Bills Trade Marshall Newhouse To Panthers
The Bills are trading offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse to the Panthers, a source tells Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter). In exchange, the Bills will receive a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick (Twitter link via Joe Person of The Athletic).
Newhouse, 30 on Saturday, started 14 games at right tackle for the Raiders last season. In March, Oakland released him, leading him to sign a free agent deal with Buffalo. Newhouse was set to serve as a reserve after the trade of Cordy Glenn and the departure of Seantrel Henderson, but didn’t do much in his three games behind starters Dion Dawkins and Jordan Mills.
The Panthers’ O-Line, meanwhile, is coming off of a solid performance on Sunday which helped propel the team to a 31-21 win over the Bengals. The Panthers hope that Newhouse can fit in as a backup behind Taylor Moton and Amini Silatolu, particularly with Daryl Williams and Matt Kalil sidelined.
To replace Newhouse, the Bills are signing offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles. Sirles started 14 games from 2016-17 in Minnesota and spent the offseason with Carolina before being waived/injured.
Investigation Into LeSean McCoy Still Open, Suspension Still Possible
For a while now, it has seemed like Bills running back LeSean McCoy was in the clear. But that’s apparently not entirely true, as new reporting has revealed the case, and McCoy’s involvement, are still unresolved.
McCoy was at the center of a disturbing incident involving his ex-girlfriend over the summer, but was never arrested. A couple of weeks ago it was reported that he was unlikely to face a suspension as long as he wasn’t charged in the case, but the investigation is in fact still open according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. A source told Florio that “the league has decided to defer to local authorities, who continue to investigate the situation.”
Florio reports that “the league would act only after McCoy is formally charged, or after the official investigation concludes with no action taken against him.” All this means is that there’s been no determination within the league office about possible punishment, and a suspension remains a very real possibility.
According to Florio, detectives investigating the break-in into the home where McCoy’s ex-girlfriend, Delicia Cordon, was staying haven’t been satisfied with McCoy’s level of cooperation. It’s highly possible the league ultimately concludes there isn’t enough evidence to suspend McCoy, but it definitely isn’t a settled matter like many have suggested recently. McCoy missed Buffalo’s shocking upset of the Vikings today as he was sidelined with a rib injury. Through the Bills’ first two games, he had 16 carries for 61 yards, adding five catches for 28 yards.
Bills To Pursue Vontae Davis' Signing Bonus
- The Bills are expected to go after the majority of Vontae Davis‘ $1.5MM signing bonus, per Rapoport. Buffalo may argue that, since Davis retired mid-game last week, he is entitled to only 1/17, instead of 2/17, of the bonus, and if the team does go that route, Davis may walk away with less than $700K from a 2018 contract that could have paid him up to $5MM. After all, the remainder of his $2.25MM salary voided when he was placed on the reserve/left squad list, and he earned only a small portion of his per-game roster bonuses. Nonetheless, he did earn more than $35MM during his career, so he might not care too much.
Davis Placed On Reserve/Left Squad List
Prior to Vontae Davis‘ now-infamous halftime retirement, the 10-year NFL veteran cornerback told Bills defensive backs coach John Butler, “I’m done” while he was in uniform late in the first half. This one-sided conversation, per Davis (via The Undefeated’s Domonique Foxworth), occurred in the final minute of the half. Lafayette Pitts replaced Davis in the game and ended up having to play a larger role after halftime once Davis did not return for the second half.
The Bills received a roster exemption after the 30-year-old defender’s retirement, and they placed Davis on the reserve/left squad list, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. While Davis sounds about as far away from a player who’d attempt a comeback, his placement on this list would not allow it — with the Bills or another team — this season.
Sean McDermott Calling Bills' Shots?
- Although Brandon Beane serves as the Bills‘ GM, it’s Sean McDermott who establishes the franchise’s tone “from top to bottom,” Tim Graham of The Athletic writes in an expansive piece about how the Bills’ rebuild is going thus far. The offseason mistakes Beane made in adding Vontae Davis, Jeremy Kerley, Corey Coleman and Russell Bodine may increase McDermott’s voice within the organization, Graham adds.
NFL Workout Updates: 9/21/18
Today’s workout updates are below. There were some notable names, including veteran cornerback David Amerson, who was released by the Chiefs at final cuts.
Buffalo Bills
- CBs David Amerson; Demetri Goodson; Tony Lippett; Herb Waters; OL Jeremiah Sirles; Matt Tobin; DT Garrison Smith
Detroit Lions
New Orleans Saints
- WR’s Fred Brown; Reggie Davis
The Bills are clearly looking for help in their secondary with the recent retirement of Vontae Davis. Amerson and Lippett are both pretty big names with plenty of starting experience, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see either of them sign. Bausby was an offseason star with the Eagles, but ultimately didn’t survive final cuts.
POLL: Which 0-2 Team Is Most Likely To Rebound?
