Buffalo Bills roster reset: 7 takeaways through first wave of NFL free agency

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Buffalo Bills roster reset: 7 takeaways through first wave of NFL free agency

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[SackMan518]

 

Compared to what NFL free agency was like for the Buffalo Bills a year ago, the first few days of the 2023 offseason were relatively quiet. General manager Brandon Beane did warn everyone at his season-ending press conference not to expect any big splashes, and he kept true to his word.

The team found one probable starter in guard Connor McGovern, one role player in receiver Deonte Harty and a backup quarterback in Kyle Allen through free agency, in addition to re-signing several of its free agents. After all their dealings, Beane said the Bills have roughly $9 million in cap space.

2023 Bills free agency signings (through March 16)

PLAYER	POSITION
Kyle Allen	QB
Deonte Harty	WR
Connor McGovern	LG
Ike Boettger	IOL
Tyrel Dodson	LB
Tyler Matakevich	LB
Dane Jackson	CB
Cam Lewis	CB/S
Jordan Poyer	S
Sam Martin	P

Although free agency isn’t over, the initial rush of it has passed and the Bills still have some work to do through the next wave and the draft. So as the team resets with some crossed-off needs, how do things look? And how do their moves impact their short- and long-term needs?

 

Here are seven takeaways as the Bills reset for the next wave of the offseason:

Poyer seems refreshed as the Bills get dynamic pair back

It didn’t take long to see a difference in Jordan Poyer from where things were almost a year ago. Poyer began nearly a year-long journey of looking for a lucrative extension from the Bills, changing agents to try and facilitate a deal and not shying away from wanting to be paid top-tier safety money. The deal never came from the Bills during the season, which paved the way for him wanting to test the free-agent market this March. On top of it, Poyer went through numerous injuries and not playing every game with safety Micah Hyde for the first time in his Bills career. All the while, it certainly seemed like there was pressure or a weight on Poyer. So, when he arrived at the media room on Thursday for his news conference, you couldn’t help but notice that weight was lifted. He seemed refreshed and lighter, knowing the pressure to land a big deal was behind him. Poyer was reflective, happy to be back with the Bills and playing with Hyde, and eager to put last year behind him with a healthy and more productive 2023. At one point, Poyer said, “This is where I’m going to finish my career, and I’m excited about that.”

 

Though Beane deserves credit for how he handled the entire situation. Poyer was a leader on the team, and the Bills could have easily given him a new deal based on how much he’s meant to the organization over the last six years. However, Beane stayed away from making an emotionally based decision and held firm to his valuation of a player entering his age-32 season. The Bills had cap concerns, but Beane didn’t spoil the relationship and instead kept the door open on this exact scenario, with Poyer’s market not being what he hoped for and the Bills looked more appealing as each safety signed. That approach prevented the Bills from having two humongous holes in their defense at middle linebacker and safety.

The first mention of the future at safety?

While Poyer is back, there’s no getting around the obvious. He’s on a two-year deal and will be 32 in April. Hyde is already 32 and his contract is done after 2023. It’s a huge thing for the 2023 season that both are back as starters, but past that, safety is a giant question mark for the future. Damar Hamlin has intentions to play again, and Beane said that things are “trending in the right direction” for him to do so. But it’s still unknown as to how that will turn out, plus Hamlin is only signed through 2024. But when asked about Christian Benford and a possible move to safety, Beane did bring up an interesting side conversation. With Poyer and Hyde back, it affords the luxury to focus on development for the players behind those two locked-in starters. If they felt Benford is best suited for a position switch, then “maybe we would do that behind Micah and Jordan and start that transition.” The same logic can be applied to a potential young safety they draft this year, who could spend the whole year learning from two masters of the scheme and potentially take over in 2024. So even with Poyer, safety remains firmly on the draft radar.

Milano’s new deal is quite the commitment

The Bills lost Tremaine Edmunds to a huge contract on the open market but ensured the same wouldn’t happen with Matt Milano. The team signed Milano to an extension through 2026, but after the contract details surfaced, the level of commitment shows they are locked in on the deal for the next three years at least. The details on OverTheCap.com show a hefty signing bonus, guaranteed base salaries through 2024 and a void year in 2027. Even though his $9.625 million base salary in 2025 isn’t guaranteed, that void year in 2027 cancels out any potential cap savings they could generate in 2025. The earliest the Bills could get out of the deal and generate savings would be in 2026, his age-32 season, and even then, they’d only save $5 million. His cap hits are $7.087 million in 2023, $12.74 million in 2024, $16.12 million in 2025 and then $16.15 million in 2026. There’s no doubting Milano’s importance, but that much commitment for a player entering his 30s who has dealt with several small injuries through his career is a slight concern. But they felt it’s better than the alternative of life without Edmunds and Milano.

