Spotrac: 2022 AFC East offseason preview

[BillsMafi$]

https://www.spotrac.com/research/nfl/2022-nfl-offseason-series-afc-east-1351/

[BruceVilanch]

I'm not an offensive line savant, but is Morse bad? like cut/trade bad? we are pretty thin on the OL and Morse seems to be a pretty decent C.

[HIT BY SPIKES]

22 minutes ago, BruceVilanch said:

I'm not an offensive line savant, but is Morse bad? like cut/trade bad? we are pretty thin on the OL and Morse seems to be a pretty decent C.

Morse is just not playing up to his contract anymore.  He is an average NFL C.

 

I think he may retire this offseason as the rumours about what his father has said and his desire to spend more time with his disabled brother.

 

He is not a player that is all about the money.

 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Harrison Phillips should get an extension as well

 

 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

What happened to the Star and Feliciano thread?

 

 

[BarleyNY]

12 hours ago, HIT BY SPIKES said:

Morse is just not playing up to his contract anymore.  He is an average NFL C.

 

I think he may retire this offseason as the rumours about what his father has said and his desire to spend more time with his disabled brother.

 

He is not a player that is all about the money.

 

This.  Plus the slew of concussions that he has had.  We (both he and the team) have been lucky he hasn’t had any this season, but it’s a big risk.  The time is probably right for both sides. 

[BuffaloBill]

The concussion history with Morse may be enough in itself for him to move on.

[aristocrat]

Wonder if we draft a top college center and have him play guard next year while Mitch finishes his contract and then slides over second year?

[BuffaloBillyG]

If either Bradley Bozeman (C) or Austin Corbett (plays both G and C) hit free agency those are 2 guys I would love to see the Bills target. Add in Connor Williams (G) and that interior Oline becomes a real strength. 

[EmotionallyUnstable]

Notable Unrestricted Free Agents:

 

Jerry Hughes (DE, 33), 

Mario Addison (DE, 34), 

Harrison Phillips (DT, 25), 

Emmanuel Sanders (WR, 34), 

Levi Wallace (CB, 26), 

Matt Breida (RB, 26),

 

(I’ve bolded who I think they will make an offer to bring back)

 

EDIT: 

 

Not listed in the article are the following players that are also unrestricted free agents:

 

McKenzie (WR)

Zimmer (DT)

Neal (CB)

Obada (DE)

Jones (RB)

Trubisky (QB)

Butler (DT)

Boettger (OL)

Edited December 31, 2021 by EmotionallyUnstable

[entropyrules]

Those extra late round picks - I hope they somehow find a diamond in the rough at CB, S, or OG

 

anyone have an idea (probably too early to ask) if the Bills get any comp picks this year or are they all slotted for the Patriots per NFL policy

[78thealltimegreat]

Team is basically in tact resigning Levi and Harry and if Jerry wants to finish his career here even though that’s why you draft AJ and Boogie.

 

Focus this off season has to be to protect Josh…get another option in the back field…upgrade 2TE since we only have one…add one more WR preferably  with a little size 

[H2o]

It's going to be interesting to see how Beane moves the $$$ around. I know many people wouldn't be a big fan of it, but don't be surprised if Edmunds gets an extension that lowers his cap number to make some room. I fully expect Beasley to be released and some of that money we gain used to re-sign McKenzie. I also fully expect Klein to be released to save that $5.2M as well. I also wouldn't be surprised to see them let Matakevich go either as his $3.25M cap hit for a ST player is pretty steep considering what we are up against cap wise. That would add another $2.5M back to the books. If Morse retires, or is cut, that's another $8M. All in total, I expect us to hit FA with around $24-$27M. That isn't really much to work with if we are trying to keep some of our guys about to hit the FA market. 

