HEADLINES

Buffalo Bills News & Rumors

Panthers Ship WR Kaelin Clay To Bills

September 2nd, 2017 at 3:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brandon Beane‘s Panthers ties look to have helped a trade agreement, one that will send wide receiver Kaelin Clay to the Bills. Carolina traded Clay to Buffalo on Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The Panthers will receive cornerback Kevon Seymour and a 2019 seventh-round pick in return.

Clay spent barely four months with the Panthers but arrived when Beane was still in his previous role as Carolina’s assistant GM. While Beane joined the Bills in May, Beane was part of the staff that brought in the wideout/return specialist a month earlier.

Now, Clay — a third-year player out of Utah — will trek to western New York and join Beane’s new organization. The 5-foot-10 receiver has yet to catch an NFL pass but did serve as the Ravens’ primary kick and punt returner as a rookie. He returned a punt for a touchdown in his second NFL game. A sixth-round Baltimore pick in 2015, Clay did not play last season.

Seymour was the Bills’ final pick in the 2016 draft. He appeared in 15 games last year and even made three starts.

Bills Cut 30 Players, Reach 53-Man Limit

September 2nd, 2017 at 2:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have reached the 53-man max in advance of the deadline. Here’s the full rundown of their moves, courtesy of the team.

Released:

Released with injury settlement:

Waived/Injured:

Placed on IR:

Reserve/Suspended:

Brandon Beane Discusses Marcell Dareus

August 31st, 2017 at 7:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bills sent big-money defensive tackle Marcell Dareus home before their preseason game against the Ravens last week after he violated a team rule, leaving general manager Brandon Beane unsure if the two-time Pro Bowler is part of the solution. Asked this week if Dareus is on board with what the team is trying to build, Beane told Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (via Mark Inabinett of AL.com): “I don’t know. Time will tell. It was disappointing, as I said, after that game. He was contrite yesterday and said the right things. Actions speak louder than words. Time will tell. Hopefully, he is. We hope he’ll play to his potential. We know what kind of player he can be. We hope to see that on the field.” Even if the Bills are fed up with Dareus, who has multiple suspensions on his resume, moving on from the cornerstone defender in the near future would be extremely difficult because of the structure of his contract. The Bills inked Dareus to a six-year, $91.5MM extension in September 2015.

  • The Steelers expect the NFL to fully reinstate wide receiver Martavis Bryant in advance of Week 1, GM Kevin Colbert told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette (Twitter link). The league suspended Bryant for all of last season for repeated violations of its substance abuse policy, conditionally reinstated the 25-year-old in April and gave him clearance to participate in the preseason three weeks ago. He hasn’t appeared in a meaningful game since a playoff loss to the Broncos on Jan. 17, 2016.

Can Bills Shed Marcell Dareus' Deal?

August 30th, 2017 at 8:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Mike Rodak of ESPN.com wonders when the Bills get out from defensive tackle Marcell Dareus‘ contract. Signed to a six-year extension with $60MM guaranteed by Doug Whaley’s front office, Dareus has become a major headache for Buffalo due to discipline and legal issues. New GM Brandon Beane won’t say whether he’s looking to dump Dareus, but he did indicate that he’s on a short leash.

If the Bills were to cut him this offseason, his entire $16.1MM cap number would remain on the books, plus $7.35MM of his ’18 pay. Trading him before Week 1, meanwhile, would give them cap savings of $9.75MM for this year, but would still leave them with the same $14.2MM dead money charge in 2018.

If the Bills wait until next offseason to cut Dareus, they’ll still be facing unpalatable cap charges. Their best option would be to find a trade partner willing to take on the fully guaranteed portions of his salary. Dareus is undeniably talented, but it’s hard to see a team rolling the dice on him with this price tag. The Bills might just have to keep Dareus for the coming season and hope that he performs up to par.

Bills Release Bacarri Rambo, Others

August 29th, 2017 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills are getting a head start on their roster cuts in advance of the Saturday deadline. The team announced that the following six players have been waived:

Rambo, 27, had his first stint with the Bills in 2014 and 2015, appearing in a combined 19 games with eight starts. Last year, he joined the Dolphins midway through the year and racked up 39 total tackles, one interceptions, and three passes defensed in nine games (five starts). He returned to the Bills this July, but he was not able to stick for long.

Metz, 26, spent the bulk of last year with the Qingdao Clipper of the China Arena Football League. He’ll presumably try to find another NFL gig, but he could also wind up getting a new stamp in his passport.

Buffalo’s roster now stands at 83 players, meaning that they still have to cut 30 guys by Saturday afternoon.

