An Offseason That Takes Us To The Next Level

[H2o]

We see the changes and how much better our team has been versus what was anticipated for this season. Most of the so called experts had us between 3 and 6 wins. I think most of us can agree we have exceeded expectations, especially in light of the fact we are in the playoff hunt for week 17. As of right now we are right at $40,000,000 under the cap. I will outline a scenario where we go from scraping to get in to contending for the AFC. 

 

1. Get Kirk Cousins. Kirk is an obvious upgrade over Taylor. Is he Aaron Rogers, Tom Brady, or Ben Roethlisberger? No. Do I think he is a savior? No. He is a top 10 NFL QB though and he is a proven commodity. He's had some really impressive seasons in Washington. I think he would excel in this system and be the Franchise QB we have not had since Kelly. He would surely be the best we have had since the drought. The guy can play.

 

2. Get Star Lotulelei and go after a 2nd DT. Cutting Taylor frees up another $10,000,000. That is more than enough to get Star and a 2nd guy like Tom Johnson or Timmy Jernigan. Star is familiar with this defense and played well in it at Carolina. He should only cost around $6,000,000 per season, with us likely being able to have a lower cap number on him than that in 2018. If we can convince Kyle to come back for another on a team friendly deal then the DT spot turns out more than solid for 2018.

 

3. Bring in Andrew Norwell or Joe Berger to play RG. They are both upgrades over Ducasse. 

 

4. Re-sign Gaines, Thompson, and Cadet. 

 

5. The draft: 

1a. Roquan Smith \ LB \ Georgia - This is the QB the defense needs. A sideline to sideline LB who can cover just as well as he can shed defenders to make a tackle.

1b. Connor Williams \ OT \ Texas - OL needs to be addressed. With all of the uncertainty around Glenn we take one of the top OT's with our second 1st Round pick. 

2a. Tegray Scales \ LB \ Indiana - We go back to LB with our first 2nd Round pick to complete a TOTAL transformation of our LB unit. Scales is another sideline to sideline LB who is a perfect fit for this scheme. His instincts are second to none. Smith, Scales, and Milano will quickly form one of the best groups in the NFL. 

2b. Da'Ron Payne \ DT \ Alabama - Throw him in the mix with what we will already have and the DT postion is well above what we had in 2017, especially if we get one more out of Kyle.

3. Equanimeous St. Brown \ WR \ Notre Dame - St. Brown doesn't have the big numbers others may have, but as an ND fan I can tell you he is open way more often than not. He is a big man, who is also fast, and can run quality routes. 

4. Brendan Mahon \ OG \ Penn St. - The rebuilding of the trenches continues. Mahon has been opening running lanes for Saquon Barkley the last couple years and is a solid prospect for the OL. He could eventually replace Incognito.

5a. Breeland Speaks \ DE \ Ole Miss - Speaks is a big, strong side DE who also has the athleticism to get after the QB. 

5b. Mike Weber \ RB \ Ohio St. - Weber was chosen as the successor to Elliott. His 2016 was solid, but he lost his job this year due to a hamstring injury. He still has over 600 yards, 10 TD's, and has shown the ability to catch the ball. 

 

Of course there will be many important depth signings along the way, but if we can have an offseason like this we would be ready to take that next step. That next step to contending with the Pats for the division and everyone for the AFC. It all hinges on if we can get Cousins or not, but I think it is more than realistic. 

 

Had to update because I didn't take into account the lost draft picks for KB and didn't look at an updated FA listing. 

 

Edited December 30, 2017 by H2o

[Bangarang]

Cousins, Star and Gaines (maybe) are going to be big checks to write. Given what Beane said at his introductory press conference about building through the draft and not signing big money FAs I wouldn’t expect us to go all out like that.

[Foreigner]

Obviously did your research. Maybe apply to the Pegulas for beanes job. Couldn't do much worse.

[26CornerBlitz]

Jernigan signed an extension with the Eagles. 

[RiotAct]

how is Trai Turner going to juggle playing for the Bills AND the Washington Nationals?

