Top 3 Offseason Needs: Buffalo Bills
In advance of March 9, the start of free agency in the NFL, Pro Football Rumors will detail each team’s three most glaring roster issues. We’ll kick off this year’s series with the Buffalo Bills, who finished 7-9 in 2016 and have now gone a league-worst 17 seasons without a playoff berth.
The Bills have shuffled through seven different full-time head coaches since their most recent postseason trip, and they’re now looking for yet another as a result of Rex Ryan‘s late-December dismissal. Beleaguered general manager Doug Whaley, who’s leading the search, has so far targeted interim head coach Anthony Lynn, Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin and three D-coordinators – Sean McDermott (Panthers), Vance Joseph (Dolphins) and Kris Richard (Seahawks) – as Ryan’s potential successor. Regardless of which candidate Whaley hires, the fifth-year GM will have to make major offseason improvements to a roster that ranked a below-average 19th in the league in DVOA in 2016.
Depth Chart (via Roster Resource)
Pending Free Agents:
- Lorenzo Alexander, LB
- Colt Anderson, S
- Dri Archer, RB (RFA)
- Robert Blanton, S
- Zach Brown, LB
- Reggie Bush, RB
- Corbin Bryant, DL
- Leger Douzable, DE
- IK Enemkpali, LB (RFA)
- Jerome Felton, FB
- Mike Gillislee, RB (RFA)
- Stephon Gilmore, CB
- Marquise Goodwin, WR
- Chris Gragg, TE
- Ryan Groy, C/G (RFA)
- Percy Harvin, WR
- Ramon Humber, LB
- Justin Hunter, WR
- James Ihedigbo, S
- EJ Manuel, QB
- Lerentee McCray, LB
- Jonathan Meeks, S
- Jordan Mills, OT
- Colton Schmidt, P (RFA)
- Brandon Spikes, LB
- Brandon Tate, WR
- Corey White, CB
- Robert Woods, WR
Top 10 Cap Hits For 2017:
- Marcell Dareus, DT: $16,400,000
- Tyrod Taylor, QB: $15,913,334
- Cordy Glenn, LT: $14,200,000
- Jerry Hughes, LB/DE: $10,450,000
- Charles Clay, TE: $9,000,000
- LeSean McCoy, RB: $8,875,000
- Kyle Williams, DT: $8,300,000
- Eric Wood, C: $7,583,333
- Aaron Williams, S: $6,625,000
- Sammy Watkins, WR: $6,343,146
Current Projected Cap Room (via Over the Cap): $25.99MM
Other:
- Tenth overall pick in draft
- Must exercise or decline WR Sammy Watkins’ fifth-year option for 2018
Three Needs:
1.) Make a decision on Tyrod Taylor‘s future: Lackluster quarterback play has been the main staple in Buffalo during its long run of failed seasons, but Taylor has been effective relative to the dreck that preceded him.
In two seasons and 29 games as a starter, the ex-Ravens backup has completed 62.6 percent of passes, tossed 37 touchdowns against 12 interceptions and averaged 7.4 yards per attempt. The 27-year-old has also emerged as the preeminent running quarterback in the league, having piled up 560-plus yards in back-to-back seasons (on a lofty 5.8 per rush) to pair with 10 more scores.
Despite the success Taylor has had at a meager cost, the Bills are planning to move on from him by March 11, the deadline to pick up the $15.5MM option bonus in his contract. By declining that option, the Bills would escape Taylor’s deal – which they awarded him last August – and its remaining guaranteed money ($30.75MM).
Jettisoning Taylor would again put Buffalo on the hunt for a starting signal-caller, though, as backup EJ Manuel will be a free agent (and has no business starting even if he does re-sign) and third-stringer Cardale Jones is nowhere near ready to take the helm. The premier names whose statuses are in limbo entering the offseason are Kirk Cousins, Tony Romo and Jimmy Garoppolo, but none look like realistic possibilities for the Bills. Cousins is likely to either ink a long-term deal with the Redskins or get the franchise tag; Romo, whom the Cowboys could cut, should have more enticing choices than Buffalo; and it’s difficult to imagine the Patriots trading Garoppolo to an AFC East rival. The Pats did send one of Tom Brady‘s previous backups, Drew Bledsoe, to the Bills in 2002 for a first-round selection, but doing that enabled the club to rid itself of Bledsoe’s contract and land a valuable pick for a declining player. The 25-year-old Garoppolo’s best days might be ahead of him, and New England could easily keep him next season at an $820K salary.
