San Jose Bills Fan Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 (edited) As we all know, except for players who have already been released by their teams (OJ Atogwe, Shaun Rogers, Bob Sanders), players whose contracts have expired but may be subjected to the franchise tag, cannot be offered free agent contracts until the resolution of a new CBA. The good news is that the NFL owners and players are talking…a 7 hour session today. The sides have pledged 7 straight days of negotiations, of which today was the 2nd day. The talks are being mediated and both sides have pledged to not comment to the media in an attempt to curry public favor. I'm actually somewhat optimistic that an agreement can be reached before the expiration of the current CBA on March 3rd. So far 8 franchise tags have been applied: Lamarr Woodley, Logan Mankins, Mike Vick, Haloti Ngata, David Harris, Vincent Jackson, Peyton Manning, and Tamba Hali. Franchise tags can be applied until February 24th…for 5 more days. The other good news is that there are rumors that neither Oakland's Zach Miller or the Giants' Kevin Boss (2 of the top 3 FA TEs) will be tagged. The other big-name tight ends who may become free agents are Marcedes Lewis (although there's a good chance he will be tagged), Owen Daniels, Bo Scaife, as well as sleepers Evan Moore (Browns) and David Thomas (Saints). In short, this is a very rich year for free agent tight ends…a position of great need for the Bills. Even better, the estimated franchise tag for tight ends is approximately $7.3 million, which means the Bills could likely land one of the best tight ends in football for a contract with an average annual value of $8 million. The planets have aligned. If the Bills are shrewd about investing in free agency, they must seriously consider pursuing a tight end this offseason. It is their best opportunity to land a quality proven veteran at a position of need, without investing a draft pick. Edited February 20, 2011 by San Jose Bills Fan
Ghost of Rob Johnson Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 (edited) I disagree with how rich it is, Boss is seemingly the biggest name, but it is also said that NY would be insane to let him leave. I'm interested in Rudolph at the top of the 2nd round. Edited February 20, 2011 by Ghost of Rob Johnson
John from Riverside Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 Anybody who would NOT want Zach Miller from the Raiders is crazy I think......that guy is a stud and based on what Fitz did with Nelson last year Miller would thrive in this offense..... I am starting to think that number 3 pick is going on a QB.....we need all of our other picks for defense.
Dragonborn10 Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 As others have pointed out on my posts about TE's, it looks like the draft will be weak on TE's. FA is the way to go.
NewEra Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 Anybody who would NOT want Zach Miller from the Raiders is crazy I think......that guy is a stud and based on what Fitz did with Nelson last year Miller would thrive in this offense..... I am starting to think that number 3 pick is going on a QB.....we need all of our other picks for defense. +1
boyst Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 I disagree, as well. None of those TE's look that promising. We need to wait until next year in the draft. There will be a few more options. If Ruddolph dares slip to the 2nd round I think we pull the trigger, but he won't.
San Jose Bills Fan Posted February 20, 2011 Author Posted February 20, 2011 I disagree, as well. None of those TE's look that promising. We need to wait until next year in the draft. There will be a few more options. If Ruddolph dares slip to the 2nd round I think we pull the trigger, but he won't. In my opinion, Luke Stocker is an attractive option for the Bills if they address tight end via the draft. He had a great Senior Bowl while being coached by our Bills staff and has a nice combination of receiving and blocking skills. But I like the idea of free agency so we can focus our draft in other areas and I disagree with you. This is a great group of free agent tight ends…the best in years. Zach Miller is a great player. He's a former 2nd rounder in 2007 who made his first Pro Bowl this year. He has the prototype size (6'5" 255 lbs) and great receiving skills. Miller won't turn 26 years old until December. In his short career, he has TD receptions of 43, 63, and 86 yards. In 4 years he already has 226 receptions (57 receptions per season), 12 TDs, and averages 12 yards per reception. I think the Raiders are nuts if they don't franchise him. Kevin Boss (6'7" 255 lbs) is a great blocker and as a former college basketball player at Western Oregon has very good receiving skills. He just turned 27 years old and like Miller, is just entering his prime. He was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2008. Both of these guys are among the best tight ends in the league. Either of them would be huge additions to the Bills.
Pilsner Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 (edited) If we pursued and got Zach Miller (Boss would be nice too) I would do gymnastics in joy that would probably break my back. We need to solidify the TE position that has glaryingly been ignored for years. We had no real TE last year and we saw what Gailey could do despite that. Imagine gentlemen what Chan could do with a legit TE. Another 7 points a game on the board perhaps? Even half that 3.5 would be great. If Nix has a certain TE in the draft targeted then awesome. I hope he gets him. Rudolph perhaps. We need to upgrade the front 7 in a big way and if we can get a solid TE thru FA (if there is a free agency this year) then it will go a long way towards helping us focus on what other positions we need to draft. Throw our picks then into a RT and the front 7. Honestly if we all as a group here were given responsibility to make the draft picks for the past 10 plus years we could and would have done better than the previous GM's. Here's to hoping Nix and company will pursue the right FA's and can also help Ralph see the clear path. Edited February 20, 2011 by Pilsner
BuffaloBillsMagic1 Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 Miller should be the guy we target. By far the best over the middle threat we can get. Step up Nixless and get this guy!
