Ryan "Rick" Bates Watch Thread

[JGMcD2]

6 minutes ago, BuffaloRebound said:

Beane still has egg on his face from the Teller fiasco.  It says a lot that Bates generated this much interest as an RFA.  My guess is that Beane finds out how much the guarantees are and signs Bates to a deal with similar guaranteed money.  

This is a little dramatic, no? 

[SCBills]

4 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

I want them to bring back Bates because the line played its best ball with Bates in there.  He brings continuity.  

 

If losing Bates doesn't mean Ford starts (or god forbid Mancz) then it means another hole to fill.  I don't want holes, I want upgrades.

 

I also don't want Kromer and his lust for a player altering the draft strategy of BPA.

 

They also played their best ball when the OL was healthy, which coincided with Bates entering the lineup.  Dawkins was a liability much of the season..  He got his wind back towards the end of the season and was rag-dolling people... That had nothing to do with Bates.   Brown was a rookie, but a rookie with some game experience under his belt.. nothing to do with Bates.  Williams was back at OG, not bouncing around between OG and OT.  

 

Maybe they do value Bates.  Maybe he is that good.   But it seems to me that they tendered him as if they view him as a potential starter, likely swiss army knife depth.  Nice to have if he comes back cheap, but not much of an offseason priority. 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by SCBills

[Motor26]

45 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Restructure other contracts you mean? I would release Matakevich. They have to have room first to match if it’s front loaded. We’ll see.

Do you have data on that? I felt the line was much better the last quarter of the season and in the playoffs. Spencer Brown seemed to be the weakest link at the end of the season.

Yes, fantasy pros, 22 pressures in the last 3 weeks. I mean let’s not forget the stinker Josh had against Atlanta where he posted the lowest QB rating of his career at 17.0. 

[Doc]

1 hour ago, thenorthremembers said:

Saffold is a LG, which makes Bates expendable.   If Bates signs with the Bears, the Bills will more than likely bring Daryl Williams back at a lower rate and keep the same line they had last year, albeit with Saffold in over Bates.

 

This is what I'm leaning towards now.  Bates played LG last year, but the Bills went out and got Saffold to play that position.  We haven't seen much (if anything) out of Bates at RG.  I'm thinking they let him walk.

 

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by Doc

[BuffaloRebound]

1 minute ago, JGMcD2 said:

This is a little dramatic, no? 

Most people remember the ones they lost a lot more than when they won.  Dealing a future All Pro Guard on his rookie deal for a 5th rounder will weigh on Beane’s mind.  

[JGMcD2]

8 minutes ago, BuffaloRebound said:

Most people remember the ones they lost a lot more than when they won.  Dealing a future All Pro Guard on his rookie deal for a 5th rounder will weigh on Beane’s mind.  

They learn from the ones they lost, not lament over them for 4 years now… most people don’t end up making decisions for a pro sports team either.

 

Maybe that’s the separator? 

Edited March 24, 2022 by JGMcD2

[SCBills]

12 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

This is what I'm leaning towards now.  Bates player LG last year, but the Bills went out and got Saffold to play that position.  We haven't seen much (if anything) out of Bates at RG.  I'm thinking they let him walk.

 

 

 

This.  We had a lot of solid players last year.  Bills FO clearly looked at a lot of these guys and simply said "not good enough"

 

To all those people hand-wringing over Levi Wallace to the Steelers on an affordable contract..  We very likely did not want him back, and thank goodness, because I'd rather see a raw 3rd rounder with some speed out there (if it comes to that), than stuck-in-molasses Levi trying to defend Hill/Waddle twice per year.  

 

I feel we'll look back the same way on Bates.  He's very upgradeable. 

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by SCBills

[Einstein's Dog]

12 minutes ago, SCBills said:

 

They also played their best ball when the OL was healthy, which coincided with Bates entering the lineup.  Dawkins was a liability much of the season..  He got his wind back towards the end of the season and was rag-dolling people... That had nothing to do with Bates.   Brown was a rookie, but a rookie with some game experience under his belt.. nothing to do with Bates.  Williams was back at OG, not bouncing around between OG and OT.  

 

Maybe they do value Bates.  Maybe he is that good.   But it seems to me that they tendered him as if they view him as a potential starter, likely swiss army knife depth.  Nice to have if he comes back cheap, but not much of an offseason priority. 

