Bills Notes: Gilmore, Offensive Line
Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore will not attend the club’s OTA sessions as he angles for a new contract, sources tell Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News. General manager Doug Whaley said in February that a Gilmore extension was a “priority,” and he reiterated earlier this month that the Bills’ long-term discussions with Gilmore (and several other players) would become more important now that the draft has passed. As Dunne details, Gilmore — who could use Josh Norman, Janoris Jenkins, and Darrelle Revis as comparables in talks — shouldn’t be considered a “holdout” unless he sits out mandatory camp activities in mid-June.
- One major area of weakness for the Bills is the right side of their offensive line, where John Miller is projected to play at guard while a cavalcade of players — including Cyrus Kouandjio, Seantrel Henderson, and Jordan Mills — is expected to compete for time. Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News analyzes the club’s offensive line as a whole, opining that Kouandjio, in particular, could be looking at his final opportunity to hold his roster spot. Louis Vasquez, Will Beatty, and Ryan Wendell are a few of the best offensive lineman remaining on the open market where the Bills to look for an outside addition. Free agent guard Jahri Evans is another option (and has already taken a visit with Buffalo), but a March report indicated that the club would not be signing him.
Did Rex Ryan Take Subtle Dig At Doug Whaley?
- In likely faux-serious comments regarding an attempt to trade for Odell Beckham Jr. while he was with the Jets, Rex Ryan could have been second-guessing current Bills boss Doug Whaley‘s decision to trade up for Sammy Watkins rather than stay at No. 9 and selected Beckham, whom the Giants took at No. 12, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk offers. Although regarded as the No. 1 receiver prospect in the 2014 draft, Watkins is now battling another injury after struggling in that area the past two seasons during which Beckham has become a superstar.
Ryan: Dri Archer Still Hasn't Returned Calls
- Rex Ryan has coached a number of talented receivers throughout his career. However, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com notes that the current Bills head coach was particularly infatuated with Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. while coaching the Jets. “Believe me, I was trying to trade for him [with the Jets] when he had the hamstring,” Ryan said. “I was reading the [New York] papers, and I was like, ‘Well, hell, we’ll take him.'”
- The Bills placed running back Dri Archer on the reserve/did not report list earlier this week, and Ryan acknowledged to Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News (via Twitter) that the former third-rounder still hasn’t returned his calls.
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Bills Notes: S. Lawson, M. Lawson, Position Battles
Bills rookie edge rusher Shaq Lawson is likely to miss four or five games at the beginning of next season after undergoing shoulder surgery, and some have wondered if the need for an operation should have pushed Lawson down the draft board. Don Banks of Sports Illustrated spoke with head coach Rex Ryan and general manager Doug Whaley about Lawson’s injury and it’s implications for the club.
Here’s more on the Bills and a few other clubs in the NFL’s two East divisions…
- Fellow linebacker Manny Lawson isn’t related to Shaq Lawson, but he figures to get the first shot to replace the rookie in the Bills‘ starting lineup, as Joe Buscaglia of WKBW details. The WKBW scribe also dives into several other Buffalo position battles, including wide receiver — where Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods are the only roster locks — right tackle, safety, and nickel corner.
Bills Notes: Lawsons, Lattimore
- There are questions regarding how competent the Bills’ medical and scouting staffs are in the wake of first-round pick Shaq Lawson‘s need for right shoulder surgery, according to The Buffalo News’ Vic Carucci. Lawson’s shoulder issues were known coming into the draft, but that didn’t stop the Bills from taking the outside linebacker 19th overall or allowing him to partake in their three-day rookie minicamp, when Lawson aggravated his shoulder. The Bills were so desperate to land a potential impact defender in the first round that they may have overlooked Lawson’s health concerns, implies Carucci, who adds that the Bills’ other Lawson – Manny Lawson – doesn’t have the pass-rushing ability to adequately replace the rookie during what should be a several-game absence.
- With Shaq Lawson down, the Bills are hosting free agent linebacker Jamari Lattimore on a visit, the team announced (via Twitter). Lattimore is more of an insider ‘backer, however, than a replacement for Lawson. The 27-year-old spent the first four seasons of his career in Green Bay before joining the Jets in 2015. He appeared in 15 games for Gang Green and totaled 13 tackles. Lattimore has 64 appearances and nine starts on his NFL résumé.
- As previously reported, Lattimore isn’t the only player visiting the Bills on Thursday. Free agent receiver Andre Roberts is also meeting with the team.
