Bills Mailbag: What does Miami's trade for Tyreek Hill mean for Buffalo's 2022 season?

Sam Ruggiero asks: My head is spinning this free agency period, but Tyreek Hill … a Dolphin? What does this mean for the Bills? Does his signing improve our chances of winning the AFC by taking away one of Patrick Mahomes’ favorite targets or make it tougher by playing against him twice a year vs. Miami? Does this make signing a top-notch cornerback in the draft a lock?

Kevin Hartnett asks: Obviously, with the recent movement of stud wide receivers and quarterbacks to the AFC, one would think the Bills will now need to prioritize a cornerback at the top of the draft. Yet, several mocks still have the Bills leaning toward taking offense with their first pick at No. 25. I don't get it, do you? I do think Brandon Beane is going to package picks at some point and move up to grab a player he and Sean McDermott really desire. The Bills have no need for eight picks with such a stacked roster. Finally, would you be shocked if the Bills selected San Diego State punter Matt Araiza as early as Day 2 of the draft? Day 3? I believe some team might get him on Day 2.

Ken Radens asks: Who do you think got the better deal between Kansas City and the Dolphins? Good, bad or indifferent for the Bills?

Jay: Hill’s acquisition by the Dolphins shows Miami is doing everything possible to give quarterback Tua Tagovailoa the best chance to be successful. Coupled with the other additions Miami has made, including signing left tackle Terron Armstead, the Dolphins are playoff contenders. As such, the AFC East shouldn’t be viewed as a given for the Bills. I’d still consider Buffalo to be the divisional favorites, however, and the flip side to the trade of Hill, as Sam points out, is that it weakens the Chiefs on paper. We’ll see how Kansas City uses the draft capital they acquired in exchange for Hill, but it’s very difficult to see them acquiring a wide receiver who has the same type of game-breaking potential. Hill is nearly unmatched in that regard. If you (understandably) consider the Chiefs to be the Bills’ biggest roadblock to the Super Bowl, the trade of Hill should be viewed as a good thing.

As for who won the trade, we have to see what it produces for the Chiefs with all those picks. Right now, we know the Dolphins got an All-Pro receiver, so they win for now, but that can change.

In my second mock draft of the season, which is in today’s edition, I project Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. to the Bills. I totally get when Beane says his draft philosophy centers on taking the best player available. Given the depth chart at cornerback, however, it’s hard to fight the urge to say they need to draft a player at that position in the first round. That could change if they make an addition via trade or free agency before the draft, which is certainly a possibility. For now, though, cornerback is what I’d wager my money on if I were picking a first-round position.

As for taking a punter, I’m in favor of it, but wouldn’t do so before Day 3. Ideally, that would be in the fifth round or later. Araiza, nicknamed the “Punt God,” would be a great target, but I suspect, as Kevin mentions, that he might be chosen a bit earlier. As nice as his addition would be, I don’t think I’d ever be on board with taking a punter in the first four rounds of any draft.

Mike Scully asks: The Browns will be easy to root against with their disgusting new quarterback. Thank God it's a hypothetical, but could we, as Bills fans, ever get behind a guy like Deshaun Watson just because of his immense talent? 

Jay: Former NFL player Damien Woody summarized things well Friday when he wrote on Twitter, “This is basically a bet by the Browns that football will win out over people’s collective morality.” There are times when covering the NFL makes you feel as if you need a shower, and Friday was one of those times. That the Browns say they did a “thorough investigation” into the allegations against Watson without ever talking to any of the 22 women who are accusing him would be laughable if it wasn’t so maddening. That they structured his fully guaranteed contract in such a way that that Watson will lose the bare minimum in any suspension is particularly egregious.

As for how Bills fans would react, I’d love to say it would be different, but if I’m being honest, I don’t have any evidence to back that up. I don’t see how the reaction would be any different here. There are Browns fans who responded by donating to a Cleveland-area rape crisis center. Given the benevolence of Bills fans, I could see the same thing happening here. There are Browns fans who have said they can no longer root for the franchise. I could see the same thing happening with Bills fans. There are also Browns fans who have defended Watson by saying he has not been charged with a crime. There would be Bills fans who have that take, too.

Ultimately, it comes down to the moral compass of the leaders of a franchise. We know what the Browns stand for. The Bills are lucky enough to have Josh Allen and thus not be desperate for a franchise quarterback. Because of that, we don’t know how Terry and Kim Pegula, Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott would have reacted in a similar situation.

Ann Monroe asks: Do I need to be concerned that there has been no announcement of a financial agreement with Stefon Diggs? I don’t know enough about contracts to know if his is up for negotiation or is this year just a continuation of his old one and that’s why we haven’t heard anything about it, but I am worried that we might lose him. Can you help me sleep by clarifying the situation?

