Bills sign Lee Smith to 3-year deal -contract details released

[Niagara Dude]

21 hours ago, Bob in STL said:

Passing league until the last month of the season in the AFCE.  Then you need to do both equally well. 

 

This guy blocks like a tackle, a good tackle.  

He does not,  waste of 9 millon,  you may ask why Raiders did want him back.  This is loser move,  caveman footballs loses all the time

On 5/13/2019 at 9:17 AM, JoshAllenHasBigHands said:

Wow.  A three year deal.  That seems like a lot.

What a stupid move

[3rdand12]

1 minute ago, Niagara Dude said:

He does not,  waste of 9 millon,  you may ask why Raiders did want him back.  This is loser move,  caveman footballs loses all the time

Gruden also got rid of Mack. and has undermined Carr as his QB.
not a good reasoning to downplay Lee's attributes and how he fits in Buffalo.
Maybe you do not like Daboll..and Beanes ?

[ColoradoBills]

3 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Funny how he said when he was there before he was living in Fitz’s old house until someone bought it and he had to move 

 

Sounds genuinely happy to be back in Buffalo.  I hope he gets to throw a downfield block to free Josh into the end zone and

maybe catch a few TDs himself. 

[3rdand12]

4 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

Sounds genuinely happy to be back in Buffalo.  I hope he gets to throw a downfield block to free Josh into the end zone and

maybe catch a few TDs himself. 

This

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, LSHMEAB said:

Yeah, but what makes a guy like Gronk's blocking SO valuable is that he's also a major receiving threat. You're getting the equivalent of a 6th offensive lineman AND a dynamic playmaker. You completely lose that advantage with a guy like Smith because team's do not have to respect him as a receiver. Huge difference.

 

Yes.  Exactly.

[John from Riverside]

23 minutes ago, Niagara Dude said:

He does not,  waste of 9 millon,  you may ask why Raiders did want him back.  This is loser move,  caveman footballs loses all the time

What a stupid move

Do you ever post anything that is worth reading?  Can I have my 3 seconds back please.

[without a drought]

Who keeps bumping this thread from 2011.

[BuffaloBill]

1 hour ago, LSHMEAB said:

 

 

Best case scenario; Daboll is able to create situations where his run blocking would be a huge benefit. Worst case scenario; we end up cutting one of the young guys and they have success elsewhere. I'd like to think they'd just eat the contract if Smith was outplayed by Sweeney, Croom, etc. Just seems like that GTD money makes him a lock for a roster.

 

 

The skill set he has is so obvious that Bean and Dabol must have brought him in to block and to contribute to the play of the younger guys in the room.  They clearly want Dawson to develop into the athletic skills he supposedly has.  I doubt the contract is very unfriendly to the Bills and my guess is lee plays out two years and unless he and the team are in a very good situation he is done.  

 

I agree with you that unless he is injured he is a lock to make the roster this year.

[ColoradoBills]

1 hour ago, LSHMEAB said:

 

Worst case scenario; we end up cutting one of the young guys and they have success elsewhere. I'd like to think they'd just eat the contract if Smith was outplayed by Sweeney, Croom, etc. Just seems like that GTD money makes him a lock for a roster.

 

I'm pretty sure OBD knows exactly what they are getting with Lee Smith.  Being an 8 year vet with guaranteed money almost surely

puts him as a lock for this coming season.  The last spot will be battled out by Croom, Sweeney and etc (Moral Stephens).

Any of those guys who don't make it could go to the PS if they wanted one to but if the Bills keep 4 TEs on the roster it's a good

chance they use the PS for other positions.

 

If you are going to worry about the guys that don't make the team going on to have success elsewhere, there will be 37 of them

at the end of preseason.   

19 minutes ago, without a drought said:

Who keeps bumping this thread from 2011.

 

LOL, now this is how it's done.

[3rdand12]

17 minutes ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

I'm pretty sure OBD knows exactly what they are getting with Lee Smith.  Being an 8 year vet with guaranteed money almost surely

puts him as a lock for this coming season.  The last spot will be battled out by Croom, Sweeney and etc (Moral Stephens).

Any of those guys who don't make it could go to the PS if they wanted one to but if the Bills keep 4 TEs on the roster it's a good

chance they use the PS for other positions.

 

If you are going to worry about the guys that don't make the team going on to have success elsewhere, there will be 37 of them

at the end of preseason.   

 

LOL, now this is how it's done.

 

[billsfan89]

6 hours ago, Rockinon said:

You couldn't be further from the truth.  Blocking TE's are very much used in the Modern NFL. Gronk wasn't just a pass catcher.  NE always shocks defenses when they go old school and runs the ball.  The notion that running is obsolete in a modern NFL is a very narrow way to look at it.  You do whatever works and blocking is a major part of that. Let's not forget this is still a football game.

