Buffalo Bills Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles Were Runners Up For Jeremy Maclin

June 12th, 2017 at 3:31pm CST by Zachary Links

On Monday morning, it was reported that Jeremy Maclin was deciding between signing with the Ravens or the Bills. As it turns out, the decision actually came down to the Ravens and the Eagles, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

This news comes as a surprise since Maclin’s only two known visits were with Buffalo and Baltimore. Furthermore, Eagles coach Doug Pederson said last week that the team did not have interest in the wide receiver “at [the] time.” Apparently, Pederson was playing coy with the media and Maclin felt familiar enough with the Eagles that he did not require a visit to Philadelphia.

The Bills went hard after Maclin, but apparently they did not crack his top two. Running back LeSean McCoy started the recruitment effort early by reaching out to his former Eagles teammate and Maclin’s visit stretched into a second day, but Buffalo was still not to his liking. One has to wonder where the Bills will go from here since their wide receiver group continues to look shallow. The Bills could use at least one receiver with a pedigree like Maclin’s to provide support behind oft-injured star Sammy Watkins. Robert Woods, who was a solid WR2 for the Bills, left the team in free agency this spring.

Jeremy Maclin To Choose Team Today

June 12th, 2017 at 8:28am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills and Ravens are expecting to hear from Jeremy Maclin today on his big free agent decision, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Maclin visited both teams last week and reportedly enjoyed his time in both cities.

Soon after the Chiefs released the wide receiver, running back LeSean McCoy started playing recruiter for the Bills. The Ravens also quickly scheduled a free agent visit with Maclin. The Eagles and Browns were said to have some degree of interest, but for one reason or another, the 29-year-old only met with Buffalo and Baltimore.

Maclin would make a great deal of sense for both teams. The Bills can’t rely on star Sammy Watkins to stay healthy and the cast of receivers following him leaves much to be desired. The Ravens could also use reinforcements for Mike Wallace and Breshad Perriman since they did not address the position in the draft.

The Ravens may have a leg up on Maclin thanks to the Marty Mornhinweg connection. Mornhinweg, the Ravens’ offensive coordinator, coached Maclin from 2009 through 2012 in Philadelphia. On the other hand, PFR readers seem to think that the Bills are in the catbird seat. In a recent poll, the Bills were voted as Maclin’s most likely destination with 34% of the vote. The Ravens, at 26%, came in second.

Once Maclin decides on his team, that should start the ball rolling for Eric Decker, Rapoport tweets. The Jets will either trade or release the 30-year-old and there have been some discussions with the Ravens.

Carucci: Bills A Threat For Jeremy Maclin, But With Financial Caveats

June 10th, 2017 at 2:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jeremy Maclin participated in a two-day visit with the Bills earlier this week, and Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News believes the recently released wideout will end up in Buffalo if he’s willing to accept a short-term, incentive-laden deal. It’s unknown if Maclin, who was a No. 1 wideout for two years with the Chiefs, would be willing to do that. The 29-year-old pass-catcher has drawn interest from at least two teams, with the Ravens hosting him on a visit this week as well, and would profile as a fit on others too. The Bills have $12.6MM in cap space. Carucci notes the Bills don’t figure to be willing to pay Maclin big money given his injury history, and that the receiver profiles as a one- or two-year solution.

Jonathan Williams Found Not Guilty Of DUI

June 8th, 2017 at 6:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Bills running back Jonathan Williams was arrested in Arkansas last July on a DUI charge, but the 23-year-old was found not guilty on Thursday, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Assuming Williams dodges a suspension from the league, he’ll be in line to open the season as the Bills’ backup to LeSean McCoy. Mike Gillislee thrived in that role last season, but Buffalo lost him to the AFC East rival Patriots as a restricted free agent.

Jeremy Maclin Leaves Ravens Visit

June 8th, 2017 at 4:25pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin left his Ravens visit on Thursday without a deal, head coach John Harbaugh told Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun and other reporters. The Ravens remain hopeful that they’ll reel in the former Eagle and Chief, but it doesn’t appear Maclin is on track to sign anywhere imminently.

“He was in here all morning into early afternoon, getting to know us, us getting to know him. He’s going to go back,” Harbaugh said. “We didn’t press him to stay. Talking to his wife is really important. He’s got a wedding this weekend, so he wants a little more time to make up his decision.”