[BuffaloBillyG]

13 minutes ago, H2o said:

It's going to be interesting to see how Beane moves the $$$ around. I know many people wouldn't be a big fan of it, but don't be surprised if Edmunds gets an extension that lowers his cap number to make some room. I fully expect Beasley to be released and some of that money we gain used to re-sign McKenzie. I also fully expect Klein to be released to save that $5.2M as well. I also wouldn't be surprised to see them let Matakevich go either as his $3.25M cap hit for a ST player is pretty steep considering what we are up against cap wise. That would add another $2.5M back to the books. If Morse retires, or is cut, that's another $8M. All in total, I expect us to hit FA with around $24-$27M. That isn't really much to work with if we are trying to keep some of our guys about to hit the FA market. 

I would expect them to rework some deals as well. Diggs, White and Dawkins jump off the page as 3 I could easily see done to open some huge chunks of cap space. I also wouldn't assume Daryl Williams is back as well. 

 

I'd estimate that the $24-27M is base floor of what the could enter FA with...with much more from the restructured deals. My best guess is $45-$55M after those are reworked and a few other roster tweaks. 

 

Still, not a staggering amount however if they structure the contracts well they could walk out of FA with some very nice upgrades IMO.

[GunnerBill]

29 minutes ago, H2o said:

It's going to be interesting to see how Beane moves the $$$ around. I know many people wouldn't be a big fan of it, but don't be surprised if Edmunds gets an extension that lowers his cap number to make some room. I fully expect Beasley to be released and some of that money we gain used to re-sign McKenzie. I also fully expect Klein to be released to save that $5.2M as well. I also wouldn't be surprised to see them let Matakevich go either as his $3.25M cap hit for a ST player is pretty steep considering what we are up against cap wise. That would add another $2.5M back to the books. If Morse retires, or is cut, that's another $8M. All in total, I expect us to hit FA with around $24-$27M. That isn't really much to work with if we are trying to keep some of our guys about to hit the FA market. 

 

Personally I'd be surprised if Matakevich is cut. Taiwan Jones will be 34 by the start of next season so may not be back, Siran Neal is a FA so also might not be back, to cut Matakevich too is a lot of their core, vet ST guys. Now those other two are gunners whereas Matakevich is an interior wedge guy, but it just feels like a lot of experience to lose from that unit in one go. They might re-work his numbers but I expect him to remain. 

 

I'd add Feliciano to the possible cut list. Would they cut he and Morse? Maybe not, but I think it is equally pretty unlikely both are back. They need to make some moves to upgrade the oline and some of the space to do that will come at the cost of some of the underperforming players currently playing on it. They'd save another million and a half cutting Cody Ford, but suspect they'd like to try and get something back for him before they make that move. 

 

Agree on Klein and Beasley. I'd be pretty surprised at this stage if either of them were here in 2022. Also agree on Edmunds being extended lowering the number and making some space and I think the article is right they will try and do something with Stef's deal to bring his number down a bit for 2022 as well.

 

They they have a big decision to make on Ed Oliver - do they exercise the option? It would mean he counts around $10m on the cap in 2023 and I think that is probably a number they are willing to live with given that he has played well this season and it will give them another year to make a final decision on an extension. That doesn't affect the 2022 cap, but it does affect the long term decision making. Then they have a Dawson Knox shaped decision too. I would not be at all surprised if they want to get something done with Dawson this offseason. He has kind of had a breakout that wasn't a breakout this season. Over 500 yards, 9 touchdowns, but without the hand injury could have been even more impressive. Do the Bills try and strike a deal now or risk him staying healthy and stepping up further in 2022? His blocking has improved a ton too. Of course Knox could choose to bet on himself and say he is gonna play his 4th year out and test the waters but that is an almighty gamble for a guy with one really good year who only came in as a third rounder. You'd be leaving generational wealth on the table to do so. 

