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Ep. 78 - The Boys are BACK
22 Plays2 months ago
The boys are BACK baby. We kick off by talking about the 4 Nations Face-off tournament hosted by the NHL and what a BLAST it was to watch. From there, we are building out a little shopping list for Brandon Beane to use once Free Agency opens up in March. As always, thanks for listening!
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Transcript
Introduction and Social Media
00:00:19
Speaker
Let's go. Oh, what's going on, everybody? You're listening to the Let's Go Buffalo podcast, your favorite podcast for all things Bills and Sabres with the pals, Nigel, Tom and Jake.
00:00:35
Speaker
Episode 78 coming at you after a brief little hiatus here. Boys took a couple of weeks off to refresh, regroup and continue. Get our lives back on track here before we dive into a whole slew of offseason stuff. But you know the drill, folks. Don't forget, follow us on the socials here. You can find us with the handle at Let's Go Buff Pod. That's buffed with two Fs on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. No longer on X because Elon's a dickhead.
00:01:03
Speaker
If you're watching on YouTube, don't forget to drop a like, leave a comment. Any of that stuff really helps us out. And with that, let's get around the horn here and say hello
Return from Break and Personal Updates
00:01:10
Speaker
to the boys. Tommy, what's going on, brother? Hey, what up boys? Look at us.
00:01:15
Speaker
One, two, three. We made it back. Yes, weba and we back. good I'm good boys. Yeah. Good to see you guys. I'm ready to, ready to rock. I'm feeling motivated, refreshed. Got things to say.
00:01:26
Speaker
Yeah. Lots to chat about for sure. Torpedo. What's good, brother? What's good guys. Good to be back. I'm feeling beaten down and, and yeah, as, as, as tired as ever.
00:01:37
Speaker
I'm, I'm, There's only a little bit truth there, but no, I'm feeling good. I'm feeling good It's good to be back. I do feel refreshed. I feel like we all needed a little bit of a break. Yeah, for sure. And now now we're now we're back here. Yeah. so Yeah, man.
00:01:49
Speaker
Absolutely. What have you guys been up to? not a ton, man. Just navigating life down here in Nash. The music stuff is starting to move along a little bit more now, so that's great.
00:02:01
Speaker
Very much enjoyed the Four Nations situation that took place over a couple of weeks. We'll talk about that. um And just been trying to keep tabs on any any fun sports stuff, the Miles Garrett stuff, and see what's happening there and all that fun stuff. So, yeah, just been plugging right
Four Nations Hockey Tournament Recap
00:02:16
Speaker
along here, fellas. What about you? Well, I want to get into the Four Nations, dude. I had a blast watching that. The hockey was incredible.
00:02:24
Speaker
Yeah, it was. it was I mean, so the Four Nations, for for those that don't know, instead of ah an all-star break um in the NHL this year, What they did was basically a round-robin four-team tournament that consisted of the four pretty much top nations in in hockey, i like yeah probably excluding Russia.
00:02:44
Speaker
ah But they're because there're still big yeah they're still they're still getting pee-pee-whacked by the world. So banned from international competition. So it was ah the U.S., Canada, Finland, and Sweden.
00:02:55
Speaker
um Congrats to Canada. They did win. uh the gold the gold medal is the gold medal probably not a gold medal there one tournament the one that bragging rights i guess um i think they do get some kind of medal or whatever but gold hockey stick yeah i think they got golden medals but they aren't not they are not gold medals that's not like silver and bronze too yeah exactly but yeah congrats dude i mean that canada roster that fitting that the greatest is the the most incredible player on the planet scored the game-winning goal i think it was uh a pretty bold defensive strategy by the Americans to leave 97 wide open in the high slot. But what do I know? I'm just a fan of the game. So, um, but yeah, dude, really, really incredible hockey. The, uh,
00:03:38
Speaker
i think it's I think it's fair to say that the U.S. and Canada have separated themselves. They're in ah they're in a tier by themselves um in terms of in terms of hockey talent in the world. But so Sweden is nothing to nothing to shake ah shake your finger at, nor is Finland. And I do think that if Russia had been in that tournament, they would have given Canada or the U.S. a run for
Player Performances and Injuries
00:04:00
Speaker
their money.
00:04:00
Speaker
probably Probably. I think Finland would have looked a lot differently, too, with Miro Heiskanen on the back end. that for sure. That was a huge loss. I got two questions for you on it. One, ah would you have played Matthew Kachuk knowing what we know now where he really wasn't helping that team out or throw a guy like Kyle Conner in? I think playing Matthew Kachuk, given what we know now um about his injury status, that's what you're referring to, right? His his injury?
00:04:29
Speaker
Yeah, couldn't play for most of the finals. Right, yeah. i um I think it was a really bad call to to play him in that situation. I get it. He's, i mean, at that point going into that game, he he is more or less, him and his brother are fueling that U.S., you know, push.
00:04:47
Speaker
And I think, you know, A guy like that not playing does a lot to the the morale of the team. um But I still think if you're on that U.S. team, you can look around and be like, okay, yeah, Matthew Kachuk can't go. But,
Goaltending and Canada's Victory
00:05:01
Speaker
I mean, your worst player on that team is fucking Dylan Larkin.
00:05:05
Speaker
and And he's our number one center on 29 teams and in the NHL. Yeah. Going in, i would say that, but he was, he was one of their better forwards. He was, and he was great too, but like on paper, you probably say that Dylan Larkin's the worst one on the team, but 29 teams would be stoked to have them as their first line center. So, yeah, you know, um but yeah, dude, an unbelievable tournament.
00:05:28
Speaker
Did you have a second question there? Yeah, my second question. Any players surprise you coming out of that? Somebody that excelled where you maybe didn't think they would do that well. and any name jordan Jordan Bennington. I mean, I didn't see... a heat That dude seems to, like, if he can position himself to play in a huge game, he will win that huge game. It's a question more so of can he get somebody there?
00:05:52
Speaker
But if he can get a team to a Game 7 or a tournament-winning game, he he's probably going to do it. I mean, he was sensational in that, in that championship game.
00:06:03
Speaker
Yeah. He's, he's cold dude. Yeah. I mean, carry to team Canada for, for some of the games there. It was incredible. Yeah. A lot of question marks with, with their goaltending going in, but yeah, he, he proved he can be the guy
Player Critiques and Salary Discussions
00:06:17
Speaker
a hundred percent. And, and with them, they lost their first game, I think to Sweden or something like that.
00:06:22
Speaker
um And already, or Finland or somebody, they had lost. Yeah. yes um And right then and there, like it got loud for of the Canadian team management.
00:06:33
Speaker
like sweden Sweden beat them in overtime. Canada lost to the U.S. in that second game. Yeah. And that's like, so they went, oh I mean, technically 0-2 more or less. And yeah, I remember like on social media there, like it got loud.
00:06:45
Speaker
Everyone was like, what the fuck was this team they put together? Like why is Bennington the one in that? And then lo and behold, it turns out he's the reason i think that they won that gold medal or yeah the gold medal.
