Jimmy Harris 69

I love a good overpay by an AFC East rival. Especially the Pats, burn Kraft’s money boys!

The Bills are not strangers to this sort of public posturing by players. They have generally ignored press statements or kept it classy by expressing their love, like Beane has for Cook. In the end they will set a value and offer Cook three or four years. Should they remain at an impasse, I can see Cook playing on this contract through this year. The Bills could then franchise him and trade him next year. Despite what happened in Philly, GB and Baltimore this year, with bell cow running backs, I don’t see the Bills paying Cook like Saquon Barkley or the others on those teams. They will move him and use a combination of Ray Davis, Ty Johnson, Frank Gore, Darrynton Evans and/or some draftee or free agent to replace Cook’s production.

McDermott gets out coached by Reid AGAiN. Chiefs outplay Bills in playoff game AGAIN. NFL adds to our pain by allowing their referees to miss spot the ball on consecutive plays creating what appears to be a fixed outcome.

The piece below was written in 2023 when the Jets signed Fotu. He could be a younger more effective replacement for Daquan. The deal the Bills signed Jones to last year was built for his possible release this year. Buffalo can save $3M against the salary cap if Jones is cut, but there are two void years on his deal in 2026 and 2027 which will help further spread out his salary cap hit... those two, respectively, are $2.5M and $1.25M, both minimal. “However, given how the roster is currently constructed, what the Jets didn’t have was a run-stuffing presence. This is a role that Fotu can potentially fill. At 6’5” - 334 pounds, Fotu is a former fourth round pick by Arizona in the 2020 NFL Draft. His primary role has come as an early-down space eater, tasked with taking on blockers to free up others and bottling up the middle of the field against the run. Fotu appeared in 11 games in 2023, totaled 24 tackles and 14 stops, or plays that constitute as “failure” for an offense, as PFF describes it. Fotu has been fairly durable throughout his career, appearing in all 17 games during the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Cardinals. It comes with the territory for Fotu given the role he is often asked to fill, but his presence often won’t be felt on the stat sheet and he frequently won’t show up as a pass rusher either. In four seasons, Fotu has totaled just 23 pressures and four sacks. If you go look up where his stats compare to other interior defenders, you won’t see Fotu at the top of the list, and often not even close to it. To a degree, that’s part of the gig as a nose tackle. Instead, Fotu’s presence is felt by his teammates, by helping to create opportunities for them to make plays with the attention he can draw from blockers and the space he takes up, forcing running backs to search for rushing lanes elsewhere. “Yeah, but I love it,” said Fotu about playing nose tackle. “In general, our job is kind of like the O-line. All the mess starts right there with us, up front. But the life is a nose guard, for me, it’s more of a hybrid thing because I’m moving around. “But speaking for a nose guard, you’ve just got to have that nasty mentality knowing you have to be the anchor of the defense up front. It starts with you, and it sets the tone for the rest of the line and everybody else to follow. That’s a huge part of our team.” This is a needed depth signing along the interior defensive line for the Jets. This is a heavily rotated position, one where four or even five players see snaps each week, and the Jets are working on filling out that rotation. Fotu helps create competition within that position group and fills a very specific and needed role for the Jets. This is not a move, however, that should preclude the Jets from further adding to this unit, whether that be continuing to do so through free agency or in the draft. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, this is a one-year deal for Fotu that comes with a base salary of $2.5 million with the opportunity to earn up to $4 million through incentives. The cap hit for this move will be a relatively inexpensive one.”

The Wacky world of Terry Pegula is responsible for the disconnect between Beane and McDermott. They both answer to Pegula, unlike other organizations where the coach answers to the gm. So Howie Roseman would not have a guaranteed SB here because he couldn’t order McDermott to hire a certain DC or OC the way he did in Philly this past year. I have long believed McDermott has his favorites and often they are less talented athletes: Hamlin, Spector, Klein. He kept James Cook on the bench in year one. Thirteen seconds was his cowardice and poor coaching in the clutch. Could Beane hit on some more draft picks, sure. Too often McDermott has victory within his grasp but it slips out; like a waiter with a large tray filled with entrees and just as he gets to the table he stumbles. All those fillets on the floor and a plate of spaghetti on your grandmothers head.

The Bills need speed and they need it on a rookie contract, not Cooper Kupp. They should have drafted him instead of Zay Jones, but Jones was some coach’s kid and blah blah blah. Too late.

My bet is Seattle or San Diego or KC. His family is from the state of Washington. He is a good run game blocker, important to those teams. He’s a shadow of his greatness but high character. I think the market will be soft for him like other older vet WRs. D-hop got a one year deal, he will likely get the same.

Mr. Average.

Daquan Jones should be done. He was a non factor last year. I was surprised Beane brought him back at that big dollar. I am hopeful Ogunjobi moves into rotation and replaces Jones’ snaps along with anticipated draft picks. The Bills value versatility and Ogunjobi offers that. I love their FA swings on defense. Roll McBeane!

Hit the road Mack!

This is a player Beane should have drafted and and didn’t. It makes no sense to give up the sun and the moon to acquire him, then gut your team to pay $100M to keep him. The Bills led the NFL in scoring, but their defense disappeared during most of the KC game. We need defense. $100M receivers don’t get you to the Super Bowl.

I wonder about a team like Minnesota who has their QB of the future already. McCarthy could ferment for another year. O’Connell and Stafford are tight, since the former was the OC in LA during ‘20-‘21. Stafford would provide the missing element at quarterback for a viable Super Bowl run. Minny has $58m in cap space. It serves as a thorn in Detroit’s side, which they wouldn’t mind. (And it would keep his a$$ out of the AFC)

Well fu$k ya I’d blame him. But if it came down to a battle of wills, I expect management to get the most amount of assets for him. At some point it becomes useless to resist if a star wants out and goes public. It’s over. Get everything you can for the good of the team.

I would rather the Bills develop Hardy and the CB’s we draft and sign this year. White’s play was such a liability the Rams couldn’t keep him on the field. He cost them a couple games. The Ravens were desperate but made LA retain salary. Perhaps if he sits out another year and tries to regain his strength and speed he could try in ‘26. He is a good dude but these injuries have robbed him of his ability.

I could see the Bills attempt to work out a contract restructure with Milano. However if they need cap space, more drastic measures could follow. He is scheduled to count $15.8 million on the cap in 2025; the dead cap hit is $17.2 million. Doing so with a post-June 1 designation would allow them to spread the cap over two years and they could open up $9.6 million in 2025 cap space. It is not unthinkable that the Bills would move on. There is no recent evidence that suggests he will give them a full season. We saw them take similar measures with other team icons last year. It’s the right move for replenishing defensive talent.