Justice Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 If I'm the GM of the Bills and Ralph is giving me a $14.5 million budget (the Bills' remaining cap space in 2012) to sign and re-sign some free agents, this would be my plan: CLEAR CAP SPACE The very first order of business would be to dedicate ourselves to the 43 defense. Once I've done that, I can proceed to cut the fat on the roster. I'd release Mcgee($2.1M), Kelsay($3.55M), Spencer Johnson($3.5M), Dwan Edwards($3.975M), and Merriman($5.25M). That gives us another $18,375,000 in actual cap savings for a grand total of $32,875,00 in cash to cap. RE-SIGN OUR OWN I'd sign Stevie Johnson, first: 5 year $40 Million dollar deal with a signing bonus of $20m paid over three years, essentially guaranteeing a little over half his total contract in the first three years of his deal. SJ would like a contract like this because it gives him a crack at another big payday. Cap hit will be $8M. Demetrius Bell will receive a 4 year $20M deal with a $10M signing bonus paid over two years. Cap hit: $5M. Rian Lindell: 3 year $7.5M. SB: $3M. Cap Hit: $3.25M. Scott Chandler 2 year $3M. Cap Hit: $1.5M Kraig Urbik 4 years $12M. Cap Hit: $3M Chad Rhinehart 3 years $6M. Cap Hit: $2M $22,750,000 spent. $10,125,000 Balance. 2012 NFL DRAFT Last year the Bills spent about $7.5M on it's rookie class and we were picking 3rd overall in every round. I'd expect about the same this year, with wage increases, plus another $2M for street free agent pick-ups. Leaving the Bills with only $625,000 to spend on free agents. As you can see, this cash to cap method makes life extremely difficult on the Bills' front office to sign any outside free agents. If I were GM, I'd draft a DE in the first round (Mercilus) to play the 43 end spot, I'd go OLB in the second, another OLB in the 3rd, CB and WR in the 4th, OL in the 5th, another LBer in the 6th and another DE in the 7th. FREE AGENCY With only $625,000 left in cash to cap, the Bills would have to rework some deals and adjust some of my cap hit figures for the first year of these new contracts just to sign a free agent or two. My #1 priority if I'm GM is to acquire a pass rusher. I would target Robert Mathis and go after him hard. A D-Line of Mathis, Dareus, Williams, and Mercilus can be a force to be reckoned with and give the Bills the kind of pass rush that will make the rest of the defense better. If the Bills were to go with this plan we would basically field the same team as last year with the addition of a Robert Mathis type pass rusher and the 2012 draft class. If we can stay healthy, and have success in the draft the Bills should be able to fight for a playoff spot in 2012. Our schedule is favorable, as well. What do you think?
T master Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 (edited) that's great in theory but Kelsay & Merriman are coming back , I've heard through articles on here & rumblings there is a good chance that D. Edwards , Mcgee , Parrish won't be coming back . With Fred back healthy i don't know that they bring choice back either , Ruvell Martin is another that won't be back . The Scott Chandler thing i'm not sure will happen for the money you have up there because his out put was more than some of the top TE's in the league & they were talking that it would take around what the others are getting 5 mil a yr to keep him around . Time will tell .. Edited January 24, 2012 by T master
dave mcbride Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 Kelsay, who is a 4-3 player, will be back, as will Merriman.
NastyNateSoldiers Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 I really don`t like this cash to the cap philosophy. Buddy definitely has his work cut out for him with these restrictions. I like your plan but i would like to see us add Jermichael Finley and Pierre Garcon along with Mathis. That`s all we need in free agency just those 3 players and signing back our own guys. With this plan it will give the Bills flex ability in the draft to go Mericilus and 2LB`s in the first 3 rounds.. WE GET THIS DONE AND THE AFC EAST IS WITHIN REACH!!!
apuszczalowski Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 With Cash to Cap, doesn't the entire signing bonus get included in the figure for the first seasons, because the team is paying it to the player in the first year when they sign the deal? Also, I beleive the Bills said that if they don't spend to the Cap with Cash to Cap, the amount they didn't spend will carry over to the next year giving them additional "cap" money to spend? I don't think this will be an issue for them this offseason as much as the OP thinks.
