Buffalo's Free Agents--Updates

[YardRat]

http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Bills-meeting-with-Spillers-representatives/8f2179cb-73f7-4840-988d-26c3f5d963f0

Spiller - “(Senior VP of Football Administration) Jim Overdorf, (President) Russ Brandon and (Contract Administrator) Kevin Meganck are meeting with his representation right here at the combine,” Whaley said. “We’re hoping we can close the gap and get the deal done.” Whaley told the John Murphy Show Thursday that the two sides have exchanged proposals and counterproposals so the dialogue has been healthy. It’s just a matter of whether an agreement amenable to both sides can be brokered.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000472318/article/jerry-hughes-buffalo-bills-contract-talks-heating-up

Hughes - General manager Doug Whaley said Thursday that negotiations are heating up between the Bills (http://www.nfl.com/teams/buffalobills/profile?team=BUF) and defensive end Jerry Hughes (http://www.nfl.com/player/jerryhughes/496796/profile)' representatives.

Although the sides have been exchanging proposals over the past 24 hours, The Buffalo News reported that a deal is not yet close (http://bills.buffalonews.com/2015/02/19/bills-hughes-working-toward-long-term-contract/).
Intent on avoiding the franchise tag, Whaley acknowledged that the organization is willing to pay market value to retain one of the league's most consistent pass rushers over the past two years.

http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2015/02/19/lb-spikes-has-a-decision-to-make/

Spikes - Bills free agent LB Brandon Spikes would like to still be a three down linebacker in the NFL, but that is not a role he would have if he chooses to re-sign with Buffalo.

Bills GM Doug Whaley, in an appearance on the John Murphy Show confirmed that he spoke with Spikes personally Thursday and laid out how they view Spikes as a player on their roster in Buffalo. With Kiko Alonso set to return healthy in 2015 combined with the emergence of Preston Brown and Nigel Bradham in 2014, it’s evident they don’t see Spikes as a full-time linebacker.
“I just talked to him today and the new staff sees a different role than maybe he does so I told him to see if he can get a team that sees him the way he sees himself,” said Whaley. “If not, come back to us and then we can talk.

[YardRat]

Too bad, IMO Spikes would top the priority list.

[DraftBoy]

Too bad, IMO Spikes would top the priority list.

If you add back Spikes who are you benching on 1st and 2nd down? Bradham or Brown?

[Topas]

Well, at least this is something new. We have too many competent players at a position. Thats new territory for me as a Bills fan, especially since I have a short mind and dont remember the 90s.

[Forward_Lateral]

Too bad, IMO Spikes would top the priority list.

He's last on the list for me. 2 down linebackers are starting to become a thing of the past.

[YardRat]

If you add back Spikes who are you benching on 1st and 2nd down? Bradham or Brown?

Yeah, it's hard to come up with somebody to not put on the field, I admit that, and much depends on Hughes. If Hughes does re-sign, that puts He and Mario on the outside, and even if Spikes walks Bradham, Brown or Kiko are going to sit in the base. The only way all three see the field on 1st and 2nd down will be if both Hughes and Spikes walks, and one is plugged into Hughes old spot. Mario-Brown-Kiko-Bradham, or switch up Kiko/Bradham. I would prefer to have Spikes in the base, and swap out he and Kiko situationally. Neither is a three down backer.

If we're going back to Rexy's defense, in all honesty if you want all of the young guys at LB on the field you might as well pass on both and spend the money on a NT and DE.

[DraftBoy]

Yeah, it's hard to come up with somebody to not put on the field, I admit that, and much depends on Hughes. If Hughes does re-sign, that puts He and Mario on the outside, and even if Spikes walks Bradham, Brown or Kiko are going to sit in the base. The only way all three see the field on 1st and 2nd down will be if both Hughes and Spikes walks, and one is plugged into Hughes old spot. Mario-Brown-Kiko-Bradham, or switch up Kiko/Bradham. I would prefer to have Spikes in the base, and swap out he and Kiko situationally. Neither is a three down backer.

