Greg Rousseau Extended (4 years / 80M / 54M Guaranteed)

[gonzo1105]

I think people need to be reminded that the Bills can get out of a slew of contracts next offseason. So adding a high end caliber player even with the contract extensions is very attainable. Rookie contracts are also 4-5 years as well, so Beane is paying the guy and most of these contracts will be supplemented by cheap rookie contracts that will come due the same time our future rookies come due 

[GunnerBill]

3 minutes ago, FireChans said:

Um

 

Greenard is coming off two years of 12 sack seasons.

 

Highsmith had a 14.5 sack season not too long ago and had 6 in 11 games last year. 
 

Bryce Huff is an overpaid pass rush specialist who was a non-factor for his new team.

 

So we are really paying Greg in that “two guys who are considerably more impactful than him and one of the worst overpays of the offseason last year” range.

 

The bottom line is that most of us would rather pay Garrett $35M than Greg $20M.

 

It’s more valuing 4 quarters over a dollar and it’s bad strategy if done too much imo.

 

Greenard had a season best 12 sacks the year before he signed the deal. But his production over the four years total was in line with this. Sure, he backed it up. Remains to be sign whether Groot can justify the deal. Highsmith had one big year otherwise is right in the Groot range production wise. They are the DE2 market and Groot is a DE2. 

[Warriorspikes51]

3 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

I always try to take the holistic view. So far this offseason we have extended good not great players at slot WR, LB, and run stopping EDGE. On the face of it that strategy does not scream value. If all of these players continue to be exactly who they have been, collectively it is a big overpay.

 

Of course we need to see what happens on Monday and beyond. I think they should be doing what the Eagles do and effectively kick the can until Allen is 35 and then we can take our medicine for a couple years. If the structure of these latest contracts allows them to do that, I don't have a big problem with them. We still need to add multiple top tier talents. I'm with @Kirby Jackson that the goal should be to add two top 100 players this offseason. If we pull that off my holistic view of the offseason will be that it was a big success.

Garrett is of course top 100, so is Hendrickson

 

Metcalf, likely not at the moment

 

any specific targets in mind?

[JerseyBills]

Beane 3/3 on the Shakir Bernard and Groot deals.

Groot is an amazing run defender and while he hasn't got the sacks, his QB pressures are in elite status, Beane saved alot of money making these deals this year vs next. 

 

[Toledo Bill]

2 hours ago, Magox said:

Benford

Allen

Cook

 

They will all get done!

Wonder how Cook feels getting these other players done

[VW82]

Seems about fair. Rousseau is arguably a top 20 DE already and now he's paid like one. I will like this a lot better if we can find an actual threat from the right side. No more wasting snaps making Greg play from the blind side, please.

Edited Saturday at 07:31 PM by VW82

[MasterStrategist]

2 hours ago, Virgil said:

Don’t love it.  Doesn’t make the big plays in crucial situations.   I would have let him play out his 5th.  
 

I would’ve had no issues if he walked and somehow did great for another team.   I don’t see how he is currently worth 20 mil per.

 

Anything over 15 per is a problem for me with Groot.  
 

Would have much rather seen Benford get his deal, work FA and the draft, then circle back to Groot 

Everyone needs to remember a few things:

1. $20m per is the " high end", all incentives met figure.

2. Gtd $54m is the most important piece

3. Without knowing any details on how deal is structured/cap hits are spread out, this could end up being a 3 yr $54m deal - don't know yet

4. Cap/contracts continue to increase.  His % of cap is very reasonable, based on projections and will continue to look better compared to peers as new deals work out (Fact).

 

All that, plus, Groot is young only 24.  This isn't another Edmunds situation, Groot has shown very good improvement/made splash plays  (just not as consistent yet).

 

This is a Spencer Brown situation IMO.  High end talent, so close to putting it altogether.  Groot has elite skills, and with another offseason + what is expected to be better coaching = potential for major step in 2025+.  

 

I'm all for this deal, it's fair on both sides.  Paying for upside, but not an overpay.  If Groot becomes a 12+ sack guy, which is extremely possible, this will be a HUGE underpay for us.

 

[Kirby Jackson]

5 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

I always try to take the holistic view. So far this offseason we have extended good not great players at slot WR, LB, and run stopping EDGE. On the face of it that strategy does not scream value. If all of these players continue to be exactly who they have been, collectively it is a big overpay.

