- Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News wonders if wideout Brandon Reilly could end up making the Bills. The former undrafted free agent spent most of the 2017 season on Buffalo’s practice squad, but a shallow receiver depth chart means he could earn a promotion in 2018. Skurski notes that Kelvin Benjamin is really the only wideout with a guaranteed roster spot, although he assumes Zay Jones and Jeremy Kerley will make the team. Otherwise, Reilly could realistically beat out any of the other receivers sitting on the roster.
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After a strange couple of months, former Bills offensive lineman Richie Incognito says he still hopes to play in the NFL this year. Two weeks after being placed on psychiatric hold by Florida police, Incognito says he remains focused on resuming his career. 
Incognito hit the free agent market last month when he was released by the Bills. The lineman, who has already flip-flopped on the possibility of retiring this year, will have some explaining to do to NFL teams. Two weeks ago, police placed Incognito in a mental hospital after he reportedly toss weights at a Florida gym and told officers the government is spying on him.
On the field, Incognito has been nothing short of stellar in recent years. The veteran has earned three consecutive Pro Bowl trips and, from a talent perspective, profiles as the best interior lineman on the open market today. It remains to be seen whether clubs will give Incognito what is essentially his second chance following the Dolphins bullying scandal of 2013.
Last year, Incognito graded out as the 12th best guard in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. He ranked seventh amongst all guards in 2016 and second in ’15, making him the Bills’ top-rated offensive lineman of the last three years.
- Bills rookie first-rounder Tremaine Edmunds “seems destined to start from Day 1” according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Despite being just 19 when he was drafted, Edmunds is expected to be an every down player at middle linebacker for the Bills. La Canfora adds that rookie quarterback Josh Allen was “hardly perfect” in Thursday’s OTA session, and that he’s likely to begin the season on the bench behind A.J. McCarron. While Edmunds could make some of the Bills’ veteran linebackers expendable, the Bills will likely keep McCarron around since he’s due a relatively cheap $5MM salary, unless Allen is lights out during the preseason.
Quarterback Tyrod Taylor has had nearly three months to reflect on his trade from the Bills to the Browns. While in Buffalo, the veteran’s hold on the starting gig was tenuous, and he discussed that situation with Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. Specifically, Taylor touched on his relationship with Bills head coach Sean McDermott.
“Whether I was or whether I wasn’t [his guy], I’m not there anymore. That’s his decision moving forward,” he said. “I still feel that I’d done more than enough to stay where I was. But at the end of the day, they made a decision to move forward. And that’s their decision.”
Taylor acknowledged that he expected major changes when the team first hired McDermott in 2017. He was also appreciative that the head coach and general manager Brandon Beane kept him informed about the trade that would eventually send him to Cleveland.
After his breakout 2015 campaign, Taylor proved to be a reliable, turnover-limiting quarterback. While his job seemed relatively secure when he was playing for Rex Ryan, McDermott was never willing to full commit to the former sixth-rounder. Despite being benched one game for Nathan Peterman, Taylor still put up solid numbers in 2017, completing 62.6-percent of his passes for 2,799 yards, 14 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also compiled 427 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 84 carries.
Still, while his tenure with the Bills ended unceremoniously, Taylor still has fond memories of his time with the team.
“It was special to be a part of a team last year that was able to break a 17-year (playoff) drought,” he said. “We didn’t finish the season the way we wanted to, but at the end of the day, we were able to change the culture. That was something that I set as a goal for the team. The main goal, to win a Super Bowl, wasn’t accomplished, but we were able to do some very special things in the three years that I was there and I have nothing to regret or to hang my head (about) in my time there. There’s nothing to be disappointed about.”
The Bills have officially released center Eric Wood. Wood, who retired earlier this offseason due to a neck injury, has agreed to an injury settlement with the team. 
Wood, 32, was Buffalo’s starting snapper from 2009 through 2017. Prior to his retirement, he was Buffalo’s second-longest-tenured active player behind defensive tackle Kyle Williams. Over the course of his Bills tenure, he was team’s top center under six different head coaches, or seven if you count Anthony Lynn‘s one game as interim head coach.
Remarkably, he started in all 16 of the Bills’ regular season games last season, plus their playoff game against Jacksonville. Wood managed to play through the pain all year, but the malady was too serious for him to continue on the field.
Wood graded out as the No. 16 center in the NFL in 2017, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. In 2015, the season in which he his first and only Pro Bowl, PFF had him ranked in the top five league-wide.
With Wood out of the picture, the Bills project to start free agent pickup Russell Bodine in the middle. Interior lineman Ryan Groy figures to serve as his top backup.
On Wednesday, the Bills announced the signing of third-round defensive tackle Harrison Phillips. With Phillips in the fold, the Bills have just one draft pick left to sign. 
Phillips should see time right off the bat as a top substitute for Star Lotulelei at nose tackle. The Bills believe that he’ll be able to hit the ground running, thanks in part to his work ethic.
“I expect to work my tail off and do everything they ask me to do as best I can,” he said. “I’m just going to work through everything. I know that that whole defensive front has a whole wealth of knowledge and if I could just try and pick all their brains, I hope I can just come in and contribute.”
