Greatest needs free agency and draft...

[Gardinier]

I feel we need to finally address the offensive line in the draft-please draft this early. I would love to see a true safety on this team. Yes we have Vincent but I want a young hitter who can cover(please let Coy Wire go this year-the trial is over). I want an OLB who will push Posey for his spot. Need an upgrade there. We need another corner early in draft. Insurance for Clements. And a sound #3 receiver who can run. Will Aiken finally blossom? That is all we have. Let Reed try it somewhere else. Not here. I want Pat back at DTackle or that Defense will feel his loss with Edwards in there. I feel Wire, Reed, J. Bannan have worn out there welcome and would love upgrades at their positions. Thoughts?

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

I doubt we are going to see much of this from the draft. If the team gets one immediate contributor from the draft (usually the first rounf choice though even this player should be expected to need to learn a lot before he becomes a vet) and the addition of a later pick who surprises and competes, this would constute a successful draft with most of the other choices hanging on because they are cheaper than a vet of similar talent.

 

TD is on record that even a pick in the first is a 50/50 shot. I hope the Bills have a great draft with the majority of the picks eventually becoming contributors. However, we shouldn't be surprised if our picks contribute less than a Lee Evans and more like a JP Losman in terms of the team next year.

 

I'd look to FA to give you more of what you're asking for than the draft. As far as the OL the keys here would seem to be not resigning Jennings if you want to see us make an FA pick-up that improves the line because resigning Jennings when added to cap cost of MW next year makes it likely we will not be able to make any other significant expenditures on the OL.

 

The other thing to root for if you are interested in OL spending is for Bledsoe to restucture his deal to give us more immediate cap room and likely see him retire as a Bill. If Bledsoe goes bye-bye and gives us $4.3 million in dead space add the cost of signing a back-up QB to that cap hit and spending for new OL significant talent begins o look pretty doubtful.

[Dennis in NC]

Bannan could be a candidate for OG, judging by the experimentation with him this past season. It could be worth a shot.

 

And while we are juggling players, I wonder if Coy Wire has any ball carrying skills, since he did that at Stanford. I doubt it, but what the hell. He sucks at safety, so give him a whirl at RB or FB since he likes to hit people. Probably can't catch though...

 

Reed might get another year, but I would not mind seeing him cut. Oh wait, it's his "contract year", isn't it? Yawwwwn.

[ch19079]

KICKER!!!!

 

if JJ is gone, than OT.

 

OG could be replaced.

 

an upgrade at CB would be nice.

 

if P. Williams goes to FA, than i feel we have backups that can fill in ok. but they are more pass rushers than run stopers. we shoudl offer him a decent amount of money. i just hope he takes it.

 

i do not want to draft O-Lineman. we need a guy to play this year. not next year. especially at OT.

 

OT = FA

CB = 3rd round pick

OG = if we get one, it will be through FA.

K = FA or ohio state.

[Simon]

And while we are juggling players, I wonder if Coy Wire has any ball carrying skills, since he did that at Stanford.

 

He also did it in high school..... a lot. In fact I beleive he may have set some schoolboy records hauling the rock over there in Central PA. When he wasn't winning wrasslin' titles, that is.

Cya

[d_wag]

And while we are juggling players, I wonder if Coy Wire has any ball carrying skills, since he did that at Stanford. 

233066[/snapback]

 

this is what boggles my mind -- we can all agree coy's biggest problem isn't his natural abilities, it's his head and his inability to be at the right place at the right time in coverage........but the guy went to freakin stanford! shouldn't brains be his strong suit??

 

i don't know, i still hold out hope for the guy........it's not like we're rushing him and he'll get another year of seasoning in '05 as well.......maybe in '06 we got a starter........

[FTW_BillsFan]

** Do not sign any high prices FA's **

1) Sign P Williams to an extension. This will shore up our DL and we will not need to draft any.

2) Trade away Bledsoe and THenry. Hopefully we can get something out of these guys.

3) In draft, get K (Nugent), CBs and then best available players(later rounds crapshoot).

4) Bring in multiple street FA's for OL and DL. Maybe another Jason Peters out there somewhere.

5) After draft and rookie camp see what we need and try to get non-high price players to fill the gap.

[BillsNYC]

**  Do not sign any high prices FA's **

1) Sign P Williams to an extension.  This will shore up our DL and we will not need to draft any.

2) Trade away Bledsoe and THenry.  Hopefully we can get something out of these guys.

3) In draft, get K (Nugent), CBs and then best available players(later rounds crapshoot).

4) Bring in multiple street FA's for OL and DL.  Maybe another Jason Peters out there somewhere.

5) After draft and rookie camp see what we need and try to get non-high price players to fill the gap.

233333[/snapback]

 

And if Jennings leaves?

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

**  Do not sign any high prices FA's **

1) Sign P Williams to an extension.  This will shore up our DL and we will not need to draft any.

2) Trade away Bledsoe and THenry.  Hopefully we can get something out of these guys.

