Phillip Thomas Clears Waivers, Reverts To IR
- Bills safety Phillip Thomas reverted to injured reserve after being waived-injured and clearing waivers, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
OverTheCap Looks At Bills' Best, Worst Contracts
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes a look at the best and worst contracts on the Bills, and he concludes that the best contract is Tyrod Taylor‘s fairly modest pact, while the worst is Marcell Dareus‘ mega-deal that he signed last year. Fitzgerald goes into detail on both contracts, and the whole piece is well worth a read.
Bills Sign Justin Renfrow, Waive/injure Phillip Thomas
- The Bills have signed offensive tackle Justin Renfrow and waived/injured safety Phillip Thomas, per Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter links). Renfrow, who tried out for the Bills during their minicamp, will now join his fifth NFL team since going undrafted from Miami in 2014. The Bills are the third organization for Thomas, who was the Redskins’ fourth-round pick in 2013. Thomas’ only action in the league came when he appeared in eight games (four starts) as a member of the 2014 Redskins.
Bills Won't Pay Stephon Gilmore "Josh Norman Money"
- The Bills don’t intend to pay Stephon Gilmore “Josh Norman cornerback money,” writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. If the defensive back is seeking a contract that nears Norman’s five-year, $75MM, the team will presumably let Gilmore walk following the season. On the flip side, the Bills may be willing to pay the former first-rounder $12.5MM a year.
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Rex Ryan "Expects To Win Big-Time"
With Josh Norman out of Carolina thanks to a contract dispute and defensive tackle Kawann Short now angling for a big-money deal, Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman fired a warning shot at player agents Wednesday. “I’d like to think agents have figured out they can’t scare me; they can’t squeeze me. I’m not going to panic. It’s a waste of time,” he defiantly told Black & Blue Review (Twitter link).
More from around the NFL:
- Given the high-paying extensions awarded to Fletcher Cox, Keenan Allen and Brandon Marshall within the last week, Conor Orr of NFL.com highlighted other notable players who could cash in this summer. Up next might be the Broncos’ Emmanuel Sanders, whom multiple league sources expect to become the next wideout to land an extension, per Orr.
- After spending last season in Arizona, free agent linebacker LaMarr Woodley tore into Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher in May, referring to the coach as “dumb.” Woodley doubled down on that today, albeit in a less trenchant way, telling NFL Media’s R&B Podcast, “I just felt like the defensive coordinator didn’t listen to his players” (via Jeremy Cluff of the Arizona Republic). Woodley added that all-time great defensive mind Dick LeBeau, who coached Woodley for years in Pittsburgh, listens to his players and makes in-game adjustments based on their input.
- Bills legend Jim Kelly opined last week that Rex Ryan is coaching for his job in Year 2 with the franchise, saying the team has to break its league-worst 16-season playoff drought for Ryan to return in 2017. Ryan responded Tuesday, telling reporters (including Mike Rodak of ESPN.com), “I think if you ask Jim, Jim knows I’m a hell of a coach and a good coach for this team and this community. I think he would tell you that. I hope he would.” In typical confident fashion, Ryan also stated that he “expects to win big-time” this season, per Rodak. Under Ryan last season, the Bills fell from 9-7 to 8-8 and unexpectedly saw their defensive performance decline precipitously.
- Today’s biggest story: The Ravens released offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, whom the Giants are now pursuing. PFR’s Dallas Robinson tried to find a fit for the 29-year-old, listing eight teams (including the Giants) that could sign him.
Rex Ryan Irked At Out-Of-Shape Karlos Williams
- Bills running back Karlos Williams disappointed Rex Ryan when he showed up to minicamp overweight, with the head coach saying that the second-year man isn’t “anywhere close to where he needs to be to play at a high level” (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk). Williams attributes his weight gain to his then-pregnant fiancee’s eating habits. “It definitely is a first but I like to eat and then her being pregnant gave me an excuse to eat, so eating anything and everything,” he said. “She’d wake up, one or two o’clock, ‘I want a snack.’ Well I’m not going to sit here and watch you eat because I don’t want you to feel bad but it’s back to football.” With his fiancee having had the baby, Williams will now try to work back into shape and follow up his excellent rookie year (517 rushing yards on 93 attempts, nine total touchdowns in as many games) with another strong campaign.
AFC East Notes: Jordan, Gilmore, Jets, Colon
Will Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore show for training camp as he pushes for a new contract? Gilmore said he’ll get there “whenever I get there,” (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News). When asked if that means he could miss the start, he said, “We’ll see.” If Gilmore does skip out on camp, he’ll be docked $40K per day.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- Omar Kelly of The Sun Sentinel wonders if the Dolphins should balk at paying Dion Jordan‘s ~$1.7MM bonus. Word has it that the Dolphins are open to giving Jordan another chance, but sources tell Kelly that the team was curious about the timing of Jordan’s bid for reinstatement. The former No. 3 overall pick was eligible to apply for reinstatement in late April but he didn’t kickstart the process until June. Jordan is due his hefty roster bonus on the fifth day of training camp and the Dolphins might not be inclined to pay it if Jordan isn’t truly committed to football. Kelly suggests that Miami could push Jordan to re-work the contract and have the roster bonus moved or even eliminated since he would be unlikely to command that same kind of money on the open market.
