Trapasso's offseason

[harmonkillebrew]

 

Not bad. thoughts?

 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2023-nfl-playoffs-picks-eagles-top-49ers-in-nfc-title-game-thriller-bengals-beat-chiefs-in-afc-championship/

 

Releases (cap savings):  

WR Isaiah McKenzie ($2.6M)

S Siran Neal ($2.2M)

C Mitch Morse ($5.1M)

The Morse release wouldn't be a move the Bills would be happy making, but given he suffered another concussion this season and the fact he's turning 31 in April, it would hardly come as a shock. Morse was a low-key vital piece to Allen's maturation, and even took a pay cut to stay with the team previously. These are the type of difficult decisions teams have to make when there's a huge quarterback contract on the books. Morse retiring wouldn't be surprising either. 

McKenzie's hyped summer never materialized into a breakout, and at this juncture, even his $2.5M cap hit in 2023 is not an worthy expenditure for the Bills. 

Neal has been a quality special teamer. As a defender, he's never found his footing in any one role. 

 

Restructures

QB Josh Allen

This restructure was essentially bound to happen after Allen signed his well-deserved, monster extension in the summer of 2021. The simple restructuring of the soon-to-be 27-year-old's contract will create $21.5 million in cap space, bringing Buffalo's total to around $27 million. Around $10 million needs to be saved for the 2023 draft class and low-level re-signings.

 

Notable re-signings (2022 cap hit)

LB Tremaine Edmunds ($12.7M)

EDGE Shaq Lawson ($1.1M)

Edmunds has matured into a key, unique cog in the middle of Buffalo's defense at 6-feet-4 and 250-plus pounds with tremendous range, high-end coverage ability, and recently shored up tackling reliability. He'll only be 25 in May, so Buffalo can push the large cap hit chunks of Edmunds extension well into the future. His 2023 cap hit could be as low as $3M or $4M. 

Lawson wasn't a game-changer in his second stint with the Bills. He did flash at times as a rusher and maintained his status as a quality outside run-stopper. He'd likely cost less around $1M on a one-year deal. At this stage, the Bills would have roughly $12 million in 2023 cap to spend in free agency. 

 

 

Notable free-agent signings (projected 2023 cap hit)

S Andrew Wingard ($3M) 

G Will Hernandez ($2M)

WR Greg Dortch ($3M)

EDGE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo ($3M)

 

Wingard was a full-time safety in 2021 in Jacksonville and emerged as a solid all-around player. In 2022, he was relegated to a reserve/backup role, seeing only 223 snaps. A truly versatile playmaker, Wingard is big and aggressive enough to make plays near the line but was a ballhawk in college as a free safety, when he was teammates with Allen at Wyoming. He feels like the type of lower-priced free agent with upside the Bills would love to develop in a starter role. 

Hernandez was an early second-round pick in the 2018 draft and while he mostly underwhelmed with the Giants, he turned in a quality 2022 in a prove-it situation with the Cardinals. With Arizona likely undergoing a rebuild of some sort, Hernandez is unlikely to be re-signed and would be a strong, wide-bodied instant starter at left guard for the Bills in 2023. 

Dortch is a young, former undrafted free agent who, when finally given an opportunity in 2022, showcased his dynamic abilities from the slot position. He forced a whopping 13 missed tackles on 52 receptions and did not have a drop all year. The Bills have promise at inside receiver with 2022 fifth-round pick Khalil Shakir, and Dortch would provide legitimate, veteran competition there. 

 

Okoronkwo went in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, and after largely being buried on the Rams depth chart at the beginning stage of his career, he signed a one-year deal with the Texans and was a pass-rushing success in Houston this past season with 36 pressures on 268 pass-rushing snaps (13.4% pressure rate), both of which were career highs. He's the smaller, bendy type rusher the Bills need to add to the outside pass rush group beyond Von Miller. 

 

Draft (mock selections)   

Round 1 - Parker Washington, WR, Penn State

Round 2 - Darnell Wright, RT, Tennessee

Round 3 - Joe Tippmann, C, Wisconsin

Round 4 - Byron Young, DL, Alabama

Round 5 - DeMarcco Hellams, S, Alabama

Round 5 - Jaxson Kirkland, OL, Washington 

In the 2021 regular season, the Bills finished dead last in yards-after-the-catch-per-reception in the NFL at 4.22 yards. The improvement in that key statistic was negligible. Buffalo moved from 32nd to 31st in YAC per grab with a 4.42 yard average. The four teams in the conference title games were second, third, fifth and 11th during the regular season. The Bills must get better in that regard in 2023, and Washington is the ideal, bigger-bodied YAC specialist for Buffalo to select in Round 1. He forced 15 missed tackles on just 42 receptions in his final collegiate season and averaged 6.3 YAC per reception. 

We're at the beginning stages of draft season, so pegging where prospects will land now is impossible, but it feels like Jordan Addison, Quentin Johnston, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be off the board when the Bills go on the clock at No. 28 overall. 

[Warriorspikes51]

No. We need to find creative ways to sign/trade for multiple impact players.  It's what good teams do. 