c'monman Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 I feel improving our D is NUMBER 1 priority. This years draft is loaded with DL talent. Rudolph might be a great player but all of you know he would not see the field much. We need guys that will play every down!I think it would be in our best interest to get a proven TE in FA. Zach Miller would be ideal. He is big, young, great hands, and great blocker.
tombstone56 Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 ZACK MILER is the best at this point IMO. but with DAVIS getting SEYMORE to sign their tag is still unused.so far .option b..KEVIN BOSS.. OWEN DANIELS has all the tools but hasnt stayed healthy..but we gotta get a real TE ,and this years FA has far better talent than this years draft.
UConn James Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 IIRC, the Steelers' #2 TE, Matt Spaeth is also an UFA. It would be nice to address this in FA and finally have an established TE who doesn't need 3-4 years to "develop" and then not pan out. TE should be an area that, as much as the guy can catch passes down the seam, he needs to be able to block. It's very underrated how much the TE can make an average OL function a lot better. For WAY too long (since Metzalaars) this team hasn't had a guy who can do both phases well. Now would seem the opportune time with a guy like Boss. This is a situation where throwing some money at the problem would allow them not to have to worry about it for a while.
Bill from NYC Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 I disagree, as well. None of those TE's look that promising. We need to wait until next year in the draft. There will be a few more options. If Ruddolph dares slip to the 2nd round I think we pull the trigger, but he won't. I have seen a lot of Boss. He is huge (his teammates call him "Six-Seven Kevin"), he blocks like an offensive tackle, and runs nice patterns. He is also a very clutch receiver, and hard to tackle. Boss reminds me a lot of Pete Metz. Nobody considers him a superstar, but he was a huge contributor to the team. Players like this are unsung, and Boss would immediately improve our pass protection, running attack, and again, he is a clutch receiver. For those of you who still think that Spiller isn't a bust or was even a good selection, Boss would open a lot of running space for him and any other back. Not only do the Bills lack talent, they also lack solid contributors such as Boss. The average top 5 salary for TEs is 7.2 million. The Bills should offer him a fat contract and guarantee half of it to entice him to come to Buffalo. They just saved a lot by cutting Stroud, and there should be nothing preventing them from making a major move at this kid.
San Jose Bills Fan Posted February 20, 2011 Author Posted February 20, 2011 I feel improving our D is NUMBER 1 priority. This years draft is loaded with DL talent. Rudolph might be a great player but all of you know he would not see the field much. We need guys that will play every down!I think it would be in our best interest to get a proven TE in FA. Zach Miller would be ideal. He is big, young, great hands, and great blocker. Agreed. And welcome aboard.
JohnC Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 I have seen a lot of Boss. He is huge (his teammates call him "Six-Seven Kevin"), he blocks like an offensive tackle, and runs nice patterns. He is also a very clutch receiver, and hard to tackle. Boss reminds me a lot of Pete Metz. Nobody considers him a superstar, but he was a huge contributor to the team. Players like this are unsung, and Boss would immediately improve our pass protection, running attack, and again, he is a clutch receiver. For those of you who still think that Spiller isn't a bust or was even a good selection, Boss would open a lot of running space for him and any other back. Not only do the Bills lack talent, they also lack solid contributors such as Boss. The average top 5 salary for TEs is 7.2 million. The Bills should offer him a fat contract and guarantee half of it to entice him to come to Buffalo. They just saved a lot by cutting Stroud, and there should be nothing preventing them from making a major move at this kid. I knew you couldn't stop yourself from getting in your reflexive Spiller zinger. Just let it go. When Spiller eventually responds with some scintillating big play runs you will be gentley reminded. LOL Isn't it absolutely remarkable how this downtrodden franchise has not been able to come up with a functional TE since the Metz era. That is almost a generation ago. It is worse than being absurd, it is pathetic. The Bills are not a good team, needless to say. But with a few judicious free agent pick-ups they can make some meaningful forward strides. Getting a TE such as Boss or Miller would be quality pickups. As San Jose brought up Stocker from Univ of Tenn would be a major upgrade at that position. But my preference would be to address that position through free agency so the draft after the first round (qb) could be primarily dedicated to the defense.
