2017 Roster Analysis

[YardRat]

CURRENT ROSTER-

QB-Tyrod Taylor,Cardale Jones
RB-LeSean McCoy, Jonathon Williams
FB-
WR-Sammy Watkins, Walter Powell, Marcus Easley, Kolby Listenbee
TE-Charles Clay, Nick O'Leary, Gerald Christian, Blake Annan
C-Eric Wood
G-Ritchie Incognito, John Miller, Patrick Lewis
OT-Cordy Glenn, Cyrus Kouandijo
DT-Marcel Dareus, Kyle Williams, Adolphus Washington, Jerel Worthy
DE-Jerry Hughes, Shaq Lawson
OLB-Preston Brown
ILB-Reggie Ragland
CB-Ronald Darby, Kevon Seymour, Nickell Robey-Coleman
SS-Corey Graham
FS-Aaron Williams
PK-Dan Carpenter
KOS-
LS-Garrison Sanborn
P-
KRPR-

RESERVE/FUTURES CONTRACTS-

QB Josh Woodrum....RB Cedric O'Neal....LS Reid Ferguson....LB Max Valles....CB Charles Gaines....S Joe Powell

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS-

WR Dezmin Lewis....S Shamiel Gray

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS-

RB Mike Gillislee, Dri Archer....TE Logan Thomas....OL Ryan Groy, Michael Ola....DT Deandre Coleman....CB Marcus Roberson....P Colton Schmitt

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS-

QB EJ Manuel....RB Reggie Bush....FB Jerome Felton....TE Chriss Gragg....WR Robert Woods, Marquis Goodwin, Percy Harvin, Justin Hunter....OT Jordan Mills
DL Corbin Bryant, Leger Douzable....LB Lorenzo Alexander, Zach Brown, Ramon Humber, Lerentee McCray, Brandon Spikes....CB Stephon Gilmore, Corey White....S Colt Anderson, Sergio Brown, Robert Blanton, James Idhedigbo, Jonathon Meeks
KR/PR Brandon Tate

DRAFT PICKS-

1-(10)-
2-(43)-
3-(76)-
5a-(139)-
5b-(156)-
6-(172)-

FREE AGENCY-

[YardRat]

http://overthecap.com/salary-cap/buffalo-bills/

Over the Cap has the cap room at $23,125,000 if Tyrod's option is picked up by the team, $36,598,344 if it isn't.

[sudzy]

33 players? (not counting the future contracts, players that shouldn't make the team.) $23 million for 20 players? On a 7-9 roster. And they retained all their front office? Your a moron if you think this was ALL Rex's fault (Terry Pegula). The media is right... this team is a dumpster fire.

[Night Train]

Kyle Williams retire ? He's a 6.8 Mil Savings. Corey Graham and Eric Wood could be cut. Those 2 together save another 7 Mil. Carpenter saves 2.4 Mil

The team has work to do, like every team. It's the off-season.

[swiper]

Geez. I know his age, but Kyle Williams is playing in the Pro Bowl. If I wished anybody to come back for one last year, it would be him. At almost any cost. Maybe he would agree to a pay shaving.

[YardRat]

There are going to be two, maybe three, major paths the team will follow this off season IMO...1)Sign Tyrod and Woods, let Gilmore walk...2)Sign Gilmore, let Taylor and Woods walk...3)Let all three walk and go cheap on beginning a rebuild.

One advantage (if you want to call it that) to having only 32-33 players signed is it gives the new staff plenty of room to bring in 'their guys' without having to cut current players and eat dead cap money.

[YardRat]

Allegedly (according to BillsDaily front office page) the team is already working on bringing back LorAx.

[YardRat]

I'm going to start down the path that indicates the team will either pick up Tyrod's option or renegotiate the deal with different terms and bring him back. Taking care of our own first...