3) In draft, get K (Nugent), CBs and then best available players(later rounds crapshoot).

4) Bring in multiple street FA's for OL and DL.  Maybe another Jason Peters out there somewhere.

5) After draft and rookie camp see what we need and try to get non-high price players to fill the gap.

233333[/snapback]

 

Your #s 1, 2, and 3 all make it a lot more difficult to do your #4.

 

1. Resigning PW will likely involve giving him a larger contract if there is any demand for him (which even at an age where he is on the backside of his career I expect there will be some demand) and this will cut into our cap room. Giving up cap room for PW is probably a necessary and good thing to do for this D but make no mistake it will likely cut into cap room.

 

2. Folks seem so hot to trot to get rid of Bledsoe they seem to want to refuse to acknowledge that the deadspace caused by trading/cuttig him as his bonus accelerates may be less than his cap hit if we paid him his contract. BUT the likely additional cost of getting a credible back-up for JP will result in further whittling away of our cap room for the QB position.

 

3. Likewise if we get Nugent and thus cut Lindell we will pick up roughly 800K in deadspace from acceleration of Lindell's bonus which will further reduce our ability to hire quality or any street FAI don't argue against any particular changes you suggest, but you have to balance the cap impacts of the cuts you demand on the potential costs of hiring a better player to fill that slot.

[FTW_BillsFan]

And if Jennings leaves?

233346[/snapback]

 

Personally, I'm not high on Jennings, but I'll defer to TD on that one.

 

I would try to sign him to a 'decent' contract in LT terms, but he probably won't take it.

 

Do we have anyone waiting in the wings at T? Or move Teague out there and get a new center?

[BillsGuyInMalta]

3. Likewise if we get Nugent and thus cut Lindell we will pick up roughly 800K in deadspace from acceleration of Lindell's bonus which will further reduce our ability to hire quality or any street FAI don't argue against any particular changes you suggest, but you have to balance the cap impacts of the cuts you demand on the potential costs of hiring a better player to fill that slot.

233465[/snapback]

800K is nothing in comparison to the cap hits we've had in the past. And honestly, if all it costs is 800K to end this horrible Lindell experiment, it'll be worth it. If we go into next season with Lindell's crappy kicking, it'll once again keep us out of the playoffs. Sure, there was blame to go around this season, but can you imagine how much better our offense would have been if Mularkey didnt have to plan around Lindell's inability to hit FGs consistently past 30 yards?

[FTW_BillsFan]

Your #s 1, 2, and 3 all make it a lot more difficult to do your #4.

 

1. Resigning PW will likely involve giving him a larger contract if there is any demand for him (which even at an age where he is on the backside of his career I expect there will be some demand) and this will cut into our cap room.  Giving up cap room for PW is probably a necessary and good thing to do for this D but make no mistake it will likely cut into cap room.

 

2. Folks seem so hot to trot to get rid of Bledsoe they seem to want to refuse to acknowledge that the deadspace caused by trading/cuttig him as his bonus accelerates may be less than his cap hit if we paid him his contract. BUT the likely additional cost of getting a credible back-up for JP will result in further whittling away of our cap room for the QB position.

 

3. Likewise if we get Nugent and thus cut Lindell we will pick up roughly 800K in deadspace from acceleration of Lindell's bonus which will further reduce our ability to hire quality or any street FAI don't argue against any particular changes you suggest, but you have to balance the cap impacts of the cuts you demand on the potential costs of hiring a better player to fill that slot.

233465[/snapback]

 

When i said 'street FA's' I meant the guys that didn't even get drafted. Bring in some youngsters that might pan out to see what they got. Wasn't PW a street FA? We can bring these guys in cheap, so trading DB and TH wouldn't have an effect on that.

 

Yes, It will cost more to keep PW, but hopefully we will get a home discount and he also said that he wants to play for the bills.

 

Sometimes you just have to cut some of the 'dead' weight so to speak. IF we can get Nugent, the 800k hit would be worth it. For Bledsoe, I think someone said that we would gain about 800k under this year's cap, so that would absorb Lindell's cap hit. Anyone know the cap numbers for Bledsoe? We could get a journeyman pretty cheap I bet.

 

Will Bledsoe accept a pay cut and be the backup here? I highly doubt it. He still thinks he can be a starter in this league. Bledsoe's usefulness for the Bills is over. It was good for the Bills and the orgainzation when we got him, but I think we have found out he is a stone statue that cannot win meaningful games.

[d_wag]

Your #s 1, 2, and 3 all make it a lot more difficult to do your #4.

 

1. Resigning PW will likely involve giving him a larger contract if there is any demand for him (which even at an age where he is on the backside of his career I expect there will be some demand) and this will cut into our cap room.  Giving up cap room for PW is probably a necessary and good thing to do for this D but make no mistake it will likely cut into cap room.

233465[/snapback]

 

how will it "cut into cap room"?

 

pat williams' 04 cap hit was 3.634M.......TD should have got him signed and got that number down, but he didn't.......

