Smoke Break: Ryan Bates, Stephon Gilmore, Tremaine Edmunds, And More Buffalo Bills Offseason

This week on Smoke Break, Z-Bot was joined by The Rev to go over the last two weeks of exhilarating offseason action. The two covered all sorts of topics for Buffalo Bills fans. Everything from the Ryan Bates return and the rumours about Stephon Gilmore, to the idea of trading Tremaine Edmunds and the need for drafting a cornerback. Let’s get into it.

Ryan Bates Returns (5:18)

Ryan Bates made the offensive line click during that late season stretch. Now he’s back on a four-year deal to keep him part of the offense. Many fans were confused when the front office put the weakest tender possible on him, wondering if they really wanted to keep him at all. Chicago made that initial offer, which the Buffalo Bills, due to their tender, got a chance to match. Then they did. We’re confident in him, and he’s proven worthy of a shot to hold down the starting job.

Should We Sign Stephon Gilmore? (12:19)

Brandon Beane has put on a masterclass of an offseason, and by signing a cornerback he can bring it all together. Is Stephon Gilmore that player? There’s some torrid history there, sure. Still, he’s a worthwhile signing. For the full argument for and against him, check out the article below.

Regardless of who we sign, the Buffalo Bills are definitely in need of a veteran cornerback. With Levi Wallace leaving for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team has to have a backup plan. Do they have a draft night trade in the cards? Perhaps a move for a solid starter, or certain prospects they're looking to go after? It remains to be seen.

Trading Tremaine Edmunds (31:08)

Tremaine Edmunds is a very good linebacker. Is he occasionally caught off-guard? Certainly. Does he fill the largest coverage role for a linebacker in the NFL? Also yes. Edmunds is valuable, but perhaps not irreplaceable. His play could benefit from the revamped defensive line ahead of him, but would that mean they have confidence in starting a rookie instead? They're not afraid to do it, having put Edmunds in as a rookie learning a new position starting in 2018. If that's something they're comfortable with, then they could see Edmunds as expendable.

Considering how significant our need for a cornerback is, both now and in the future, they could look to move up and get their franchise CB2 by trading him. The postseason is won by difference makers, and if the man they want is costly to pursue, then they should do it. Every effort this franchise makes is taken with the goal of winning a Super Bowl. If they need to trade up to the seventh-overall pick to obtain the final piece to this glorious puzzle, then it's time to do it.

Z-Bot and Rev covered a lot of topics, like Brandon Beane's draft strategy and roster building philosophy (50:21), the Tyreek Hill trade (58:28), a complete breakdown of the AFC as we know it (1:25:51), and much more. Check it all out on the latest episode of Smoke Break on the Buffalo Fanatics YouTube channel.