If we're going back to Rexy's defense, in all honesty if you want all of the young guys at LB on the field you might as well pass on both and spend the money on a NT and DE.

That's why I think you're going to see some Mario as a 3-4 DE, or go with a 3-4 over/under where one of the LB's (Hughes or Mario) plays right on the line from a standup position and allows us to have three LB's* behind them. Which gets you all three on the field.

I think Spikes was very good and I'd like to have resigned him but not at the risk of the development of Brown or Kiko and Bradham has been too good to not put on the field.

[X-Era]

Too bad, IMO Spikes would top the priority list.My thought all along is that I want him back as well but in a rotation. The Bills appear to want him in a rotation as well.

[Night Train]

Spikes found out last year that 1-2 down run stuffing LB's don't attract big contracts.

Thus the 3 down request.

So be it. He may not find other takers to his liking and accept a reasonable contract later.

[Night Train]

In addition, I would low ball Spiller.

He's a pass catching back on 3rd down and refuses to run between the tackles.

If the Jets or someone else throws a big contract at him, wish him luck.

[Pinkerton Security]

In addition, I would low ball Spiller.

He's a pass catching back on 3rd down and refuses to run between the tackles.

If the Jets or someone else throws a big contract at him, wish him luck.

I agree to an extent. I have a soft spot for speed backs with as much explosion as him so would like to see him get his 150-200 touches (a deal of them being catches on screens) to complement FJax, but yes we cant give him too much money. Marrone/Hackett severely misused him, but our line was also terrible at run blocking, and is already better than it was.

Granted Freddie had double the carries that CJ had, but CJ actually had a better yards-per-carry average last year than Fjax. Yes, this is due to a couple long carries, but thats what a player like CJ does - big plays surrounded by mediocre ones.

[better days]

I heard on WGR yesterday that the Bills really want Hughes back & Hughes wants to come back to Buffalo.

Both sides are working to get it done. I expect Hughes to sign a new contract with the Bills before FA starts.

Looks like Spiller & Spikes will not be back.

I did not hear anything about him, but I would not be surprised to see David Harris signed by the Bills.

[kscdogbillsfan1221]

I've never understood why we didn't line up spiller in the slot more and throw to him.

[DraftBoy]

I heard on WGR yesterday that the Bills really want Hughes back & Hughes wants to come back to Buffalo.

Both sides are working to get it done. I expect Hughes to sign a new contract with the Bills before FA starts.

Looks like Spiller & Spikes will not be back.

I did not hear anything about him, but I would not be surprised to see David Harris signed by the Bills.

Why do you say that about Spiller? The teams seems to be far closer to resigning him than Hughes.

[better days]

Why do you say that about Spiller? The teams seems to be far closer to resigning him than Hughes.

That is what Joe Buscalia said yesterday.

The report is a deal is close to being done on Hughes, but the Bills expect Spiller to get a better offer than they offered him.

[DraftBoy]

That is what Joe Buscalia said yesterday.

The report is a deal is close to being done on Hughes, but the Bills expect Spiller to get a better offer than they offered him.

So now we have two directly conflicting reports.

Given how bad TBN looked recently on their news, I'd lean more towards JoeB.

[swiper]

Too bad, IMO Spikes would top the priority list.

Me too. But it sounds like Whaley is trying to show Spikes some respect and hope he comes back because of it.

[jpdex12]

Why do you say that about Spiller? The teams seems to be far closer to resigning him than Hughes.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000472453/article/bills-eyeing-potential-replacements-for-cj-spiller

I'd agree that it sounds like a ways to go in order to re-sign Spiller.

[stuckincincy]

I've never understood why we didn't line up spiller in the slot more and throw to him.

Not many rbs have the skills behind them to fight through presses, learned and practiced tricks learned to gain separation, how to pull coverage away from other receivers, have the eyeballs and thought processes to detect pass coverage schemes and their pre-snap changes.

