With comp picks in mind do we even go after a FA

[BeastMode54]

Meaning that if it costs a comp pick do we even go after a guy like Poe or Richardson etc. I forget which Buffalo reporter is ws but he said he sees us only going after cut players but none of the players that come after the start of FA, one because if we trade up we want all the comp picks we can get for next year, and two, we don't have the cash. Does this sound right? I thought we'd make one "splash" and that's it

[Mark Vader]

Compensatory picks are nice, especially now that you can trade them, but the majority of them are late round picks, and that doesn't excite me that much.

 

The Bills have a lot of positions to address, and they have to do something in free agency this year.

 

I think the Bills can afford to make one "splash" and then grab a couple of second tier players.

 

It won't be an exciting time for us this off season, but we need all the help we can get.

 

Team needs are more important than comp picks.

[gonzo1105]

It just makes sense, the Bills are trading up. How far? Who knows, but if it’s top 5 it’s going to cost them at least 4 draft picks. 

 

So how do you recoup those draft picks? You let guys who will get bigger contracts elsewhere(Gaines, Matthews, Brown, Williams) and gain 4 compensatory picks back to supplement the higher draft picks you traded away do you can still build depth around the QB

 

 

[apuszczalowski]

This is a great way to compete......... with the Browns

[CountDorkula]

F)*^ Comp picks.

 

I'm so tired of comp picks.

 

Go sign WIlkerson and Richardson or Loutoleilei(SP?) for the D-line, Field the best team and comp picks be damned. 

[Seanbillsfan2206]

Yes 

[billsfan89]

Go after the players you think will help your team. I would much rather go after Poe or Star and have a run stuffing anchor for 2018 than leave a hole on the roster (or go after lesser players who got released) in order to obtain comp picks. 

[Wsam4031]

I love having picks but f comp picks sign players get better, win superbowl!! Im not gonna pass on signing a guy that helps now so I can get a 5th round pick next year with a 10% chance of making an impact on my team

[LabattBlue]

30 minutes ago, BeastMode54 said:

Meaning that if it costs a comp pick do we even go after a guy like Poe or Richardson etc. I forget which Buffalo reporter is ws but he said he sees us only going after cut players but none of the players that come after the start of FA, one because if we trade up we want all the comp picks we can get for next year, and two, we don't have the cash. Does this sound right? I thought we'd make one "splash" and that's it

Do you think it is more important to be awarded a comp pick, or sign a F/A that can help the team in the upcoming season? 

[Estro]

EJ Gaines likely gets us a 4th round comp pick, if he signs for North of $8M per.  If it comes in between $6-8M he'll fetch us a 2019 5th.

 

Matthews will probably be in the 5th/6th range.  If it's over $6M per it'll be a 5, south of 6 per and it'll be a 6th.

 

Preston Brown, same as Matthews, a 5th or 6th.

 

My prediction:

 

4th for Gaines

5th for Matthews (If healthy)

6th for Brown

 

Root for big contract.  Any FA we sign will cancel out one of the above players.  So the team has to ask itself is this player worth giving up a 4th/5th or 6th in 2019 over just signing a cut player or a UDFA.

[CountDorkula]

3 minutes ago, Estro said:

EJ Gaines likely gets us a 4th round comp pick, if he signs for North of $8M per.  If it comes in between $6-8M he'll fetch us a 2019 5th.

 

Matthews will probably be in the 5th/6th range.  If it's over $6M per it'll be a 5, south of 6 per and it'll be a 6th.

 

Preston Brown, same as Matthews, a 5th or 6th.

 

My prediction:

 

4th for Gaines

5th for Matthews (If healthy)

6th for Brown

 

Root for big contract.  Any FA we sign will cancel out one of the above players.  So the team has to ask itself is this player worth giving up a 4th/5th or 6th in 2019 over just signing a cut player or a UDFA.