Bill from NYC Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 I knew you couldn't stop yourself from getting in your reflexive Spiller zinger. Just let it go. When Spiller eventually responds with some scintillating big play runs you will be gentley reminded. LOL Isn't it absolutely remarkable how this downtrodden franchise has not been able to come up with a functional TE since the Metz era. That is almost a generation ago. It is worse than being absurd, it is pathetic. The Bills are not a good team, needless to say. But with a few judicious free agent pick-ups they can make some meaningful forward strides. Getting a TE such as Boss or Miller would be quality pickups. As San Jose brought up Stocker from Univ of Tenn would be a major upgrade at that position. But my preference would be to address that position through free agency so the draft after the first round (qb) could be primarily dedicated to the defense. I have noticed how you and I almost always come close in terms of agreeing. I hold the position that the Bills are extremely weak at OT, and even (or especially) if they draft a QB at #3, the Bills should strengthen this position in this draft. And, I wouldn't want to wait too long. This of course is NOT to say to ignore the defense, not at all. But I am not willing to pretend that we are OK at OT, because we are far from it.
JohnC Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 (edited) I have noticed how you and I almost always come close in terms of agreeing. I hold the position that the Bills are extremely weak at OT, and even (or especially) if they draft a QB at #3, the Bills should strengthen this position in this draft. And, I wouldn't want to wait too long. This of course is NOT to say to ignore the defense, not at all. But I am not willing to pretend that we are OK at OT, because we are far from it. I always enjoy reading your well reasoned (sometimes misguided) postings. Even when I disagree with you I have to acknowledge the merits of your points. The Bills have a lot of needs. They are not all going to be addressed in one year or two. The organization has made a decision to primarily build through the draft. So it is going to take time. I know you have major reservations about Demetrius Bell, as I do. But it is apparent that the organization has a higher view of him than we do. Their belief is that now that he is healthy he can work on getting stronger, rather than just rehabilitating. I realize I had recently pontificated about the utility of looking back, however, if only the Bills would have drafted Michael Oher instead of picking Maybin after the Peters trade. The Maybin pick was not only a bad pick but it was a very damaging pick because it was a lost opportunity that this ramshackle franchise couldn't afford. In that one draft year the Bills could have rebuilt the line with the addition of Woods, Levitre and Oher. That would have been not only a productive draft but would have demonstrated some strategic thought in rebuilding the roster. Something that has been lacking in this franchise. There are countless different directions to be taken in this draft. No matter what direction one espouses there is merit to one's views. What the Bills desperately need to do more than anything else in order to dig their way out of irrelevancy is to simply make their picks count (especially higher picks). Edited February 20, 2011 by JohnC
Bill from NYC Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 (edited) The Bills have a lot of needs. They are not all going to be addressed in one year or two. The organization has made a decision to primarily build through the draft. So it is going to take time. I know you have major reservations about Demetrius Bell, as I do. But it is apparent that the organization has a higher view of him than we do. Their belief is that now that he is healthy he can work on getting stronger, rather than just rehabilitating. I do have serious reservations about Bell, but it isn't just him. We need quality at the OT position and it simply isn't there. You can try to fill these spots with Wang, Marcus Spriggs, etc. but the odds of doing so successfully are so small they are virtually non-existant. The Bills have proven this for far more than a decade. Where I differ from many Bills fans is the emphasis I place in playing in the elements, and not just snow. There are many games in wet, windy weather as well both home and away. The Steelers have big, strong players making play. In essence, the Bills football team was built upon the likes of Whitner, McKelvin, Maybin and Spiller. It isn't possible to win like this; it will never happen. To put it in perspective, there are Left Tackles and DEs in the NFL who make more money than our QB, LT, and best pass rushing DE (whoever that is) combined. We spend our big bucks on the little people listed above. Edited February 20, 2011 by Bill from NYC
3rdand12 Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 It has been said by Chan at some point post season that we need a TE that can block. The only thing i have to add or agree is that i feel we should get the TE from FA this year. I have noticed that some mocks are showing a TE at 2nd or 3rd pick in the draft. I dont like that at all. We need a real tight end, but i would prefer to have one at this point with proven NFL exp who can go right to work. and that is all i have to say about that.
John from Riverside Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 If we pursued and got Zach Miller (Boss would be nice too) I would do gymnastics in joy that would probably break my back. We need to solidify the TE position that has glaryingly been ignored for years. We had no real TE last year and we saw what Gailey could do despite that. Imagine gentlemen what Chan could do with a legit TE. Another 7 points a game on the board perhaps? Even half that 3.5 would be great. If Nix has a certain TE in the draft targeted then awesome. I hope he gets him. Rudolph perhaps. We need to upgrade the front 7 in a big way and if we can get a solid TE thru FA (if there is a free agency this year) then it will go a long way towards helping us focus on what other positions we need to draft. Throw our picks then into a RT and the front 7. Honestly if we all as a group here were given responsibility to make the draft picks for the past 10 plus years we could and would have done better than the previous GM's. Here's to hoping Nix and company will pursue the right FA's and can also help Ralph see the clear path. In my opinion Nelson manned what really consititutes the TE position last year and you saw what Fitz did with him.......total red zone threat...... Give me a TE that can work the middle....Nelson, Stevie J. and Easley combined with our RB's who can both catch and you have a wide open offense. I think a TE is essential here....a guy that lays the wood to defenders (Nelson is good......but tall and lanky)
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