26CornerBlitz Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 (edited) @buffalobills BREAKING: #Bills acquire WR Mike Williams in trade with @TBBuccaneers http://ow.ly/vr43A Buffalo has made use of free agency this offseason to address some of their positional needs. On Friday they went the trade route to address their wide receiver position. The Bills acquired WR Mike Williams for an undisclosed draft choice in a trade with Tampa Bay that will be completed pending a physical. “Mike Williams is a competitive, tough wide receiver who has the size and athleticism to add competition to our receiver position group," said head coach Doug Marrone. "We feel Mike is a player who has the ability to help our team improve." Williams (6-1, 212) is the second Buffalo native acquired by the Bills this offseason. Defensive back Corey Graham was signed in free agency last month. Williams played his high school ball at Riverside and moved on to Syracuse in college. Edited April 4, 2014 by 26CornerBlitz
Pneumonic Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 One year rental of a guy who can actually play decently well but who has character issues. If he stays clean and plays well the Bills get to choose to keep him at his current salary or to re-negotiate it for a more cap friendly one. I don't see much wrong with this addition.
wolfpack Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 Brent Axe @BrentAxeMedia 1m Wow. Mike Williams traded to Buffalo? Remember, Doug Marrone kicked him off the team while he was at Syracuse. Intriguing. "Head coach Doug Marrone announced the departure during his weekly news conference, and said he is not sure if Williams is still enrolled in school. Marrone said Williams came to his office Monday morning to say he was leaving the team immediately." http://www.syracuse.com/today/index.ssf/2009/11/mike_williams_leaves_syracuse.html
CountDorkula Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 One year rental of a guy who can actually play decently well but who has character issues. If he stays clean and plays well the Bills get to choose to keep him at his current salary or to re-negotiate it for a more cap friendly one. I don't see much wrong with this addition. I could be wrong but doesn't Tampa have to pay any/if not all of the Bonus money causing the cap hit to be lower?
Buftex Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 Russ has just announced, in an attempt to widen the teams reach, the Toronto Series exhibition game will now be rotated, on an annual basis between Williamsville South, and Williamsville North.
Kirby Jackson Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 So you use a 6th rounder for one year of a troubled guy, who is going to get paid well if he has a comeback year? He will want his salary and refuse a restructure that pays him 3-4 mil a year. And maybe lose a guy I think is better than him? We better be keeping Stevie or else have another major move at WR or TE in the works. If he stinks we will cut him. If he's average we will cut him or restructure but not be happy with him. If he's good we will pay him 7m. I don't see much likelihood of him being really good and us paying him less. There is no reason to cut Stevie this year. Williams is functionally playing on a "prove it" deal. It is super low risk with a $1.8m cap number and it only cost you a 6th. If he bounces back and has a good year -great. If not you either restructure or cut him next year. He has proven that he can play. Although MW has lots of question marks it is certainly worth the shot IMO. If he has 65 catches for 800 yards and 8 TDs I think that we would all be thrilled. Those numbers are extremely realistic.
boyst Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 TJ Graham will not be a Bill next season. Book it. booked. TJ falling from 2nd/3rd WR to off the roster is a stretch. Woods is going to get better. Goodwin is dynamic. We all know SJ13. Chandler in the red zone is solid. Graham has a solid chance of being on this team because of speed. You can't coach speed and he is among the fastest on the team, maybe the fastest.
34-78-83 Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 A nice proactive move that doesn't hurt us this year while they evaluate him and his performance. I like it.
YoloinOhio Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 Chris Brown @ChrisBrownBills 57s Marrone: Williams history at ‘Cuse is just that http://wp.me/plmrg-9UL
GG Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 So you use a 6th rounder for one year of a troubled guy, who is going to get paid well if he has a comeback year? He will want his salary and refuse a restructure that pays him 3-4 mil a year. And maybe lose a guy I think is better than him? We better be keeping Stevie or else have another major move at WR or TE in the works. If he stinks we will cut him. If he's average we will cut him or restructure but not be happy with him. If he's good we will pay him 7m. I don't see much likelihood of him being really good and us paying him less. I don't necessarily view it as a bad outcomes. If he's really good, then he'd be worth the $7mil/year. Bills will likely look to restructure at that time, and do a cap friendly extension. He'd pocket the same dollars, but in a different structure. If he stinks or is mediocre, he won't have much bargaining power.
