Source: LB Matt Milano looking for “top dollar” in FA

[Kelsayrundefense]

3 hours ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

Agree. I would be more worried if he said, “nah— looking for a mediocre deal in free agency.”

 

isn’t the goal of free agency to maximize your contract? 

You would think but some fans get funny about guys trying to maximize their money.  The 2nd contract, is huge for these guys if they get a multi-year deal.  Laurent Robinson lives in my neighborhood.  He was a WR for the cowboys and Jags.  He cashed in off a nice season with Dallas and the Jags gave him 14 million guaranteed.  They released him a year later and he never played again.  Anything can happen in the NFL.

[Bubba Gump]

I love you dude, but see ya broham!!! Let some other team pay you top dollar to play 10 games a year. 

[RangerDave]

2 minutes ago, Kelsayrundefense said:

You would think but some fans get funny about guys trying to maximize their money.  The 2nd contract, is huge for these guys if they get a multi-year deal.  Laurent Robinson lives in my neighborhood.  He was a WR for the cowboys and Jags.  He cashed in off a nice season with Dallas and the Jags gave him 14 million guaranteed.  They released him a year later and he never played again.  Anything can happen in the NFL.

I could live happily ever after with 14 million guaranteed dollars, even after NY taxes....

[Blokestradamus]

7 minutes ago, Kelsayrundefense said:

Laurent Robinson lives in my neighborhood.  He was a WR for the cowboys and Jags.  He cashed in off a nice season with Dallas and the Jags gave him 14 million guaranteed.  They released him a year later and he never played again.  Anything can happen in the NFL.

 

Does he need a new best friend?

[Hapless Bills Fan]

52 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

Good luck.  No one will pay top dollar for a guy that can't stay healthy.   He's a nice player but plug a rookie in and we won't see much drop off. 

 

As noted upthread: Deion Jones says "Hi".  Kwon Alexander also, I believe

[ROCBillsBeliever]

3 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

2022, but it’s not an automatic comp pick. It is factored into the comp pick formula and weighed against FA adds, etc

 

Which means that, if--as their cap space and team needs seem to indicate--New England picks up a bunch of FA's, they will LOSE THE COMP PICK FORMULA!!!

 

...

 

And all TBD shall rejoice!

 

[BuffaloBills1998]

Sounds crazy but I bet money he resigns with Buffalo. No ones going to pay top dollar for him in free agency, he can’t stay healthy and is either up or down. I think himself and his representation are going to be disappointed when they don’t see other teams overpaying for him. He resigns in Buffalo, 4 year deal.

[Eastport bills]

Milano does not deserve top dollar because he does not impact games like LBs , that get sacks, interceptions and more bone crunching tackles. Warner, Ingram, the 3 Tampa LBs, Van Noy, TJ Watt, Dupree , Leonard Floyd are all more durable and productive. Milano had a chance to put his stamp on our post season, he whiffed.  Let him find top dollar elsewhere. 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

1 hour ago, Hebert19 said:

Good luck.  No one will pay top dollar for a guy that can't stay healthy.   He's a nice player but plug a rookie in and we won't see much drop off. 

 

I don't think his injuries will play any role in his market.  Maybe if he was coming off a torn achilles, or something devasating. But teams aren't going to discount him for getting banged up for a few games here and there every year. That has been the case for a lot of similar players like him.

 

So, the question really is: regardless of health, what sort of contract is justified by his pure talent?  I am not entirely sure, but the sportrac estimate of 3 years/$41M seems like a contract teams will be willing to offer him. 

[TC in St. Louis]

He's a very good player.  I'd like to keep the homegrown guys on the team.  Beane says Milano has earned the right to hit the market.  With the salary cap limitations, it is possible that his best shot is to stay right here in Buffalo where he belongs.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

3 minutes ago, TC in St. Louis said:

He's a very good player.  I'd like to keep the homegrown guys on the team.  Beane says Milano has earned the right to hit the market.  With the salary cap limitations, it is possible that his best shot is to stay right here in Buffalo where he belongs.

Risky move by him— but I kind of agree. He is well positioned for a 1- or 2-year deal, and then could really cash in when the cap goes up. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

18 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

I don't think his injuries will play any role in his market.  Maybe if he was coming off a torn achilles, or something devasating. But teams aren't going to discount him for getting banged up for a few games here and there every year. That has been the case for a lot of similar players like him.

 

So, the question really is: regardless of health, what sort of contract is justified by his pure talent?  I am not entirely sure, but the sportrac estimate of 3 years/$41M seems like a contract teams will be willing to offer him. 

 

I did look some.  It does seem like most of the guys who are pulling that money are on the field a bit more.

 

For talent, 3 years/$41M is certainly reasonable.

