1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,120 Alright, welcome back to the Buffalo Bread Podcast, JJ here with… 2 00:00:09,120 --> 00:00:15,600 No, after this past week, there's a lot of Buffalo Bills Monty out there feeling a 3 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:17,040 lot of different ways. 4 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:23,240 We had what many refer to as Red Wednesday this week. 5 00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:27,160 It was a hard time. 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:35,480 From no news at all for so long to a flurry of roster moves, restructures, cuts, and 7 00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:39,880 just a lot of different things happening that I think a lot of people in the world 8 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:45,440 of sports media have been expecting some of these things, but certainly not all the things. 9 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:47,440 Dan, where do you want to start? 10 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:48,440 How are you feeling? 11 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:53,160 How have you recovered from Wednesday? 12 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:58,200 You know, we are very purposefully, JJ, we are not a reaction pod. 13 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:04,040 We are a once a week, we kind of take it all in six days a week, and then we give measured 14 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:10,360 and reasoned responses to everything we see happening in Buffalo Bills World on that seventh 15 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:11,360 day. 16 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:17,120 And this was the first time, I think, in three, four years that we've been doing this pod, 17 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:23,120 where I really just wanted to give a reaction to what I was seeing on Wednesday. 18 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,720 It was very surprising. 19 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:31,320 I don't think when you take the moves individually is the right way to describe it. 20 00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:38,800 But when taken in totality, and when you look at the stark contrast between what Bean did 21 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:45,200 on Wednesday versus how other teams like the Saints and the Rams being two notable examples, 22 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:50,440 how they choose to manage their veteran player and their veteran cap numbers. 23 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:58,640 I mean, I think it is safe to say that this was a novel and not quite seen before approach 24 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:04,040 to roster reconstruction on the fly in the modern NFL. 25 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,640 It's rare in the offseason that the bills capture national headlines, but what Bean 26 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:09,840 did on Wednesday did so. 27 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:14,880 And it wasn't just because of the volume of moves that he made, but it was the the intention 28 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:16,240 behind those moves. 29 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:22,520 It was not just to clear cap for this year and be functional for this year from a salary 30 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:23,920 cap perspective. 31 00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:32,040 It was also done very intentionally to not kick future numbers down the road to 25 and 32 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:33,600 to 26. 33 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:39,400 They clearly valued at one bills drive JJ future flexibility. 34 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:44,200 So to take these moves into their full context, I think it's worth having a discussion about 35 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:50,280 what it means for the bills in the 2024 season, but what potential doors these moves open up 36 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:56,520 for future years, particularly in 25 and 26, because most notable to me, we didn't see 37 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:58,680 a Dion Dawkins extension. 38 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,120 We didn't see a Taryn Johnson extension in this either. 39 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:05,520 And we didn't see a restructure of Dawson Knox. 40 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:10,760 That tells me future looking forward that the bills are going to be very, very careful 41 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:15,080 moving forward with some of these veteran contracts about kicking money down the road. 42 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:16,080 Yeah, absolutely. 43 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:23,680 And I also think it shows that Brandon Bean, I think that he has declared that the bills 44 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:30,080 championship window is open in his mind by really leaning into what I believe is going 45 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:36,240 to be a year over year practice of one year vet minimum deals for team or for players that 46 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:40,320 would like to join a team that will be in contention at the end of the year. 47 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:46,200 I think that that's the thing is, he acknowledges that Josh Allen is probably a top three, top 48 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:53,560 five quarterback in the league unequivocably, and he knows that he can dangle Josh Allen's 49 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:54,840 presence. 50 00:03:54,840 --> 00:04:00,920 This bills roster, the organization successes in front of some of these vet minimum deals 51 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:07,000 and say, listen, you want to do some ring chasing, come join us, be part of the run that pushes 52 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:11,360 us past the chiefs and in the AFC to represent the Super Bowl. 53 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:16,040 And so I think that that's also what this move indicates is that, you know, it's kind 54 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:17,040 of boastful, right? 55 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,680 It's to say that the bills are a year over year contender. 56 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:24,480 We can get your services for cheaper than the opponents. 57 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:28,840 And you know, we do not need to kick money down the road. 58 00:04:28,840 --> 00:04:33,440 We do not need to clear up all this space and overpay for people because you want to 59 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:34,600 play for us. 60 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,960 We don't have to entice you to play for, you know, to play in Buffalo. 61 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:41,960 We're the desired location. 62 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,440 Absolutely. 63 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:51,400 And this was a this was a a zag on beans part as he has tended to do, I think, as GM for 64 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:52,840 the Buffalo bills. 65 00:04:52,840 --> 00:04:58,040 It's not that he bucks conventional wisdom all the time, JJ, but when you look at the 66 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:04,080 drafting of Josh Allen, to the extended period of time after he had resigned Allen to that 67 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:10,080 mega money deal, that they continued to invest in a veteran presence on this roster, you 68 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:14,440 and I talked about maybe they needed to start resetting some of these positions, most notably 69 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:21,640 safety last season or even two seasons ago to stay ahead of the eventual Josh Allen salary 70 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:23,200 bump. 71 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:26,240 And and Bean didn't do that. 72 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:32,840 He did the exact opposite where he stuck with this philosophy of signing veteran floor razors 73 00:05:32,840 --> 00:05:38,360 year after year after year, extending a lot of these guys year after year after year till 74 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:44,600 he came to this this sort of straw that breaks the camel's back moment where he had to do 75 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:49,760 something about the roster construction against the cap. 76 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:55,800 And then it is a complete 180 from how he has built this roster in the past with all 77 00:05:55,800 --> 00:06:00,320 of these veteran cuts, they're now going to be forced, I think, with the exception of 78 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:04,200 a couple of key areas that I think they can address of her agency, they're going to be 79 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:11,480 forced to play high variance, young players on cheap, cheap deals that are contract controlled 80 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,840 for many, many years. 81 00:06:13,840 --> 00:06:17,400 It is a overnight almost shift in philosophy. 82 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:21,000 But I think to your point, acknowledgement of the reality that the window is open as 83 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,640 long as you have Josh Allen on the roster. 