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00:00Today, chit-chat can be really called time well spent, but yesterday an example of what
00:07can happen was between 6 and 6.30 when we went into the quarterback free agent list
00:15and named perhaps everybody, and then Bulldog got to Kyle Allen, and we both kind of went,
00:23all right, yep, we're done.
00:24They know him.
00:25Yeah, we were searching for a Trubisky replacement, looking at the list of who hadn't signed
00:29yet, and like, yeah, okay, that's probably the guy.
00:32Why don't we just know to do that up front?
00:33We would have had more time to talk about other things.
00:37Kyle Allen will be the Bills quarterback, of course, because they know him.
00:40Right, and they're joshing their friends, but yep, yep.
00:44Kind of what they do, right?
00:46That's what a lot of teams do.
00:47Sure.
00:48Sal Capaccio with us now on the West Her Hotline.
00:51I guess let's start there.
00:53The decision to bring back Kyle Allen.
00:55What do you think, Sal?
00:57Yeah, we can start there.
00:58I just want to first say, though, because I'd like to start by saying, Bulldog, I'm going
01:00to the game tonight.
01:01I will not be taking your advice and betting the Sharks.
01:03Okay.
01:04I mean, I might take Celebrini plus 135 to score a goal.
01:08That sounds a little bit juicy.
01:09I don't know.
01:10He's really, really good.
01:11You could use the win-win approach.
01:13Right.
01:14Which is you're happy or you're rich.
01:16Right.
01:17It's like in squares when you, if you hit the square, but the team who didn't want to
01:22win the Super Bowl, like, you know, you get the Patriots, but you got to get, they got
01:25to get the field goal at the end to win.
01:26You're like, well, I'm going to win that square, but I don't want them to win.
01:29Right.
01:29So I totally get that.
01:31Yeah.
01:31Could do that.
01:32I'm not going to do that anyway.
01:34Tonight, Max's hockey team will be there tonight.
01:36So it'll be a nice night for kids to see a really fantastic player and see some good
01:39hockey.
01:40So I like that a lot.
01:41That's awesome.
01:41So Kyle Allen, um, he played for the bills in 2023.
01:46He was Josh's backup.
01:47As you guys remember the first time Mitch Trubisky was here and then left Kyle Allen became his
01:51replacement the second year.
01:53Cause Trubisky was gone for two years.
01:55Little trivia.
01:56Do you guys know how many games he appeared in that year?
01:59Zero.
02:00I don't know.
02:01Uh, seven.
02:02Wow.
02:03I was going to say it had to be some kneel downs.
02:05They must've been night games when I wasn't working.
02:07Do you know how many passes he threw?
02:10I do not zero zero is correct.
02:14He was in for seven games, all kneel downs, never threw a pass in a bills uniform.
02:19And honestly, that's the goal here, right?
02:21You don't want Kyle Allen had to have to actually play as any backup quarterback would look.
02:26I get it.
02:27I don't totally, I don't disagree with people who think you need, maybe you'd like a better
02:30backup.
02:31I think Mr.
02:31Trubisky has been fine, but the bills are banking on something that has happened here
02:36to continue to happen, which is Josh Allen doesn't miss games.
02:39I mean, he is, he is available.
02:41He plays.
02:42And if you're dealing with an injury prone quarterback, no matter how good or great he
02:46is, you have to protect yourself with somebody better than that.
02:49I think the bills are in a spot where they, they don't have a lot of money.
02:52They have to cut some corners somewhere here or there on positions.
02:55This is a position where sure.
02:58Would you like the best backup possible?
02:59Yeah.
03:00But why are you paying that much money when Josh Allen has the longest starting streak
03:04in the NFL when it comes to, you know, playing quarterback?
03:06I, I, so I understand you, you're not going to get that high level guy and nor should you
03:10want to pay that high level guy.
03:11Yeah.
03:11You know, it can be, it can be a little tricky to manage, I think, because on one hand, I
03:17think it's absolutely right to say if Josh Allen, you know, goes out for, you know, season
03:23ending something, forget it.
