Joe Marino's mock offseason for the Bills

[PonyBoy]

Man, he's got a thing for Joneses 4 of them by my count....

 

 

 

[In Summary]

Always with the assumption that the trade-ups will hit. 

[JDubya76]

Looks like Marino is loading up on the joneses

[Coach Tuesday]

3 minutes ago, JDubya76 said:

Looks like Marino is loading up on the joneses

Gotta add Joneses to keep up with the Joneses…

[BADOLBILZ]

3 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

Here's a summary of the moves he made:

 

Pre-FA moves to create cap space:
--> Haack, Beasley, Daryl Williams, and Matakevich are all cut.
-->The only Bills FA that he re-signs is Bates - all other FAs such as Wallace, Hughes, Addison, and Phillips he lets walk.
-->Diggs, Morse, and Poyer are extended in a way that lowers their cap hit for 2022.
-->Dawkins' contract is restructured to open up additional cap space in 2022.

 

After those moves he has $38.5 million in available cap space entering FA.

 

Offensive FA signings:
WR Christian Kirk 3 years $35 million
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick 1 year $5 million
OL Austin Blythe 2 years $4.5 million
OL Joseph Noteboom 2 years $6 million
RB Jerick McKinnon 1 year $2 million
RB Brandon Bolden 1 year $2.5 million
TE Will Dissly 2 years $9 million

 

Defensive FA signings:
DE Chandler Jones 2 years $30 million
CB Sidney Jones 2 years $8 million
DE Shaq Lawson (no contract details given)
DT DaQuan Jones 2 years $9 million
DT Taven Bryan 2 years $5 million

 

Special teams FA signings:
P JK Scott 2 years $3 million

 

All of the above signings cost $34 million in cap space in 2022. That leaves him with $4.5 million in cap space heading into the draft.

 

Draft:
R1 #25 Tyler Smith, OL, Tulsa
R2 #57 Travis Jones, DT, UConn
R3 #71(trade up) Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis
R3 #97(trade up) Cam Taylor-Britt, CB, Nebraska
R7 #228 Ty Chandler, RB, UNC

 

We only end up with 5 draft picks because of the two trade-ups.

 

I think I'd take this offseason right now if I could. We have more cap space flexibility than people realize.

 

 

Pre-FA moves to create cap space:

 

Like the cuts and re-structures...........but would like to wait on extending Diggs

 

Offensive FA signings:

 

WR I think Kirk is too expensive and not so dynamic that he's worth adding that much cap hit to the burden

QB  Like Fitz coming back but I think it has to be less than $5M.....which I know is pretty low for a backup

OL   Blythe I could see for that money

OL   Noteboom........that would be OK but Rams might need him too start......he should have a better market.........Jason Peters as swing tackle at $2M for me

RB   McKinnon and Bolden........meh.......RB's

TE   Gronk here @ $7M-$8M(with part of it put into 2023 voidable year)........Dissly would be well down the list of TE2's, IMO

 

Defensive FA signings:

 

DE Chandler Jones........like that deal

CB  Sidney Jones..........like the talent fit but if I were him I'd be looking for top dollar, which might be a little higher..........ring chaser Patrick Peterson dirt cheap?

DE  Shaq.........only at league min and no guarantees

DT  DaQuan Jones.........that works

DT  Taven Bryan........seems generous but he has that upside......Jordan Phillips might come free and go for the same or less.

 

Draft:..........that would be an awful.......NEEDY........draft, IMO

R1 Would love Tyler Smith in round 3.........but he is RAW......terrible technique......so gonna' take time.....and plays a low dollar position.........makes no sense, IMO

R2 Travis Jones is another reach for need at a low dollar position.........he's big and athletic........like a lot of bad DT's

R3 Cam Taylor-Britt........just take him and keep your other picks

 

The way to beat the cap isn't just signing your own or avoiding big ticket items in UFA............it's getting A LOT out of your mid-late round picks.........Bills need to do better at drafting a developing

 

 

 

Edited March 11, 2022 by BADOLBILZ

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

3 hours ago, DJB said:

We are adding 3 RB's? 

 

Not sure about that especially since none of them are even an upgrade on who we have 

 

Agree.  Adding three means a couple are going to get cut before September.  Bills would still lose money on signing bonuses given to them.  Seems like he's done the same in other positions too like Oline.  Adding many more than we have potential roster spots for.   Unless you can get them to for minimal signing signing bonus, not sure I'm a big fan.

