90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

[sukie]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

Post totals are paramount

[Woodman]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: LB Terrel Bernard

Financial situation (per Spotrac): Bernard enters the second year of his rookie contract, a four-year pact worth a total of $5,042,992. For the 2023 season, Bernard carries a cap hit of $1,116,560, and Buffalo is on the hook for a dead-cap charge of $684,744 if they release him.

2023 Season outlook:In theory, Bernard has just as a good a chance as anyone to start games this year, and he should have a better chance than a rookie like Williams thanks to his year of experience in the system. However, Bernard is more a Matt Milano-esque replacement than he is a second linebacker on all three downs, so I think it’s unlikely that he wins the starting gig. In the early going, it’s been Williams taking reps at middle linebacker, which suggests to me that the team hopes that it’s Williams next to Milano come September. Buffalo could also rotate that spot based on down, distance, and field position — as there are things that Williams, Bernard, and Klein all do well, but each player has glaring weaknesses, as well.

[Woodman]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: WR Marcell Ateman

Financial situation (per Spotrac):Ateman signed a one-year deal worth a total of $940,000. That contract contains no guarantees. If he makes the roster, that full amount will be his 2023 cap hit, and if Buffalo cuts him, he won’t count at all against their salary cap.

2023 Season outlook: Ateman is one of five pass-catchers added to the roster this offseason who is at least 6’4” (wideouts Patmon, Shavers, and Coulter, as well as tight end Dalton Kincaid), which signifies a shift from smaller, shiftier players to bigger targets. I’m not sure that it’s going to translate into a roster spot for Ateman, who will need to show that he can not only handle boundary receiver duties this preseason, but he’ll likely need to show himself a worthy contributor on special teams in order to make the final roster. I assume that Justin Shorter has the advantage among the “trees” that Buffalo has added this summer given his draft status, but that doesn’t necessarily need to be the case. Ateman is probably auditioning for a spot on the practice squad this summer.

[Woodman]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: DE Leonard Floyd


Financial situation (per Spotrac):Floyd signed a one-year deal worth $7 million fully guaranteed, and he can earn upwards of $9 million. For the season, he carries a cap hit of $2,623,750. There are three void years on the contract to spread out the overall money.

2023 Season outlook:This was a really good move for the Bills, as the pass rush absolutely disappeared late in the season last year. Adding more quality depth to go with the defensive ends on the roster was necessary, and adding a player with Floyd’s overall ability so late in the free-agency game is a great get for general manager Brandon Beane. At worst, Floyd is a great rotational player who occupies the brain space of offensive linemen and defensive coordinators all year long. At best, he’s another disruptive force to add to Miller and Rousseau along the edge. His presence is also sure to free up someone like Ed Oliver in the middle.

[Woodman]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: DE Boogie Basham

Financial situation (per Spotrac):Basham enters the third year of his four-year rookie contract, a deal worth a total of $5,624,943 overall. For the 2023 season, Basham carries a cap hit of $1,534,075 and a dead-cap number of $725,434 if the Bills decide to move on this summer.

2023 Season outlook: Basham is a player who definitely does things the coaching staff likes — he’s big enough to set the edge against the run, and he’s also versatile enough to kick inside as a pass-rusher on 3rd & Long situations — but he has shown so few flashes throughout his first two seasons that it’s hard to be excited about him at this point.

[TigerJ]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

Joee Buscaglia of the Athletic thinks that Boogie Basham is a trade candidate. Three roster spots at DE are set unless Von Miller is not ready to go early in the season. The other two are Floyd and Rousseau. Basham is fighting Epenesa, Shaq Lawson and a scrub or three for one roster spot. Basham has not distinguished himself enough to keep him safe.

[Woodman]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

Joee Buscaglia of the Athletic thinks that Boogie Basham is a trade candidate. Three roster spots at DE are set unless Von Miller is not ready to go early in the season. The other two are Floyd and Rousseau. Basham is fighting Epenesa, Shaq Lawson and a scrub or three for one roster spot. Basham has not distinguished himself enough to keep him safe.

If anybody is interested I'd agree he's teetering.

Could we get a 6th rounder or better?

If the answer is yes he's a goner JMO.

[Woodman]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: CB Alex Austin


Financial situation (per Spotrac):Austin signed his rookie contract, a four-year pact worth $3,917,776 overall. For the 2023 season, he carries a cap hit of $769,444 if he makes the roster. Buffalo will carry a dead-cap number of $77,776 if they release him. That total represents the signing bonus on the contract.


2023 Season outlook: The cornerback group is stacked at the top, with White, Elam, Benford, and Johnson all shoe-ins to see time on defense, and Neal certain to be one of the team’s top special teams players yet again. That basically leaves the remaining players fighting for one spot on the 53-man roster.

Can Austin be better on defense than Jackson while also being better than Lewis on special teams? That’s the question the team is going to have to discover an answer to this summer, and it’s what Austin is going to have to prove to make the roster. My guess is that he’ll start off a little worse than both of the incumbent players at their respective strengths, but he’s going to be a little better than each of them at their respective weaknesses, which is a long-winded way of saying that he’ll be better than Lewis on defense and Jackson on special teams.

[Night Train]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

FWIW, I'm still impressed with the number of quality players Beane signed for camp.