00:06:57
Speaker
For sure. i just want to say, somebody that surprised me, and the other way, Elias Pettersson had a tough, tough go of it. I know he's playing through some injury, but man, he's he's had his name dragged through the mud a lot lately, and he did not do anything to to help his cause out at the Four Nations. He was invisible.
00:07:15
Speaker
it's ah it's It's tough being one of those players that's... I mean, if you're paid over $10 million in this league, like you're just under a microscope, because... If you don't live up to that, like when you, that's one of the things with hockey, like if, you know, Pedersen signed, I think it was an eight year, like $12 million dollars deal, something
Fantasy Trades and Kachuk Brothers Debate
00:07:34
Speaker
like that. Right. I think in that ballpark, in that ballpark. Yeah.
00:07:37
Speaker
And, and that's fully guaranteed money, right? Like that's not like, it's not like a football contract where only some of that is guaranteed. The NHL contract is 100% guaranteed. Right. So when you're paying that guy that money, and I mean, you know, like the top players in the NHL are paid like $13 million, whereas, you know, football, the next highest paid quarterback, the next contract that's going to be signed is going to be around $70 million.
00:08:01
Speaker
So it's it's crazy to compare the two, but like if you're a hockey organization and you're paying a guy $12 million and he's doing what Elias Pedersen is doing, it's it's really hard to not dogpile on that guy.
00:08:13
Speaker
yeah For sure. For sure. Tough turning for him. All right. Yeah, tough season. right, guys. I'm i'm parched. And then ah we we got to move on to... Some Billstock.
00:08:25
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely here. um I think Tom just stepped away for a quick moment here. is So, Jacob, one thing I want to – I'll raise this question to you then while we're waiting for Tom to get back real quick. For sure.
00:08:37
Speaker
Like, are you not – after watching that tournament, are you not like – because I was already desperate for this kind of player beforehand, and now I'm just even more so – But like, I would, I would trade everybody for a Kachuk brother.
00:08:54
Speaker
I would trade, i would trade Darlene, Owen Power, Tate Thompson. i would trade any of those guys for a Kachuk brother. like fully.
00:09:05
Speaker
a What's that? Uh, yeah want ah yeah either one i think they're both insane dude brady brady gets lost in the sauce because he's on a dog shit senators team but and and matthew's been on like really good teams including the panthers the last several years um but i think brady's just as skilled if not more than matthew kachok yeah they're different players too but brady's a lot more physical um ah Yeah, I would take either one. Dog shit, yes, ah historically, but they're they're knocking on the door to the
Light-hearted Drinks Segment
00:09:39
Speaker
playoffs. They're in a playoffs spot right now, yeah.
00:09:41
Speaker
They're not there just below, just below. But yeah, he, he, I think is somebody that could come back from four nations and tear it up down the stretch. I mean, he played against the best and best best on best and was one of, if not maybe the best player on the U S roster. yeah um ah So yeah, I think that should give him a ton of confidence. He, he can be a game breaker for the sense. So ah yeah, I would trade pretty much everyone. The only one I would, I would say no to,
00:10:08
Speaker
is Darlene. I would much rather keep Darlene. If he's the only player, maybe put it a different way, I'd trade a package for Brady Kachuk, but if I'm trading Darlene, I'm getting Brady Kachuk and other things too, but i'm not I'm not really entertaining that. But pretty much anyone else, yeah, I'd sell the farm for a Kachuk.
00:10:26
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. um Tom, we were just about to crack a beverage when you stepped away from us there. Yeah, yeah you'd think by episode 78, I'd figure out that the dog shouldn't be in the room with me. wow i've now learned my lesson, boys. We're we're leveling up here.
00:10:40
Speaker
right This is our third evolution. Boys, I apologize. I was premature. I'm fucking up all over the place. I was premature in opening my drink. I just brought it up here and opened it. and It's not even a beer. I really didn't think I had more, and I didn't.
00:10:51
Speaker
I'm totally dropping the ball here, boys, but I will count you down all the same. Ready? Three, two, one.
00:11:00
Speaker
ah Well, yeah brush that dust off that dust off there. nige Yeah, I'll get back on it. I'll also have to fess up that I also don't have a beer. I have a nice spin drift in front of me. So Tom, you're really carrying the weight of the world. What does that say about me? All right. Well, i got a nice old Ruby red Genesee Colch. Hey, where'd you get that? Nice way to kick off the season um from the Rochester family. So, you know, they come up, bring me a steady supply of Western New York beverages. So nice.
00:11:27
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. So cheers, buddies. Good to see you guys.
Josh Allen: NFL MVP Celebration
00:11:29
Speaker
Good to see boys. too. You too, boys. Tom. back in the saddle. Would you like to be our our chauffeur through this this Bill's hoopla here?
00:11:39
Speaker
ah Oh, boy, would I? And it starts with MVP, MVP, MVP. Oh, boys. Freaking Joshua Patrick Allen.
00:11:53
Speaker
Named NFL 2024 most valuable player.
00:12:00
Speaker
Wow. Yeah. That's all I got. That's all I got, right? Like, so cool. How cool is it, guys, that are favorite team, our favorite player, who's a freaking good guy, NFL MVP. Like, we've been waiting for this moment.
00:12:14
Speaker
We've been waiting for this, you know? Like, so fucking cool. Yeah. And that's it like it it is. It's absolutely awesome. dude It's great for the city. It's great for Josh. It's I mean, i think it's 100 percent well deserved. I still to this day, just just with the with the fact that he had Derrick Henry, I can't get behind Lamar Jackson MVP
Khalil Shakir's Contract Extension
00:12:35
Speaker
vote. I think.
00:12:37
Speaker
I think if you take away Derrick Henry read that they probably don't have the same season or Lamar doesn't have the same season. And so I think the right person won the award. I think it's I'm just so happy for Josh. I know.
00:12:50
Speaker
i mean, you know, where from where he came from is the big story. Right. No offers out of school. Had to do Juco. After Juco, he still only had one offer. And then now, league MVP, pretty widely considered. Long time coming, too. He could have had his second or third.
00:13:07
Speaker
Sure, sure, sure, sure. Absolutely. um Yeah, he's been in the running for the last several years. um And i you know just cements himself in this conversation as a top two quarterback in this league at any given time, I think.
00:13:22
Speaker
Yeah. um Congrats to Josh. Congrats to the Bills. Congrats to Josh's family. um I mean, you know, parents and stuff make a ton of sacrifices over the course of of ah of an athlete's life like that when they make it to that level. So, yeah, it's an incredible little thing for everybody, for sure.
00:13:42
Speaker
Tom, Jake, any more thoughts on that?
