Bills Offseason Moves

The Bills now have the coaching staff in place and are now in the evaluation stage of the offseason. I think we can all agree on the positional needs of the Bills as being QB, WR, LB, CB and this may add OG and FS depending on what happens with Andy Levitre and Jarius Byrd. I will highlight some key moves I think the Bills have to make. 

•  Cut Ryan Fitzpatrick, too high a salary for what he is. If he can be resigned for less, a lot  less then have him mentor the young QB. 
• Resign Andy Levitre and Jarius Byrd. Two key players need to be kept. Byrd is a pro bowler who should vie for all-pro honours and Levitre is vastly under rated. Stat wise he was rated as one of the best pass protector at G in the NFL. 
• Sign a free agent WR some names that spring to mind are Dwayne Bowe, Mike Wallace, Greg Jennings or Wes Welker.

For the draft I like for QB Geno Smith, Ryan Nassib and Tyler Wilson. My favourite is actually Ryan Nassib. Been hearing a lot of good things about him and as time goes by his draft stock is sky rocketing. Another plus is he is obviously familar with the Bills staff and the system they have in place. He has a strong arm, good mechanics and he gets better every year. 


LB is an area that needs to be looked at for ILB and OLB. There are too many names to list here but should looked at in the first few rounds.

 

Heard the Bills are one the teams interested in a trade for Derrell Revis. I doubt it would happen due to the whole divisional rival thing but if the Bills were too make a play for him what would they need to give up? Revis is coming off a torn ACL and is a free agent after next season. Another guy I would try and get is the immature yet talented Titus Young from the Lions. Would be a good option opposite Steve Johnson. He wants out of Detroit and from what I have read he may get released or traded. I would offer very little and see if it happens.

I agree with your assessment for what positions are priorities this off-season for improvement.  Of these, the two that appear to be more critical are LB & QB.  Since even a future franchise QB may need a season of grooming before he will hit his stride, the area that could result in the most significant immediate positive impact for the Bills would be to upgrade LB.

Considering the stated fact that the Bills will have a very fluid defense, i.e., the team will shift from the 34 to the 43 to the 46 during a game depending on game circumstances.  This means the team must have very versatile and athletic players that can change roles and still perform.  That probably means that Te'o will not be a great fit in Buffalo since he is pretty much just an ILB, and he is not particularly athletic.  He's a high-energy guy and is a great at raising the intensity of the players, but I hope that he goes to another team.

The ideal player based on the Bills' needs may be Dion Jordan OLB/DE, Oregon.  Right now he is rated as a mid-first round pick, but of course we know that rankings in January have little bearing on draft positions in April.  The Bills need to scout him heavily and if they feel he is likely to fall to the middle of the round, then trade down to pick up another pick.  Otherwise, he is probably the player that could help Buffalo more than any other player in the draft - if that means taking him with the eighth overall pick then so be it.

The Bills are in a unique situation with Nassib at QB since they have effectively scouted him for several years.  They know him much better than any other team.  Marrone is not going to risk his reputation by selecting a player simply because he coached him at SU.  To draft him and then see him become a bust would be worse than just a bad selection; it would be seen as being derelict. So, if the Bills select Nassib, I think they will have made a very deliberate decision.  If they have any doubts about his NFL potential then I would like to see the select Wilson.  Unfortunately, I doubt he would be available in the second round, so they would either have to forego getting the highest impact player and selecting him at #8, or they would have to trade up for another first-round pick.

The QB from the Univ. of Miami, (Ohio), Zac Dysert, is very intriguing and by the time the draft rolls around I expect he could move up to be a second round prospect; he is almost certain to be have at least a third-round grade.  If the team cannot draft Wilson, and if they are not sold on Nassib, then letting Dysert fall to them may be the way to go.  If Fitzpatrick is willing to restructure his contract then he could compete for the starting job this year with him eventually moving to his suitable role as a back-up QB.

The Ryan Nassib chatter has begun. What a terrible pick that would be (esp in the first round). Maybe Marrone can have his wife be a Buffalo Jill, his brother be the strength and conditioning coach, grab Nassib as QB and heck, take a few other Orangemen with you. 