JPS Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 For a 6th round pick, that seems like a steal...I realize he must have some off-field issues given the recent events with his brother, but a proven WR talent in the NFL that is still young for a 6th round pick, seems like a good value for the BILLS and seems to indicate the Bucs planned on cutting him at some point if they couldn't get "something" for him....way to go Whaley A clear shift in Buffalo - acquiring guys with off the field issues instead of ON the field issues. I like it.
Jamie Nails Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 This is interesting from another draft perspective. This now makes Tampa much more likely to take Watkins (if available) or Evans at 7, thus forcing another top talent down the board to us at 9? Tackle perhaps?
LB3 Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 Great trade. Very pleased with this offseason so far. It gives us even more flexibility with our draft picks now. I hope we trade back and somehow end up with Benjamin and a good tackle.
Beerball Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 I'm not a huge fan of this move at all. Too big a risk for too much money, especially if we are keeping Stevie. If we keep this guy over Stevie, and then don't draft Evans, I will like it less. I also hate the idea of OT at #9 because we will lose Glenn, IMO. That said... If the thinking is to go after Ebron, and keep Stevie... then the line-up of Stevie. Mike Williams. Woods. Goodwin. Ebron. Chandler. Spiller. Jackson. could really do some damage is they came together at all. I just don't think they are going to do that. You want so badly to tie taking an OT at 9 with Glenn's eventual departure. Why worry about what may or may not happen 2 years down the line? Why not worry about putting the best team on the field? The Bills will no no cap troubles until they have to worry about paying a QB. IF we get to that point then you can worry about how everyone is going to get paid.
NoSaint Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 I could be wrong but doesn't Tampa have to pay any/if not all of the Bonus money causing the cap hit to be lower? signing bonus - which is already accounted for in the discussions ive seen in this thread.
GA BILLS FAN Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 LOVE IT on several levels. One, big guy who can flat out play. Two, gave up very little (6th rd pick). Three, means Bills will most likely steer clear of Mike Evans and go with rush end, OT or LB with 1st pick. And four, shows propensity for Whaley/Marrone to take chances on guys with a bit of off-field issues.
Kelly the Dog Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 a 6th for a lottery ticket essentially - if he works out, great we have him for 4 years on a fair contract. if he flops he cost us a 6th and hopefully chris hogan. My point is if they are thinking of keeping him, and Stevie, AND drafting a TE in the first or second, I can see this being a decent move. If not brilliant. I just don't think that is the reasoning. If they are thinking of dumping Stevie for him, I'm totally against it. If they're thinking of going with the TEs they have and not drafting WRs high, I'm pretty much against it. The ONLY way this works to me is if he is VERY good, AND they keep Stevie (paying two guys 7m each) AND have a new TE. I just don't see all those things happening.
boyst Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 Anyone here able to post a list of the WR's we have? Sj13 Marcus Easley Kevin Elliot TJ Graham Marquise Goodwin Robert Woods Mike Williams Chris Hogan Who else?
Kirby Jackson Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 My guess is that the WR to make the team (not factoring in rookies) will be: Stevie, Williams, Woods, Goodwin, Graham, Barden and Easley. I guess that I am thinking that 7 will make the team. Easley, Barden, Kaufman, Elliott and Graham will be battling for the last 2-3 spots. I think that Graham probably makes the team as a pure speed guy. Easley is a great ST player and the Bills ST play was so bad they any afford to lose good players there. Kauffman and Elliott are two big guys that are projects. Barden is a decent sized guy that has shown flashes in the NFL.
thebandit27 Posted April 4, 2014 Posted April 4, 2014 A clear shift in Buffalo - acquiring guys with off the field issues instead of ON the field issues. I like it. Indeed...these aren't the same Bills as you've seen back before Russ took over
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