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Bills Sign 12 Undrafted Free Agents

May 10th, 2025 at 11:46am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bills have signed the following 12 undrafted free agents to bring their rookie class to 21 players:

Bayer is an experienced center with 46 collegiate starts under his belt – 22 at Lamar and 24 at Arkansas State. He earned first-team All-SBC honors in 2023, but suffered a torn ACL in the spring of 2024. He made an extremely quick recovery, only missing the first game of the season and finishing the year with a second-team All-SBC nod. Bayer will push for a roster spot as a depth center behind Connor McGovern and Sedrick Van Pran-Granger.

Shand is a multi-sport athlete who played for Canada’s U16 National Team in 2017. He then began his football career at Arizona before transferring to LSU in 2023. He wasn’t especially productive in college, but he has the requisite size to play defensive end in Buffalo’s 4-3 scheme.

Jenkins played a hybrid safety role at Virginia Tech but will convert to linebacker in the NFL. He fits the Bills’ mold as a speedy, undersized linebacker who excels in coverage, the likes of whom have found success in Buffalo in recent years.

Porter is the son of former NFL defensive back Daryl Porter, who played for the Bills from 1998 to 2000. His son started 35 games across his collegiate career at West Virginia and Miami.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/9/25

May 9th, 2025 at 9:10pm CST by Ely Allen

We saw a busy day of 2025 NFL Draft pick signings today. Here are the mid- to late-round picks who inked their four-year rookie deals:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/9/25

May 9th, 2025 at 6:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the minor NFL transactions to close out the week:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Received roster exemption (international player): OL Valentin Senn

Atlanta Falcons

  • Received roster exemption (international player): K Lenny Krieg
  • Waived: DT Junior Aho

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Received roster exemption (international player): S Dante Barnett

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Waived (with failed physical designation): WR Jeff Foreman

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

  • Received roster exemption (international player): P Oscar Chapman

New York Jets

  • Received roster exemption (international player): G Leander Wiegand

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Dyson was cut from the team after news that running back Jonathon Brooks‘ placement on the physically unable to perform list would, in fact, still count him against the 90-man roster limit. They initially were told by the league that he would not count, but the updated guidance today necessitated that they lose a man.

Jackson joins Seattle’s undrafted free agent rookie class after they announced their 17 signees almost a week ago. A successful rookie minicamp tryout led to him securing a contract.

Similarly, Bentley, for whatever reason was also announced separately from the Colts’ UDFA class, even though the class was announced only a few hours before his signing. The 24-year-old hasn’t been a lead back since his 2020 season at SMU, but in three years apiece at SMU and Ole Miss, Bentley never averaged below five yards per carry in a season.

Brandon Beane: Bills Not Expecting James Cook Holdout

May 8th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Adam La Rose

As James Cook approaches the final year of his rookie contract, his future beyond 2025 remains a talking point. The Bills are confident he will be in place for at least next season, and a holdout this summer is not expected by the team at this time.

“I know we’ve had people in the building that he’s been talking with, and I have no doubt when it’s time to play football, he’ll be ready to roll,” general manager Brandon Beane said during an interview with Adam Schein on Mad Dog Sports Radio (video link).

Since Cook went public with his asking price ($15MM annually) on a long-term extension, attention has been focused on whether or not he will join the list of Bills who have received a second contract this offseason. The likes of Khalil Shakir, Gregory Rousseau, Terrel Bernard and Christian Benford have been extended in recent weeks, but Beane made it clear no such commitment would be made in Cook’s case until after the draft. Now, mandatory minicamp in June and training camp one month later represent potential flashpoints depending on how negotiations proceed.

A report from one month ago indicated initial talks did not go well, and it will be interesting to see if that changes in the near future. Cook was absent from voluntary workouts, but the 25-year-old would become subject to fines he if skipped minicamp and/or training camp. Players have increasingly turned to hold-ins during recent years, and Cook could elect to take that route if no deal is in place by the summer.

The Bills have a second contract for the two-time Pro Bowler on their radar, although Beane has suggested Cook will need to duplicate his production from the past two campaigns for Buffalo to proceed with a long-term commitment. Since taking over starting duties in 2023, Cook has amassed 2,131 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. The Georgia product has added 703 yards and six touchdowns in the passing game, illustrating his dual-threat ability. Cook faced questions coming out of college about his ability to operate as a full-time lead back, but he has handled over 200 carries each of the past two seasons.