What now at middle linebacker?

The Poyer return signals there is only one giant hole in their defensive starting lineup at middle linebacker, but the Edmunds loss could have a ripple effect if they’re not careful. It was noticeable each time the Bills were without Edmunds in 2022, specifically in pass coverage in the middle of the field, which only added to his value on the open market. They still have Terrel Bernard, who coach Sean McDermott believes could play the middle if they needed him to, but Bernard’s lack of experience is difficult to put trust in at such a high-profile starting spot in their defense. They also brought back Tyrel Dodson on a fully guaranteed one-year deal, but he has shown pass coverage limitations as the starter opposite Milano in the past. Despite their options and the Bills’ desire for a true competition this summer, it’s a spot that should keenly remain on the radar for draft purposes, possibly even as early as the first round.

 

Interior line settling in? And a vote of confidence for Spencer Brown

With the addition of Connor McGovern and the re-signing of Ike Boettger, it seems like the Bills are starting to feel comfortable with what they have along the interior line. The team said they envision McGovern slotting in at left guard with center Mitch Morse and right guard Ryan Bates likely locks for the starting lineup and Boettger as the team’s top reserve. That doesn’t include a backup center, but Beane did say they believe Bates and McGovern can help in those responsibilities, which could help them feel settled there even for draft purposes. McGovern and Bates are signed through the next three seasons, are in their mid-20s and with Morse signed through 2024, the team could look to one of the two younger players to be his potential replacement. That was one of the big draws to draft an interior offensive lineman this April, but that need could have been filled with McGovern.

 

Starting right tackle Spencer Brown has been a talking point for much of the offseason, but on Thursday, it didn’t sound like Beane was in a hurry to replace him. Beane said he believes Brown is “trending up” and thought the tackle “did really well down the stretch for us and we are very confident that he’s going to solidify that.” Those words carry a lot of weight as Beane is generally more vague about players he’s considering replacing. The Bills still might add a piece at some point in the draft, but it doesn’t seem like they view right tackle as a position they need to spend a high draft choice on at this point.

Harty is a start, but that shouldn’t be it at WR

The Bills brought in Deonte Harty to fill what Beane calls their “4 role” as someone who can play inside at slot receiver or on the boundary, but that didn’t sound like a locked-in starter. Even with Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis and Khalil Shakir returning, it likely doesn’t preclude them from adding another big-time talent at receiver through the draft. Even though Harty can play the boundary, he’s only 5-foot-6, so he’s likely not going to be an every-snap player there. Davis is an upcoming free agent after 2023 and Beane already admitted the Bills will be tight to the cap again in 2024. With how slowly they bring along their young receivers, it would be an ideal year to start that learning process in 2023, potentially leading to a prominent role in 2024 and beyond.

The other receiver to keep an eye on is Isaiah McKenzie, who is due a $250,000 roster bonus on March 19. If they were to cut him, they could save close to $2 million on this year’s salary cap. Beane said they are talking about it internally and “making sure we don’t have too much duplicate,” a clear allusion to Harty’s skill set and filling the “4 role” previously held by McKenzie. It didn’t sound promising for McKenzie, as Beane used the past tense when he said, “he’s been great for us,” without a clear vote of confidence for 2023 after it. But the Bills said they’d decide on McKenzie’s future in the next few days.

Nowhere else I’d rather be than right here, right now ♥️💙🦬 #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/jM5I9Q8dau

— Deonte Harty (@tayynation1) March 16, 2023

 

Running back still feels light, literally and figuratively

The Bills have yet to add another running back, and with only James Cook and Nyheim Hines on the roster, it’s a position likely to have at least two additions at some point. They believe in Cook’s potential and he’ll be one of their top two runners, but Hines was only a gadget player in their offense last year. It’s hard to trust that as a solid second back during a pivotal season. Both players are also on the lighter side physically, and Beane admitted they wanted to add someone with some more physicality who is “a little heavier.” There are some interesting unsigned free agents with that profile like Leonard Fournette, Ezekiel Elliott and Damien Harris. Beane’s words about adding a heavier back were not a great vote of confidence for a potential re-signing of the 203-pound Devin Singletary, especially considering Beane sidestepped a question about Singletary just a few seconds before.

 

 

 

[HipKat]

@SackMan518

Really?

[SackMan518]

2 hours ago, HipKat said:

@SackMan518

Really?

What do you mean?

