Reggie Bush Likely To Play Returner Role
New Bills signee Reggie Bush isn’t committing to playing beyond 2016, as Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) reported — prior to Bush agreeing to terms — that the veteran running back wanted to play at least one more season to “round out” his career. Bush, 31, waited to find a new club because he wanted to make sure his ACL injury, suffered when he slipped on the concrete at the Edward Jones Dome last year, was fully healed, per Cole. And while Buffalo has seen its running back depth chart depleted by off-the-field drama, Bush figures to act mainly as a returner, although he could see some work in package plays alongside LeSean McCoy, tweets Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News.
Bills Cut Morgan, Allen; Sign Colter
- The Bills released kicker Marshall Morgan and wide receiver Davonte Allen, as Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News tweets. The team also added wide receiver Kain Colter.
Latest On Reggie Bush, Bills
While one report last week indicated the Reggie Bush could be waiting for a club’s backfield to suffer an injury before determining where to sign, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that if Bush decides to continue his career, it will be with the Bills. Bush has been engaged in ongoing negotiations with Buffalo, and his decision on whether to ink a deal could come this week, per Cole.
[RELATED: The Beat — Q&A with Bills beat writer Vic Carucci]
The Bills are said to be “working out the deal points” of a contact with Bush, while other reports have stated that the two sides have significant obstacles to overcome in order to reach a deal. If signed, Bush would add depth to a backfield that has seen each of its top options — LeSean McCoy, Karlos Williams, and Jonathan Williams — involved in varying levels of off-the-field drama over the past several months. Karlos Williams is already facing a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, while Jonathan Williams could be looking at his own ban after being arrested for DUI.
Bush announced in February that he was intent on playing in 2016, though it was unclear at the time whether that feeling was being reciprocated back from any of the league’s 32 teams. Recently, the veteran indicated that there was at least a pair of clubs that would be interested in having him aboard. Thanks to the Bills’ unfortunate series of events in recent weeks, it seems that Buffalo is his most fervent suitor.
The Lions cut Bush prior to the 2015 season to save money after he missed much of the previous campaign with ankle injuries. Bush went on to sign with the 49ers, but he played just five games before tearing his left ACL on the concrete at the Edwards Jones Dome in St. Louis.Bush later sued the St. Louis Regional Convention and Stadium Authority over his injury, which capped his season’s statline at a grand total of 28 yards. Now, Bush says he has recovered from his ACL tear and is ready for action.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills Will Not Shy Away From Players With Troubled Pasts
- The Bills have made a habit of acquiring players with troubled pasts in recent years (see, e.g., Kiko Alonso, Richie Incognito, etc.), and some of those decisions have worked out better than others. But as John Kryk of The Toronto Sun writes, Buffalo GM Doug Whaley is not changing his philosophy in that regard anytime soon, despite the recent troubles of running backs Karlos Williams and Jonathan Williams. Said Whaley, “We always have the same philosophy of taking every player on a case-by-case basis. Granted, we’re disappointed (in the Williamses). But I think what we have here with the support system, with the locker room, the coaching staff, our player-engagement staff, once we get them here I think we do a good job.”
Bills Sign Casey Walker, Cut Cedric Reed
- The Bills have swapped out defensive tackles, signing Casey Walker while releasing Cedric Reed, the team announced. Walker, 26, has eight career games under his belt, having seen action with the Ravens, Patriots, and most recently, the Cowboys.
Bills "Standing Pat" At QB
- The Bills are “standing pat” with their quarterbacks, GM Doug Whaley said Friday (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News). Buffalo was reportedly in the hunt for free agent Nick Foles after the Rams released him Thursday, though Carucci quickly shot that down. Behind starter Tyrod Taylor, who’s a candidate for a contract extension, the Bills have EJ Manuel and rookie fourth-rounder Cardale Jones as options. Manuel’s career strongly resembles Smith’s: Both were high picks in 2013 (Manuel went in Round 1) and have since failed to established themselves as starting-caliber NFL QBs. Manuel, like Smith, is in a contract year and could be in his last season with the club that drafted him. The ex-Florida State Seminole appeared in seven games (two starts) in 2015 and went 52 of 84 with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
- Speaking of Carucci, the insider shared his thoughts on several Bills topics with PFR’s Zach Links on Friday.
The Beat: Vic Carucci On The Bills
With the season fast approaching, we’re chatting with beat writers from around the league to gain insight on each team’s offseason and how those moves will impact the season ahead.
