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Bills NFL Draft CoveragePotential Buffalo Bills target: draft analysts’ take on
Montez SweatNew Thomas Sweeney Jersey Boys ,10commentsSweat is a first-round prospect but where he will be picked is up for debate. EDTShareTweetShareSharePotential Buffalo Bills
target: draft analysts’ take on Montez SweatBrian Spurlock-USA TODAY SportsThe
Buffalo Bills didn’t add any marquee pass rushers in free agency like they
wanted to. They did their homework on multiple guys like Trey Flowers and Ziggy
Ansah, and while Ansah is still available, his medical checks might be what are
holding teams back from taking a flier on him. Montez Sweat would fill an
immediate need for the Bills as an EDGE defender. Joe Marino of The Draft
Network and Lance Zierlein of NFL.com have this to say about Sweat:Joe
MarinoLance ZierleinDuring his junior and senior season in college, after he got
settled in at Mississippi State, Sweat flourished for the Bulldogs defense. Over
26 games, Sweat recorded 101 total tackles, including 26 sacks and 30 tackles
for loss. His final two years of production are what NFL teams are looking for
at the next level. Outside of Jerry Hughes, the Bills’ pass rush is nonexistent.
Between Shaq Lawson and Trent Murphy, Sweat would be an immediate upgrade over
the other pass rushers on the roster. Sweat should be on the board at ninth
overall, but it just takes one team in front of them to fall in love with
him.How realistic is a Buffalo Bills trade for Khalil Mack? In case you’ve been
living under a rock this summer, you might’ve missed learning that Oakland
Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack is currently working out in Buffalo, on an
extended holdout from his team. The former UB Bull, who is the NCAA leader in
tackles for loss and a two-time All-Pro linebacker, is due for $13.5 million
this year. But Mack wants to sign a big-money Infant Thomas Sweeney Jersey , long-term deal, and the Raiders aren’t listening.For many Bills fans, Mack is “the one that got away” in the 2014 draft, and his amazing
talent would benefit any team in the league. Is it realistic to think that the
Bills could trade for Mack before the season begins? That’s a complicated
question.Historical trade comparisonsGood luck finding a foothold for trade
negotiations on this one. Teams just don’t trade All-Pro players in their prime.
Before we talk about why that is, let’s dig into the archives and find some
examples of talented players moving teams. Keep in mind that we won’t consider
quarterbacks in this group. Their trade market is completely out of whack - if
Sam Bradford, who never made a Pro Bowl and missed 33 career games, could fetch
a first round pick from the Minnesota Vikings, that justifies separating the
group.Buccaneers trade 1st and conditional 3rd/4th round pick for CB Darrelle
RevisRevis had been first-team All-Pro in 2009, 2010, and 2011, and was holding
out for a better contract during part of the 2012 preseason. A torn ACL ended
his 2012 season after two games. In the offseason, the Jets traded a 27-year-old
Revis to Tampa Bay, where he signed a six-year, $96 million deal (and lasted one
season in their zone defense).Eagles trade 1st and 4th round pick for OT Jason
PetersPeters was a Pro Bowl selection in 2007 and 2008 Thomas Sweeney Jersey Draft , but had held out in the 2008 preseason wanting a bigger contract. The Bills traded the 26-year-old Peters in the 2009 offseason to
Philadelphia, which gave him the money he wanted.Dolphins trade two 2nd round
picks for WR Brandon MarshallThe 25-year-old Marshall was just coming off his
second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, but his friction with the coaching staff
had led to a suspension at the end of his last season. The Broncos traded him to
Miami, where he immediately signed a $47.5 million contract extension.Why star
players rarely hit the trade marketThe NFL’s rules afford teams several methods
to keep players under contract, and if a player’s an All-Pro, chances are the
team wants to keep him under contract.The first point is obvious - if a player
is under contract with a team, he can either play for them, or not play football
at all. If a player’s in his prime, his contract is almost definitely slotted
into the league’s standard pay structure - a five-year deal for first round
picks, four years for other draft picks, and three years for undrafted free
agents. When his contract’s over, he’s still not a “free agent” by the sense of
the word. Teams can use a Restricted Free Agent tag on players who were signed
to shorter rookie deals, slotting them into a salary which could only be
circumvented if another team is willing to give up draft picks.Then there’s the
franchise tag. Especially for non-quarterbacks, the franchise tag is the
greatest tool a franchise can use to force a player to stick around. The tag can
either be exclusive or non-exclusive (requiring a team to surrender multiple
first round picks to sign a tagged player). The tag gives a strong single-year
salary Thomas Sweeney NFL Jersey , but it’s based on the average salary of the best players at the position, and that rarely pays out for any position other than QB or DL.
