CB EJ Gaines 1 year deal

[BADOLBILZ]

9 hours ago, folz said:

 

It feels like you're looking at the situation with no context at all. You have to weigh in the money available last year, what they were trying to do (position themselves for one of the top 3 QBs), the player's and the team's situation, etc.

 

For instance, your statement about McCarron above makes it sound like the Bills were all in on McCarron (he's our guy) and then suddenly decided they weren't. You have to remember what the QB market was last year. There were a number of decent QBs available and a lot of QB hungry teams. Knowing they were all in on drafting one of the top QBs, they weren't going to get into a bidding war for players like Cousins or Keenum, etc. and when the dust settled, McCarron was kind of last man standing, so they signed him to a backup QB level deal. They maybe hoped he could be that veteran leader and maybe a bridge QB until the rookie was ready, but when he couldn't beat out Peterman and wouldn't be a great mentor (because he still wanted to start), they shipped him away. It's not like they pegged him as a top FA that they had to have, took a huge swing on him, and whiffed.

 

And obviously Beane is willing to go for some low risk, high reward players on short deals (older players, or guys coming off of injury, but who have been productive or have big time potential). Obviously you're not going to hit on all of those guys, that's why they are a risk. But when you do, it is an incredible bargain. Now with Vontae last year, the mistake wasn't signing him, the mistake was not having a viable backup for him. But as you can see, this year, now that they have money to spend, they are trying to create depth and competition at every position.

 

And you keep saying 0-9 last UFA season. What about Star and Chris Ivory. Ivory wasn't brought in to be an all-star RB, he was brought in to be a backup and a bulldozer and he did just that. If you want to note production stats, I'd say look at the offensive line, which was more of the running game problem than Ivory or Shady's age. And what are they doing this offseason? Oh yeah, they're rebuilding the offensive line. And Star played well last year, so not sure how he isn't at least a 1 in your equation. Trent Murphy has to be an incomplete grade, not a zero. Let's see what he does this year when he isn't injured.

 

I'm not saying Beane and Co. didn't have their share of whiffs in free agency last year, but you have to look at the context of the situation and what they are trying to do to fix it this year, now that they have the assets. And even look at the players individually and their situation. Like bringing in Coleman. That didn't hurt the team in the least. They took a chance on him at very low risk and it didn't work out, so you move on. They knew it was a 50/50 proposition that it would work out. They didn't plan the rest of the team around him or anything, expecting a certain amount of production. But you, I'm sure,  add that to the "0-9" (bad GM) category. I'm glad our GM takes shots like that.

 

Another factor that is far too often forgotten, is the retirement of Eric Wood and Ritchie Incognito. The team expected to have both of them last year. Once they retired, it was a terrible draft for offensive linemen (not to mention all of their draft capital was focused on QB) and they didn't have the cash to go after a big name center or guard. So, you bring in a guy like Bodine, who was serviceable. But again, you would add that to the bad move category, despite them not having many other options due to the surprise nature of the retirements. Think of how much better the offense would have been last year with Eric and Ritchie on the line. More context.

 

And a lot of the FAs they signed the last two years were signed as one year players, just to fill out the roster and get us through the season (knowing they were just ok players), because that's what they could afford. I mean are you including guys like Rafael Bush and Kaelin Clay in that 0-9? These guys were brought in as insurance policies, not to be starters. The plan was always to keep upgrading those positions as soon as it was possible. You can't rebuild an entire team in one or even two offseasons, especially when a team is in "cap jail."

 

It's hard to believe you could be so staunchly against this regime when, even if they miss on some of these current free agents, they are at least trying their hardest to field a competitive team and one that is fun to root for because of the culture they have fostered. They appear to have a plan. They are building depth. They are managing the cap properly.

I'm not saying its a guarantee that they make us a perennial playoff team, but I find it hard not to be hopeful/at least somewhat optimistic when it appears that this team has more focus and direction than anytime since Polian/Butler and Marv/Wade.

 

 

And I love that EJ is back btw! 

 

 

 

I have it in context.    I don't think you do.   They weren't cap strapped last offseason.........they were in about the same boat as most teams hitting free agency with over $40M to spend.........and they spent more than the average team.

 

In fact they burned almost $9M in 2018 cap space on McCarron and Corey Coleman alone and neither made it to opening day.    That's dead money before they ever got a snap out of those guys...........and a big contributing factor to setting an all-time NFL record for dead money created by a GM in one season!

