Bills Host LBs Kevin Minter, Karlos Dansby
After losing Preston Brown to the Bengals last week, the Bills are making moves to replenish their linebacker corps. Buffalo has met with free agent linebackers Kevin Minter and Karlos Dansby, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
Minter started 32 games with the Cardinals from 2015-16, and had been expected to take on major responsibilities with Cincinnati after inking a one-year pact last spring. But Minter played on fewer than 20% of the Bengals’ defensive snaps, seeing less action than sixth-round rookie Jordan Evans and barely playing ahead of undrafted free agent Hardy Nickerson. Minter ended the 2017 season on injured reserve while dealing with a hamstring issue.
But Minter is still only 27 years old, and he offers more experience than other Bills options such as Matt Milano and Tanner Vallejo. Moreover, the off-ball linebacker market has mostly been picked over, as NaVorro Bowman is the only impact player left at the position. Minter, then, could be viewed as an attractive addition when compared with aging veterans such as Brian Cushing, Lawrence Timmons, or Jerrell Freeman.
Dansby, on the other hand, is one of those aging veterans, and like Minter, he’s also an ex-Cardinal. The 36-year-old has actually enjoyed three separate stints with Arizona, and has also spent time with Miami, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. An extremely durable linebacker, Dansby started 15 games a season ago, racking up 74 tackles and one sack while grading as the league’s No. 49 linebacker among 87 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
Bills Rumors: No. 1 Pick, Boldin
The Bills have not contacted the Browns about trading for the No. 1 overall pick, a source tells Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Bills moved up to the No. 12 selection in the Cordy Glenn trade with Cincinnati and they also hold the No. 22 overall pick in the draft, fueling speculation that they could vault into the top five to select their quarterback of the future. However, it’s hard to imagine the Browns trading down from No. 1 and passing up a chance to get their favorite QB, despite GM John Dorsey‘s proclamation that he is open to a deal. The Bills are effectively blocked from moving up to No. 3 after the Jets acquired that pick from the Colts, so one has to wonder if the Bills will look to engage the Giants for the No. 2 pick. Then again, the Giants also seem unlikely to move down given their need for a successor to Eli Manning or a playmaker like Saquon Barkley.
- Anquan Boldin says he hasn’t thought about whether he could play again, but he’s confident that he could pick up where he left off. “Definitely,” Boldin said (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun). “If I wanted to, I know I could.” Boldin was released from the Bills‘ reserve/retired list last week, fueling speculation that he could return to the field. Boldin will turn 38 in October, which is well past the expiration date for a wide receiver. He also averaged just 8.7 yards per reception in 2016, his last NFL season.
- The Patriots are among the teams interested in former Bills wide receiver/special teams ace Marcus Easley now that he’s back to full health, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The Giants also have interest, per Wilson.
Bills Sign OL Russell Bodine, Marshall Newhouse
The Bills instantly added depth to their depleted offensive line following the trade of left tackle Cordy Glenn, agreeing to deals with Marshall Newhouse and Russell Bodine, with Buffalo confirming both deals. Bodine will receive a two-year deal and Newhouse will join the team on a one-year deal. Bodine’s pact will be worth $5MM, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Newhouse’s deal is worth up to $2MM, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter).
Bodine looks to be the major haul of the two after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Bengals while starting all 16 games at center each season. Eric Wood started all 16 regular-season games at center for the Bills last year but was forced to call it a career after failing his end-of-season physical with a neck injury. The Bills hosted Bodine for a visit Sunday and Monday. The Bengals offered the lineman a long-term, low-guarantee deal, but Rapoport notes that Bodine decided the Bills offer “is best for his future.”
The 25-year-old center graded as one of the bottom-10 centers in the NFL out of last season’s qualifiers, according to Pro Football Focus. With other centers like Ryan Jensen and Weston Richburg off the market, Bodine served as one of the top players at the position still available in free agency.
Newhouse, 29, started 14 games at right tackle for the Raiders last season. The Raiders released Newhouse earlier this month, a year into a two-year $3.5MM deal signed last offseason. Along with the trade of Glenn, the Bills lost Seantrel Henderson, who signed with the Texans this offseason. The Bills were set to enter the season with Dion Dawkins and Jordan Mills starting at tackle.
Newhouse was graded in the bottom-third of tackle qualifiers last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s appeared in 100 games and has made 70 starts over a seven-year career, including stints with the Packers, Giants and Bengals.
[RELATED: Bills Depth Chart]
Bills "Seriously Pursued" Josh McCown
- The Jets immediately began talking to McCartney about one of his other clients, Josh McCown, but their $10MM offer — a career most for the soon-to-be 39-year-old quarterback — may have come because the Bills were strong pursuers as well. King reports Buffalo was “seriously interested” in McCown, who signed for $4MM more than he did last year. Buffalo ended up landing A.J. McCarron for less money per season.