 

Do they bring back some of the FAs? I think McKenzie likely does what he has done the last two years, tests the market (not necessarily the actual market when it opens but I mean the post combine illegal tampering period and possible even the legal tampering period) then comes back and signs in Buffalo, but this time maybe for 2-3 years rather than one. Wallace did the same last year and could do that again. I wouldn't extend Harrison Phillips but fear they might and I think Siran Neal and Efe Obada are candidates for short term cheaper deals. 

 

Then from the outside? I suspect they sign at least one FA interior offensive lineman and possibly a receiver but I expect the receiver to be more a #3/#4 guy rather than a name in the way Sanders was. 

 

 

 

 

[BrooklynBills]

1 hour ago, H2o said:

It's going to be interesting to see how Beane moves the $$$ around. I know many people wouldn't be a big fan of it, but don't be surprised if Edmunds gets an extension that lowers his cap number to make some room. I fully expect Beasley to be released and some of that money we gain used to re-sign McKenzie. I also fully expect Klein to be released to save that $5.2M as well. I also wouldn't be surprised to see them let Matakevich go either as his $3.25M cap hit for a ST player is pretty steep considering what we are up against cap wise. That would add another $2.5M back to the books. If Morse retires, or is cut, that's another $8M. All in total, I expect us to hit FA with around $24-$27M. That isn't really much to work with if we are trying to keep some of our guys about to hit the FA market. 

They have lots of flexibility with the cap for next year and could get to around $40 million in space without losing anyone significant.

 

I'd fully expect the 1st move would be to get Diggs extension done before this off-season FA because you have a bunch of high end WRs expected to hit free agency (Davante Adams, Chris Godwin, Allen Robinson, OBJ, etc.) and could blow up the WR salary market.  $20 million for high end WR will seem like a bargain in two years. Luckily for the Bills, they can probably offer him an extension in the Hopkins range and still lower his cap hits in the first few years.

 

The Bills can get to $29 million in cap space just by cutting Beasley, Klein, Feliciano, and Ford. Cut Morse(still a good player but probably not worth top 5 center money) and Star and you can get to $42 million in space. That doesn't include cap space created by reworking deals or Diggs extension. 

 

$42 million in space with the only significant loss being Mitch Morse is a pretty good cap situation to be in IMO.

[LABILLBACKER]

3 hours ago, EmotionallyUnstable said:

Notable Unrestricted Free Agents:

 

Jerry Hughes (DE, 33), 

Mario Addison (DE, 34), 

Harrison Phillips (DT, 25), 

Emmanuel Sanders (WR, 34), 

Levi Wallace (CB, 26), 

Matt Breida (RB, 26),

 

(I’ve bolded who I think they will make an offer to bring back)

 

EDIT: 

 

Not listed in the article are the following players that are also unrestricted free agents:

 

McKenzie (WR)

Zimmer (DT)

Neal (CB)

Obada (DE)

Jones (RB)

Trubisky (QB)

Butler (DT)

Boettger (OL)

I agree with your bring back list except Boettger.  He gets beat too often. Hughes is right on the cusp.

[EmotionallyUnstable]

1 hour ago, LABILLBACKER said:

I agree with your bring back list except Boettger.  He gets beat too often. Hughes is right on the cusp.

Beane collects lineman like a 12 year old hunts from rare Pokémon cards. The difference is I think he knows their value. I’d be surprised if they don’t have an offer on the table to Ike. It might not be what he wants, but I believe they value him as a potential contributor and depth player. 

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

I thought Boettger signed more than a one year deal this past off season

[SCBills]

Levi, Harry, McKenzie and Obada are definitely guys I think we bring back.   
 

Not so sure about anyone else.  
 

Morse is 50/50 for me.  If he wants to come back, I think the only way you cut him is if it’s to make room for a high priced IOL in FA.     
 

Hughes, I’m only bringing back if he’s willing to take a big pay cut.  
 

We have a lot of talent/potential on the Defense.   It’s time to protect Josh by taking an off-season to give him a strong OL and running game.  WR looms as a need as well if we move off Beasley & Sanders.