 

Trust me on this for perspective..........don't get used to adding 9 UFA's one offseason and 15 the next and only losing a handful of your own in the process.

 

The Bills have had a major buyers advantage in UFA the past two offseasons.    They have been in position to just stack cheese and lose almost nothing.    Claiming they were hamstrung is ludicrous.  

 

Understand...........I am not dead set against Beane or McDermott............I am just willing to be objective about the work.    Even Beane admits he's made errors........which is not something most GM's will even address.   Because he KNOWS that anyone with an ounce of objectivity sees some ridiculous miscalculations.........like acquiring guys you should know like the back of your hand in Kelvin Benjamin and Star Lotulelei and having them reach new career lows with your team.   There is a long list of mistakes and virtually no success on the pro side since he took over for Whaley.

 

No GM is perfect but THAT is why it's important to nail some of these UFA's.    Doug Whaley went down with the ship and when he had traded for Jerry Hughes and signed Lorax(12.5 sacks first season) and Zach Brown(lead NFL in tackles) to mega-bargain deals.........ANY one of those would have been by far the best pro personnel gets of Beane's tenure.

[Logic]

10 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

1) Mmmkay........then let me know when McDermott contends for a SB.......or even a division title............hell, let me know when his team has a representative showing against the Patriots..........he hasn't been here 20 years but he's already been the worst Bills coach against the Belichick Patriots yet.

 

 Again you can't be damned if you do until you do first.    You don't seem to understand the meaning of that saying.   They've done nothing that anyone needs to take note of..........I mean do we reminisce fondly about Mularkey and Marrone's 9 win seasons?  I think not.  

 

2) So why was the Bills pass rush so bad if Star got such great push?   They ranked 26th in the NFL in sacks.   You probably should have left that part of Lorax's smoke blowing out.

 

 

Gee, I guess you're right. I'm SURE you know more about how the defense works and who plays well in it than NFL player Lorenzo Alexander or NFL head coach Sean McDermott.

"They've done nothing to take note of"? Again, I guess McDermott making the playoffs in his FIRST season when no previous Bills coach in 18 years could get it done doesn't mean anything to you. That's fine. You're a tough critic.

There's one thing that I hope you understand: Your subjective opinion does not represent objective reality. Just because YOU think a certain thing doesn't make it objectively true.

[Doc]

5 minutes ago, Logic said:

Gee, I guess you're right. I'm SURE you know more about how the defense works and who plays well in it than NFL player Lorenzo Alexander or NFL head coach Sean McDermott.

"They've done nothing to take note of"? Again, I guess McDermott making the playoffs in his FIRST season when no previous Bills coach in 18 years could get it done doesn't mean anything to you. That's fine. You're a tough critic.

There's one thing that I hope you understand: Your subjective opinion does not represent objective reality. Just because YOU think a certain thing doesn't make it objectively true.

 

Have you met BADOL before?

[Buffalo03]

I like the signing. I'm just afraid he's gonna break his wrist while sleeping tonight

[ColoradoBills]

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

I have it in context.    I don't think you do.   They weren't cap strapped last offseason.........they were in about the same boat as most teams hitting free agency with over $40M to spend.........and they spent more than the average team.

 

In fact they burned almost $9M in 2018 cap space on McCarron and Corey Coleman alone and neither made it to opening day.    That's dead money before they ever got a snap out of those guys...........and a big contributing factor to setting an all-time NFL record for dead money created by a GM in one season!

 

Trust me on this for perspective..........don't get used to adding 9 UFA's one offseason and 15 the next and only losing a handful of your own in the process.

 

The Bills have had a major buyers advantage in UFA the past two offseasons.    They have been in position to just stack cheese and lose almost nothing.    Claiming they were hamstrung is ludicrous.  

 

Understand...........I am not dead set against Beane or McDermott............I am just willing to be objective about the work.    Even Beane admits he's made errors........which is not something most GM's will even address.   Because he KNOWS that anyone with an ounce of objectivity sees some ridiculous miscalculations.........like acquiring guys you should know like the back of your hand in Kelvin Benjamin and Star Lotulelei and having them reach new career lows with your team.   There is a long list of mistakes and virtually no success on the pro side since he took over for Whaley.

 

No GM is perfect but THAT is why it's important to nail some of these UFA's.    Doug Whaley went down with the ship and when he had traded for Jerry Hughes and signed Lorax(12.5 sacks first season) and Zach Brown(lead NFL in tackles) to mega-bargain deals.........ANY one of those would have been by far the best pro personnel gets of Beane's tenure.

