Free Agency Rumor Thread

[HappyDays]

1 minute ago, FireChans said:

Hes also going to be 26 next season, and after this season a decision will need to be made on his fifth year option.

 

the odds of the Bills picking up that fifth year option have to be pretty low, relatively speaking, right?

 

Yeah that's the other part of it, he wasn't drafted as a raw young player that was expected to need a few years to develop. Despite starting football relatively late in life, his skill set was supposed to project pretty much immediately. But it hasn't. So I just don't see the upside there.

[Logic]

43 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

Just to explain myself on this - I am not usually one for trading players early, especially for a team like us where talent is more valuable than draft picks because our championship window is now. The difference for me with Kincaid is I see nothing to build on, physically or mentally. By the end of the season the team clearly had lost trust in him. They reverted back to his rookie year usage with quick passes/low air yards, instead preferring to use Knox on anything downfield. And yes I'll admit part of my feelings come because of that final play in the AFCCG.

 

So he doesn't physically dominate, he frequently isn't on the same page with his QB, his understanding of NFL leverage and reading the defense is below average, and he choked in a critical moment. So what exactly are we building on? What is the upside? Any optimism about Kincaid is 100% projection with no proof of concept at the NFL level. He can still turn out to be a solid player but to me that's his ceiling and I'd easily take a 3rd rounder for a solid player at a non-premium position.

Thanks for this.

My response would be, primarily, that I disagree with the notion that his understanding of NFL leverage and reading the defense is below average. Further, saying "any optimism is 100% projection" ignores that we've seen Kincaid be successful in this league. 

In his rookie year, he posted the following single game stat lines:
 

8 rec 75 yards

5 rec 65 yards 1 TD

10 rec 81 yards

5 rec 51 yards 1 TD

4 rec 87 yards

7 rec 84 yards

In my opinion, his feel for finding the soft spot in zone coverage, his fluid route running, and the way he positions himself for yards after the catch are all positive traits. He also DOES have the speed to threaten the seam and to win against man coverage, which he has shown on multiple occasions in his young NFL career.

Admittedly, most of what I just mentioned showed up on tape more in year one than it did in year two.

 

I think three things about Kincaid: The first is that the sophomore slump is real. Once opposing teams had a season of tape on him and saw that he lacked adequate play strength for the position and could be beaten with physicality, they adjusted how they defended him, and he failed to counter-adjust. The second is that I DO think the injuries hampered him and negatively affected his confidence. And third, I think his being inferior to Dawson Knox as a blocker in what became a run-first offense caused him to lose playing time to Knox.

The last thing I'll say is that while I like Joe Brady overall, I still have serious questions as to his ability to fully utilize players to their strengths. First Stefon Diggs vanished under his playcalling, then Amari Cooper vanished under his playcalling. MAYBE both of those guys are cooked, or maybe Brady just doesn't entirely know how to feature his most talented skill players. Kincaid's deployment (and Knox's, for that matter) has been lackluster, in my opinion. I'm not sure either guy's talents are being maximized. 

Regardless, I don't know how anyone can reasonably look at some of those year one stat lines and say that there's nothing to build on or that any notion of his succeeding is 100% projection.

Edited Monday at 05:00 PM by Logic

[ColoradoBills]

18 minutes ago, FireChans said:

Hes also going to be 26 next season, and after this season a decision will need to be made on his fifth year option.

 

the odds of the Bills picking up that fifth year option have to be pretty low, relatively speaking, right?

 

It would probably depend on what 5th year option Teir he is assigned.  A 3rd Teir (which he is now) is $8M this year.

This will be a big year for Dalton Kincaid's future.

https://www.profootballrumors.com/2024/02/2025-fifth-year-option-salaries-revealed

[nosejob]

I 'm not paying attention to all the hate. Kincaid will be  pro bowler.

[SoonerBillsFan]

Ok, so any actual rumors or word on Bills restructuring or potential signings?

[sunshynman]

1 minute ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

Ok, so any actual rumors or word on Bills restructuring or potential signings?

Been quiet since PEDGate.

[Logic]

6 minutes ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

Ok, so any actual rumors or word on Bills restructuring or potential signings?

 

4 minutes ago, sunshynman said:

Been quiet since PEDGate.

When asked about the Bills cap situation post-signings in his FA presser, Beane said they were "getting tight" and that they'd be shopping in a different store from here on out.

[Beast]

8 minutes ago, nosejob said:

I 'm not paying attention to all the hate. Kincaid will be  pro bowler.

I’d rather he be a pro football player.

[TheyCallMeAndy]

Ah, so Kincaid is the 2025 Offseason Whipping boy.