00:13:45
Speaker
yeah you said it well yeah yeah yeah it's just so cool and so you know this is this is a ah you know what check mark for his legacy right there's obviously and he came out and said it and said hey there's more to get more to do but like this is this is meaningful this is a big deal hopefully there's couple more seasons like this coming up you know yeah for sure absolutely imagine there will be some other exciting news the uh extensions we have we have a whole kind of um the lineup that can be extended and our first one's rolled in. Mr. Khalil Shakir, the pinball machine himself has been extended for four years, $60.2 million, $32 million dollars guaranteed.
00:14:24
Speaker
So he still has next year he's playing on his end of his rookie contract and then the extension starts. um So it's so awesome to get him locked up and especially at a deal like that. Like I think this is a steal and a half for Brandon Bean.
00:14:36
Speaker
Yeah, I think the big thing here, the the huge thing here is the value. Right, Khalil Shakir, I mean, while, you know, maybe not quote-unquote number one wide receiver numbers, was without without question the number one wide receiver on this Buffalo Bills team.
00:14:51
Speaker
um Wasn't quite what everybody had thought or hoped or expected um going into the season. I think everybody was pretty much on that sort of We're really hoping that Dalton Kincaid is going to be like the number one guy here for the Bills. um But you know it just didn't go that way, and that's totally fine because at any he given time this season, pretty much when Josh needed a bucket, he was able to go to Khalil Shakir, and Khalil Shakir was able to able to make um you know a significant catch for this football team to keep the drive keep the drive moving um yards after catch is something you have to talk about with this guy this year i mean tom said it when he when he talked about it pinball right the guy's contact balance i mean when he gets that ball in his hands he's not going down without a fight um and the yards after catch ability i think was third in the league this year way up there um
00:15:40
Speaker
it's It's just, it's it's huge for the success, huge for Josh's success um when a guy can do that. So really, really, really grateful to get him locked up at that number. um when you're When you're talking about contracts now, one thing that's very, very important going forward, just with the salary cap changing at the rate that it is, I mean, we're at a point now where the salary gap is changing by it's going up by $25 million dollars a year right now.
00:16:05
Speaker
So deals that were signed two years ago can't be looked at through the same lens as they are right now because the salary cap is so much bigger now. So it's really important that when you're comparing
Bills Coaching Changes
00:16:15
Speaker
salary cap numbers or contracts, you think about APY, which is the percentage of the calary or excuse me percentage um of the salary cap at the time of signing for that contract.
00:16:26
Speaker
right So the APY for this deal, right for this Shakir deal, Puts him in the same bucket as guys like Gabe Davis, Jerry Judy, guys that he like massively, massively, massively outplayed the last two seasons.
00:16:42
Speaker
So this is unreal work by Brandon Bean. You get Khalil Shakir in his prime. He's only 25 years old. You're going to have him through his age 30 season, I believe, maybe 29. 29, I think, actually.
00:16:53
Speaker
um So it's it's unreal work by Bean. Shakir might want a new agent, but as a fan of the team, I'm absolutely overjoyed with the signing. I think it's huge for Josh.
00:17:04
Speaker
um Great for the locker room and ah guy that I could see, you know, with a C on his chest the next couple of years. So um yeah, massive win for the Bills here. This is huge.
00:17:18
Speaker
Agreed. Super fun. Super fun. um The special teams coach Matthew Smiley has ah was officially canned after being endorsed by Sean McDermott to keep his job. And then about a week later, yeah he got the boot.
00:17:30
Speaker
um The yeah Bills have hired Chris Tabor as his replacement. um He's kind of bounced around. the um the league a little bit but it has generally had a fairly good special teams pedigree so i'm really interested he's he's also had some interim head coaching experience so he's obviously been respected um he was a interim coach for a single game in chicago during the covet seasons um and then was also uh an interim head coach for the panthers um when um i want to say was that at the steve reich season um where uh when reich got where got um
00:18:03
Speaker
got canned so He obviously has a ah ah pedigree and a way about him that he can be a leader and hopefully he's got some good things to make a special teams unit that's been struggling the last couple of years to you know hopefully stabilize a little bit.
00:18:18
Speaker
Yeah, for sure, dude. I like this hire a lot. This hire a lot um reminds me of, makes me think of the Aaron Cromer hire a lot, right? i think I think a lot of the time, you know, when you when you hire somebody that is maybe, like, has taken a year or two off,
00:18:35
Speaker
you kind of, like, it it raises a red flag, like, okay, what's the reason for this? Like, is there something we don't know, something we need to be concerned about? um and And, you know, that was the case with Aaron Carwell when we hired him, right? He had just had a season off, and then we hired him, but just because you step away for a year, you know, you don't suddenly lose all that experience.
00:18:54
Speaker
And I think that's something we can probably expect with Chris Tabor. Yeah. He didn't coach most recently this season, but it's a dude with a lot of experience that should be able to come in. And like Tom said, stabilize this special team situation. So I like it really at this point, anything that's not Matthew Smiley, I'm, I'm hugely in favor of.
00:19:12
Speaker
um So
Bills Off-season Priorities
00:19:13
Speaker
yeah, I mean, that's, I think it's going to be ah good thing for the team here. And, and yeah, yeah, I'm in support of it. what ah What else we got, Tom? ah Ryan Nielsen was added to the defensive coaching staff as a senior assistant, which is, um again, I think another really significant move. He's a very um experienced coach. He's had defensive coordinator positions in ah New Orleans, in Atlanta, and most recently in Jacksonville.
00:19:40
Speaker
um And it's and has has had very good success building up um teams, especially in the defensive line. He has was known, and Sean McDermott kind of came out and kind of you know slowed us down a little bit, but he was he's known for running a lot of man coverage and having a really strong man coverage schemes.
00:20:01
Speaker
McDermott did come out this past week ah at the Combine saying, hey, You guys might be getting ahead of yourself. If we do transition to man, it might be a little bit more naturally. It's not a hard hard page turn here.
00:20:12
Speaker
It's still a Sean McDermott defense. But I think his is his influence is going really helpful for Bobby Babich as he's kind of going into a second season as defensive coordinator. Yeah, I think this one is also significant, dude. I'm hoping you know that the we'll kind of have like the Aaron Cromer effect that he hit on the offensive line.
00:20:31
Speaker
I'm hoping this can be a similar thing for the defensive line. We need something. We need something, right? So hopefully like with this signing and then Some kind of extra acquisition of significant talent, whether that be a miles Garrett or ah Trey Hendrickson. I don't, I don't actually think Max Crosby is available.
00:20:55
Speaker
I think that's something that seems to be like every year comes out a little bit, but Crosby has said several times now that he like has no intention of leaving the Raiders. So I don't know why that happens, but I don't think he's actually available. So um But all that to say, you know, I think I have a feeling the thought process right now is Nielsen and then some kind of significant defensive line acquisition, whether that be draft, free agency, trade, or some combination of three.
00:21:27
Speaker
Well, put a pin in that thought night. I'm going back to that ah word. Oh, finally for the last little easy item, a head strength and conditioning coach, Eric Siano was released. He's ah he's lived actually through several head coaching regime regimes um and what was released. um I think they're just trying to change, shake things up.
