Does LB Baylon Spector make the Bills final 53?

[FireChans]

1 hour ago, Ethan in Portland said:

I agree. Klein was a capable backup. Matakevich is not. Matakevich should be replaced with a cheap rookie or UDFA.  

Beane and McD care more about ST play than depth.

[Mat68]

Buffalo is facing a cross roads. Cap situation is only getting tighter.  Do they take some lumps on teams with young cost controlled players that flash ability to contribute on offense or defense.  Or keep the core teams players?  Main guys on the list Tiwan Jones, Jake Kumerow, Tyler Matykavic, and Siran Neal.  Blackshear/Duke Johnson or Jones?  Hodges or Kumerow? Matykavic or Spector? Cam lewis or Siran Neal?  Im for keeping the younger cheaper guys.  If they flash on teams but try hard im ok with a net neg on special teams while protecting young guys who can play on offense or defense.  At this point the veterans I have mentioned have not proved to be positive impacts on offense or defense.

[Doc Brown]

2 hours ago, Mat68 said:

Buffalo is facing a cross roads. Cap situation is only getting tighter.  Do they take some lumps on teams with young cost controlled players that flash ability to contribute on offense or defense.  Or keep the core teams players?  Main guys on the list Tiwan Jones, Jake Kumerow, Tyler Matykavic, and Siran Neal.  Blackshear/Duke Johnson or Jones?  Hodges or Kumerow? Matykavic or Spector? Cam lewis or Siran Neal?  Im for keeping the younger cheaper guys.  If they flash on teams but try hard im ok with a net neg on special teams while protecting young guys who can play on offense or defense.  At this point the veterans I have mentioned have not proved to be positive impacts on offense or defense.

You want to field the best 53 that help you win this year.  That means continuing to have a strong Special Teams unit (and trusting them with a squib kick).  Kumerow, Matekavich, Jones, and Neal are four core special teams players who usually fill in adequately in emergency situations at their respective positions (rash of injuries in a game).  You should be able to stash guys like Blackshear, Hodges, Spector, and Lewis on the practice squad.

7 hours ago, BillsFanSD said:

Andre Smith is nothing special.  If it comes down to Smith vs. Spector, give me the draft pick who isn't getting himself suspended.

They don't have to make that decision now as he won't count against the 53 man roster being on the reserved/suspended list.

Edited August 14, 2022 by Doc Brown

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

19 hours ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

Yep.  Someone has to take Smith's spot for 6 games.  He's probably in the mix.

 

18 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Yes, he is replaces Tyler Matakevich next year on a much better salary. 
I think Spector plays the first 6 games this year for Smith and if he is doing well, the Bills have a tough decision to make. 

 

Will they go with 6?  You have Dodson and Matakevich.  Considering they mostly just play 2 LB's do they need three backups?  If he is good at ST, could see him taking Matakevich spot, but not sure how much practice time he's getting there.

 

 

19 hours ago, Einstein said:

He made more impact plays in one game than Edmunds has made in 4 seasons.

 

Yeah he's looking great against other 7th rounders and undrafted rookies!

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

2 hours ago, Mat68 said:

Buffalo is facing a cross roads. Cap situation is only getting tighter.  Do they take some lumps on teams with young cost controlled players that flash ability to contribute on offense or defense.  Or keep the core teams players?  Main guys on the list Tiwan Jones, Jake Kumerow, Tyler Matykavic, and Siran Neal.  Blackshear/Duke Johnson or Jones?  Hodges or Kumerow? Matykavic or Spector? Cam lewis or Siran Neal?  Im for keeping the younger cheaper guys.  If they flash on teams but try hard im ok with a net neg on special teams while protecting young guys who can play on offense or defense.  At this point the veterans I have mentioned have not proved to be positive impacts on offense or defense.

 

26 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

You want to field the best 53 that help you win this year.  That means continuing to have a strong Special Teams unit (and trusting them with a squib kick).  Kumerow, Matekavich, Jones, and Neal are four core special teams players who usually fill in adequately in emergency situations at their respective positions (rash of injuries in a game).  You should be able to stash guys like Blackshear, Hodges, Spector, and Lewis on the practice squad.

They don't have to make that decision now as he won't count against the 53 man roster being on the reserved/suspended list.

 

Of the 4 mentioned Neal, and Kumerow do play on defense and offense while you rarely ever see Matakevich or Jones get any playing time other than ST.  I'd be fine with keeping the first two and letting the last two go.  If Spector can even play half as well as Matakevich that's a big cost saving that would be worth taking.