RESERVE/FUTURES CONTRACTS-

QB Josh Woodrum....RB Cedric O'Neal....LS Reid Ferguson....LB Max Valles....CB Charles Gaines....S Joe Powell

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS-

WR Dezmin Lewis....S Shamiel Gray

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS-

RB Mike Gillislee, Dri Archer....TE Logan Thomas....OL Ryan Groy, Michael Ola....DT Deandre Coleman....CB Marcus Roberson....P Colton Schmitt

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS-

QB EJ Manuel....RB Reggie Bush....FB Jerome Felton....TE Chriss Gragg....WR Robert Woods, Marquis Goodwin, Percy Harvin, WR Justin Hunter....OT Jordan Mills
DL Corbin Bryant, Leger Douzable....LB Lorenzo Alexander, Zach Brown, Ramon Humber, Lerentee McCray, Brandon Spikes....CB Stephon Gilmore, CB Corey White....S Colt Anderson, Sergio Brown, Robert Blanton, James Idhedigbo, S Jonathon Meeks
KR/PR Brandon Tate

Some of these guys atm are just bodies (Ola, Meeks, White). Brown and Alexander are going to cost a little bit, but the rest should come reasonably cheaply. That brings the roster to...
CURRENT ROSTER- (46 players)

QB-Tyrod Taylor,Cardale Jones
RB-LeSean McCoy, Jonathon Williams, Mike Gillislee
FB-Jerome Felton
WR-Sammy Watkins, Walter Powell, Marcus Easley, Kolby Listenbee, Dez Lewis, Justin Hunter
TE-Charles Clay, Nick O'Leary, Gerald Christian, Blake Annan, Chris Gragg
C-Eric Wood, Ryan Groy
G-Ritchie Incognito, John Miller, Patrick Lewis
OT-Cordy Glenn, Cyrus Kouandijo, Jordan Mills, Michael Ola
DT-Marcel Dareus, Kyle Williams, Adolphus Washington, Jerel Worthy
DE-Jerry Hughes, Shaq Lawson, Lorenzo Alexander
OLB-Preston Brown, Zach Brown
ILB-Reggie Ragland
CB-Ronald Darby, Kevon Seymour, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Corey White
SS-Corey Graham, Jonathon Meeks
FS-Aaron Williams
PK-Dan Carpenter
KOS-
LS-Garrison Sanborn
P-Colton Schmitt
KRPR-

[Buffalogic]

I'd like to keep woods, hunter and felton from the ufas. Maybe zach brown too. The rest can walk.

[YardRat]

I'd like to keep woods, hunter and felton from the ufas. Maybe zach brown too. The rest can walk.

There isn't a lot of 'wow' with the UFA's, but IMO Gillislee and Groy are keepers also. Plus, a team has to have young guys for depth and development.

[YardRat]

DRAFT PICKS-

1-(10)-Jamal Adams, SS, LSU (or Jabril Peppers, SS, Michigan...Mike Williams, WR, Clemson)
2-(43)-Pat Elflein, C, Ohio State or Ethan Pocic, C, LSU
3-(76)-Chad Kelly, QB, Mississippi or Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech
5a-(139)-Des Lawrence, CB, North Carolina
5b-(156)-Tashawn Bower, OLB, LSU
6-(172)-Jamari Staples, WR, Louisville

CURRENT ROSTER- (52 players)

QB-Tyrod Taylor,Cardale Jones, Chad Kelly
RB-LeSean McCoy, Jonathon Williams, Mike Gillislee
FB-Jerome Felton
WR-Sammy Watkins, Walter Powell, Marcus Easley, Kolby Listenbee, Dez Lewis, Justin Hunter, Jamari Staples
TE-Charles Clay, Nick O'Leary, Gerald Christian, Blake Annan, Chris Gragg
C-Eric Wood, Ryan Groy, Pat Elflein
G-Ritchie Incognito, John Miller, Patrick Lewis
OT-Cordy Glenn, Cyrus Kouandijo, Jordan Mills, Michael Ola
DT-Marcel Dareus, Kyle Williams, Adolphus Washington, Jerel Worthy
DE-Jerry Hughes, Shaq Lawson, Lorenzo Alexander
OLB-Preston Brown, Zach Brown, Tashawn Bower
ILB-Reggie Ragland
CB-Ronald Darby, Kevon Seymour, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Corey White, Des Lawrence
SS-Corey Graham, Jonathon Meeks, Jamal Adams
FS-Aaron Williams
PK-Dan Carpenter
KOS-
LS-Garrison Sanborn
P-Colton Schmitt
KRPR-