00:21:47
Speaker
There were some comments from being an McDermott kind of talking about the Dawson Knox and Duncan Cade kind of coming back. Well, sorry, Duncan Cade playing at a bigger size. Um, Keon Coleman not necessarily coming back himself after his injury.
00:22:00
Speaker
And there was never a direct correlation or a direct admission saying, hey, that's why we had um some issues. um But I'm sure it was part of the the the equation for them deciding to move on. there's His replacement has not been named yet, but I would imagine being as the Buffalo Bills and they have a beautiful facility and ah great, you know, really strong coaching regime. I'm hoping that we get somebody who knows, you know, who's worth their salt and is able to kind of come in and really help these players be ready to play and play consistently.
00:22:29
Speaker
Yeah, I
Quarterback and Running Back Analysis
00:22:30
Speaker
think the other interesting thing with that, too, and and I guess I don't really know exactly how much the two are related, but it would make sense for it to be at least a little bit related. um The NFL like franchise report cards came out recently that the players like kind of like give their teams grades on different areas. um And the strength and conditioning situation coaches werere were rated pretty low with the players for the Bills.
00:22:56
Speaker
um So I don't know if the two are correlated like if you know, maybe being saw that and then decided to to pull the trigger I'm pretty sure that this move was made before those grades came out um So maybe you know, I wonder if it could have been something It's gustin the whole season interviews with GM and players.
00:23:14
Speaker
I don't know but that seems interesting to me that the players gave those grades out and this move was made so Who knows if there's a correlation there or not but worth mentioning I suppose
00:23:26
Speaker
um let's see here and then yeah we just got some other offseason things going on right now so um you know right now we're in the word we're getting into the the interesting points of the offseason the combine's going on right now um that started yesterday the 27th um so that's that's taking place currently that's where all the gms and whatnot are so that goes until march 2nd uh so we'll be keeping tabs on that keeping Tabs on interesting players and seeing what their numbers look like and seeing what guys climb the rankings and fall and all that fun stuff.
00:24:00
Speaker
um March 4th is a deadline to use the franchise tag. I don't think there will be any Bills players that get tagged like that. um But you never know. yeah they have They've never historically done that. So, yeah, agree. Yeah. Yeah. That's not typically a Brandon Bean move. Yeah.
00:24:15
Speaker
March 10th through March 12th is the legal tampering period. Somebody might want to tell Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford that. They might have missed that that email coming from Goodell. And then the big one would be March 12th, which is when it's open season, boys, free agency begins, um which I guess kind of gets us into a little bit of salary cap conversation as well as some potential discussions to be had. Tom, what do you think?
00:24:43
Speaker
Yeah, I think it's about time that we give Brandon Bean his to-do list. Because we know that he spends time listening to us, and as he should. He's a very intelligent human being. He knows what's up. um We're going to work our way through each position room and just kind of talk through, hey, what are the big decisions that need to be made? Who are the players that maybe are free agents? Who are the players...
00:25:01
Speaker
who maybe you need an extension or even possibly our cut candidates and then kind of go through and think about our answers in the free agency draft or re-signings and extensions to kind of just kind of give us some framework as we're moving forward through all these exciting things coming up um and kind of help frame our mind here. So,
00:25:19
Speaker
I think we start off with the easy room. We start off with a quarterback. um The two kind of big questions here are Mitchell Dubisky and Mike White. what Where do they lie? What's our kind of backup quarterback situation? Because clearly we have the MVP and whatever he needs to be paid, he will be paid.
00:25:35
Speaker
There's a conversation, which I don't think is time for today. There's a conversation that Josh is ready for an extension um and to be kind of re he's now like, I don't know, the 15th highest paid quarterback right now. So grossly underpaid.
00:25:47
Speaker
um He's going to be paid an enormous amount of money um and will reset records when when it happens. And to be honest with you, I'll, you know, I'll cut him a check, too. He can have whatever he wants. The most important thing that we need right now, though, is the kind of figure out the backup quarterback situation. As we all know, it's kind of been a revolving door this year as Mitchell Trubisky.
00:26:07
Speaker
I don't think any of us anybody's too excited to have Mitchell Trubisky back there. um I love him coming in and you know playing 10 minutes in the fourth quarter and just handing the ball off a couple times. um But does he really kind of move the needle? I don't know. he has some opportunity, is um I personally think he could be a cut candidate, especially because Mike White was um signed to an extension during the season.
00:26:29
Speaker
um Mitchell Trubisky, if cut, could save us $2.5 million dollars in cap space with in dead cap. so um i think it's definitely an opportunity Nigel or Jake, what do you guys think? is what's the What's the move here? Do we have the guy, the backup quarterback, on on um under contract right now, or do we need to go find something else?
00:26:48
Speaker
i it's It's tough to say, man, because with with both of these guys, I guess I'm just at the point, and this this thought process I have applies to the entire team, but I just need upside, right? And what kind of upside do you have with Trubisky and Mike White?
00:27:03
Speaker
Because here's the thing, at the at the end of the day, when When Josh Allen is your quarterback, you're not talking about like you're not the Steelers where like, okay, if Justin Fields goes down, like let's have somebody comparable because the gap is only, you know, this big.
00:27:19
Speaker
If Josh Allen is your starting quarterback, I don't care who your backup quarterback is. They're not Josh Allen. Your drop-off from Josh Allen, no matter who your backup quarterback is, is going to be gargantuan.
00:27:33
Speaker
And the way this Bills team operates, no matter what, probably not enough to win you any games. That's just a fact. I am in the field of save all the money you can there, draft some dude in the fifth or sixth round with a shit ton athletic upside, and ride with that as your backup. That's that's where I fall.
Wide Receiver Room Evaluation
00:27:54
Speaker
Yeah, I think i'd be sweet. I think that's a great that's a great move. I think it could actually be an option. um So, let's keep moving. but i think I think quarterbacks are in the easy room. Let's keep moving. We've got other more interesting things to kind of dig into.
00:28:08
Speaker
Running back is a fun one. Currently, um we have James Cook and Ray Davis under contract. James Cook is going into the fourth year of his deal and has made it very publicly known that he's ready for extension. He wants a bag of money.
00:28:19
Speaker
A big one. However... He wants a big bag of money. So um I think we we table him for a second. I would be.
00:28:30
Speaker
And then we have two free ah free agents pending. Well, currently free agents. Ty Johnson and Reggie Gilliam are both free agent signings. I'm ready to sign both of them. I think they're awesome members of this room. Reggie Gilliam is one of the best um fullbacks in the league.
00:28:44
Speaker
He's really versatile. We started his usage went up at the end of the season. um has a pair of hands so he can catch things and and is is really awesome. and I don't think he'll be expensive. I also think Ty Johnson proved his worth.
00:28:56
Speaker
The fact that that Josh Allen called him the best third down back in the league should set tell you that, hey, you keep him for at least time for another one-year deal. He's a little older, but like sign him, right? Josh Allen wants him around. He can block.