  

Nassib is a legitimate NFL prospect.  He has the arm strength - unlike Barkley - to succeed in Buffalo.  The Bills are on records as stating that they'll add a QB this off season.  It appears as though they may add two or even three if Fitz is let go.  We should be discussing Nassib, just like every other QB prospect.

What a terrible pick that would be

The fact that he went to Syracuse is not sufficient to support this claim.  What else do you have on Nassib to suggest that he will not succeed in the NFL?

I'm a Syracuse student, so I can say I've seen Nassib play consistently for the last couple seasons. He certainly has the arm strength to play in the Buffalo weather, there's no doubt about that. He has a cannon of an arm, but sometimes it's to his disadvantage. Everything he throws comes at high speeds, even short to intermediate routes. He has trouble putting touch on his passes, which is something that you absolutely have to have to be an NFL quarterback. It is something that can be taught, granted. His arm strength cannot be.


During the Senior Bowl, there were reports of a hitch in his delivery that hurts the quickness and accuracy of his throws. This is 100% true. Look at any tape of him, and the hitch is evident. Once again, with a good QB coach, it's something that can be fixed. But it also takes time and repitition, lots of it.


Everything internally on Nassib checks out. He's EXTREMELY intelligent and knows where the ball needs to go, he just sometimes doesn't get it done. He has a ton of confidence in himself, which is key for any QB. He needs an excellent Combine performance to even be in consideration for a 1st round pick. Right now, I see him as a 2nd-3rd rounder, and if that's the Bills pick, I won't be upset. I just can't see taking him at 8, and I don't think Marrone and Co. can either. In an extremely weak QB class, somebody may take him higher than expected. There isn't a single QB in this draft I want to build the franchise around, especially not at 8. If we take a flier in the mid rounds, it certainly can't hurt. 

Sportsfreak the points you talk about with Nassib are what most scout reports say and his Syracuse tape along with the intangibles make me want him but it would have to be in the 2nd round or later. I just do not see 1st round value there. The only other QB I would take is Tyler Wilson, That would also be 2nd round or later if he falls. 


I just do not see any value at QB in the 1st now. I think the Bills should target LB with 8th overall pick unless they trade down.

 

they should bring Alex Smith in, and wait to next draft to get the qb, this class is very weak, get the LB in 8, then grab some wr, cb help

and plis plis plis resign levitre and byrd 

Definitely not opposed to the whole Alex Smith idea, but I don't think he would consider being a stop-gap guy. I wouldn't want to give up any picks for him, so it would have to come with the Niners cutting him, and not looking to trade him. If we were to sign him at 2/16 range, it would benefit us a ton, I don't think he goes for that. Nassib, Glennon, and Wilson, IF THEY ARE IN THE 2ND ROUND (or later), is ok with me. I've heard reports that Marrone doesn't want Nassib, which I think is ridiculous. Why wouldn't you want the guy you've been coaching the last 4 years? Just doesn't make sense to me. Wish list at 8:

Assuming (never a good thing) Geno Smith, Star Lotulelei, Damontre Moore, Luke Joeckel, Jarvis Jones, Bjoern Werner are gone in no particular order. Seems to be a fairly consisten consensus top 6. Wouldn't want Geno anyways, the other 5 all would be great fits. 

1) Dion Jordan DE Oregon - kid is a beast, will get pressure off the edge no matter who picks him up.
2) Dee Milliner CB Alabama - you can never have enough good corners. Especially not enough of Milliner's ability. Far and away best CB in draft.
3) Eric Fisher OT Central Michigan - I'm not a fan of taking small school guys, but he's unbelievable. Would allow us to move Glenn to a more natural fit at RT
4) Alec Ogletree LB Georgia - Just has a nose for the ball, will help our porous run D
5) Manti Te'o - We all know his situation. I'm on his side, I'm a believer in what he's saying. Kid makes plays, thats what matters to me.


