Bills, C Patrick Lewis Agree To Extension
The Bills have given reserve center Patrick Lewis a one-year extension, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The backup gets a $200K signing bonus before earning $800K in 2016 and $1.2MM in 2017. 
[RELATED: Bills’ Seantrel Henderson Suspended]
Lewis was waived by the Seahawks late last month after they cut down to 75 and the Bills quickly scooped him up. Seattle reportedly attempted to trade Lewis before cutting him loose, but they could not find a suitable deal. Buffalo was all the way down at No. 19 in waiver priority, but they managed to land the 25-year-old lineman.
Lewis started 13 games for the Seahawks over the past two seasons but he was pushed out of a job when Justin Britt was moved to the center position. Now, he’ll serve as the backup for starting center Eric Wood in Buffalo. Speaking of Wood, he agreed to restructure his deal with the Bills today, freeing up roughly $2.5MM in cap room for the Bills.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills Restructure Eric Wood’s Contract
The Bills have restructured the contract of center Eric Wood, a source tells ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Woods agreed to convert $3.775MM of his $4.775MM base salary to a signing bonus, and tacked on a voidable year in 2018 to his deal. That shuffling created ~$2.5MM in 2016 cap room for Buffalo. 
[RELATED: Bills’ Seantrel Henderson Suspended]
Last year, Wood hit an escalator in his contract that increased his cap number by $650K. By restructuring his deal, Buffalo has successfully negated that increase and then some.
Last year, Wood appeared in all 16 regular season games for the Bills on his way to his first career Pro Bowl selection. A first round pick in 2009, Wood has started in every game he’s played for Buffalo. This year, he’ll anchor the O-Line alongside fellow starters Cordy Glenn, Richie Incognito, John Miller, and Jordan Mills.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/7/16
Here are Wednesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Gerald Christian, DT Deandre Coleman
- Cut: S Damian Parms (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OT Laurence Gibson (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB P.J. Dawson (Twitter link via Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DE Chris McCain (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPN.com)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: TE Devon Cajuste (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky) www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0565217041112373473-4
- Cut: LB Beniquez Brown
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Quentin Gause
- Cut: DE Rufus Johnson (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss)
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Ashaad Mabry (link via Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune)
Bills’ Seantrel Henderson Suspended
As if the Bills didn’t have enough suspensions. Offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson has been hit with a four-game ban, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Bills have confirmed the news via press release. Henderson’s pending substance-abuse suspension is related to a treatment he received for his Crohn’s disease and he is therefore appealing, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Bills Sign Brandon Tate]
Henderson started all 16 games in his rookie season in Buffalo, and had started 10 games for the team in 2015 before he was sidelined with Crohn’s. In May, head coach Rex Ryan and some of Henderson’s teammates indicated that they had not heard from him in some time. There were also rumblings that Henderson’s heart wasn’t in playing football and some teammates indicated that he had a problem with marijuana. The Bills were able to draft Henderson in the seventh round of the 2014 draft in part because of his multiple failed drug tests at the University of Miami. He also reportedly tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combine.
This is the Bills’ third substance-abuse policy suspension this year, which could result in the NFL fining the club under remittance policy, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter). Earlier this year, the Bills also saw defensive tackle Marcell Dareus and linebacker Manny Lawson hit with suspensions from the league office. Lawson has since been released.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/6/16
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: QB Aaron Murray, QB Zac Dysert (team announcement)
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Nick Williams (Twitter link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution), DL Joe Vellano (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com)
- Cut: DT Joey Mbu (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: QB David Fales (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com), G Jarell Broxton (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun)
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Carlos Fields, DB Damian Parms (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Jeremiah George, T Keavon Milton (Twitter link via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News)
- Cut: DE Ryan Russell, LB Deon King
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Brandon Dunn, OL Joseph Cheek (link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: ILB Ramik Wilson, G Jordan Devey, CB Julian Wilson, CB Terrance Mitchell (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star)
- Cut: LB Tyrell Adams, C Daniel Munyer, S Shak Randolph, S Brock Vereen (link via Paylor)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Carter Bykowski (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press)
- Cut: CB Tre Roberson
New England Patriots
- Signed: DB Mike Hilton (Twitter link via Doug Kyed of NESN), S Vinnie Sunseri (Twitter link via Kyed)
New York Jets
- Signed: RB/KR Raheem Mostert (Twitter link via agent Brett Tessler), CB Dexter McDougle, S Ronald Martin, and RB Dominique Williams (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY)
New Orleans Saints
- Cut: LB Tony Steward (Twitter link via Herbie Teope of NOLA.com)
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OL Takoby Cofield
Tennessee Titans:
- Signed: WR Tre McBride (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com)
- Cut: WR Ben Roberts
Bills Sign Brandon Tate
Brandon Tate has found a new NFL home. The Bills announced moments ago that they have signed the former Bengals kick returner. The Bills had a spot open on the 53-man roster, so they will not have to release anyone to clear a place for the veteran.