 

Interesting too that they are letting Cook return kicks.  If that will be his role does that mean Singletary, Moss, Cook, and Jones will all be active on Sundays?  I'd think you wouldn't want to only keep two active when one is returning kicks.  Will that mean Jones ends up being on the wrong side of the numbers which wouldn't break my heart.

 

Not so sure you could stash Hodgins on PS, think he'll get grabbed.  Blackshear and Spector, probably can.  But are there reaching the point from a salary cap point that they have to let a couple of these "ST aces" go this year rather than keep kicking it down the road another year?

[ColoradoBills]

5 minutes ago, Ed_Formerly_of_Roch said:

Will they go with 6?  You have Dodson and Matakevich.  Considering they mostly just play 2 LB's do they need three backups?  If he is good at ST, could see him taking Matakevich spot, but not sure how much practice time he's getting there.

 

If they kept 6 he makes the team, at least until Smith comes back.  If 5 he's PS bound unless something out of the ordinary happens.

Your Matakevich point is well taken.  He's on his last year of a 3-year and what his future is would be anyone's guess.

Heck, no one knows 100% what Edmunds fate will be.

 

It's all fun to consider!

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

Just now, ColoradoBills said:

 

If they kept 6 he makes the team, at least until Smith comes back.  If 5 he's PS bound unless something out of the ordinary happens.

Your Matakevich point is well taken.  He's on his last year of a 3-year and what his future is would be anyone's guess.

Heck, no one knows 100% what Edmunds fate will be.

 

It's all fun to consider!

 

Did they keep 6 last year on the 53?  Don't recall??  At least then you have a trend.  Though think last September the team wasn't as totally committed to having T Johnson on the field every play as they are now.  So made more sense to keep six then than now.

[Simon Says]

19 hours ago, HOUSE said:

7th rounder,# 231 player selected

 

4 solo tackles 5 assists, 1 pass defensed, 1 sack. 

 

If you don't think he makes this team please break it to me gently....

 

.

Maybe not this year but could soon replace Matakevich. 

[RunTheBall]

After all the moves teams that were “right up against the cap” made this offseason, I think the cap is just creative accounting. Beane has structured almost every contract in a way that can convert salary to bonus and make room when he needs. Yeah it’s kicking the can down the road a bit but the cap is going to go up every year assuming there’s not another pandemic, so as long as they don’t go too nuts we’ll be able to sign every player they want. Conveniently, Beane also gets to use the salary cap as an so excuse instead of saying “we didn’t sign player X because we didn’t think he was worth that much” we get the old “we have the cap to consider and we couldn’t make a deal that works for both parties”.

[ColoradoBills]

13 minutes ago, Ed_Formerly_of_Roch said:

 

Did they keep 6 last year on the 53?  Don't recall??  At least then you have a trend.  Though think last September the team wasn't as totally committed to having T Johnson on the field every play as they are now.  So made more sense to keep six then than now.

 

They kept 6.  Edmunds, Milano, Klien, Matakevich, Smith and Dodson.  Giles-Harris was called up for a couple of games.

[Doc Brown]

50 minutes ago, Ed_Formerly_of_Roch said:

 

 

Of the 4 mentioned Neal, and Kumerow do play on defense and offense while you rarely ever see Matakevich or Jones get any playing time other than ST.  I'd be fine with keeping the first two and letting the last two go.  If Spector can even play half as well as Matakevich that's a big cost saving that would be worth taking.

 

Interesting too that they are letting Cook return kicks.  If that will be his role does that mean Singletary, Moss, Cook, and Jones will all be active on Sundays?  I'd think you wouldn't want to only keep two active when one is returning kicks.  Will that mean Jones ends up being on the wrong side of the numbers which wouldn't break my heart.

 

Not so sure you could stash Hodgins on PS, think he'll get grabbed.  Blackshear and Spector, probably can.  But are there reaching the point from a salary cap point that they have to let a couple of these "ST aces" go this year rather than keep kicking it down the road another year?

Yeah.  You make a good point with Matakevich as it's significant savings if he's cut.  For the cap gurus out there, can Beane rework his contract if he's willing to take a pay cut?  If not then I wouldn't have a problem with the Bills cutting him as long as we keep Kumerow, Jones, and Neal.  