84 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:29,760 So building around Josh intentionally year after year is the way that they're going to 85 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:34,480 go, it seems like it and not to say that they haven't been. 86 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,640 They haven't valued Josh. 87 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:40,960 But I think we can all agree when you look at the way they have spent free agent capital 88 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:46,560 investing so heavily in the defensive line, where they have sunk a lot of their extension 89 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:53,480 money with the exception of Stefan Diggs and and Dawson Knox, it's been on the defensive 90 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:54,960 side of the ball. 91 00:06:54,960 --> 00:07:00,520 This to me is a signal that they're ready to finally pry the Super Bowl window open and 92 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:05,560 build intentionally around Josh, because the players that you can get on the offensive 93 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:10,640 side and free agency in the draft are going to be much more cost affordable for the most 94 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:14,600 part than the guys that are going to be looking to fill spots on the defensive side of the 95 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:15,600 ball. 96 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:20,280 So it's going to be fascinating to see how this team approaches free agency JJ. 97 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:24,880 But before we get into any of that, because I do feel like we've got to reset the table 98 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:31,080 now from all of our carefully planned free agent preview and draft preview, I think we 99 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:36,640 got to talk about in specificity, the moves that were made and kind of what that signals 100 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:43,080 to you and I about where this roster is headed for the 24 season and beyond. 101 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:44,600 So do you want to dig into some of these moves? 102 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:48,800 I mean, we can just run down what the moves were to first. 103 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,400 And I think that, you know, that that's a good place to start. 104 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:56,880 So on the offensive side of the ball, the Buffalo Bills, of course, traded Ryan Rick 105 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,960 Bates to Chicago. 106 00:07:59,960 --> 00:08:05,080 His team that was courting him when they signed, they matched the offer, offer sheet and signed 107 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,080 him to extended contract two years ago. 108 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:14,440 He had one year with 35 snaps last year as an outstanding backup kind of all do it all 109 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:20,560 versatile offensive lineman, but then they sent him to Chicago for a fifth round pick. 110 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,920 So they added in their middle rounds to the war chest. 111 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:29,520 And I think both of us kind of assumed that with Ryan Bates being traded away that Mitch 112 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:34,880 Morse's safety on the roster was pretty much locked in because he would it was the number 113 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:36,920 one backup at center. 114 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:40,280 But lo and behold, that was not the case. 115 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:45,120 Morse was about 8.4 million, 8.3 million savings to be cut. 116 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:47,600 And he indeed cut he was. 117 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:53,520 They cut a, you know, pro bowl caliber center probably above average and above average and 118 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:56,320 I think would be considered a valuable contract. 119 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:59,240 I think it's 31. 120 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:06,760 And yeah, so above average centers who start in this league are paid or around $8 million. 121 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:14,120 So it seems like it was really leaning into Conor McGovern moving over from guard to center. 122 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:19,160 The bills definitely let that leak because I think that they, you know, probably wanted 123 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:23,320 any free agents out there, especially on the offensive side of the ball to not, you know, 124 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:27,240 to look at the bills as a landing spot and say, okay, they have a complete line because 125 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,880 that was that was leaked through Tim Graham of the athletic. 126 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:35,040 And then it made its made its rounds online that the, the bills plan and the way they 127 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:41,640 explained it to McGovern and David Edwards, who they resign, was that McGovern would move 128 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:42,640 over to center. 129 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:45,760 They would get some snaps in the NFL in that position, not many. 130 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,960 And then David Edwards, who's a natural left guard would fill in at left guard. 131 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:50,800 So they still have a complete starting line. 132 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:52,720 And I'm actually okay with that starting line. 133 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:58,640 They have, they are worse at this point in time in terms of depth, but I think that it 134 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:06,320 is a younger line of people and that is something that we've wanted them to get towards. 135 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:08,440 It's also a heavier line, JJ. 136 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:14,320 And I think, you know, I think so you and I got into it over text on Tuesday night when 137 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:17,320 the Bates trade got announced. 138 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:22,880 I didn't like the Bates move, but I was with you because I thought it was a clear signal 139 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:29,120 that all right, Mitch Morris finally got a full healthy season as a Buffalo bill under 140 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:30,480 his belt. 141 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:35,400 They're going to, because they could have restructured his deal and done a base salary 142 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:41,000 conversion and kicked more money down the road and still saved about three or four million 143 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:49,160 under the cap and have kept Morris or Morris rather on the roster because the Bates move, 144 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,440 it doesn't save them a whole lot of money against the cap. 145 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:55,880 He was scheduled to make five, just over five million, I want to say this season. 146 00:10:55,880 --> 00:11:01,000 And his dead cat, dead cat hit hit was right around 4.1 million. 147 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:06,480 So the Bates move to me was a signal, if you're not going to get cap savings, it was a signal 148 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,920 that Morris is your guy of the future. 149 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:15,280 Then the following day he gets cut for his full salary savings of $8.4 million. 150 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:19,480 And we get the news that McGovern, who hasn't played meaningful snaps at center since his 151 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:23,800 days at Penn State, moves over into that role. 152 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:31,600 So JJ, I think this move, when all of those factors are evaluated, this move is the most 153 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:38,800 surprising to me because it messes with a formula that for the first time in seven years under 154 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:42,520 this regime, they got right on the offensive line. 155 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:47,800 And you and I have both been critical on this pod about the way they have managed resources, 156 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:51,680 development, and snaps along that offensive line. 157 00:11:51,680 --> 00:11:55,320 I was just today because I'm I miss Buffalo Bills football. 158 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:56,680 I was watching the NFL network. 159 00:11:56,680 --> 00:12:02,040 I was home with my kids and they had the 2021 Tennessee Titans regular season game. 160 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:06,880 That was the game where I think Josh, that was the only time Josh has ever like failed 161 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:09,680 to complete a fourth and one in any situation. 162 00:12:09,680 --> 00:12:11,520 The Bills end up losing that game. 163 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:18,080 And I was just rewatching that game and Josh was running for his life pretty much the entire 164 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:25,480 game and seeing that and then thinking back to what this what this Bills brain trust has 165 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:30,240 done to the offensive line to dismantle what was a top five by a top five line by a lot 166 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,640 of metrics. 167 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,200 It made me a little bit unsettled. 168 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,040 I understand the salary cap metrics around it. 169 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:42,920 I even understand the offensive philosophy around it because this to me isn't just a salary 170 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:44,260 cap move. 171 00:12:44,260 --> 00:12:50,880 This is what Joe Brady, ultimately, I think our first big sign of what a Joe Brady offense 172 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:51,880 is going to look like. 173 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:57,000 And it's going to feature a bigger offensive line to take on some of these fast and ever 174 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,320 decreasing these tiny defenses. 175 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:01,240 I'll allow the Dallas Cowboys. 