns got what they deserved. Philly will have a day of reckoning but they have a Super Bowl to show for it. Maybe just maybe Beane should follow suit and get Garrett.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/dec/24/nfl-running-back-renaissance-ground-attack Nice photo of Cook at the top of the article. https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/return-back-why-demise-rb-greatly-exaggerated https://www.colts.com/news/workhorse-running-backs-made-a-comeback-in-2024-with-colts-jonathan-taylor-a-part-of-the-resurgence https://www.theringer.com/2025/01/10/nfl/nfl-running-back-revival-saquon-barkley-derrick-henry-josh-jacobs-wild-card-round-playoffs There are plenty of additional stories. 10 years ago the NFL moved away from the running backs because they had limited shelf life's, teams started throwing the ball all over the place and defenses were a step behind. Now the D have caught up again and teams are going back to more balanced attacks. Admittedly workhorse 300 carry backs are still the exception, but the Bills offense needs a go to running back and Cook is that player. He is the 2nd most important skill player on the Bills after Josh. Now that Barkley has reset the market, it's time to lock up our key back to a fair contract. Cook is still young and has the advantage of not being overused in college or in the pros. People need to remember that Cook has had less carries in college and the pros than Davis. Someone mentioned 4-5% of the cap and that seems fair. People here have mentioned that Cook is a product of our good Oline. McD doesn't agree and while it may have some limited truth, it doesn't explain why Cook had a yard per carry more than Davis behind the same Oline.

People seem to be forgetting that with the exception of KC, almost all the playoff teams featured very balanced offenses.

Outside of your first line, this is a good post. I don’t fully agree but it’s a reasonable way to handle keeping Cook. That said, there aren’t players like Cook in every draft. If there were every team would have a 1400 yard player. It was so easy to get such a player it wouldn’t have been since 2007 (Lynch ) that we drafted as productive of a player. How did letting him go work out?