Buffalo also has Ray Davis and Ty Johnson in place for backfield options beyond the coming season. They will both have a role in 2025 once the season starts, but it remains to be seen what Cook’s outlook will be by that point.

2025 NFL Draft Rumors: Texans, Browns, Williams

May 3rd, 2025 at 3:46pm CST by Ely Allen

We entered the 2025 NFL Draft in unprecedented waters as all 32 teams were set to have their own first-round picks for the first time since the AFL-NFL merger. In fact, when the Tennessee was put on the clock, all teams still had their own first-round picks. Before that, the closest the draft had ever come to starting without any first-round trades was in 1993, when the Chiefs traded their first-rounder to the 49ers for Joe Montana just five days before the draft.

While Cleveland and Jacksonville were the first teams to ruin that pristine first round with a trade, the Texans and Rams were the only teams to trade completely out of the first round. In fact, all nine of Houston’s draft picks were the results of trades. We already discussed how the team looked to move back up into the first round for Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, but on Fan Duel TV’s Up & Adams show with Kay Adams, Texans general manager Nick Caserio detailed how they were initially attempting to move up into the top half of the first round but were unable to find a partner, so they looked instead into moving down, fielding several offers.

“We tried to move up a little bit,” Caserio told Adams. “It didn’t really work out. At about the 18, 19, 20 range, we started to get some calls about our pick, so we were putting the information up on the board.”

“We had actually three different trade scenarios that were on the board at one time,” Caserio continued. “We had trade scenarios, we were prepared to pick a player…and then we were on the clock, and a pick before — I think when Minnesota picked at 24 — and after they picked, we were able to consummate the trade with the Giants. So, we scooted back there to the second round and then had the second pick there to start Friday.”

Here are a few other draft rumors from the days following the 2025 NFL Draft:

  • In a Q&A earlier this week, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated dropped an interesting tidbit about the Browns‘ potential first-round strategy last Thursday night. We’ve covered Breer’s earlier report that Cleveland attempted to get back into the first round for Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., but he has since reasoned that the team was potentially looking for Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart late in the first round. Ultimately, it was the Giants that made the move back into the 25th overall spot for Dart, but there’s a chance the Browns may have done so if New York hadn’t acted when they did.
  • Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams found himself getting drafted at the tail end of the first round by the Lions at No. 28 overall. Shortly after the draft, Williams told Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network that he believes the Bills would have taken him two picks later if Detroit hadn’t selected him. Buffalo had considered defensive tackle a serious position of need as DaQuan Jones heads into a contract year, and head coach Sean McDermott and defensive line coach Marcus West told Williams they loved his game and how he played. There’s a chance Williams could’ve been headed to northern New York had Lions general manager Brad Holmes been more receptive to the phone calls he’d received gauging his interest in trading back from the 28th overall pick.

2025 NFL Draft Results: Team By Team

May 3rd, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is every team’s haul from the 2025 NFL Draft:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Read more

2026 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

May 1st, 2025 at 11:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2022 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

  • Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
  • One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
  • Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th-highest salaries at their position:
    • At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
    • A 75% snap average across all three seasons
    • At least 50% in each of first three seasons
  • Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position

We covered how last year’s Pro Bowl invites affected the 2022 first-round class. With the deadline looming, we will use the space below to track all the 2026 option decisions from around the league:

