At this stage, what would you consider a successful Free Agency prior to the draft?

[John from Riverside]

1 minute ago, Adam727 said:

 

I suspect this is Beane's thinking also.  $20mil in cap space today is almost ~9% of the roster, in a few years maybe it'll be closer to 6-7% as cap numbers rise.  But I still think he's been reckless with the cap lately which is going to affect our ability to sign/re-sign impactful free agents in the future.  Also it's tougher for rookies to stand out when the Bills are paying out high contracts to the players ahead of them.  Hines/Matakevich/Settle are examples of players I'd rather have seen later round draft picks come in and try to replace w/ the hopes the team hit on 1 or 2.    

As long as we are winning, we will be able to sign free agents
 

That’s what we’re doing right now in case you haven’t noticed, Brandon is playing the waiting game on when the musical chairs stop on players

 

At least that’s what I’m hoping is happening because we have been very quiet this free agency

[BillMafia716ix]

11 minutes ago, Adam727 said:

I'm sure this answer will be unpopular.  I want to see Beane unload cap $$.  Beane has backloaded contracts so much that Allen/Miller/Diggs will be counting almost $110 million against the cap in two years.  I liked the Allen restructure, but didn't like the other two as much.  The Bills also have 6-10mil/year in cap space used up by void years every year between now and 2027.  Between restructured/backloaded contracts and void years the Bills will have almost a $20 mil cap space disadvantage vs most teams each year for almost the next half decade.  And we're already 10 mil over next year's cap before accounting for Poyer, the draft, or the ~20 players we're going to need to sign.  The current team is essentially being paid for on a credit card w/ future cap space.  

 

I thought it was smart to let Edmunds walk for $18mil/year, but not if we're going to pay $18mil/year to Hines/Neal/Matakevich/Settle/Harty type players instead.  Those were luxuries I think the Bills should have gone without this year and are not the players I want the Bills to mess up their future cap space for.

 

I would trade Oliver, cut McKenzie, cut Neal because those are the only contracts left on the entire roster the Bills can actually get out of.  Re-sign Phillips/Shaq/Klein if any of them will sign cheap 1 yr deals.  Then go into the draft targeting O-line/LB/Safety and roll whatever money we can over to next year.  Beane was brilliant with the cap his first few years here but I think it's a mistake to keep doubling down on going all in when Josh Allen alone is going to likely keep us competitive for a decade+

 

I'm glad Beane addressed the O-line, and I'm glad Poyer is back, but otherwise not a fan of the $$ given out this offseason and hope not to see much more.  

Great analysis. The Harty deal makes no sense to me. Are they paying him to be the slot WR? If so..what happens to Shakir? Are they using him as a gadget player? Dorsey wasn’t creative enough to get Mckenize the ball. McKenzie was more effective in Daboll system. Hines has proved he can be an effective return man. So unless they plan on taking Hines off returns and giving him a larger role in the offense, the signing makes zero sense. 

[balln]

This is the Super Bowl window folks. It’s all in! You can’t have a Josh Allen , diggs and Von and not have cap problems…….

 

reset the cap shedding expectations 

[Slack_in_MA]

2 minutes ago, balln said:

This is the Super Bowl window folks. It’s all in! You can’t have a Josh Allen , diggs and Von and not have cap problems…….

 

reset the cap shedding expectations 

At the risk of being redundant with a zillion similar comments on this board, this is why Beane needs to NAIL the next couple drafts, and get some starters out of them.

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

3 hours ago, Wizard said:

Resign Special Teams/Cheap Backup Process Guys: Check 

 

Resign Poyer: Surprising Check

 

Sign an average OL: Check

 

Sign a cheap backup QB: Check

 

To Sign List

Bobby Wagner, LB

Trade for Jeudy or M Evans

 

Wish List

Seamulo or Risner

 

For me, A successful free agency has to include at least one of the 5 players mentioned from the To Sign or Wish List to get the 2nd receiver, a stronger OL, or a MLB before the draft.