The Big Cat Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 Buddy has absolutely nothing to do with cash to cap. He's said so himself. Many, many times. He completely removes himself from affairs pertaining to $$.
Dr. Fong Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 So basically you'll be relying on a bunch of rookies to plug into the holes you've made in the defensive front. Not liking your plan much.
T master Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 (edited) Just read an article tat we have 14 FA out of those 14 - 6 won't be coming back according to the article . well here it is Gone is Kirk Morrison , Ruvell Martin , Reggie Corner , Andre Davis , Reggie Torbor & Tashard Choice so theres more than a few bucks saved for others .. Iffy Bell , Parrish , Bryan Scott , Derek Hagan , those are players that the article says weren't really sure they could come back as far as their contract amount they would be asking for ... Then there are the 2 that it says definitely need to be brought back :worthy: S. Johnson & Scott Chandler no brainer there !! Last but not least the ones they say will be brought back Craig Urbik , Chad Rhinehart & Garison Sanborn .. So there is the break down to your post from the Buffalo media That would be a total of 10 as far as gone & Iffy that would save a buck or two .. Edited January 24, 2012 by T master
The Big Cat Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 Just read an article tat we have 14 FA out of those 14 - 6 won't be coming back according to the article . well here it is Gone is Kirk Morrison , Ruvell Martin , Reggie Corner , Andre Davis , Reggie Torbor & Tashard Choice so theres more than a few bucks saved for others .. Iffy Bell , Parrish , Bryan Scott , Derek Hagan , those are players that the article says weren't really sure they could come back as far as their contract amount they would be asking for ... Then there are the 2 that it says definitely need to be brought back :worthy: S. Johnson & Scott Chandler no brainer there !! Last but not least the ones they say will be brought back Craig Urbik , Chad Rhinehart & Garison Sanborn .. So there is the break down to your post from the Buffalo media That would be a total of 10 as far as gone & Iffy that would save a buck or two .. Anyone else intrigued by Kyle Moore???
Max997 Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 Im surprised people still dont know that most of Merrimans contract is guaranteed so cutting him wont save them much so he is most likely on the team next year McGee, Spencer Johnson and Dwan Edwards are def gone as is at least one other veteran since this team seems to get rid of a surprise player every year. what has this team done in recent years to make anyone think they will be major players in free agency? dont expect a splash, maybe one or two signings for mid level free agents at best
T master Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 Anyone else intrigued by Kyle Moore??? I'd rather have him than Thigpen for 2 mil a year or Brad Smith !!!!!
Justice Posted January 24, 2012 Author Posted January 24, 2012 Just read an article tat we have 14 FA out of those 14 - 6 won't be coming back according to the article . well here it is Gone is Kirk Morrison , Ruvell Martin , Reggie Corner , Andre Davis , Reggie Torbor & Tashard Choice so theres more than a few bucks saved for others .. Iffy Bell , Parrish , Bryan Scott , Derek Hagan , those are players that the article says weren't really sure they could come back as far as their contract amount they would be asking for ... Then there are the 2 that it says definitely need to be brought back :worthy: S. Johnson & Scott Chandler no brainer there !! Last but not least the ones they say will be brought back Craig Urbik , Chad Rhinehart & Garison Sanborn .. So there is the break down to your post from the Buffalo media That would be a total of 10 as far as gone & Iffy that would save a buck or two .. I got my salary cap figures from this site: http://nyjetscap.com/Bills/bills2012.php None of those players you mentioned count against the cap. that's great in theory but Kelsay & Merriman are coming back , I've heard through articles on here & rumblings there is a good chance that D. Edwards , Mcgee , Parrish won't be coming back . With Fred back healthy i don't know that they bring choice back either , Ruvell Martin is another that won't be back . The Scott Chandler thing i'm not sure will happen for the money you have up there because his out put was more