In a relatively short 16 game season, a slow start can be a death blow. Around 90% of teams who start the season 0-2 end up missing the playoffs. Some teams can put it behind them and turn their season around, but not many. The 2007 Giants started off 0-2 and ended up winning the Super Bowl, as did the 2001 Patriots.
There are currently seven teams sitting at 0-2, and none of their prospects look particularly bright. Several of them have solid franchise quarterbacks and recent playoff success, and none of them are giving up. So which, if any, has the best chance of turning around their disappointing campaigns?
Two teams in the NFC West are 0-2. The Seahawks have lost a pair of close games, both of which they had opportunities to win in the first quarter. The Cardinals on the other hand have been blown out twice, and have scored just six total points. The Seahawks have the clear advantage at quarterback, the Cardinals have David Johnson, and neither has much of an offensive line. The Cardinals have plenty of theoretical talent and a strong defense, while Russell Wilson has shown he’s capable of carrying a team in the past. Both teams will be returning home for do-or-die games in Week 3. The Cardinals get the Bears, while the Seahawks host the Cowboys.
The other two winless teams in the NFC are the Lions and Giants. Both teams have new head coaches and Matt Patricia and Pat Shurmur have both gotten off to terrible starts. The Lions’ defense has been a mess while Eli Manning has looked like he has very little left in the tank. Like Wilson, Stafford has carried successful teams in the past while the Giants have plenty of playmakers around Manning in Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, and Odell Beckham. The Lions will host Patricia’s old team, the Patriots, on Sunday Night Football, while the Giants will face off against another winless team, the Texans.
The Texans have failed to meet expectations as Deshaun Watson returned from the torn ACL that cut his phenomenal 2017 season short. They understandably dropped a road opener to the Patriots, but lost a head-scratcher last week to the Titans in a game where Blaine Gabbert took all the snaps. They’ve got Watson and a slew of other big name players, but if they lose to the Giants on Sunday it will be awfully hard to rebound.
The last two 0-2 teams in the AFC are the Raiders and the Bills. Jon Gruden took a lot of heat for trading Khalil Mack, and hasn’t been able to deliver through two weeks. His team hung tough against the Rams in Week 1, then blew a late lead against the Broncos last week. The Bills have potentially the worst outlook of any of these teams. In the midst of a full blown rebuild, Buffalo was forced to bench Nathan Peterman after just one start. Josh Allen will be under center the rest of the way, and the season will be more focused on his development rather than winning games. The Raiders will travel to Miami in Week 3 to take on the Dolphins, while the Bills will head to Minnesota to face the Vikings.
Which of these teams do you think has the best chance of rebounding and turning the season around? Will we see the next ’07 Giants rise up from this crop of 0-2 teams? Vote in the poll below and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!
Which 0-2 Team Is Likeliest To Rebound?
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Texans 40% (770)
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Seahawks 21% (402)
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Raiders 14% (271)
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Giants 12% (225)
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Lions 8% (162)
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Bills 3% (58)
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Cardinals 2% (41)
Total votes: 1,929
LeSean McCoy's Ex To Hold Friday Press Conference
Delicia Gordon, the ex-girlfriend of Bills running back LeSean McCoy, will hold a press conference on Friday to explain why she is “certain” McCoy was involved in a July home invasion that left her battered and bloodied, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. While Georgia police haven’t yet uncovered any direct evidence linking McCoy to the incident, Gordon is offering a $20K reward for information tying McCoy to the crime. Reports earlier this month indicated McCoy was not expected to face charges stemming from the invasion, while the NFL also hasn’t expressed any interest in suspending him. On the field, McCoy is questionable for Sunday’s contest against the Vikings as he deals with a rib injury.
Bills To Work Out Matt Tobin
Free agent offensive tackle Matt Tobin is scheduled to work out for the Bills, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Tobin, a vested veteran, was released by the 49ers earlier this week, making him a free agent.
Tobin spent much of the offseason and training camp with the Patriots, and as Reiss notes, he would be a logical fit for New England given their injuries at tackle. However, their AFC East rivals could pounce first.
The Bills are in need of help across the board after getting drummed by the Ravens in their opener and falling to the Chargers on Sunday. Buffalo’s pass protection could use some help in particular, and Tobin could be of use in that area.
Tobin, 30, boasts 57 games of pro experience with the Eagles and Seahawks, but he was inactive for each of the 49ers’ first two games.
Bills Had Interest In Tom Johnson
- Before signing with the Vikings earlier this week, defensive tackle Tom Johnson drew interest from the Bills and Browns, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Johnson, whose release from the Seahawks precipitated his free agency, was in fact close to signing with Buffalo before Vikings defensive line coach Andre Patterson — who led Johnson in Minnesota from 2014-17 — reached out. Seattle also expressed interest in re-signing Johnson, but his number of suitors allowed to him to a land a one-year, $1MM deal from the Vikings, one that includes $500K in incentives.