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Buffalo Bills News & Rumors

Bills Won’t Release Anquan Boldin

October 27th, 2017 at 7:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills have no intention of releasing wide receiver Anquan Boldin from his contract, but could still trade the veteran wideout per his request, as general manager Brandon Beane told reporters, including Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link).Anquan Boldin

[RELATED: Bills Trade Marcell Dareus To Jaguars]

Boldin, 37, signed a one-year, $2.75MM deal with Buffalo earlier this year, but retired in August after the club traded away wide receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby. However, Boldin now wants to make a comeback and would like to be traded or have the Bills release his rights. Beane told reporters that he “doesn’t expect much” in terms of trade offers for Boldin, which could mean the longtime NFL wideout could stay put through Tuesday’s trade deadline.

While Beane has not personally spoken with Boldin, the GM said Boldin would prefer to play closer to his Florida residence, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Additionally, Beane wouldn’t rule out Boldin returning to the Bills, who have surprised with a 4-2 record and coincidentally boast one of the league’s worst wide receiving corps.

In 2016, Boldin appeared in all 16 games for the Lions, and managed 67 receptions for 584 yards and eight touchdowns. While the yardage total was the lowest of Boldin’s career, his eight scores were the most he’s posted since 2008. Boldin, a three-time Pro Bowler, played on 80% of Detroit’s offensive snaps as the club’s third receiver behind Golden Tate and Marvin Jones.

Jaguars To Acquire DT Marcell Dareus

October 27th, 2017 at 6:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jaguars have agreed to acquire defensive tackle Marcell Dareus from the Bills, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Buffalo will receive a 2018 sixth-round pick that change to a fifth-round pick based if Dareus sticks on Jacksonville’s roster for the rest of the season and the Jaguars make the playoffs, per Schefter and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links).Marcell Dareus

Dareus had long been thought to be available on the trade market, as the new Buffalo regime — including general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott — didn’t believe Dareus’ immense talent was worth his reported motivational lapses. Indeed, the Bills attempted to trade Dareus this offseason, but weren’t able to find a match.

The inability to Dareus until this point was likely due to his massive contract, a six-year, $95.1MM extension that he inked in 2015. It’s incredibly surprising the Bills were able to convince the Jaguars to take on the remaining portions of Dareus’ deal, which includes the rest of his guaranteed $9.75MM base salary this season and a $7.35MM guarantee in 2018. Dareus is also set to earn non-guaranteed base salaries of $8.335MM, $12.335MM, and $12.4MM from 2019-21, with $2MM available in roster bonuses during those three seasons.

Jacksonville can afford Dareus’ contract in 2017, as it still has more than $37MM in reserves, but his 2018 salary will eat into the club’s $13MM worth of cap space next season. Buffalo, meanwhile, is relieving itself of a hefty financial obligation, but will still be forced to eat part of Dareus’ deal. The rest of his prorated bonus money — $14.2MM in total — will accelerate onto the Bills’ salary cap in 2018.

Dareus, who now reunites with former Bills/current Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone, will join an already stacked defense that leads the league in DVOA. While the unit is excellent, it does rank dead last in run defense DVOA, an area Dareus should help improve. Jacksonville now fields a defensive line that includes Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, Malik Jackson, and Dante Fowler Jr.

Dareus, 27, clearly has immense talent, as evidenced both by his draft pedigree (No. 3 overall in 2011) and his prior NFL production, so if Marrone and the rest of Jacksonville’s staff can motivate him, Dareus could prove to be steal. He’s only played 138 defensive snaps on the season, but Dareus has graded as the NFL’s No. 37 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus. The Alabama product is three years removed from his best overall year, a 2014 campaign which saw him manage 10 sacks from the defensive tackle position.

Anquan Boldin Interested In Playing Again; Bills Open To Trade

October 26th, 2017 at 6:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Anquan Boldin retired during the Bills’ preseason slate after a brief stay in Buffalo and ruled out a late-season return previously, but the veteran wide receiver looks to have changed his mind to some degree. He’s interested in playing again, and the Bills are open to trading his rights.

The Bills gave Boldin’s agent, Tom Condon, permission to seek a trade. Brandon Beane wrote Condon a letter (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com) Thursday granting him permission to pursue a Boldin trade.

Beane notes in the letter a factor here could be proximity to Boldin’s family. A report emerged over the summer Boldin was looking to play closer to his home in Florida, and while no reported interest is known from the Dolphins, Buccaneers or Jaguars, Beane including this language in his letter adds weight to Boldin being interested in moving south for a possible return. The Florida State alum has never played for a southeastern-based NFL team.

This letter prohibits Boldin from discussing a new contract with another team and does not give the would-be 15th-year veteran permission to make visits. It also notes the Bills’ offer for Boldin’s camp to find a trade partner expires on the Halloween trade deadline. It doesn’t sound like Beane is too interested in relinquishing Boldin’s rights and letting him sign with another team as a UFA.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/25/2017

October 25th, 2017 at 5:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: CB Deji Olatoye

Washington Redskins

Hawks, Bills Discussed Cordy Glenn Trade

October 25th, 2017 at 5:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As part of their ongoing search for offensive line help, the Seahawks approached the Bills about left tackle Cordy Glenn, but those talks “fizzled,” according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.Cordy Glenn (Vertical)

Glenn returned to Buffalo’s lineup on Sunday having been sidelined by injuries since Week 2, and despite some questions as to whether Glenn would regain his starting job over rookie Dion Dawkins, Glenn did indeed play a large role in the Bills’ victory (85% of offensive snaps). But Buffalo clearly is pleased with Dawkins’ production thus far, creating an opportunity to possibly move Glenn.

