Mitch Morse Re-Works Contract per Ian Rapoport

[Doc]

1 hour ago, YattaOkasan said:

Feels like its kicking the can down the road a year.  If he can earn his "non-likely" incentives, then its goes to next year.  I assume this is sorta the case if Morse initiated the talks as mentioned above.

 

Kicking the can into next year makes tons of sense.  The cap will increase markedly in 2022.

[YattaOkasan]

I think we can upgrade from Feliciano.  I do not think he was good this year.  If we bring him back I hope there is competition for his spot.  I do not think we can upgrade from Williams so we should pay him.   Bates and Boettger are not  moving the needle for me.  Ford hasnt played as well as Boettger yet but has more starter starter traits so will hold out hope.  I can live with a competition between them for a G spot.  I 100% agree with spending draft capital on the OL this year.  I think at least two picks one of which is our first or second.  I put OL as a priority over TE tbh.  

[Inigo Montoya]

4 minutes ago, Reader said:

 

I think the question is, is that line good enough to handle the Chiefs? While I completely agree that blowing up our O-line is a bad idea, do we need to make some tweaks for the next season on the starting line? I'm not confident that if we bring back the same line from last year, maybe even Ford included, we can hold up against them.

 

 

I agree. 

 

For all the talk of "continuity" last year, the O-Line really didn't have any.  Beyond Dawkins at LT, everyone else was in and out of the lineup and in different positions throughout the season.  Fortunately we had some depth on the O-Line and we could shuffle people in and out without a catastrophic drop off in play.  Winters was obviously a liability when he came in, but he won't be back.  Maybe the line will play better this year with the same 5 out there for most of the season.

 

The Chiefs game was bad.  We didn't seem to have any answer for their pass rush.  I'm not sure if it was personnel, or scheme, or both.  Admittedly I don't know how to improve the line so that we don't have a replay of the championship game again, but one thing I do know with certainty is that letting Daryl Williams and Feliciano walk does not make the line better, it will make it worse.  We don't have anyone to replace them in the fold already who would be an upgrade, and no money to go out and buy one in free agency.  

 

If someone wants to argue that the O-Line gets better without Daryl Williams and Feliciano on it, I'd be interested to hear that argument.  This franchise simply can not afford to go backwards on the O-Line this year.  That means we are going to have to invest some of our scarce resources in it.

 

 

[BuffaloRebound]

Now with news Jags are tagging Cam Robinson, tagging Darryl Williams doesn’t look like a bad option.  Williams will get paid a lot of he hits free agency.  There’s a lot more cheap options at Guard.  I think Feliciano is odd man out unfortunately 

[Doc]

5 minutes ago, YattaOkasan said:

I think we can upgrade from Feliciano.  I do not think he was good this year.  If we bring him back I hope there is competition for his spot.  I do not think we can upgrade from Williams so we should pay him.   Bates and Boettger are not  moving the needle for me.  Ford hasnt played as well as Boettger yet but has more starter starter traits so will hold out hope.  I can live with a competition between them for a G spot.  I 100% agree with spending draft capital on the OL this year.  I think at least two picks one of which is our first or second.  I put OL as a priority over TE tbh.  

 

I'd give him the same deal they gave him 2 years ago.  They still need the depth.

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

24 minutes ago, Reader said:

 

I think the question is, is that line good enough to handle the Chiefs? While I completely agree that blowing up our O-line is a bad idea, do we need to make some tweaks for the next season on the starting line? I'm not confident that if we bring back the same line from last year, maybe even Ford included, we can hold up against them.

they really struggled with D lines that were strong in the middle. 

[RyanC883]

4 hours ago, QBorBust2018 said:

I would still like to bolster this OL. Hope they select a lineman in the first 3 rounds. 

 

would love the Oklahoma Center in the 2nd.  Great backup option.  

[Dont Stop Billeiving]

20 minutes ago, Reader said:

 

I think the question is, is that line good enough to handle the Chiefs? While I completely agree that blowing up our O-line is a bad idea, do we need to make some tweaks for the next season on the starting line? I'm not confident that if we bring back the same line from last year, maybe even Ford included, we can hold up against them.

100%. Retaining Morse on a pay cut should just be the start. We need to invest cap space and draft picks on the O-line to improve at both guard spots and retain Darryl Williams if possible. Building around Allen should be the priority and I trust McBeane to do that.

 

I think Beane is off to a sneaky good start to the 2021 offseason. Micah Hyde is an excellent player and leader on this team and his extension is below market value. He'll still be outside the top 10 highest paid safeties and compare his $9.5M AAV to someone like Devin McCourty who is over 3 years older and is getting $11.5M AAV. We now have Hyde (2023), Poyer (2022), and White (2025) locked up through the 2022 season at least. 

 

Then resigning Andre Smith brings back a core special teams player and LB depth. I didn't realize this guy is only 23 years old and his 2 year deal worth up to $3M is actually a real under the radar bargain compared to the minimum one year qualifying offer of $2.1M (as pointed out by Sal C on Twitter). 

 

Now the $2M pay cut by Morse to help the team...it's early, but I'm excited and encouraged by what's been done so far. 

 

 

[Doc]

4 minutes ago, Dont Stop Billeiving said:

100%. Retaining Morse on a pay cut should just be the start. We need to invest cap space and draft picks on the O-line to improve at both guard spots and retain Darryl Williams if possible. Building around Allen should be the priority and I trust McBeane to do that.

