Bills Tried To Trade Marcell Dareus This Offseason

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

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.

NFL Workout Updates: 10/19/17

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

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Redskins

NFL Workout Updates: 10/17/17

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

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions 

Houston Texans

  • QB Taylor Heinicke (link via Caplan)

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Redskins

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/17/17

Today’s practice squad updates:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Washington Redskins

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/17/17

Today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

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