Best free agent signing ever?

[Brennan Huff]

Just now, unbillievable said:

Vontae made NFL history.

 

I wonder if he has any regrets? Would he be on the roster today? Not sure what his contract looked like…

[Rico]

3 minutes ago, Brennan Huff said:

Billy Joe Hobert might have been the worst. That’s also a fun game to play

We traded a 3rd-round pick for him.  

[BuffaloCajun]

Sam Gash was special in so many ways... he never provided outstanding statistical output... his blocking was legendary... he would have had his own segment on GMFB... "the angry blocker..." the Bills used to use the term "Gash'ed" whenever a player on the team had a great block!

[unbillievable]

Not sure if Fred Jackson qualifies.

 

He had tryouts with 3 other teams, started in NFL Europe, before playing his first real game with Buffalo.

 

[Rico]

30 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Great list. I put a line in where I'd separate the candidates for "Best Ever" from a group that is just "very good".

 

Sanders and Beasely could still work their way up, but they need to either string a couple of great seasons together, or make some amazing plays that directly contribute to a Super Bowl victory season.

I like Spielman but I don’t think he was close to best ever, he only played here 1.5 seasons.

[Paup 1995MVP]

44 minutes ago, ctk232 said:

Agree with a lot here already, but just to throw a curveball here, Emmanuel Sanders is shaping up to be the FA steal for this FO in all honesty. 

Great call.  I loved it when the Bills signed Sanders.  He is a great professional WR.  Just knows how to play the position well.  Takes care of himself, has not lost his speed and knows how to avoid the big hit.  If he keeps playing like this the Bills need to resign him for two more years.  

[JohnNord]

1 hour ago, McBean said:

Is it Micah Hyde?

 

I’m 31 so I’m sure some of you that are older will disagree but IMO Micah Hyde is the best free agent signing the Bills ever made.

 

When Micah was signed it was year 1 of the McDermott era. Hyde set the tone. Leader, incredible player, and is so underrated. Thinking about it this morning I wanted to pose the question to the board…who’s the best Bills free agent signing of all time?

 

Salute to Micah for all he’s done for this team. Seeing him score the pick 6 on Sunday night..I couldn’t help to think that the turnaround all started with HIM. 

Hyde and Poyer are definitely under the radar but they can in and solidified the defensive backfield for 5+ positive seasons.  
 

They have to be in contention.  

 

One suggestion I would make might be Ted Washington who essentially did the same thing with the Bills DL.  Ted and Bryce Paup were two players that were perfect additions

[BuffaloCajun]

One could argue the best free agent signing the organization has made was Bean himself!

[Gugny]

8 minutes ago, Rico said:

We traded a 3rd-round pick for him.  

 

We made up for it when we got a 3rd for Tuh-ROD.

[Chandler#81]

49 minutes ago, nucci said:

Art Still. The defense made a huge jump in '88 when  he was signed

Isaiah Robertson

[Rico]

11 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

1. Ted Washington.......he was the best defensive player in the NFL in 1997 IMO and he was the foundation of their great overall defense which became the identity of the team.....whether fans realized it at the time or not.   Cutting him erased 15 years of organizational identity building and set the drought in motion.  From 1994-2004 he was the most dominant run defender in the NFL.   

 

2. Bryce Paup..........gotta' give it to Paup because of his NFLDPOY year...........one of the greatest seasons in Bills history.

 

3. Jordan Poyer.........he's been the better of two tremendous safeties........and the cheaper signing.

 

4. Micah Hyde..........the last Whaley gem(Babich gets Poyer credit)........sustained, consistent excellence gives him the nod over the next gem.

 

5 Lorenzo Alexander...........another Whaley gem........cheap signing and contended for NFLDPOY and great culture guy.(Zach Brown was the other cheap signing that offseason and he lead the NFL in tackles).

 

6. James Lofton..........cheap acquisition and outstanding........unfortunately he was only that guy for about 2 and a half seasons before trailing off rapidly.

 

7.(tie) Doug Flutie and Tyrod Taylor...........a lot of mileage and good offensive production from two super cheap signings.   Two different levels of fan appreciation but both played their part in QB'ing teams to the playoffs.        

Nice except Hyde was a McD gem.

[Clyde Smith]

Billy Joe Hobert 😋

[unbillievable]

7 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

1. Ted Washington.......he was the best defensive player in the NFL in 1997 IMO and he was the foundation of their great overall defense which became the identity of the team.....whether fans realized it at the time or not.   Cutting him erased 15 years of organizational identity building and set the drought in motion.  From 1994-2004 he was the most dominant run defender in the NFL.   

 

Washington was part of those declining Bills years, and always seemed to be on the cusp of getting cut/traded for salary cap reasons. I agree, he was never fully appreciated. Fans always think that it's easy to find that space-eating NT, and prefer splashy players like Sapp, Glover, Kennedy, and Randle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[chongli]

No one has mentioned Kent Hull (RIP) yet. He was undrafted by the NFL, wasn't he? And then after the USFL, he followed Marv Levy and was signed by the Bills on the same date as Jim Kelly, I assume as a free agent.

 

---------

 

EDIT: Rick Gosselin in the link below says Hull followed Levy here:

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/talkoffame/state-your-case/state-your-case-kent-hull

 

"Levy spent a season coaching in the USFL so he was knowledgeable of the talent in that league. When Levy moved on to the Bills, he brought Hull along with him."

 

But from my memory, and confirmed by to Pro Football Reference, Levy didn't come to Buffalo until midway through the 1986 season, when Hank Bullough was fired. And also from Pro Football Reference, Hull started here from day one of that season. So Hull couldn't have followed Levy.

Edited October 13, 2021 by chongli

[Gugny]

1 hour ago, DrDawkinstein said:

Bryce Paup, Takeo Spikes, James Lofton

 

Just off the top of my head for throwing options out there.

 

 

 

Paup was one of my favorite Bills, even though his time here was short.  My son was born in 2003 and I wanted his middle name to be Bryce six years after he left Buffalo.  I got overruled.  Note: She's me EX wife, now.

[BearNorth]

4 minutes ago, chongli said:

No one has mentioned Kent Hull (RIP) yet. He was undrafted, wasn't he? And then after the USFL, he followed Marv Levy and was signed by the Bills on the same date as Jim Kelly, I assume as a free agent.

Hull is showing in PFR as an undrafted free agent.

[unbillievable]

4 minutes ago, chongli said:

No one has mentioned Kent Hull (RIP) yet. He was undrafted wasn't he? And then after the USFL, he was signed by the Bills on the same date as Jim Kelly, I assume as a free agent.

 

there are a few exceptions, like Fred Jackson, but I think it would be easier if it was specific to players who were on other NFL teams, before signing with buffalo. Otherwise this would turn into an UDFA thread.

 

 

[DrDawkinstein]

5 minutes ago, chongli said:

No one has mentioned Kent Hull (RIP) yet. He was undrafted by the NFL, wasn't he? And then after the USFL, he followed Marv Levy and was signed by the Bills on the same date as Jim Kelly, I assume as a free agent.

 

If accurate, then immediately goes to the top of the list. But are we really counting UDFAs here? Seems more like a discussion around established players who came from other teams. Great suggestion. Tough call (on UDFAs).

[BearNorth]

Cookie Gilchrist was a free agent, signed from the CFL.

 

[CircleTheWagons99]

Mario? Not best but should be mentioned.