03:24It doesn't matter who that guy is.
03:26Right.
03:26But if he misses because his elbow is banged up and it's three weeks, then, and then that's
03:32where I think you want to get to, but I want to have the best guy I can possibly have
03:37here
03:37because, you know, if I can even win one of those three games that could keep me afloat
03:43for the division or for the whatever I'm chasing.
03:46Right.
03:46And so on that, on that hand, I would, I might go, I think I should try to do better,
03:51but
03:52you know, the doomsday scenario is the doomsday scenario.
03:55There's no saving you.
03:56If he goes down for 10 weeks, like your season's over.
03:59And I guess the question is, and I don't disagree with all that.
04:02What other guys would be out there?
04:04You could sign that you could make it work under your cap that, you know, I mean, what
04:07did Marcus Mariota get 7 million?
04:09Are you spending $7 million for a backup?
04:11That's a name people thought of, right?
04:12I don't know.
04:12It's, it's hard to do.
04:14You, you, you have to, you have to be able to manage the cap as well as you go along.
04:18So I don't disagree with you.
04:19And Kyle Allen has played games in this league.
04:22He's what?
04:23Seven and 12 overall.
04:24He played in seven for the Bills in 2023, we just learned.
04:27There you go.
04:29He, he does have more TDs than interceptions in his career.
04:32And I think what obviously is a part of this is his relationship inside that locker room
04:37and with Josh Allen specifically.
04:39And with Joe Brady specifically, he was here a couple of years ago.
04:42And you know, that matters to the organization.
04:45It's not because I hate the narrative or the talking point of, well, it's Josh Allen's
04:50friend.
04:50Yes, that matters.
04:51People, you know, Josh Allen's friendly with everybody, but you got to be comfortable with
04:54the quarterback room and the backup quarterback.
04:56It's such an integral part of what happens throughout the week and the game plan and helping
05:00each other and making sure you can lean on each other and people that have seen things
05:03and been around.
05:04That is why Shane Buchel is still here.
05:06He, Shane Buchel doesn't offer much as an actual backup quarterback, but they love him in
05:10the locker room.
05:10He's smart.
05:11He's been around Andy Reid.
05:12He's been in the, with the Chiefs, he's been with the Bills.
05:15It just fits, right?
05:16So all of that is baked into this.
05:17And my, even if people don't want to hear that and don't like it, I understand that,
05:21but that's part of it.
05:22Fair point on the money.
05:24You can't spend up at this position.
05:26I wouldn't want to do that either.
05:2812 starts for Carolina in 2019, a team DJ Moore was on, but not yet.
05:34Joe Brady.
05:35I don't think he was there yet.
05:37Sal, Dawson Knox restructures.
05:39This is not unforeseen.
05:40What are the ramifications?
05:45So you guys know, every time we've brought this up, this to me was always the most preferred
05:50outcome and what I think could wind up happening unless Dawson Knox, the only way I thought
05:54this wasn't happening was really if Dawson Knox said, no, I'm not doing that.
05:57That would mean basically a pay cut.
05:59You know, you could send me to free agency, but where, you know, what is he getting on
06:03the open market?
06:04Now you and we all talked about Brian Dable in Tennessee, Dawson being from Tennessee,
06:08that could be a natural fit, but then the Giants go out and sign a tight end for $8 million.
06:11Are they going to look into Dawson Knox as his representatives, you know, trying to make
06:16that happen?
06:16And not that he could talk to anybody, right?
06:17I'm not suggesting that because he's under contract.
06:19But when you look at the landscape, you think about things like this.
06:22I think overall, this is the best outcome for the Bills.
06:26They have a player they value tremendously on the field for what he's been able to do
06:30for this team since he came here.
06:31And especially a year like last year when he was relied on more than people thought he
06:35would have had, you know, 400 plus yards receiving.
06:38He had four touchdowns, but also what he means to this locker room and to the people around
06:43him.
