Buffalo Bills News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/30/19

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Waived: OLB/DE Markus Jones

Buffalo Bills

  • Retired: OL Isaac Asiata

Detroit Lions

  • Signed: DT Frederick Jones
  • Waived: WR Brandon Reilly

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: WR Roger Lewis, OG Ian Silberman
  • Waived: LB Drew Lewis, OG William Poehls

New England Patriots

  • Signed: OT Martez Ivey
  • Waived/Injured: OL Cole Croston

New York Jets

  • Signed: OL Ryan Anderson, CB Dee Delaney
  • Waived: LB Jeff Allison, OL Toa Lobendahn

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Placed on IR: TE Troy Niklas

Singletary Seeing Consistent First-String Time

  • Bills third-round pick Devin Singletary is stationed behind one of the most veteran-heavy backfield duos in NFL history, with the Bills adding Frank Gore to their LeSean McCoy-led group. But Singletary is receiving plenty of opportunities in camp. The former Florida Atlantic star has worked with Buffalo’s starters “a ton” during camp, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter). While Louis-Jacques adds that this is partially to conserve McCoy and Gore, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds more fuel to the speculation Singletary could induce a McCoy pay-cut request or push him off the roster. McCoy (career-low 3.2 yards per carry in 2018) being a departure candidate has been floated at multiple junctures this offseason. Singletary rushed for 66 touchdowns in three college seasons.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/19

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

New England Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Injury Notes: Brown, Luck, Gore, Watt, Jones, Lawrence

Here’s the latest on all the injuries to big names as training camps get underway across the league:

  • There was a brief uproar earlier when it was mysteriously announced that Antonio Brown would start camp on the Raiders’ non-football injury list. However, the as of now undisclosed issue that caused Brown to be placed on the NFI was described to Field Yates of ESPN as “very minor” (Twitter link). Further, Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune tweets that the Raiders have known of the injury for two weeks, and that Brown will probably only miss a week of camp time. Despite the initial panic, it doesn’t sound like this is anything you need to monitor going forward.
  • Andrew Luck was sidelined by a calf injury during the Colts’ offseason program, which sparked some concerns about his Achilles. However, Luck told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network today “my Achilles is not at extra risk of anything. It’s fine” (Twitter link). In a separate tweet, Pelissero notes Luck participated in team drills today, and that his limited workload has only been precautionary.
  • Speaking of the NFI, Bills GM Brandon Beane said that running back Frank Gore has been removed from it, per longtime Bills beat reporter Joe Buscaglia (Twitter link). Gore had been dealing with a minor injury, but has passed his physical and is cleared to practice. Gore will be competing for carries in a crowded Buffalo backfield that also features LeSean McCoy and rookie Devin Singletary.
  • J.J. Watt started camp on the Texans’ PUP list, but he’s now been removed and cleared to practice, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Watt was limited to just eight combined games in 2016 and 2017 due to injuries, but he played a full 16-game slate last year. Watt wasn’t the only Texan to get cleared, as James Palmer of NFL Network tweets that DeAndre Hopkins was also cleared and activated from PUP.
  • Byron Jones, DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford and Noah Brown will start camp on the PUP list for the Cowboys, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Fortunately, Dallas is expecting all of them to be ready for the start of the season. Lawrence had offseason shoulder surgery, Jones had surgery on his hip, and Crawford is also dealing with a hip injury. Last we heard, there had been no progress in extension talks between the team and Jones.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/19

Buffalo Bills

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers

  • Waived: K Jonathan Brown

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bills Hire Brian Gaine

Brian Gaine is back in football, and back with the Bills. On Tuesday, the Bills hired Gaine as their new Senior Personnel Advisor. 

Gaine was hired by the Bills in 2017 to serve as the Vice President of Player Personnel under GM Brandon Beane. In 2018, he reverted to the Texans to serve as GM, but he was pushed out the door late this offseason in a failed attempt to hire Nick Caserio from the Patriots.

Gaine has worked in NFL scouting for 20 years with Director titles with three other NFL clubs (Cowboys, Dolphins, Texans). He also served as the Assistant GM for the Dolphins from 2012-2013. In his new role, Gaine will work in both college and pro scouting for the Bills.

Bills Host Josh Bynes, Stephone Anthony

Linebackers Josh Bynes and Stephone Anthony are visiting the Bills today, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Both players profile as high-upside, yet low-risk, depth options. 