[Buffalogic]

There isn't a lot of 'wow' with the UFA's, but IMO Gillislee and Groy are keepers also. Plus, a team has to have young guys for depth and development.

Those guys are must keeps but they are RFA's

[YardRat]

Those guys are must keeps but they are RFA's

Good point.

[YardRat]

Potential Free Agent targets--defense-

ILB-AJ Klein, Carolina
OLB-Gerald Hodges, San Fran...Sio Moore, Arizona
S-Micah Hyde, Green Bay...Nate Allen, Oakland
CB-Captain Munnerlyn, Minnesota...Logan Ryan, New England
Dline-Bennie Logan, Philadelphia...Kyle Love, Carolina...Jarvis Jenkins, Kansas City...Justin Trattou, Minnesota

[YardRat]

Potential free agent targets - offense

OT - Earl Watford, Arizona...Nick Becton, Chicago
OG - Larry Warford, Detroit...Vlad Ducasse, Baltimore
WR - Aldrick Robinson, Atlanta...Jordan Norwood, Denver...Jeremy Ross, Arizona

[BillsImpossible]

The only thing that really matters is the Quarterback.

Without a great QB, the rest of the team does not matter.

[DraftBoy]

CURRENT ROSTER-

QB-Tyrod Taylor,Cardale Jones
RB-LeSean McCoy, Jonathon Williams
FB-
WR-Sammy Watkins, Walter Powell, Marcus Easley, Kolby Listenbee
TE-Charles Clay, Nick O'Leary, Gerald Christian, Blake Annan
C-Eric Wood
G-Ritchie Incognito, John Miller, Patrick Lewis
OT-Cordy Glenn, Cyrus Kouandijo
DT-Marcel Dareus, Kyle Williams, Adolphus Washington, Jerel Worthy
DE-Jerry Hughes, Shaq Lawson
OLB-Preston Brown
ILB-Reggie Ragland
CB-Ronald Darby, Kevon Seymour, Nickell Robey-Coleman
SS-Corey Graham
FS-Aaron Williams
PK-Dan Carpenter
KOS-
LS-Garrison Sanborn
P-
KRPR-

I identify my position needs going into the offseason as the following:
QB 1, FB, WR 2, TE 2, OC 2, OG 4, OT 3, OT 4, DE 3, OLB 1, OLB 3, MLB 2, MLB 3, MLB 4, CB 1, SS 1, FS 1, PK 1

The number next to the position indicates whether it's a starting or depth position I'm looking for.

[DraftBoy]

RESERVE/FUTURES CONTRACTS-

QB Josh Woodrum....RB Cedric O'Neal....LS Reid Ferguson....LB Max Valles....CB Charles Gaines....S Joe Powell

Only guys I see here with some potential are Woodrum and Valles, the rest are camp fodder.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS-

WR Dezmin Lewis....S Shamiel Gray

Re-sign both as camp competition.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS-

RB Mike Gillislee, Dri Archer....TE Logan Thomas....OL Ryan Groy, Michael Ola....DT Deandre Coleman....CB Marcus Roberson....P Colton Schmitt

I'm a right of first refusal tender on Gillislee and Groy and hope to bring back every RFA by Archer. I like Groy's versatility inside and out and I think Gilly is a good backup to Shady.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS-