After Cousins, Romo and Garoppolo, the potential choices are much more flawed. There’s the Bears’ Jay Cutler, a release candidate, though he’s coming off a bad and injury-plagued year. Chiefs backup Nick Foles is also a cap casualty in waiting, but he hasn’t been any kind of an answer as a starter aside from a fluky 2013 in Philadelphia. Free agents-to-be like Brian Hoyer and Mike Glennon have been career mediocrities, too, while counting on Steelers backup Landry Jones or Bears reserve Matt Barkley would be a sizable risk. The same is true of Bengals No. 2 and trade candidate A.J. McCarron.
Of course, Buffalo could also use a high draft choice – the team is set to pick 10th – on a signal-caller and add a veteran No. 2 (someone like Josh McCown, ex-Bill Ryan Fitzpatrick or Shaun Hill, among others) as competition. The Bills won’t be in position to select the draft’s No. 1-rated quarterback prospect, North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky, but Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller has Whaley taking Clemson’s Deshaun Watson at 10th overall. The mobile Watson is the most pro-ready QB in this year’s class, opines Miller, who points out his familiarity with ex-Clemson star and No. 1 Bills wideout Sammy Watkins.
Josh McDaniels Prefers 49ers’ HC Job
Contingents from the 49ers, Jaguars and Rams will travel to Massachusetts on Saturday to interview Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels regarding their head coaching vacancies. Of the teams courting McDaniels, the 49ers interest him the most, a source told Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Niners are enticing to McDaniels for several reasons, including CEO Jed York’s willingness to patiently rebuild, according to Branch. The club is also looking for a general manager, and it could land one who’s already on good terms with McDaniels if it tabs ESPN analyst Louis Riddick or Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio. The 49ers will meet with Riddick next week, though it’s unclear whether they’ll speak with Caserio.
McDaniels, who will spend the next month vying for his fifth Super Bowl ring as an assistant, already has prior head coaching experience. That stint, which lasted from 2009-10 with the Broncos, included a mere 11 wins in 28 games. However, the 40-year-old offensive guru has rebuilt his stock since returning to the Patriots in 2012.
If McDaniels does depart New England again for a head coaching job, the 49ers would ostensibly be a logical choice. While the franchise has plummeted to the league’s cellar since parting with Jim Harbaugh after the 2014 season, it’s in position to rebound with 11 picks – including No. 2 overall – in this year’s draft and the most cap space in the NFC. San Francisco probably doesn’t have an answer at quarterback on its roster, especially if Colin Kaepernick opts out of his contract, but the new GM and McDaniels could perhaps find one in the draft or even swing a trade for Pats backup Jimmy Garoppolo.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/6/17
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2017 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters.
Chicago Bears
Indianapolis Colts
- K Devon Bell
New Orleans Saints
Washington Redskins
- LB Khairi Fortt
- LB Pete Robertson
- DL Phil Taylor
Coaching Notes: Browns, Bills, Shanahan, Rex
The Browns’ firing of defensive coordinator Ray Horton is not yet official, but the team is leaning toward making a change, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was among those to report (Twitter link). Should Horton get the ax, Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams would be in prime position to succeed him in Cleveland. The Browns have given Williams until Monday to accept the job, according to Sporting News’ Alex Marvez (Twitter link).
More coaching-related info:
- The Bills have requested an interview with Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Panthers D-coordinator Sean McDermott‘s Wednesday meeting with the Bills went very well, notes Garafolo (Twitter links).
- Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan‘s head coaching interviews with the Jaguars and 49ers took place Friday, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. Shanahan will meet Saturday with the Broncos, relays Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post (Twitter link). The 37-year-old reportedly prefers the Broncos’ job to the other openings around the league.
- The Redskins, in search of a defensive coordinator, have received the Panthers’ permission to interview assistant head coach/defensive backs coach Steve Wilks, writes Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Rapoport connected Wilks to the Redskins on Thursday, noting the coach’s relationship with ex-Panthers and now-Redskins cornerback Josh Norman.
- Unsurprisingly, Rex Ryan won’t work anywhere as an assistant next season, reports Chick Hernandez of CSN Washington (Twitter link). The two-time head coach will wait for a third opportunity to come along in 2018; in the meantime, he’s likely to take a job as a television analyst.