176 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,040 I think they're going to want to just put some brutes on the front of that line, some 177 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:09,400 real big mallers, and they're going to want to establish themselves in the run game more 178 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:10,640 and more. 179 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:16,920 So the more smooth when all those factors are taken into consideration to me, it makes 180 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,520 sense in my brain. 181 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:25,240 But my heart tells me that for a couple of reasons, I should be concerned about this 182 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:31,960 move one, because he was a really true locker room leader, like he was a voice of reason. 183 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:37,640 And I think a calming, stabilizing presence in a locker room full of veterans. 184 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:42,320 He was the one that everybody looked towards, look towards on the offensive side of the 185 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,480 ball to kind of set the tenor and set the tone. 186 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:50,160 I think they're going to be missing that very much so because McDermott, as we know, relies 187 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:57,160 a lot on his player leaders to help set the tone day in and day out in that locker room. 188 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:02,120 So I think my heart tells me that that more smooth is going to leave a big gaping hole 189 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:05,080 when it comes to player leadership in the locker room. 190 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:10,480 Secondly, this is a move that you can read either to one of two ways, supreme confidence 191 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:16,760 in Aaron Kromer to develop anybody that they bring in to play any position along that line. 192 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:24,200 It is either confidence or on the flip side of that tremendous hubris again by an organization 193 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:29,280 that in six out of the last seven years has absolutely gotten the protection wrong for 194 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:31,040 their franchise QB. 195 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:37,040 So the Morse move to me was the one that left me feeling the most wanting JJ, especially 196 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:42,360 because you basically just traded your two primary centers off the roster and you still 197 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:46,440 could have gotten a cap savings with Morse had you done a base salary conversion. 198 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:47,920 Yeah, no, I get that. 199 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:53,200 And I think that one thing that you said in there kind of it piqued me a little bit because 200 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:55,520 I think that that's exactly what it is. 201 00:14:55,520 --> 00:15:02,200 Is being always talks about how your last the last game you play informs your offseason. 202 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:06,080 And there are a couple of things that they could not do against the Kansas City Chiefs 203 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:11,280 or that they the things they did well in the game and the things they could not do will 204 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:15,200 inform how they build this this team in the offseason. 205 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:20,800 The thing they did well was play clock control time management, but they could have done 206 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:25,000 better with a more established rushing offense. 207 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:31,160 And I think that you can say that losing Morse and Bates reduces your capabilities in a rushing 208 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:32,160 offense. 209 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:36,880 But I think the thing that you said that kind of triggered me a little bit was they got bigger 210 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:37,880 on the front. 211 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:43,040 And I think that's really the purpose is that Brady comes from that college tree. 212 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:51,020 He comes ultimately up from the Sean McVeigh, no, Sean Payton tree of coaching. 213 00:15:51,020 --> 00:15:56,760 And so he has a definite appreciation and respect for the run game and how it can work 214 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:58,240 in the modern NFL. 215 00:15:58,240 --> 00:15:59,240 And I think you're right. 216 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:04,600 I think there's a trend to move to lighter, lighter boxes in terms of weight poundage, 217 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,640 lighter linebackers who are covered specialists across the league. 218 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:11,240 That's we see that happening all over the bills or even one of those teams who has that. 219 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:17,200 So the ability to kind of match up and really impose your will control the clock, keep opposing 220 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:21,960 quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Tua Tunga-Veiloa off the field. 221 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:26,640 I think that might be the move that this is signaling because they increase the average 222 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:28,520 weight across that line. 223 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:34,520 And in terms of the locker room leadership, I think that just from what everyone sees 224 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:40,160 of the public persona of Deion Dawkins, he's not like calming presence elder statesman. 225 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:43,480 He's a bit of a showman, kind of a clown at times, right? 226 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:48,040 And so I wonder where they get that from. 227 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,880 Who's going to be that person? 228 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:52,160 Is it McGovern? 229 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:53,160 Is it Edwards? 230 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:55,400 They've both got a couple of years under their belt. 231 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,480 We don't know what they could be like as leaders because they probably deferred to Morris. 232 00:16:58,480 --> 00:16:59,480 Of course they did. 233 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:06,040 He was a pro bowl caliber center who had cut his teeth, you know, with Patrick Mahomes 234 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:11,080 up under his butt and then moved on to Josh Allen and was a calming presence for a rookie 235 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:13,240 QB in his first few seed leagues. 236 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:16,920 So you know, I think there's a lot there. 237 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,440 And I'm excited to see what they can do. 238 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:24,840 And I do think that they have ultimate confidence in Aaron Kroemer because of what he was able 239 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:29,240 to do with Osiris Torrance because of how he was able to assimilate Conor McGovern into 240 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:33,920 this offense pretty quickly because of how it meshed and blended. 241 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:38,800 And they certainly got lucky with no injuries, but they also were able to really create a 242 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:43,200 unit that covered each other's backs that were able to handle twists and stunts. 243 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:47,840 As the season went on, I think we both saw that some of the weakness that was, you know, 244 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:53,720 earlier in the year with speed rushes, twists, stunts, delayed blitzes, kind of peeker blitzes, 245 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:56,400 those sorts of things, that started to get cleaned up. 246 00:17:56,400 --> 00:18:00,520 And that's what I think, you know, triggered some of these moves is they said, okay, we 247 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:05,080 know that we can bring brand new pieces in and get them on board. 248 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:07,360 And we're ready to get younger, cheaper. 249 00:18:07,360 --> 00:18:13,120 This is a very deep offensive line draft, especially in the middle to late rounds. 250 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:17,640 If you're willing to take a player that has either not a lot of starts under their belt 251 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:22,760 in college, but a lot of traits, or a player who has a lot of starts, but not a lot of 252 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:23,760 elite traits. 253 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:25,200 So they have a higher floor. 254 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:31,200 This is a good draft for that in the rounds three through seven. 255 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:35,760 Tanner Bordellini from Wisconsin is a name that immediately comes to mind. 256 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:41,240 We had talked on the last pod about the Duke kid, right? 257 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:42,240 His name is K.B. 258 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:43,240 Rick Rambarton. 259 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:48,440 I think his name is, he's played tackle, but in the NFLE profiles to the inside. 260 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:50,440 Frazier, the kid out of West Virginia. 261 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:52,040 Javon Foster out of Missouri. 262 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:57,200 Jackson Powers Johnson is another one we talked about. 263 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:02,320 I think though, based on still the amount of veteran cap hit they've got in this offensive 264 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:07,680 line, I think you look fourth, fifth, even sixth round. 