I want to punch you. and anyone who thinks not signing someone because we might get a 6th rd pick.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

38 minutes ago, Mark Vader said:

Compensatory picks are nice, especially now that you can trade them, but the majority of them are late round picks, and that doesn't excite me that much.

 

The Bills have a lot of positions to address, and they have to do something in free agency this year.

 

I think the Bills can afford to make one "splash" and then grab a couple of second tier players.

 

It won't be an exciting time for us this off season, but we need all the help we can get.

 

Team needs are more important than comp picks.

 

If we move a bunch of late picks, it helps to have them to re-stock the bench.

[HiddenInLight]

Honestly, if getting a guy in FA is going to fill a hole and give us another shot at the playoffs, I don't care about compensatory picks.  When was the last time one actually got a team an above average player?

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

5 minutes ago, Estro said:

EJ Gaines likely gets us a 4th round comp pick, if he signs for North of $8M per.  If it comes in between $6-8M he'll fetch us a 2019 5th.

 

Matthews will probably be in the 5th/6th range.  If it's over $6M per it'll be a 5, south of 6 per and it'll be a 6th.

 

Preston Brown, same as Matthews, a 5th or 6th.

 

My prediction:

 

4th for Gaines

5th for Matthews (If healthy)

6th for Brown

 

Root for big contract.  Any FA we sign will cancel out one of the above players.  So the team has to ask itself is this player worth giving up a 4th/5th or 6th in 2019 over just signing a cut player or a UDFA.

 

6th for brown?  He's trying to get 8-10 per year.  

[Cash]

I'm a big proponent of using the comp pick system as much as possible - I was one of the whiners last offseason that we lost a 3rd round pick (Gilmore) and a 4th round pick (Woods).  I don't have a lot of basis for this, but I think Beane also values comp picks - he wasn't hired until most of our FA signings were already done.  But having said that, I will go on record and say that we won't get any comp picks from this free agency period.  And I'm probably okay with that.

 

Why?  Last year, we lost 5 qualifying free agents, and Gilmore (3rd) and Woods (4th or 5th) were sure to be worth fairly high picks.  This year, I think we lose fewer qualifying free agents.  Here's everyone I think has a chance to qualify:

1. E.J. Gaines
2. Kyle Williams
3. Jordan Matthews
4. Preston Brown
5. Deonte Thompson

I think it's very possible that Matthews signs a 1 year minimum deal in the hopes of cashing in after a year of better numbers.  Kyle might return to the Bills or retire.  Preston might be back.  Thompson might not get a qualifying contract.  And even Gaines is unlikely to rate better than a 4th rounder (I think 5th rounder more likely).  That's not a lot of return for constraining yourself to only 0 or 1 qualifying free agents.

 

Like last year, we have a lot of holes on the team.  (Maybe more - our DT situation was a lot better in 2017 than it is in 2018.)  Unlike last year, there's not as much payoff to limiting signings to non-qualifying free agents.  

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

3 minutes ago, HiddenInLight said:

Honestly, if getting a guy in FA is going to fill a hole and give us another shot at the playoffs, I don't care about compensatory picks.  When was the last time one actually got a team an above average player?

 

True - the only notable i saw from the last couple years was Dak Prescott. 

 

At the same time if you trade a couple picks from 2019 (say a 2nd and 3rd, or something along those lines) it would benefit the team to add a 3rd and 4th round pick in the comp formula.  Cap casualties don't affect the comp formula which is the main benefit.  Signing a free agent is almost like trading a player if you need those picks.

If you can effectively fill the hole without affecting it, i think they will explore those options.  

2 minutes ago, Cash said:

I'm a big proponent of using the comp pick system as much as possible - I was one of the whiners last offseason that we lost a 3rd round pick (Gilmore) and a 4th round pick (Woods).  I don't have a lot of basis for this, but I think Beane also values comp picks - he wasn't hired until most of our FA signings were already done.  But having said that, I will go on record and say that we won't get any comp picks from this free agency period.  And I'm probably okay with that.

