If we add Yannick here is what our cap space my look like

[Reed83HOF]

Using Info from Spotrac, I am sure if any of my quick assumptions are incorrect - this will be quickly pointed out. Here is what it would look like with us signing Yannick

 

Just looking at the DE position overall with the players on our roster in 2019 and comparing the total contract value against next season using the following

 

1.) We don't resign Shaq, keep Trent & sign Yannick

2.)  We keep Shaq (I used his 5th year option total), cut Trent & sign Yannick

3.) We don't resign Shaq, cut Trent & sign Yannick

 

 

Would you pay the extra $4 million in cap space for option 3 vs 2019?

 

Keep in mind the following: We spend more than the league average on DEs & both Beane and McD have said that we want to be aggressive and attacking with out front 4

 

 

As you can see we spend $25.5 million vs the League average of $13.2 million

 

We also have the potential to cut the $4 million extra down with the $3.75M saved by losing LorAx, who will most likely be replaced with a 2 down LB if sign a pass rushing DE. Here is a scenario:

 

We are $3.9 million under in LB next year as a result.

 

We typically under spend at this position vs the league average:

 

Would you make this trade off?

[Gambit]

Option 2 with no question. Hughes probably would only have a year left honestly. So looking to the future having Shaq and Yannick would be amazing. Tho I do feel like Shaq would be pretty upset getting roughly half of what Yannick would get.

[maryland-bills-fan]

$17 million?

"................An "exclusive" franchise player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position as of a date in April of the current year in which the tag will apply, or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is greater. Exclusive franchise players cannot negotiate with other teams. The player's team has all the negotiating rights to the exclusive player.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>A "non-exclusive" franchise player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five cap hits at the player's position for the previous five years applied to the current salary cap, or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is greater. A non-exclusive franchise player may negotiate with other NFL teams, but if the player signs an offer sheet from another team, the original team has a right to match the terms of that offer, or if it does not match the offer and thus loses the player, is entitled to receive two first-round draft picks as compensation......................."

 

$17 million plus draft picks?   nope.

[MAJBobby]

1 hour ago, maryland-bills-fan said:

$17 million?

"................An "exclusive" franchise player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position as of a date in April of the current year in which the tag will apply, or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is greater. Exclusive franchise players cannot negotiate with other teams. The player's team has all the negotiating rights to the exclusive player.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>A "non-exclusive" franchise player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five cap hits at the player's position for the previous five years applied to the current salary cap, or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is greater. A non-exclusive franchise player may negotiate with other NFL teams, but if the player signs an offer sheet from another team, the original team has a right to match the terms of that offer, or if it does not match the offer and thus loses the player, is entitled to receive two first-round draft picks as compensation......................."

 

$17 million plus draft picks?   nope.

First Yannick is a UFA so No draft picks required. 
 

second 17M is a yearly AVV estimate. He likely would count a lot less against the cap this year as signing bonus would be prorated so say a 17.1M AVV likely will be closer to 10M against this years Cap. 

[Chandler#81]

According to some guy named Brandon, that’s not how the team is and will be constructed. Is Yannick great? Yes. Unfortunately for him, the Bills didn’t Draft him. Otherwise he’d likely get re-signed to a greater contract.

[JoPoy88]

1 hour ago, maryland-bills-fan said:

$17 million?

"................An "exclusive" franchise player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player's position as of a date in April of the current year in which the tag will apply, or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is greater. Exclusive franchise players cannot negotiate with other teams. The player's team has all the negotiating rights to the exclusive player.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>A "non-exclusive" franchise player must be offered a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five cap hits at the player's position for the previous five years applied to the current salary cap, or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is greater. A non-exclusive franchise player may negotiate with other NFL teams, but if the player signs an offer sheet from another team, the original team has a right to match the terms of that offer, or if it does not match the offer and thus loses the player, is entitled to receive two first-round draft picks as compensation......................."

 

$17 million plus draft picks?   nope.

all wrong buddy sorry.

[Big Turk]

First of all there is no way we would be paying him 17.1 million in salary the first year. He would likely be making the vet min or somewhere near there since they would have just given him a huge signing bonus.

[Rc2catch]

I don’t want any scenario not involving Lawson. 
Now if they offer him a fair deal and he chooses to leave for an over the top payday somewhere else I can’t be upset with anyone. 
But I think shaq is the first real test to retaining your players for these guys it’s important to set an example. You can’t just let him leave and allocate that money somewhere else. He’s earned a fair free agent market kind of raise in my opinion. 
I would like as many would some pass rushing talent brought into the rotation, but I wouldn’t let shaq walk away with no offer to do it. 

[dave mcbride]

Trent Murphy was a good (not great, but certainly disruptive, dependable, and good) player this past season and was one of the best players on the field vs. Houston. Why do Bills fans want to cut good players when they have $98 million in cap space???

[atlbillsfan1975]

8 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Trent Murphy was a good (not great, but certainly disruptive, dependable, and good) player this past season and was one of the best players on the field vs. Houston. Why do Bills fans want to cut good players when they have $98 million in cap space???

Because in the other 16 games Trent was average to bad. 
If the league average for cap allocation for the DE position as a whole is 15.3 million I don’t think the Bills should be paying 1 player almost $9 million who had below average production.

[WideRightRevenge]

is it just me .. but can you name the Bills DE player that for the 2019 season had 14 solo tackles (not including playoff game) and 4.5 sacks .. 6 tackles for loss .. and 9 QB hits (aka grazed the QB post pass)  ... granted missed 4 games (including Jets mass benching) .. so that's 12 games .. so roughly 1 tackle per game .. less than 1 QB hit and a one sack every 3 games ... now more clues .. we're paying that player $9MM a year and is 31 years old for a speed position.