265 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:12,960 And I think a guy like Tanner Bordellini from Wisconsin, six, four, three, 10 is going to 266 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:17,560 become more of the profile they're going to look at when it comes to their interior and 267 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:20,160 their center position for sure. 268 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:23,960 I think Brady just wants to get big and he wants to push some of these light boxes around 269 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,080 and he wants to let James Cook have a day. 270 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:27,080 And you know what? 271 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:28,080 I'm okay with that. 272 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:34,360 But as long as they also, once these defenses start to condense and bring guys in and dirty 273 00:19:34,360 --> 00:19:39,360 up the box a little bit, as long as he can develop a scheme that'll then be able to take 274 00:19:39,360 --> 00:19:40,960 the top off the defense, right? 275 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:42,200 Because that's what it's all about. 276 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:43,200 That's what it's all about. 277 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,320 So I was going to say, yeah, no, I agree completely. 278 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:50,480 And I'll throw a couple of other, you know, I'll throw some alphabet soup names, names 279 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,240 out you, out at you of players I like late in the draft. 280 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:55,040 Nathan Thomas out of Louisiana. 281 00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:56,720 Lafayette, that's right. 282 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:00,160 Kagan Cajuns is a tackle who could probably slide into guard. 283 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:03,560 Trevor Keegan out of Michigan just went on that championship run. 284 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:04,560 Oh, boy. 285 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:06,720 Could be had in a later round. 286 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:10,120 Not a super superb athlete, but definitely has the chops starting against him. 287 00:20:10,120 --> 00:20:13,160 Some good opposition. 288 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:19,320 And then Hunter Norzad Penn State Center, six, six round maybe. 289 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:20,720 So there's there's a couple of guys. 290 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:22,440 There's some guys late in the game. 291 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:26,280 Georgia, Cedric Van Pran, maybe a fourth rounder. 292 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:28,720 Is the the center from Georgia. 293 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:33,680 So there's some options, I think that the bills could tap into. 294 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:38,200 And it was notable too, because they re-signed Edwards, which you and I would hope they would 295 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:42,200 do granted as a depth piece. 296 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:46,920 Right now, technically on the depth chart, he has their starting left guard in place 297 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:48,320 of McGovern. 298 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:52,800 That being said, though, the organization said he'll have the opportunity to compete 299 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:54,360 for a starting job. 300 00:20:54,360 --> 00:20:59,320 So they have Edwards name in the starting lineup in pencil, not Penn. 301 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:03,360 It's going to be really interesting to see as we dive a little bit more into and for 302 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:05,120 agency will tell us a lot. 303 00:21:05,120 --> 00:21:10,240 But as we dive more into the draft and as we sift through some of the breadcrumbs, do 304 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:11,400 do the bills. 305 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:16,040 I mean, we've been talking about wide receiver round one, DT safety. 306 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:20,560 I mean, are the bills going to take an interior offensive lineman round two or three? 307 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:25,400 I think I think it is absolutely on the table now, JJ for sure, especially because these 308 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:27,880 guys are so hard to find. 309 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:32,920 And when you find them, you've got to pay them a boatload of money after their rookie 310 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:33,920 contract. 311 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:36,440 Who's the who's the LA LA Rams guy? 312 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:38,840 They just got Kevin Dotson. 313 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:43,600 He just signed and he played great for the Rams. 314 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,600 He just signed for 16 million dollars a year. 315 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:48,640 That's an interior offensive lineman. 316 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:49,640 I remember. 317 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:52,120 It was four years ago. 318 00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:53,440 You could have the best. 319 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:57,560 Who's the guard from Indy who is so good? 320 00:21:57,560 --> 00:21:58,560 Quentin Nelson. 321 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:03,400 I think Quentin Nelson's deal he signed after his rookie season was like eight million. 322 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,640 It was not, you know, per average annual value. 323 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:12,440 And like he was known immediately as like a league, you know, top of the league's guard 324 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:13,720 right out of the gate. 325 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:19,000 And so like, yeah, four or five years ago, you could have an interior line for $30 million 326 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:23,920 that would get, you know, get you a thousand yard rusher no matter who you put behind them. 327 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:26,000 And now it's, you know, that's one guy. 328 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:27,640 That's two guys. 329 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:28,640 Right. 330 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:33,720 I mean, it's almost becoming like the running back position where there's when you look 331 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:38,880 at a lot of draft charts, there is not a huge amount of value taking a guard in the first 332 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:42,760 round or taking interior offensive lineman in the first round. 333 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:47,160 But because these guys keep the pocket clean up the middle for a lot of these mobile QBs 334 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:52,800 that can use their legs and because they open up escape holes for a lot of these QBs, they're 335 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:53,800 getting paid. 336 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:57,000 They're getting paid on their second and on their third contracts. 337 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:04,040 So we could be entering a realm where Brandon Bean does his best Philadelphia Eagles impression 338 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:09,000 and is just always throwing a second or a third round pick every year in offensive lineman. 339 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:13,280 Now I think Bill's mafia would prefer to see that as opposed to throwing a second and third 340 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,320 round pick every year to running back. 341 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:16,320 Right. 342 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:17,880 Yeah, for sure. 343 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:25,000 So the C change in roster management JJ is going to be fascinating to observe here. 344 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:26,000 Absolutely. 345 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:29,200 Let's run through some other moves because I think there was one, one that we're going 346 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:34,320 to get to that was equally, if not more surprising than the more so. 347 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:40,320 So we'll stay on the offensive side of the ball for the two kind of two other lesser 348 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:42,280 contracts that everyone sort of expected. 349 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:47,560 Deontay Hardy, Naim Hines, those are each about $5 million that they save. 350 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:49,760 They don't really eat a lot of dead cap. 351 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:54,000 Deontay Hardy, other than that, Plunt returned in the Miami Dolphins game to help kind of 352 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:58,360 turn the tide and clinched AFC East had a very quiet season. 353 00:23:58,360 --> 00:24:01,880 I think he also had a third down reception against the Chiefs that was clutching that 354 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:02,880 game. 355 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:07,360 Naim Hines, of course, was in the unfortunate jet skiing accident before the season kicked 356 00:24:07,360 --> 00:24:08,360 off. 357 00:24:08,360 --> 00:24:16,440 So the ACL was recovering from that and so both of those cuts, sort of everybody expecting, 358 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:18,640 there's not a lot to lose in those. 359 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:24,920 I think there's guys like Deontay Hardy and Naim Hines you can find for 1.75 million, 360 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:28,720 vet minimum deals to catch kicks for you to return kicks. 