As shown in PFR’s draft signing tracker, first-round quarterback Josh Allen stands as the Bills’ only unsigned pick:
- 1-7: Josh Allen, QB (Wyoming)
- 1-16: Tremaine Edmunds, LB (Virginia Tech): Signed
- 3-96: Harrison Phillips, DT (Stanford): Signed
- 4-121: Taron Johnson, CB (Weber State): Signed
- 5-154: Siran Neal, S (Jacksonville State): Signed
- 5-166: Wyatt Teller, G (Virginia Tech): Signed
- 6-187: Ray-Ray McCloud, WR (Clemson): Signed
- 7-255: Austin Proehl, WR (North Carolina): Signed
- After being benched early last season, John Miller is back working as the Bills‘ first-unit right guard, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW notes. Departures of Richie Incognito, Eric Wood and Cordy Glenn have the Bills’ line in an interesting place, but Miller has started all 32 games in which he’s played since Buffalo used a third-round pick on him in 2015. Vlad Ducasse usurped him after the guards’ offseason competition, which Miller won, continued into the regular season. Miller did not see action after this post-Week 4 demotion, but Buffalo is giving him another chance entering his contract year. If Miller sticks at right guard, Ducasse would be in line to fill Incognito’s left guard position.
Bills wide receiver Zay Jones underwent knee surgery, head coach Sean McDermott told reporters. Jones will miss the remainder of the offseason program, but the good news is that the team believes he’ll be good to go in time for the start of the regular season.
The Bills are certainly hoping that Jones will be healthy come September given their lack of depth at wide receiver. After the departures of Jordan Matthews and Deonte Thompson this offseason, the Bills’ have an iffy group at WR beyond star Kelvin Benjamin. Veterans Andre Holmes, Jeremy Kerley, Kaelin Clay, and Rod Streater are fighting for roster spots along with late-round rookies Ray-Ray McCloud and Austin Proehl.
If Jones is in for a lengthier recovery than expected, the Bills could theoretically look into signing Dez Bryant to help fill the gap. However, GM Brandon Beane didn’t sound gung-ho about the idea back in April.
“We have looked at Dez on tape, but I wouldn’t take it any further and I don’t know where that would go,” Beane said. “We’re looking to get better at all positions and receiver is one, so if we thought that was the right fit for us we would potentially pursue it.”
Here’s more out of Buffalo:
- Bills owner Kim Pegula says the financial outlook for a new stadium does not look promising, as Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News writes. “I don’t even know if we can get there,” Pegula said. “I know fans in Buffalo don’t want higher ticket prices, they don’t want [personal seat licenses]. The state [of New York] doesn’t want to give you any money, the city doesn’t. … We don’t have a billion-and-a-half dollars sitting around. We used it to buy the team.” The Bills’ current lease expires in the summer of 2023, but the Bills can opt out in 2020. Given the Pegulas’ ties to Buffalo, it seems unlikely that the team would threaten to move, but it is a situation worth watching.
- On Wednesday, former Bills offensive lineman Richie Incognito was placed on involuntary psychiatric hold by Florida police.
Richie Incognito was involved in an altercation at a Florida gym and was subsequently placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold by police, according to TMZ Sports. The alleged victim says the free agent offensive lineman threw a tennis ball at him for no reason and also tossed a dumbbell. 
In the midst of all of this, the alleged victim claims Incognito was rambling about the government and screaming at the man to “get off” his “[expletive] playground.” Cops came to the scene and took the lineman away, but did not formally arrest him. Instead, he was taken into custody under Florida’s “Baker Act,” which allows officers to submit a person for psychiatric evaluation when it is believed that they may harm someone else. The state’s laws stipulate that Incognito could be held for mandatory psychiatric evaluation for up to 72 hours.
Incognito hit the free agent market this week when he was released by the Bills. The lineman is reportedly looking to play in 2018 – a reversal from his retirement announcement earlier this year – but teams will do some digging into this incident before offering him a deal.
On the field, Incognito has been nothing short of stellar in recent years. The veteran has earned three consecutive Pro Bowl trips and profiles as the best interior lineman on the open market today.
The Bills have released offensive lineman Richie Incognito from the reserve/retired list, per a team announcement. The move could pave the way for the veteran to quickly sign with another club.
This year’s Incognito saga has been strange, to say the least. After making his third straight Pro Bowl appearance, he agreed to take a pay cut for the 2018 season. Weeks later, the lineman fired his agents via Twitter. Incognito announced his retirement in April, but he requested his release days later, which is an indication that he wants to continue playing.
On the surface, Incognito’s retirement threat looked to be an attempt to recoup that lost money. At the time, the 34-year-old (35 in July) said he was prioritizing his health over future earnings, citing issues with his liver and kidneys. Now that he’s eligible to sign, teams will probably want to take a close look at his medicals before making a commitment.
Under the terms of his revised deal, Incognito was set to earn $3.65MM in base pay plus a $1MM bonus, down from his originally scheduled $6.325MM salary. It stands to reason that Incognito could fetch more than $3.65MM for the upcoming season, though many clubs have already filled their interior line vacancies and allocated the bulk of free agent dollars.