00:29:07
Speaker
He's clearly got hands and ability to do something with the ball after the catch. I think he's absolutely going to be – those are two priorities for me for resigning in free agency. Yeah, Gilliam's farther down the list for me, but my in terms of free agent re-signs, the order for me is probably... It's some order of Matt Collins or Ty Johnson, and I'm not positive which one goes first, honestly.
00:29:34
Speaker
I think they're both huge for me, but I'm not positive that Ty Johnson isn't more important to this offense than Matt Collins. they both They both do really gritty...
00:29:46
Speaker
ah you know, behind the scenes roles that the team needs that are imperative to their success. um But all that to say, Ty Johnson, way high on my list of guys that I really want back on the team this offseason.
00:30:01
Speaker
Yeah, no, I totally agree. And to be honest with you, I don't think they're going to be expensive. So I think that's an easy signing. Yeah, absolutely. that You get one year deals and we'll tag them for one year deals for as long as we they either keep, you know, keep playing at ah and a high enough level or they want to retire. Like, I'm fine with that.
00:30:18
Speaker
The two of those guys. um James Cook is the interesting one, though. And I know that you have a very opinionated stance here um on James Cook. He has a opportunity here to be extended.
00:30:29
Speaker
Right. Or he could be let's play out the, um, the end of his fourth year deal. And then he becomes a free agency
Running Back Contract Debate
00:30:36
Speaker
or he enters free agency and and maybe he signs with somebody else or it could possibly even be a trade candidate, right? Could we package them together and go get something of a value? Now, if he's at the point where, Hey, he might even hold out through this season or through this, through the off season and saying, Hey, look, I'm, I'm want the extension. Let's get it figured out. And the bills aren't in him, aren't on the same page. So, um, yeah,
00:30:59
Speaker
I know you have a really ah kind of strong opinion here. So, Nights, I'm going to give you the table here. Yeah, I don't know how strong it is here. I just, like, I am in the camp of don't pay running backs a second contract.
00:31:11
Speaker
and And I will be totally honest with you. My limit for James Cook is $8 million. dollars and And he's never going to sign for that in in a million years.
00:31:22
Speaker
ah But... I mean, he his number that he keeps tossing out is 15. Okay, so Christian McCaffrey is at the very, very top. I believe his AAV is 19 million a year.
00:31:35
Speaker
um He's injured every goddamn moment of the day, so that's a whole separate thing. But then you get more like closer into planet Earth there, and your guys are like Saquon Barkley, Alvin Kamara that are making um like ah right around a little under 13 million. They're making a little over 12 million.
00:31:53
Speaker
um And those are your guys that are, you know, 75, 80% down backs. Right. And that is not James Cook. Why isn't James Cook plays with those guys? Because can't pass block.
00:32:04
Speaker
He's the same as life. He can't do it. He wanted to. Yeah, like it's not like it's not like, okay, we're not putting him in this position because we don't want to.
00:32:14
Speaker
We're not putting in him in this position because he can't do it, right? he's he's He took this entire season, he took 11 pass blocking snaps. So that's why he's not going to make $15 million dollars a year.
00:32:30
Speaker
I wouldn't sign him for anywhere close to that. it's My number's about half of that. um and And I think, ah Perfect world for me with James Cook, you're you're trading him for a top 100 pick, um or you're sending him to Vegas for for Max Crosby somehow, because I know they're desperate for a decent running back.
00:32:52
Speaker
um But so here's the thing. Somebody will pay him at least 10. you You know somebody out there will do it. So, but I don't want it to be the bills. I would much rather see that money go towards the defensive line.
00:33:04
Speaker
um I think you've got Ray Davis and Ty John. Well, technically you've only got Ray Davis right now, but you know, go, go trade James Cook for, for a top 100 pick and draft his replacement right there. You know, I just think there's way too many other important areas where you need to spend your your financial resources.
00:33:24
Speaker
It's also a position where like that often gets injured, right? Running backs are often injured and have a season where running pack plays 16, 17 games in a season is rare. And, um you know, so I think to put, to kind of put all that money into one position, then have it not work out, especially when we have, know,
00:33:41
Speaker
kind of ah a whole stable of backs that really works out really well. I think, yeah. So
Offensive Line Stability
00:33:46
Speaker
I think ideally it's either, for me, it's, hey, let's let him play out his rookie contract. He's phenomenal and could absolutely be a really important piece to us but having a deep playoff run next season.
00:33:57
Speaker
um that's That's option number one for me. Option two is he's he' a trade candidate and we packed him up and send him on his way. That's kind of my two thoughts there. I think extending him would not.
00:34:08
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. As much as it as it would hurt to go see him wear another jersey, I think extending him would be not not the best idea. The the extension is is not going to happen. I'm telling you, it's not going to happen. There's no way Bean is going to give this guy what he wants because somebody will.
00:34:25
Speaker
um tell I guarantee it. Yeah. yeah so It's a bummer, but. All right, should we keep moving? Yeah, let's do it. All right. Wide receiver where everybody eats.
00:34:37
Speaker
So um we have Khalil Shakir who just got extended. Congratulations, buddy. We love having you. Please keep doing your Khalil Shakir things. Keon Coleman and Curtis Samuel are all under contract. We have a whole slew of practice partners. We don't necessarily have to get into them.
00:34:53
Speaker
Two pending free agents, ah Cooper and Mac Collins. We've already kind of talked about Mac. um I'm on the same page as you. i Let's pay him what he wants, right? Pay him. Let's keep him here. He's in um phenomenal for the locker room. he's got you know He's a great weapon for Josh. He in was one of the better you know red zone targets for joshua Josh Allen this year. And um also a phenomenal blocker. So um whatever he needs, let's figure it out, Dean.
00:35:19
Speaker
um Yeah. mark I could kind of take it or leave it. You know, I, if he comes back a reasonable number, which is probably less than he wants to be able to come back for. Okay. But I'm not like dying of this guy back.
00:35:33
Speaker
Yeah, I am. ah When it comes to Amari Cooper, dude, i think I'm probably set. um And that's not to say that Amari Cooper is like a bad player or anything like that. I think he was a net positive to the team this year, but he's a guy that's on the wrong side of 30. I think we saw, you know, he doesn't really have a step anymore, at least not the way he used to. Like, i at least I felt like I saw that.
00:35:56
Speaker
um And again, like, I would just rather see the resources go towards somebody with more upside, you know, a younger free agent acquisition, a you know, a fourth round draft pick, you know,
00:36:09
Speaker
I would just rather see the resources go someplace with more upside. I think you've got enough veteran presence on the offensive side of the ball. um Maybe not so much in the wide receiver room because at this point, Khalil Shakir is probably...
00:36:23
Speaker
your top leader, especially if Cooper goes. um
Tight End Position Assessment
00:36:27
Speaker
But you've still got, you know, that offensive room has, it's got Josh, it's got an offensive line with a lot of experience in it. You know, like it's not like the offensive side of the ball is lacking for leadership.