[AmishRifle]

I’d really like to get some nasty on our defense.  I know a lot of it is scheme but man I’d love to get some people that flat out hammer folks.  I think Milano is serviceable but, to me, Edmunds is soft.  

[MasterStrategist]

2 hours ago, appoo said:

So this is the downside of McDerott's system, which uses 2 Backers on he field almost all the time. You gotta PAY 2 backers who can be 3 down backers in any situation, AND be able to have them blitz. Those dudes are rare, and you usually find them in the first round (it's why Micah Parsons is gonna go in the first).

 

There is an excellent argument to be made to let one of Edmunds or Milano go, and then switch to a tradtional 4-3. have a traditional Mike, and traditional Sam/Will backers, who you ask to be more run stuff + flat + blitz off the edge. Those guys are cheaper, and then when you have pure pass downs, fields 6 DBs, and on hybrid situations, you can still run a nickel to be able play both run and pass. AJ Klein can be your 2nd backer on 3rd and 5, if the opposition is in 11 personnel. You can let Edmunds cover the middle and Klein run the flats. What you can't ask him to do is play a huge zone on 3rd and 10. Right now the Bills basically split the field between Edmunds and Milano, and that works against the non-elite TE teams.

 

Milano should be an Alpha dog MLB on a defense. The Bills D requires 2.

 

Let him go and get paid elsewhere, adjust your base system so you don't need 2 super talented backers.

Agree about alot of what you mentioned.  I just don't think Milano does anything "great", but he's just good at everything (blitzing, coverage, etc).  That coupled with injury concerns, at times, and it makes a difficult decision where to land with a contract offer. 

 

I dont think we end up adjusting our defense, and don't think Milano is an alpha dog MLB, unless that was a typo.  There will be Milano caliber players early in the draft or other options in FA.  

 

I'd rather spend the money on DL, and cut the fat up front to help provide additional cap money.  Milano and Edmunds would both look a lot better, with a better front 4.  Given our cap, I don't know if we cap pull off improving both (and giving the OL help).  So I'd prefer investing in the DL and go young in the draft

[Buddo]

Milano has been a very good player for the Bills in McDermott and Frazier's defense.

 

He will certainly help any 4-3 team.

 

Trouble is, he isn't elite.

 

The elite FAs, will still get paid this off-season.

 

After that, all bets are off.

 

Milano needs two teams to be seriously interested in him (outside of the Bills), to have a shot at 'big' money.

 

I hope he does get paid by someone, as he does deserve to be. As a 5th round pick, he has comfortably out-performed his draft position.

 

It's a bit odd, but realistically, for a guy like Milano, who is 'undersized' relatively, he needs to get his best deal now, as he's not exactly earned huge amounts in a good career so far.

 

In an 'ordinary' year, with the cap going up again, I think he probably could easily get $10-12million per. It would be a 'going rate' for a good (not elite) LBer of his type.

 

This, unfortunately, isn't going to be an 'ordinary' year, and the guys I believe will probably get hit hardest, are those like Milano, who are 'good' FAs, as opposed to 'elite'.

[BigBuff423]

I’m all for Milano getting whatever the market bears and I’m also good with the Bills doing what’s best for the team. Keeping that in mind, let’s remember Milano was Drafted by this very group of personnel in the 5th Round. 
 

This staff found, coached, and maximized his skills - they can and will do it again. 

[BigDingus]

Would love to keep him, but this LB corps & D-line needs a revamp. Hopefully the draft will focus heavily on that, combined with Star returning (in top form I hope)!

[BaaadThingsMan]

Guess he's gone then

[GreggTX]

Milano is good, but hardly irreplaceable. This is not the year to get top dollar, but if we drop Milano, Lotulelei and Addison, I believe that gets us under the cap but probably not enough. Addison got overpaid, was 34 and was pretty much invisible. We'd have to eat some dead money for dropping Addison ($4 mill?), but would still save over $2 mill. Stop overpaying medioce players Beane!

 

I wouldn't mind (if we lost Milano) to move Edmunds outside and draft a MLB on day 2. I'll be mildly surprised if we don't keep Brown though. We can't fill too many holes and neither Diggs nor Davhave top speed. Diggs can get deep, but he doesn't have T Hill speed. Then again.

 

I really hope there's a great value at OT, DE or outside CB at #30. A day 2 TE would be nice too, but I'm not crazy about drafting a LB or TE in the 1st unless it's a 'once every few years' talent that inexplicably falls to us.

 

If nothing else, make this team stronger in the trenches. We need a game changer on the DL.

Edited February 2, 2021 by GreggTX

[MJS]

8 hours ago, Rock-A-Bye Beasley said:

Guess we are getting a 3rd round comp pick for once 

No, I think New England gets one in this case. They called dibs on all AFC East comp picks, unfortunately.