Pick Your Poison: What's Left at Outside WR in Free Agency

[dgrochester55]

5 hours ago, PBF81 said:

It was my understanding that there were to be no WR questions on the exam.  

 

 

 

50 minutes ago, Fleezoid said:

Is there going to be a test?

 

This is one of those "impossible to solve" math problems that will result in the quiet angst-ridden janitor solving it during the break on their overnight shift and leaving everyone shocked and mystified the next day.

[HappyDays]

I went MVS because he can take the top off defenses. He's about as bad a rosterable player as you can get with that skill set, but it's a skill set we don't have on the roster right now. He is better than Mack Hollins.

[BeastMaster]

MVS, as another poster said is the type of receiver we could use to add due to his size and speed and years of some moderate production. 

 

Problem is that his hands are simply not good, and I don't think this coaching staff wants to deal with yet another downfield threat dropping passes.

 

Therefore, I wouldn't add anyone from that list

[hondo in seattle]

None of the guys listed are inspiring.  Either Beane makes a trade (which I don't like because of the costs involved) or he goes with what we what we have now (which I don't like because it's just not good enough).

 

It seems I'm fated to be unhappy.  

[ngbills]

I would take anyone that would sign a vet minimum type deal. Nothing to lose in that scenario. 

[ColoradoBills]

With what is left at FA WRs I think Beane goes to camp with what he has.

I believe that the competition for the bottom 2-3 WR slots will be heated.

 

If it becomes apparent that there are questions with the remaining 1-2 slots (I'm pretty sure they keep 6) this year, then there

should be plenty of WR cuts to choose from at cutdown time.

[BillsFanForever19]

3 hours ago, HappyDays said:

I went MVS because he can take the top off defenses. He's about as bad a rosterable player as you can get with that skill set, but it's a skill set we don't have on the roster right now. He is better than Mack Hollins.

 

This is where I'm at. If it's something like MVS or sticking with Hollins or some of the other options on the Outside to start the year - i'd take MVS. 

 

It's like saying "well if I can't get Filet Mignon and I can only get Fast Food, I'd rather just keep eating this shoe"

[Logic]

The players that are listed are gross.

There are only two ways for the Bills to materially improve the WR position at this point.

The first would be to acquire someone via trade, which -- unless things change, and they may -- Beane has indicated is not something that's forthcoming.

The second would be to hope that someone of worth gets cut from another roster in the weeks to come.

This is why I consider it roster malpractice not to have double-dipped in such a deep WR draft. But if Beane, for whatever bizarre reason, was dead set on not doing that, then the only guys remaining after the draft that would've presented any kind of value to the roster have already been signed by other teams in recent days.

So now, barring scenario one or scenario two taking place, we're stuck hoping that Mack Hollins or Quintez Cephus or special teams guys Justin Shorter or Tyrell Shavers somehow become viable NFL wide receivers -- which is an objectively gross sentence to have to type in the middle of Josh Allen's prime.

 

Edited May 6 by Logic

[HOUSE]

Josh can run the ball, no need for cocky high priced big mouth wide receivers

[BillsFanForever19]

19 hours ago, BullBuchanan said:

Shakir and Samuel will be your first and second options to start the year with Kincaid lining up in the slot a good deal and then Shakir and Samuele moving in there when Coleman is on the field.

I loved Michael Thomas before his injuries, but it's really hard to argue he's still an NFL level talent at this point. It's crazy how fast a guy can go from best int he league to irrelevant, but we've been seeing it a lot of it over the last few years.

MVS might be the best player in that list right now, and that's not saying much because I'm not sure he's a top 90 receiver.

 

I could see a scenario where one of the two Starting Outside spots is a committee between occasional Samuel reps, occasional Coleman reps, and another player.

 

But I don't see any way they're going to take both Shakir and Samuel and exclusively play them on the Outside now. They're either exclusively inside to inside/flex guys for a reason. We aren't going to role with 3 Slots, 2 of which playing out of position, at all times.

 

9 hours ago, Einstein's Dog said:

It's ridiculous to rule out a trade.  Lets not buy into Beane's smokescreens.  Look at the situation, a pathetic WR room, plenty of draft capital and money being available after June 1st.  The Bills didn't pick up 2 rookie WRs in the draft, and didn't take any of the better FA WRs-did you ever wonder why?.  It was always the plan to trade for one.

 

Trade options are a far better discussion.

D Metcalf is rumored available - part of trading draft capital will be for getting Metcalf's relatively cheap salary , $16M. 

DHop would seem another option, $13M and could extend him another year and play all kinds of cap games.  Shouldn't take as much draft capital to get him because Tenn picked him up on the open market.

B Aiyuk/D Samuel would probably be at the upper end- but solid possibilities.

DJ Moore/K Allen - Chicago has too many WRs that would hamper the opportunity of a top 10 pick (Rome).

 

This is the quality of WRs we should be discussing.  Any one of those additions totally reshapes the Bills WR room.

 

 

I'm not *completely* ruling it out. And I know about Beane smokescreens. But he went uncharacteristically in depth about the "big trades" and them being out and I do feel they are unlikely, for the reasons he stated.

 

I'd definitely be happy if we did. But I do tend to feel he's not lying when he says that he's not interested in handing out the kind of long term money being thrown around this offseason AND giving up premium picks on top of it for a Higgins or an Aiyuk.

