The Front Office: Adam Peters and Roster Construction

[Skinfanjon]

people will laugh at this but I don’t see how this guy deserves anything other then slightly above league average… he had what, 1 good season? And he’s been injury prone and now comes with issues from the neck up… no way in Gods green earth would I even consider paying him 15-20m… call the police cause that is robbery

He was a guy who was held back statistically by other options in SF, but really broke out in 2023. If you can get like 75% of that guy he’d be phenomenal for this offense. I’m willing to roll the dice but I’d want single digits on the number. Personally I think he’s on the AB84 express to crazytown, but willing to find out if it’s cheap.

 

[bowhunter]

Adding Aiyuk for cheap is an absolute no brainer. If we pay him $10M it’s a bad move.

It all depends on the contract.

But if he can be had for cheap, why wouldn’t you take a flier? Guys hold out all the time. He wasn’t a typical hold out, but that’s exactly what he did.

He may have some issues, but if he’s cheap you cut him. The upside far out weighs the downside - as long as the money makes sense.

Sometimes we forget the whole team dynamic. Of course he'll be buddies with Jayden and be on good behavior around AP. But is he a dickhead to the new receiver with an adjacent locker? Does his personality make teammates refrain from getting together for a weekend of off season pitch and catch? Will he be the crazy aunt that lessens your desire to go to the family reunion?
I want BA added to this team (as WR3/4) as I think he is the best bang for the buck in our WR room. But I will look at this move with caution. There are only so many times you can crank the jack in the box before the crazy clown pops out.

 

[KDawg]

Sometimes we forget the whole team dynamic. Of course he'll be buddies with Jayden and be on good behavior around AP. But is he a dickhead to the new receiver with an adjacent locker? Does his personality make teammates refrain from getting together for a weekend of off season pitch and catch? Will he be the crazy aunt that lessens your desire to go to the family reunion?
I want BA added to this team (as WR3/4) as I think he is the best bang for the buck in our WR room. But I will look at this move with caution. There are only so many times you can crank the jack in the box before the crazy clown pops out.

It doesn’t matter. If he’s an asshole, he’s cut. It’s that easy. That’s why the money has to be right.

 

[Bulldog]

Yeah, but again who do we bring in to be the #2 and ensure that Aiyuk does not torpedo the season at WR?

Do we draft a receiver at #7? Do we sign Shaheed or another top free agent target?

And in the long run does Aiyuk ACCEPT in essence being the potential #3 receiver if things work out and a high pick or top free agent comes in and really puts up the numbers?

A player's head has to be right and there is no guarantee he will accept a lesser role in practice.

Of course to get a contract and come on board some players will say anything but in reality their ego gets in the way when adversity hits for them and they are getting 4-5 targets a game instead of 9 or 10 they feel they deserve.

 

[bowhunter]

It doesn’t matter. If he’s an asshole, he’s cut. It’s that easy. That’s why the money has to be right.

You and I are in exact agreement on this potential addition.

 

[ES1974]

This really is a crucial couple of days coming up for AP. I’m still unconvinced. He needs to convert the reputation he’s running with into actual pull, show us he can influence and draw players into this Org.

 

[Conn]

OK, but if you are leaving yourself open to cutting Aiyuk if he pulls a SF type break down that means we are still going after a top of the line wide receiver as well.

Are we going to spend $10M (my plug figure between Keim and Standig) on Aiyuk and then $20M on another player at WR too?

That seems like a LOT of resources going to one position.

We still need a center, a left guard, tight end, running back not to mention we need IMPACT players on defense at all three levels.

That’s what I’m assuming we’ll do, personally. You can assume McLaurin will likely be off the books next year if it makes the situation feel more tenable

 

[Bulldog]

Unfortunately, Peters didn't anticipate Terry and Co. being as unreasonable as they ended up being for several months that left the team in the lurch.

Although Terry had negotiated a hard deal with Washington 3 years ago when he pulled a top 5 salary out of Rivera and Co.

If we had drafted a wide receiver we might have been able to trade Terry for a #2 pick or similar comp and move on the way the Ravens often do in these situations, instead we were hamstrung and it overshadowed the entire offseason going into the opener.