Tate, 28, was on Cincinnati’s roster since the 2011 season, but most of his contributions came on special teams rather than on offense. He’s returned more than 350 kicks and punts during his time with the Bengals, averaging 9.6 yards per return on kickoffs and 24.6 yards on punts. Highly-respected by the Cincinnati coaching staff and front office, Tate was released in advance of the 75-man deadline so that he might be able to latch on with another club.
Tate caught 17 passes for 193 yards in 2014, but recorded only two receptions in 2015. He may see some time on offense, but you shouldn’t expect to see him featured often as a wide receiver in Buffalo.
The kick return specialist worked out for the Broncos late last week but left Denver without a deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/5/16
Here are Monday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: WR Nick Williams (via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)
Buffalo Bills
- Cut: FB Dan Vitale (via the team’s website)
Chicago Bears
- Signed: C Cornelius Edison, DB Demontre Hurst (Twitter link via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune)
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Trey Caldwell, P Michael Palardy, RB Terrell Watson (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com)
- Cut: OL Kaleb Johnson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DB Julian Wilson (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun)
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DB Isaiah Johnson, WR Paul McRoberts, TE Bryce Williams (via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com)
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DB Taveze Calhoun, WR Jordan Williams, K Will Lutz (Twitter links via Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate; Instagram link via Lutz)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB C.J. Smith, WR Paul Turner (Twitter link via Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com)
- Cut: Quentin Gause
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Justin Hamilton (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
Bills Tried Out Rory "Busta" Anderson
- The Bills tried out tight end Rory “Busta” Anderson, a source told Yates. Anderson was a seventh-round pick of the 49ers last year. He didn’t see any game action as a rookie.
Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC East
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, and Jets are noted below.
Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s AFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day (all links go to Twitter unless noted otherwise):
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed:
- FB Dan Vitale (Link via PFT)
- Waived:
- LB Jamari Lattimore (story)
- Signed to practice squad:
- C Gabe Ikard (Post via NFL.com)
- K Jordan Gay
- WR Dezmin Lewis
- CB Doran Grant (link via Joe Buscaglia)
- WR Matt Hazel (link via Joe Buscaglia)
- LB Max Valles (link via Joe Buscaglia)
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed:
- WR Justin Hunter (story)
- Waived:
- WR Griff Whalen (link via Armando Salguero)
- Signed to practice squad:
- OT Ulrick John (Link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
- WR Rashawn Scott (link via Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel)
- S A.J. Hendy (link via Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel)
- LB James Burgess (story)
- G Jamil Douglas (story)
- TE Thomas Duarte (story)
- DE Cleyon Laing (story)
- CB Lafayette Pitts (story)
- DE Jordan Williams (story)
- OLB Brandon Watts (Link via Wilson)
New England Patriots
- Signed to practice squad:
- RB Bishop Sankey (story)
- DE Rufus Johnson (link via Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald)
- Ol Chris Barker (Link via Doug Kyed)
- WR Devin Street (Link via Mike Reiss)
- DE Geneo Grissom (Link via Reiss)
- WR Devin Lucien (Link via Reiss)
- DT Woodrow Hamilton (Link via Reiss)
- OL Clay DeBord (Link via Kyed)
New York Jets
- Claimed:
- TE Braedon Bowman (Link via PFT)
- TE Brian Parker
- RB Troymaine Pope
- DB Darryl Roberts
- Waived:
- CB Dexter McDougle
- S Ronald Martin
- RB Dominique Williams
- RB Khiry Robinson (waived/injured)
- Signed to practice squad:
- LB Freddie Bishop (link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY)
- OL Mike Liedtke (link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY)
- S Doug Middleton (link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY)
- DE Claude Pelon (link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY)
- WR Chandler Worthy (link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY)
- CB Bryson Keeton (link via Darryl Slater)
- WR Myles White (link via Darryl Slater)
- C Craig Watts
Bills Release LB Jamari Lattimore
The Bills have released linebacker Jamari Lattimore, as Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets. The move makes room for the addition of fullback Dan Vitale, who was claimed off waivers from the Bucs today.
Lattimore was slated to compete for a spot on special teams, but he ultimately did not make the cut. For his career, Lattimore has appeared in 64 career games (nine starts) and has 68 tackles, two sacks, and one interception to his credit.
For a full rundown of moves made by the Bills and other teams in the AFC East, check out our running tracker.