 

Of course we need to see what happens on Monday and beyond. I think they should be doing what the Eagles do and effectively kick the can until Allen is 35 and then we can take our medicine for a couple years. If the structure of these latest contracts allows them to do that, I don't have a big problem with them. We still need to add multiple top tier talents. I'm with @Kirby Jackson that the goal should be to add two top 100 players this offseason. If we pull that off my holistic view of the offseason will be that it was a big success.

Not a horrible deal but my least favorite of the 3. This feels like an overpayment but 🤷🏻‍♂️. If he becomes a 10-11 sack guy it’s okay. He doesn’t need to become Myles Garrett but he needs to becomes Josh Sweat. They still need 1 or 2 top 100ish players. The top of the roster needs to get better. 

[HappyDays]

4 minutes ago, LEBills said:

Greg actually has more sacks through his first 4 years (25), than Hendrickson did in his (20). And his new contract accounts for a little over 7% of the salary cap when Hendrickson’s accounted for a little over 8% back in 2021. I think this is actually a pretty good deal, especially since the Bills don’t have to give up any draft capital like they would for Hendrickson or Metcalf.

 

Hendrickson had a break out year in 2020 collecting 13.5 sacks in 15 games. Say what you want about Rousseau, this past year was not a break out year. Honestly for me his whole career he has been pretty much the same guy - excellent setting the edge, disrupts more than he finishes, doesn't make enough plays in critical moments in critical games. To me Rousseau is emblematic of the roster as a whole which is to say he is just good enough to not finish the job. I'm glad he got $80M and not $100M like some were projecting. But also I wish we had a couple $100M players. That's why these extensions leave me feeling a bit underwhelmed and a bit worried that they will take away from our ability to add higher tier players.

[Einstein's Dog]

Just now, FireChans said:

You were the one who was convinced we were trading for DK or Aiyuk last offseason, then we opened week 1 with MVS as our big acquisition, right?

Kind of, I thought the FO was going to make a move for a top tier WR last year.  I thought it was the FO plan all along and thought/hoped they would do it when they got the June 1st money.  They did eventually get Amari, I don't know if waiting until in-season was the plan all along or not.

 

So yeah, my new thought/hope is the FO is intent on bringing a top quality talent (DL or WR).  I hope they don't wait until the season begins to do it this time.

[VW82]

Just now, Kirby Jackson said:

Not a horrible deal but my least favorite of the 3. This feels like an overpayment but 🤷🏻‍♂️. If he becomes a 10-11 sack guy it’s okay. He doesn’t need to become Myles Garrett but he needs to becomes Josh Sweat. They still need 1 or 2 top 100ish players. The top of the roster needs to get better. 

 

I'd way rather see the money spent on the line for an already productive player than for a LBer that routinely gets wiped out if OL reaches second level.

[SoCal Deek]

Haven’t read thru all the comments but does this do anything to Epenesa? 

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Not a horrible deal but my least favorite of the 3. This feels like an overpayment but 🤷🏻‍♂️. If he becomes a 10-11 sack guy it’s okay. He doesn’t need to become Myles Garrett but he needs to becomes Josh Sweat. They still need 1 or 2 top 100ish players. The top of the roster needs to get better. 

 

See I mind this less than Bernard. I like the Shakir deal. I would have waited on Groot but I don't think this is an overpayment. I do think Bernard was. 

 

The overall strategy - paying a DE2 when you don't have a DE1 - and going for what looks increasingly like a run it back strategy is what I like less than any of the individual deals specifically. 

[Dr. Who]

6 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Not a horrible deal but my least favorite of the 3. This feels like an overpayment but 🤷🏻‍♂️. If he becomes a 10-11 sack guy it’s okay. He doesn’t need to become Myles Garrett but he needs to becomes Josh Sweat. They still need 1 or 2 top 100ish players. The top of the roster needs to get better. 

I agree. Everyone is speculating, because no one knows what will happen in FA and the draft, but the divide seems to be that some are seeing these signings and interpreting it as clearing cap space for a run at a big signing, and others are seeing it as cautious running it back mode. Two competing narratives with diametrically opposed takes. 

 

I think this is a year Beane goes big and adds, so I'm interpreting with the bold narrative. I'm also guessing that if this is the strategy, Beane has some reason to think he can make big moves. Might all be an illusion, and then I'll be forced to accept the other narrative. But right now, I'm more hopeful than not.