00:36:37
Speaker
I just would rather see those snaps go towards somebody younger with more athletic upside. Personally. like
00:36:47
Speaker
Yeah, no, I agree, especially seeing that that this team can work with all these players that have of you know come in and kind of piece of it. So I agree. I'd love to see him make a substantial draft pick here. Top four picks, you know, like we round one, two, three or four, I think would be really well used here.
00:37:06
Speaker
I think continuing to... Stock those cupboards of wide receivers and answers for Josh Allen is important. um I think we need some speed. We have some some some some size in Keon Coleman and hopefully Matt Collins. I think we need somebody who can be a field stretcher and really...
00:37:21
Speaker
you know challenge and and really threaten down the field to make the defense you have to play this. um I don't think that defenses were forced to this year. i think they absolutely knew that, yeah, we could probably play it back there and probably not be burned at all, and um at least by speed.
00:37:37
Speaker
So I'm interested in them to going to get somebody with with some some zip. Yeah, nip zip would be good. Go ahead, Jake. I was just going to ask. So if if we're making a draft pick like that, do you see room for any free agent targets or do you think the draft can kind of shore up our needs?
00:37:54
Speaker
because It depends if you re re-sign Cooper and Mack, but you you get what I'm getting at. Yeah, totally, dude. And I
Defensive Strategy and Linebacker Roles
00:38:00
Speaker
think for me, it totally depends on like, because there's there's not nobody out there on the offensive side of the ball in terms of free agents. But the list isn't like, there's nobody that that you look at and you're like drooling.
00:38:15
Speaker
I think ideally you're probably dipping into each pool a little bit. You're probably investing a top, you know, ah top five round pick in a wide receiver somewhere.
00:38:26
Speaker
but think you're also signing one or two guys, um you know, probably from that B minus C plus pool of, of wide receiver free agents. So, and I think that's typically what being does when he is looking to address a position. I think he's looking to probably, know,
00:38:42
Speaker
infuse a little of both ends, right? Some free agents, um some rookie draft picks. So that would be my thought there. That's probably what I think will happen um because he'll have ton of wide receivers for camp.
00:38:58
Speaker
Especially seeing that Kaleo Shakir, Bennexta,
00:39:02
Speaker
um Curtis Samuel is a relatively wealthy contract. right We have some money in this wide receiver room. I see being really dropping a bunch of bunch of money here. I'm hoping it's one or two free agents and some draft picks as well. Tight ends?
00:39:19
Speaker
yeah
00:39:23
Speaker
but i I think so. Yeah. talk Talk to me about him. So and is this another easy room like QB or is this a little more wrinkled? What do you think? i I think this one's pretty easy. Dalton Kincaid's not going anywhere. He's still on his early contract or his rookie contracts. Nothing early about it.
00:39:41
Speaker
I'm still on his rookie contract. He's only two years in. He's got a couple more years at least. Dawson Knox, there is at least a bit of a conversation to be had here, but none of the pros are are even um remotely enough to to really pull the trigger on it. I think it's a lot more dead cap than it is for cap savings. And this is a guy that is is a pretty established core member of the team at this point.
00:40:08
Speaker
um I don't think anybody, you know, he's beloved in the locker room. really tight with Josh. He's one of the guys that will host hangs at his place. And, and he's very, he's very good at what he does.
00:40:19
Speaker
Is he overpaid for what he does, which at this point with the acquisition of Dalton Kincaid, um you know, he, has he become more of an inline blocker primarily? Yes, he has. Does he still get you a catch or two a game for a first down?
00:40:34
Speaker
He also does that. And, you know, are at this point, I know Dalton Kincaid hasn't really panned out the way that we're necessarily hoping he will.
00:40:45
Speaker
Are we 100% positive that Dawson Knox isn't the best tight end of the team? You know, i don't think we can define it in terms of an all around NFL tight end. Like, like he's way closer to a, to a, you know, um a kid old and adult and Kincaid is because Kincaid can't really block.
00:41:03
Speaker
You know, so there's a there's a conversation to be had there, I think, at this point in terms of an all around player, because i think. i don't think they're don't really had more of an offensive upside last year than than Dawson Knox, and I think offensively they were pretty similar.
00:41:21
Speaker
Knox just offered a lot more in the blocking game. So, Tom, do you have any ah anything you want to add on to that conversation there? i I completely agree. i think you're absolutely right. and I think if you go find somebody to replace Dawson Knox, who who is in a very important role in this defense or this offense, excuse me I think you'd go pay somebody else the route amount is of money you're paying him.
00:41:41
Speaker
I really don't think he's that overpaid. um I think if you were to try and replace him, I think you'd find yourself spending just about the same amount money. So, yes especially And because he has all this experience with the offense.
00:41:54
Speaker
Like, I think absolutely keep him. He's he's such a big um he plays such a big role in this run offense, too, which I think is we we can't discount. Yeah.
00:42:05
Speaker
Make no mistake, too. If you were to cut Dalton or excuse me, cut Dawson Knox, he would have a new job 48 hours later at the most. I mean, would be immediately signed by somebody. 20 minutes later.
00:42:16
Speaker
yeah he'd be Yeah, he'd be sucked up. its i ah Yeah, absolutely. so um Moving on to the offensive line. um Now, just but as I was kind of preparing for this, is the offensive line the strongest room on the team outside of quarterback?
00:42:32
Speaker
I think so. I think they are. Yeah. Everybody's back. Everybody's under contract. yeah this is This is a room where if you wanted to, you could literally do nothing and and run it back and just do the exact same thing. Even your depth guys are are under contract again. yeah So like there's a couple levers to pull here to free up a little bit of cap space in terms of like extensions.
00:42:57
Speaker
um like I know David Edwards is is one of those guys, but there's nothing to... there's There's no free agents here. Like really, truly, you could do absolutely nothing to this room and it could potentially be the right move to do nothing.
00:43:11
Speaker
yeah I think the only one that's interesting to me is possibly moving on from David Edwards and either as a, as releasing him or or trading him only because you do have this stable of Alec Anderson and Tylan Grable and Cedric Van Pan Grager, who are all excellent players and building up through the system.
00:43:29
Speaker
And at some point you need to want to try and continue to find ways to get younger and cheaper. i think that could be an opportunity. Right. I think David Edwards is awesome. He's so phenomenal. He's absolutely a starting guard in this league.
00:43:41
Speaker
So I'm not saying anything bad against David Edwards. It's just at some points, do you need to kind of roll over or do it play it through one season and do the rollover next year? I think that's probably the smarter move, right? Just keep this core together and let these other guys continue to develop underneath them.
00:43:56
Speaker
um But that's just the only one that I could see being an option. Yeah, and and you it is a significant financial change there because Cunningham gets you $4 million and only gets you $875,000 in that cap, which with this salary cap is absolutely nothing.
