Current Bills salary cap situation - 4/8/2022 12:50 PM $200.1MM - taken for “Top 51” - Sportrac current estimate is that Bills are over by $2.8MM for all - Link to Sportrac in 1st post

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

20 minutes ago, Governor said:

I’m definitely drafting a WR in the first 2 rounds. WR, CB, then I would sneakingly go safety in any order really.

 

I'd probably go guard WR cb.  Depends how the rest of FA plays out.

[flomoe]

34 minutes ago, Tenhigh said:

I think we do. I saw nothing in Stevenson that made me think he is an NFL caliber player, and who knows about Hodgins.

Hodgins might be your new slot receiver. Davis #2, McKenzie the #4 motion, keep the D off balance guy. They’ll also go with ALOT of 12 personnel with OJ in the fold

[BearNorth]

3 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I think one will be a vet. But they will, by necessity, have to be very cheap. I wouldn't be totally amazed if Matt Barkley ends up back. 

I don't think Fitz, considering the money he's made, and coming off a serious injury, is going to want to play anywhere for Vet minimum.  He might have to shave, but I suspect with his intelligence, he might become a first rate TV analyst, or an eventual GM like Elway or Lynch

[MAJBobby]

1 hour ago, No_Matter_What said:

Anybody has idea when should sportrac has missing data? I mean they are now trying to get info from league or agents or what?

 

I find it weird that some contracts are immediately known to details and in some (many) cases we need to wait days (weeks?).

When the contracts are filed.  So they can get the true structure.  So Bills havent filed them yet to the league. Once Filed in it a matter of hours.  Like Settles for example has been tracked and accounted for since first reported he signed.

 

And Until Filed to the league they are technically NOT official.  So the delay in filing could be cap related or could be they wanted to get all the players to sign in person for their pressers yesterday.  If they are not cap related I expect them to be filed today and likely by the 4pm transaction window.  So then by Sat SPOTRAC should have them accounted for. 

Edited March 18, 2022 by MAJBobby

[Governor]

55 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

This.  Guys can absolutely grow and develop, but "hope is not a plan".  Even Davis has looked uneven in his development at times.

 

 

Not a fan of BPA and "let the board come to us" I see

 

 

I think we restructured Dawkins and White last year....though looking at Dawkins contract perhaps I'm mistaken.

 

 

To some extent but I think we should go in knowing we need an impact WR that can help us immediately, which isn’t easy to find. We should also plan for life without our safeties and look for a LB also and get some guys on cheaper contracts.

 

Basically, don’t come home without a WR and CB. After that, we’re officially in “luxury pick” territory so start looking for guys to replace with rookie deals.

 

Definitely lean towards “need” in the first two rounds.

Edited March 18, 2022 by Governor

[MAJBobby]

The Remaining Cap Tickets I see.

 

Stef Diggs (Extension) - Can save at least 10M with a good structure

Tre White - Base to Bonus Conversion (can save 7M min) (I would put this one as my last resort though because of the INJ)

Edmunds - (Extension) - Can save probably 6-8M with good structure, (Trade) saves 12.7M 

Poyer - (Extension) - probably saves around 5M on a good structure

Lotulelei - (Post June 1 Cut) 4.1M, (Cut) 1.5M, (Trade) 4.0M, (trade post june 1) 6.6M (this might be the plan get to June 1 and trade him for nothing to get max savings

 

 

All Total roughly can clear 28-35M pretty easily.

[Chandler#81]

THIS says it all.

 

[MAJBobby]

2 minutes ago, Chandler#81 said:

THIS says it all.

.  

When you have a Owner willing to spend and a GM that understands the Cap and how to skillfully manipulate it, Cap becomes very very pliable and less restrictive.  And so now I will say we have Both so Thank you Kim and Terry and Big Baller Beane

Edited March 18, 2022 by MAJBobby

[aristocrat]

Every year the saints and the rams are hilariously over the cap and they end up under.  Just tell the league you're under cause I feel like they just don't check

[Hapless Bills Fan]

16 minutes ago, Governor said:

To some extent but I think we should go in knowing we need an impact WR that can help us immediately, which isn’t easy to find. We should also plan for life without our safeties and look for a LB also and get some guys on cheaper contracts.

 

Basically, don’t come home without a WR and CB. After that, we’re officially in “luxury pick” territory so start looking for guys to replace with rookie deals.

