One of the things I have always loved was the idea of a panic or hysteria. It's something hard to overly define because they can happen within big and small communities. It turns normally rational people into maniacs who have lost any sense of reasonableness. For the Salem Witch Trials they were taking the word of children and accusing everyone. People started coming out and any feud or grudge in the town was shown as accusations continued to fly. How bad did it get? 200 were accused of witchcraft and 20 were executed. The madness didn't end until some really higher up members of Massachusetts society were being accused and magically the supernatural evidence was no longer allowed in court and everything fell apart.

Everyone remembers the Japanese Intermittent camp? FDR's executive order 9606 which stated "This order authorized the force removal of all persons deemed a threat to National Security from the West Coast to "relocation centers further inland resulting in the incarceration of Japaneses Americans". This occurred two months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Americans were scared, they were angry and they saw shadows behind every single corner. FDR by executive fiat stereotyped everyone of an ancestry as a traitor. This occurred because of hysteria. It just builds and goes off the rail.

We have entered the hysteria and panic time of the year for the NFL, They even call it Free Agency Frenzy on the NFL Network. So lets take a look at some of the deals and money being handed out around the league. But here's the thing, the big money contracts don't overly come into the world of making a huge impact. I'll give an example and that is Tremaine Edmunds contract. He will average 18 million dollars a year and as someone who has protected Edmunds I can say he is not worth that kind of money. Is he the 4th best LB in the league? I would argue he is not but that's what the Bears are playing him. They had the money and are going to spend it like a poet on a pay day. Now, I am not fully blaming the Bears for being very aggressive but they overpaid.

Now, lets talk about the biggest frenzy in the NFL right now, Aaron Rogers and the NY Jets/Green Bay Packers awkward love triangle. Aaron Rogers is by far the most attention seeking person I think is in the limelight right now. So he went into a darkness retreat (Drugs) for three days came out and saw his shadow and decided to play football again. But then he decides to say he wants to be a NY Jet and the Packers are now just laughing, why? Because the Jets managed to put themselves in the corner and the Packers can hold the whole thing up and get as much as they want. So the Jets franchise is completely now under the control of Aaron Rogers with their whole fanbase going nuts, they have no leverage with the Packers and they're stuck.

Bills Free Agency:

1.) It is the time of the year where Fans know more than every single person in the league. I for one enjoyed the Twitter melt down when the Bills signed Deonte Harty and fans saw the contract without knowing the contract and it was glorious. I'll refer you to the Matt Warren well written article on how it plays out. Long story short, it's a one year, 5 million deal. That puts him at the Kendrick Bourne level of contract. Or, he is the 46th highest paid WR in the league. For what he offers the Bills in potential that's not a bad deal. He offers the Bills speed and the ability to create his own space. One of the things the Bills struggled with last year was offensive weapons creating their own and letting Josh Allen just play within the offense and have an easy button. Harty offers the ability in space to have YAC and create his own.

2.) Connor McGovern feels right for a guard. Here's the thing, I don't want a huge contract for guard. McGovern is a good player but not a great player. He received a fair deal which is always needed for both teams and players and is an upgrade. Here's the thing about guards, you want to have good ones but the offense can survive if they don't have great ones. This is Connor McGovern but the one thing I do like about him is he can reset and re-anchor which I feel the guards on the team struggled with and he does have the ability to pull.

3.) I love the Bills signing Kyle Allen as a back-up QB to Josh Allen. Why? Because they're friends and sometimes you just want to make the face of the franchise happy. I also believe it's probably time for Matt Barkley to retire and become a coach for the Bills. But why is it a bad thing some would say? No reason other than personal views.

4.) Bills should be in the market for trading Jerry Juedy and I know the Broncos are saying they want a first round pick but I'm pretty sure the Bills can get him for a 2nd. Why? No leverage for the Broncos because they're openly shopping him. Time to just play the waiting game. I wouldn't trade a first for Juedy, just not what I feel he is worth but I would give it a second.

5.) Bills are on the hunt for a running back and I believe the rumors of Dalvin Cook. The Cook brothers are close, Dalvin might take a paycut to play with his brother and he has 2-3 good years left. Want to help out Josh Allen and the whole offense? Add in explosive running backs. I love this idea actually because it adds talent. But I see why some would be upset because the Bills have put a lot of resources into the running back room.

6.) Matt Milano is the the heart of the Bills defense and extending him just makes sense.

7.) WOW, Bills have Jordan Poyer back and magically all the fans screaming are silent. Bills set their price for Poyer and I believe they never moved off of it. Other teams asked and talked to him but they didn't offer what the Bills offered. Poyer gets to play with his friend Micah Hyde, he plays in front of the BillsMafia the best fanbase in my mind, and he legit has roots in the community. So I believe for Poyer the compensation had to be at or greater than what Buffalo offered. No issue there in my mind.