[ColoradoBills]

20 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

Yeah.  You make a good point with Matakevich as it's significant savings if he's cut.  For the cap gurus out there, can Beane rework his contract if he's willing to take a pay cut?  If not then I wouldn't have a problem with the Bills cutting him as long as we keep Kumerow, Jones, and Neal.  

 

When Beane signed Marquel Lee again this spring I thought he might be a guy to replace Matakevich as a ST core player for less money.

He played a lot of ST for the Raiders in his career and was cut by the Bills last August.

 

I saw him make a play or two on D yesterday but don't know about ST.  Maybe a long shot to watch.

[In Summary]

I like the Spector kid. Would be better if he spelled it Spectre.

[Sierra Foothills]

Near elite 40 time, vertical and broad jump.

 

His athleticism jumps off the screen not unlike Milano's.

 

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/baylon-spector/32005350-4515-9114-fba7-7065114ee5c1

 

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/matt-milano/32004d49-4c03-3577-24b3-664d0e1e9524

[HOUSE]

Hopefully we see more of him this week.

[MJS]

Honestly, I think he will. And the reason is probably Smith's suspension. They'll have to make a decision when Smith comes back.

[ganesh]

19 hours ago, Mat68 said:

Buffalo is facing a cross roads. Cap situation is only getting tighter.  Do they take some lumps on teams with young cost controlled players that flash ability to contribute on offense or defense.  Or keep the core teams players?  Main guys on the list Tiwan Jones, Jake Kumerow, Tyler Matykavic, and Siran Neal.  Blackshear/Duke Johnson or Jones?  Hodges or Kumerow? Matykavic or Spector? Cam lewis or Siran Neal?  Im for keeping the younger cheaper guys.  If they flash on teams but try hard im ok with a net neg on special teams while protecting young guys who can play on offense or defense.  At this point the veterans I have mentioned have not proved to be positive impacts on offense or defense.

I think with Blackshear's ability to play ST, there will be serious consideration to replace Taiwan Jones. 

Tyler may also be a camp cut if Bernand and  Spector continue to improve.  

Siran Neal was already extended this offseason and he is not going anywhere. 

[YoloinOhio]

 

[Saxum]

On 8/14/2022 at 3:40 PM, Doc Brown said:

You want to field the best 53 that help you win this year.  That means continuing to have a strong Special Teams unit (and trusting them with a squib kick).  Kumerow, Matekavich, Jones, and Neal are four core special teams players who usually fill in adequately in emergency situations at their respective positions (rash of injuries in a game). 

 

Taiwan Jones has never filled in adequately in emergency situations outside of special teams.

His contract is not very high however.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JoneTa00.htm

<PRE>                                                                                          
                Game Rece Rece Rece Rece Rece Rece Rece Rece   Rece  Rece  Tota  Tota Tota
Year    Age  Tm    G  Tgt  Rec  Yds  Y/R   1D  Lng  R/G  Y/G  Ctch% Y/Tgt Touch Y/Tch YScm
2017     29 BUF    8    2    1   11 11.0    1   11  0.1  1.4  50.0%   5.5     1  11.0   11
2018     30 BUF    6    2    0              0    0  0.0  0.0   0.0%   0.0           0    0
2020     32 BUF   13    2    0              0    0  0.0  0.0   0.0%   0.0           0    0
2021     33 BUF                                                        17           0    0
Care       Care  121   28   19  260 13.7   10   59  0.2  2.1  67.9%   9.3    72   6.7  483
6 yr   6 yr OAK   66   21   17  240 14.1    9   59  0.3  3.6  81.0%  11.4    61   6.9  423
4 yr   4 yr BUF   44    6    1   11 11.0    1   11  0.0  0.3  16.7%   1.8     1  11.0   11
1 yr   1 yr HOU   11    1    1    9  9.0    0    9  0.1  0.8 100.0%   9.0    10   4.9   49
</PRE>

 

For highlights Kumerow has gotten a TD, Matekavich was a tackling machine and Neal has gotten a sack.

Edited August 15, 2022 by Limeaid

[Airseven]

The fact Andre Smith isn't cut already suggests Bills are still oddly enamored with him. Perhaps Spector makes the initial 53, but loses his spot when Smith returns. Also a better chance to sneak him through waivers.  

On 8/13/2022 at 6:29 PM, Warcodered said:

Feels like other teams will be circling the waters of the Bills cuts. Then again I've felt that way before and been surprised.

 

Because you overrate your favorite team's players.