General manager Brandon Beane isn’t afraid to deal veteran assets, as evidenced by his preseason trades of wide receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby. And the Bills probably wouldn’t mind getting Glenn’s contract off their books as they retool their roster in the mold of head coach Sean McDermott over the next few years. An acquiring club would take on the rest of Glenn’s $9MM salary for 2017, plus base salaries of $9.25MM, $7.25MM, and $7.25MM over the next three seasons (Glenn also has $2MM roster bonuses in each year).

Like Beane, Seattle general manager John Schneider has shown a willingness to trade, and he recently said the Seahawks are “constantly in talks” with other teams regarding possible swaps. Seattle’s front five once again ranks as one of the NFL’s least productive, and several of the club’s projected starters — George Fant, Luke Joeckel — are now sidelined with injuries. Rees Odhiambo, the Seahawks’ current blinside protector, has graded as the league’s worst tackle, per Pro Football Focus.

Other options to help the depleted Seattle line have been discussed. The Seahawks reportedly focused on disgruntled Texans offensive tackle Duane Brown in recent weeks, but Brown has since ended his holdout and Houston may not have any inclination to deal their best offensive lineman during a competitive season. Free agent Branden Albert, meanwhile, turned down Seattle’s contract offer last week and is still on the open market.

NFL Workout Updates: 10/24/17

October 24th, 2017 at 8:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

  • LS Trent Gow (link)

Detroit Lions

  • WR Jake Kumerow (link)

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

New Orleans Saints

Oakland Raiders

Bills Tried To Trade Marcell Dareus This Offseason

October 22nd, 2017 at 12:00pm CST by Rory Parks

The Bills (unsurprisingly) tried to trade DT Marcell Dareus this offseason, but they (unsurprisingly) received little interest, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes. Dareus is not far removed from being one of the top interior defenders in the game, which is why the Bills signed him to a six-year, $95.1MM extension in 2015. But he has not been the same player since then, and he has been arrested, suspended multiple times, he has failed to condition properly, and he was sent home following Buffalo’s third preseason game this year following a violation of a team rule.

Marcell Dareus

In light of all of that, it is little wonder that Buffalo was unable to find any takers. Making matters worse is the fact that, in addition to his on-field mediocrity and off-field struggles, his contract is exceedingly player-friendly. He is due $7.35MM in guaranteed 2018 salary, and his former promise will not be enough to induce a team to take on his deal. As La Canfora points out, the Bills could absorb the cap penalties they would incur by trading Dareus, but they do not anticipate any team will express interest in acquiring him prior to next week’s trade deadline (though he does remain on the market).

Instead, La Canfora reports that the Bills are likely to cut Dareus in 2018 with a post-June 1 designation, which will allow them to spread out the massive cap hit over two seasons. Even by doing that, however, the club would take on nearly $14MM in dead money while clearing just ~$2.5MM.

Dareus has not played horribly this season, but he is not doing much to change the league’s perception of him. His effort remains spotty, and he has graded out as the 36th-best D-lineman out of 121 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus.

Bills Notes: Glenn, Clay

October 20th, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While left tackle Cordy Glenn is no longer listed on the NFL’s injury report after recovering from an ankle injury, he’s not a certainty to regain his starting role along the Bills‘ offensive line, according to Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com. Head coach Sean McDermott admitted as much today, noting that Buffalo hasn’t decided whether Glenn will take starter’s snaps against the Buccaneers on Sunday, per Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter links). While Glenn has lined up with the Bills’ first team during practice this week, the club’s coaching staff is reportedly high on rookie Dion Dawkins, who’s started on the blindside in Glenn’s absence. Still, benching Glenn — who earns $12MM annually and graded as the league’s No. 21 tackle a season ago, per Pro Football Focus — would be a surprising decision by Buffalo brass.

  • Speaking of Bills‘ injuries on the offensive side of the ball, McDermott indicated he’s “very encouraged” by tight end Charles Clay‘s progress after undergoing knee surgery earlier this month, and said the veteran pass-catcher could return later this season, tweets Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Initial reports suggested Clay would miss multiple weeks after going under the knife, and the fact that Buffalo hasn’t placed Clay on injured reserve bodes well for a potential return. Had Clay been IR’d, he would have been eligible to play again in early December. With Clay sidelined, the Bills have turned to Nick O’Leary as their starting tight end — he managed receptions for 54 yards in Buffalo’s Week 5 loss to Cincinnati.
  • Cornerback Ryan Lewis is now earning an active roster salary rate ($465K) as a member of the Patriots‘ practice squad, and that’s because the Bills recently expressed interest in adding Lewis to their 53-man roster, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. Instead of signing with Buffalo, however, Lewis opted to stick with New England’s taxi squad given his familiarity with the Patriots’ coaching staff. Lewis, an undrafted Pitt product who originally signed with the Cardinals earlier this year, managed two sub-4.40 40-yard dash times during the predraft process, but his “lack of experience shows up on tape,” according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
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