Bills G Isaac Asiata Retires
Bills guard Isaac Asiata has retired from the NFL, according to an announcement on Twitter. Retirement is often tough on players, but for Asiata, it’s a step towards improved mental health.
“I have lived the last two years of my NFL career waging war with myself mentally,” Asiata wrote. “With constant anxiety, persistent worry and fear of the unknown and of what comes next? If i were to be done. I also placed the unnecessary burden on my shoulders of never wanting to let people down or to disappoint those around me. Afraid of being a ‘draft bust’ or just another guy who couldn’t cut it in the league.”
Asiata was drafted by the Dolphins in the fifth round (No. 164 overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft. After appearing in just two games for the Fins, they released him this offseason. He hooked on with the Bills just over a week ago, but he has decided against pursuing one of the final spots on their 53-man roster.
To take his place, the Bills inked guard Nico Siragusa, a fourth-round pick of the Ravens in 2017. Siragusa spent his rookie season on injured reserve and most of last season on the Ravens’ taxi squad. He finished out the year on the Packers’ active roster, but did not appear in any games.
There’s a real opportunity for Siragusa to make the roster. In the last week, the Bills have lost Asiata to retirement and Jeremiah Sirles to injury (he’s since been released). Meanwhile, center Mitch Morse is in the concussion protocol and guard Spencer Long has been out this week with a knee injury.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/31/19
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Nicholas Grigsby
Buffalo Bills
- Released from injured reserve: OL Jeremiah Sirles
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Justin Phillips
- Waived: G Larry Allen Jr.
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers: DE Markus Jones
- Waived/injured: CB Javien Hamilton
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: RB Devante Mays
- Waived/injured: RB Taj McGowan
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: P Stone Wilson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Claimed off waivers: WR Brandon Reilly
- Waived/non-football injury: CB Alexander Myres
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: WR Daniel Williams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Claimed off waivers: T William Poehls
- Signed: WR Matt Eaton, TE Scott Orndoff
- Waived: TE Donnie Ernsberger, T Riley Mayfield
- Waived/injured: S Orion Stewart
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Tanner McEvoy, WR Papi White
- Waived: WR Joe Parker
- Placed on injured reserve: WR Cameron Batson
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
- Signed: TE Kyle Carter
- Waived: LB Juwan Foggie
New England Patriots
- Placed on reserve/retired list: OL J.J. Dielman
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: QB Vincent Testaverde
- Placed on IR: S Orion Stewart
- Waived/injured: TE Troy Niklas
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
- Signed: G Isaac Asiata, S Abraham Wallace
- Waived: WR Da’Mari Scott
- Placed on IR: Jeremiah Sirles
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DL Lyndon Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: CB David Rivers
- Waived: C Ryan Anderson
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: K Jonathan Brown
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Mazzi Wilkins
- Waived/injured: CB Jalen Allison
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.