Now, we continue the series by discussing the Bills with Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. You can follow Vic on Twitter @viccarucci and check out his stories here.
Zach Links: As you reported this week, the Bills and Tyrod Taylor‘s agent have been in frequent contact with regards to a long-term deal. Taylor is a unique case because while he had a strong 2015, he doesn’t have a long track record of success. What sort of deal do you think would make sense for both sides?
Vic Carucci: I could see something that provides Taylor with enough guaranteed money to satisfy him (and, remember, you’re talking about a player who played under sixth-round contract for most of his career as a backup in Baltimore) but also includes enough reasonable incentives to give him a good chance to move into the pay range he desires ($18MM or so) while also protecting the Bills. The biggest concern, for both parties, is the injury risk from Taylor’s inclination to run, so I think that will be a factor as well in how the contract is structured.
Zach Links: To date, the Bills have not been willing to offer Stephon Gilmore the kind of monster long-term deal that he is after. However, a Gilmore extension would probably give Buffalo enough room to extend Taylor. Do you see the Bills and Gilmore working out an extension sometime soon?
Vic Carucci: I don’t. I think he’s locked into the idea of getting a Josh Norman-like deal, and the Bills aren’t going to give him that. The Bills are compensating him fairly for this season, anticipating the scenario of him potentially playing into the final year of his rookie contract. They will see where they stand cap-wise at midseason, and perhaps they could resume what to date have been stalled talks. As far as the impact on Taylor, I think the Bills view it as a separate situation and, depending on how/if it works out with Taylor, there would likely be other contracts adjusted/restructured to accommodate whatever its resolved with the QB, if it’s resolved.
Zach Links: Do you think the Bills made the right pick when they selected Shaq Lawson No. 19 overall? Does his shoulder issue concern you at all in the long run? 
[RELATED – Impact Rookies: Buffalo Bills]
Vic Carucci: I liked the pick. The health risk was always on the table, and by having the surgery done in the offseason, it at least creates the possibility of having Lawson available for half the season. Although his absence could adversely impact the hopes of Rex Ryan of an immediately dramatic turnaround for his defense, I think you need to take a longer-term view with Lawson. When healthy, he should be a difference-making pass-rusher for many seasons.
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Three Teams In Lead For Nick Foles?
7:14pm: There are approximately 10 teams, including the Vikings, doing their due diligence on Foles, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Foles is “laying low” and could take a few days to make a decision, per Wolfson, who adds that a deal isn’t close.
1:47pm: Foles is eyeing a one or two-year deal, according to Cole (video link).
10:10am: Despite reports to the contrary, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter) hears that the Bills aren’t among the teams interested in signing Foles.
7:53am: Nick Foles became a free agent on Wednesday and his market emerged pretty quickly. Foles is likely to sign with the Vikings, Bills, or Cowboys, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) hears. Cole adds that the Jets also expressed interest in Foles, though it’s not immediately clear if there is still room for the veteran after Ryan Fitzpatrick re-signed with the club on Wednesday night. 
The Vikings currently have veteran Shaun Hill and rising sophomore Taylor Heinicke behind starter Teddy Bridgewater. Hill, 36, offers plenty of experience, but Minnesota may prefer Foles as their veteran backup. Alternatively, they could add Foles and likely sneak Heinicke, a UDFA out of Old Dominion, on to the practice squad.
The Bills drafted Cardale Jones this year as a backup for starter Tyrod Taylor and although E.J. Manuel has been bumped from the No. 1 role, the team has been high on him as an understudy.
“I’m not done with EJ Manuel, either (as a backup to Taylor),” coach Rex Ryan said in February. “I think EJ’s got the talent, the size and all that stuff. Sometimes, guys just take a little bit longer to develop, so we’ll see how that goes.”
The Cowboys surprised some observers this offseason when they did not address add a veteran backup quarterback, opting instead to stick with Kellen Moore, draft Dak Prescott out of Mississippi State, and add 2015 UDFA Jameill Showers. Last year, Dallas rolled out Moore, Matt Cassel, and Brandon Weeden while Tony Romo was sidelined and they had a 1-11 record to show for it. Of the four teams mentioned by Cole, the Cowboys arguably make the most sense for Foles.