  1. DE/OLB Travon Walker, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
  2. DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson, Lions ($19.87MM): Exercised
  3. CB Derek Stingley Jr., Texans ($17.6MM): Extended through 2029
  4. CB Sauce Gardner, Jets ($20.19MM): Exercised
  5. OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants ($14.75MM): Exercised
  6. T Ikem Ekwonu, Panthers ($17.56MM): Exercised
  7. T Evan Neal, Giants ($16.69MM): Declined
  8. WR Drake London, Falcons ($16.82MM): Exercised
  9. T Charles Cross, Seahawks ($17.56MM): Exercised
  10. WR Garrett Wilson, Jets ($16.82MM): Exercised
  11. WR Chris Olave, Saints ($15.49MM): Exercised
  12. WR Jameson Williams, Lions ($15.49MM): Exercised
  13. DT Jordan Davis, Eagles ($12.94MM): Exercised
  14. S Kyle Hamilton, Ravens ($18.6MM): Exercised
  15. G Kenyon Green, Eagles* ($16.69MM): Declined
  16. WR Jahan Dotson, Eagles** ($16.82MM): Declined
  17. G Zion Johnson, Chargers ($17.56MM): Declined
  18. WR Treylon Burks, Titans ($15.49MM): Declined
  19. T Trevor Penning, Saints ($16.69MM): Declined
  20. QB Kenny Pickett, Browns*** ($22.12MM): Declined
  21. CB Trent McDuffie, Chiefs ($13.63MM): Exercised
  22. LB Quay Walker, Packers ($14.75MM): Declined
  23. CB Kaiir Elam, Cowboys**** ($12.68MM): Declined
  24. G Tyler Smith, Cowboys ($20.99MM): Exercised
  25. C Tyler Linderbaum, Ravens ($20.99MM): Declined
  26. DE Jermaine Johnson, Jets ($13.92MM): Exercised
  27. LB Devin Lloyd, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
  28. DT Devonte Wyatt, Packers ($12.94MM): Exercised
  29. G Cole Strange, Patriots ($16.69MM): Declined
  30. DE George Karlaftis, Chiefs ($15.12MM): Exercised
  31. DB Dax Hill, Bengals ($12.68MM): Exercised
  32. S Lewis Cine, Vikings: N/A

* = traded from Texans on March 11, 2025
** = traded from Commanders on August 22, 2024
*** = traded from Eagles on March 15, 2024; traded from Steelers on March 10, 2025
**** = traded from Bills to Cowboys on March 12, 2025

Bills Hoping To Extend RB James Cook

May 1st, 2025 at 9:42am CST by Ely Allen

MAY 1: During an interview with Go Long’s Tyler Dunne (subscription requred), Beane said Cook has “got to still show he’s… the guy we saw if he wants to get that pay day. Either from us or someone else.” A repeat of the production seen in 2023 and ’24 may therefore be needed for Buffalo to make a long-term commitment. Beane added he views the top tier of running backs as a small group; it will be interesting to see if Cook joins it this offseason or if the team continues to wait on an extension.

APRIL 29: A big topic of the offseason in Buffalo has been centered around the contract desires of running back James Cook, who has been vocal about wanting a contract extension to help him get out of his rookie deal. Cook made the decision to skip the team’s voluntary workouts this month, potentially marking the start of a hold out. General manager Brandon Beane, though, has confidence that Cook’s situation will be resolved with an extension eventually.

In an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show today, Beane told McAfee that Cook “will be here this year and hopefully beyond,” according to Michael David Smith of NBC Sports.

A second-round pick from 2022, the Georgia product has improved each season of his career. A rookie season behind Devin Singletary saw him rush for only 507 yards and two touchdowns, adding 180 yards and a score through the air. In 2023, Cook took over as the starter and turned in a 1,000-yard rushing season (1,122 yards, to be exact) but only scored two rushing touchdowns, though he added 445 yards and four scores in the air.

Last year, Cook put it all together. In 16 games, he rushed for 1,009 yard and led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns. He added 258 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns, as well. These efforts on an average salary of $1.46MM per year just aren’t adding up for Cook.

Cook is on record as seeking a salary of $15MM per year, which would make him the third highest-paid running back in the NFL, behind only Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey. Given the amount of tread still left on his 25-year-old tires, a raise certainly makes sense, but apart from the league-leading rushing touchdowns last season, it’s hard to argue that Cook has contributed as much as Barkley or McCaffrey in his career.

Still, Beane seems to be willing to play ball on extension conversations. He seems willing to take his time, though, as well, considering Cook has another year on his contract (and a franchise tag has been a popular option for keeping running backs around), but it sounds like Beane has every intention of keeping his star rusher happy to keep him in the building.

Bills To Sign WR Elijah Moore

April 30th, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Elijah Moore‘s Buffalo visit will produce a deal. The Bills are bringing in the former Jets and Browns wide receiver, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.

The veteran slot receiver can earn up to $5MM on a one-year deal. Moore, who visited the Bills on Monday, will follow former Chargers starter Josh Palmer as Bills WR additions this offseason. While the Browns applied a UFA tender to Moore before Monday’s deadline (regarding the 2026 compensatory formula), he has a deal in place more than two months before that tender would have given Cleveland exclusive negotiating rights.

