Think of it as refinancing a 3-year mortgage into a 4-year mortgage (I don't know the actual numbers for Milano. Sooner or later, if you keep doing this, you will end up in cap hell.
Or vice versa
Like lonely old Puff.
He's the last to know anything.
can and will finish out the contract, so they won't have a dead cap hit at the end of his deal. He's the Bills' only defensive player I'd call indispensable, moreso with the pending departures of Edmunds and Poyer. This deal keeps him around and frees up cap room for much needed help.
Not that anyone asked, but I have limited people to vent to, I think this core Bills group from 2020-22 has done all it's going to do. Frazier's departure was necessary IMO, but Dorsey is still a weak link. He's a great frontrunner, but when things don't go according to plan, Allen reverts to playing hero ball and we can only pray he doesn't get killed. Diggs is an elite #1 WR, but it's an indictment on both him and Dorsey that Allen wasn't even looking for him in that Cincinnati game. Even more damning (for McDermott too) is that they brought back Cole Beasley to fill the role that McKenzie and Shakir were supposed to share.
This team was built to beat the Chiefs in the playoffs. It failed. Now we also need to deal with the Bengals, who can not only beat the Chiefs in a shootout, but can win those ugly 18-15 AFC North dry-humping submission contests. Throw in a rising Jacksonville and the looming possibility that the Chargers suddenly find competence, and the window for this core group of Bills' coaches and players is basically closed. Allen is the only player, and McDermott (for now) the only coach, that are off the table IMO.
over their heads. They blew their wads in '21 & '22 and now the Dolphins and Jets are on the verge of overtaking them.
Feel free to vent to me. Like Dr. Frazier Crane, I'm listening.
These are questions I never would have thought to ask a year ago.
Are we sure Stefon Diggs should return? We just saw KC trade Tyreek Hill and redistribute those resources toward other needs, including reinforcing its OL. This offense is obviously better with Diggs in it, but if Allen doesn't seek him out in big moments, how valuable is he? More valuable than an OL that can run block and keep Allen's jersey clean?
Are we sure Tre White is our #1 corner? Even when he's not injured, he's not exactly locking anybody down. Like I said, I think Milano is the only indispensable player on that defense. What could we possibly get for White?
Are we sure Dorsey is a good OC? No. That's not even a question anymore. Why the Bills are bringing him back for another year of on-the-job learning with a team that is purportedly in its Super Bowl window is baffling. What are we hanging onto here? The Rams blowout in Week 1? I'd rather bring in someone like Greg Roman to give this offense a physical identity and become less reliant on Allen slinging 60-yard deep balls.
Are we sure Beane is a good GM? He hit on Allen and Edmunds. After that, I see too many disappointments. Do the Bills have a single player on either line that you'd describe as indispensable?
Are we sure McDermott is a good HC? I'm just getting ahead of the talking heads here. When they start associating him less with Andy Reid and more with his other coaching tree patron, Ron Rivera, you'll know the perception has started to set in that McDermott can't get this team to the next level.
Signing bonuses are spread over the duration of the contract for cap purposes vs counting in the year they are given.
So say he was going to make $10mil this year, they sign him to an extension and convert $9mil to signing bonus and leave $1mil as salary this year (plus whatever he gets for the next two years). This year's cap hit is salary of $1mil + 1/3 of signing bonus, $3mil = $4mil. That's $6mil less than the $10mil he would have been against the cap and he still makes $10mil this year.
The counter is he is cut prior to end of bonus (or traded without so.e weird contract adjustment) then the remaining signing bonus and any other guaranteed money hits all in that year.