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Here's my basic gist of these deals:
What's really crucial, though, are those extra draft picks. As projected by FPI and using Stuart's chart, the Bills trading their sixth-round pick for Los Angeles' second-rounder and Philadelphia's third-round pick to trade Rams pick (37, fifth-lowest FPI projection) and Eagles pick (80, 16th-lowest FPI projection) for pick 190 (the Bills have the sixth-lowest projection and that was the sixth-lowest pick of the sixth round, obviously the exact pick will pend specific compensatory selections) is roughly the equivalent of acquiring the 16th overall pick in a typical draft (17.1 points, closest to value of 16th pick, 16.9 points).
That gives the Bills what essentially amounts to three first-round picks in the 2018 draft, given that they'll have their own pick and Kansas City's selection from the Patrick Mahomes II trade. They can add a third-round compensatory pick for Stephon Gilmore if they cut three players from the group of DiMarco, Vladimir Ducasse, Ryan Harris, Andre Holmes and Steven Hauschka before Week 10, a move I would strongly encourage. Draft picks alone aren't a solution, but the best way to build a sustainably effective team isn't to trade up for a stud wide receiver or an inside linebacker, as the Bills did by sending multiple picks to acquire Reggie Ragland last season. It's to acquire draft picks and build a core of cheap, effective talent. As the Bills try to chase the juggernaut Patriots, they're wisely taking a page out of Bill Belichick's book.
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