Edited Saturday at 07:38 PM by Dr. Who

[SoTier]

1 hour ago, ngbills said:

I will hold off until all the moves are done. But this resembles more of what we have seen that leads us to a team that falls short because of a lack of star power. Pay good money to many good players. Rather than pay big money to difference makes are utilize some low level contracts to rookies and vet minimum guys. I still have hope we can add a difference maker on the d line and some speed at wr. 

 

Actually, it seems like a sound move to build a solid base of starters for moving forward.  No team can have stars at every position, especially when they are paying a top franchise QB.   Beane seems to be positioning the Bills to be able to make some significant moves in FA because the extensions will create some decent cap space in 2025 and won't force the Bills to earmark draft picks to fill holes created by not re-signing their own players.   The cap space and draft picks can be used to acquire better players where they're needed ... defensive line, defensive backfield, and wide receiver.

 

15 minutes ago, Niagara Dude said:

I get it,  I just would like to see Beane have a year where he can add a difference maker or two through free agency

 

Ummm ... the "legal tampering" period doesn't begin until Monday, and FA doesn't officially start until Wednesday.

 

 

[Matt_In_NH]

9 minutes ago, Toledo Bill said:

Wonder how Cook feels getting these other players done

They have likely negotiated and are apart in AAV resulting in cooks social media stuff.   These other guys are more realistic on their value.  So maybe he feels like these guys are getting screwed?  

Edited Saturday at 07:39 PM by Matt_In_NH

[Warriorspikes51]

1 minute ago, SoTier said:

 

Actually, it seems like a sound move to build a solid base of starters for moving forward.  No team can have stars at every position, especially when they are paying a top franchise QB.   Beane seems to be positioning the Bills to be able to make some significant moves in FA because the extensions will create some decent cap space in 2025 and won't force the Bills to earmark draft picks to fill holes created by not re-signing their own players.   The cap space and draft picks can be used to acquire better players where they're needed ... defensive line, defensive backfield, and wide receiver.

 

 

Ummm ... the "legal tampering" period doesn't begin until Monday, and FA doesn't officially start until Wednesday.

 

 

usually plenty of deals are announced by Adam/Ian  on Monday and Tuesday before UFA officially begins

 

if I’m remembering correctly

[Dr. Who]

1 minute ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

usually plenty of deals are announced by Adam/Ian  on Monday and Tuesday before UFA officially begins

 

if I’m remembering correctly

Correct, it's a legal fig leaf. No one is really waiting till Wednesday.

[HappyDays]

11 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Not a horrible deal but my least favorite of the 3. This feels like an overpayment but 🤷🏻‍♂️. If he becomes a 10-11 sack guy it’s okay. He doesn’t need to become Myles Garrett but he needs to becomes Josh Sweat. They still need 1 or 2 top 100ish players. The top of the roster needs to get better. 

 

Overpay is relative, right? If he hit the market today he probably would have gotten this same contract or a bit more from some team. So from a free agency market perspective it is not an overpay. I worry that for our roster though it is an overpay because we are about to make Allen the highest paid player in NFL history (at least I assume/hope) and we are desperate for elite talent. My ultimate opinion on these latest extensions will depend on if they hinder us from adding that elite talent.

 

Edited Saturday at 07:43 PM by HappyDays

[FireChans]

7 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Greenard had a season best 12 sacks the year before he signed the deal. But his production over the four years total was in line with this. Sure, he backed it up. Remains to be sign whether Groot can justify the deal. Highsmith had one big year otherwise is right in the Groot range production wise. They are the DE2 market and Groot is a DE2. 

But that’s kind of the point right? 
 

Greenard and Highsmith both had individual seasons where they had DE1 production PRIOR to getting paid. Sure, they weren’t necessarily going to replicate that year in or out but there was the proven upside.

If we are taking odds on which guys finish their careers with more double digit sack seasons, both Greenard and Highsmith are more likely than Greg, right?

 

I said it last offseason. I was hoping Greg took off and had 12-14 sacks and put the conversation about extending to rest. I would’ve rather him had a 14 sack year and paid him $30M than have his usual 8 and pay him $20M. 
 

I stand by that. Beane has extended two drafted EDGEs, given a pass rushing DT a big extension and signed another EDGE to a large FA deal in the last 3 or 4 seasons and our biggest need is STILL pass rush.

 

THATS bad business