 

Long term you're right about LB and S.

 

Near term, I think OG/C and OL in general is a much higher priority than WR.

We have Saffold (coming off injury) on a 1 yr contract.  Even if we do keep Bates, we're very thin at OG, we need a succession plan at C, and our current swing tackle backup is Doyle, who would need to take a huge step to believe that we aren't one injury away from A Very Bad Day for Josh Allen.

[nucci]

8 minutes ago, aristocrat said:

Every year the saints and the rams are hilariously over the cap and they end up under.  Just tell the league you're under cause I feel like they just don't check

or probably don't care. The owners make the rules. Are they going to punish themselves?

[Tenhigh]

30 minutes ago, flomoe said:

Hodgins might be your new slot receiver. Davis #2, McKenzie the #4 motion, keep the D off balance guy. They’ll also go with ALOT of 12 personnel with OJ in the fold

Honestly, I'm not super comfortable if that is McD's plan.  

[BearNorth]

15 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

The Remaining Cap Tickets I see.

 

Stef Diggs (Extension) - Can save at least 10M with a good structure

Tre White - Base to Bonus Conversion (can save 7M min) (I would put this one as my last resort though because of the INJ)

Edmunds - (Extension) - Can save probably 6-8M with good structure, (Trade) saves 12.7M 

Poyer - (Extension) - probably saves around 5M on a good structure

Lotulelei - (Post June 1 Cut) 4.1M, (Cut) 1.5M, (Trade) 4.0M, (trade post june 1) 6.6M (this might be the plan get to June 1 and trade him for nothing to get max savings

 

 

All Total roughly can clear 28-35M pretty easily.

Diggs is going to cost more, esp with the insane contract Adams just got. 

Edmunds is on his 5th year "bargain" first round option, he will want a long term extension, which I'm not seeing a lot of the board would be happy with, He is supposedly the defensive signal caller, so trade comes with risk.

Matakevich is JAG, and probably can be replaced, but he's also a backup LB, and Milano has been prone to injury.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

31 minutes ago, BearNorth said:

I don't think Fitz, considering the money he's made, and coming off a serious injury, is going to want to play anywhere for Vet minimum.  He might have to shave, but I suspect with his intelligence, he might become a first rate TV analyst, or an eventual GM like Elway or Lynch

 

This.  Fitz last 4 contracts were 1 yr, $10M ($6M guaranteed); 2 year, $11M ($7M guaranteed); 2x 1 year, $3M ($1.3M guaranteed.

 

People think that a guy who has made money should be willing to work real cheap, but unless he hasn't been taking care "y'all chicken" (which Fitz has), there's a 'dignity point' where a guy who does not have to work, would rather not work than work for the minimum.  We also have seen since he left Buffalo that guaranteed $$ are a thing to Fitz.  He's a businessman and a family man, and he isn't going to buy a house and relocate his family and lose money on his "operating expenses" if cut.

 

 

[MAJBobby]

8 minutes ago, BearNorth said:

Diggs is going to cost more, esp with the insane contract Adams just got. Not in terms of 2022 CAP. if structure is right

Edmunds is on his 5th year "bargain" first round option, he will want a long term extension, which I'm not seeing a lot of the board would be happy with, He is supposedly the defensive signal caller, so trade comes with risk. I think Bills will have him play out this contract and then decide before the 2023 offseason IMO but is a ticket that can be cashed.

Matakevich is JAG, and probably can be replaced, but he's also a backup LB, and Milano has been prone to injury. Yep but also minimal savings and that savings would likely be eaten up by his replacement

Comments in bold

3 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

This.  Fitz last 4 contracts were 1 yr, $10M ($6M guaranteed); 2 year, $11M ($7M guaranteed); 2x 1 year, $3M ($1.3M guaranteed.

 

People think that a guy who has made money should be willing to work real cheap, but unless he hasn't been taking care "y'all chicken" (which Fitz has), there's a 'dignity point' where a guy who does not have to work, would rather not work than work for the minimum.  We also have seen since he left Buffalo that guaranteed $$ are a thing to Fitz.  He's a businessman and a family man, and he isn't going to buy a house and relocate his family and lose money on his "operating expenses" if cut.

 

 

He was at the Bills playoff game Shirtless.  To take a Vet Min Contract (with the Veteran exemption 1.1M in cash, Cap hit of 890K) might be something he is willing to do.  And if not Fitz one of these Vets will.  What hasnt Fitz got in his journey man career.....  A Ring.  He is at the end of his career.... Made money and Now maybe he wants a Ring as well.