- Check out PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker to keep up with all the latest interviews.
Lane Johnson Files Suit Against NFL, NFLPA
Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson continues to contest the 10-game suspension the NFL handed him back in August for violating its policy on performance-enhancing substances. Johnson has filed a suit in federal court against both the league and the NFLPA, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). The 26-year-old wants the court to vacate his penalties.
This is the next step in a long fight for Johnson, who unsuccessfully appealed his ban earlier in the season and sat out from mid-October until early December as a result. Not only did the suspension cost Johnson most of the season, but he also lost 10 weeks of his $675K base salary and $1.5MM of his $10MM signing bonus. Worse, it voided the $25MM in guarantees remaining on Johnson’s contract. He’ll still be able to earn that money, but he’ll have to do it on a year-to-year basis if the court doesn’t rule in his favor.
Between the failed appeal and Friday’s decision, Johnson elected in November to file charges against both the league and the union with the National Labor Relations Board. He also filed a claim against the NFLPA with the Department of Labor.
“During Lane’s appeal, it became apparent that the written words in the collectively bargained Performance-Enhancing Substances (“PES”) Policy, under which Lane was disciplined, are meaningless,” attorney Steve Zashin stated at the time. “The PES Policy, as written, guarantees rights, protections and due process to players in recognition of the enormous consequences of discipline. The NFL and the NFLPA have undermined these protections leaving the players -including Lane — with a hollowed-out process devoid of any protections. The actions of the NFL and NFLPA violate federal law.”
Johnson maintains that he unknowingly took a tainted amino acid, which led to the failed drug test over the summer, and has argued that the NFLPA’s Aegis Shield app did not flag the supplement he took. He’s also irked that only two arbitrators handled his case, which seemingly violates the league’s collective bargaining agreement. According to the CBA, three to five arbitrators should’ve been assigned. Zashin reiterated that Friday and added that one of the arbitrators was affiliated with the league, creating a conflict of interest (Twitter link). While Zashin didn’t name the arbitrator, he was alluding to James Carter, who oversaw the league’s Ray Rice investigation in 2014.
Notably, the suspension Johnson served in 2016 wasn’t his first. He previously sat four games in 2014 after testing positive for PEDs.
Raiders’ Donald Penn Out Saturday
Already without starting quarterback Derek Carr for Saturday’s wild-card round game against the Texans, the Raiders will also have to get by without their best offensive lineman. Left tackle Donald Penn will miss the game with a knee injury, reports Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com.
The remarkably durable Penn, who tweeted that he’s “in tears,” suffered the injury in Week 17 and will now sit out for the first time in his 10-year career. Dating back to his rookie year in 2007, Penn had made 161 consecutive appearances, including one playoff game with the Buccaneers. This past regular season marked Penn’s ninth straight 16-start campaign. The 33-year-old was his usual effective self in 2016, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 11th-best tackle.
Without Penn, the Raiders will move Menelik Watson to left tackle and use Austin Howard on the right. It’ll be up to Watson, who made five starts during the regular season, to protect neophyte signal-caller Connor Cook‘s blind side.
AFC Notes: Jets, Titans, Bills, Raiders
While the Jets have two recently drafted quarterbacks on their roster in 2015 fourth-round pick Bryce Petty and 2016 second-rounder Christian Hackenberg, the franchise has little faith in either, reports Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. General manager Mike Maccagnan opined Thursday that Petty has starting-caliber potential, but the organization only regards him as a backup behind the scenes, according to Mehta. Petty struggled mightily this season in his first taste of NFL action, completing 56.4 percent of attempts, tossing three touchdowns against seven interceptions and posting a 60.0 passer rating in parts of six games. Hackenberg wasn’t even active until Week 17, when he backed up Ryan Fitzpatrick, and a team source scoffed at the notion Thursday that the ex-Penn State Nittany Lion could be the Jets’ long-term solution. “He will never make it,” the source told Mehta. “Never.” Although Maccagnan stated that Hackenberg made progress during the season, the executive also implied that the Jets will look for an outside starter, revealing that “all options are on the table.”
More from New York and three other AFC cities:
- As a reward for a strong debut season as the Titans’ GM, controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk decided Thursday to make Jon Robinson the second-highest-ranking member of the organization. Robinson is now the team’s executive vice president/GM after helping the Titans go from three wins in 2015 to nine victories this season. “This is an acknowledgement of his work and it puts him on equal footing with others in the league who direct football operations,” Strunk said in a statement (via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com).
