Available players released from other teams

[Hapless Bills Fan]

3 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Basically I'm fine with everything you said. This year we must go cheap at weak side LB. We might not find a suitable replacement this offseason. McDermott will make it work though. Improve DL and CB and we'll be OK this year. 

 

Dane Jackson was good in a small sample. I also feel we could say the same of possible Milano replacement Dodson. 

 

Question: Why do you see Dodson as a possible Milano replacement? 

 

The games where Dodson got significant snaps last season were Week 2 (Miami) and Week 5 (Tenn). 

 

Pretty sure vs. Miami he was playing for Edmunds at MLB, next to AJ Klein for Milano and it wasn't pretty

vs. Tenn he was definitely playing for Milano next to Edmunds and it was FUGLY, but our whole D sucked that day so it's hard to pin it on him....

 

Anyway, I wouldn't want to pin the FUGLY on him, but I didn't see anything that made me think "damn, he could be good"

 

FWIW (given it's off season), Matakevich has replaced Dodson as the backup to Edmunds on the Bills depth chart

[Buffalo_Stampede]

15 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Question: Why do you see Dodson as a possible Milano replacement? 

 

The games where Dodson got significant snaps last season were Week 2 (Miami) and Week 5 (Tenn). 

 

Pretty sure vs. Miami he was playing for Edmunds at MLB, next to AJ Klein for Milano and it wasn't pretty

vs. Tenn he was definitely playing for Milano next to Edmunds and it was FUGLY, but our whole D sucked that day so it's hard to pin it on him....

 

Anyway, I wouldn't want to pin the FUGLY on him, but I didn't see anything that made me think "damn, he could be good"

 

FWIW (given it's off season), Matakevich has replaced Dodson as the backup to Edmunds on the Bills depth chart

I don't want to replace Milano with Dodson. I also don't want to start Dane Jackson at CB. These are options, very unlikely the Bills depend on them. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

10 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

I actually thought he played admirably against Miami. Made a couple really nice plays. 

 

Was he playing MLB or OLB?

 

 

[thenorthremembers]

 

18 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Athleticism. Every player is a play away from injury. For the price the risk is minor. 

But does Kirksey still have the athleticism?   He is going to be near his career cliff when the season starts at 29.   WLB is a pretty important role in the Bills defense to try and just plug a once good player into.   With the amount of things McDermott and Frazier ask the WLB to do in this defense I'd really prefer them to find someone a bit younger.

 

Kirksey had one good season in a 4-3 OLB role, otherwise he has been a 3-4 ILB.   He is oft injured, and really has been a below average player for three years now.   If we were talking about a SLB who was going to be on the field sparingly I'd be fine with kicking the tires on the guy.  I'd honestly even be ok signing him to a very low one year contract to split time with a rookie, but I dont think he is the guy you want playing a majority of the snaps at this point in his career.

[Buffalo_Stampede]

2 minutes ago, thenorthremembers said:

 

But does Kirksey still have the athleticism?   He is going to be near his career cliff when the season starts at 29.   WLB is a pretty important role in the Bills defense to try and just plug a once good player into.   With the amount of things McDermott and Frazier ask the WLB to do in this defense I'd really prefer them to find someone a bit younger.

 

Kirksey had one good season in a 4-3 OLB role, otherwise he has been a 3-4 ILB.   He is oft injured, and really has been a below average player for three years now.   If we were talking about a SLB who was going to be on the field sparingly I'd be fine with kicking the tires on the guy.  I'd honestly even be ok signing him to a very low one year contract to split time with a rookie, but I dont think he is the guy you want playing a majority of the snaps at this point in his career.

We saw how the adjusted with Klein. McDermott can make it work. 

 

I think he's a much better football player than Klein. 

[thenorthremembers]

45 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

We saw how the adjusted with Klein. McDermott can make it work. 

 

I think he's a much better football player than Klein. 

I agree with you there.  I think Klein is strictly a SLB.

[NewEra]

19 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

It's true that every player is a "play away from injury", but:

-It's just been reported he was released with a "failed physical" designation: https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/christian-kirksey-failed-physical-designation/

-He missed 5 games this season with a pec injury, then after returning to 100% of the snaps, saw decreased playing time either losing snaps to rookies, or on a snap count.

-This is after he was placed on season ending IR by the Browns 2 games into the 2019 season with a torn pec that required surgery.

-In 2018 he missed 9 games, 8 at the end of the season, with a hamstring injury

 

Those don't sound like "every player a play away", certainly the pec sounds like a potential ongoing concern.

 

Then there's the point that for most of his career in Cleveland, he played ILB and I think that's where he played with GB.  The position that needs filling here is OLB...

 

I think we need a serious attempt to upgrade our LB play, not another downhill-slide player we overpay as a FA.

I agree....but we also have to upgrade our OL, DL, RB, TE and CB.  We can’t do it all in one season.  We’re going to have to slap a bandaid on a couple positions.  If they choose to bandaid LB, Kirksey would be an option.  I don’t think we’d have to pay too much for him and should most likely get a 1 year deal, but we’ll see.  

[Hapless Bills Fan]

27 minutes ago, NewEra said:

I agree....but we also have to upgrade our OL, DL, RB, TE and CB.  We can’t do it all in one season.  We’re going to have to slap a bandaid on a couple positions.  If they choose to bandaid LB, Kirksey would be an option.  I don’t think we’d have to pay too much for him and should most likely get a 1 year deal, but we’ll see.  

