What Position in Free Agency Puts Buffalo Over the Top?

[TheWeatherMan]

A coach that implements a defense that doesn’t allow a 28 points plus to playoff opponents.  

[Florida Bills Fanatic]

Garrett would change the defense significantly and is an obvious answer to this question.  Unfortunately, the cap reality makes this a long shot.  The Bills need to improve the defense at all three levels.  They need another safety (to compete with Bishop or improve the depth) and a starting corner in the secondary.  Injury histories tell me that they need another starting caliber linebacker.  D-tackle and a pass rushing DE are also an obvious high priority.  I only expect FA signings for average talent players at a value price.  The rest of the additions will come through the draft.  I would like to see a big splash transaction but I doubt that one is coming.

 

I've read several opinions that the draft class talent is deep for O-line, D-tackles, DE, and linebackers.  Corners, safety, and wide receivers are not as available.  Some believe that there are only 17 real first round talents, excluding the QB's.  Since we are picking near the end of round one, I'm hoping for teams reaching for QB's and positions of need so some talent drops within reach of the Bills.  In the past, Beane has shown a willingness to use his draft capital to move up to get a talented guy that has dropped down the board.  Let's hope he has a chance to snag an impactful rookie in a position of need.  In any event, it will be hard for the Bills to not improve the defense.  The defensive roster this last season was pretty poor.

 

 

 

 

d-tackle

[Thrivefourfive]

11 hours ago, BuffaloBaumer said:

If you could add one blue chip player/position to this team in FA, just one, who/what would help Josh Allen the most?

Would it be DE, WR, DB or S?

 

If it is going to take multiple 1st rounders (at least) to get Miles, what would it take to get a top 5 guy in the league at the other positions? Maybe they should be targeting these other players as they MAY have an even bigger impact.

 

I loves Miles and Maxx but Mahomes does get rid of the ball in lightning speed and maybe there are other ways to skin the cat. I am starting to think that they need to target Safety or Corner in FA and draft DT in first round. Buffalo absolutely HAS to go all-in this year and probably have money in FA to go after one.

 

Tee Higgins (WR)

Jevon Holland (S)

Miles Garrett or Maxx Crosby (DE) - Trade

DJ Reed (CB)

 

I would trade McDermott, 1st & 2nd for Reid

[Thrivefourfive]

11 hours ago, The Jokeman said:

We might be able to get 1 but all 4 is a pipe dream due to cap constraints and needing to use cap room on keeping most of our guys around.  I think signing a veteran CB to pair with Benford (doesn't have to be Reed). I'd love Garrett or Crosby but not sure of picks it cost but if it's 2 firsts and a mid round pick am okay with it. Yet need to shore up D-line depth and secondary depth in the draft. 

If a Player A gets signed and Player B takes a one year deal for the Bills to go on the the run immediately then signs an extension when the cap goes up in 2026.. Or, Garrett restructures and Higgins wants to do something

manageable for the team and it’s Super Bowl aspirations..?

 

Id imagine that if a player wants to consider these types of options, he’d be able to trust The Bills. 
 

Are we sure things like these aren’t possible.. 

Edited Saturday at 06:30 AM by Thrivefourfive

[Thurman#1]

DE. Specifically Garrett. 

 

Without a doubt. We scored enough all year and even against KC. And we could probably have scored more if Kincaid just makes that catch, which he does nine times out of ten.

 

What we don't have is a pass rush that hurries Mahomes. That's always been what we didn't have, except maybe for Von before the injury.

 

Edited Saturday at 07:57 AM by Thurman#1

[Thurman#1]

57 minutes ago, Thrivefourfive said:

If a Player A gets signed and Player B takes a one year deal for the Bills to go on the the run immediately then signs an extension when the cap goes up in 2026.. Or, Garrett restructures and Higgins wants to do something

manageable for the team and it’s Super Bowl aspirations..?

 

Id imagine that if a player wants to consider these types of options, he’d be able to trust The Bills. 
 