[thenorthremembers]

1 hour ago, YoloinOhio said:

He added two guards who played for Kromer in FA. The draft pick would not need to replace DW at least not this year. DW played ok, not great, at RG. His best trait is his versatility to step in at RT when needed. But there is no guarantee that he will take a pay cut 

He may not take the paycut, but I still think releasing him and signing Blythe and Noteboom is still cutting off your nose to spite your face.  Blythe is a replacement level player.  While Noteboom does bring your something in terms of talent and versatility, he 's never been a full time starter in the league.   I'd much rather keep Williams, even at his current salary, than cut him pre-June 1st, cost yourself 3.6 in dead cap, and have a competition between Noteboom and an unproven rookie.

 

What I'd like to see the Bills do is work on keeping the offensive line unit they ended the year with in 2021.   Dawkins, Bates, Morse, Williams, and Brown were humming at the end of the season, and Id much rather have continuity with them than cut Williams and try to replace him with unknowns.  

[FireChans]

3 hours ago, D. L. Hot-Flamethrower said:

Like much of it, I'd rather sign Joe Haden and draft a CB high.

We’d only sign someone as old and as slow as Joe Haden if he played DE.

[SCBills]

1 hour ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

Pre-FA moves to create cap space:

 

Like the cuts and re-structures...........but would like to wait on extending Diggs

 

Offensive FA signings:

 

WR I think Kirk is too expensive and not so dynamic that he's worth adding that much cap hit to the burden

QB  Like Fitz coming back but I think it has to be less than $5M.....which I know is pretty low for a backup

OL   Blythe I could see for that money

OL   Noteboom........that would be OK but Rams might need him too start......he should have a better market.........Jason Peters as swing tackle at $2M for me

RB   McKinnon and Bolden........meh.......RB's

TE   Gronk here @ $7M-$8M(with part of it put into 2023 voidable year)........Dissly would be well down the list of TE2's, IMO

 

Defensive FA signings:

 

DE Chandler Jones........like that deal

CB  Sidney Jones..........like the talent fit but if I were him I'd be looking for top dollar, which might be a little higher..........ring chaser Patrick Peterson dirt cheap?

DE  Shaq.........only at league min and no guarantees

DT  DaQuan Jones.........that works

DT  Taven Bryan........seems generous but he has that upside......Jordan Phillips might come free and go for the same or less.

 

Draft:..........that would be an awful.......NEEDY........draft, IMO

R1 Would love Tyler Smith in round 3.........but he is RAW......terrible technique......so gonna' take time.....and plays a low dollar position.........makes no sense, IMO

R2 Travis Jones is another reach for need at a low dollar position.........he's big and athletic........like a lot of bad DT's

R3 Cam Taylor-Britt........just take him and keep your other picks

 

The way to beat the cap isn't just signing your own or avoiding big ticket items in UFA............it's getting A LOT out of your mid-late round picks.........Bills need to do better at drafting a developing

 

 

 

Great point about the draft.  
 

The past two years we’ve used our highest picks on guys we knew would take time.  
 

So.. let’s do it again?.. with guys he doesn’t even have starting.  
 

Stop it.   We need our draft picks to hit in Year 1 now… not give us crumbs in their early, cheap years - then finally flash in Year 3/4 right before we have to pay them. 
 

 

Edited March 11, 2022 by SCBills

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

4 minutes ago, FireChans said:

We’d only sign someone as old and as slow as Joe Haden if he played DE.

Scouting report from PFF: Yeah he's not the fastest, but neither is Levi, and if you'll notice I said draft a CB too. To my eyes and apparently some others he is an inexpensive insurance policy as a #2 Zone CB.

 

Haden was looking for a contract extension before the 2021 season, but the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t oblige. It’s likely he will now be playing elsewhere in 2022, but he’s still a solid zone cornerback with a high floor entering his age-33 season. Haden earned overall and coverage grades above 60.0 in each of his five seasons with the Steelers and looks to have a year or two left in him.

Strengths:
– Good tackler
– Eliminates explosive passes
– Veteran experience

Weaknesses:
– Lack of twitchiness
– No production at the catch point (INT/PBU)
– Age/Durability

Scheme Fit/Role:
NO. 2 OR NO. 3 CB IN A ZONE SCHEME: As an older defensive back playing much less press coverage, it’s time for Haden to take a look at the slot or play outside in a zone-heavy scheme. If playing inside is a dealbreaker, the Giants and Raiders may want to take a look at Haden. Patrick Graham and Gus Bradley run Cover 1 less than 15% of the time and allow their corners to play with the depth Haden needs to keep the game in front of him.

