Jerry Hughes - $14 Mil - Why

[BringBackOrton]

Just now, Azucho98 said:

we have more than 14M in cap space so why stop there?

 

I guess that’s the point. Hughes’ value as our only pass rusher got him that extension. It was a contract that made sense at the time. It’s also not cap prohibitive at all. So if it made sense and isn’t cap prohibitive, WHO REALLY GIVES A *****.

[billsfan89]

20 minutes ago, Socal-805 said:

 

 

Well.  I pretty much know for certain the Bills are getting very little out of either D end position in terms of QB pressure.  And I'm pretty sure they are worked in the running game.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the breakdown. 

 

I see the Pats year after year drop players a year before they stop producing or having impact:  Hughes is already pretty old, and getting older.

 

 

BAD thread I guess.  I like to play G.M.  

 

 

Also, FWIW:  I keep hearing about the Bills being a "young" team  They are not:  they are like 26 oldest team in NFL.

 

 

 

 

The Bills average age is thrown off a bit by Lorax and Frank Gore being super old and some of their depth players like Lee Smith being older. They aren’t a young team even factoring those things in but they aren’t an old team either. 

 

However the Bills remain young at critical positions, Josh is a young QB, Dawkins, Singletary, Knox, and Cody are young pieces on offense, Milano, Edumonds, Tre, Ed Oliver, H.Phillips (Injury not withstanding), Levi Wallace, T.Johnson, and Shaq Lawsons are all players who are either starters or playing significant snaps on defense. The past 3 drafts have produced a lot of players playing significant snaps which leads fans to think of the team as being younger. 

 

As far as the contracts the Bills are not really hampered by any of their current contracts. Star in my opinion is the only horrid contract on the roster. Kroft and Murphy can be cut with minimal dead cap hits, Brown and Mitch are fairly big contracts but both players are performing to their cap numbers, and Hughes might be a tad bit overpaid at 9.5 million but he still brings value. Star on the other hand carries a 7.8 million dollar dead cap hit if cut in 2020 (thus only a 3ish million dollar savings.) If they do designate Star as a post June 1stcut they would take a 3.65 dead cap hit in 2020 and 2021 but save 6.6 million in 2020 if they want to maximize their cap space in 2020. 

 

Still this team is in a good cap situation in 2020. If they cut Kroft and Murphy they will have 102 million in cap space. Their only major free agents are Jordan Phillips and Shaq Lawson. Granted they have Milano, Poyer, and Dawkins all on the last year of their deals and Tre White who could also use an extension (Although they will almost certainly use their 5thyear option on him.) I think they could take care of their own Free Agents easily and still have enough cap space to go after a big fish and another starter in free agency while still remaining prudent going forward. 

 

The way McBeane structured their contracts and added talent this off-season was great, they remain in a good position long term and things are looking good for this team to be able to continue to add and retain talent going forward. 

[Nuncha]

https://www.miamidolphins.com/video/ryan-fitzpatrick-scores-td-on-incredible-11-yard-scramble

 

This is too common with Jerry.

 

 

Edited November 4, 2019 by Azucho98

[ComradeKayAdams]

Basically, salary cap space isn't an issue this year and it won't be next year. It very well could be an issue in 2021, but the good news is that the dead cap hit for JH's contract in 2021 is only $2.1 million. Star's dead cap, by the way, is a bit higher at $5.2, but that can always be distributed partly into 2022. So in conclusion: Brandon Beane is in control of things. No need to worry.

 

Also, keep in mind that the Bills currently have the #3 NFL defense in points per game, yards per game, and opposing QB passer rating. I would definitely like to see improved stats in sack totals from Hughes, Oliver, Lawson, Murphy, etc... as well as a better run defense, but these guys are doing SOMETHING right for this defense to be #3 in those categories.

[BillsInWilmingtonNC]

46 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

Hughes this season is on the last year of his contract extension he signed in 2015 when he was coming off of back to back 10 sack seasons. Contracts in the NFL tend to be back loaded money wise. Despite his 14.5 million salary his cap hit for 2019 is 12.9 million still a bit overpaid for his production. But his cap hits the past 4 seasons were 6.17 million in 2015, 7.5 million in 2016, 10.4 million in 2017 and 10.4 million in 2018. So the Bills are in 2019 essentially paying for Hughes cheaper contract numbers early in his deal. 