Real competition at many positions over just camp bodies. Many cannot assume they have a roster spot locked up, regardless of name recognition.

[Woodman]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

I'm glad we extended him as well.

[Woodman]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: RB Latavius Murray

Financial situation (per Spotrac): Murray’s one-year contract is worth a total of $1,317,500 overall. Of that total, $802,500 is guaranteed. That number is the dead-cap charge Buffalo would be responsible for if he were to be released prior to the start of the season. As a vested veteran, the entirety of Murray’s base salary, which is $1.165 million, becomes guaranteed if he’s on the roster for Week 1. Murray’s cap hit is $1,092,500 if he makes the team.

2023 Season outlook: Murray’s case for a roster spot is an interesting one. He’s not going to top the depth chart (that’s Cook’s probable role), nor would he be the top short-yardage back (that’s probably Harris) or the top receiving back (that’s probably Hines). However, he might be the most well-rounded back of the bunch, and given the fact that he’s an absolute unit who’s showing no signs of slowing down, I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes the team out of camp.

The question, then, would be what position loses a player if Murray were to make the roster, which is where I start to waffle. Is it at tight end, where Buffalo would have to cut Quintin Morris and use Gilliam as the third player there? Is it at wide receiver, where Buffalo could choose to go with five wideouts instead of six?

[Woodman]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: DT Kendal Vickers


Financial situation (per Spotrac):Vickers signed his reserve/futures deal at the conclusion of last season. That contract is a one-year deal worth a total of $1,012,500. That number represents his cap hit if he makes the 53-man roster. The Bills will carry a dead-cap charge of $2,500 — the value of Vickers’ signing bonus, if he’s released.

2023 Season outlook:With the top of the DT depth chart looking fairly settled, it’s hard to imagine someone like Vickers breaking camp with the team. Barring injury, some combination of Oliver, Phillips, Jones, Ford, and Settle are in the mix to be the top group, with one player from that grouping a potential cut or trade candidate, as well, if the team only goes with four players at the position. Vickers has some potential to play dual roles on defense, as he could fill in as both a 1-tech and a 3-tech, so a trip to the practice squad again could be in his future.

[Woodman]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: DE Shaq Lawson


Financial situation (per Spotrac):Lawson re-signed with Buffalo once again this offseason, inking a one-year deal worth a total of $1,317,500 overall. Of that total, $452,500 is fully guaranteed. Thanks to the veteran’s minimum exception, Lawson’s cap hit is lower than his contract total, sitting at $1,092,500 for the year. If he’s released prior to the start of the season, Buffalo would be responsible for a dead-cap hit of $452,500. However, as a vested veteran, the entirety of his base salary becomes guaranteed if he’s on the roster to start the league year. His base salary is $1.165 million.

2023 Season outlook: The defensive line is going to be an interesting battle overall, as the Bills have stockpiled plenty of talent both at defensive tackle and at defensive end. There’s an argument to be made for almost all of the defensive ends making the roster here, and Lawson is sure to have a great chance to reprise his role as veteran sage-slash-solid role player this year.
With Miller’s status a question mark to begin the season, some of what the team does may depend on whether he starts on the PUP list or not. Miller, Rousseau, and Floyd are roster locks, leaving Lawson, Basham, and Epenesa to fill out the rest. Can the Bills justify keeping six defensive ends if Miller starts the year on the active roster?

[Woodman]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: CB Siran Neal


Financial situation (per Spotrac): Neal enters the second year of a three-year contract extension, a pact worth $9 million that he signed ahead of last season. Neal’s 2023 cap hit is $3,313,333 if he makes the roster, and Buffalo will carry a dead-cap charge of $1,066,067 if he’s released prior to the start of the year. As a vested veteran, the entirety of his base salary ($1.94 million) becomes guaranteed if he’s on the Week 1 roster.

2023 Season outlook:Neal is one of those guys who feels like he’s close to a roster lock, but then I look at the talent and depth the team has at the position and I wonder if they’ll go in a different direction. They certainly love Neal’s ability as a gunner on special teams, and his ability to play in the slot, as an outside corner, and at safety is helpful in a pinch. However, he’s not particularly good on a consistent basis in the context of the actual defense, which does limit his usage.

[Woodman]

Re: 90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

RB Damien Harris


Financial situation (per Spotrac): Harris signed a one-year deal with Buffalo this offseason, a pact that totals $1.77 million overall. Of that total, $1 million is guaranteed, and that number represents the dead-cap charge that Buffalo would accrue if they chose to release Harris prior to the start of the year. His contract value is the cap hit that he carries if he makes the squad. As a vested veteran, the entirety of his base salary becomes guaranteed if he’s on the roster for Week 1. That number is $1.12 million.

2023 Season outlook: Harris is definitely going to be a big part of Buffalo’s offense this season, whether as the lead back or a 1B to Cook’s 1A. He doesn’t provide much value in the passing game, but that’s where both Cook and Hines excel, so he doesn’t really have to provide anything more than solid pass protection in that regard.

While last season was definitely a down year, Harris is a very tough, talented runner who finishes his carries with violence. He’s run for 20 touchdowns in his career, and he always had a ton of success against the Bills; in fact, he has more rushing yards (364), rushing touchdowns (5), yards per carry (6.91), and rushing yards per game (91) against Buffalo than against any other opponent.