[HipKat]

6 hours ago, SackMan518 said:

What do you mean?

I take my Athletic posts seriously. Yours stabs my OCD in the eyes.  lol

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Compared to what NFL free agency was like for the Buffalo Bills a year ago, the first few days of the 2023 offseason were relatively quiet. General manager Brandon Beane did warn everyone at his season-ending press conference not to expect any big splashes, and he kept true to his word.

The team found one probable starter in guard Connor McGovern, one role player in receiver Deonte Harty and a backup quarterback in Kyle Allen through free agency, in addition to re-signing several of its free agents. After all their dealings, Beane said the Bills have roughly $9 million in cap space.

2023 Bills free agency signings (through March 16)

PLAYER	POSITION
Kyle Allen	QB
Deonte Harty	WR
Connor McGovern	LG
Ike Boettger	IOL
Tyrel Dodson	LB
Tyler Matakevich	LB
Dane Jackson	CB
Cam Lewis	CB/S
Jordan Poyer	S
Sam Martin	P

Although free agency isn’t over, the initial rush of it has passed and the Bills still have some work to do through the next wave and the draft. So as the team resets with some crossed-off needs, how do things look? And how do their moves impact their short- and long-term needs?

Here are seven takeaways as the Bills reset for the next wave of the offseason:

Poyer seems refreshed as the Bills get dynamic pair back

It didn’t take long to see a difference in Jordan Poyer from where things were almost a year ago. Poyer began nearly a year-long journey of looking for a lucrative extension from the Bills, changing agents to try and facilitate a deal and not shying away from wanting to be paid top-tier safety money. The deal never came from the Bills during the season, which paved the way for him wanting to test the free-agent market this March. On top of it, Poyer went through numerous injuries and not playing every game with safety Micah Hyde for the first time in his Bills career. All the while, it certainly seemed like there was pressure or a weight on Poyer. So, when he arrived at the media room on Thursday for his news conference, you couldn’t help but notice that weight was lifted. He seemed refreshed and lighter, knowing the pressure to land a big deal was behind him. Poyer was reflective, happy to be back with the Bills and playing with Hyde, and eager to put last year behind him with a healthy and more productive 2023. At one point, Poyer said, “This is where I’m going to finish my career, and I’m excited about that.”

Though Beane deserves credit for how he handled the entire situation. Poyer was a leader on the team, and the Bills could have easily given him a new deal based on how much he’s meant to the organization over the last six years. However, Beane stayed away from making an emotionally based decision and held firm to his valuation of a player entering his age-32 season. The Bills had cap concerns, but Beane didn’t spoil the relationship and instead kept the door open on this exact scenario, with Poyer’s market not being what he hoped for and the Bills looked more appealing as each safety signed. That approach prevented the Bills from having two humongous holes in their defense at middle linebacker and safety.

The first mention of the future at safety?

While Poyer is back, there’s no getting around the obvious. He’s on a two-year deal and will be 32 in April. Hyde is already 32 and his contract is done after 2023. It’s a huge thing for the 2023 season that both are back as starters, but past that, safety is a giant question mark for the future. Damar Hamlin has intentions to play again, and Beane said that things are “trending in the right direction” for him to do so. But it’s still unknown as to how that will turn out, plus Hamlin is only signed through 2024. But when asked about Christian Benford and a possible move to safety, Beane did bring up an interesting side conversation. With Poyer and Hyde back, it affords the luxury to focus on development for the players behind those two locked-in starters. If they felt Benford is best suited for a position switch, then “maybe we would do that behind Micah and Jordan and start that transition.” The same logic can be applied to a potential young safety they draft this year, who could spend the whole year learning from two masters of the scheme and potentially take over in 2024. So even with Poyer, safety remains firmly on the draft radar.

Milano’s new deal is quite the commitment

The Bills lost Tremaine Edmunds to a huge contract on the open market but ensured the same wouldn’t happen with Matt Milano. The team signed Milano to an extension through 2026, but after the contract details surfaced, the level of commitment shows they are locked in on the deal for the next three years at least. The details on OverTheCap.com show a hefty signing bonus, guaranteed base salaries through 2024 and a void year in 2027. Even though his $9.625 million base salary in 2025 isn’t guaranteed, that void year in 2027 cancels out any potential cap savings they could generate in 2025. The earliest the Bills could get out of the deal and generate savings would be in 2026, his age-32 season, and even then, they’d only save $5 million. His cap hits are $7.087 million in 2023, $12.74 million in 2024, $16.12 million in 2025 and then $16.15 million in 2026. There’s no doubting Milano’s importance, but that much commitment for a player entering his 30s who has dealt with several small injuries through his career is a slight concern. But they felt it’s better than the alternative of life without Edmunds and Milano.