[YardRat]

That's why I think you're going to see some Mario as a 3-4 DE, or go with a 3-4 over/under where one of the LB's (Hughes or Mario) plays right on the line from a standup position and allows us to have three LB's* behind them. Which gets you all three on the field.

I think Spikes was very good and I'd like to have resigned him but not at the risk of the development of Brown or Kiko and Bradham has been too good to not put on the field.

Assuming Hughes comes back, unless Mario/Hughes lines up as a true 34 DE (which isn't a good idea, IMO), you're sitting one or the other to get the three young guys on the field at the same time. Both Mario and Hughes stood up quite a bit in an over/under under Pettine, and I would expect the same from Rex, but there are only seven positions to fill, max, and more often under Ryan than Pettine it'll probably be six unless Rexy shies away from his preference to get an extra d-back on the field at the expense of a LBer.

There's another article out there regarding Searcy, and how Whaley commented he wasn't going to get starter's money because there is only so much cap space for safeties and paying both AW and DS would spill over. Analytics at work, ladies and gentlemen!

[stuckincincy]

Assuming Hughes comes back, unless Mario/Hughes lines up as a true 34 DE (which isn't a good idea, IMO), you're sitting one or the other to get the three young guys on the field at the same time. Both Mario and Hughes stood up quite a bit in an over/under under Pettine, and I would expect the same from Rex, but there are only seven positions to fill, max, and more often under Ryan than Pettine it'll probably be six unless Rexy shies away from his preference to get an extra d-back on the field at the expense of a LBer.

There's another article out there regarding Searcy, and how Whaley commented he wasn't going to get starter's money because there is only so much cap space for safeties and paying both AW and DS would spill over. Analytics at work, ladies and gentlemen!

Good Lord...I've already howled here about the importance of extending contracts for young performers that are becoming the core of your club.

Probably good news for Searcy, though. 23 starts, 62 games on the active squad over 4 seasons. He'll be snapped up. IMO.

Searcy:

http://www.nfl.com/player/da%27norrissearcy/2495339/profile

[gonzo1105]

So now we have two directly conflicting reports.

Given how bad TBN looked recently on their news, I'd lean more towards JoeB.


Doug Whaley indicated pretty much yesterday that they are way closer on signing Hughes than Spiller. I'd lean more towards Whaley than JoeB.

[better days]

Doug Whaley indicated pretty much yesterday that they are way closer on signing Hughes than Spiller. I'd lean more towards Whaley than JoeB.

Joe B said the Bills were close to signing Hughes & he doubted Spiller would be back in Buffalo.

[stuckincincy]

Joe B said the Bills were close to signing Hughes & he doubted Spiller would be back in Buffalo.

That would be a surprise. - Hughes, I mean. He tapered off quite a bit in the last third of the season. I suppose it might have been because the opposition figured him out, figured out how the BUF staff was using him, keyed on him, though. Dunno.

I do know they have a million and a half or so to play around with, thanks to reduced $ put into their rookie fund by not having a 1st rnd choice.

[better days]

That would be a surprise. - Hughes, I mean. He tapered off quite a bit in the last third of the season. I suppose it might have been because the opposition figured him out, figured out how the BUF staff was using him, keyed on him, though. Dunno.

I do know they have a million and a half or so to play around with, thanks to reduced $ put into their rookie fund by not having a 1st rnd choice.

Whaley said today that he was extremely confident that Hughes would be resigned by the Bills.

He said the Bills wanted Hughes to come back to Buffalo & that Hughes wanted to come back.

Whaley said Hughes likes Buffalo & his teammates & wanted to stay.

On WGR they said after Whaley left the air, that if Whaley said that, it means a principle of agreement must already be in place.

They speculated about $8 Mill per year for Hughes.

[stuckincincy]

They can for sure afford that figure. He got a bit under $4M last season - pretty clean contract...no signing bonus AFAIK.

I was a big fan of his in the 2010 draft. Was surprised how he languished with the Colts.