As Cleveland aims for a potential comp pick for Moore’s Buffalo defection, the Bills have added an intriguing piece to Josh Allen‘s weaponry cadre. Palmer has regularly played in the slot, though he has shown ability on the perimeter as well, while the team still employs ex-Carolina and Washington inside receiver Curtis Samuel. Moore joins a suddenly crowded position group, one headlined by recently extended slot anchor Khalil Shakir and 2024 second-rounder Keon Coleman.

A post-draft Brandon Beane radio interview (via ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg) involved the Bills’ GM taking exception to hosts’ questioning of his receiver strategy. (The team waited until Round 7 to draft a wideout this year.) While no one among Buffalo’s receiving corps has proven to be on Stefon Diggs‘ level, Shakir has overachieved based on his fifth-round pedigree. Shakir has become Allen’s top target, while the Bills will be expecting Coleman to take a leap as an outside receiver this season. Though, Shakir, Palmer, Samuel and now Moore does create a bit of a logjam in the slot.

The Bills did not draft a receiver this year, helping explain this post-draft signing, and they have not re-signed Amari Cooper. While that was mentioned as a possibility months ago, the Palmer and Moore moves effectively point to Cooper being a 2024 rental. Cooper did not move the needle much in Buffalo, which will try younger options as Shakir complementary pieces.

Moore, 25, showed promise as a Jets rookie, despite playing in an offense featuring an erratic rookie-year Zach Wilson, but did not see eye-to-eye with OC Mike LaFleur by his second season. That brought a trade request. As the Jets moved toward their Aaron Rodgers-fronted roster, they traded Moore to the Browns in a pick-swap deal headlined by a second-rounder changing hands. Moore ran into more QB trouble in Cleveland, which saw its Deshaun Watson trade fail spectacularly. Last season later brought Jameis Winston‘s usual high-variance shtick and an overmatched Dorian Thompson-Robinson post-Watson. Moore finished his Browns tenure with 640- and 538-yard seasons. He totaled 538 with a career-high five TDs in 11 games as a rookie in New York.

There is reason to view Moore as having untapped potential, as he will not turn 26 until next year and has never played with an above-average quarterback (excepting perhaps Joe Flacco‘s Cleveland cameo). The Bills will hope so, and they have him at a low rate (compared to Palmer’s three-year, $30MM pact). Samuel’s three-year, $24MM deal a fully guaranteed $6.91MM 2025 salary, making it likely he is back. It will be interesting to see how this receiver situation shakes out this offseason, as Hollins played a regular role for the Bills despite Cooper’s addition.

WR Elijah Moore To Visit Bills

April 28th, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Adam La Rose

The Bills focused heavily on defense during the draft, leaving their receiver room essentially intact. As the post-draft wave of free agency begins, Buffalo is hosting one of the top options still on the market.

Elijah Moore will visit the Bills today, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. The former Jets second-rounder only spent his first two years in New York, and he was traded to the Browns halfway through his rookie contract. Moore handled snap shares of 73% and 76% in Cleveland, receiving triple-digit targets both seasons during his time there.

In 2024, the Ole Miss product set a new career high with 61 catches. While his yards per reception average (8.8) marked a step back from his three previous campaigns, the Browns’ quarterback play was lacking throughout the season and their offense struggled as a whole. Considering his age (25), Moore could be seen as a more attractive option to suitors than the other, older wideouts still on the market.

Buffalo’s decision to move on from Stefon Diggs last offseason led to questions at the receiver position. Taking a more balanced approach on offense, the team managed to finish top-10 in passing yards in 2024 while ranking second in the NFL in scoring. Duplicating that success will include continued reliance on Khalil Shakir, who comfortably led the team in yards (821). Shakir was one of several Bills to receive a long-term extension this spring.

Keon Coleman flashed potential during his rookie campaign, averaging an impressive 19.2 yards pre catch (albeit on only 29 receptions). The No. 33 pick in last year’s draft will likely take on an increased workload in 2025, a year in which free agent addition Josh Palmer will occupy a starting role. Buffalo’s WR room lost Mack Hollins in free agency while trade acquisition Amari Cooper remains unsigned at this point.

Room therefore exists for an addition late in free agency. Moore could take on at least a rotational role in Buffalo if today’s visit produces an agreement. One would likely need to be a low-cost flier, though, since the Bills entered Monday near the bottom of the league in cap space ($3.14MM) with rookie signings and UDFA additions still to be added to the team’s books.

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