 

you expect his 05 cap hit (if resigned by the bills) to be greater then that?? not a chance........his cap number will decrease this year..........

[d_wag]

3. Likewise if we get Nugent and thus cut Lindell we will pick up roughly 800K in deadspace from acceleration of Lindell's bonus which will further reduce our ability to hire quality or any street FAI don't argue against any particular changes you suggest, but you have to balance the cap impacts of the cuts you demand on the potential costs of hiring a better player to fill that slot.

233465[/snapback]

 

i'm not sure where you get your numbers from, but according to billszone the dead money would only be 575K before june 1st.......

 

the cap savings from dumping lindell would be the same amount, so it wouldn't really be costing all that much more to replace him (if they replaced him with nuge it would actually come out around even).......

[BB2004]

I feel we need to finally address the offensive line in the draft-please draft this early.  I would love to see a true safety on this team.  Yes we have Vincent but I want a young hitter who can cover(please let Coy Wire go this year-the trial is over).  I want an OLB who will push Posey for his spot.  Need an upgrade there.  We need another corner early in draft.  Insurance for Clements.  And a sound #3 receiver who can run.  Will Aiken finally blossom?  That is all we have.  Let Reed try it somewhere else. Not here.  I want Pat back at DTackle or that Defense will feel his loss with Edwards in there.  I feel Wire, Reed, J. Bannan have worn out there welcome and would love upgrades at their positions. Thoughts?

232885[/snapback]

 

Agreed with the Pat Williams part. He's essential to sign.

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

i'm not sure where you get your numbers from, but according to billszone the dead money would only be 575K before june 1st.......

 

the cap savings from dumping lindell would be the same amount, so it wouldn't really be costing all that much more to replace him (if they replaced him with nuge it would actually come out around even).......

233856[/snapback]

 

I tend to use Billszone as well but was too lazy to check and falsely remembered 800K, but $575 is the correct number.

 

For me, this decision gets driven by the Bledsoe decision. If he stays and restructures then his cap hit goes way down and in conjunction with a Moulds rejiggering we have tons of cap room and I feel alot better about ending the Lindell experiement and beginning the Nugent experiment.

 

However, if we cut or trade Bledsoe then cap room becomes very precious because even though Bledsoe costs us less to cut than to keep in terms of payments to him, it is more accurate to think of theback-up QBs salary which starts at $4,3 million in deadspace which we will be paying to Bledsoe for playing with some other team.

 

If cutting Bledsoe forces us into the market to find a back-up QB capable of starting if JP isn't ready or gets hurt again I suspect we will need to spend more than the $2.3 million remaining savings from chopping Bledsoe.

 

If Bledsoe goes I probably don't enter into the Nugent experiment as I get a lot more reluctant to use a draft pick on a kicker because I won\t be able to by the players I want in FA and I probably use my draft picks on position players and even $575 K of additional deadspace becomes something to avoid.

[dj-man]

Bannan could be a candidate for OG, judging by the experimentation with him this past season.  It could be worth a shot.

 

And while we are juggling players, I wonder if Coy Wire has any ball carrying skills, since he did that at Stanford.  I doubt it, but what the hell.  He sucks at safety, so give him a whirl at RB or FB since he likes to hit people.  Probably can't catch though...

 

Reed might get another year, but I would not mind seeing him cut.  Oh wait, it's his "contract year", isn't it?  Yawwwwn.

233066[/snapback]

 

I've been thinking about this after awhile, especially seeing how Westbrook catches out of the backfield.. If you all don't remember, Reed was once a running back and could potentially be a threat from the back field. These Coordinators would be so crazy to do such a thing. Any thoughts?????

[FTW_BillsFan]

I tend to use Billszone as well but was too lazy to check and falsely remembered 800K, but $575 is the correct number.

 

For me, this decision gets driven by the Bledsoe decision.  If he stays and restructures then his cap hit goes way down and in conjunction with a Moulds rejiggering we have tons of cap room and I feel alot better about ending the Lindell experiement and beginning the Nugent experiment.

 

However, if we cut or trade Bledsoe then cap room becomes very precious because even though Bledsoe costs us less to cut than to keep in terms of payments to him, it is more accurate to think of theback-up QBs salary which starts at $4,3 million in deadspace which we will be paying to Bledsoe for playing with some other team.

 

If cutting Bledsoe forces us into the market to find a back-up QB capable of starting if JP isn't ready or gets hurt again I suspect we will need to spend more than the $2.3 million remaining savings from chopping Bledsoe.

 

If Bledsoe goes I probably don't enter into the Nugent experiment as I get a lot more reluctant to use a draft pick on a kicker because I won\t be able to by the players I want in FA and I probably use my draft picks on position players and even $575 K of additional deadspace becomes something to avoid.

234072[/snapback]

 

I would think for a moderate backup QB, you would have a low base salary (1.5-2mil) and then have incentives if he actually has to play because of injury. Maybe get a youngster in the draft (late round) like other ppl are saying or get a journeyman for the 3rd QB spot...How much was Matthews last year?