John Miller Back With Bills' Starters
- 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 Notes: Jones, McDermott, Stadium
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 Placed On Psych Hold
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.
Bills Release Richie Incognito
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.
Poll: Which Team Best Addressed QB Spot This Offseason?
This turned out to be an important year for quarterback acquisitions. Many teams’ short- and long-term futures will depend heavily on the players they added over the past two months.
A fourth of the NFL made major investments in outside talent at the quarterback position this offseason. Which team did you think is in the best position after all the dominoes fell?
Three teams acquired their unquestioned starters via trade or free agency. The Redskins’ trade for Alex Smith ensured they were not going to pick a quarterback in the draft. As did the Vikings’ subsequent Kirk Cousins agreement. The Broncos entered the draft as a borderline QB destination, but John Elway valued Bradley Chubb more than Josh Allen or Josh Rosen, eschewing a Bills offer that would have given his team extra first- and second-round picks. So, Case Keenum is going to be Denver’s starter.
Four of the five teams that used first-round picks on quarterbacks made sure to add bridge-type solutions, with the Browns moving first to get Tyrod Taylor. The Jets and Cardinals then respectively proceeded to bring in Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon. And the Bills made the final stopgap addition in A.J. McCarron. But these players, for the most part, are 2018 placeholders — at best.
Was Baker Mayfield worth the No. 1 overall pick? Or did the Browns make what could turn out to be the costliest of their spree of modern quarterback misjudgments last month? Several Cleveland executives independently rated Mayfield as the draft’s premier passer, going against the grain of the many teams that viewed Sam Darnold as this year’s top passing prospect. The Jets appear to have appreciated this bold move, and Darnold is almost certainly going to see extensive time in 2018. PFR readers believe he will.
The Bills worked the phones relentlessly in an effort to install Allen behind McCarron, and the Cardinals reportedly had the Wyoming prodigy rated as their top QB as well. But Allen could need extensive seasoning, and as of now, a returning playoff team has a fifth-year player with 133 career pass attempts set to open the season and possibly close it as the starter.
Conversely, the player the Cardinals invested in was tabbed by many draft experts as the readiest pro. And Bradford being in front of Rosen for 16 games may be asking a lot from the injury-prone veteran. The Ravens are already planning Jackson packages, and although the player whom some teams wanted to work out as a wide receiver may need a season to develop, this draft’s most dominant college QB resides in Baltimore behind Joe Flacco.
Armed with one of the league’s most talented rosters, Minnesota had the most obvious case to pursue a veteran. And the Vikings made history by authorizing a $28MM-AAV fully guaranteed deal for the soon-to-be 30-year-old Cousins, who may be the safest option among all of these players. But he’s now the league’s second-highest-paid passer and tethered to the Vikings through 2020. Smith is coming off his best NFL season, but his Chiefs teams disappointed in two home playoff opportunities. Washington could also be much further away from contention than Minnesota, and the Redskins have now brought in quarterback who for all the stability he offers is four years older.
It’s debatable the Broncos’ contention window could still be open, with many of their core Super Bowl 50 performers still on the team and having played the past two seasons without much help at quarterback. But a 5-11 team armed with only its second top-five pick since 1992 passing on two coveted QB prospects to pursue the 30-year-old Keenum, a late-blooming talent or a player who benefited from better circumstances, could also be classified as a bold choice as Rosen and Allen’s careers unfold. The Broncos only committed to Keenum for two years and are paying Football Outsiders’ No. 4 2017 DYAR passer $10MM less per year than Cousins commanded.
So, with all things considered, which of these franchises is best set up after this offseason? Did one of the teams that spent a first-round pick on a QB ensure a decade and then some of stability and promise? Or did the teams that went strictly for vets get this right? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section!
Which team best addressed the quarterback spot this offseason?
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Minnesota Vikings 26% (560)
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New York Jets 15% (320)
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Cleveland Browns 15% (310)
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Arizona Cardinals 11% (242)
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Washington Redskins 10% (223)
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Buffalo Bills 8% (174)
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Denver Broncos 8% (166)
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Baltimore Ravens 6% (132)
Total votes: 2,127
Bills To Meet With Russell Shepard
The Bills are scheduled to host wide receiver Russell Shepard on a visit this week, according to Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News (on Twitter). Shepard was released by the Panthers on Monday, making him a free agent. 
The Bills have made a habit of targeting ex-Panthers players under the guidance of head coach Sean McDermott (former Panthers defensive coordinator) and GM Brandon Beane (former Panthers executive). Since McDermott came on board in 2017, the Panthers have brought in wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, running back Mike Tolbert, quarterback Joe Webb, defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, and cornerback Leonard Johnson (Webb is no longer with the team and Tolbert and Johnson remain in free agent limbo).
Beane was with the Panthers in March of 2017 when they inked Shepard to a three-year free agent contract. Two months later, he agreed to follow McDermott to Buffalo.
Shepard appeared in 15 games for the Panthers last year but didn’t quite live up to expectations. He finished out with 17 catches for 202 yards and one touchdown. This week, the Panthers cut ties with him in order to save $2MM+ against the cap.