Kevin Howlett asks: Am I crazy to think this Stefon Diggs/Bills contract situation is very similar to the one between New England and Stephon Gilmore the past two seasons? Gilmore had two years remaining and was coming off a Defensive Player of the Year award when the cornerback market exploded with deals for Jalen Ramsey, Tre’Davious White and Marshon Lattimore, making Gilmore almost overnight, severely underpaid. They eventually gave Gilmore a $5 million raise for 2020, but playing on that deal ultimately cost him probably $50-plus million. Am I crazy to think a pre-draft trade of Diggs is a possibility? Draft picks could then be used to avoid massive deals for Diggs and Tremaine Edmunds, etc. Maybe the Eagles?

Jay: Diggs has two years remaining on his contract, Ann, so there is no need to panic right now. Get some rest. There has been no indication publicly that he’s seeking a new contract.

Beane addressed the issue on March 18, saying “We’ll at the right time work with his reps and see if there’s something to be done that makes sense for him. It’s got to be fair, it’s got to make sense for him, make sense for us. But Stef’s been great. He reached out to Von (Miller) when he heard during the recruiting process, Josh (Allen) did as well. He’s a winner. He’s all in on winning and sure everybody wants to be paid, but he wants to be on a winning team and I think he’s been the best version of himself. I don’t see that being an issue.”

Now, to Kevin’s point, it would be naïve to think Diggs hasn’t taken notice of the recent contracts signed by Hill and Davante Adams when considering what his next deal should look like. I continue to think a two-year extension with a maximum value of $50 million sounds about right for Diggs. The longer it goes, however, without a deal being reached, the more doubt creeps in. I wouldn’t take it as far as suggesting Diggs could be traded, Kevin, mostly because the Bills are so close to a Super Bowl. The same could be said of the Chiefs, but the reason for that move is because it became clear the two sides were going to be unable to reach an agreement on a new contract. The Bills pride themselves on keeping things in house when it comes to contract negotiations, but there has been no evidence to indicate things are trending in that direction with Diggs. As long as both sides are happy, trading Diggs doesn’t help the Bills in their pursuit of a Super Bowl, so for that reason, I wouldn’t support such a move.

Ron Garbe asks: Do the Bills have any other player on their roster that they can restructure or extend their contract to come up with some money to sign a cornerback?

Jay: Allen’s contract can be restructured pretty easily to free up about $2.5 million in cap space. Another option is to release linebacker Tyler Matakevich. He led the team in snaps on special teams last year, but at more than $2.5 million, he is a pretty expensive luxury at the moment. If those two moves were made, the Bills would be able to bring in a veteran cornerback in the range of about $4 million. It’s a pretty good idea.

John Butler asks: Why don't the Bills realize that Tremaine Edmunds is far better suited to be a defensive end than a linebacker? He has never been a square-up, in-the-hole sort of true middle linebacker. He tends to overpursue and lunge at ball carriers when going side to side. His coverage skills, instincts, and positioning as a pass defender are a liability. He frequently gets lost in space. With his long arms, length, initial burst, and presumed ability to chase down runners from behind, it seems as if his skill set would translate better to defensive end. Yes, you would probably need to put at least 10-12 pounds on him. I just saw one mock draft that had the Bills taking Nakobe Dean, linebacker from Georgia. The analysis referred to Edmunds as a bust at linebacker. It seems to me to be a very logical move. What am I missing?

Jay: John, it comes across in your question that you know a good deal about football, so I wouldn’t say you’re missing anything. Clearly, you’ve given the idea a lot of thought and have valid reasons to support your argument. My only rebuttal, and it’s ultimately all that matters, is the Bills simply disagree with you. There has been no indication they’re ready to try Edmunds anywhere other than middle linebacker. That’s not to say that’s the right decision, just that it’s the conclusion the team has reached. I’d disagree slightly with the mock draft that called Edmunds a bust. The team did pick up his fifth-year option, and they wouldn’t have done that if they truly thought he was a bust. It’s fair in my mind to say he hasn’t quite lived up to the lofty expectations that were placed on him when the team traded up in the first round to draft him at No. 16, but that doesn’t automatically place him in the “bust” category. I’d also say that after adding Von Miller and investing three draft picks in the first two rounds on defensive ends in the past two years, there is no room for Edmunds at defensive end. I’m on board with the idea of drafting a linebacker, maybe even on Day 2 of the draft. That player can provide depth as a rookie, and perhaps take over for Edmunds in the middle after the 2022 season if the Bills decide not to offer him a contract extension.

Jeff Miller asks: After Brandon Beane conferred with you after you had his job for a day, how much of your advice did he follow?

Jay: Not a one! It’s almost like I shouldn’t quit my day job. This question is in reference to my annual “GM for a Day” column. Beane did move on from Daryl Williams and Cole Beasley, which I suggested, although those moves didn’t require a master’s degree in football administration to figure out. My big swing was a trade for Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter, who was rumored to be on the block, but instead Beane set his sights higher, landing Von Miller. I guess there’s a reason he’s in the seat he’s in. There is still time for him to follow some of my suggestions, though. In the draft, I had him selecting Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks and Tennessee cornerback Alontae Taylor in the first two rounds. Those would still be acceptable options.

Thank you for all the questions this week. As a reminder, they can be submitted via email to jskurski@buffnews.com or via Twitter, @JaySkurski.