Adolphus Washington Found Not Guilty On Firearms Charge

August 28th, 2017 at 7:13pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Previous comments from Bills GM Brandon Beane indicated Reggie Ragland‘s standing on the updated Buffalo depth chart wasn’t to be taken as gospel, but it now appears the former Alabama stalwart was not a fit for Sean McDermott‘s 4-3 scheme, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com writes. After trading Ragland to the Chiefs, the Bills are placing their trust in Preston Brown to play the Luke Kuechly role in McDermott’s defense. The 2014 third-round pick has started all but two games during his Bills tenure and hasn’t missed a game. Entering his contract year, Brown has plenty riding on 2017. But it looks like McDermott believed Brown, who began his career as 4-3 middle linebacker before working in Rex Ryan‘s 3-4 for two years, could fill that job better than Ragland.
  • Arrested on a firearms charge in July, Bills defensive tackle Adolphus Washington was found not guilty of possessing a concealed weapon, an Ohio judge ruled Monday (via WIVB.com). A second-year player, Washington was arrested for allegedly pulling out a firearm at a water park July 9 in Sharonville, Ohio. The 2016 third-round pick started 11 games for Buffalo last season.

Bills To Sign QB Keith Wenning

August 28th, 2017 at 1:26pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills are signing quarterback Keith Wenning, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. He’ll provide the team with depth to close out the preseason as Tyrod Taylor and T.J. Yates deal with concussions.

Before Wenning was added to the roster, Nathan Peterman was the team’s only healthy quarterback. Naturally, the Bills do not want to play Peterman for the entire preseason finale, so Wenning will be able to take the snaps as well as the injury risk.

Wenning has familiarity with offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, so he should be able to jump in pretty quickly and figure out the offense. And, in the unlikely event that both Taylor and Yates are not cleared for Week 1, Wenning could have a chance at a job.

Bills Trade LB Reggie Ragland To Chiefs

August 28th, 2017 at 12:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills sure love to make trades. On Monday, the Bills shipped linebacker Reggie Ragland to the Chiefs for a 2019 fourth-round draft pick, according to an announcement from Kansas City. "<strong

Ragland, a 2016 second-round pick made by the Doug Whaley regime, was fighting for a roster spot this summer. The 23-year-old missed the entirety of his rookie campaign with an ACL injury and has yet to see live NFL action.

The Bills are not only under new leadership, but they also have an entirely different defensive scheme. Rex Ryan‘s 3-4 is gone and has been replaced with Sean McDermott‘s 4-3. Ragland, apparently, was not a fit for Buffalo’s new-look D, but he could find a home in KC’s 3-4.

The Bills traded up to take the Alabama product in 2016, giving up a second-rounder (49th overall), fourth-rounder (117th overall), and a future fourth-rounder for the 41st-overall pick. Between the 2014 and 2015 seasons, Ragland racked up 195 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and four sacks.

Assuming he cracks the 53-man roster, Ragland will serve as support for Chiefs starting inside linebackers Ramik Wilson and Derrick Johnson.

Ragland is the latest Bills player to be traded, following the path of wide receiver Sammy Watkins, cornerback Ronald Darby, and quarterback Cardale Jones. Between these swaps and their draft day deal with the Chiefs, the Bills now have an impressive stockpile of future selections, including the Chiefs’ 2018 first round pick, the Rams’ 2018 second round pick, the Eagles’ 2018 third round pick, and the Chiefs’ 2019 fourth round pick.

Reggie Ragland Fighting For Roster Spot

August 27th, 2017 at 5:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson
  • With both Tyrod Taylor and T.J. Yates in the concussion protocol, the Bills are considering signing another quarterback, head coach Sean McDermott told reporters, including Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link). At present, Buffalo only boasts one healthy quarterback in rookie Nathan Peterman, meaning it could be difficult for the club to even get through a practice session. As such, the Bills are likely looking at camp arms or developmental options, not a Colin Kaepernick-level addition.
  • McDermott also confirmed that 2016 second-round linebacker Reggie Ragland is fighting for a Bills roster spot, as Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets. Playing behind Preston Brown and Gerald Hodges, Ragland has been mentioned as a trade candidate, but it’s also possible he’s simply waived. Ragland, 23, missed the entirey of his rookie campaign with an ACL injury, and neither McDermott nor general manager Brandon Beane has any allegiance to the Alabama product given the he was drafted by Buffalo’s previous regime.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Bills OT Seantrel Henderson Accepts Pay Cut

August 27th, 2017 at 4:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bills offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson agreed to a pay cut in late June, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Scheduled to earn a non-guaranteed base salary of $1.797MM thanks to the NFL’s proven performance escalator, Henderson will now bring in just $690K, per Rodak.Seantrel Henderson

Of course, Henderson won’t earn the entirety of that $690K, as he has five games left on a 10-game substance abuse ban that was handed down in November. Henderson, who maintains that he uses marijuana to treat his Crohn’s disease, can also earn roughly $500K in per-game roster bonuses and $800K through not-likely-to-be-earned incentives, reports Rodak. All told, Henderson’s 2017 cap charge has been reduced from $1.808MM to roughly $982K.

A 16-game starter during his rookie season in 2014, Henderson appeared on only 34 offensive snaps a season ago. When he’s activated later this season, the 25-year-old Henderson could find himself buried on Buffalo’s right tackle depth chart behind rookie Dion Dawkins and veterans Jordan Mills and Michael Ola.

Load More Posts