Bills release A.J. Klein

[Saxum]

We will see the difference when Edwards or Milano are out unless Bills invest an early pick on a LB.

 

He missed very few games while here and availability is important

[davefan66]

Bummed.  Really like him.

 

Very good backup in our defense.

[MJS]

He is good depth. Sad to see him go.

[FilthyBeast]

Klein's signature game with the Bills ironically came against the Seahawks and Russell Wilson in 2020 when he had multiple sacks and turnovers in that one.

 

[BADOLBILZ]

2 hours ago, MrEpsYtown said:

Seems like a good dude. Would have played more if we were more 4-3 base. Cap number too high. Good luck to him. He can go to WFT with Ron Rivera and help fill their terrible backers crops. 

 

 

If they hadn't picked up Edmunds' 5th year option Beane would be saying Tremaine earned the right to go into free agency.........and likely glad he dodged that bullet..........and Klein would just be getting a pay cut.    

[RichRiderBills]

I loved Klein...but yeah too much, going to have to draft a young LB.

 

Maybe bring him back for less?

[Buffalosouth]

Could this be a cut and resign kind of thing? Thought he was a decent back uo

[Sierra Foothills]

2 hours ago, Rc2catch said:

He was exactly what he was supposed to be. A backup with starting experience. He’s a really capable player in limited roles. Wish him the best and maybe he returns on a lower salary before the season 

 

2 hours ago, CNY315 said:

I was ready to pay for his plane ticket back to Carolina myself early on. He turned it around and made some plays as he got more acclimated

 

Yes. He was an effective player once the Bills figured out how to play to his strengths. The simplest critique of his game is that he was pretty good moving forward and pretty bad moving backwards.

 

1 hour ago, FilthyBeast said:

Would have preferred to see Klein stay with a big pay cut but maybe he wasn't interested in doing that.

 

This probably also means that everyone's favorite whipping boy is now 100% locked in to returning.

 

I don't think there's any linkage between this move and Edmunds' fate. 

[Ray Finkel]

3 hours ago, bigduke6 said:

well,  that sux.   i kinda liked him out there more that Edmunds.    least Klein  had pass rush skills.    mbe we can bring him back later on.

He made more plays in the Jets game than Edmunds has made his whole career.

Now trade Edmunds and get a real linebacker

[schoolhouserock]

This was one of those moves that HAD to happen given the Bills’ salary cap situation.

 

Haack and Feliciano are also in the same predicament… contracts that show them the door. It would be tough to see Feliciano go out like this. 2021 was just not his year.

[Success]

Beane is about to put on a master class.

 

[Ross Murdock]

3 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

I did tell everyone this was inevitable.

Yeah, we remember. Your really good at predicting the obvious. What's the next bold prediction, Haack? 

[RyanC883]

3 hours ago, junior said:

I was never his biggest fan (seeing him in man coverage was TOUGH), but he performed admirably in other areas. 

 

seeing Edmunds in any situation is tough. 

2 hours ago, Limeaid said:

We will see the difference when Edwards or Milano are out unless Bills invest an early pick on a LB.

 

He missed very few games while here and availability is important

 

agree.  We need a FA or more likely a low cost rookie LB.  That said, LB talent seems to be falling in some boards to late 1 or even 2.  Perhaps Bean has his eye on one of these guys.  

[todd]

3 hours ago, Niagara Dude said:

Beane's not well at all signing free agents,  I think Beasley is one of few

 

OK, what is that 4 posts in this thread alone claiming Beane is a bad GM? Enough of the crusade. The Bills have gone to the playoffs in all but one year since he's been here. Let's stick to reality. I'd like to see your "long list" of bad FAs.

[dollars 2 donuts]

2 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

Dodson is his replacement. The Bills have to rely on young players stepping up for some of the veterans they can no longer afford. That's how it works in the first couple years of a QB's new mega-deal.

 

Absolutely concur.  The thing is, Hap, that wasn’t my main point, though.  It was tied to the my earlier post of this not being easy and we won’t be as talented this year. 
 

I’m not down on the team at all, but there are a few of cuts coming and not a ton of cap space to fill the holes, along with having to re-sign some of our own talent.

 

sal or someone tweeted Dodson will be able to back up both Edmunds and Milano, but you know what was also good?  Having Klein and Dodson.  That’s why matching this coming year’s talent with last year’s is going to be tough and not necessarily a reasonable expectation.

Edited March 9, 2022 by dollars 2 donuts

[BADOLBILZ]

55 minutes ago, Success said:

Beane is about to put on a master class.

 

 

 

I hope so...........the Bills are STILL paying for that brutal 2018 free agent group he grossly overpaid............worst free agent class in Bills history.

 

They could use the 70M+ in cap space they wasted on those clowns.

[MJS]

2 hours ago, Buffalosouth said:

Could this be a cut and resign kind of thing? Thought he was a decent back uo

He's the type of player who needs to go get as big of a contract as he possibly can. Maybe if there isn't a lot of interest he'll re-sign with the Bills.

[YattaOkasan]

With regards to his contract I think Klein was insurance against at least Milano signing a new contract.  He was brought in for Mika is contract year and beane usually doesn’t guarantee money beyond the first year. Now that Milano is re-signed this was an inevitability as many have said. 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

4 hours ago, CNY315 said:

 

 

maybe we can resign him cheaper

 

 

[Utah John]

• This is the sort of thing that will happen not only this year, but every year until the wheels fall off for some reason (hopefully not for many years).  Good veteran players get released and rookies take their places, get paid as rookies (i.e., cheaply), and play until their rookie contract ends.  The players all know how this works, and they're all looking forward and trying to stay healthy so they can sign at least one FA contract somewhere else.  The Bills will have a trail of released veterans playing elsewhere, like the debris in a comet's tail, while the head of the comet keeps shining bright.