Before signing with Carolina, Shepard had 23 catches for 341 yards and two touchdowns in his final year with the Bucs.
Bills To Meet With DE Ryan Russell
Buccaneers free agent defensive end Ryan Russell will visit the Bills on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Bills are scoping out the remaining available pass rushers and Russell could be a fit. 
The Bucs non-tendered Russell earlier this year, allowing him to go from a restricted free agent to an unrestricted free agent. Despite starting in seven games for Tampa Bay last year, he has not garnered a ton of interest over the last two months.
In 2017, the former fifth-round pick had two sacks – the most of his career – and 16 total tackles. The advanced metrics were not crazy about his work, however, as he graded out as one of the four worst qualified edge rushers in the league, per Pro Football Focus.
The Bills have revamped their defensive line this year by adding defensive ends Trent Murphy, Owa Odighizuwa, and Terrence Fede as well as defensive tackles Star Lotulelei, Tenny Palepoi, and third-round pick Harrison Phillips. Given the strange nature of Odighizuwa’s previous tenure with the Giants, it only makes sense for the Bills to explore other reserve options at DE.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/18
Today’s minor moves (so far):
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DT Siupeli Anau, WR C.J. Duncan, LB Airius Moore, OL Greg Pyke
- Waived: CB Elijah Battle, LB Mike Needham, OL Austin Olsen, WR Jonah Trinnaman
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DE Da’Sean Downey
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: FB Zach Olstad
- Waived/Injured: RB Aaron Green
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Bug Howard, C Kyle Friend, T/G Quinterrius Eatmon, DE Karter Schult
- Waived/Injured: CB Zack Sanchez
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Matt Fleming, DB John Franklin, DB Tyrin Holloway, OL Jeremi Hall, OL Matt McCants
- Waived: OL Travis Averill, OL Cameron Lee, LB Howard Jones, LB Nyles Morgan
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DT Chris Okoye, C Brand Lundblade, S Tyrice Beverette
- Waived: LB Oni Omoile, TE Scott Orndoff, CB Robenson Therezie
Cleveland Browns
- Signed DB Tigie Sankoh, QB Brogan Roback
Denver Broncos
- Waived: NT Lowell Lotulelei (Lotulelei is retiring, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic, on Twitter)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: WR Deontez Alexander, TE Marcus Lucas, CB Josh Okonye
- Waived: WR Kyle Lewis
- Waived/Injured: TE Brandon Barnes
Houston Texans
- Placed on Reserve-Retired list: K.J. Malone
- Signed: T Kendell Calhoun, DE Nick Thurman
- Waived: WR Montay Crockett
- Waived/failure to disclose physical condition designation: DE Jalen Wilkerson
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: OT Jared Machorro
- Waived: C Anthony Fabiano
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: TE Zach Conque, LB Manase Hungalu, OL Brandon Smith
- Waived: OL Avery Gennesy
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: QB Luis Perez
New England Patriots
- Signed: P Corey Bojorquez
- Waived/NFI: WR Darren Andrews
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OT Michael Ola
- Waived: LB Adam Bighill, OL Daronte Bouldin, S Rickey Jefferson, Bradley Sylve
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: S Dallin Leavitt, LS Drew Scott
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR/KR Tim Wilson
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: G/T R.J. Prince
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Clayton Wilson
Washington Redskins
- Signed: C Casey Dunn, LB Vontae Diggs, WR Darvin Kidsy
- Waived: WR Mikah Holder, C Sean Welsh
Poll: Will Josh Allen Log The Most Playing Time Of Rookie QBs in 2018?
Though teams spent high-value picks on quarterbacks in 2018, not every quarterback will be in a position to take over a starting role in 2018, though each seemingly has a decent possibility at finding the field in their rookie year. Along with the Browns selecting Mayfield, the Jets selected Sam Darnold with the No. 3 overall pick, the Bills took Josh Allen with the No. 7 overall pick, the Cardinals took Josh Rosen with the No. 10 overall pick and the Ravens selected Lamar Jackson with the No. 32 overall pick. The Steelers also selected Mason Rudolph in the third round of the draft.
Each quarterback has a roadblock to finding playing time in 2018. The Browns acquired quarterback Tyrod Taylor via trade, the Jets re-signed Josh McCown and added Teddy Bridgewater, the Cardinals signed Sam Bradford and the Bills traded for A.J. McCarron. The Steelers have Ben Roethlisberger entrenched in the starting role, though he’s missed eight games over the last three seasons.
NFL Investigation Clears Russ Brandon
- The Texans hired Saints scout C.J. Leak to be their assistant director of pro scouting, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Leak spent two years as the Saints’ Combine scout and prior to that spent eight years with the Bills, working in their pro personnel department.
- The NFL closed an investigation into former Bills president Russ Brandon, who resigned from his post recently, and the longtime executive can move forward without any punishment. Brandon was accused of having inappropriate relationships with female employees. “We are satisfied the club addressed the matter in a timely, thorough and appropriate manner,” the league’s statement read, via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). “There will be no further action by the league office.” Brandon worked for the Bills for more than 20 years.