 

 

[RobH063]

3 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

Cousins, Star and Gaines (maybe) are going to be big checks to write. Given what Beane said at his introductory press conference about building through the draft and not signing big money FAs I wouldn’t expect us to go all out like that.

I wonder about that too but that's easy to do if you're a team like Green Bay right? They don't have to go big in free agency. Their nucleus is all set for a while but the Bills can't afford to go 2,3,4 more years without the playoffs so some big money will have to be spent I would think

[H2o]

2 minutes ago, 26CornerBlitz said:

Jernigan signed an extension with the Eagles. 

Damn if he didn't. I missed that when it happened. I was thinking of potential FA's I thought were coming up and thought he would fit nicely. Cross him off as a 2 nd option then. 

4 minutes ago, RiotAct said:

how is Trai Turner going to juggle playing for the Bills AND the Washington Nationals?

 

 

That would be Trae, not Trai 

[The Now Moment]

4 minutes ago, H2o said:

Damn if he didn't. I missed that when it happened. I was thinking of potential FA's I thought were coming up and thought he would fit nicely. Cross him off as a 2 nd option then. 

Trai Turner signed a deal with the Panthers as well.

[MAJBobby]

14 minutes ago, H2o said:

We see the changes and how much better our team has been versus what was anticipated for this season. Most of the so called experts had us between 3 and 6 wins. I think most of us can agree we have exceeded expectations, especially in light of the fact we are in the playoff hunt for week 17. As of right now we are right at $40,000,000 under the cap. I will outline a scenario where we go from scraping to get in to contending for the AFC. 

 

1. Get Kirk Cousins. Kirk is an obvious upgrade over Taylor. Is he Aaron Rogers, Tom Brady, or Ben Roethlisberger? No. Do I think he is a savior? No. He is a top 10 NFL QB though and he is a proven commodity. He's had some really impressive seasons in Washington. I think he would excel in this system and be the Franchise QB we have not had since Kelly. He would surely be the best we have had since the drought. The guy can play.

 

2. Get Star Lotulelei and go after a 2nd DT. Cutting Taylor frees up another $10,000,000. That is more than enough to get Star and a 2nd guy like Tom Johnson or Timmy Jernigan. Star is familiar with this defense and played well in it at Carolina. He should only cost around $6,000,000 per season, with us likely being able to have a lower cap number on him than that in 2018. If we can convince Kyle to come back for another on a team friendly deal then the DT spot turns out more than solid for 2018.

 

3. Bring in Ryan Jensen or Trai Turner to play RG. Jensen would be my 1st choice and Baltimore is cap strapped. There will still be other bidders. If not Jensen then Turner, who would be cheaper. They are both upgrades over Ducasse. 

 

4. Re-sign Gaines, Thompson, and Cadet. 

 

5. The draft: 

1a. Roquan Smith \ LB \ Georgia - This is the QB the defense needs. A sideline to sideline LB who can cover just as well as he can shed defenders to make a tackle.

1b. Connor Williams \ OT \ Texas - OL needs to be addressed. With all of the uncertainty around Glenn we take one of the top OT's with our second 1st Round pick. 

2a. Tegray Scales \ LB \ Indiana - We go back to LB with our first 2nd Round pick to complete a TOTAL transformation of our LB unit. Scales is another sideline to sideline LB who is a perfect fit for this scheme. His instincts are second to none. Smith, Scales, and Milano will quickly form one of the best groups in the NFL. 

2b. Da'Ron Payne \ DT \ Alabama - Throw him in the mix with what we will already have and the DT postion is well above what we had in 2017, especially if we get one more out of Kyle. 

3a. Carlton Davis \ CB \ Auburn - Has the size, tackling ability, and the instincts that would make him fit well in this defense.

3b. Equanimeous St. Brown \ WR \ Notre Dame - St. Brown doesn't have the big numbers others may have, but as an ND fan I can tell you he is open way more often than not. He is a big man, who is also fast, and can run quality routes. 