QB EJ Manuel....RB Reggie Bush....FB Jerome Felton....TE Chriss Gragg....WR Robert Woods, Marquis Goodwin, Percy Harvin, Justin Hunter....OT Jordan Mills
DL Corbin Bryant, Leger Douzable....LB Lorenzo Alexander, Zach Brown, Ramon Humber, Lerentee McCray, Brandon Spikes....CB Stephon Gilmore, Corey White....S Colt Anderson, Sergio Brown, Robert Blanton, James Idhedigbo, Jonathon Meeks
KR/PR Brandon Tate

For me my top targets are: Justin Hunter, Corey White, and Brandon Tate. I would likely let the rest walk either due to value exceeding talent (Woods and Gilmore) or just a general lack of talent. I'd also not pick-up the option for Taylor.

My roster headed into Free Agency would be at 44 players:

QB-Cardale Jones
RB-LeSean McCoy, Jonathon Williams, Mike Gillislee
FB-
WR-Sammy Watkins, Walter Powell, Marcus Easley, Kolby Listenbee, Dezmin Lewis, Justin Hunter
TE-Charles Clay, Nick O'Leary, Gerald Christian, Blake Annan, Logan Thomas
C-Eric Wood
G-Ritchie Incognito, John Miller, Patrick Lewis
OT-Cordy Glenn, Cyrus Kouandijo, Ryan Groy, Michael Ola
DT-Marcel Dareus, Kyle Williams, Adolphus Washington, Jerel Worthy, Deandre Coleman
DE-Jerry Hughes, Shaq Lawson
OLB-Preston Brown
ILB-Reggie Ragland
CB-Ronald Darby, Kevon Seymour, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Marcus Roberson, Corey White
SS-Corey Graham, Shamiel Gray
FS-Aaron Williams
PK-Dan Carpenter
KOS-
LS-Garrison Sanborn
P- Colton Schmitt
KRPR- Brandon Tate

[coastal]

Seriously when r u guys going to learn?

[DraftBoy]

FREE AGENCY-

My targets:
QB Ryan Nassib - Competition with Jones and Woodrum to make the team.
RB Zach Line - Younger FB who can also carry and catch the ball out of the backfield.
WR Terrell Pryor - I'm not sure Cleveland will let him the market, but if he does he should be a top target.
WR Russell Shepard - Bit of a low-risk, high-reward type player, Shepard is a shift WR who is still learning the position. Could play outside or in the slot.
WR Cordarelle Patterson - Patterson was dynamic as a rookie but has been on a bit of downward trend since then. He's got the size and speed you want, plus he's a dangerous return guy.
TE Mychal Rivera - Ideal #2 TE who can run, catch, and block.
OT Matt McCants - Young OT with some upside, primarily a RT who could fill in at LT in a pinch.
OC JC Tretter - Young OC who can play any position on the OL, has some injury history which could lower his price.
DE Jabaal Sheard - Ideal rotational DE for the McDermott system. He can rush the passer and set the edge against the run. Be a nice steal from the Pats.
DE Damontre Moore - Another low-risk, high-reward guy. In 2014 and 2015 he looked well on his way to establishing himself as a good pass rusher but off-field issues derailed his career.
OLB Nick Perry - He's my top target of anybody on this list, I can't imagine GB let's him go but if they do then I want him.
OLB Jelani Jenkins - Ideal Cover 2 OLB with good speed and size. Likely a WLB in our system who can also cover and blitz.
MLB Kevin Minter - Prototype run stuffing MLB, would likely push Ragland to a reserve role.
CB Morris Claiborne - Probably not a #1 CB at this point but he's done pretty well in Dallas since being labeled a bust.
CB AJ Bouye - Love the game of Bouye who is still developing. He could immediately be a starter for us, 63 tackles and 16 passes defended in 2016.
FS JJ Wilcox - Former QB/RB converted to FS. He has the athleticism and size to play the CF position in the McDermott defense.
SS Tony Jefferson - Jefferson was the total package at OU and has really turned it on this season after dealing with injuries. He can play in coverage, he can play in the box, and he can blitz.