Are we sure things like these aren’t possible.. 

 

 

Probably not impossible.

 

But spectacularly rare.

 

There are a few guys who do what you're suggesting Higgins might want to do, take a major discount to go to a new team with a Super Bowl shot and a good environment. Very few, but they do exist. But almost without exception, those guys are guys on their third or fourth contract, who've banked a ton on their first few.

 

So far, Higgins has earned, before taxes, about $8.6M. He'll get another $21M this year on the 5th year agreement, but this is again before taxes. Guys like Higgins don't do things like that. Pretty much without exception.

 

If the Bills didn't like what they got from your Player B in that first year, think they'd sign him on an extension anyway? I don't. And I think the players are very aware that that's what Beane's job is, to do what's in the Bills best interest.

 

IMO it's not going to happen. If we get Garrett, that'll be it for big names.

[Thurman#1]

4 hours ago, TheWeatherMan said:

A coach that implements a defense that doesn’t allow a 28 points plus to playoff opponents.  

 

 

Our defense allowed 21.3 PPG in the playoffs this year.  22 PPG last year. 29.0 PPG in 2022. 26.0 the year before and 21.6 in 2020. So you clearly aren't referencing McDermott.

 

Oh, wait, you don't actually mean to "playoff opponents," right? You mean you want to throw out all good games and only count the playoff one playoff opponent who has done best against us, right?

 

Well, statistically, throwing out all the good games and only counting the worst is totally misleading and unfair, but let's go with it, OK?

 

In that case we should get rid of McDermott, and the Chiefs should get rid of Reid, since his defense has also allowed 28 plus points to playoff opponents. Which opponents? Um, us.

[LABILLBACKER]

44 minutes ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Probably not impossible.

 

But spectacularly rare.

 

There are a few guys who do what you're suggesting Higgins might want to do, take a major discount to go to a new team with a Super Bowl shot and a good environment. Very few, but they do exist. But almost without exception, those guys are guys on their third or fourth contract, who've banked a ton on their first few.

 

So far, Higgins has earned, before taxes, about $8.6M. He'll get another $21M this year on the 5th year agreement, but this is again before taxes. Guys like Higgins don't do things like that. Pretty much without exception.

 

If the Bills didn't like what they got from your Player B in that first year, think they'd sign him on an extension anyway? I don't. And I think the players are very aware that that's what Beane's job is, to do what's in the Bills best interest.

 

IMO it's not going to happen. If we get Garrett, that'll be it for big names.

And I could live with that. I'd prefer Maxx because it would be less expensive in cap and draft picks. There's no way we're signing Cooper or Higgins if Myles or Maxx are the targets.  We'll probably have to draft a wr and hope you can develop them with Shakir, Coleman,  Samuel & Hollins. Maybe an udfa wr pops?  Drafting 2 strong DT's will be mandatory. 

[GunnerBill]

2 hours ago, Thurman#1 said:

 

 

Probably not impossible.

 

But spectacularly rare.

 

There are a few guys who do what you're suggesting Higgins might want to do, take a major discount to go to a new team with a Super Bowl shot and a good environment. Very few, but they do exist. But almost without exception, those guys are guys on their third or fourth contract, who've banked a ton on their first few.

 

So far, Higgins has earned, before taxes, about $8.6M. He'll get another $21M this year on the 5th year agreement, but this is again before taxes. Guys like Higgins don't do things like that. Pretty much without exception.

 

If the Bills didn't like what they got from your Player B in that first year, think they'd sign him on an extension anyway? I don't. And I think the players are very aware that that's what Beane's job is, to do what's in the Bills best interest.

 

IMO it's not going to happen. If we get Garrett, that'll be it for big names.