Look out for Chance Warmack, G, Alabama, and Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas if for some reason we don't re-up with Byrd and Levitre...which would be idiotic. 
 

if for some reason we don't re-up with Byrd and Levitre...which would be idiotic.

Agreed, that would be idiotic.  The Bills have done a much better job of resigning their own compared to a few years ago.  Andy Levitre, I believe, genuinely likes being a Bill.  I expect him to resign without too much difficulty.  Byrd, on the other hand, appears to be highly motivated to get max. dollars - for him, I expect the team may need to use the franchise tag.  Regardless, I expect that both will be on the roster this year.

Does the team want to resign McKelvin?  As a CB he is not going to be in high demand.  There are few better returnmen; I know it's relatively easy to replace players in this position.  My preference is that he resigns at a price that reflects his return prowess, but if he wants to be paid like a quality CB then - well, we'll see you later.  The team needs more defensive backfield help and Dee Milliner may be the BAP once the eighth pick of the draft rolls around.

As things stand now, I want the Bills to find a way to get Dion Jordan and a QB in the second or third round.

After some cuts and players available for trade etc the Bills have some more options. I have heard the Vikings are looking to trade Percy Harvin I would love the Bills to explore a trade for him he is explosive and on field exactly what the Bills need. Some of the Jets players recently cut or soon to be free agents that played under Pettine might be brought in to help install his system who would you like to brought in.

i dont think harvin is what we need... i would like better a Mike Wallace type of player, but a what cost?

and yes the calvinpace-bartscott duo can help a lot this year, maybe 2
 

Mike Wallace has lost some value since last offseason but I think someone still over pays for him. Don't see it being the Bills. I don't think they will get any of the bigger names this year. For QB I was thinking if either were available trading for Nick Foles or Kirk Cousins might be good options both had some moments and were rookies last year so could be the teams QB of the future.

I think Pace and Scott could be on the Bills radar especially with the release of Nick Barnett, I think LaRon Landry could be in play as well due to George Wilson getting released today. I could see the Bills going for a hard hitting SS to replace Wilson as that is the type of player who fits Pettine's MO.


Who else do you see the Bills releasing? I could see Chris Kelsay and Spencer Johnson going also. 


 

what about fitzpatrick, mcgee, troup, merriman, morrison

I am sure McGee restructured his deal but could be a casualty, Merriman is a FA, Troup is possible but most analysts are saying it would not be sensible for the Bills to cut Fitz with the amount of due to the cap even by cutting him. Morrison is likely gone as well.

Fitzpatrick is not going to get cut; it would still be too much of a cap hit.  It is, however, very likely that the Bills will try to renegotiate his contract.  With no other QB's, (other than B. Smith, if he counts as a QB), on the roster, the team cannot start from ground-zero.  Fitz will never be better than a slightly sub-500 QB, but he is better than nothing.

The team will almost certainly draft a QB.  I hope that they wait until the second or even third round.  They are also going to need to bring in at least one FA.  Fitz is a smart game-manager; he would be an almost ideal back-up.  I think all the QB's will be given a real shot at competing for the starting job.  If Fitz wins that competition... well, it is never too early in Buffalo to start talking about next year.

I'm not concerned with trading a draft pick for Alex Smith. Being concerned about this assumes the Bills would have actually made an intelligent pick with it and we all know that's not going to happen so it's really like giving up nothing.

Smith could work in this system. As more of a game manager type (although he and others see it differently) he could thrive with a Bills offense that will have multiple elite RB options and should have a decent O-line. Get another legit threat besides Stevie and finally a TE and the Bills O could be dangerous.

So now the Bills have released George Wilson and Nick Barnett to create cap space. A defense that is already horrifying just created more holes that they will surely try to replace with cheaper and better alternatives. Cheaper doesn't usually equal better. But it can if you have brilliant minds making personnel decisions...

i think that if they bring some of the Jets players its gonna be a good thing to teach the new system to the players..

Eric Winston is a player who the Bills should target, he was just released by the Chiefs. The Raiders are rumoured to be releasing Rolando McClain who would be a great for at ILB for the Bills. I know he has had some off field issues but he is a good player and has potential to be even better.