 

I agree and Beane does too that last years FA was not very good.

Beane also has said that last year was entirely about the draft and acquiring a QB.

I will repeat that, it was all about getting the QB.  McCarron was a placeholder and in retrospect a poor gamble.

 

Beane's success or failure will hinge on Josh Allen (2018 draft), and this entire years FA/Draft.

None of us will know if this "process" is working until this season is over.

 

Personally, I was skeptical about the "process" last year at this time.

Since then I have been fairly optimistic about what his plan is all about.

I like the FA so far and can't wait to see how this years draft pans out.

After the draft it's up to McDermott and his staff to "cook" these ingredients into something tasty.

[foreboding]

On 3/25/2019 at 10:42 AM, nucci said:

or they are signing as many good players as they can.  Guessing they want some more experience in the secondary....White, Gaines, Poyer and Hyde were a great starting 4

 

Depth is a big part of how good teams get wins despite the huge attrition a year brings. Our guys get this and are adding it everywhere. Guy goes down... and if you still have a legit NFL starter, needless to say but I will; your chance of winning week in and week out, increase dramatically.

[BADOLBILZ]

3 hours ago, Logic said:

Gee, I guess you're right. I'm SURE you know more about how the defense works and who plays well in it than NFL player Lorenzo Alexander or NFL head coach Sean McDermott.

"They've done nothing to take note of"? Again, I guess McDermott making the playoffs in his FIRST season when no previous Bills coach in 18 years could get it done doesn't mean anything to you. That's fine. You're a tough critic.

There's one thing that I hope you understand: Your subjective opinion does not represent objective reality. Just because YOU think a certain thing doesn't make it objectively true.

 

The 2017 Bills were not a good team.

 

They were significantly outscored by their opponents on the season........a negative 57 point differential.........the worst point differential of any AFC wildcard qualifier in the last 30 years(1989 Steelers).

 

That is not being a tough critic..............that is realizing that every once in a while a mediocre team can actually sneak into the playoffs.  

  

[BADOLBILZ]

2 hours ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

I agree and Beane does too that last years FA was not very good.

Beane also has said that last year was entirely about the draft and acquiring a QB.

I will repeat that, it was all about getting the QB.  McCarron was a placeholder and in retrospect a poor gamble.

 

Beane's success or failure will hinge on Josh Allen (2018 draft), and this entire years FA/Draft.

None of us will know if this "process" is working until this season is over.

 

Personally, I was skeptical about the "process" last year at this time.

Since then I have been fairly optimistic about what his plan is all about.

I like the FA so far and can't wait to see how this years draft pans out.

After the draft it's up to McDermott and his staff to "cook" these ingredients into something tasty.

 

 

I agree with all of that except giving Beane a pass on his UFA busts because you think he said "last year was entirely about drafting and acquiring a QB".

 

I haven't heard him use that excuse for his struggles in UFA..........because, of course,  if he had that would be absurd.

 

Is this offseason all about signing free agents and the draft is just a bonus?    You gotta' be good at being a GM not good at one thing this year or one thing the next.

He knows he has made some obvious mistakes it's his apologists that don't.

 

[BADOLBILZ]

11 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

 

Trading for Coleman didn’t hurt them?  They paid Coleman what, $3.5M for his tryout?  How much did Gaines get from Cleveland, again?

 

And yet ... the bigger mistake may have been giving up on Coleman so quickly, while holding on to a washed Benjamin for a couple more months and then having to pay Deonte Thompson. Now Coleman’s career is potentially getting on track with the Giants. So there’s an example of damning yourself when you do and when you don’t!

 

You want to talk about CONTEXT?  Here is a partial list of the guys Beane acquired - with draft picks and money - who "weren't who we thought they were":

 

AJ McCarron

Corey Coleman

Jeremy Kerley

Kelvin Benjamin

Vontae Davis

Trent Murphy

and maybe Star, Newhouse, and Phillip Gaines

 

Some of these players (Davis, Kerley, Benjamin and Murphy) were counted on to START.  Meanwhile you have to dig deep to find a Beane acquisition who made a positive impact.

 

At this rate, BADOL is right that Beane's 2019 FA class needs to produce some keepers.  If Terry Pegula had a pulse, he'd be grilling Beane about ROI.  You think Jerry Jones or Handy Kraft would be ok with that list and production?  Here is my prediction: if the 2019 class's success rate is less than 50%, McDermott - who has shown himself to be adaptable and icy cold when it comes to loyalty to underproducing coaches (a positive trait IMO) - will make a power move to replace Beane with another hand-picked GM, or himself.

