Tweet
Joe Buscaglia in his usual stellar reporting and analysis of the Buffalo Bills, published this interesting article today.
Assessing Bills’ summer trade candidates: 10 players to watch in late August
The list is hard to question considering some of the recent signings and draft choices….
DE Boogie Basham
DT Tim Settle
DE A.J. Epenesa
RB Nyheim Hines
IOL Ryan Bates
OL David Quessenberry
OL David Edward
OL Ike Boettger
OL Brandon Shell
He provides his usual astute analysis explaining each player being included and the situation surrounding any potential trade.
There was one surprise player on the list, but the analysis makes some sense…
Elam did not take a solid hold on the #2 CB spot last year despite being a first-round pick.
That, in and of itself, was a disappointment since the Bills allowed Levi Wallace to go to Pittsburgh for a relative pittance ($4M AVG/Y). They obviously expected the draft to fill that hole.
Although they did not hand the job to Elam, it was there for him to take.
Instead, 6th round pick (#185 overall) Christian Benford clearly outplayed Elam and if not for Benford suffering injuries (breaking his hand in week #3 after starting the first 3 games of the season) and then going on injured reserve after the Detroit game in week #12) he seemed closer to nailing down the starting #2 CB spot than Elam.
Sure looks like he is going to have to win the starting job outright in training camp or he may not long for this team.
Assessing Bills’ summer trade candidates: 10 players to watch in late August
As a way of working around not receiving any compensatory picks over the past several years, Bills general manager Brandon Beane has taken advantage of the August trade market before final cuts. Although Buffalo isn’t acquiring substantial picks in return, it’s gotten something from several of its previous investments.
Since Beane took over in 2017, the Bills have traded away six players in late August before 53-man rosters were due. Rather than having to cut a player they like, Beane has shown he prefers to get something in return to push the investment forward.
Bills players Beane traded away in late August since 2017
This year, the Bills are up against the salary cap and will need to shed some space, whether it’s through trades or contract restructures, to get cap-compliant for the 53-man roster. They also have some loaded positions where they could be forced to make a tough decision.
Which names could be on the list of trade candidates for Beane to consider this August?
Here are 10 players who could be of interest this summer.....
More...
Since Beane took over in 2017, the Bills have traded away six players in late August before 53-man rosters were due. Rather than having to cut a player they like, Beane has shown he prefers to get something in return to push the investment forward.
Bills players Beane traded away in late August since 2017
| 2022 |
Cody Ford |
OL |
5th-round pick |
| 2021 |
Darryl Johnson |
DE |
6th-round pick |
| 2019 |
Russell Bodine |
OL |
6th-round pick |
| 2019 |
Wyatt Teller |
OL |
5th- & 6th-round picks |
| 2018 |
A.J. McCarron |
QB |
5th-round pick |
| 2017 |
Reggie Ragland |
LB |
4th-round pick |
This year, the Bills are up against the salary cap and will need to shed some space, whether it’s through trades or contract restructures, to get cap-compliant for the 53-man roster. They also have some loaded positions where they could be forced to make a tough decision.
Which names could be on the list of trade candidates for Beane to consider this August?
Here are 10 players who could be of interest this summer.....
More...
DE Boogie Basham
DT Tim Settle
DE A.J. Epenesa
RB Nyheim Hines
IOL Ryan Bates
OL David Quessenberry
OL David Edward
OL Ike Boettger
OL Brandon Shell
He provides his usual astute analysis explaining each player being included and the situation surrounding any potential trade.
There was one surprise player on the list, but the analysis makes some sense…
CB Kaiir Elam
Post-June 1 cap savings if traded: $1.33 million
It’s probably a year too early to consider trading a first-round pick like Elam, though there is at least a legitimate argument for doing it this summer rather than waiting until 2024. The Bills have indicated through several actions that they’re unsettled at the second boundary cornerback position. They re-signed Dane Jackson to a fully guaranteed one-year deal. After an offseason of weighing their options, they kept Christian Benford at cornerback rather than moving him to safety. And less important but still notable, they signed 25-year-old boundary cornerback Cameron Dantzler, who has started 26 games over the past three seasons. In the team’s perfect world, Elam would grab hold of the second cornerback job this summer in the preseason; Jackson, Benford and possibly Dantzler would be good depth; and Elam and Tre’Davious Whitewould be the no-doubt pairing for several seasons.