- Woody Johnson could be under consideration to become the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom when President-elect Donald Trump takes office later this month, but the Jets’ owner downplayed it as speculation Thursday, per the Associated Press. If chosen, Johnson would reportedly hand control of the Jets over to his brother until the appointment ends.
- Bills linebacker and pending free agent Zach Brown posted a message Thursday on Instagram referring to his time in Buffalo in the past tense, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com points out (on Twitter). After spending the first three years of his career in Tennessee, Brown signed a modest deal with the Bills last April. The 27-year-old then emerged as a major bargain, playing 16 games for the fourth time in a row and totaling an AFC-high 149 tackles to go with four sacks and two forced fumbles. Brown, whom Pro Football Focus graded an impressive 17th among 89 qualified linebackers, should fare much better on the open market this offseason.
- The Raiders are still optimistic that Matt McGloin will be able to serve as the primary backup to Connor Cook in Saturday’s wild-card game round game in Houston, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. “Moxy,” who’s dealing with a shoulder injury, got some light work in Wednesday.
- The Jets worked out Olympic sprinter Tre Houston on Thursday, writes Mehta. Houston competed in the 200 meters for Bermuda at the 2016 Rio Games and projects as a wide receiver.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Vance Joseph Favorite For Broncos’ HC Job
Although he hasn’t met with Denver officials, Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has emerged as the front-runner to become the Broncos’ head coach, multiple league and team sources told Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Sporting News’ Alex Marvez previously named Joseph as the likely successor to Gary Kubiak, citing Joseph’s connection with Broncos director of player personnel Matt Russell (Twitter link).
While Joseph hasn’t yet spoken with Denver’s brass this week, the former University of Colorado quarterback did interview with the club before it hired the now-retired Kubiak in January 2015. It’s also notable that Joseph once worked under the Broncos’ most recent defensive coordinator, Wade Phillips, in Houston.
“I have so much respect for that man,” Joseph said of Phillips in October (via Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post).
Despite Joseph’s affinity for Phillips, Marvez reported Thursday that the latter is likely on his way out of Denver. If hired, Joseph would probably promote defensive backs coach Joe Woods to replace Phillips, whose contract is up.
Joseph, who’s preparing to counter the Steelers’ offense in this weekend’s wild-card round, is in the midst of his first season as a coordinator. While it hasn’t gone well statistically (Miami finished the regular season 18th in scoring, 19th in DVOA and 29th in total defense), Joseph is nonetheless drawing plenty of interest from teams without head coaches. That could add to the Broncos’ urgency to hire the 44-year-old, who’s facing competition from Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan – who prefers Denver’s job to others – and Chiefs special teams coach Dave Toub. Bills interim head coach Anthony Lynn‘s name has also come up, though the Broncos haven’t sought an interview with him, according to Klis (Twitter link).
Vince Wilfork Mulling Retirement
Texans nose tackle Vince Wilfork is preparing for the team’s wild-card round game against the Raiders on Saturday, but he’s also contemplating his future in the NFL. The 13th-year man revealed Tuesday that he could retire after the season.
“I’ve been thinking about it,” Wilfork said (via Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com). “I’m not saying I will do it, and I’m not saying that I won’t do it. But it’s definitely not off the table.”
The 35-year-old Wilfork just wrapped up a regular season in which he started in all 15 appearances and finished second among Texans defensive linemen in snaps (507). However, the 325-pounder’s overall performance didn’t draw rave reviews from Pro Football Focus, which ranked him 99th among 123 qualified interior defenders. Wilfork was a much more imposing presence as a member of the Patriots from 2004-14, earning five Pro Bowl nods and winning a pair of Super Bowls during that span.
Wilfork, who entered the league as a first-round pick from Miami, left New England in March 2015 to sign a two-year deal with the Texans. That contract will expire after the season, so Wilfork’s career might not continue in Houston even if he does return in 2017. In the meantime, he’ll spend the coming weeks trying to earn a third Super Bowl ring.
RELATED:
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/5/17
Arizona Cardinals
- WR Aaron Dobson
- P Richie Leone
Atlanta Falcons
- WR Anthony Dable
Carolina Panthers
Jacksonville Jaguars
- S Elijah Shumate
New York Jets
- LS Zach Triner
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- G Jarvis Harrison
- WR Derel Walker
Washington Redskins