 

His cap hits in 2020 and 2021 are a modest 9.5 million each year with the ability to get out of his deal in 2021 at a low dead cap hit. The context of Hughes being paid his current number are the result of circumstances. Has he produced the sack totals the team wanted? No but his pressure numbers are good, he is stout against the run, and if you watch the games you know he is a factor. He should be a heavily productive rotation player the next 2 seasons at a fair cap number. He also has good value in the locker room. 

 

I do suspect this team does bring in a big time edge rusher via free agency to get Hughes down to being the 2nd best pass rusher (a role he is better suited for) and the team has both the cap room to do so in a free agent class that boasts a lot of options as far as edge rushers go. 

 

I have not looked into who might be available, do you have some names that might be FAs?

[Mark80]

1 hour ago, NewEra said:

Did you think he was invisible on the field last season?

 

Invisible...not as much as this season.  He was also making 1/2 what he is making this year.

 

I understand we had money to spend.  I understand it would have been hard to find someone who is better via FA.  But I also understand that he is in no way shape or form a $14M player in my opinion.  Hopefully when it's back down to around $7.5M next year it will be an easier pill to swallow (if we even retain him).

[fan_in_tx]

1 hour ago, Socal-805 said:

 

 

I just looked at SPOTRAC for Hughes contract: $14 MIL this year?  I am reading this correctly?

 

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/jerry-hughes-6540/

 

WHY are the Bills paying Jerry Hughes $14 mil this year?!?  He's basically invisible that I can tell.

 

 

• 1. Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald: $22.5 million
• 2. Cowboys defensive lineman Demarcus Lawrence: $21 million
• 3. Chiefs defensive lineman Frank Clark: $20.8 million
• 4. Lions defensive lineman Trey Flowers: $18 million
• 5. Saints defensive lineman Cameron Jordan: $17.5 million  
• 6. 49ers defensive lineman Dee Ford: $17 million 
• 7. Browns defensive lineman Olivier Vernon: $17 million    
• 8. Eagles defensive lineman Fletcher Cox: $17 million
• 9. Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett: $17 million
• 10. Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt: $16.7 million

 

He may be the most overpaid D lineman in the league?

 

 

 

Simple he receives $1 per every pass rush that he is held by the OL this year.   How many holding calls have gone his way?   0 

[Don Otreply]

Why? Just to piss you off, SM & BB get up every morning, and the first thing they think about is pissing you off, and as you have experienced first hand, they succeeded, it’s a process you know...

[Freddie's Dead]

Why not?

[DrDawkinstein]

43 minutes ago, jeremy2020 said:

Goodness this forum has become...so much less than it used to be.

 

It's bad when we're losing, but even worse when we're winning and there isnt much to talk about. People need to make up stuff to be upset about.

[billsfan89]

24 minutes ago, BillsInWilmingtonNC said:

 

I have not looked into who might be available, do you have some names that might be FAs?

 

Clowney and Yannick Ngakoue are two prime time edge rushers who are more than likely to hit the market. Chris Jones from KC is another interior pass rusher on the market. There are also some other players that are on the bubble too but those are the big names. Personally I would love to see the Bills go in on Ngakoue to set the edge the next 3-5 years. 

[DrDawkinstein]

22 minutes ago, Mark80 said:

 

Invisible...not as much as this season.  He was also making 1/2 what he is making this year.

 

I understand we had money to spend.  I understand it would have been hard to find someone who is better via FA.  But I also understand that he is in no way shape or form a $14M player in my opinion.  Hopefully when it's back down to around $7.5M next year it will be an easier pill to swallow (if we even retain him).

 

You arent swallowing that pill. I'm not swallowing that pill. NONE of us here are swallowing that pill.

 

The only people who need to worry about it are Beane and Terry Pegula, and given the facts you understand in the beginning of your post, I doubt they care that much.

[hjnick]

2 hours ago, Socal-805 said:

 

 

I just looked at SPOTRAC for Hughes contract: $14 MIL this year?  I am reading this correctly?

