Extra Points: Bills, Dareus, Ravens, Orr

Mike Rodak of ESPN.com wonders when the Bills get out from defensive tackle Marcell Dareus‘ contract. Signed to a six-year extension with $60MM guaranteed by Doug Whaley’s front office, Dareus has become a major headache for Buffalo due to discipline and legal issues. New GM Brandon Beane won’t say whether he’s looking to dump Dareus, but he did indicate that he’s on a short leash.

Everybody’s got to be on board right now, so hopefully this is something he’ll learn from, and everybody will understand the message that Sean and I are [sending],” Beane said. “We have expectations, we have standards that everybody has to live by, and if you’re not [going to], then you’re not going to be here.”

If the Bills were to cut him this offseason, his entire $16.1MM cap number would remain on the books, plus $7.35MM of his ’18 pay. Trading him before Week 1, meanwhile, would give them cap savings of $9.75MM for this year, but would still leave them with the same $14.2MM dead money charge in 2018.

If the Bills wait until next offseason to cut Dareus, they’ll still be facing unpalatable cap charges. Their best option would be to find a trade partner willing to take on the fully guaranteed portions of his salary. Dareus is undeniably talented, but it’s hard to see a team rolling the dice on him with this price tag. The Bills might just have to keep Dareus for the coming season and hope that he performs up to par.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • Zach Orr is rejoining the Ravens, this time as a coach. He’ll be “interning” with the Ravens’ coaching and personnel staffs, according to a team announcement. “It’s a great opportunity,” Orr said. “I’m thankful because, like I always said, I love football. I still want to be around the game. Even though I can’t play anymore, I still love everything about it.”
  • Due to the massive flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey, the Texans‘ final preseason game against the Cowboys has been canceled. It’s small potatoes compared to the real-life implications of the storm, but players on the 53-man roster bubble will no longer have one final opportunity to showcase their skills for Houston or Dallas.
  • On Wednesday, the Packers signed linebacker Ahmad Brooks to a one-year deal.
View Comments (0)