00:44:13
Speaker
But i think I think the biggest thing here for me is Deion Dawkinson said himself how nice it was to have stability at the left guard position. And that right there in and of itself is enough reason for me to pay that 4 million and ignore that, that savings because like that's an area where like that's a more worthwhile investment to me than paying James Cook anything close to $10 million. Yeah.
00:44:39
Speaker
Personally. Right? Like keep Deion Dawkins happy, who is a top five left, not happy in like his ego, but just comfortable, like knowing what he has next to him, which then puts him in a position where he knows what he can do in order to keep putting the guy next to him in a position to be successful.
00:44:57
Speaker
Like that to me is way more valuable than paying a guy like James Cook, who could probably draft in the third round if you wanted to. Right? Am I wrong?
00:45:09
Speaker
Am I wrong? Well,
Secondary Positions and Future Moves
00:45:10
Speaker
Tom, I'm very smart.
00:45:14
Speaker
well to i'm very smart
00:45:18
Speaker
um like Let's flip it over to the defense here. There are some spots where we can really kind of get some things going on here. i think we can all agree that the defensive line was not satisfactory this past season.
00:45:33
Speaker
And I'm hoping that we better kind of talk about some coaching changes, right? Those could absolutely, hopefully kind of bring some life into this room and help these guys develop. um So there's lots of different options opportunities here. though I'm going to start with an exciting one before we start about the, you know, some maybe ones that are less exciting.
00:45:50
Speaker
Do we re-sign Greg Russo? Sorry, not re-sign, extend Greg Russo?
00:45:57
Speaker
um i think I think re-signing Greg Russo is an absolutely slam dunk. Yes, no-brainer. situation He's your best defensive lineman. It's not particularly close.
00:46:09
Speaker
His run defense is is, I mean, it's it's A+. plus um His pass rush leaves a little bit to be desired, but I'd say it's still probably a B. you know ah Do you wish he was maybe could get you but like ah like a sack?
00:46:26
Speaker
Sorry, I got air bubbles from my seltzer. um A pass or a sack in like a really, really, really clutch moment. Yeah, you'll leave a little bit to be desired there, but overall, I mean, it's probably a number that's going to come around 20 million, I think is the number I'm seeing most consistently. Have you seen that, Tom?
00:46:45
Speaker
I haven't seen really many numbers to yet too ah yet, but um I also like i believe in being and getting a deal, right? He's gotten deals on Ed Oliver. He's gotten deals on Khalil Shakir. He's gotten deals on Josh Allen, right? like I think he could work something out. and Especially seeing this salary crap just explode into just big, big, big money. like yeah I think we should be okay with this.
00:47:08
Speaker
Now, what if I paint a picture and all sudden Gregory Rousseau is defensive Ed number two? And we have him behind a Miles Garrett or a Max Cross or a Trey Hendrickson.
00:47:22
Speaker
Well, yeah, of course it does. And and i think I think that's where you get the most out of Greg Rousseau. Right. Because I don't think I don't think and I guess it's I still could be proven wrong, but I don't think that that Greg Russo on his own is a Batman.
00:47:39
Speaker
But I think he could be a hell of a sidekick, a hell of a, you know, if if if Miles Garrett can be Mermaid Man, he could be a hell of a barnacle boy. You know, like I think I think he's that's where like he would be at his best is like that.
00:47:55
Speaker
just real high-level sidekick to an absolute ace in the hole, whether that ace in the hole was like a Miles Garrett on the opposite end or like of like ah this defensive tackle out of Michigan that could be our first-round pick. Somebody like that who's a real game wrecker on the inside.
00:48:13
Speaker
I think somewhere there you've got to get you've got to get somebody real legit to unlock the real potential of a Greg Russo. Yeah. i Imagine being an ah offense and having to look at that line.
00:48:25
Speaker
The defensive line is you know has their as your their fists in the ground. and And you you got Miles Garrett over here. You got Greg Russo over here. And then, like, what do you do? I don't i don't know. like i don't know what you block. I don't know what you do. you just get the ball out of as quickly as possible and say, no, don't hurt me, please.
00:48:41
Speaker
and I guess. Yeah. I mean, ask ask the Bengals who defended the Browns when they had Miles Garrett and Jadavion Clowney on each side. You know, I mean, it's it's they've done it. Yeah. And and they were they were still dog shit.
00:48:54
Speaker
You know, like it's not necessarily a recipe for success. So you just got it. you The other parts have to be there, too. But that's the thing with the bills. The other parts are already there. Right. Like these are the last pieces that we need is that ace in the hole.
00:49:08
Speaker
Go get that fucking sack to send you to the Super Bowl defensive end. be fucking cool we'll keep kind of tabs on that that uh progression as as we get into free agency here i think the other important one here is von miller i know he's the kind of big uh kind of um hot topic button button uh topic here for the last couple weeks in uh bill's mafia is he worth a cut right pre uh june 1st so there's a june 1st kind of designation of and that kind of changes how much money is saved and how much money goes against the cap
00:49:39
Speaker
before june 1st it's not all that good it's 8.3 million dollars in cap savings but 15 million dollars in dead cap post june 1st it's 17 million dollars in cap savings and only 6.3 something dead uh million dollars of dead cap so um i think there's absolutely a world where he could kind of do a little renegade you know renegotiation with the bills and maybe come back in um again if you put if all of a sudden it's greg or so is your number two and then von millen ag epinesa are your three and four i think this at this edge room all of sudden becomes a strength on this team um so i i'd be interested in having them back at um at kind of a discounted price again but who knows if that's even possible right yeah and and that's the thing like so with that with that pre uh june 1st number that 8.39
00:50:28
Speaker
If you're gonna, like I don't remember the exact details, but like if you're going to, whatever you're gonna do with him, like that's the window to to renegotiate with him, that's what it is. um If you're gonna renegotiate, right that renegotiation has to net you at the very least that eight and some odd change in millions of dollars and in cap space.
00:50:50
Speaker
If he's not gonna do that, then I think this is a slam dunk easy answer that you cut him post-June first. Right? Because he's shown you that... Dude, what a gut punch.
00:51:01
Speaker
I know. It stinks, man. But I mean, this is like... I'm leaning on... I want to go towards the youth and upside. I'm sorry, dude. I would rather see... Who's the young defensive end we have a rookie this year that is a pass for a specialist?
00:51:21
Speaker
I'd rather see those snaps go to Javon Sullivan. I like his tape a lot this year. You know, and so you have Von Miller, like had a decent start to the year, was hot for the first half. But I mean, I felt like the second half of the season really kind of disappeared. He wasn't getting the sacks. So and that's a significant cap savings for a guy that I don't feel like has it now.
00:51:41
Speaker
Like you said, Tom, if the plan is, you know, if if if in that that room, they're saying, boys, we're going to go get Trey Hendrickson. Then all of a sudden, because right now everybody's one level higher than they need to be.
00:51:53
Speaker
Right? Craig Russo is your best, and then it's probably Von Miller, and then it's AJ. But if you take, like you just said, if you take each of those guys and you slot them down a peg, then everyone's in a very appropriate spot.