 

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/jerry-hughes-6540/

 

WHY are the Bills paying Jerry Hughes $14 mil this year?!?  He's basically invisible that I can tell.

 

 

• 1. Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald: $22.5 million
• 2. Cowboys defensive lineman Demarcus Lawrence: $21 million
• 3. Chiefs defensive lineman Frank Clark: $20.8 million
• 4. Lions defensive lineman Trey Flowers: $18 million
• 5. Saints defensive lineman Cameron Jordan: $17.5 million  
• 6. 49ers defensive lineman Dee Ford: $17 million 
• 7. Browns defensive lineman Olivier Vernon: $17 million    
• 8. Eagles defensive lineman Fletcher Cox: $17 million
• 9. Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett: $17 million
• 10. Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt: $16.7 million

 

He may be the most overpaid D lineman in the league?

 

 

 

Is he even the most overpaid D lineman on the team???

[Augie]

1 hour ago, Da webster guy said:

He got paid in the offseason, and last year he was impactful.   

 

The good news is that he matured and stopped getting a personal foul every game.   The bad news is he's lost a half step, but every team has players that are declining and overpaid for their contributions.   He's a good locker room guy, works hard and still chases plays down from the backside.  

 

Yep, and I don’t begrudge him the money. Heck, it’s not MY money! And we have plenty to go around right now. Now....I sure wish we were getting $14 mil worth of production, because we sure could use some more pressure! I’m sure that will be addressed in some way in the offseason. I won’t freak out over this. 

[Dablitzkrieg]

47 minutes ago, TheyCallMeAndy said:

Really? Hughes hasnt been the same player since Mario Williams left. He needs to take a GIANT paycut this year. 

He is only making $6 million.  

[MJS]

I do think he is overpaid and I do think that his impact is overblown by many. Plain and simple, he doesn't make a tremendous impact. He doesn't get sacks. He doesn't make tackles for loss.

 

He's the type that needs a dominant force rushing from the other side so that he can make an impact. Good player, just not worth his contract or an impact player. So I can see where the OP is coming from.

 

But that doesn't mean we drop him. We should just be looking for more pass rush help because we know Hughes isn't ever going to turn into a 12 sack more per year player, or even an 8-10 sack guy without a superstar on the other side.

[NewEra]

50 minutes ago, Azucho98 said:

What does last season have to to with this season??  

 

How many times do we see Hughes have a clean shot at a QB sack and he flat out whiffs and doesn't get the QB down?  

 

Watch Fitzpatrick's running TD against us - who whiffed on the sack?  This is just one example - I'm pretty sure he had another whiff against Washington.  

 

 

Did you read the OP?  How he played last season is exactly the reason he’s getting paid that much.  No one thought he was getting overpaid when we signed him to his original extension either.  He has consistently generated pressure on the opposing QB.  

This year he’s been a bit disappointing, I’ll admit.  He’s always had his issues finishing off sacks and that too, is frustrating, but if you’re asking a DE to disrupt a qbs timing and feet in the pocket, Jerry has always been a source of that.  Which is why he’s getting paid. 

[nedboy7]

Let’s decide if someone is over or under paid each week based on that week. No make it a quarter. What?  I’m distracted!  

[NewEra]

47 minutes ago, Mark80 said:

 

Invisible...not as much as this season.  He was also making 1/2 what he is making this year.

 

I understand we had money to spend.  I understand it would have been hard to find someone who is better via FA.  But I also understand that he is in no way shape or form a $14M player in my opinion.  Hopefully when it's back down to around $7.5M next year it will be an easier pill to swallow (if we even retain him).

If you thought he was invisible last season than you either didn’t watch him play last season or I gave you too much credit previously.  
 

he’s not playing like a 14 mill player this season.  I agree with you in that respect.  Wouldn’t be surprised to see him turn it on and be the player he was last season, which happened to be effective at pressuring the QB (regardless of how you thought he played last season)

Edited November 4, 2019 by NewEra

[papazoid]

over rated...over rated....

 

for me, last year was his only good season.

 

currently has 2.5 sacks for the season...tied for about 80th best in league.