 

My point is that I believe AJ Klein was brought in to be a potential band-aid depending upon what they decided about Milano, with possibly Darron Lee as a backup plan, while they snag a couple guys to draft-and-develop.  If they've decided that Milano's money//injury risk ratio is not in their favor despite his skill (which it seems as though they have), I don't see why Kirksey would be a good band-aid alternative; they might look for a different FA, perhaps.

 

 

[NewEra]

46 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

My point is that I believe AJ Klein was brought in to be a potential band-aid depending upon what they decided about Milano, with possibly Darron Lee as a backup plan, while they snag a couple guys to draft-and-develop.  If they've decided that Milano's money//injury risk ratio is not in their favor despite his skill (which it seems as though they have), I don't see why Kirksey would be a good band-aid alternative; they might look for a different FA, perhaps.

 

 

👍🏻

 

Because I don’t think he’ll cost 1/2 of what Milano did. 1 year 4-5 mill bandaid. If he wants more money or years....he’s not a good bandaid.  He’s a much better coverage LB than Klein is and fills the “3 down” backer much better than Klein imo. 
 

We’re going to have quite a few 1 year bandaids over the next decade+.  If we neglect Lb in the draft and don’t want to invest $ or years in this free agent class, he could fit.  There are a bunch of LBs out there in free agency.  I don’t think he’s gonna get paid much.

[Draconator]

 

Hmmmm.....

[YoloinOhio]

14 hours ago, NewEra said:

👍🏻

 

Because I don’t think he’ll cost 1/2 of what Milano did. 1 year 4-5 mill bandaid. If he wants more money or years....he’s not a good bandaid.  He’s a much better coverage LB than Klein is and fills the “3 down” backer much better than Klein imo. 
 

We’re going to have quite a few 1 year bandaids over the next decade+.  If we neglect Lb in the draft and don’t want to invest $ or years in this free agent class, he could fit.  There are a bunch of LBs out there in free agency.  I don’t think he’s gonna get paid much.

I would sign kirksey and draft a Milano replacement as well. 

[NewEra]

4 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

I would sign kirksey and draft a Milano replacement as well. 

Definitely a possibility.  I think that depends on how they view Dotson.  If they see him as a viable replacement, than I think they’ll only add one.  But than again, if they cut Matakavich, maybe they add 2.

[YoloinOhio]

31 minutes ago, NewEra said:

Definitely a possibility.  I think that depends on how they view Dotson.  If they see him as a viable replacement, than I think they’ll only add one.  But than again, if they cut Matakavich, maybe they add 2.

I would be very surprised if they view Dodson as anything more than solid depth. I don’t see matakevich being cut. I think they add 2 - they need to get to 90 players. It will sort itself out in TC but ultimately adding one vet who can start right away and then adding the young guy in the draft just makes roster building sense short term and long term. Milano himself didn’t start as a rookie, maybe toward the end of that season. The beauty of the LB position though is there are always opportunities to get on the field

[NewEra]

3 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

I would be very surprised if they view Dodson as anything more than solid depth. I don’t see matakevich being cut. I think they add 2 - they need to get to 90 players. It will sort itself out in TC but ultimately adding one vet who can start right away and then adding the young guy in the draft just makes roster building sense short term and long term. Milano himself didn’t start as a rookie, maybe toward the end of that season. The beauty of the LB position though is there are always opportunities to get on the field

True that.

 

Or we can get lucky and Zaven Collins falls to us! 🙏🏻😀

[Royale with Cheese]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

I would be very surprised if they view Dodson as anything more than solid depth. I don’t see matakevich being cut. I think they add 2 - they need to get to 90 players. It will sort itself out in TC but ultimately adding one vet who can start right away and then adding the young guy in the draft just makes roster building sense short term and long term. Milano himself didn’t start as a rookie, maybe toward the end of that season. The beauty of the LB position though is there are always opportunities to get on the field

 

I can see us taking an athletic day 2 or 3 WLB.  Klein in 2021 can be what Ramon Humber was in 2017....eventually letting the rookie take over.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

2 hours ago, NewEra said:

Definitely a possibility.  I think that depends on how they view Dotson.  If they see him as a viable replacement, than I think they’ll only add one.  But than again, if they cut Matakavich, maybe they add 2.

 

It seems very unlikely to me that they view Dodson as a Milano replacement.

 

 

[NewEra]

6 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

It seems very unlikely to me that they view Dodson as a Milano replacement.

 

 

I agree....

 

I do wonder how do they view him though. 
 

I thought he flashed vs the jets and Miami weeks 1-2.  Certainly not enough be take over full time....but they may like him enough to only add one vet to start this year with hopes that he can grow into the role over the year?  
 

or not.....but maybe 🤔 😂

[YoloinOhio]

 

[Rebel101]

What has happened to Kenny Stills? I know we only took his old contract over but it ended at the end of the season I believe. But I also read that Beane has been trying to get at stills for awhile now. Does he get resigned or do we let him go? 

[Aussie Joe]

Anyone else think this offseason is moving very slowly?

 

Normally by now Beane has signed a Vontae Davis or Spencer Long...

 

In hindsight maybe its for the best he hasn't signed anyone yet...