If tagged, a player has no choice but to sign the tag or hold out, and the tag
can be applied in consecutive years (for the cost of an escalated salary).Let’s
consider Mack, who entered the league at 23 years old. He’s slated to play his
fifth season under a rookie deal at 27 years old if the Raiders don’t trade him.
Then they can franchise tag him for two more seasons without a long term
commitment. It’s possible that Mack will enter unrestricted free agency for the
first time at the age of 30, having contributed dozens of sacks and a handful of
All-Pro selections to a team that paid him an average of $9.5 million dollars
per year.Could Mack be traded?When we think of the leverage the Raiders possess,
and look at historical comparisons, the odds aren’t good for Mack to change
hands. Players who were traded had either participated in extended, multi-season
holdouts (Revis, Peters) or were considered to be a “diva” or otherwise had a
poor relationship with their coaching staff (Marshall, Terrell Owens). This is
Mack’s first holdout rodeo, and while he’s already shown he’s willing to
sacrifice game checks for his cause, we can’t say for sure that the team
believes he’ll sit out the season. So it comes down to Mack’s chemistry. In the
locker room, he’s known as a consummate professional Thomas Sweeney NFL Draft , so that’s not a problem.The only remaining possibility is that Jon Gruden, the $100 Million Man, could see Mack’s holdout as a challenge
to his authority. Gruden’s signed for ten seasons, and if he truly wants carte
blanche to manage the franchise as he sees fit, he might want to set ground
rules that veterans should be willing to accept lower pay in exchange for future
paydays or contributing to a lower salary cap for a winning team.Does Gruden
have the ego to make his decision like that? Absolutely. That’s pretty much the
only thing working in Mack’s favor here.Evaluating Buffalo’s chances to trade
for MackThe first thing to even ponder is if the Bills would even be interested.
While Brandon Beane was his usual cagey self when reporters tried asking in
recent press conferences, CBS Sports reporter Jason La Canfora was willing to
name the Bills as a team who has “done their due diligence” on Mack and would be
asking for terms if the Raiders put Mack on the trade block. The Bills would
likely be bidding against a half dozen other teams, including the Green Bay
Packers, the New York Jets, and the Indianapolis Colts.The Bills do have enough
salary space to sign Mack to a long-term extension, although they’d need to be
creative. Per Spotrac, the team has $11.6 million in cap space in 2018, which
wouldn’t cover Mack’s $13.5 million rookie contract salary, but an extension
could backload the deal. With $60 million to work with in 2019 and a whopping
$120 million in 2020, the team has plenty of cash on hand to pay the
linebacker.Schematically Thomas Sweeney Buffalo Bills Jersey , how would the Bills use Mack? While he could play defensive end, his athleticism as a standing rusher is also outstanding. He’s
essentially a dramatically upgraded Lorenzo Alexander. Would the team keep him,
Jerry Hughes, and Trent Murphy on the field and mostly play out of base looks?
Would he replace one of the down linemen? There are options for Leslie Frazier
here, but he’s not a perfect match for the current scheme, given that you want
him playing almost every down.Then we have to consider trade compensation. A
first-round pick is the starting point, and the Bills have one of those. They
probably need to offer another great value, like another first-round pick or a
second-round pick, and possibly a veteran replacement, in order for Gruden to
feel like he got his money’s worth in the deal.Eight ball says: Don’t count on
itLet’s say I’m putting this on paper here so you can unironically throw me to
Old Takes Exposed when Schefter’s breaking the news here. But this requires too
many moving parts to align in Buffalo’s favor to result in a situation where
they successfully trade for Khalil Mack. The Bills brass needs to be convinced
that his talents are worth the assets to acquire him. The Raiders need to be
convinced that moving on from an All-Pro in his prime is more valuable than
keeping a frustrated talent on the roster for (relatively) cheap costs. The
Raiders have to be more impressed by the package offered by the Bills than
whatever the Jets or Packers or whoever might offer. The Raiders have to feel
that Mack won’t threaten them with frequent revenge games if he stays in the
AFC.Could all that happen? Yes, and Bills fans will use every superstition they
can muster to make it so. But we don’t see it happening.