Since the Chiefs released Maclin last weekend, he has had two-day meetings with both the Bills and Ravens. The Eagles and Browns have also drawn connections to Maclin, but the former isn’t pursuing him and the latter hasn’t booked a visit with the 29-year-old. Buffalo and Baltimore, on the other hand, clearly want Maclin. One of Maclin’s former Eagles teammates, Bills running back LeSean McCoy, has tried to sell him on Buffalo. Retired receiver Steve Smith Sr. has acted as a recruiter for the Ravens, meanwhile, and Maclin watched Game 3 of the NBA Finals with some of his potential Baltimore teammates on Wednesday.

Of course, money will likely play a significant role in where Maclin signs. It’s unclear whether either the Bills or Ravens have made offers, but it’s worth pointing out their cap situations. Buffalo has just over $12.41MM in available room, beating out Baltimore’s $5.62MM.

Bills WR Walter Powell Hit With Suspension

June 8th, 2017 at 3:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Bills wide receiver/kick returner Walter Powell suspended for the first four games of the season, according to a team announcement. Powell has violated the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances.

Powell, 25, first entered the league as a sixth round pick of the Cardinals in 2014. Since then, he has bounced around the league quite a bit including stints with the Jets, Raiders, and Bills (twice). Powell was hoping to bounce back in 2017 after last year’s campaign was cut short by a November ankle injury.

The Bills are looking a bit thin at wide receiver, particularly when considering how injury prone top receiver Sammy Watkins is, but Powell still didn’t figure to be a major contributor this season. Although Powell had a chance at making the 53-man roster due to his return acumen, it’s not likely that he’ll make the final cut now. The Bills have several other receivers under contract, including free agent additions Corey Brown, Andre Holmes, Rod Streater, and Jeremy Butler.

Bills Still In Mix For Jeremy Maclin

June 8th, 2017 at 12:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Jeremy Maclin left his Bills visit without a contract, but that doesn’t mean Buffalo is out of the running, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Garafolo hears that Maclin enjoyed his visit in Buffalo, but he still wanted to pay a visit to the Ravens.

Earlier today, Eagles coach Doug Pederson said that the Eagles are not interested in signing Maclin at this time. Even if that’s the case, one has to imagine that other teams could get in on the former Pro Bowler, giving the Bills some additional competition.

Jeremy Maclin Heads To Ravens Visit

June 7th, 2017 at 1:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Jeremy Maclin‘s visit to the Bills wound up spanning two days, but it won’t keep him from meeting with the Ravens. The free agent is leaving Buffalo and heading to Baltimore, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

Maclin could still sign with the Bills, as far as we know, but he does not have a deal with them at this time. That leaves the door open for the Ravens to swoop in and potentially land him this week. The Eagles and Browns are also among the clubs said to have interest in the 29-year-old.

The Ravens have Mike Wallace, Breshad Perriman, Chris Moore, and Michael Campanaro as their top receivers following the retirement of Steve Smith. Because Baltimore did not address the position in the draft, a veteran addition like Maclin would make tons of sense for the team and the need to add a weapon for Joe Flacco has only been amplified by Dennis Pitta‘s injury/release.

If the Ravens cannot get a deal done with Maclin, they could explore a potential deal for Jets receiver Eric Decker. The Jets have already called the Ravens about a swap.

Jeremy Maclin’s Bills Visit Enters Day Two

June 7th, 2017 at 8:34am CST by Zachary Links

It’s not a done deal yet, but this might be a good sign for Jeremy Maclin and the Bills. The wide receiver’s Tuesday visit has extended into a second day, as Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News tweets.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Maclin would meet with the Bills on Tuesday before possibly heading to the Ravens on Wednesday. Right now, it’s not clear whether a Baltimore trip is still on Maclin’s docket for today. If Maclin was initially scheduled to leave Buffalo on Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning, then this could be a sign that things are progressing between the two sides. Ultimately, the Ravens, Eagles, Browns, and other interested teams might not get their opportunity to meet with the receiver.

In 2015, Maclin had 87 catches for more than 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns for the Chiefs. Even though he is not far removed from that performance, KC cut him in order to avoid paying his $9.75MM base salary for 2017. Last season, Maclin had 44 catches for 536 yards and two scores in 12 games.

Bills Add One WR, Waive Another

June 6th, 2017 at 5:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bills have added wide receiver Rashad Ross and cut fellow wideout Kolby Listenbee with a waived/non-football injury designation. Buffalo is already the seventh team for Ross, who went undrafted out of Arizona State in 2013. A veteran of 22 regular-season games, Ross has never caught a pass, though he has returned 34 kicks and run one back for a touchdown. Listenbee went to the Bills last year as a sixth-round pick, but the ex-TCU target didn’t participate in any of their games.

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