[Aussie Joe]

FA moves seem Underwhelming…

 

If this is the reality of what to expect they are in trouble

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

It doesn't move the needle for me.

[whorlnut]

Not sure about the players, but love the positions at each pick. It needs to be offense heavy this off-season. 

[SCBills]

Yikes.

 

Sounds like a fantastic off-season for a team that wants to continue finishing 3rd in the AFC.

[dorquemada]

OL has to be the focus.  We hardly know what we have in any of the skill positions because every play is under desperate conditions because of the terrible OL

[gobills404]

Why didn’t he give the Bills a big name free agent or draft pick at every single position of need???

[SCBills]

Just now, gobills404 said:

Why didn’t he give the Bills a big name free agent or draft pick at every single position of need???

 

Don't need that, but am hoping for more creativity than "run it back and hope we nail the draft".

 

Don't really care for Edmunds being re-signed but also don't hate it.

 

Looking for McBeane to make some tough decisions on defensive personnel that are under contract with us and maybe shouldn't be next year..  Then using that money on Offense. 

[Big Turk]

I highly doubt they are cutting Morse...the line already needs help enough without cutting one of the two players who played well for the most part. It's hard to fix something by creating an even bigger problem to fix.

 

I agree with the other 2 cuts. 

 

They could instantly fix their slot receiver problem by drafting Boston College WR Zay Flowers. Dude is Tyreek Hill lite...same build, same height, slightly slower(4.37), slightly less change of direction quickness but still just video game like...dude would be a threat to take the ball to the house any time he touched it. Could change everything for the Bills on offense and could force the nightmare scenario of choosing to cover the slot guy who can take anything to the house or leaving Davis one on one on the outside to go deep. That's not even factoring in Diggs who can do it all.

 

I don't know the FA signings at all really. I do know the Bills love signing promising young edge rushers that have showed good production in limited snaps but they don't usually amount to much.

 

I am good with both those Bills FA signings. Lawson was very good this year and plays a key role in run D.

 

Obviously G is a need. Not sure if Will Hernandez is much of an upgrade. Seems the Bills bring in budget players on the OLine every year and every year we have the same issue when they suck.

 

Would like to see 2nd round pick devoted to somewhere on the OLine.

 

 

14 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

FA moves seem Underwhelming…

 

If this is the reality of what to expect they are in trouble

 

They don't have a lot of money to work with, what are you expecting them to do? Go sign a $15 million guard? They have JA, they are never really in trouble while he's here.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Big Turk

[Aussie Joe]

2 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

 

They don't have a lot of money to work with, what are you expecting them to do? Go sign a $15 million guard?

The salary cap is a myth… nice straw man though

[Big Blitz]

Morse will be back.  As he should.  
 

How many freaking holes we going to create

 

 

Until a replacement or clear WR2 can be found (maybe we have him Davis) that can replace Diggs as he enters his age 30 season - we need to operate like it has to happen this season.  
 

If we don’t get enough “dawgs” they will melt against more talented rosters like they did Sunday.  
 

Edited January 24, 2023 by Big Blitz

[Rico]

Don’t know what a Greg Dortch is but I don’t think I want him… and I definitely don’t want to burn a #1 on anyone from Penn State.

[BuffaloRebound]

This team is already dripping with JAGs.  Adding more in free agency doesn’t move the needle at all.  

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

So we're cutting our most reliable OL in Mitch Morse, replacing Saffold with a mediocre G, replacing Morse with a rookie C, and adding a rookie RT, so 2 rookies and a mediocre G is the plan to fix the OL? That's definitely not good enough. They are going to have to be creative unless they want another Andrew Luck situation in Buffalo with Allen.

[thenorthremembers]

Hate it.  He restructured one player when multiple restructures are available.  He took a 3rd round talent in the 1st round.  Wingard is a former Josh teammate at Wyoming but he isn't a starting Safety in the league, he's been predominantly a special teams player.   Okoronkwo is an undersized defensive end who is more likely an edge rusher in a 3-4 base defense.  

 

The off-season he is suggesting is full of guys who don't fit the schemes we run and shows no creativity in cap management.   The Bills will have the ability to pick up one major pickup in free agency if they are creative.   Terrible suggestions from a reporter who appears to know very little about football other then looking at holes and plugging them with guys who may be cheap.

 

Rather than restructure Dawkins he wants to cut Morse?   Stupid.   You get into real cap hell by cutting players ala Doug Whaley.

Edited January 24, 2023 by thenorthremembers

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Where is the part we trade for Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald?

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

24 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

No. We need to find creative ways to sign/trade for multiple impact players.  It's what good teams do. 

 

unfortunately, I think the only impact players we will be gaining next season at some point are Hyde and Miller. Back from injury.

 

maybe we have a shot at OBJ.

 

 

[Warriorspikes51]

1 minute ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Where is the part we trade for Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald?

It could be possible to trade Oliver + for Donald

[Big Turk]

6 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

The salary cap is a myth… nice straw man though

 

Not to go be reckless with tho. To go sign their own players and fill in around them.