The Cardinals released Bynes in March to save just $667K against $1.87MM in dead money. That was a sharp turn from the previous year, when Bynes was being played ahead of both Deone Bucannon and Haason Reddick.

Anthony seemed to have a great deal of promise when he entered the league as a first-round pick of the Saints in 2015. But, after starting in all 16 games as a rookie, he was moved from middle linebacker to strongside linebacker with poor results. The Dolphins acquired him for a fifth-round pick in 2017, but the change of scenery didn’t do much for him. Anthony had just seven tackles across 16 appearances last year and the Dolphins declined his fifth-year option, making him a free agent.

Exec: McCoy Bills Exit On Radar

  • Might third-round rookie Devin Singletary‘s performance put a potential Hall of Famer on the outs in Buffalo? LeSean McCoy is entering the final season of a five-year, $40MM Bills contract, and his cap savings ($6MM-plus) would benefit the Bills more than releases of Frank Gore or T.J. Yeldon. This led an NFL scouting director to call the McCoy situation one to monitor, per Albert Breer of SI.com. On a limited Bills offense last season, McCoy averaged a career-low 36.7 yards per game. His 3.2 yards per carry were nearly a yard shy of his previous-worst figure. The idea of a McCoy trade has surfaced this offseason, too.

Bills Sign Kurt Coleman; Rafael Bush Retires

Bills safety Rafael Bush has retired after nine seasons in the NFL, according to a team announcement. To replace Bush, the club signed fellow safety Kurt Coleman. Coleman will make just over $1MM on a one-year deal with a chance to make a maximum of $2M, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Bush, 32, was expected to serve as a depth option and round out his two-year pact. Instead, he’s opted to hang ’em up just before the start of training camp. Last year, Bush appeared in 15 games (seven starts) and helped out at the nickel corner spot after Taron Johnson was lost to a torn labrum.

Enter Coleman, 31, who has a long history with head coach Sean McDermott thanks to their time together in Carolina. With the Panthers, Coleman enjoyed the two best seasons of his career. He’ll likely serve as a reserve behind starters Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, stepping straight into the role that was supposed to be addressed by Bush.

Bush first appeared in the league as an undrafted free agent with the Broncos in 2011, but made a name for himself with the Saints where he saw frequent action. After five straight seasons in New Orleans, he hooked on with the Lions for 2016, returned to the Saints in 2017, and spent ’18 with Buffalo.

This Date In Transactions History: Bills Extend Jason Peters

Entering his 16th season, Jason Peters has signed several NFL contracts. The Eagles recently gave their longtime left tackle another extension, this one through the 2020 season. But the first of Peters’ many extension agreements occurred on this date 13 years ago.

On July 14, 2006, the Bills and their UDFA find agreed to terms on a contract that eventually led to the parties splitting up. Peters signed a five-year, $15MM extension during the ’06 offseason, this coming after the Bills tendered him a contract worth $425K. Soon outplaying the teams of his $3MM-AAV deal, Peters became a disgruntled Bill.

The Bills initially took a flier on the former college tight end and defensive end, and this only came to be because of lobbying by the future All-Pro blocker’s agent, and stashed him on their practice squad for most of the 2004 season. Buffalo broke Peters in on special teams before turning to him as its starting right tackle for much of the ’05 slate. Peters had supplanted underwhelming former top-five pick Mike Williams as Buffalo’s top right tackle, and the Bills made the move to lock the emerging talent up the following offseason. The team then moved Peters to the left side midway through the ’06 campaign. That ultimately proved to be a short-term arrangement.

Dissatisfaction over a $3.25MM salary prompted Peters to hold out in 2008, and after he begrudgingly returned to his Bills post that season, the Eagles came in with a trade offer to acquire Peters just before the 2009 draft. The Bills received 2009 first- and fourth-round picks, along with a 2010 sixth-rounder, in the swap. They used the first of those selections to draft future long-term center Eric Wood 28th overall. Philadelphia handed Peters a six-year, $60MM extension, beginning a fruitful era for their offensive line.

Buffalo went through a few left tackles since Peters’ departure, most notably Cordy Glenn, while Peters has started 127 games as an Eagle — fifth-most in franchise history by a pure offensive lineman. Peters ended up making two Pro Bowls with the Bills and seven with the Eagles, also receiving two first-team All-Pro honors in Philly. The Eagles also extended their 37-year-old left-edge protector in 2014, 2017 and 2019.