4. Brendan Mahon \ OG \ Penn St. - The rebuilding of the trenches continues. Mahon has been opening running lanes for Saquon Barkley the last couple years and is a solid prospect for the OL. He could eventually replace Incognito.

5a. Breeland Speaks \ DE \ Ole Miss - Speaks is a big, strong side DE who also has the athleticism to get after the QB. 

5b. Mike Weber \ RB \ Ohio St. - Weber was chosen as the successor to Elliott. His 2016 was solid, but he lost his job this year due to a hamstring injury. He still has over 600 yards, 10 TD's, and has shown the ability to catch the football. He will make for nice depth. 

7. Bruce Hector \ DT \ South Florida - Hector is a penetrating DT who has the athleticism to get after it. He can be lost in the wash at times though. He would be decent depth as a rotational guy sent in on obvious passing downs to start. He may develop or he may be nothing more. 

 

Of course there will be many important depth signings along the way, but if we can have an offseason like this we would be ready to take that next step. That next step to contending with the Pats for the division and everyone for the AFC. It all hinges on if we can get Cousins or not, but I think it is more than realistic. 

 

Not enough $$$$

for all those moves 

 

heck Gaines market value is going to be 9M AVV

Edited December 30, 2017 by MAJBobby

[saundena]

Didn't we give up one of our 3rds to get Benjamin?

[BuffaloRush]

10 minutes ago, H2o said:

We see the changes and how much better our team has been versus what was anticipated for this season. Most of the so called experts had us between 3 and 6 wins. I think most of us can agree we have exceeded expectations, especially in light of the fact we are in the playoff hunt for week 17. As of right now we are right at $40,000,000 under the cap. I will outline a scenario where we go from scraping to get in to contending for the AFC. 

 

1. Get Kirk Cousins. Kirk is an obvious upgrade over Taylor. Is he Aaron Rogers, Tom Brady, or Ben Roethlisberger? No. Do I think he is a savior? No. He is a top 10 NFL QB though and he is a proven commodity. He's had some really impressive seasons in Washington. I think he would excel in this system and be the Franchise QB we have not had since Kelly. He would surely be the best we have had since the drought. The guy can play.

 

2. Get Star Lotulelei and go after a 2nd DT. Cutting Taylor frees up another $10,000,000. That is more than enough to get Star and a 2nd guy like Tom Johnson or Timmy Jernigan. Star is familiar with this defense and played well in it at Carolina. He should only cost around $6,000,000 per season, with us likely being able to have a lower cap number on him than that in 2018. If we can convince Kyle to come back for another on a team friendly deal then the DT spot turns out more than solid for 2018.

 

3. Bring in Ryan Jensen or Trai Turner to play RG. Jensen would be my 1st choice and Baltimore is cap strapped. There will still be other bidders. If not Jensen then Turner, who would be cheaper. They are both upgrades over Ducasse. 

 

4. Re-sign Gaines, Thompson, and Cadet. 

 

5. The draft: 

1a. Roquan Smith \ LB \ Georgia - This is the QB the defense needs. A sideline to sideline LB who can cover just as well as he can shed defenders to make a tackle.

1b. Connor Williams \ OT \ Texas - OL needs to be addressed. With all of the uncertainty around Glenn we take one of the top OT's with our second 1st Round pick. 

2a. Tegray Scales \ LB \ Indiana - We go back to LB with our first 2nd Round pick to complete a TOTAL transformation of our LB unit. Scales is another sideline to sideline LB who is a perfect fit for this scheme. His instincts are second to none. Smith, Scales, and Milano will quickly form one of the best groups in the NFL. 

2b. Da'Ron Payne \ DT \ Alabama - Throw him in the mix with what we will already have and the DT postion is well above what we had in 2017, especially if we get one more out of Kyle. 

3a. Carlton Davis \ CB \ Auburn - Has the size, tackling ability, and the instincts that would make him fit well in this defense.

3b. Equanimeous St. Brown \ WR \ Notre Dame - St. Brown doesn't have the big numbers others may have, but as an ND fan I can tell you he is open way more often than not. He is a big man, who is also fast, and can run quality routes. 