8.) Where do the Bills go for LB? I'm leaning more and more to the Bills not really addressing the LB core. In the league today there will be a position group which is not strong. The Bills have Matt Milano and paying good money to him, move him to the middle and let Bernard play the Milano role and I bet McBeane would not be upset. I also wouldn't be shocked if the Bills pulled the trigger on a MLB in the first round.

9.) The problem with this year's draft for the Bills is there are only about 16 players most of the experts are saying are worth a first round grade. I will actually argue that this year's draft is not really strong and reminds me of the 2013 draft. Is there really any buzz? So with that being said if you're the Bills, no one is probably wanting to trade up so you're stuck. So my solution is to go and get a LB which is really important in the McD defense. How about another LB with elite talent. Trenton Simpson from Clemson. He's 6'3" and 240 pounds. Has elite top end speed and is ranked by CBSSports as the best LB. So the team is stuck at the position, it will cost too much to go up and get a first round talent. Just take the "L" and go and get elite talent.

10.) OBJ is not out of the conversation in Buffalo. Beane has made Ian Rappaport state the Bills are always players. Every single name the Bills could very well be in on, and frankly I believe it's true. This is what makes free agency in Buffalo exciting because Beane is in on everything. He might not pull the trigger but you know he is having a talk. For Bills fans remember this, the franchise went 17 years with the drought and had to overpay for everyone, don't forget we could be the Cardinals right now.

NFL Thoughts:

1.) I like what the Bills have done, I know I hit them up a little bit with the money he gave to Edmunds. I feel like the Bears couldn't help themselves, they identify as the Monster of the Midway and the Monsters of the Midway need a good LB. But lets back up a little and look what they have done this off-season. They have traded back to the 9th overall pick and have added picks 61, a 2024 first round pick, a 2025 second round pick, even more important for next season, DJ Moore who upgrades the weapons for the Bears. They have to make a decision on Justin Fields and have added weapons. I believe they have done a good job this season.

2.) I have no idea what the Raiders are doing. Darren Waller is a top three TE in the league and he was traded for the 100th overall pick to the Giants. Now, they signed Jimmy G who has always liked playing with a TE to help him whether in New England or San Francisco. So what do the Raiders do, they trade the position Jimmy G loves the most to throw too. What did they do to help their team? They signed Jakobi Myers who is a good player but he isn't as talented a Waller. Just a bad look.

3.) Miami is following the Rams model because they're really paying a lot of money to a few positions. This works but comes at a cost, they have to avoid ANY injury bugs. The Dolphins have not worked on the OL this off season and what's the biggest question mark for the Dolphins? Tua's health after last year. He has had injuries and missed time in every single season since he last college year. Terron Armstead his blind side tackle has missed time every year. So what is their solution? Trading for Jalen Ramsey. Now, I think Ramsey is a great CB, wasn't elite last year but great. But the Dolphins are so scared of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen they still refused to protect Tua and going to let him take a beating again.

4.) Can we discuss the tire fire that is the Cardinals? The Cardinals I believe will be the worst team in the league next year. What do the Cardinals do because I believe Kyler Murray is not "it" for a franchise QB and they have the first overall pick and the 2024 draft is a strong QB draft. What do they do? They know teams are not going to offer a top end trade for Murray due to his attitude, lack of leadership, and lack of size. So do they just trade Murray for a 3rd round pick and go after the two best QBs in the draft? If I'm them I'm moving on.

5.) Find yourself a lover like Skip Bayless loves Baker Mayfield. So Baker is now signing with the Bucs for a one year contract and this is the last hope of Baker and it is going to end in a crash. Why? Todd Bowles isn't an offensive guy, Baker can't survive without action and it just feels like a bad fit. Baker after this year will be a career back up.

Bills Mock Draft Post the first few days of Free Agency. I'm using the PFF simulator and no trades. The advanced settings will be straight down the middle.

27th: Jack Campbell LB: McDermott adds a LB in the first round and keeps Milano as the Will because Campbell is the Mike. But maybe the Bills move and in some spots run three LBs and have Campbell be the SAM, Milano be the MIKE and Bernard act as the Will. Campbell isn't the top ranked LB however to me I would rather take the bigger prospect.

59th: Joe Tippman, C/G: Bills have to plan for life after Mitch Morse and Tippman can start as guard and then when Morse retires slide into center. Either way it fills needs.

91st: Michael Wilson, WR: He's 6'2" and has decent traits and adds in some size at the WR room.

Not upset if the Bills bring in this.