00:52:04
Speaker
And then Von Miller as your number three looks awesome. But Von Miller as your number two looks terrible. You know, it's crazy how that one, it's only one spot, but it makes a big difference because those first two can play 60 to 70% of your snaps if you want them to.
00:52:24
Speaker
So that's where land on it. i'm i'm I'm firmly in the let's move on from Von Miller bucket. Personally, go I would rather save the 17 million or whatever it is.
00:52:39
Speaker
Yeah, no, it's definitely an option. um Just to kind of keep things moving, let's ah touch on linebacker real quick. I think the big question there is, is Terrell Bernard an extension candidate? ah For me, I want to play out this for this fourth year.
00:52:51
Speaker
I would not kind of jump on the opportunity to extend him yet. um I'd love to see more, but... I'd love to. I mean, he's, he's doing great, right? He's a great player. He's, he's really strong and he, I, he did not always kind of live up to what we needed him to be this year, but I think cause he kind of stepped into a captain role in his year three season. And um that's a lot. That's a, that's a big, big seat to fill. So um I don't know. Is, is Terrell Bernard an extension candidate for you, Nigel?
00:53:15
Speaker
I think he could be. I mean, if he like like if he was extended, I wouldn't be upset about it because here's the thing right now. He just took a bit of a step back from last season in terms of the splash plays and stuff like that. The number of sacks, you know, stuff like that.
00:53:29
Speaker
So if you sign him right now, you probably get him at a lower number than if he plays on the second or the next year and, you know, has ah has a crazy season. You know, so I think your floor is pretty high with Terrell Bernard.
00:53:42
Speaker
And for me, they're like that reason in and of itself for me is enough. Like I'd be fine with extension, especially because right now probably lower than what it could be with one more season. So I, but I think he's a guy you can invest in your future.
00:53:54
Speaker
That's not a guy I'm looking anxious or looking to move on from anytime soon. I think he is, you know, offers you a lot in pass protection. I think he's good enough in run defense. He leaves some to be desired there.
00:54:06
Speaker
um But then he makes it gives you a splash play. um pretty regularly and then um really good blitzing player too. So yeah, I'm a big, I'm a big fan.
00:54:20
Speaker
Yeah. All right. Moving forward, quarterback um for kind of pending free agent for Will Douglas. I'm perfectly fine moving on from him. I think it does leave a hole where like, hey, we got to figure out what, you know, um cornerback to next to Christian Benford.
00:54:36
Speaker
I think that's absolutely a priority for this offseason because I don't think Kyler Elam is it. um And then having, you know, a a combination of Cam Lewis and Jermarcus Ingram ready to, I don't think that's the solution either. I think it's got to be a free agent signing and a rookie draft pick, in my opinion.
00:54:52
Speaker
Yep, I think you're correct, Tom. And there's that there's a decent amount of ah free agents out there. There's also some trade candidates. like We've seen guys like Jair Alexander be available on the trade block um from the Packers.
00:55:05
Speaker
He's a dickhead, but he's an outstanding player. um So you know if that if that's a culture fit in some capacity, all that to say there's a lot of guys out there. But yes, I think similar to um buts of the wide receiver position, both ends of the spectrum, get a guy from the draft, get a guy or two from free agency.
00:55:22
Speaker
yeah Imagine we got Zaire Alexander. It'd be just like a Green Bay Packer cornerback, like, you know, streamlined. Yeah. we're still game Then we get Zaire. Like, who's next? Who's the third one, right?
00:55:33
Speaker
Zaire Alexander is is unbelievable, dude. He's a top ten corner in the league for sure. Yeah, he's legit. Him and Christian would be a fucking problem. ah that Yeah, they were up.
00:55:44
Speaker
It's a nasty And then Aaron Johnson in the slot, like, hello. Forget it. Good luck. um Christian Benford is definitely an extension candidate, and I think he's just paying what he needs, right? I think he's a stud. I think he's done everything we need him to and have ever asked him to, and i think he's going to continue to do that. So i um I think he's absolutely an extension candidate. He might want to hold out and have another awesome year and then go get even more money the next year.
00:56:09
Speaker
But um I think he's got to figure that one out. Yeah. Christian Benford is a top five cornerback in the NFL and you keep him around as long as you absolutely can and you pay him whatever he wants.
00:56:20
Speaker
Next.
Closing Remarks and Future Content
00:56:21
Speaker
ye the ah The safety cupboards are a little bare, boys. We got Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop. Taylor Rapp, I think, is going to be is great. right He played a really strong year. His first season was not as strong, but year two, he played awesome. He's definitely a starting team in this defense.
00:56:36
Speaker
Cole Bishop, we got a whole thing that he steps up, but we don't know that, so they can't bank on that. hand yeah Currently the pending free agents, um I think if we can sign him for a couple million, keep him in the room, but don't have him start.
00:56:52
Speaker
I'm ready to move on from him as a starting option. That's awesome. Let's do it. But um from as a starting option, I don't think he's it. So I think that's got a couple moves in free agency. And again, couple moves in the in the draft. I think safety, defensive line, um cornerback, wide receiver are all some spots that we can make some moves in the in the draft here.
00:57:13
Speaker
Yeah, I think overall the resources this offseason very much need to favor the defensive side of the ball and um because I think you you have holes everywhere. You have holes on the defensive line.
00:57:25
Speaker
um I guess linebacker is probably the only position where you're probably okay, but you've got holes on the defensive line. You've got holes in the cornerback room and you've got holes in safety. i don't want to Marham when starting again, you've got to, you've got to find another answer there.
00:57:39
Speaker
um i have to hope that Cole Bishop will be ready to slide in there, but if he's not like you have to, you have to remember, be ready to, to make a move there. Right. Because I don't think tomorrow Hamlin can be your starting safety again.
00:57:51
Speaker
And then, yeah, we just talked about about this team is going to have a a opening an opening at cornerback, too, because Kyer Elam is not the answer. I think that's abundantly clear. So, yeah, there's some there's definitely some things to be done, and this team is going to look a little bit different, but it's certainly not going into a rebuild year, are we, fellas?
00:58:13
Speaker
No, sir. No, sir. i think ah right this is it this is This is the blueprint. this is the These are the spots we have to start filling. and this is the fun part right We get to kind of see what do they get where the move is going to happen.
00:58:27
Speaker
How is it going to be all all put together? you know You got a brother. right, boys. Well, hey let's get out of here. This is fun. We'll be back next week. Don't worry, folks. We're back here.
00:58:38
Speaker
Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for spending some time with us. Please give us a like and a follow on Instagram, X, TikTok, and our YouTube channel at Let's Go Buff Pod. These are my pals Jake and Nigel. My name is Tom, and you're listening to the Let's Go Buffalo podcast.
00:58:54
Speaker
We're sending you love wherever you are. Go Bills. Go Sabres. Let's go Buffalo. Let's go Buffalo.