 

 

 

The OL is not fixed, I don't care what anyone says, picking a G who's been a backup his whole career until now isn't solving the problem, I'm not saying the Bills are done in FA and we still have a draft so I'm not jumping the gun here. If I'm Buffalo I'm trading our 1st round pick for a RT (Spencer Brown is not the answer), much like the Chiefs did for Brown, I have no clue who that might be but that's what he should be doing, going to a cap strapped team who has an OT with 1 year + option on his resume and trade 1.27 for him. If we can trade DT Ed Oliver (if he isn't part of our plans) for a starting caliber RG then do so ( I have no clue what a team values him at but I'm sure there is some GM who feels they can make him into an all pro) then use or 2nd round pick on an ILB which would be a much cheaper option then signing some old washed up ILB with a i year deal and hope his knees don't buckle after each tackle. This isn't some Madden level of trading, the Chiefs traded the 1st rounder for Brown and Oliver even if some here thinks he's trash, he was a former 9th overall pick and shows flashes at times of great play but these are just my opinions.

[SCBills]

14 minutes ago, BillMafia716ix said:

Great analysis. The Harty deal makes no sense to me. Are they paying him to be the slot WR? If so..what happens to Shakir? Are they using him as a gadget player? Dorsey wasn’t creative enough to get Mckenize the ball. McKenzie was more effective in Daboll system. Hines has proved he can be an effective return man. So unless they plan on taking Hines off returns and giving him a larger role in the offense, the signing makes zero sense. 

I think they view Harty as a vertical threat outside?  At least that’s my read on it.  More John Brown than slot receiver. 
 

 

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

5 minutes ago, SCBills said:

I think they view Harty as a vertical threat outside?  At least that’s my read on it.  More John Brown than slot receiver. 
 

 

 

No way he's taking Gabes spot.

[SCBills]

Just now, BuffaloBillsGospel2014 said:

 

No way he's taking Gabes spot.

He’s not, of course, but we need more than just Gabe and Diggs outside. 

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

Well you have your 2 outside WR , your slot WR and he is either the new slot WR or or 5th-6th WR but being paid like our starting slot WR.

[John from Riverside]

3 minutes ago, BuffaloBillsGospel2014 said:

 

No way he's taking Gabes spot.

I don’t think that’s happening either. I think you will see them on the field at the same time
 

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

6 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

I don’t think that’s happening either. I think you will see them on the field at the same time
 

 

Agreed, in more multiple WR sets.

[Beck Water]

3 hours ago, Wizard said:

Resign Special Teams/Cheap Backup Process Guys: Check 

 

Resign Poyer: Surprising Check

 

Sign an average OL: Check

 

Sign a cheap backup QB: Check

 

To Sign List

Bobby Wagner, LB

Trade for Jeudy or M Evans

 

Wish List

Seamulo or Risner

 

For me, A successful free agency has to include at least one of the 5 players mentioned from the To Sign or Wish List to get the 2nd receiver, a stronger OL, or a MLB before the draft.

 

 

 

Oh, Gosh, Setting yourself up for dissatisfaction there, aren't ya?

 

What a successful FA looks like to me, is going into the draft with a roster of guys who can play OK at every position, so that there's some BPA flexibility and competition.  I also want to see us make significant investment in our OL, through both FA or the draft.

 

So to me, our FA to date has left several holes:

1. I'd like to see an investment in a FA RT who can push or challenge Spencer Brown for the starting role.  I think a 2 year vet will almost always beat out a rookie in training camp these days, I want to see a canny vet giving Brown a real fight for the job.  And yeah, I would love to see a top tier C/G drafted but I don't see us signing a big name at this point.