 

A Tight End that can BOTH run block and be a threat in the receiving game is a huge asset. Which is why Gronk was such a weapon. But Lee Smith is not in any way shape or form a serious threat in the receiving game. He is a one dimensional player whose dimension is diminished in the modern NFL. A dual threat is so much more valuable because you can go smash mouth or toss it to them in the passing game. Lee Smith is not catching many passes. 

 

I think blocking tight ends have a place as a niche in certain situations but that niche is probably only 15-20% of offensive snaps, why are we paying good money for that esp when there were decent options on the roster for that. 

[Happy Days Lois & Clark]

3yr for 9 mil seems very high for a blocking TE this late in the signing period. Seems like Beane overpayed on this one.

Edited May 15, 2019 by Superhero

[Adam727]

Not a fan of this move.  This feels like $9mil in cap space that could've been used more wisely.  We could've signed a better free agent next year for that price.  

Edited May 15, 2019 by Adam727

[CaptnCoke11]

51 minutes ago, Adam727 said:

Not a fan of this move.  This feels like $9mil in cap space that could've been used more wisely.  We could've signed a better free agent next year for that price.  

They have tons of cap next year.  This prohibits nothing 

[Logic]

18 minutes ago, CaptnCoke11 said:

They have tons of cap next year.  This prohibits nothing 

Not only that, but I sincerely doubt that it's truly a $9 million deal. The devil is always in the details.

Edited May 15, 2019 by Logic

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

3 hours ago, Logic said:

Not only that, but I sincerely doubt that it's truly a $9 million deal. The devil is always in the details.

 

...agreed....McBeane has done a masterful job to date structuring these deals IMO..... "The deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, is worth up to $9 million. "

[YoloinOhio]

11 hours ago, Adam727 said:

Not a fan of this move.  This feels like $9mil in cap space that could've been used more wisely.  We could've signed a better free agent next year for that price.  

And they still can, regardless of whether or not it is 9 mill in cap space in 2020 ...which it isn’t. 

11 hours ago, Superhero said:

3yr for 9 mil seems very high for a blocking TE this late in the signing period. Seems like Beane overpayed on this one.

Really has nothing to do with it. He wasn’t a FA sitting on the market. He was available for 10 days before they signed him. 

Edited May 15, 2019 by YoloinOhio

[Rockinon]

On 5/14/2019 at 6:11 PM, John from Riverside said:

I think the desirable thing is to have TE's that can do it all.....not so much that the blocking is NOT important (cuz it is)

 

A couple of things about this

 

- Our Tight End room even as much attn that has been paid attn to it is VERY young.....the bills might have felt that having a vet this year in the room that can still get onto the field (unlike the situation with the QB that just retired that really you did not want to see on the field)   Lee Smith does something VERY well....he just isnt a great TE....but we are not paying him like a great TE either.

 

- We might be deciding not to have a FB this year.....

 

- It is my hope that Dawson Knox gets up to speed very quickly and becomes "the guy" and I also like Kroft.....just needs to show he is past his injury issues.

Very good observations. People are way too focused on pass catching TEs. Blocking is where it's at, even in a "modern NFL". ? The guy has actually caught better than 80% of his passes. Is he a pass catching TE? No. Not by any stretch of the imagination, But when he does run a route, he catches it,  You have ask why that is.

 

Lee Smith catches nearly everything because he does his job and blocks like any good TE should, and when he gets that opportunity to run a route, it's not expected. There is tremendous value when an offense does something you don't expect. And there is tremendous value just doing something as boring as blocking so someone else can make a play.

 

And as you have pointed out. There is also tremendous value having a veteran presence in the locker room to teach the young bucks how to be true professionals. This could end up being a signing that is very under rated.

 

It's my belief that the Bills are planing to run 2 TE sets with more frequency. Lee will be asked to block a lot, which is his strength while another TE will be running a route. Occasionally, he'll run a route too. His history is approximately 1 catch per game. Don't see that changing much, because that is what he excels at. It's truly amazing that folks can't see the value. When he blocks, he's as good as an OLman. When runs a route, he catches a very, very high percentage of them. He's experienced and can be a mentor. What's not to like again?

 

There is no doubt that other TEs will be running more routes and getting bigger statistical numbers in catches and yards. It just blows my mind when folks can't see past those statistics. I'll say it again. This is football and blocking, even though it does not show up in the statistics, it's important, Very much so.

[YoloinOhio]

 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

lol  Rodak finally crawled out from under his rock with Breaking News