 

[ES1974]

Peters looks like a nice guy. Once that fades, just a little, gets edgy and more ruthless, we’ll be in business.

 

[Bulldog]

I think we need to be a little more cutthroat.

Bringing back Payne and paying him $27M rewards him for being a 'meh' player for two years since signing his last contract.

Again I think a team like the Ravens or Eagles would have moved on from Payne at this point.

When the question is asked - well, who else can play DT? - my answer is there is a middle round pick or mid-tier free agent that can come in and play NT in a 3-4. The NT in a 3-4 we are not looking for the next Aaron Donald.

We don't seem to have any qualms about cutting a center or emptying the room at some other positions and 'seeing where we are' as we go through free agency and the draft.

So, why is Payne's position any different? It's not like at 29 he has made a case to be one of the top tackles in the league and someone who we see being here 2-3 years from now.

 

[ES1974]

I think we need to be a little more cutthroat.

Bringing back Payne and paying him $27M rewards him for being a 'meh' player for two years since signing his last contract.

Again I think a team like the Ravens or Eagles would have moved on from Payne at this point.

When the question is asked - well, who else can play DT? - my answer is there is a middle round pick or mid-tier free agent that can come in and play NT in a 3-4.

We don't seem to have any qualms about cutting a center or emptying the room at some other positions and 'seeing where we are' as we go through free agency and the draft.

So, why is Payne's position any different? It's not like at 29 he has made a case to be one of the top tackles in the league and someone who we see being here 2-3 years from now.

I agree. The Payne situation doesn’t wash with me. Quite passive approach as a GM. If he gets moved on pre draft, fair enough.

 

[Bulldog]

From the reports they agreed to bring him back on his current deal for 2026 and not worry about negotiating an extension.

I think part of that is still the front office and team-wide sneaking belief that with a few moves here and there being a bit more aggressive this team has the capability of bouncing back to 10-7 or 11-6 and making the playoffs.

While I would not want to limit what a team can achieve, I think being REALISTIC and acknowledging this is probably a two year turnaround with a lot of right moves before this team is ready to go toe to toe with the best teams.

Peter's impatience in the past two years to win now and bring in and then re-up geezers and trade for guys like Lattimore is not what we see most successful teams do.

 

[ES1974]

2025 should be the reality check neeed. Time will tell. Quite like the youth movement on the O side re coaching. Kind of indicates longer term thinking. Still need to nail FA in my opinion. Go after the 26/27 age range players.

 

[Primus Porcus]

I agree. The Payne situation doesn’t wash with me. Quite passive approach as a GM. If he gets moved on pre draft, fair enough.

Just spit balling through possibilities here.

Could it be that holding on to Payne in 2026 ultimately means a couple different things?

1. You possibly get the best version of Payne there is because it's a contract year...
2. Keeping Payne, hoping he balls out, and he walks in Free Agency getting a big contract resulting in a 3rd round Comp pick in 2028 (I know, it's ambitious to look that far ahead)
3. We just saw Peters get absolutely blasted for trading away your starting C without a clear succession plan that we're aware of... do you want to do the same thing on the other side of the ball? Yes it's not lost on me that the savings by cutting Payne and keeping Biadasz would largely slant going that route vs the one we're currently taking...

 

[method man]

All I see are media reports about Peters and Daniels having the relationship with him.

Peters was part of that front office - you can’t tell me after all Aiyuk did in 2025 that Peters is that anxious to add a guy who neutron bombed his former team.

Aiyuk doesn’t look to me like a guy that just had a difference of opinion and requested a trade, he looks like a guy with emotional problems and someone who is not a professional but an immature crybaby who sulked and refused at one point to meet his contract requirements.

That to me is a far different risk factor.

Some of it comes down to trust with the front office. Deebo steered his way here because he trusted AP and that AP would do right by him, which he did by fully guaranteeing his contract when he didn’t have to and not trading him at the deadline.

Players and agents think highly of AP. Remember that AP finished high in that agent survey a few years ago when he wasn’t even a GM.