4. Brendan Mahon \ OG \ Penn St. - The rebuilding of the trenches continues. Mahon has been opening running lanes for Saquon Barkley the last couple years and is a solid prospect for the OL. He could eventually replace Incognito.

5a. Breeland Speaks \ DE \ Ole Miss - Speaks is a big, strong side DE who also has the athleticism to get after the QB. 

5b. Mike Weber \ RB \ Ohio St. - Weber was chosen as the successor to Elliott. His 2016 was solid, but he lost his job this year due to a hamstring injury. He still has over 600 yards, 10 TD's, and has shown the ability to catch the football. He will make for nice depth. 

7. Bruce Hector \ DT \ South Florida - Hector is a penetrating DT who has the athleticism to get after it. He can be lost in the wash at times though. He would be decent depth as a rotational guy sent in on obvious passing downs to start. He may develop or he may be nothing more. 

 

Of course there will be many important depth signings along the way, but if we can have an offseason like this we would be ready to take that next step. That next step to contending with the Pats for the division and everyone for the AFC. It all hinges on if we can get Cousins or not, but I think it is more than realistic. 

 

All of this looks great.  But I don't think spending huge deals on free agents fits McDermott and Beane's style.  Remember when McDermott was interviewed around draft time he threw shade at the old administration by saying "we are building a team, not acquiring talent."  Signing huge free agents (a la Doug Whaley) seems to fit under the "acquiring talent" category.  

 

Also much of Beane and McDermott's philosophy comes from Marty Hurney, Dave Gettleman and Carolina.  Look how Carolina handled the Josh Norman situation.  Rather than pay him a massive deal they released the franchise tag on him.  

 

I can see them signing a guy like Star from Carolina.  He'd command a huge deal but would be an immediate fit for the defense.  Don't see them breaking the bank to sign Cousins or another other player

[26CornerBlitz]

Just now, saundena said:

Didn't we give up one of our 3rds to get Benjamin?

 

Yep and also a 7th IIRC.

[JerseyBills]

7 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

Cousins, Star and Gaines (maybe) are going to be big checks to write. Given what Beane said at his introductory press conference about building through the draft and not signing big money FAs I wouldn’t expect us to go all out like that.

Yea but I view it as an opportunity to get to an elite level as a team. We have a great amount of draft capital and will have good cap space , for the right price I think Beane will go all out for highly valued FA, an opportunity to take an 8-9 win team and have them consistently win 10+ a year. It's going to be an interesting and exciting off-season for sure. So much potential,very bright future

[H2o]

6 minutes ago, Buffalo30 said:

Trai Turner signed a deal with the Panthers as well.

Damn, I need to look at an updated FA list. 

[Mike in Horseheads]

6 minutes ago, saundena said:

Didn't we give up one of our 3rds to get Benjamin?

I thought so.

[26CornerBlitz]

10/31/2017 -  Agreed to acquire WR Kelvin Benjamin from the Panthers in exchange for the team's 2018 3rd and 7th round pick.

[MAJBobby]

Cousins AVV gonna be between 25-28M

Star gonna be 10-12M AVV

Gaines at 9.5M AVV

 

those are only three were is the other cap room coming from?

[H2o]

Ok, so flip the OG options with Andrew Norwell from Carolina and Joe Berger from Minnesota. 

[Kirby Jackson]

4 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

Cousins AVV gonna be between 25-28M

Star gonna be 10-12M AVV

Gaines at 9.5M AVV

 

those are only three were is the other cap room coming from?

Those aren’t the cap hits though. I would think that you could get those 3 for a year one cap hit of $30M or less (and pretty easily). I’ve seen projections with the Bills over $52M. Cap space isn’t an issue.

[8-8 Forever?]

I agree they should go after Cousins, but why in the world would he come, everything else being equal?   Rebuilding team, no WRs, aging run game.   I like it, but I don't see it.  McBeanes are taking the long road, it seems to me.