However, something is holding the Bills back from Elam being the locked-in starter. Beane mentioned that some inconsistencies in practice played into the equation last year but said Elam “cleaned up a lot of that” in games. Even still, Beane concluded his recent answer on Elam with: “We’re going to make everyone earn it. It doesn’t matter where you were selected or what your salary is.” Beane usually would not say something like that for established starters on his team.
If Elam does not progress and is behind Jackson and Benford on the depth chart, the Bills could at least cover that up before the regular season. It would keep Elam’s trade value far higher to an acquiring team, and the other team would see a young cornerback with potentially four years of roster control (including the fifth-year option). If they wait a year and watch him be a backup player, the return value on Elam will decrease quite a bit. Trading him this summer would be a risk in terms of seeing a high pick flourish elsewhere, but if they feel he’s still behind Jackson and Benford and they could recoup a second- or third-round pick for him, it’s something they could consider. The extreme likelihood is they hold on to Elam and see if he can get there in 2023, but it’s at least worth mentioning if the worst-case scenario arrives this summer.
Post-June 1 cap savings if traded: $1.33 million
It’s probably a year too early to consider trading a first-round pick like Elam, though there is at least a legitimate argument for doing it this summer rather than waiting until 2024. The Bills have indicated through several actions that they’re unsettled at the second boundary cornerback position. They re-signed Dane Jackson to a fully guaranteed one-year deal. After an offseason of weighing their options, they kept Christian Benford at cornerback rather than moving him to safety. And less important but still notable, they signed 25-year-old boundary cornerback Cameron Dantzler, who has started 26 games over the past three seasons. In the team’s perfect world, Elam would grab hold of the second cornerback job this summer in the preseason; Jackson, Benford and possibly Dantzler would be good depth; and Elam and Tre’Davious Whitewould be the no-doubt pairing for several seasons.
However, something is holding the Bills back from Elam being the locked-in starter. Beane mentioned that some inconsistencies in practice played into the equation last year but said Elam “cleaned up a lot of that” in games. Even still, Beane concluded his recent answer on Elam with: “We’re going to make everyone earn it. It doesn’t matter where you were selected or what your salary is.” Beane usually would not say something like that for established starters on his team.
If Elam does not progress and is behind Jackson and Benford on the depth chart, the Bills could at least cover that up before the regular season. It would keep Elam’s trade value far higher to an acquiring team, and the other team would see a young cornerback with potentially four years of roster control (including the fifth-year option). If they wait a year and watch him be a backup player, the return value on Elam will decrease quite a bit. Trading him this summer would be a risk in terms of seeing a high pick flourish elsewhere, but if they feel he’s still behind Jackson and Benford and they could recoup a second- or third-round pick for him, it’s something they could consider. The extreme likelihood is they hold on to Elam and see if he can get there in 2023, but it’s at least worth mentioning if the worst-case scenario arrives this summer.
That, in and of itself, was a disappointment since the Bills allowed Levi Wallace to go to Pittsburgh for a relative pittance ($4M AVG/Y). They obviously expected the draft to fill that hole.
Although they did not hand the job to Elam, it was there for him to take.
Instead, 6th round pick (#185 overall) Christian Benford clearly outplayed Elam and if not for Benford suffering injuries (breaking his hand in week #3 after starting the first 3 games of the season) and then going on injured reserve after the Detroit game in week #12) he seemed closer to nailing down the starting #2 CB spot than Elam.
Sure looks like he is going to have to win the starting job outright in training camp or he may not long for this team.
That’s just silly nonsense.
Comment