Edited March 18, 2022 by MAJBobby

[Hapless Bills Fan]

16 minutes ago, aristocrat said:

Every year the saints and the rams are hilariously over the cap and they end up under.  Just tell the league you're under cause I feel like they just don't check

 

They check.  And they care.  There have been cases where contracts have been filed with the league and held up because there was some dispute about a prior move that cleared cap.  Like for example the team traded a player to clear the cap to sign another player, but there was a SNAFU in the trade terms so the signing didn't go through until that was straightened.

 

At this time of the year, I think there's just a backlog and also sometimes a move that's agreed on (like restructuring the contracts that clear cap space for signings) isn't signed off because the player involved is vacationing and it's not their top priority, so the contracts contingent on that can't be filed.

[ALF]

3 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

 

He was at the Bills playoff game Shirtless.  To take a Vet Min Contract (with the Veteran exemption 1.1M in cash, Cap hit of 890K) might be something he is willing to do.  And if not Fitz one of these Vets will.

 

Especially to end his career with Josh and Miller

[Hapless Bills Fan]

14 minutes ago, MAJBobby said:

He was at the Bills playoff game Shirtless.  To take a Vet Min Contract (with the Veteran exemption 1.1M in cash, Cap hit of 890K) might be something he is willing to do.  And if not Fitz one of these Vets will.

 

Yeah, No.  Being a fan and having a blast with the former Buffalo neighbors he's kept in touch with and his son is one thing. 

 

A business decision is something else.  Just like Harrison Phillips who may have shed tears about leaving Buffalo, or Jordan Phillips, contracts are business decisions and you don't risk life and limb for a contract that is not in your business interest. 

 

He might go for a somewhat smaller contract than he could get elsewhere, but going from $3M to $5.5M to $10M to $1.06M and very minimal signing bonus is a bridge too far.

 

Here's the info on Veteran Salary Benefit contracts (which are not just for end of career - any player with 4 years or more can sign one)

https://frontofficenfl.com/2020/05/25/2020-nfl-cba-explained-veteran-salary-benefit/

One feature is that bonuses in addition to the per-game minimum salary can not exceed $137k.  They're not just intended for "end of career" but in general, to help older NFL players compete successfully as a ST or backup, with newer cheaper guys.

 

(BTW, not necessarily you, but some people seem to think Shaq and Jordan Phillips must have signed minimum contracts.  I doubt they were outrageous because neither lived up to the contracts they signed post-Bills so their market has dropped.  But I doubt they were VSB or minimum contracts either)

 

[MAJBobby]

4 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Yeah, No.  Being a fan and having a blast with the former Buffalo neighbors he's kept in touch with and his son is one thing. 

 

A business decision is something else.  Just like Harrison Phillips who may have shed tears about leaving Buffalo, or Jordan Phillips, contracts are business decisions and you don't risk life and limb for a contract that is not in your business interest. 

 

He might go for a somewhat smaller contract than he could get elsewhere, but going from $3M to $5.5M to $10M to $1.06M and very minimal signing bonus is a bridge too far.

 

Here's the info on Veteran Salary Benefit contracts (which are not just for end of career - any player with 4 years or more can sign one)

https://frontofficenfl.com/2020/05/25/2020-nfl-cba-explained-veteran-salary-benefit/

One feature is that bonuses in addition to the per-game minimum salary can not exceed $137k.  They're not just intended for "end of career" but in general, to help older NFL players compete successfully as a ST or backup, with newer cheaper guys.

 

(BTW, not necessarily you, but some people seem to think Shaq and Jordan Phillips must have signed minimum contracts.  I doubt they were outrageous because neither lived up to the contracts they signed post-Bills so their market has dropped.  But I doubt they were VSB or minimum contracts either)

 

The longer the 39, will be 40 QB sits on the market the closer that Bridge becomes.  (ooo and coming off MAJOR Hip INJ)  Who has already made 82.1M in Cash in his career.  

Edited March 18, 2022 by MAJBobby

[No_Matter_What]

1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

And yeah, I'm personally F5ing and "Jonesing" for the details on Jones, Phillips, Lawson, Saffold, Miller, and Howard

Saffold is already in his own thread. 4.25M this year, 2M next void year. Overall good value I guess.