 

And Chicago isn't going to trade away either Moore (who they acquired last season) or Allen (who they literally just traded for this offseason).

 

Metcalf... I see everyone talking about it, but I'd believe he'll be moved when I see it. He also carries a 24.5m cap hit and a 13m annual salary for this season. Trades being the way they are, we have to be able to take that on first for a trade to be approved before we can restructure it.

 

Hopefully someone does become available that is more manageable. And again, I'd be all here for it if he was bold face lying and made one of these happen. I just think it's more likely than not he's not interested in doing what it would take in terms of Draft Pick and long term massive financial compensation to do it.

[Thurman#1]

13 hours ago, mrags said:

You seem to have an obsession over my mental state. This isn’t the first time you’ve made comments like this. You should Be concerned for yourself with how much your obsessing over me. 
 

have a nice day Freud. 

 

 

Hmm, projection.

 

A clear sign he's got a point.

[nedboy7]

Looks like this is who we have.  Can someone explain to me why Samuel or Shakir cant take the top off if they run a solid 40?  Seems like thats all anyone cares about on here.  Is it their lack of height? 

[BillsFanForever19]

29 minutes ago, nedboy7 said:

Looks like this is who we have.  Can someone explain to me why Samuel or Shakir cant take the top off if they run a solid 40?  Seems like thats all anyone cares about on here.  Is it their lack of height? 

 

Their game is working against similar sized players in the Nickel, working the middle of the field lining up against them and Linebackers. Playing against taller, longer armed, jam at the line lockdown corners going more vertically is an ENTIRELY different game.

 

Samuel has better speed and is a more physical player. So he's better suited than Shakir to do it and it's why he has a higher number from the Outside than Shakir. But even he has been determined to be a better player and more naturally fit being played inside, in motion, and coming out of the Backfield rather than playing more than 30% Outside.

 

You don't take guys who are naturally fitted and have great success elsewhere and then play them exclusively or close to exclusively at spots that they don't find the same success or are complete unknowns there. 

 

Shakir fell to the 5th Round because he was viewed exclusively as a Slot at the next level. As I said, in the Playoffs when we were hurting on the Outside, we tried Shakir there a little bit and he didn't produce. If it isn't broke, don't fix it. They're going to keep him where he was showing success rather than play him out of position.

Edited May 6 by BillsFanForever19

[BillsFanForever19]

The results of this poll thus far is really interesting.

 

62 for signing one of the best available Free Agents

 

62 for not bringing in anyone else

 

Meanwhile only 19 people think we will sign someone else vs. 105 who thinks we won't.

Edited May 6 by BillsFanForever19

[msw2112]

I think Beane is always looking to improve the roster and will be open-minded, but I don't see him making any major splashes at WR.  I believe that his plan is as follows:

• Coleman to contribute as rookie
• Shakir to continue his upward trend from the latter part of last season
• Samuel to play well and contribute a lot
• Two or more players to emerge from among:  Isabella, Hamler, Shavers, Shorter, Ceyphus, Claypool

And also:

• Kincaid to continue playing well as a pass catcher
• Knox to contribute more as a pass catcher
• The RBs (primarily Cook and Davis) to contribute as pass catchers
• The Bills to have a dominant running game from the RB position (with some Allen sprinkled in)

The last 4 bullet points are correlated to the offense that Brady intends to run, which will be different than what Daboll and Dorsey ran in the past.

[NoSaint]

21 hours ago, mrags said:

What’s funny is I read all that faster than Coleman ran his 40 at the combine 

And you had to learn quite a few words along the way too I bet 

[BillsFanForever19]

8 hours ago, Cvanvol7 said:

Doesnt Michael Thomas play mainly Slot WR? 

 

No, he's an Outside WR. Like Diggs, he has the flexibility to slide inside from time to time. But he took 78% of his snaps from the Outside last season.

Edited May 7 by BillsFanForever19

[NoSaint]

2 hours ago, BillsFanForever19 said:

 

No, he's an Outside WR. Like Diggs, he has the flexibility to slide inside from time to time. But he took 78% of his snaps from the Outside last season.

Yea but that’s cause it’s closest to the sideline which was easier on his knees, and feet and ankles and 

[LABILLBACKER]

10 hours ago, ngbills said:

I would take anyone that would sign a vet minimum type deal. Nothing to lose in that scenario. 

I could live with Michael Thomas on a vet minimum. 

[BillsFanForever19]

21 hours ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

Trade or nothing 

 

Is this really the feeling around here? That we make a trade or do nothing at all? 

 

If he can't get a deal done or doesn't want to pay the price it would cost - you'd prefer Hollins and Shorter or Hollins and Claypool on the Outside to start the year over guys like Thomas, MVS, or Robinson that are at least marginally better players and have more starting experience?

 

23 hours ago, NewEra said:

What kind of “work” did you put into this?  All common knowledge at this stage in the game, no?

 

Yikes. I was simply referring to the time I spent putting my thoughts down when it comes to a number of things with the room.

 

A lot of it doesn't appear to be common knowledge around here as many still say things like "we'll be starting Samuel and Shakir on the Outside", "we should sign Tyler Boyd or Hunter Renfrow", the common refrain of "why didn't we double down?", or people thinking the signings of Claypool and Cephus definitively spell the end of additions to the room.

Edited May 7 by BillsFanForever19