Bills match Bears Offer Sheet for Ryan Bates, 4 yr deal

[Rochesterfan]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:21 PM, Buftex said:

I wonder, did Beane overplay his hand with Bates at all?  He probably could have offered him less, and he would have been happy to sign a contract, knowing that he was was returning. But he let Bates go out and find another team to draw up a contract for him.  It looks as though the Bears structured a deal they didn't think the Bills would match.  Glad he is back, but wondering if this is one of those few times where Beane got a little too cocky.

 

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  On 3/28/2022 at 7:26 PM, Magox said:

I think he miscalculated.  If he were to do it all over again he would have given him the 2nd round tender.  

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I totally disagree with these takes.  I think Beane had an AAV in mind, but was not very likely to be able to get full agreement on what his worth was as an RFA.  If he had used a 2nd round tender - he might have been cheaper this year, but harder to sign next year after a full year as a starting guard.

 

Plus agents and players do not like signing long term agreements as RFAs - they tend to sign 1 year deals to get to FA next year.

 

You essentially allowed the player to test the market with little film and allowed the Bears to give him a long term option - so you can wrap him up and not allow him to hit FA with film.

 

Beane knew what he was risking and had back-ups in place - just in case.

 

 

[NewEra]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:15 PM, nucci said:

why, they wanted to make it so Bills wouldn't match

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7-8M is pretty nuts for a guy like Bates. He’s started 5 games and didn’t grade out very well.

[Magox]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:32 PM, JGMcD2 said:

Lol nope… he very clearly wanted Bates long term. 

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If they did before the tender then they would have offered him a contract.

 

Their hand was forced once the Bears offered him one.  With that said, I still think it ends up being a really good value signing because I believe Bates will be our long-term starter.

[nucci]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:37 PM, NewEra said:

 

7-8M is pretty nuts for a guy like Bates. He’s started 5 games and didn’t grade out very well.

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I concur

[SCBills]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:33 PM, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

At first I was confused they didn't put him at a 2nd year tender so they could have had him for cheaper with no competition.

 

But now that I think about it, I wonder if this was what Beane wanted all along. He wanted Bates to sign a long term deal with another team so that he could get Bates locked up long term at what his market is now after a small sample size. As opposed to what he perceives his market will be after a full year as a starter.

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I was definitely wrong in how I thought they viewed him.  I thought maybe they simply viewed Bates as a back up quality OG.

 

This seems very much plausible as to how Beane calculated Bates this offseason.  

[JGMcD2]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:38 PM, Magox said:

If they did before the tender then they would have offered him a contract.

 

Their hand was forced once the Bears offered him one.  With that said, I still think it ends up being a really good value signing because I believe Bates will be our long-term starter.

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Why would Ryan Bates accept an offer when he’d have the option to head to a (semi) open market and get other teams to drive the price up ? 
 

That’s just bad business on his end. 
 

I don’t think you’re understanding how this process works…

Edited March 28, 2022 by JGMcD2

[Slippery Rubber Mats]

Ricky Bates you dashing son of a B word. Like it or not we got our RG locked in with that money

[Warcodered]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:33 PM, Doc said:

I guess he was a Bear Chicago.  He was ready to be a Bear Chicago.  But he had unfinished business...

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As McKissic would say.

[MAJBobby]

And one last priority before the Draft. A CB. Well done Beane and the FO. 

[BeastMode54]

this is a fantastic deal by Beane. AAV is about 4.5 a year. the last 2 years he'll be playing for less than 5M. The Bears pretty much did all the work here and we get him back. I have no problem with this at all. Now we can draft CB, RB, or WR in 1st two rounds

 

[Magox]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:39 PM, JGMcD2 said:

Why would Ryan Bates accept an offer when he’d have the option to head to a (semi) open market and get other teams to drive the price up ? 
 

That’s just bad business on his end. 

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 Because if you’ve been a career backup all your pro life and now you are being offered a 3-4 year contract with millions on the table, you become very tempted to take the deal.