 

Yea I don't think overall it is as few as you think but it is non-existant for guys coming off their rookie deals. The guys who will take a little less for one year to chase a ring and then dip into FA again are without exception guys who are coming off their 2nd contract (or sometimes 3rd or 4th) or who have been cut by their team for being too expensive (which generally means they have already banked a very healthy signing bonus). Tee Higgins has already been essentially forced to take a 1 year deal playing on the tag in 2024. He will take whoever puts the most guaranteed money on the table in free agency. Not necessarily the highest AAV (although they'd have to be close) but the biggest guaranteed number.

[Shortchaz]

In 5 years Myles will be 34. Von will be 36 in March. 
 

the Myles trade idea is a lot of eggs in one basket, but exactly the type of player(s) we need. I’d go two 1’s for him, 5 year 180 mill (or whatever) contract. a 5 year deal expecting him to be great for at least 3 of it. 
 

we need to pay for great players and stop overpaying good players. 

[Orlando Buffalo]

An elite DT would help us more than Myles Garrett if we can keep Groot. I think that if we sign Garrett without an improved DT every team will attack there and find too much success.

[bmur66]

I don’t know but I’d start with this question. What does it take to prevent the Chiefs from moving the ball down the field at 10 yards a clip? 

[FieldGeneral]

If the defense and a legit WR that can get separation aren't seriously focused on, it'll be another season of futility.

[SUNTANBILLS FAN]

17 hours ago, Logic said:

There's one answer:

Myles Garrett.

/Thread.

Nuff said sellout the next few drafts I don’t care! 

[cle23]

17 hours ago, BuffaloBaumer said:

Maxx Crosby is only 27 years old and may be more realistic (if he wants to leave.) Add a DT in the first round and this whole defense could change instantly. 

 

If you get either Garrett or Crosby, you won't have a 1st find pick. 

[harmonkillebrew]

Safety.

 

I think a dominating, game breaker of a Safety would shore up our D - both run and pass.

 

I'm not sure who that is, but it ain't Rapp, Hamlin, or Bishop.  I think that one position could have the single biggest impact on the team. 

56 minutes ago, Orlando Buffalo said:

An elite DT would help us more than Myles Garrett if we can keep Groot. I think that if we sign Garrett without an improved DT every team will attack there and find too much success.

I agree with this. A guy like Aaron Donald that consistently win in the middle would be more impactful on Mahomes and other QBs than a pass-rushing DE, partially b/c what we have in Groot and AJE is better than what we have in Daquan Jones at this point. 

 

But if we got Myles Garrett, I wouldn't be sad   

[BobbyC81]

17 hours ago, BuffaloBillsGospel2014 said:

An edge rusher has been an issue for quite some time and is concerning that it’s still a top need after all the resources Beane/ McDermott have put into the position. Also #1 WR has to be pretty high on the list as well. 

With their current structure of offense, they don’t need a #1 WR.  That’s the point of their approach.

[The Firebaugh Kid]

53 minutes ago, SUNTANBILLS FAN said:

Nuff said sellout the next few drafts I don’t care! 

Exactly. You gotta take big swings. He’s the best defensive player in the league and makes everyone else better immediately because of the attention he gets. 

[Dr. Who]

8 minutes ago, BobbyC81 said:

With their current structure of offense, they don’t need a #1 WR.  That’s the point of their approach.

They absolutely still need a boundary WR with speed and reliable hands. I don't know if Cooper is that player, but it's an important element. We lack explosive downfield plays, and the threat and capacity for that should not be neglected, regardless of their approach. WR is a weak position in this draft.

 

Aside from that, the rest of the needs are all D. Edge, DT, CB, S, LB. They could use one of everything, 2 DT imo. What you won't find at #30 is a game-wrecker DE that is likely to make a significant impact year one. In my view, FA targets should be WR, DE, and a veteran S that could start. If they somehow get Crosby or Garrett, that would be the only expensive buy.

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

31 minutes ago, BobbyC81 said:

With their current structure of offense, they don’t need a #1 WR.  That’s the point of their approach.

 

I think many would beg to differ, they got through it without one but the notion that it's not a need is subjective.