 

 

I think people may misjudge how the FO tendered him with how the FO values him.  Easy mistake to make.  The tendering is more indicative of how the FO feels the market will price Bates. 

 

If Beane felt Bates is very good for the Bills but only mediocre for every one else, you don't price him to how you think he is, you let him see what the market is, and match it.  That's what I hope they are doing.

[Slippery Rubber Mats]

We need someone better than Ford at RG. That's the bottom line for me. If it's Bates at a reasonable contract, great. If it's some FA at a reasonable contract, great too.

 

Just not Ford.

[popcornpam]

1 hour ago, Motor26 said:

Josh was the most pressured QB last season, including the 4 games in which Bates started. I think Josh should call Beane and say to get him a better oline in general.

At least we won those games unlike the game like Jacksonville where Josh got smashed. 

[Awwufelloff]

Do people not remember how bad our line was before he went in? Allen was pressured almost instantly on every down. He was massive in helping our team down the stretch, really hope we don't lose him. 

[ColoradoBills]

36 minutes ago, Turbo44 said:

It depends on the Bear contract.  If they frontloaded it, the Bills probably don't match.  For all we know, Bates could be viewed by the Bills brass the same way as Wallace obviously was - highly replacable.  Also, with Bate's RG spot filled already, would he be as good at LG??

 

One thing I'm not sure of is this.  If the total contract is X amount of dollars and the Bills match a front loaded contract can they

restructure it a week later after it's signed?

 

Does anyone know this?

[sullim4]

1 minute ago, Tom Donahoe, GM said:

We need someone better than Ford at RG. That's the bottom line for me. If it's Bates at a reasonable contract, great. If it's some FA at a reasonable contract, great too.

 

Just not Ford.

 

I'm glad Donahoe agrees with TBD.  I assume you're also campaigning for these to return as our throwback jerseys?

 

[billsfan1959]

1 hour ago, Motor26 said:

Josh was the most pressured QB last season, including the 4 games in which Bates started. I think Josh should call Beane and say to get him a better oline in general.

 

He was pressured on 33.3 % of attempts (15th most)

 

1 hour ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Restructure other contracts you mean? I would release Matakevich. They have to have room first to match if it’s front loaded. We’ll see.

Do you have data on that? I felt the line was much better the last quarter of the season and in the playoffs. Spencer Brown seemed to be the weakest link at the end of the season.

 

 

[Doc]

4 minutes ago, Awwufelloff said:

Do people not remember how bad our line was before he went in? Allen was pressured almost instantly on every down. He was massive in helping our team down the stretch, really hope we don't lose him. 

 

The thing is, he's being replaced by Saffold.  So the question is what to do at RG?  Is Bates the answer there as well?  Is there another candidate (re-signing Williams, giving Ford another chance, a rookie)?

[Rigotz]

How do you not tender him at a 2nd round level?

 

Add this to the list of horrific talent evaluations on the O-Line while Bobby Johnson was coach.

 

Beane was clearly getting bad info because the market LOVES Bates.

[MrEpsYtown]

12 minutes ago, Rigotz said:

How do you not tender him at a 2nd round level?

 

Add this to the list of horrific talent evaluations on the O-Line while Bobby Johnson was coach.

 

Beane was clearly getting bad info because the market LOVES Bates.

 

I do agree that they should have tendered him at the second round level, but that ties up funds that may have kept us from being able to sign a guy like Jamison Crowder. So it is fair that Beane took the risk to see how Bates is valued around the league. It's a risk, but not a massive one. There is always a way. 

[MrEpsYtown]

21 minutes ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

He was pressured on 33.3 % of attempts (15th most)

 

 

 

 

Boettger is a lot better than people think. I like his game. Despite the injury, maybe he is their fall back.

 

If I were the Bills line coach I would have done: 

Dawkins-Bates-Morse-Boettger-Brown all year last year. 

[Slippery Rubber Mats]

28 minutes ago, sullim4 said:

 

I'm glad Donahoe agrees with TBD.  I assume you're also campaigning for these to return as our throwback jerseys?

 

 

Oh man how good did Ryan Denney looks in those beauties? 

[MrEpsYtown]

1 minute ago, Tom Donahoe, GM said:

 

Oh man how good did Ryan Denney looks in those beauties? 

They looked super baggy on Keith Ellison