What now at middle linebacker?

The Poyer return signals there is only one giant hole in their defensive starting lineup at middle linebacker, but the Edmunds loss could have a ripple effect if they’re not careful. It was noticeable each time the Bills were without Edmunds in 2022, specifically in pass coverage in the middle of the field, which only added to his value on the open market. They still have Terrel Bernard, who coach Sean McDermott believes could play the middle if they needed him to, but Bernard’s lack of experience is difficult to put trust in at such a high-profile starting spot in their defense. They also brought back Tyrel Dodson on a fully guaranteed one-year deal, but he has shown pass coverage limitations as the starter opposite Milano in the past. Despite their options and the Bills’ desire for a true competition this summer, it’s a spot that should keenly remain on the radar for draft purposes, possibly even as early as the first round.

Interior line settling in? And a vote of confidence for Spencer Brown

With the addition of Connor McGovern and the re-signing of Ike Boettger, it seems like the Bills are starting to feel comfortable with what they have along the interior line. The team said they envision McGovern slotting in at left guard with center Mitch Morse and right guard Ryan Bates likely locks for the starting lineup and Boettger as the team’s top reserve. That doesn’t include a backup center, but Beane did say they believe Bates and McGovern can help in those responsibilities, which could help them feel settled there even for draft purposes. McGovern and Bates are signed through the next three seasons, are in their mid-20s and with Morse signed through 2024, the team could look to one of the two younger players to be his potential replacement. That was one of the big draws to draft an interior offensive lineman this April, but that need could have been filled with McGovern.

Starting right tackle Spencer Brown has been a talking point for much of the offseason, but on Thursday, it didn’t sound like Beane was in a hurry to replace him. Beane said he believes Brown is “trending up” and thought the tackle “did really well down the stretch for us and we are very confident that he’s going to solidify that.” Those words carry a lot of weight as Beane is generally more vague about players he’s considering replacing. The Bills still might add a piece at some point in the draft, but it doesn’t seem like they view right tackle as a position they need to spend a high draft choice on at this point.

Harty is a start, but that shouldn’t be it at WR

The Bills brought in Deonte Harty to fill what Beane calls their “4 role” as someone who can play inside at slot receiver or on the boundary, but that didn’t sound like a locked-in starter. Even with Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis and Khalil Shakir returning, it likely doesn’t preclude them from adding another big-time talent at receiver through the draft. Even though Harty can play the boundary, he’s only 5-foot-6, so he’s likely not going to be an every-snap player there. Davis is an upcoming free agent after 2023 and Beane already admitted the Bills will be tight to the cap again in 2024. With how slowly they bring along their young receivers, it would be an ideal year to start that learning process in 2023, potentially leading to a prominent role in 2024 and beyond.

The other receiver to keep an eye on is Isaiah McKenzie, who is due a $250,000 roster bonus on March 19. If they were to cut him, they could save close to $2 million on this year’s salary cap. Beane said they are talking about it internally and “making sure we don’t have too much duplicate,” a clear allusion to Harty’s skill set and filling the “4 role” previously held by McKenzie. It didn’t sound promising for McKenzie, as Beane used the past tense when he said, “he’s been great for us,” without a clear vote of confidence for 2023 after it. But the Bills said they’d decide on McKenzie’s future in the next few days.

Note: The Bills released McKenzie on March 17

Running back still feels light, literally and figuratively

The Bills have yet to add another running back, and with only James Cook and Nyheim Hines on the roster, it’s a position likely to have at least two additions at some point. They believe in Cook’s potential and he’ll be one of their top two runners, but Hines was only a gadget player in their offense last year. It’s hard to trust that as a solid second back during a pivotal season. Both players are also on the lighter side physically, and Beane admitted they wanted to add someone with some more physicality who is “a little heavier.” There are some interesting unsigned free agents with that profile like Leonard Fournette, Ezekiel Elliott and Damien Harris. Beane’s words about adding a heavier back were not a great vote of confidence for a potential re-signing of the 203-pound Devin Singletary, especially considering Beane sidestepped a question about Singletary just a few seconds before.

[SackMan518]

44 minutes ago, HipKat said:

take my Athletic posts seriously. Yours stabs my OCD in the eyes.  lol

Sorry, I was lazy and didn't do proper formatting. 

[HipKat]

32 minutes ago, SackMan518 said:

Sorry, I was lazy and didn't do proper formatting. 

lol...:D :D