06:43And we've heard stories about how Dawson's been very much a guy that they lean on some of the
06:47younger players and moments of, you know, need of wanting to get through some things,
06:51even including Dalton Kincaid a couple of years ago after the Kansas City game.
06:55So now Dawson Knox gets to the way the contract works, stay in Buffalo for the next three years.
07:01Maybe he finishes his career here.
07:03His wife is from here.
07:04They have a family they've just started.
07:06To me, it all fits.
07:07And we'll see where the numbers are.
07:09I don't, I don't see if you guys see any numbers specifically on it.
07:12I have not seen numbers yet.
07:13No.
07:13No, me neither.
07:16Um, um, just looking at spot track, I don't see anything that sometimes Mike will have
07:20it, but my guess is guys out of the $17 million cap, he had a 9.90, a $10 million,
07:27essentially
07:27base salary.
07:28You now get two more years to spread that out.
07:31And my guess is they'll add a void year or two.
07:33You might have five years to spread that $10 million out.
07:36If you convert it to a signing bonus, you could lower his cap it to like $5 million.
07:39Really?
07:40I mean, you could be looking at that and that's, that's $12 million cleared if they do that.
07:43Yeah.
07:44I mean, when, when I saw that it was for three years, that's what I, I figured that they
07:48would go, you know, stretch all that out and really, at least for this year anyway, and
07:53maybe next have the cap number much more reasonable.
07:58I agree with all that.
07:59Like, I think there's, there's, you know, it's not a player I'm expecting growth from.
08:05Like, I think he is what he is.
08:06His baseline is decent.
08:08It just never lined up with the contract and I did not need them to create another hole
08:13in an off season where they already have so many holes.
08:16So if he was going to be amenable to basically taking a pay cut along the way here, you know,
08:22okay.
08:23Um, I, I, I didn't need again to open up another spot where I got to find another guy, especially
08:28like if Kincaid had played 17 games last year, plus the playoffs and was on the field more
08:35than 50 or 60% of the time, that might be different, but he's injury.
08:40He's an injury question every week.
08:42It feels like, and I just could not pull another guy out of that position group.
08:47So I think that's, that's where I end up is like, you know, good that you kept Knox.
08:53Yeah.
08:53I mean, I, you could make the argument.
08:55I mean, I haven't studied each tight end group in the league.
08:57Um, Mike, you might be more dialed into this than me because of, you know, playing fantasy
09:00football seriously.
09:01Like, I think the bills could have, I'm not saying fantasy, I'm saying football wise, the
09:06best tight end room in the, in the NFL.
09:07I mean, they have three guys that offer you everything you need.
09:12Dalton Kincaid is a really excellent receiver from the tight end spot.
09:15And by the way, he got better at blocking last year and did it really well until his
09:18knee injury started popping up again.
09:20Jackson Hawes is one of the best blocking tight ends in the league.
09:23And he could offer you a little bit of hands once in a while in a short yardage or a
09:26red
09:27zone.
09:27And then Dawson Knox really bridges that gap.
09:29I think they, in this tight end room now is going to be together for a couple more years
09:32because they're going to exercise Dalton Kincaid's 50 year option.
09:35So you got a nice tight end room here for a couple of years.
09:38And with Reggie Gilliam's loss, I think you have to lean on them maybe even a little bit
09:42more in the run game here, depending on what they do at fullback.
09:45Well, we have all off season to talk about it.
09:47I guess I would just say, I don't know that I want to have a great tight ends room.
09:52Like, why do I need the, the, they're jammed.
09:55You know, that's part of my problem with this offense has always been this since Kincaid,
09:59like what, what he needs to do, what Shakir then is able to do and what kind of roles they
10:03play. And I think I'm limiting myself because of all of their being present as productive
10:10as they each can be. And even Knox in his way. Um, I mean, there might, they might be the
10:14best
10:14list, but I don't think I want that. I think I want, I want other things more. Um, Trey Hendrickson,
10:21Sal, how much thought are you devoting to the bills signing him? He's still on the market.