361 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:31,120 But it does create a hole in special teams. 362 00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:36,160 And speaking of special teams, the other person they cut was Saron Neal and he was a special 363 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:40,000 teams ace and a somewhat of a liability on defense. 364 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:46,600 I think that he at times was utilized to try to take away tight ends and be like a big 365 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,760 nickel in certain defensive sets. 366 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:54,040 And most of the times he was on the field for defense, it did not go super well. 367 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:56,960 He was not making impact plays, splash plays. 368 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,400 He was sometimes out of position on run fits. 369 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:03,120 And so Saron Neal never turned into a player who could really offer you anything on defense 370 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:04,680 and for that reason, I think they had to move on. 371 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:09,920 I think it was like three or four million on the books that they cleaned up by moving 372 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:10,920 on from Saron Neal. 373 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:15,000 So those are some of the lower tier ones. 374 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:19,640 Is Boyer the one you want to talk about next? 375 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:25,320 Boyer was the one that really hit me in my heart the most. 376 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:26,320 I do know him. 377 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:28,840 You've met him. 378 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:36,880 And so I had the good fortune of helping to book him at a previous professional stop 379 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:39,760 that I made at a previous company. 380 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:45,640 We brought him in to talk with some of our students about his recovery from alcoholism, 381 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:50,760 how it impacted him not only as a professional and a player, but as a family man. 382 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:55,000 And to this date, I'll still talk with some of my former colleagues because I've since 383 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:57,640 moved on from that particular organization. 384 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:02,160 But I'll still talk with some of my colleagues and they will note how impactful and memorable 385 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,200 that talk was. 386 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:10,400 So not only do I have a tremendous amount of respect for Jordan Boyer the player, but 387 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:18,360 Jordan Boyer the human being and having the good fortune of seeing how inspirational and 388 00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:24,960 how empathetic he was to an auditorium of a thousand students who he didn't know, but 389 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:28,360 still chose to give his time to. 390 00:26:28,360 --> 00:26:34,440 It was it was a great moment, not just as a fan, but as a now former educator to see 391 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:38,240 someone like that give themselves to that group in that way. 392 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:43,840 So Boyer from a player perspective and a human being perspective will always be in my personal 393 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:45,080 Hall of Fame. 394 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:49,520 That's the one I think emotionally that hit me the hardest, JJ, but it was not the one 395 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:51,520 that surprised me the most. 396 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:52,520 Yes. 397 00:26:52,520 --> 00:27:01,080 So this originally got got posted in the media is a contract restructure. 398 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:04,560 A contract restructure typically kicks money down the road. 399 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:06,480 That is not what happened here. 400 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:12,160 This was a full renegotiation where the bills can still get out of Von Miller's deal after 401 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:13,880 the end of the season. 402 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:19,740 His cap hit for next season only went up about a million dollars as a result of the renegotiation. 403 00:27:19,740 --> 00:27:25,560 So they're not kicking money down the road and he took a real pay cut going from about 404 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:30,160 17 million against the cap, although we had it all the way down to eight and that number 405 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:32,800 can go back up to 20. 406 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:37,360 If he hits certain incentives and certain markers, but that money won't hit this year's 407 00:27:37,360 --> 00:27:42,160 cap that'll hit next year's cap if he reaches any of those incentive benchmarks. 408 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:43,160 Yeah. 409 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:44,920 JJ, we talked about this. 410 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:51,280 The bills had no leverage, no leverage whatsoever to get Von Miller to take a pay cut. 411 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:59,120 This is like some Brandon Bean Houdini stuff because we thought anyone that would sign 412 00:27:59,120 --> 00:28:03,840 on the current roster and incentive laden deal would be Trey White because not a lot 413 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:09,840 of money was it was guaranteed and the bills could cut him and still recoup a lot of their 414 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:11,720 cap at Miller. 415 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:16,360 His dead cap hit was more than what his salary cap hit would have been had he remained on 416 00:28:16,360 --> 00:28:17,440 the roster. 417 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,000 He could have easily just said, nope, I've got a contract. 418 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:26,480 I'm going to collect my 17.5 and he took, JJ, he took a $10 million pay cut. 419 00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:27,480 Like how did he do that? 420 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:28,800 See, I don't know that Bean did that. 421 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:31,960 I think that Miller did that. 422 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:36,760 I think that, well, I'm sure Bean started open the conversation, but I think, yeah. 423 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:41,160 I was going to say, there's no way Von like walked, walked, walked, walked and didn't 424 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:45,120 mean to say, man, listen, I didn't play great last year. 425 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:46,440 No, right. 426 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:47,880 All the off the field stuff. 427 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:48,880 Sorry about that. 428 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:49,880 Here's 10 mil. 429 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:54,560 I'll say, I don't think, you know, certainly, certainly Bean opened the conversation, but 430 00:28:54,560 --> 00:29:00,280 I do think that credit needs to be given to Miller, who wants to be a GM in his post playing 431 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:05,040 career and who wants to, this is, this is in a lot of ways. 432 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:09,320 It is Miller broadcasting to the league, to teams that might be hiring a GM immediately 433 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:10,760 after he returns. 434 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:13,560 I understand how the cap works. 435 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:19,360 It's that he knows as a player who is hungry to set an NFL record by winning a third Super 436 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:22,240 Bowl ring with three different teams. 437 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:25,640 It is a, it is a savvy move of a vet who has that goal in mind. 438 00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:28,440 And if you've ever heard him talk, he's like all about positivity. 439 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:32,480 He's all about like manifesting your, your reality and that sort of thing. 440 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:38,080 It is about a player kind of dedicating himself to this, this thing of post post playing career 441 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:39,840 I might want to work in a front office. 442 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,160 I want to declare that I know how the cap works. 443 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:47,560 I know that my goal of getting a third Super Bowl ring is not going to be as easy to attain 444 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:53,000 if I don't have somebody rushing across from me or a good, healthy rotation or a solid 445 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:57,200 defensive tackle to kind of gobble up double teams. 446 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:00,040 And so I think in a lot of ways it's a self serving. 447 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:04,160 It's his one, it's self serving in that he knows he'll be more successful if they have 448 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:12,040 some cap room to play in free agency a little bit and two, it is also, it's a little bit 449 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:18,920 of, you know, him betting on himself because he can make more money this season than he 450 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:23,320 was guaranteed to make if he hits his, his incentives. 