The Broncos, meanwhile, have no interest in adding Foles, coach Gary Kubiak said in a radio interview (Twitter link via James Palmer of NFL.com).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills Rumors: Taylor, Gilmore, Bush
The Bills and quarterback Tyrod Taylor‘s agent, Adisa Bakari, are talking “relatively frequently” about a long-term contract and could reach an agreement before the season, perhaps within the next month, reports Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. It’s a “unique negotiation,” a source told Carucci, because Taylor doesn’t have a long track record of success.
Previously a backup with the Ravens, who chose him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft, Taylor joined the Bills last offseason on a cheap contract. He then proceeded to beat out EJ Manuel and Matt Cassel for the No. 1 job over the summer and post strong numbers as a passer and rusher in 14 regular-season games. Taylor (27 next week) ended up top seven among NFL QBs in yards per attempt (7.99) and passer rating (99.4) in 2015. He also completed 63.7 of his throws and accounted for 24 touchdowns (20 passing, four rushing) against a meager six interceptions. Further, Taylor paced all signal-callers in yards per carry (5.5) and trailed only MVP Cam Newton in rushing yards (568). Taylor could now be seeking Brock Osweiler-type money ($18MM per year), writes Carucci, which would be an enormous raise over the $3.1MM he’s scheduled to collect this season.
Elsewhere on the roster, Buffalo and contract-year cornerback Stephon Gilmore continue to make no progress toward an extension, according to Carucci. Gilmore, who’s due $11.082MM in his fifth-year option season, reportedly wanted a deal in the neighborhood of the Redskins’ Josh Norman (five years, $75MM) as of earlier this month. Norman is currently among the league’s top two corners in average annual value ($15MM, first), total guarantees ($50MM, first) and guaranteed money at signing ($36.5MM, second).
With the salary cap consistently on the rise, Gilmore has a case to approach Norman’s deal – especially given that he’s three years younger. And while the ex-South Carolina standout has missed 11 games since 2013, he has nonetheless been a stalwart for Buffalo. The 10th overall selection in his draft class, Gilmore has logged 53 appearances, 51 starts and nine interceptions since entering the NFL. Three of those INTs came last season in 12 games for Gilmore, whom Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked a tremendous ninth among 111 qualifying corners (Norman finished 11th).
If the Bills and Gilmore aren’t able to reach an agreement between now and next March, the franchise tag could be in play, notes Carucci, who doesn’t rule out an in-season extension. The tag would likely cost the Bills upward of $14MM to apply.
Taylor, Gilmore and the rest of the Bills could soon have a new teammate in running back Reggie Bush, whom the club has been in talks with as it seeks a replacement for suspended reserve Karlos Williams. While that dialogue has continued, Bush is mulling whether to jump on Buffalo’s offer or wait for another team’s backfield depth to take a hit this summer, per Carucci. Thanks to Williams’ four-game absence, not securing Bush would leave the Bills with 2015 success story Mike Gillislee and Dan Herron as their primary options behind star LeSean McCoy.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills, Reggie Bush Nearing Deal?
5:32pm: No deal is imminent between Bush and the Bills, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who adds that the two sides still have several “obstacles” blocking an agreement.
1:41pm: The Bills and Reggie Bush are “working out the deal points” of a contract, according to an NFL source who spoke with Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Bills’ Stephon Gilmore To Report To Training Camp]
As it stands, the Bills still have starter LeSean McCoy, 2015 breakout Mike Gillislee, and Dan Herron in the fold for the first month of the season. They may be without the services of rookie running back Jonathan Williams, however, after he was arrested for DUI earlier this month. McCoy appeared to be facing a suspension of his own, but last week the NFL decided against punishing Shady for his role in a February nightclub brawl.
Bush announced in February that he was intent on playing in 2016, though it was unclear at the time whether that feeling was being reciprocated back from any of the league’s 32 teams. Recently, the veteran indicated that there was at least a pair of clubs that would be interested in having him aboard. Thanks to the Bills’ unfortunate series of events in recent weeks, it seems that Buffalo is his most fervent suitor.
The Lions cut Bush prior to the 2015 season to save money after he missed much of the previous campaign with ankle injuries. Bush went on to sign with the 49ers, but he played just five games before tearing his left ACL on the concrete at the Edwards Jones Dome in St. Louis. Bush later sued the St. Louis Regional Convention and Stadium Authority over his injury, which capped his season’s statline at a grand total of 28 yards. Now, Bush says he has recovered from his ACL tear and is ready for action.
Earlier today, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) reported that Bush was still actively engaged in talks with Buffalo, though one other team was also said to be interested in him.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.