- The seven-team research list McCartney’s office compiled earlier this offseason included the final four teams, but also featured the Bills, Browns and Dolphins. Going into the final week, King notes McCartney and Cousins felt the Jets and Vikings had the edge but acknowledged the Broncos and Cardinals were still in the mix. McCartney told teams a fully guaranteed contract was important during this process. It’s unclear if the Cardinals offered that, but the other two proposals were for fully guaranteed deals. The agent confirmed only the Vikings, Cardinals and Jets made offers, and Minnesota’s included the pitch of possibly being in position to win multiple titles with Cousins as the missing piece. King notes Minnesota’s new stadium and new facility also surfaced during the team’s over-the-phone proposal.
AFC Contract Details: Crabtree, Williamson
Here are figures on some of the recent contracts signed around the NFL, with all links going to Twitter unless noted otherwise.
- Michael Crabtree, WR (Ravens): Three years, $21MM. $11MM guaranteed, $8MM guaranteed in 2018. $7MM signing bonus, $2.5MM performance-based incentives. $2MM roster bonus due in March 2019 (via Pelissero and NFL reporter Howard Balzer).
- Avery Williamson, LB (Jets): Three years, $22.5MM. $16MM fully guaranteed, $6MM signing bonus. Base salaries of $4MM, $6MM, $6.25MM, with the 2018, ’19 amounts being fully guaranteed. Cap charges: $6MM (2018), $8MM (’19), $8.5MM in 2020 (per Balzer and ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini).
- Matt Barkley, QB (Bengals): Two years, $3.35MM (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
- Preston Brown, LB (Bengals): One year, $4MM. $2MM signing bonus, $1MM workout bonus (via Rapoport and Balzer).
- Tyler Eifert, TE (Bengals): One year, $5.5MM (via Rapoport).
- Donte Moncrief, WR (Jaguars): One-year, $9.6MM. Fully guaranteed plus $2MM in incentives (via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).
- Caleb Sturgis, K (Chargers): Two years, $4.45MM. $1MM signing bonus (via Rapoport and Balzer).
- Johnson Bademosi, CB (Texans): Two years, $6.25MM. $3.25MM guaranteed, $1MM roster bonus. Fully guaranteed $1.25MM base salary in 2018, non-guaranteed $2.25M base in 2019, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Jarvis Jenkins, DL (Chiefs): One year, $880K. $500K guaranteed, $90K signing bonus (per Balzer).
- Travaris Cadet, RB (Bills): One year, $880K. $45K signing bonus, $790K base salary (via Wilson).
- Andrew DePaola, LS (Raiders): Four years, $4.27MM. $875K guaranteed, $580K roster bonus (per Balzer).
Marshall Newhouse To Visit Bills
Following the Bills’ Cordy Glenn trade, the team still has two starting tackles it turned to for parts of last season in regular right tackle Jordan Mills and Glenn fill-in Dion Dawkins. But the Bills are exploring additional solutions here.
Marshall Newhouse is in Buffalo on Monday for a visit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Raiders released the veteran tackle last week.
At this point, Newhouse could be a candidate to serve as Buffalo’s swing tackle. However, he’s been given ample opportunity to start despite a career that hasn’t yielded exceptional results. The Raiders became the fourth team to turn to Newhouse as a starter, and he gave Oakland 14 starts at right tackle following the exits of Austin Howard and Menelik Watson.
Newhouse, though, was the weak link on a quality Oakland line. Pro Football Focus graded him as a bottom-third tackle, which was slightly worse than how the site viewed his work on the 2016 Giants. Newhouse started 20 games for the Giants between 2015 and ’16, doing so after being a full-time Packers starter in the early part of this decade and serving as a depth piece in Cincinnati.
The 29-year-old edge blocker has started 70 games in his career, and now that Glenn is a Bengal, Newhouse has the credentials to step in as a No. 3 tackle.
Bills To Host Russell Bodine
The Bills are set to host free agent center Russell Bodine today and tomorrow, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Buffalo has a major need at center following Eric Wood‘s retirement.
Bodine, of course, is not an ideal replacement. Although he has started all 64 possible games since entering the league as a fourth-round pick of the Bengals in 2014, he has not been overly effective. In 2017, he graded as a bottom-10 center, per Pro Football Focus.
But he is young, durable, and has significant starting experience. Indeed, the Bengals previously expressed interest in retaining his services, and Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis said several months ago, “Russell’s been, physically, mentally a tough football player for us. He was installed there as a rookie and he’s done nothing but continue to grow and get better and frankly grow into a guy you can count on to help lead the football team. I feel really good about him. So hopefully we’ll be able to get that done.”