451 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:28,440 And so he has incentives that stack at two sacks, four sacks, six sacks, eight sacks, 452 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:29,640 10 and a half sacks. 453 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:31,800 And finally at 15 sacks. 454 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:36,360 He has not had 10 or more sacks since 2018. 455 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:42,560 So those last two rungs of that ladder that jump like 2 million and 1 million respectively 456 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:44,120 are pretty unlikely. 457 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:48,240 And that's really how the bills got this cap savings is we've discussed on the pods in 458 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:51,960 the past about unlikely to be earned incentives. 459 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:55,560 So you don't actually have to count on your cap if you have in someone's contract that 460 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:59,120 they, they'll get $10 million for getting 10 sacks. 461 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:03,560 If in the priors immediate prior season, they did not achieve 10 sacks. 462 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:05,040 That's not likely to be earned. 463 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:07,000 That doesn't count this year. 464 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:11,360 If they do achieve those 10 sacks, it does count, but it counts in the next year of the 465 00:31:11,360 --> 00:31:12,360 cap. 466 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:18,880 And so for those reasons, you know, I think that it's really him one, understanding how 467 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:22,120 the cap works and that he needs help on the defensive line. 468 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,160 And they have a lot of holes there right now. 469 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:26,680 And so giving them some relief will actually help him. 470 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:31,640 And then two, it's about betting on himself because he's a prideful man and he wants to 471 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:37,600 prove that he wasn't just, he wasn't complete wash this late in his career after the injury. 472 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:42,640 And so, you know, we'll see, like this is, we knew all along with how the contract was 473 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:48,120 structured before this renegotiation happened that he wasn't going anywhere and that the 474 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:51,920 best the bills could hope for was that they would have a healthier, more impactful Vaughan 475 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:55,000 Miller, you know, in this coming season. 476 00:31:55,000 --> 00:32:00,120 And he is sort of with this renegotiation declaring that he plans to be more impactful 477 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:04,080 because he, you know, there's a lot of millions of dollars sitting on the table if he is able 478 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:08,960 to make an impact. 479 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:14,960 I know it still though it, I mean, Vaughan Miller, everything you said was correct. 480 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:15,960 Let me just put it that way. 481 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:22,160 And I think your, your analysis of Miller's personality is spot on. 482 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:27,240 For anyone who's read any of these player profiles that Miller's been a part of throughout 483 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:35,320 the course of his career in Denver, LA and now Buffalo, what you said JJ is 110% on target. 484 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:36,920 Miller though is still part of a union. 485 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:38,960 Oh yeah, they were pissed at that. 486 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:39,960 The players union. 487 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:46,480 I've got, I've, I've got to imagine that that was a contentious conversation with the union 488 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:53,080 because all of these scales are set by, you know, veteran ceilings and stuff like that. 489 00:32:53,080 --> 00:32:57,120 Vaughan giving up money isn't just about him giving up money. 490 00:32:57,120 --> 00:33:02,720 It's now the next deal that an organization tries to get done with a veteran of his caliber 491 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:07,840 and his resume is going to be like, well, listen, man, Vaughan took eight and a half million 492 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:08,840 dollars, right? 493 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:09,840 He's going to be a Hall of Famer. 494 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:10,840 24 season. 495 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:12,480 That's our new benchmark, right? 496 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:15,320 And he's going to the Hall of Fame and he's got two Super Bowl rings, right? 497 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:22,400 I mean, so I've got to imagine that this was contentious in ways that we may never know 498 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:25,240 behind the scenes for Miller and Miller's camp. 499 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:30,160 I was going to say refer, refer to my previous statement about him declaring to NFL teams 500 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:31,920 that might want to hire a GM. 501 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:33,880 I know how the business works. 502 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:35,520 I'm not player friendly. 503 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:37,440 I'm team friendly. 504 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:42,360 Dude, it is, this is four dimensional chess. 505 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:43,360 Yeah. 506 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:44,360 Right. 507 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:46,640 I'm on Miller's part, 100%. 508 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:49,600 But no, I mean, this was other than the Morse move. 509 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:52,120 I think this was the most surprising move. 510 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:58,840 JJ, I want to go backwards and talk a little bit more in depth about about Poyer because 511 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:05,000 the bills, a lot of the cuts that they they went through on Wednesday, they lost a lot 512 00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:08,520 of veteran leadership on that defensive side of the ball. 513 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:16,160 Guys that helped establish the culture that we now enjoy as Bill's fans, playoff caliber, 514 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:17,360 championship caliber. 515 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:23,160 However, trophy, we may think it now sounds seven years into this experiment with Sean 516 00:34:23,160 --> 00:34:25,200 McDermott and Brandon Bean. 517 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:30,600 Guys like Jordan Poyer, guys like Trey White, were the cornerstones of establishing that 518 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:33,200 culture and that philosophy. 519 00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:34,760 And now both are gone. 520 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:39,560 And you and I talked in very real terms that this was probably going to be the year for 521 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:41,400 one, if not both of them. 522 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:47,160 Right after Trey got injured this season, you and I talked pretty early on about this could 523 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:48,760 be it for Trey. 524 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:58,000 Did we think that Bean had the had the I don't want to say like cold coldness, right? 525 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:02,320 The the the the ability to sort of like disassociate from the move. 526 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:05,760 Like this was an emotional move, I think, regardless, I didn't know if they were going 527 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:08,680 to be able to be all business about Trey. 528 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:13,880 Because the bit like had this been Bill Belichick, Trey probably would have been cut the moment 529 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:17,080 the bills were eliminated from the playoffs, right? 530 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:20,760 I didn't know if Bean had it in him to cut Trey, but he did. 531 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:23,400 And it was the smart business move. 532 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:28,160 The Poyer thing you and I talked about as the season started to wrap up, especially after 533 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:33,200 Mike Hyde's wife released what was basically a retirement video on Instagram. 534 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:39,040 And we started to talk in real terms too, about Poyer and Hyde both no longer being a 535 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:40,600 part of that team. 536 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:43,800 Now those things have manifested into reality. 537 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:49,360 And I think from a position value perspective, there's going to be a lot of debate about, 538 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:53,760 oh, well, you know, Poyer was in decline, he was pretty much a box safety, you can bring 539 00:35:53,760 --> 00:35:56,240 in a guy like Jeremy Chen and get an upgrade. 540 00:35:56,240 --> 00:35:59,520 Sure, and we're going to talk about that, we're going to talk about performance on the 541 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:00,960 field. 542 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:06,400 What is going to be hard if not damn near impossible to replace JJ is that those were 543 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:11,200 the banner men for this era of Buffalo Bill's football. 