2. MLB.  Beane tried to be persuasive that our next starting MLB is on the roster and is named Dodson, Bernard, or Spector.  I'm unpersuaded.  I think it's a big  hole

3. DT.  If McDermott is running the defensive show, he loves his DT rotation so we need a 3TDT.  Unpersuaded the answer is on our roster.

 

We need a WR.  Greg Cosell, who I respect, made a point that the Bills need a true "3 level wide receiver" by which he means a guy who can be a true vertical threat to catch passes deep, run crisp routes over the middle, and run short option routes from the slot.  Now maybe Deonte Hardy is that guy, but I am un-persuaded.  I just hope he stays healthy and contributes.  However at this point, I think we need to draft and develop a WR

 

 

[Beck Water]

55 minutes ago, BillMafia716ix said:

Great analysis. The Harty deal makes no sense to me. Are they paying him to be the slot WR? If so..what happens to Shakir? Are they using him as a gadget player? Dorsey wasn’t creative enough to get Mckenize the ball. McKenzie was more effective in Daboll system. Hines has proved he can be an effective return man. So unless they plan on taking Hines off returns and giving him a larger role in the offense, the signing makes zero sense. 

 

It's pretty clear when you look at his incentives, they intend Harty to be primarily a WR. 

 

Beane stated in his presser that they see Hardy fitting into their "#4 role" as a WR, meaning a guy who can flex and play all the roles.  That was kind of McKenzie's role in 2021 and may have been intended to be part of his role in 2022 before Crowder went on IR and Shakir took a while to develop in the slot.

 

To me, he looks like an oft-injured smurf but, either our FO knows their stuff and he'll be great, or they don't.  They have crashed-and-burned before bringing in guys at that price point who they thought would contribute, but who didn't pan out - Corey Coleman and OJ Howard come to mind.

 

44 minutes ago, SCBills said:

I think they view Harty as a vertical threat outside?  At least that’s my read on it.  More John Brown than slot receiver.

 

Beane made it pretty clear they view him as more than that - as both a vertical threat, and a guy who can play inside (eg from the slot).  I just worry that he's small enough to be neutralized by physical coverage.  Some here worry about Shakir as an outside threat because of his 29" arms and 9.5" hands, what does it say about Hardy's chances to fend off press man and hold off a corner with 28 1/4" arms and 8 3/4"  hands?  John Brown struggled, and he had 30.5" arms.

 

I'm just going to be very disappointed if the Bills don't make more of an effort to upgrade at WR.

[TOboy]

Quite simply we need to plug the MLB position and it would be nice to add a power back. 
 

Although another top WR or OL would be amazing, they aren’t huge holes and can be addressed through the draft. 
 

Seems to be Beanes MO to fill the glaring needs in FA so he can focus on BPA in the draft. I think the approach makes sense. And if something unexpected pops up, like a WR1b, you ***** it. 

[Ya Digg?]

1 hour ago, BuffaloBillsGospel2014 said:

 

The OL is not fixed, I don't care what anyone says, picking a G who's been a backup his whole career until now isn't solving the problem, I'm not saying the Bills are done in FA and we still have a draft so I'm not jumping the gun here. If I'm Buffalo I'm trading our 1st round pick for a RT (Spencer Brown is not the answer), much like the Chiefs did for Brown, I have no clue who that might be but that's what he should be doing, going to a cap strapped team who has an OT with 1 year + option on his resume and trade 1.27 for him. If we can trade DT Ed Oliver (if he isn't part of our plans) for a starting caliber RG then do so ( I have no clue what a team values him at but I'm sure there is some GM who feels they can make him into an all pro) then use or 2nd round pick on an ILB which would be a much cheaper option then signing some old washed up ILB with a i year deal and hope his knees don't buckle after each tackle. This isn't some Madden level of trading, the Chiefs traded the 1st rounder for Brown and Oliver even if some here thinks he's trash, he was a former 9th overall pick and shows flashes at times of great play but these are just my opinions.