[WotAGuy]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:31 PM, JGMcD2 said:

 

 

It’s funny that so many people are struggling to grasp exactly what happened here with Bates. 

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Perhaps not everyone puts in the time and effort you have to understand the RFA tender system?

[JGMcD2]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:41 PM, WotAGuy said:

Perhaps not everyone puts in the time and effort you have to understand the RFA tender system?

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Well then how can you make educated comments about the process that Beane went through? 

 

I’m not faulting you for not spending time and effort to understand it.
 

I’m addressing the fact you feel the need to comment on the decision making without understanding the process. 

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:41 PM, Magox said:

 Because if you’ve been a career backup all your pro life and now you are being offered a 3-4 year contract with millions on the table, you become very tempted to take the deal.

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But that’s not how it works… 

[billsbackto81]

  On 3/28/2022 at 6:46 PM, GunnerBill said:

Wow. Not what I was expecting!

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I think this speaks volumes about their commitment to Josh. Keeping him upright and healthy with emphasis on a more complete run game. Go job by Beane and Co.

[Mango]

  On 3/28/2022 at 6:53 PM, Rubes said:

 

Draft another G this year and have those four duke it out for the starting 2 jobs next year.

 

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I think we need to get a guard and center in house this year. I am not sure Morse plays 2024. $11.5M cap and $2.5M dead dead money. Not that I don't think he is great, and he certainly isn't old. But his eggs are pretty scrambled with 5 concussions. He could (rightfully) decide to bow out at any time or the decision may be taken out of his hands completely. 

[WotAGuy]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:45 PM, JGMcD2 said:

Well then how can you make educated comments about the process that Beane went through? 

 

I’m not faulting you for not spending time and effort to understand it.
 

I’m addressing the fact you feel the need to comment on the decision making without understanding the process. 

 

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Third grade reading comprehension would tell you I was asking for others’ input on the issue. 

[Rochesterfan]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:30 PM, GunnerBill said:

 

Yes but the Bills are tight this year. And they have to match the exact offer of the Bears not just the AAV. It now appears the $8.8m number is the first two years though. That makes it less poison pill.

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Yes, but the key to the deal was always AAV.  The Bills are up against it, but they still have moves to free up money if they want.

 

I think the Bills would of found a way to match even if it had been 8 million this year (rather than 1st 2 years) - they would of just had to do more moving this year of contracts.

 

The only way the Bears win out in this is if the offer had been at an AAV that put Bates close to where Williams was 8-10 AAV for limited work.  

 

A deal with huge upfront costs hurts the Bills a bit, but gives them flexibility later in the contract.

 

 

[NewEra]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:28 PM, WotAGuy said:

So how bad does the decision to not put a second round tender on Bates seem now?  Curious if folks think this 4 year contract at 17M is a better outcome than that. 

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Not for our 2022 cap…..but it’s much better long term if Bates plays at a high level this year, or even just an average level.  Bates is now ours at a VERY reasonable starting OG rate for 4 years.  He likely would’ve garnered much more after next season…. A season in which he will have the SB and blocked for the MVP.  If he’s turns out to be average, this is a good move.  If he’s better, this is an amazing move.

[billsbackto81]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:41 PM, Magox said:

 Because if you’ve been a career backup all your pro life and now you are being offered a 3-4 year contract with millions on the table, you become very tempted to take the deal.

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True.

How many teams were looking at the limited tape on Bates telling themselves, "we gotta get this guy!"

😂

[NewEra]

  On 3/28/2022 at 7:47 PM, Mango said:

 

I think we need to get a guard and center in house this year. I am not sure Morse plays 2024. $11.5M cap and $2.5M dead dead money. Not that I don't think he is great, and he certainly isn't old. But his eggs are pretty scrambled with 5 concussions. He could (rightfully) decide to bow out at any time or the decision may be taken out of his hands completely. 

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Agreed. Preferably 4-5 rd imo.  But if it’s rd 3, so be it.