544 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:19,800 And it is not going to be any small task to replace what they meant to this fan base and 545 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:21,680 that locker room heading into next. 546 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:28,280 Just to mention that they were ambassadors of the McDermott style of defense. 547 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:35,840 They were the ones who taught the sixth round, Dane Jackson and the undrafted free agent, 548 00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:36,840 Levi Wallace. 549 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:41,880 They were the ones who were able to translate, you know, the defense for those new players 550 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:46,560 coming in the door and make sure everyone was playing as a unit on the same page. 551 00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:52,920 There is a big step back that we should probably expect early in the season, especially with 552 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:58,040 Bobby Babich as a new presumed play caller on the defensive side of the ball, to add 553 00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:03,120 to the fact that you don't have as much vocal leadership on that side of the ball, missing 554 00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:06,720 Micahide, Jordan Poyer, Tredavious White. 555 00:37:06,720 --> 00:37:13,040 I think that part of the reason they were willing to let Poyer and White go is what 556 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:15,120 they saw from Terrell Bernard. 557 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:21,880 I don't know if you listened to the Shaw McDermott press conference at the Combine. 558 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:27,960 He mentioned that at one point in maybe the Miami game or the Steelers game, at one point 559 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:32,960 he went down the sideline to give the defense a pep talk about closing the game out and 560 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:38,720 before he even get to the assembled players, he realized that Bernard was already there 561 00:37:38,720 --> 00:37:41,840 giving them that pep talk about getting a stop. 562 00:37:41,840 --> 00:37:46,560 And so that's the kind of leadership that I think there is a new vocal leader. 563 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:48,920 I think that Milano's never been that. 564 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:52,600 He's always been a talk with his pads type. 565 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:57,240 And I don't know what Taylor Rapp is like, but we should expect it to be a step back 566 00:37:57,240 --> 00:38:02,800 because there's a huge leadership void on that back end, especially in the DB room, 567 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:04,800 depending on who they bring in. 568 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:08,080 We got to trust the process on this one though. 569 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:16,080 Well, and I think that there is a there is a trickle down domino effect, if you will, 570 00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:23,600 that starts with the replacement and the potential leveling off or even depreciation and play 571 00:38:23,600 --> 00:38:27,040 at the safety position heading into next year. 572 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:31,920 I think about Taren Johnson, who you and I both agree for my money, best nickel corner 573 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:33,440 in the league. 574 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:39,760 And I love the way Taren Johnson plays, he is an all pro style player and extraordinarily 575 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:41,560 valuable to that team. 576 00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:47,120 But I encourage Bill's fans to go look at Taren Johnson splits and you got to pick it 577 00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:49,440 out and you got to do a little bit of homework. 578 00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:55,960 Look at his game logs when Poyer played versus when Poyer did not play. 579 00:38:55,960 --> 00:39:02,120 Some of Taren Johnson's worst career games happened when Jordan Poyer was out because 580 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:07,360 of the safety net that Poyer and hide both presented in that backfield. 581 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:11,680 It allowed Taren Johnson to attack in the run game the way that he did. 582 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:15,960 It allowed him to go with his first instinct and first reaction. 583 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:23,120 Not having that level of safety net has a like I said, a ripple effect across the the 584 00:39:23,120 --> 00:39:24,880 rest of the defense. 585 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:31,080 I know safeties as a position are being devalued much like running backs are, but in the McDermott 586 00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:36,880 defense where DBs are supposed to have not only their coverage assignments, but their 587 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:40,240 run gap assignments also on lock. 588 00:39:40,240 --> 00:39:43,600 I think we're going to see, I don't think it's just going to be in coverage JJ that 589 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:45,360 we're going to start to see some variance. 590 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:50,800 I think it's going to be in the run game, an area of weakness already for the bills 591 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:56,040 because the way they rely on their DBs to work in unison and covering that end at that 592 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:58,160 end of opposing teams playbook. 593 00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:03,280 So that again, I love Poyer. 594 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:07,800 It was emotional to see him finally, finally cut as we expected he was going to be cut. 595 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:12,800 I'm still sort of recovering from that, but make no mistake, even with his decline in 596 00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:18,040 play from last season to this past season, there is going to be a ripple effect across 597 00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:22,880 the rest of that defense that we're going to see in the very early weeks to your point, 598 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:28,120 the bills and Bobby Babbage have to adjust to you can't just take guys like that. 599 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:32,160 Get that out of the lineup, plug and play some other guys and expect the same level 600 00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:34,280 and same caliber of production. 601 00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:36,520 I agree with that. 602 00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:43,520 And I think too, you mentioned that, you know, Taren Johnson has played his best ball with 603 00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:48,520 Poyer on the field and he had his only all pro season to date with Poyer in the box with 604 00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:52,240 him, which is like something that's worth mentioning. 605 00:40:52,240 --> 00:40:56,320 But we will see, I think that you'd also, if you looked at those splits, see that Taren 606 00:40:56,320 --> 00:41:01,920 Johnson played his best games when Matt Milano was healthy too, because that, you know, that 607 00:41:01,920 --> 00:41:03,600 kind of fast flowing defense. 608 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:04,600 Yeah. 609 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:05,600 Yeah. 610 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:06,600 Fair point. 611 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:07,600 Yeah. 612 00:41:07,600 --> 00:41:10,240 That's a fair question though, because Matt Milano has had a bit of an injury history. 613 00:41:10,240 --> 00:41:16,040 So hopefully he's able to go this year and play the whole year and no interruptions. 614 00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:20,200 And so, you know, it's a lot to, it's a lot to wonder about. 615 00:41:20,200 --> 00:41:24,440 I'll say this though, I know there's a lot of uncertainty on the defense side of the 616 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:28,120 ball with the roster build as it stands right now. 617 00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:29,280 I'm excited. 618 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:36,120 I'm kind of cautiously excited to see what happens at the end of, you know, training 619 00:41:36,120 --> 00:41:42,040 camp and into the season with what the final 53 looks like, because this is the thing, 620 00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:45,840 you know, like be careful what you wish for you, you just might get it. 621 00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:51,120 You and I have been talking about a younger, faster, cheaper defense for a long time. 622 00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:55,080 I think we're going to see one this season. 623 00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:56,320 We certainly are. 624 00:41:56,320 --> 00:41:59,120 We certainly are. 625 00:41:59,120 --> 00:42:02,000 So let's do some math real quick, right? 626 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:09,960 Because the Trey White cap savings is designated as a post June one cut, which means the bills 627 00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:15,000 are not going to see his 10, 10 million dollars in change until after that date. 628 00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:21,080 So according to spot track right now, the bills are sitting at about minus seven million 629 00:42:21,080 --> 00:42:23,920 dollars against the cap. 630 00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:27,840 But I think if you look at some of the NFL PA numbers that have come out on contracts 631 00:42:27,840 --> 00:42:32,000 for next year, there was some shenanigans to add Oliver's contract. 