Details On Cordy Glenn's Contract Extension
- Mike Rodak of ESPN.com has details on Cordy Glenn‘s five-year extension with the Bills. In 2018, $8MM of his $9.25MM base salary is guaranteed for injury only at signing, though $1.5MM of that amount becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2017 league year. The other $6.5MM of that amount becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2018 league year. He can also earn up to $1MM in All-Pro and Pro Bowl escalators. His $2MM roster bonus is due on the fifth day of the 2018 league year.
Bills Hosting Andre Roberts On Visit
The Bills are hosting Andre Roberts on a visit tonight and tomorrow, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Tentatively, the free agent wide receiver has two more visits scheduled after that. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that besides Buffalo “five or six” other teams are also interested in having visits with him. 
Roberts was released by Washington on Wednesday but it sounds like he might not be out of work for long.
The veteran inked four-year, $16MM contract with Washington in 2014 with the expectation that he would serve as the team’s No. 2 receiver next to Pierre Garcon. Soon after, however, DeSean Jackson unexpectedly became available and Washington swooped in to make him a focal point of their offense. Upon being relegated to the No. 3 WR role, Roberts expressed frustration, but his slide did not stop there.
Last season, Roberts appeared in 9 games (zero starts) and caught a career-low 11 passes for 135 yards. Roberts first made a name for himself in 2012 when he stepped out of Larry Fitzgerald‘s shadow in Arizona to haul in 64 catches for 759 yards and five touchdowns. In every year since, he has seen his targets, receptions, and yards decline.
With a history of production plus some acumen in the return game, Roberts should draw interest from teams looking to round out their group of receivers. Still, the 28-year-old will probably less than the $4MM base salary he was scheduled to earn in 2016.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bills Place Archer On Did Not Report List
One of the newest members of the Bills has apparently gone AWOL. The team announced that running back Dri Archer has been placed on the reserve/did not report list. 
[RELATED: Bills’ Shaq Lawson To Have Shoulder Surgery]
Archer, 25 in August, was claimed off waivers from the Jets roughly one week ago. Known for his speed, Archer owns the second-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.26 seconds) in NFL history and the team was hoping to utilize his quickness in the return game. The reason for Archer’s absence is not yet known, but it’s possible that the tailback is daunted by the team’s running back depth chart.
The Bills’ group of running backs is headlined by LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams at tailback with two other promising young players behind them in Mike Gillislee and fifth-round running back Jonathan Williams. James Wilder Jr., who came to the club on a reserve/future deal in January, is also in the mix. Archer probably didn’t have a great chance of seeing significant carries in Buffalo and his place on the roster was far from guaranteed to begin with.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Adolphus Washington Signs Rookie Deal
- No. 80 overall pick Adolphus Washington has signed his rookie contract with the Bills, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (on Twitter). The Bills third-round defensive tackle out of Ohio State signed for $3.189MM, along with a $754K signing bonus. He is the
Bills’ Shaq Lawson To Have Shoulder Surgery
TUESDAY, 7:28am: The expectation is that Lawson is going to start the preseason on the PUP list and miss 4-5 games, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
MONDAY, 5:40pm: ESPN’s Adam Schefter passes along some details on the injury via Twitter. Lawson “aggravated” the shoulder as he was making a “swim move” on a tackling dummy during a non-contact drill.
2:00pm: Bad news for the Bills as first-round pick Shaq Lawson will have to undergo shoulder surgery (link via team website). Lawson is capable of playing right now, the team says, but the surgery is being done to avoid a larger problem down the road. 
The Bills have not announced a timetable for the Clemson product’s recovery, though a report last month indicated that shoulder surgery would sideline him for four-to-six months. Buffalo took Lawson with the No. 19 overall pick in this year’s draft while many other teams were said to have moved him down their boards due to his ailment.
Lawson’s surgery is a big blow for Buffalo as they anticipated giving him a major role on defense right from the get go. Recently, Bills GM Doug Whaley said that he was anticipating three rookies in the team’s starting lineup to start the season.
“At least three,” Whaley said when asked how many of his rookies will be on the field in Week 1. “[First-round defensive end] Shaq Lawson is going to walk in off the bus starting. [Second-round linebacker] Reggie Ragland, and then [third-round defensive tackle] Adolphus Washington— all three of those guys will start right off the bus. And we’re excited for some guys from the fourth through sixth rounds that will contribute for us.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.