 

I think Beane is off to a sneaky good start to the 2021 offseason. Micah Hyde is an excellent player and leader on this team and his extension is below market value. He'll still be outside the top 10 highest paid safeties and compare his $9.5M AAV to someone like Devin McCourty who is over 3 years older and is getting $11.5M AAV. We now have Hyde (2023), Poyer (2022), and White (2025) locked up through the 2022 season at least. 

 

Then resigning Andre Smith brings back a core special teams player and LB depth. I didn't realize this guy is only 23 years old and his 2 year deal worth up to $3M is actually a real under the radar bargain compared to the minimum one year qualifying offer of $2.1M (as pointed out by Sal C on Twitter). 

 

Now the $2M pay cut by Morse to help the team...it's early, but I'm excited and encouraged by what's been done so far. 

 

By releasing Addison, Brown, Butler and Jefferson, they can get about $34M in cap space.

[Saxum]

4 hours ago, Casey D said:

Dickerson or Leatherwood.  But you can draft them and still have Morse for 2021.

 

Only if Bill in NYC agrees

[SectionC3]

In other news, Lee Smith’s house hit the market in OP today.  So don’t expect him back.  Couple of more bucks saved there. 

[BillsShredder83]

4 hours ago, BarleyNY said:

I was expecting him to be a cut and another center to be signed - possibly even Mongo returning.  While this is certainly better than paying him what he was due, I’d have probably still gone that route.  One more concussion and I don’t see how you ever put him back on the field.  I’d be shocked if we don’t draft a center this year. 

Draft his replacement and see how the year pans out. Salary cut was having your cake and eating it too for Bills FO

[BarleyNY]

2 minutes ago, BillsShredder83 said:

Draft his replacement and see how the year pans out. Salary cut was having your cake and eating it too for Bills FO

I think that’s the plan unless they happen to find a bargain in FA.

[Doc]

7 minutes ago, SectionC3 said:

In other news, Lee Smith’s house hit the market in OP today.  So don’t expect him back.  Couple of more bucks saved there. 

 

True, he's going to retire.  That's another $2.25M.  So the Bills could have $36M in cap space, with about $5M for rookies.

[Mark Vader]

36 minutes ago, Dont Stop Billeiving said:

100%. Retaining Morse on a pay cut should just be the start. We need to invest cap space and draft picks on the O-line to improve at both guard spots and retain Darryl Williams if possible. Building around Allen should be the priority and I trust McBeane to do that.

 

I think Beane is off to a sneaky good start to the 2021 offseason. Micah Hyde is an excellent player and leader on this team and his extension is below market value. He'll still be outside the top 10 highest paid safeties and compare his $9.5M AAV to someone like Devin McCourty who is over 3 years older and is getting $11.5M AAV. We now have Hyde (2023), Poyer (2022), and White (2025) locked up through the 2022 season at least. 

 

Then resigning Andre Smith brings back a core special teams player and LB depth. I didn't realize this guy is only 23 years old and his 2 year deal worth up to $3M is actually a real under the radar bargain compared to the minimum one year qualifying offer of $2.1M (as pointed out by Sal C on Twitter). 

 

Now the $2M pay cut by Morse to help the team...it's early, but I'm excited and encouraged by what's been done so far. 

 

 

Our front office knows what it's doing.

[WideNine]

4 hours ago, mjt328 said:

If the rumblings around the league are true, this was a smart move by Mitch Morse.

Reports are saying that a lot of veterans are in danger of being cut this offseason.  And there probably won't be much cap space for them to get big bucks by re-signing with someone else.

 

In other words, many of these guys are going to be forced into pay cuts... whether they like it or not.

 

I think it is a smart move by both camps. I also thought they should have been grooming their next center a year ago, but this does give them a bit more runway.

 

I do think for health reasons that Mitch needs to hang up the cleats sooner rather than later, but this gives him a bit of time and perhaps he can retire a more on his own terms down the road.

 

It is not desire or technique that are lacking in Morse's game. It is that he takes a small rap to the head and he is out, or should be.

 

Will be interesting to see where they go in the draft.

 

 

 

[YattaOkasan]

55 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

I'd give him the same deal they gave him 2 years ago.  They still need the depth.

Sure.  I dont think hell take it

59 minutes ago, Inigo Montoya said:

We don't have anyone to replace them in the fold already who would be an upgrade, and no money to go out and buy one in free agency.  

 

If someone wants to argue that the O-Line gets better without Daryl Williams and Feliciano on it, I'd be interested to hear that argument.  This franchise simply can not afford to go backwards on the O-Line this year.  That means we are going to have to invest some of our scarce resources in it.

 

 

Agree we dont have anyone in the fold and not retaining them would make us "worse."  However I do think we can get better than Felicianio if we use the assets he would command on someone else.  Simple answer for the Chiefs game was that Feliciano got beat by Chris Jones.  I think many think hes our aggressive physical player, but he didnt really look like it that game.

37 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

By releasing Addison, Brown, Butler and Jefferson, they can get about $34M in cap space.

You could probably save $25 million ish by cutting butler and restructuring all of the others.  I would prefer doing that and keeping them on the team (if we cut Addison our DE group is Hughes, Epenesa, Johnson).

[Boxcar]

3 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

 

God bless Erik Turner

[Slippery Rubber Mats]

49 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

By releasing Addison, Brown, Butler and Jefferson, they can get about $34M in cap space.

 

That's trimming a lot of beef on the DL. Who replaces them and at what cost?

[NewEra]

6 minutes ago, Tuel Time said:

 

That's trimming a lot of beef on the DL. Who replaces them and at what cost?

Star, One free agent 10-18M, draft pick.  Low tier free agents