The problem with your entire statement is you have no plan. Just trade the first round pick to get a RT but have no idea who to get? Same with trading away Oliver for (insert whatever guards name here). Just pick a random ILB in the second round? 
 

obviously I’m exaggerating a little

 it with my statement but that level of thinking would make this team majorly regress in my opinion. That’s how the team approached the draft and free agency throughout the drought 

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

4 minutes ago, Ya Digg? said:

The problem with your entire statement is you have no plan. Just trade the first round pick to get a RT but have no idea who to get? Same with trading away Oliver for (insert whatever guards name here). Just pick a random ILB in the second round? 
 

obviously I’m exaggerating a little

 it with my statement but that level of thinking would make this team majorly regress in my opinion. That’s how the team approached the draft and free agency throughout the drought 

 

How would I know who to get? I had no idea Orlando Brown was available when he was, nobody did (using as an example).  I'm not the GM that's what he's paid to do and it's been done. And we can do this for the G and ILB. 

 

We would regress by trading our 1dst for a legit OT (Like an orlando Brown), a G for Ed Oliver and an ILB that beane thinks fits our scheme? Do tell. 

[John from Riverside]

14 minutes ago, BuffaloBillsGospel2014 said:

 

How would I know who to get? I had no idea Orlando Brown was available when he was, nobody did (using as an example).  I'm not the GM that's what he's paid to do and it's been done. And we can do this for the G and ILB. 

 

We would regress by trading our 1dst for a legit OT (Like an orlando Brown), a G for Ed Oliver and an ILB that beane thinks fits our scheme? Do tell. 

I mean that’s fan speak and you’re a fan, so I guess that’s OK
 

Would be nice to know what players you think would actually help

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

Just now, John from Riverside said:

I mean that’s fan speak and you’re a fan, so I guess that’s OK
 

Would be nice to know what players you think would actually help

 

I'd love to be a a fly in the office hearing names , if I'm giving out names I'd contact the Minnesota Vikings and see if we can't work a Deal for RT Brian O'Neil, They're over the cap and after next season Darrisaw will be commanding a huge contract. The Vikings are sellers right now and I think we can swing something, he's 27  and signed until 2026. He's had maybe sackwise his worst season with 6 sacks but with statue Cousins back there I'm not holding it aginst him but he has excellent blocking grades. 

[Straight Hucklebuck]

5 hours ago, NeverOutNick said:

Beane has done a good job. Here’s my crazy and probably unrealistic finish to free agency until the draft:

 

Trade Cardinals:

 

DT Ed Oliver 

2nd round pick 

 

Bills Get:

 

WR Deandre Hopkins

LB Isaiah Simmons

 

Bills sign Jordan Phillips to a cheap 1 or 2 year deal

 

Go into the draft and get best Offensive lineman at 27 or trade back and get one…hopefully OT Darnell Wright

How do the Bills fit Hopkins in to their cap?

 

They have $9M now per Beane, but rookie contracts have to come out of that and whatever is set aside for IR he said.

 

Oliver gets you $10M, but how does DHop fit?

 

Cutting McKenzie saves $2.3M, extend DaQuan frees up a couple million? Now you’re restructuring Dawkins or cutting Morse or something like that? 

[RyanC883]

F.  we keep getting average players to plug holes, win’t cut it with Bean’s awful draft record.  The WR signing was a total waste of money that could go to OL.  

6 hours ago, Wizard said:

Resign Special Teams/Cheap Backup Process Guys: Check 

 

Resign Poyer: Surprising Check

 

Sign an average OL: Check

 

Sign a cheap backup QB: Check

 

To Sign List

Bobby Wagner, LB

Trade for Jeudy or M Evans

 

Wish List

Seamulo or Risner

 

For me, A successful free agency has to include at least one of the 5 players mentioned from the To Sign or Wish List to get the 2nd receiver, a stronger OL, or a MLB before the draft.

 

 

 

who did we get at backup qb?