I’m guessing AP has a good relationship with Aiyuk and Aiyuk would trust him more than he trusts Lynch and Marathe

 

[Bulldog]

Just spit balling through possibilities here.

Could it be that holding on to Payne in 2026 ultimately means a couple different things?

1. You possibly get the best version of Payne there is because it's a contract year...
2. Keeping Payne, hoping he balls out, and he walks in Free Agency getting a big contract resulting in a 3rd round Comp pick in 2028 (I know, it's ambitious to look that far ahead)
3. We just saw Peters get absolutely blasted for trading away your starting C without a clear succession plan that we're aware of... do you want to do the same thing on the other side of the ball? Yes it's not lost on me that the savings by cutting Payne and keeping Biadasz would largely slant going that route vs the one we're currently taking...

But that's my very point. If we are willing to pay Russian roulette on the OL I don't see how if we are switching to a 3-4 base defense that we need a $27M nose tackle or single gapper.

That is $22M in available cash we could use THIS YEAR to bring in younger player(s) on defense who can help us get better a lot quicker.

And instead of then going into 2027 and saying who do we get on the DL? we will have already answered that question in 2026.

 

[method man]

Just spit balling through possibilities here.

Could it be that holding on to Payne in 2026 ultimately means a couple different things?

1. You possibly get the best version of Payne there is because it's a contract year...
2. Keeping Payne, hoping he balls out, and he walks in Free Agency getting a big contract resulting in a 3rd round Comp pick in 2028 (I know, it's ambitious to look that far ahead)
3. We just saw Peters get absolutely blasted for trading away your starting C without a clear succession plan that we're aware of... do you want to do the same thing on the other side of the ball? Yes it's not lost on me that the savings by cutting Payne and keeping Biadasz would largely slant going that route vs the one we're currently taking...

It comes down to supply and demand. AP knows there are plenty of solid options at center out there.

At DT, if you look at available FAs, it is arguably the weakest position group

 

[method man]

But that's my very point. If we are willing to pay Russian roulette on the OL I don't see how if we are switching to a 3-4 base defense that we need a $27M nose tackle or single gapper.

That is $22M in available cash we could use THIS YEAR to bring in younger player(s) on defense who can help us get better a lot quicker.

And instead of then going into 2027 and saying who do we get on the DL? we will have already answered that question in 2026.

The nose can be a playmaker as a 1 gapper in a 3-4. Redmond was a playmaker for the Vikings last year. If you cut Payne, tell me who you replace him with in terms of an interior lineman teams have to plan for.

You can go replace Biadasz easily with Pocic, Karras, Cushenberry or another similar center tomorrow and there probably isn’t a meaningful dropoff in play between Biadasz and Hennessey.

 

[Primus Porcus]

But that's my very point. If we are willing to pay Russian roulette on the OL I don't see how if we are switching to a 3-4 base defense that we need a $27M nose tackle or single gapper.

That is $22M in available cash we could use THIS YEAR to bring in younger player(s) on defense who can help us get better a lot quicker.

And instead of then going into 2027 and saying who do we get on the DL? we will have already answered that question in 2026.

Thats why I'm talking through it, not arguing against it. It's hard to wrap my head around keeping Payne here at his current number... Unless he's waiting to see what he can get before making that decision? I see that he's due a $5M roster bonus on March 15, so i guess he could wait until next weekend to actually make a move. Of course Peters came out and said he was looking forward to seeing Payne play, so it may all be for not.

 

[Bulldog]

The nose can be a playmaker as a 1 gapper in a 3-4. Redmond was a playmaker for the Vikings last year. If you cut Payne, tell me who you replace him with in terms of an interior lineman teams have to plan for.

You can go replace Biadasz easily with Pocic, Karras, Cushenberry or another similar center tomorrow and there probably isn’t a meaningful dropoff in play between Biadasz and Hennessey.

OK, so you save $8M by releasing Biadasz.

How much are you going to have give one of these other players to come here and play center? And will they be as solid as Biadasz has been over his 6 years in the NFL?

Some of these guys like Mays from Carolina have less than a year of starting experience at center.

Others were part of awful offensive lines on their former clubs.

No wonder why they might come a bit cheaper