632 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:37,120 I believe it has not been announced yet, but I think Bill's fans should expect an add Oliver 633 00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:40,160 restructure coming here. 634 00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:43,000 And I would say in the next week or so. 635 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:46,800 We still haven't seen the Josh Allen restructure either, which would bring the bills a full 636 00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:53,520 23 million under the under the cap, add in that 10 million post June one. 637 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:58,280 And I think the bills are probably going to be walking into free agency with functional 638 00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:05,440 cap space of probably if my math is right, somewhere between 25 million and 31 million 639 00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:11,680 dollars, JJ, which is more than enough money to stabilize the roster and get up to 53. 640 00:43:11,680 --> 00:43:17,920 And I think take a run at resigning a guy like to Quan Jones or AJ Epinezza. 641 00:43:17,920 --> 00:43:24,520 I think that is now in the realm of possibility based on where the salary cap numbers hit. 642 00:43:24,520 --> 00:43:26,400 And then you need to look at future savings as well. 643 00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:33,400 The Buffalo bills as it stands today are already 38 million under the cap under the projected 644 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:36,040 cap for 2025. 645 00:43:36,040 --> 00:43:39,280 You can get out of the Dawson Knox contract next season. 646 00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:41,840 You can get out of the Von Miller contract next season. 647 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:46,240 You can trade Stefan Diggs next season and it won't hurt as much. 648 00:43:46,240 --> 00:43:51,560 There is a very real world JJ in 2025 where the Buffalo bills are playing around with 649 00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:55,880 50 or even $60 million in free agent money. 650 00:43:55,880 --> 00:43:56,880 And it gets it. 651 00:43:56,880 --> 00:44:02,000 I mean, it's going to change as they sign contracts to players that they draft and develop. 652 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:06,240 But in 2026, they have over 100 million of space as it stands today. 653 00:44:06,240 --> 00:44:14,200 So like the cap this season, this terrible Wednesday of so many stalwarts on the team 654 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:21,480 being sent packing and cut was really our kind of old yeller or where the redfern grows 655 00:44:21,480 --> 00:44:27,520 moment of behind the woodshed with the rabbit dog, Tradabious White. 656 00:44:27,520 --> 00:44:32,680 So so many good middle school reading references right there. 657 00:44:32,680 --> 00:44:36,560 And now we're going to find our way out of the woods like Hatchet by Gary Paulson. 658 00:44:36,560 --> 00:44:40,160 Oh my God, keep it coming. 659 00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:41,160 Keep it coming. 660 00:44:41,160 --> 00:44:43,760 Anyway, it's a it's a it's a wild world. 661 00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:49,400 And I think that, you know, what we're going to see is cheaper, younger of course. 662 00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:53,520 But I think we're also going to see, you know, this is this is the point I texted this to 663 00:44:53,520 --> 00:44:58,320 you also is all of the people out there who are kind of, you know, oh, you know, Sean McDermott 664 00:44:58,320 --> 00:44:59,320 can't get over the hump. 665 00:44:59,320 --> 00:45:05,760 Oh, Sean McDermott is wasting an excellent talented roster year over year, because he's 666 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:09,720 an inadequate coach and they can't get to the championship. 667 00:45:09,720 --> 00:45:10,720 Maybe that's true. 668 00:45:10,720 --> 00:45:14,840 But also, you're going to have a real litmus test this year, which is we're going to see 669 00:45:14,840 --> 00:45:20,160 what coaching does with Sean McDermott making multiple decisions, moving on from Ken Dorsey, 670 00:45:20,160 --> 00:45:24,480 bringing Joe Brady on and then making him no longer the interim and a full time offensive 671 00:45:24,480 --> 00:45:25,480 coordinator. 672 00:45:25,480 --> 00:45:31,560 And so, quoting Bobby Babich, a young upstart kind of exciting defensive mind to the defense 673 00:45:31,560 --> 00:45:38,840 DC position, which caused two long time veteran defensive assistants to leave. 674 00:45:38,840 --> 00:45:45,520 Eric Washington and I forget the safety's coach that just left the coach. 675 00:45:45,520 --> 00:45:49,800 Oh, I keep wanting to say John McDonnell, but that is not the name. 676 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:50,800 Hang on. 677 00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:51,800 Anyway, yeah. 678 00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:57,520 He loses two of his long time, kind of, you know, two of his long time close cabinet members 679 00:45:57,520 --> 00:46:02,800 on that defensive side of the ball, purely to, you know, go with the hot hand, go with 680 00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:04,240 the youth movement. 681 00:46:04,240 --> 00:46:09,440 And that I think is an indication of, okay, you know, folks who may doubt that Sean McDermott 682 00:46:09,440 --> 00:46:14,160 is a good coach, you'll get some proof, better or worse, to either support your argument 683 00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:18,880 or blow your argument out of the water, depending on how well the bill's team this season is 684 00:46:18,880 --> 00:46:23,080 with a completely new roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball in a lot of 685 00:46:23,080 --> 00:46:31,160 ways, a rehashed, restructured, younger offensive line, possibly one or two new offensive weapons. 686 00:46:31,160 --> 00:46:36,600 And you know, the safety's hide and poor that had been kind of the best duo in the league 687 00:46:36,600 --> 00:46:39,120 for so many years, both off the roster. 688 00:46:39,120 --> 00:46:43,280 So we're going to really see what he can, what his acting, you know, his chops are as 689 00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:51,680 an acting, you know, CEO with both a DC and OC in place as well. 690 00:46:51,680 --> 00:46:54,520 And Dan, are you still searching for our DB's coach? 691 00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:58,120 Yeah, I'm still, I am still looking for some reason. 692 00:46:58,120 --> 00:47:00,560 My Google machine is not working. 693 00:47:00,560 --> 00:47:01,560 Damn you, internet. 694 00:47:01,560 --> 00:47:03,280 It should be working right now. 695 00:47:03,280 --> 00:47:10,480 I know, for whatever reason, and I live in the great northern tundra of upstate New York, 696 00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:14,800 never here JJ, our internet goes to absolute crap. 697 00:47:14,800 --> 00:47:21,880 It is the absolute weirdest function of weather in upstate New York that I have ever seen 698 00:47:21,880 --> 00:47:22,880 in my entire life. 699 00:47:22,880 --> 00:47:25,360 It's absolutely, absolutely crazy. 700 00:47:25,360 --> 00:47:31,760 But anyway, anyway, we, we, sir, we have work to do. 701 00:47:31,760 --> 00:47:39,080 We had meticulously, and I would say in a craftmen like way, laid out our free agency preview 702 00:47:39,080 --> 00:47:42,320 and needs and our draft preview and needs. 703 00:47:42,320 --> 00:47:49,800 And all of that, my friend is now out the window with what again, we can't say it enough. 704 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:52,280 Like teams don't do this stuff. 705 00:47:52,280 --> 00:47:59,240 GMs will continue to keep Super Bowl windows open, kick veteran money down the road year 706 00:47:59,240 --> 00:48:04,520 after year after year and treat the salary cap like it is not a real thing. 707 00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:07,520 Brandon being to the exact opposite of that. 708 00:48:07,520 --> 00:48:13,960 And now JJ, we're left kind of with, with a lot of like it in wonder at what he did, 709 00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:19,440 the spectacle of what Wednesday was and the emotional tone that came with all of that. 710 00:48:19,440 --> 00:48:22,920 But also too, we're left with some pretty significant roster holes. 711 00:48:22,920 --> 00:48:28,080 And we know that being likes to head into the draft, being able to take BPA best player 712 00:48:28,080 --> 00:48:31,040 available and not draft for need. 713 00:48:31,040 --> 00:48:34,640 Dude, the bills are going to be drafting for need because there's no way they can follow 714 00:48:34,640 --> 00:48:36,360 these holes in free agency. 715 00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:37,520 So it's going to be interesting. 716 00:48:37,520 --> 00:48:38,800 It's going to be interesting. 717 00:48:38,800 --> 00:48:45,040 So for those of you listening at home, we are going to take the next week or so to redo 718 00:48:45,040 --> 00:48:50,800 all of our free agency and all of our draft profiles and bring you some fresh content 719 00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:57,120 in this new brave new world of Buffalo Bills roster management that we find ourselves in, 720 00:48:57,120 --> 00:48:58,120 JJ. 721 00:48:58,120 --> 00:48:59,120 Yeah, absolutely. 722 00:48:59,120 --> 00:49:04,040 I think, you know, as you so, you know, aptly put it being lit the table on fire and jump 723 00:49:04,040 --> 00:49:05,040 through it. 724 00:49:05,040 --> 00:49:08,960 We just have to build it back up and reset this thing. 725 00:49:08,960 --> 00:49:11,440 Yeah, for sure. 726 00:49:11,440 --> 00:49:12,440 For sure. 727 00:49:12,440 --> 00:49:13,440 I'm looking forward to it though. 728 00:49:13,440 --> 00:49:16,360 I am 110% on board with this. 729 00:49:16,360 --> 00:49:17,360 Yeah, absolutely. 730 00:49:17,360 --> 00:49:18,360 I think it's going to be great. 731 00:49:18,360 --> 00:49:19,360 Yeah. 732 00:49:19,360 --> 00:49:20,360 I think it's going to be great. 733 00:49:20,360 --> 00:49:26,680 So for all of you listening at home, hopefully you have emotionally recovered from what was 734 00:49:26,680 --> 00:49:29,480 a very trying week for Bill's mafia. 735 00:49:29,480 --> 00:49:34,920 And hopefully there will be some of your skies ahead of us, both figuratively and in 736 00:49:34,920 --> 00:49:38,840 reality, because we are still dealing with a fair amount of cloudy weather by us and I 737 00:49:38,840 --> 00:49:40,520 am ready for spring, sir. 738 00:49:40,520 --> 00:49:43,240 I am ready to move on from the winter. 739 00:49:43,240 --> 00:49:47,120 But for all of you listening at home, thanks for being with us tonight. 740 00:49:47,120 --> 00:49:49,520 Like share and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 741 00:49:49,520 --> 00:49:50,520 Google Apple Spotify. 742 00:49:50,520 --> 00:49:51,520 Go Bill's. 743 00:49:51,520 --> 00:50:08,560 Go Bill's. 744 00:50:08,560 --> 00:50:25,600 Go Bill's. 745 00:50:25,600 --> 00:50:39,720 Go Bill's.