 

 

[MrEpsYtown]

If all else fails you can always trade him to the Cowboys for a 5 and 6 since we jumped them for him. But I do think he comes around. 

[ColoradoBills]

10 minutes ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

Ok, so any actual rumors or word on Bills restructuring or potential signings?

 

Spotrac has Bills $6M under cap.  That should cover the Gilliam, Green, Johnson, Shenault and probably some of Jackson's cap hits

after they replace the current guys on the Top 51.

 

Still have to cover Bosa and Ogunjobi's cap hits so a couple of restructures are still coming.

Eventually opening up enough cap for rookies and the season doesn't leave a lot left that Beane can do IMO.

 

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/cap/_/year/2025

 

[turbo044]

1 minute ago, ColoradoBills said:

 

Spotrac has Bills $6M under cap.  That should cover the Gilliam, Green, Johnson, Shenault and probably some of Jackson's cap hits

after they replace the current guys on the Top 51.

 

Still have to cover Bosa and Ogunjobi's cap hits so a couple of restructures are still coming.

Eventually opening up enough cap for rookies and the season doesn't leave a lot left that Beane can do IMO.

 

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/cap/_/year/2025

 

NFL year has started - they have to be under the cap at all times (I'm not sure if it accounts an allowance for draft picks).  Either way, with all of their signings, they are currently under the cap.

[Warriorspikes51]

15 minutes ago, Logic said:

 

When asked about the Bills cap situation post-signings in his FA presser, Beane said they were "getting tight" and that they'd be shopping in a different store from here on out.

I'd love to know if Howie Roseman ever talks like that....

[ColoradoBills]

1 minute ago, turbo044 said:

NFL year has started - they have to be under the cap at all times (I'm not sure if it accounts an allowance for draft picks).  Either way, with all of their signings, they are currently under the cap.

 

Of course.  I'm just saying what needs to be released to Spotrac (and us fans).  All the contracts might not be sent to the NFL yet and we don't

know if any other restructures have been done.

[Logic]

3 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

I'd love to know if Howie Roseman ever talks like that....

Worth noting:

Many Eagles fans were calling for Howie Roseman's head for YEARS.

He became a better GM over time. The Eagles were rewarded for not giving into the vocal minority of fans.

Here's an article from 2018 and a petition from 2020 both wanting Howie fired.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1004679-philadelphia-eagles-please-fire-general-manager-howie-roseman

https://www.change.org/p/philadelphia-eagles-fire-howie-roseman-eb949679-d650-403a-aeea-b39f5826b9d5

[90sBills]

2 hours ago, TheWeatherMan said:

None of his injuries caused him to drop a floating ball right into his hands to effectively end the Bills season.  I just don’t see JA17 trusting this dude again with the game on the line…at least for a while. 

This says more about how you are than anything Allen would do. 

[nosejob]

31 minutes ago, Beast said:

I’d rather he be a pro football player.

Sorry, I didn't realize how much he sucked as a rookie or whether or not defenses changed a bit against him last year.....signed Ocyrus

[BuffaloBillyG]

2 hours ago, HappyDays said:

 

Just to explain myself on this - I am not usually one for trading players early, especially for a team like us where talent is more valuable than draft picks because our championship window is now. The difference for me with Kincaid is I see nothing to build on, physically or mentally. By the end of the season the team clearly had lost trust in him. They reverted back to his rookie year usage with quick passes/low air yards, instead preferring to use Knox on anything downfield. And yes I'll admit part of my feelings come because of that final play in the AFCCG.

 

So he doesn't physically dominate, he frequently isn't on the same page with his QB, his understanding of NFL leverage and reading the defense is below average, and he choked in a critical moment. So what exactly are we building on? What is the upside? Any optimism about Kincaid is 100% projection with no proof of concept at the NFL level. He can still turn out to be a solid player but to me that's his ceiling and I'd easily take a 3rd rounder for a solid player at a non-premium position.

Redacted.

 

Kids, don't analyze film after gummies kick in😂😂

Edited Monday at 06:20 PM by BuffaloBillyG

[Andrew Son]

Just now, BuffaloBillyG said:

A lot of stuff has been made about that drop. It was a miracle Josh got the ball off. It was also a VERY difficult catch for where the ball was thrown to. Should be have caught it? Yeah probably. But no one seems to mention that even if he did catch it, it was fourth down and he still would have been a yard and a half short of the first, laying on the ground with Chiefs all over him. 

 

Even if he somehow makes that terrific catch...games still over. 

No, it was well past the sticks

[TheWeatherMan]

27 minutes ago, 90sBills said:

This says more about how you are than anything Allen would do. 

Huh?