Bodine did not crack PFR’s original list of top free agent interior lineman, but now that top centers like Ryan Jensen and Weston Richburg have signed with new clubs, Bodine will start to attract more interest. Buffalo also has Ryan Groy on the roster as a potential Wood replacement.
Bills Meet With LB Will Compton
The Bills plan to host free agent linebacker Will Compton, reports John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Buffalo is seeking to replace Preston Brown, who inked a one-year deal with the Bengals earlier this week. Brown had played nearly every defensive snap for the Bills during his four-year run with the club, so general manager Brandon Beane is now dealing with a massive vacancy at the second level of his defense.
While the Bills signed former Jets linebacker Julian Stanford this week, he’s been primarily a special teams player throughout his career. Buffalo could still re-sign veteran Ramon Humber, but the team’s linebacker depth chart is currently fronted by Lorenzo Alexander, Matt Milano, and Tanner Vallejo.
Compton, for his part, was a regular for the Redskins from 2015-16, but a Lisranc injury ended his 2017 campaign in November. While he’s never earned positive marks from Pro Football Focus, the 28-year-old Compton would add experience to a Bills linebacking corps that desperately needs it. Buffalo has already added one ex-Redskins defender this week by signing Trent Murphy to a three-year pact.
Bills, Broncos, Cowboys Interested In WR Deonte Thompson
Despite being released by a team that possessed arguably the NFL’s worst wideout situation last season, Deonte Thompson is encountering a market for his services. And he’s fielded multiple offers, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
The former Bears castoff became a key target for the Bills upon signing with Buffalo in October. And the Bills have had discussions with the seventh-year wideout about re-signing him. However, they may be battling some competition. Both the Broncos and Cowboys are interested in the 29-year-old receiver, Garafolo reports.
It’s unclear if the Cowboys or Broncos have made an offer. The Broncos appear to have a bigger need of auxiliary receiving help, though.
Denver has struggled badly in this area since Wes Welker‘s departure, with no non-Demaryius Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders wideout surpassing 350 yards in any of the past three seasons. The Broncos non-tendered then-RFA Bennie Fowler, whose 350 yards were by far the most by a Denver WR3 from 2015-17, this week and saw underwhelming supplementary target Cody Latimer become a free agent.
The Cowboys have not made any Dez Bryant move and also have Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley and Ryan Switzer on their roster. Barring a Bryant decision, Dallas would seemingly have less need for Thompson than the Broncos or Bills, who saw Jordan Matthews‘ contract expire. Buffalo still has Kelvin Benjamin, Zay Jones and Andre Holmes under contract for 2018.
Thompson caught 38 passes for 555 yards with the Bears and Bills last season — by far a career high — and 430 of those air yards came after he caught on in Buffalo.
Bills Notes: McCarron, Draft, Free Agency
After trading Tyrod Taylor to the Browns before free agency opened, the Bills suddenly had a need for a starting quarterback. They filled that void with Bengals backup A.J. McCarron, who was among the last signal-callers remaining after the deals of Case Keenum, Kirk Cousins and Teddy Bridgewater.
Though McCarron is a relative unknown as a starter, the MMQB’s Albert Breer believes it was a great deal for the Bills (via Twitter). Breer notes that McCarron’s contract — $5MM base salary in 2018 with $2MM in incentives — helps save the team between $9-11MM. Not only did the team save considerable coin, it also picked up the No. 65 pick, which can be used to move up in the NFL Draft in search of the team’s quarterback of the future.
It’s hard to disagree with Breer. The team and Taylor were on the outs, and the fact that the team landed a presumably solid starter, save money and acquire draft capital in the process can only be viewed as a win.
Here’s more with the Bills:
Bills Notes post (bulleted)
- Bills general manager Brandon Beane said they are now in the range of Top 15 prospects, and “it’s not necessarily quarterback,” ESPN’s Mike Rodak tweets. Though the team could definitely stand to upgrade at multiple positions, it’s had to see the team passing on one of the top quarterbacks should they fall.
- With all the team’s assets, the general consensus is that the team will attempt to move up in the draft. That fact is not lost on Beane, who said via WKBW’s Joe Buscaglia (Twitter link): “Everybody assumes that we’re going to go higher [in the draft]… I don’t know that yet.” It’s not surprising that he doesn’t know that yet, seeing how the draft is still over a month away. But all the signs still point to some kind of move.
- One thing is for sure, the team will not be adding many more impact free agents. From Rodak (via Twitter), Beane said, “We’re very low on money. We can do some lower-level things, but nothing that’s going to hit the ticker.” If they want impact players, the Bills will more than likely have to address it in April.