Recent Injury History:
Haden sustained a sprain in his left foot in 2021, but no structural damage requiring surgery was reported. He missed four games with the injury.

Contract Projection: One year, $5 million fully guaranteed

 

[TMM]

I don't necessarily agree with everything Joe Marino says, but I really enjoy his Podcast.  

[John from Riverside]

4 hours ago, BuffaloRebound said:

i have no problem with the cuts or cap space part.  Same with Kirk and Chandler Jones.  But way too many JAG free agents for my liking.  Why not just bring back our own JAG’s? Phillips and Wallace won’t be much more than the JAG’s he’s replacing them with.  And Gronk wouldn’t be much more than Dissley.  And not sure why we’d let Feliciano walk and bring in 2 JAG’s at the same price to replace him.  

Sidney Jones is better

[LABILLBACKER]

5 hours ago, DJB said:

We are adding 3 RB's? 

 

Not sure about that especially since none of them are even an upgrade on who we have 

Like McKinnon but we don't need Bolden. Not paying Fitz 5M. Daryl is fine at RG. Still don't understand why we need Kirk in the slot for nearly 12M when we can sign McKenzie or Berrios for half that?  And finally if you want Chandler Jones (which I do), you better be willing to pay 2/34 or the Broncos will out bid us.

2 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

Gotta add Joneses to keep up with the Joneses…

or the Mahomeses.....

Edited March 11, 2022 by LABILLBACKER

[ALLEN1QB]

Sounds awesome but there is one problem our GM is sleeping. zzzzzzz

[T master]

6 hours ago, DJB said:

We are adding 3 RB's? 

 

Not sure about that especially since none of them are even an upgrade on who we have 

 

And with those coming out in the draft this year they would be able to get one that was probably better or had more upside for less money i'm not in on that mock i haven't heard of any of the draft picks mentioned but i don't dig into it either .

[Logic]

Thank you for summarizing it all so I do t have to listen through. I’m more of a visual than an auditory guy when it comes to this stuff.

 

As for what he laid out: I can’t complain. Kirk upgrades our passing game. Chandler Jones upgrades our pass rush. He addresses the offensive line in a meaningful way.

 

If I’m picking nits, I don’t love the lack of more meaningful TE addition, and I don’t love Tyler Smith as our first round pick. Other than that…good stuff.

57 minutes ago, ALLEN1QB said:

Sounds awesome but there is one problem our GM is sleeping. zzzzzzz

….you know free agency hasn’t started yet, right?

 

What you meant to say I’d that your feelings are hurt that Beane didn’t trade for Khalil Mack.

[RyanC883]

I love the offseason FA, not sure who some of the players he is drafting are, esp. the kid from Tulsa in Rd. 1 and the RB.  Not sure we need to draft a RB since we get 2 in FA and have 2, but I know nothing about that RB. 

 

I like the Rd. 2 and 3 picks.  

[somnus00]

I'm upset that Marino didn't sign Chandler Jones, Gronk, JC Jackson, Bobby Wagner...

 

Trade for Saquan, Fletcher Cox, DK Metcalf...

 

Lure Tom Brady out of retirement to back up Josh Allen...

 

Seriously, I don't know what side fans want. He created cap room to sign 2 higher priced FA needs, added some o-line guys that Kromer is familiar with, and filled depth with athletic potential guys that he's hoping our excellent coaching staff can resurrect. Then he uses top draft picks to fill the trenches.

 

I don't agree with everything here, but it's a reasonable scenario that would leave the Bills better than they are right now in my opinion. I would be happy with this.

Edited March 12, 2022 by somnus00

[purple haze]

15 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

Wallace is projected to get more than $4 million AAV. Sidney Jones is an intriguing name for me. I remember a lot of draftniks being very high on him as a 1st round talent, but then he had a season ending injury at his pro day. He flashed for Seattle in the back half of last season. He gives us a lot more upside than Wallace and likely will be cheaper. That's a solid move IMO.

A lot more upside?  I don’t know about that.  He would be cheaper though - for a reason.

 

I’d rather they draft a CB or two if they let Wallace go.

[stinky finger]

16 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

Joe is in the camp of not wanting Gronkowski because of his hit on Tre White a few years. I agree with you though.

This right here tells he’s not willing to improve the team objectively. 
 

If Gronk can be had, go get him.