than some of the top TE's in the league & they were talking that it would take around what the others are getting 5 mil a yr to keep him around . Time will tell .. Kelsay can't find his way to the QB. Whether it be a 34 front or 43. He's gotta go. PERIOD. $5M a year for Chandler? No way, let him go. I really don`t like this cash to the cap philosophy. Buddy definitely has his work cut out for him with these restrictions. I like your plan but i would like to see us add Jermichael Finley and Pierre Garcon along with Mathis. That`s all we need in free agency just those 3 players and signing back our own guys. With this plan it will give the Bills flex ability in the draft to go Mericilus and 2LB`s in the first 3 rounds.. WE GET THIS DONE AND THE AFC EAST IS WITHIN REACH!!! One can dream, can't he? This would be great. Has the 2012 cap been established? It's not official, yet, but there has been talk that it will be set at $120M
1B4IDie Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 (edited) Kelsay can't find his way to the QB. Whether it be a 34 front or 43. He's gotta go. PERIOD. $5M a year for Chandler? No way, let him go. Don't mistaken your loathing of Kelsay as a 3-4 OLB for his performance as a 4-3 LDE. He is actually better than most LDE in a 4-3. He is pretty good with hand on the ground against the run and can help collapse the pocket and does occasionally get to the QB. He ha 5 sacks last year. So if you're transitioning to a full time 4 man front in makes 0 sense to cut Kelsay. However I like your SJ13 contrat idea. If something doesn't get done in the next 40 days. My guess is he'll be playing for the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. They nee WR help. Edited January 24, 2012 by Why So Serious?
Ramius Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 If I'm the GM of the Bills and Ralph is giving me a $14.5 million budget (the Bills' remaining cap space in 2012) to sign and re-sign some free agents, this would be my plan: Your cash-to-cap analysis is off. The Bills use it to mean that if the cap is $130 million, then the team will spend no more than $130 million in real cash in that year. Contract signing bonuses, while paid off in year 1 in cash, and spread out for cap purposes. The Bills have much more in actual cash to spend than they do in cap space. Take the Nick Barnett contract. Its 3 years, 12 million, with a 1.5 million signing bonus. That 1.5 million counted as 1.5 mil in cash in 2011, but only 500k towards the cap. In 2012, it still counts 500k towards the cap, but not in actual cash. There's a lot of things to bash the bills about, but most NFL teams use a cash to cap or similar philosophy, so that isn't one of them.
Justice Posted January 24, 2012 Author Posted January 24, 2012 (edited) Your cash-to-cap analysis is off. The Bills use it to mean that if the cap is $130 million, then the team will spend no more than $130 million in real cash in that year. Contract signing bonuses, while paid off in year 1 in cash, and spread out for cap purposes. The Bills have much more in actual cash to spend than they do in cap space. Take the Nick Barnett contract. Its 3 years, 12 million, with a 1.5 million signing bonus. That 1.5 million counted as 1.5 mil in cash in 2011, but only 500k towards the cap. In 2012, it still counts 500k towards the cap, but not in actual cash. There's a lot of things to bash the bills about, but most NFL teams use a cash to cap or similar philosophy, so that isn't one of them. That's why I have Stevie's signing bonus spread out over a three year period, for cash to cap purposes. The signing bonus, according to my plan, is more like guaranteed money rather than a large bulk of cash paid up front. I'm pretty sure my numbers are off. They're probably way off. Just having fun. Edited January 24, 2012 by NoJustice
The Tomcat Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 Don't mistaken your loathing of Kelsay as a 3-4 OLB for his performance as a 4-3 LDE. He is actually better than most LDE in a 4-3. He is pretty good with hand on the ground against the run and can help collapse the pocket and does occasionally get to the QB. He ha 5 sacks last year. So if you're transitioning to a full time 4 man front in makes 0 sense to cut Kelsay. However I like your SJ13 contrat idea. If something doesn't get done in the next 40 days. My guess is he'll be playing for the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. They nee WR help. I also like Kelsay in a 4-3 and not so much in a 3-4.