 

 

I agree..........it may seem crazy now because the perception is that they are tied at the hip...........but if McD doesn't get better support from his personnel department I could see him looking to replace Beane.

 

I can't see it the other way though.   I think McD brought Beane here and he won't be leaving without him.

 

That could change if Beane has amazing personnel results but McD coaches himself into a bad spot........but it's a sketchy look for a GM when the team drafts well but are terrible in pro personnel..........it makes it look like he is totally at the mercy of his departments.......which is always a concern when you hire a GM who really is more of an office guy than a scout.

4 hours ago, akm0404 said:

...the what now?

 

The thesis of that last word salad is that McDermott is going to make a "power move" and coerce Pegula into firing Beane?

 

I don't even.

 

 

I think The Pegs are super-averse to firing anyone right now.........see Housley, Phil.

 

I'd say they have so utterly failed in building teams that they have reached the point where they no longer trust their own ability to make decisions with regard to field/ice operations and are going to explore the deer-in-headlights approach and see if patience works.

[ColoradoBills]

2 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

I agree with all of that except giving Beane a pass on his UFA busts because you think he said "last year was entirely about drafting and acquiring a QB".

 

I haven't heard him use that excuse for his struggles in UFA..........because, of course,  if he had that would be absurd.

 

Is this offseason all about signing free agents and the draft is just a bonus?    You gotta' be good at being a GM not good at one thing this year or one thing the next.

He knows he has made some obvious mistakes it's his apologists that don't.

 

 

I give no excuses for the vast majority of 2018 FA misses.  Beane has to own that.

During the FA/trade period he seemed more involved in securing capital to move up in the draft (QB related).

I'm not privy to how much of last years FA was handed off to others or entirely Beanes.

 

The Pegula's, Beane, McDermott and the fans of the Buffalo Bills future lies in Josh Allen's hands (literally).

White, Edmunds, Morse, and this years high picks need to be elite players.

This years FA's need to have more hits than misses.

IF these things happen good things could finally be on the horizon.

 

This is my hope.

[ColoradoBills]

On ‎3‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 11:04 AM, YoloinOhio said:

 

 

1.8 million final cap hit.  Not bad at all.

He should be worth every penny if he stay "relatively" healthy.

[GunnerBill]

They have done a lot for their CB depth this offseason. 

 

Suddenly I think we have 4 viable boundary corners. This time last year I wasn't convinced we had 2.... and my fears on Vontae were well founded. 

[5ths the charm]

Not so sure he won't be injured before week 6 and out the rest of the year.

[Logic]

11 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

They have done a lot for their CB depth this offseason. 

 

Suddenly I think we have 4 viable boundary corners. This time last year I wasn't convinced we had 2.... and my fears on Vontae were well founded. 

Agreed.

It starts with the fact that McDermott and Beane identified and drafted (or signed via UDFA) what appears to be a high quality starting trio in White, Wallace, and Johnson. This allowed them to then roll the dice on two injury prone but extremely talented cornerbacks in Gaines and Johnson. If one or both of them stay healthy, the Bills have outstanding depth in the secondary for the first time in a long time. It's impressive how quickly they turned over the secondary and turned it from a question mark into a major strength. 

 

[NewEra]

Our secondary is stacked.  Now just have to get another pass rusher and hope that Tremaine takes a big step towards being a MLB

[Ol Dirty B]

On 3/25/2019 at 10:32 AM, blacklabel said:

I guess they really wanna create competition across from Tre'. I thought Levi Wallace played well last season but they must think they can do better given the signings of Kevin Johnson and now Gaines. 

I like the signing too. I thought Levi played great and hope he makes it. But to have this level.of competition on the other side is never negative in my opinion.

[billsredneck1]

7 hours ago, Logic said:

Agreed.

It starts with the fact that McDermott and Beane identified and drafted (or signed via UDFA) what appears to be a high quality starting trio in White, Wallace, and Johnson. This allowed them to then roll the dice on two injury prone but extremely talented cornerbacks in Gaines and Johnson. If one or both of them stay healthy, the Bills have outstanding depth in the secondary for the first time in a long time. It's impressive how quickly they turned over the secondary and turned it from a question mark into a major strength. 

 

not to mention m. alexander.