 

I say cut Hughes (not sure of cap hit) and Murphy ... those two pay for Yannick .. draft another DE in 3rd round

[Coach Tuesday]

24 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Trent Murphy was a good (not great, but certainly disruptive, dependable, and good) player this past season and was one of the best players on the field vs. Houston. Why do Bills fans want to cut good players when they have $98 million in cap space???

I don’t necessarily want to cut him but he never once kept his contain this season and that’s likely because he was pressing and gambling because he knows his explosiveness is sapped from the injuries.

[Magox]

25 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Trent Murphy was a good (not great, but certainly disruptive, dependable, and good) player this past season and was one of the best players on the field vs. Houston. Why do Bills fans want to cut good players when they have $98 million in cap space???

Something that I had not noticed was that when you get past this next 2020 season Murphy for 2021 and 2022 becomes a very cheap option.   He only then counts $1.75m against the cap both years.

 

 

The Bills will not be in any sort of salary cap crunch in 2020, as a matter of good business they should look to front load any new contracts so that they have more room in the future.

 

Based off of what the OP posted my view of Murphy changes a bit.   I was much more sold on Shaq than Murphy but having Murphy who would serves as a good rotational player at $1.75m a year in 2021 and 2022 looks like a very attractive option to me.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

$17 Mil for a player with 3 years experience? 

 

fuggeddaboudit!!! 

 

Now if he's had 5 or 6 good years ....  Maybe. 

 

 

[BarleyNY]

14 minutes ago, WideRightRevenge said:

is it just me .. but can you name the Bills DE player that for the 2019 season had 14 solo tackles (not including playoff game) and 4.5 sacks .. 6 tackles for loss .. and 9 QB hits (aka grazed the QB post pass)  ... granted missed 4 games (including Jets mass benching) .. so that's 12 games .. so roughly 1 tackle per game .. less than 1 QB hit and a one sack every 3 games ... now more clues .. we're paying that player $9MM a year and is 31 years old for a speed position.

 

I say cut Hughes (not sure of cap hit) and Murphy ... those two pay for Yannick .. draft another DE in 3rd round

The important question with Hughes is whether or not he’ll return to form next season.  He had a down season, but played injured the whole time.  He’ll need replaced soon, but probably not before next season. 
 

The DE position is really in need of overhaul.  (Nice work here by Reed83HOF, by the way.)  Murphy hasn’t played up to his contract, but he’s been a solid DE.  I don’t move on from either Hughes or Murphy until they get beat out in camp unless a player like Yannick gets added.  Even then I might wait until cut down day.  
 

Shaq is a free agent.  He has been good at setting the edge and has gotten some effort and scheme sacks, but he’s not a guy that’s going to get off the ball fast, beat a DE and get to the QB before the WR routes develop.  I like him as our 3rd DE in the rotation and I’d pay him accordingly.  That said, I expect him to take the best deal he can get and for that to be elsewhere. 
 

So to answer the OP’s question, I’ll take option 1 and start the transition. Yannick’s 1st year cap hit will be lower than his AAV and it would start the transition to a new DE corps without forcing our hand in the draft.  The plan can be to build around Yannick (or a similar player) and Murphy can move on after 2020 and Hughes after 2021.  The rest of that build preferably will be through the draft, but FA is an option if that fails.

[GG]

48 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Trent Murphy was a good (not great, but certainly disruptive, dependable, and good) player this past season and was one of the best players on the field vs. Houston. Why do Bills fans want to cut good players when they have $98 million in cap space???

 

If you're adding Yanick that moves Murphy out of the starting rotation, and he's a very expensive backup for his production/age.  I'd rather rework his deal to a more market value, or cut him and use the savings to resign Shaq.

 

In any event, targeting an edge rusher should be a priority.

Edited January 8, 2020 by GG

[BarleyNY]

17 minutes ago, Magox said:

Something that I had not noticed was that when you get past this next 2020 season Murphy for 2021 and 2022 becomes a very cheap option.   He only then counts $1.75m against the cap both years.

 

 

The Bills will not be in any sort of salary cap crunch in 2020, as a matter of good business they should look to front load any new contracts so that they have more room in the future.

 

Based off of what the OP posted my view of Murphy changes a bit.   I was much more sold on Shaq than Murphy but having Murphy who would serves as a good rotational player at $1.75m a year in 2021 and 2022 looks like a very attractive option to me.

The chart is 2019 plus 3 different options for 2020. The $1.75M is dead money for Murphy in the options where he is cut or traded away. 

[thenorthremembers]

A. He is looking at closer to 20.  B.  The Jaguars have said he is their 1st priority.

 

Its a great thought and you did good work here but much more likely someone like Bud Dupree is available. 

[MAJBobby]

3 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

According to some guy named Brandon, that’s not how the team is and will be constructed. Is Yannick great? Yes. Unfortunately for him, the Bills didn’t Draft him. Otherwise he’d likely get re-signed to a greater contract.

did they draft Beasley, Brown, Morese, Kroft, Smith, Star, Poyer, Hyde, Murphy and the list goes on and on 

[BarleyNY]

10 hours ago, GG said:

 

If you're adding Yanick that moves Murphy out of the starting rotation, and he's a very expensive backup for his production/age.  I'd rather rework his deal to a more market value, or cut him and use the savings to resign Shaq.

 

In any event, targeting an edge rusher should be a priority.

You know, I’ve got no problem with it.  The delta in cash/cap for him playing for us in 2020 is $7.2M.  I’m good with that.  I love a quality 3 DE rotation and the protection it gives us from the injury bug.  Plus it would give us the option of having Hughes, Murphy, Oliver and Yannick on the field in obvious passing downs.  Then Murphy moves on after 2020 and we get a comp pick.  

Edited January 8, 2020 by BarleyNY