- Much of the Jets‘ quarterback shuffle will hinge on second-year quarterback Bryce Petty, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. If Ryan Fitzpatrick returns, there is a belief in NFL circles that the Jets could keep all four quarterbacks – Fitzpatrick, Smith, Petty,and rookie Christian Hackenberg – on the roster. However, if Petty proves he can be the No. 2 QB, the team could cut Smith. Or, if Petty struggles mightily, the Jets could drop him and just keep Smith and Hackenberg as the backups. If the team does not sign Fitzpatrick, then Petty must prove his worth or the team might have to look into signing a veteran signal caller.
- No surprise here, but Jets offensive lineman Willie Colon says that if he does play football in 2016, it will be his last season in the NFL. “If I do go back on the field, it’s going to be my last year. I just know it is,” Colon told Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday. “But the ego and the [guts] I have, if I do get back, I want to go out like Clint Eastwood — I want to go out firing and shooting. If it doesn’t happen, I’m going to move on and get a recorder just like you.” The 33-year-old guard suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2015 and only saw time in six games.
- The Bills have a kicking battle worth keeping an eye on, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW writes. The Bills have been pitting veteran kicker Dan Carpenter against UDFA Marshall Morgan. Morgan boasts a big leg while Carpenter has made his name on accuracy. Meanwhile, kickoff specialist/punter Jordan Gay is also in camp and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be given an opportunity to kick field goals. If he isn’t given that chance, then he faces an uphill climb to make the cut.
Bills Notes: Gilmore, Darby, Zeller
- Though no extension between the Bills and Stephon Gilmore is on the verge of being signed, the star cornerback is expected to report to minicamp this week, news that Rapoport confirms (via Twitter). Gilmore himself tweeted that he’s only attending camp to prevent being fined, and Rapoport says that Gilmore’s presence probably won’t do much to help contract talks along.
- Fellow Bills cornerback Ronald Darby can’t be extended for two more years, but he’s aware of how much defensive back salaries are rising, writes Vic Carrucci of the Buffalo News. The Bills, in some respects, think Darby is a better player than Gilmore, which could be one reason they’re reluctant to extend Gilmore. With a Darby deal to worry about down the road, signing Gilmore now might not be the right call.
- The Bills are working out former Maryland offensive lineman Andrew Zeller, reports Josh Reed of WIVB (Twitter link). Zeller, who made 12 starts at guard for the Terrapins last season, was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent, but was waived last week.
- The Bills agreed to terms with former Rex Ryan pupil, signing ex-Jets defensive end Leger Douzable to a contract earlier today. Douzable, 30, will work as a five-technique in Buffalo’s 3-4 scheme.
Bills Sign Chris Martin
- The Bills have signed offensive lineman Chris Martin to a one-year contract, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). Martin, 26, has been a member of seven NFL teams and spent time on the Bills’ practice squad last season.
Bills Sign Leger Douzable, Chris Martin
3:40pm: The Bills announced that they have signed Douzable along with tackle Chris Martin. Martin spent some time on the Bills’ taxi squad in 2015 and other practice squads. To make room, defensive end Claudell Louis and tackle Keith Lumpkin have been let go.
8;37am: Former Jets defensive lineman Leger Douzable is visiting the Bills today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Douzable, of course, has history with current Bills coach Rex Ryan after playing for him in 2013 and 2014.
[RELATED: No Extension “Imminent” For Stephon Gilmore]
As Joe Buscaglia of WKBW notes (on Twitter), Douzable would be a five-technique defensive end in Ryan’s scheme. Douzable, 30, has inked one-year deals with the Jets in each of the last three offseasons. This time around, coach Todd Bowles & Co. apparently decided to go in a different direction at bookend. We haven’t heard much in the way of Jets interest in Douzable this offseason – or much about any other team’s interest in him.
In 322 defensive snaps as a part-time contributor in 2014, the Central Florida product recorded 25 tackles and 2.5 sacks. In 2015, Douzable saw only 207 snaps and recorded a total of 14 tackles. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Douzable as the No. 89 edge defender in the NFL last season out of 110 qualified players.
If Douzable signs with the Bills, he could work in support of defensive ends Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams, Corbin Bryant, and Adolphus Washington. To earn a spot, however, he’ll probably have to supplant Jerel Worthy and/or Lavar Edwards.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.