Justice Posted January 24, 2012 Author Posted January 24, 2012 I also like Kelsay in a 4-3 and not so much in a 3-4. I can live with Kelsay as a 43 end, as well, as long as we're strictly a 43 front team with Dareus and Kyle using their skill set to do what they do best which is penetrate and attack the opposing O-Line. If we do that then Kelsay might actually find his way to the QB more often with his looping style pass rush. Dareus and Kyle can and will collapse the interior of the offensive line and that's what they should be doing. Anything other than that and you're just wasting their talent.
Coach Tuesday Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 In my humble opinion, Dwan Edwards is a MUCH better and more valuable player, in either a 4-3 or 3-4, than Kelsay is...
PDaDdy Posted January 24, 2012 Posted January 24, 2012 If I'm the GM of the Bills and Ralph is giving me a $14.5 million budget (the Bills' remaining cap space in 2012) to sign and re-sign some free agents, this would be my plan: CLEAR CAP SPACE The very first order of business would be to dedicate ourselves to the 43 defense. Once I've done that, I can proceed to cut the fat on the roster. I'd release Mcgee($2.1M), Kelsay($3.55M), Spencer Johnson($3.5M), Dwan Edwards($3.975M), and Merriman($5.25M). That gives us another $18,375,000 in actual cap savings for a grand total of $32,875,00 in cash to cap. RE-SIGN OUR OWN I'd sign Stevie Johnson, first: 5 year $40 Million dollar deal with a signing bonus of $20m paid over three years, essentially guaranteeing a little over half his total contract in the first three years of his deal. SJ would like a contract like this because it gives him a crack at another big payday. Cap hit will be $8M. Demetrius Bell will receive a 4 year $20M deal with a $10M signing bonus paid over two years. Cap hit: $5M. Rian Lindell: 3 year $7.5M. SB: $3M. Cap Hit: $3.25M. Scott Chandler 2 year $3M. Cap Hit: $1.5M Kraig Urbik 4 years $12M. Cap Hit: $3M Chad Rhinehart 3 years $6M. Cap Hit: $2M $22,750,000 spent. $10,125,000 Balance. 2012 NFL DRAFT Last year the Bills spent about $7.5M on it's rookie class and we were picking 3rd overall in every round. I'd expect about the same this year, with wage increases, plus another $2M for street free agent pick-ups. Leaving the Bills with only $625,000 to spend on free agents. As you can see, this cash to cap method makes life extremely difficult on the Bills' front office to sign any outside free agents. If I were GM, I'd draft a DE in the first round (Mercilus) to play the 43 end spot, I'd go OLB in the second, another OLB in the 3rd, CB and WR in the 4th, OL in the 5th, another LBer in the 6th and another DE in the 7th. FREE AGENCY With only $625,000 left in cash to cap, the Bills would have to rework some deals and adjust some of my cap hit figures for the first year of these new contracts just to sign a free agent or two. My #1 priority if I'm GM is to acquire a pass rusher. I would target Robert Mathis and go after him hard. A D-Line of Mathis, Dareus, Williams, and Mercilus can be a force to be reckoned with and give the Bills the kind of pass rush that will make the rest of the defense better. If the Bills were to go with this plan we would basically field the same team as last year with the addition of a Robert Mathis type pass rusher and the 2012 draft class. If we can stay healthy, and have success in the draft the Bills should be able to fight for a playoff spot in 2012. Our schedule is favorable, as well. What do you think? How could a team with so little talent and so little high paid talent have so little to spend on free agency? Something seems wrong and I would resign some of the guys you mention. I'm not sure when the provisions in the new CBA kick in but there is a stipulation that will eventually effect the Bills and other teams like them that use creative accounting techniques to make it look like we are spending more money than we are. If I am not mistaken one of the tricks is that the Bills don't amortize signing bonuses. Instead of spreading it out and taking a small hit over the length of the contract we count the entire bonus up front as cash against THE CURRENT year. This is one of the tricks we use to make it look like we are so close to the cap when in actuality if you spread it out like the big market winning teams we don't spend NEARLY the same amount.
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