 

Why?  Last year, we lost 5 qualifying free agents, and Gilmore (3rd) and Woods (4th or 5th) were sure to be worth fairly high picks.  This year, I think we lose fewer qualifying free agents.  Here's everyone I think has a chance to qualify:

1. E.J. Gaines
2. Kyle Williams
3. Jordan Matthews
4. Preston Brown
5. Deonte Thompson

I think it's very possible that Matthews signs a 1 year minimum deal in the hopes of cashing in after a year of better numbers.  Kyle might return to the Bills or retire.  Preston might be back.  Thompson might not get a qualifying contract.  And even Gaines is unlikely to rate better than a 4th rounder (I think 5th rounder more likely).  That's not a lot of return for constraining yourself to only 0 or 1 qualifying free agents.

 

Like last year, we have a lot of holes on the team.  (Maybe more - our DT situation was a lot better in 2017 than it is in 2018.)  Unlike last year, there's not as much payoff to limiting signings to non-qualifying free agents.  

 

I dunno - sportrac has an annual value on brown of 8.4 million, and 9.3 million for Gaines.  Kyle may sign a 1 year deal with a contender, and there's like no reason we sign matthews.  

[NastyNateSoldiers]

52 minutes ago, BeastMode54 said:

Meaning that if it costs a comp pick do we even go after a guy like Poe or Richardson etc. I forget which Buffalo reporter is ws but he said he sees us only going after cut players but none of the players that come after the start of FA, one because if we trade up we want all the comp picks we can get for next year, and two, we don't have the cash. Does this sound right? I thought we'd make one "splash" and that's it

I think comp pks are better for teams that are settled and have there core guys place. Basically the best teams take the most advantage of this system . The Bills are not in that position to take advantage of this system yet.  

 

Being mindful of comp pks is great but there's also a flipside of being mindful of the position u are in to reap the benefits of them.  This coming yr even if we are perfect at it the most we will get is 4th rd pk for Gaines and maybe a 6th for Preston.  I say we take advantage of free agency this yr and help our team grow with smart savy free agent signings.

[John from Riverside]

If we do end up trading up for Rosen or Mayfield I REALLY hope we are big time free agency players

[Cash]

10 minutes ago, HiddenInLight said:

Honestly, if getting a guy in FA is going to fill a hole and give us another shot at the playoffs, I don't care about compensatory picks.  When was the last time one actually got a team an above average player?

 

Didn't look at 2017, but 2016 had Dak Prescott and Alex Collins - that's pretty good.  In general, any 3rd round comp pick is basically the top pick of the 4th round, which is pretty useful.

 

2 minutes ago, dneveu said:

 

True - the only notable i saw from the last couple years was Dak Prescott. 

 

At the same time if you trade a couple picks from 2019 (say a 2nd and 3rd, or something along those lines) it would benefit the team to add a 3rd and 4th round pick in the comp formula.  Cap casualties don't affect the comp formula which is the main benefit.  Signing a free agent is almost like trading a player if you need those picks.

If you can effectively fill the hole without affecting it, i think they will explore those options.  

 

Agreed.  If there's a non-qualifying FA who can help about as much as a qualifying FA, that should be taken into consideration.  But a lot of that consideration depends on what picks you might be getting. 

[HiddenInLight]

1 minute ago, Cash said:

 

Didn't look at 2017, but 2016 had Dak Prescott and Alex Collins - that's pretty good.  In general, any 3rd round comp pick is basically the top pick of the 4th round, which is pretty useful.

 

 

Agreed.  If there's a non-qualifying FA who can help about as much as a qualifying FA, that should be taken into consideration.  But a lot of that consideration depends on what picks you might be getting. 

 

Honestly with compensatory picks, if you get them you get them.  If not then don't worry about it.  Just do everything you can to make a competitive team every year.  Don't choose not to make moves because you might get an extra draft pick next year.