10:27There is one report today that says the bills are interested in him. That's really not surprising
10:31to me. Is he taking up a room in your brain? Started to today a little bit more than he
10:38had. And that's because the report this morning that he had been seeking 30 million, that wasn't
10:44good. He wasn't going to get that. So now his asking price is lowered. And I'm thinking, okay,
10:48how high would the bills be willing to go for this player? They apparently reportedly did poke
10:54in on Max Crosby, but that price tag got a bit too high to be able to trade for him.
10:59So that tells
10:59me that they would certainly be interested in why wouldn't you and an elite pass rusher like a Trey
11:03Hendrickson or a Max Crosby. Um, so I'm starting to think about a little bit more. I think the longer
11:08this goes on, the more interesting it gets for me to kind of think about here. It's still something
11:12that I don't know if they'd be able to get to where another team might, but man, teams are spending
11:17a lot of money and there's still money out there, but the more T more money teams are spending and
11:21the
11:21more they're eating up and the bills really haven't done much in that regard here. You know,
11:26they signed, they restructured, they signed, um, you know, uh, uh, what's, um, Alford, sorry,
11:31Alford, uh, the corner and the DJ more thing. You know, that's the thing that we keep reading these
11:35stuff, the stuff about their salary cap. Yeah. They're over the cap still, but that's because
11:39they have to, they have the DJ more cap thing when it happens. Um, you know, they're going to have
11:44to count that, but then they're going to reduce his salary anyway. So I do think they have the ability
11:48to land a big guy. If they want, they just have to, would have to structure the contract creatively,
11:51you know, Hendrickson, this is not necessarily a bill's point. Um, but you know, could become one
11:57if they're, if they end up in pursuit of him and land him, boy, this guy, the timing, right? Like
12:03he
12:03just the, the fighting with the Bengals for a couple of years, he just never got the TJ Watt contract.
12:12And now what he's finding, I think on the open market is he's too old for the TJ Watt contract.
12:17And that's really tough for him. Cause he's been, his stats are right up there with the
12:21best guys in the league year over year, but he never got the, he never got the bag, you
12:27know, like I'm sure he's done fine for himself. So, I mean, that my sympathy only goes so far,
12:31but he might feel like he mismanaged this or his agents did, or I don't know. Like he just
12:37never got, he never got to be free at the right time for him. He's 31, right? He's 31 right
12:45now. And I just want to look, he's 31. I'm looking right now. Joey Bosa, he is, do you
12:50know, Joey Bosa is only 30 right now. He feels like he's 35 or 36. When Joey Bosa signed last
12:55year, he was 29 years old, I believe. So with the bills, which is incredible to think
12:58about. And Trey Hendrickson is two years older than him. Joey Bosa got 20 million essentially
13:02for one year. They spread it out. And you're right, Bulldog. I mean, I don't know. He's dealt
13:07with a couple of injuries here. Trey Hendrickson has now. There's been some stuff of, he didn't
13:10want to obviously maybe push himself because of what's happening here, but I agree with
13:13you. I mean, when you think about like what a guy like Bosa got in the open market, and
13:18I know he dealt with a lot of injuries, what Hendrickson might be looking for at his age.
13:22Yeah. I mean, 30 mil seems like a lot. He's lowering it. So you're right. He's probably
13:26a little more priced out than he thought he would have been at that point. Just a quick
13:30PS here. Would the bills ever bring Bosa back? I don't think so. No, no, no. I don't.
13:37I mean, would they ever? Sure. I think, but they have, they have dead cat money already
13:40on him. You'd have to kind of count that in addition, just like you're doing for Connor
13:44McGovern. And, um, you know, what does that contract look like? But, um, I, I would never
13:48say never because these things, we see things like this happen. Um, but I think it's very
13:54unlikely. Okay. Enjoy the game tonight. Thanks guys. That's our Sal Capaccio on the Western
13:58hotline. His appearances are brought to you by New York's only outlet.
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