Bills, Reggie Bush Still Talking
- The Bills and Reggie Bush are still talking, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. A little over a week ago, it was reported that Buffalo made an offer to the former No. 2 overall pick. Florio hears that the Bills view Bush as a running back with a similar style to starter LeSean McCoy and they also believe that he can help the team as a punt returner.
- Several Bills veterans find themselves on the roster bubble, including fullback Jerome Felton, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News writes. The Bills would save only $350K by cutting Felton, but they would also get him off the books for 2017 if they release him. Felton’s first year in Buffalo was a bust and the team could instead turn to UDFA Glenn Gronkowski at the fullback position, as shown on Roster Resource.
Bills’ Stephon Gilmore To Report To Training Camp
Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore wants a new contract, but he’s not about to miss important practice sessions with his team to build leverage. Gilmore tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he’ll report to Pittsford, New York later this week. 
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“I‘m planning to go out to training camp. I know what I am. It’ll happen eventually,” Gilmore said.
Gilmore is slated to earn $11.082MM for 2016, per the terms of his exercised fifth-year option. The two sides have been discussing an extension this offseason but the 25-year-old (26 in September) elected to table talks earlier this month as talks stalled. Still, it was widely expected Gilmore would report to training camp as he would be docked $40K for each day missed.
Gilmore wants a deal that would put him in the neighborhood of Josh Norman‘s five-year, $75MM contract with the Redskins. The Bills, so far, have been reluctant to approach those numbers. It’s not surprising that Gilmore is looking for that kind of money, particularly after placing ninth among 111 qualifying corners last season, per the advanced numbers at Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Norman, meanwhile, finished 11th.
Without a long-term deal, Gilmore stands to be among the top corners available in free agency in 2017, along with Trumaine Johnson and hybrid defender Tyrann Mathieu. The Bills may not want to take that plunge today, but a Gilmore extension could free up enough cash to ink quarterback Tyrod Taylor to a new deal.
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LeSean McCoy Addresses Perception
LeSean McCoy will be going into his second Bills season now in the clear of a potential suspension as a result of his alleged actions in a nightclub brawl with off-duty police officers this February in Philadelphia. The eighth-year running back is now well aware of how he’s viewed publicly after the incident but is brushing it off.
The 28-year-old running back did not face criminal charges for his alleged role in the brawl. He’s under contract with the Bills for four more seasons.
Bills Player Pushes For Fred Jackson Return
- Given their issues in the backfield, could the Bills welcome Fred Jackson back to Buffalo? Starting safety Aaron Williams took to Twitter on Thursday to voice his support for such a move, as Joe Buscaglia of WKBW writes. A report in February indicated that the 35-year-old hopes to continue playing in 2016. Jackson spent the 2015 season with the Seahawks and appeared in all 16 regular season games. In total, he had 26 carries for 100 yards and 32 receptions for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jackson was used sparingly in Seattle, resulting in the lowest output of his nine-year career. We haven’t heard much in the way of NFL interest for Jackson this offseason.
Bills’ Gilmore To Play Out Final Contract Year
Talks have not progressed between the Bills and cornerback Stephon Gilmore and he is now set to play out the last year of his contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Gilmore will now earn $11.082MM for 2016, per the terms of his exercised fifth-year option. 
Gilmore would reportedly like a contract similar to the five-year, $75MM pact Josh Norman inked with the Redskins in April but the Bills aren’t ready to approach that type of compensation for their 2012 first-round pick. Norman is currently among the league’s top cornerbacks in average annual value ($15MM, first), total guarantees ($50MM, first) and guaranteed money at signing ($36.5MM, second), but with the cap rising and prices for corners increasing, those rankings might not last long.
Whether it’s from the Bills or someone else, 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 Gilmore were to hold out from camp, he would lose $40K per day. Needless to say, a holdout is not likely for Gilmore or any other player unhappy with his contract situation.
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Bills Notes: Watkins On Ryan; Striker
This season is only Rex Ryan‘s second with the Bills, but it might already be a make-or-break year for the head coach. With the Bills’ disappointing defense having been the primary cause of the team’s 8-8 finish in 2015, another year without a playoff berth could push Ryan out of Buffalo. But count receiver Sammy Watkins as one notable Bill who, regardless of what happens this year, wants Ryan back in 2017. “Honestly, I love Rex,” Watkins said Tuesday (via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). “It will be sad if somebody just got fired off of losses. And I know it’s a business, but that’s how things work.”
A full campaign from Watkins, who caught 60 passes for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games last season, could help the Bills end their NFL-worst 16-year playoff drought and keep Ryan under their employ. Watkins suffered a minor foot fracture during the spring, though the third-year man should be ready for the start of training camp at the end of the month.
- Of the Bills’ seven undrafted free agents, former Oklahoma linebacker Eric Striker has the best chance to earn a roster spot this summer, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW explains. After Preston Brown, Reggie Ragland and possibly Zach Brown, the Bills don’t have any inside linebackers who are strong bets to make their roster. That could open the door for Striker, who totaled 45 tackles for loss and 22.5 sacks with the Sooners from 2013-15.
Cardale Jones Likely To Be Inactive On Gamedays
- Although the Bills used a fourth-round pick on him, rookie quarterback Cardale Jones won’t have much of an impact during the 2016 campaign, writes Joe Buscaglia of WKBW. Jones didn’t look NFL-ready during minicamps, so any hopes of him usurping backup EJ Manuel are no more, and given that Buffalo doesn’t need to keep three quarterbacks active on gameday, Jones figures to spend much of rookie year holding a clipboard.
Bills Make Offer To Reggie Bush
6:39pm: Buffalo has indeed made an offer to Bush, per Rapoport (link via Kevin Patra of NFL.com).
9:38am: The Bills are targeting free agent running back Reggie Bush, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Bills are interested in signing Bush for depth at running back following the four-game suspension of Karlos Williams. 
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While Bush has been eagerly awaiting his next NFL opportunity, Rapoport hears that he is weighing his options and is in no rush to sign.
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 on Thursday morning. 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.
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Bills Could Pursue Reggie Bush
- Thanks to Karlos Williams‘ four-game suspension, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter) looks for the Bills to pursue free agent running back Reggie Bush. With Williams set to miss a quarter of the season and fellow backup Jonathan Williams dealing with his own off-field issues, the Bills suddenly don’t look nearly as deep in the backfield, though they’re still positioned well with LeSean McCoy, 2015 breakout Mike Gillislee and Dan Herron in the fold. Bush, meanwhile, hasn’t yet found work since tearing his ACL as a member of the 49ers last November.
Bills’ Karlos Williams Suspended
The Bills announced that running back Karlos Williams has been suspended for four games due to a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. Like another AFC East notable, Williams will be sidelined for the first month of the season. After that, he can return to action for the Bills’ October 9th tilt against the Rams. 
[RELATED: Impact Rookies: Buffalo Bills]
“As an organization, we are disappointed that Karlos has put himself in this situation,” the Bills said in a statement. “Poor decisions such as this affect not only the individual, but the entire Bills organization. We will continue to work with Karlos through the various player programs we provide to assist him in making better decisions moving forward.”
As a rookie in 2015, Williams ran for 517 yards off of 93 carries, good for an eye-popping 5.6 yards-per-carry average. He also added seven rushing touchdowns. This year, the Bills were banking on Williams to serve as a quality complement to lead rusher LeSean McCoy, but they’ll be without his services in September.
In other news out of the Bills’ backfield, the league announced earlier this week that they will not charge McCoy for his role in a nightclub brawl earlier this year. Meanwhile, rookie tailback Jonathan Williams was arrested on DUI charges on Thursday morning.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.