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Buffalo Bills News & Rumors

Bills To Sign RB Ty Johnson

August 21st, 2023 at 1:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bills are thin at offensive tackle at the moment, but they are still tinkering with other areas of their roster. That will include a depth addition to their backfield.

Buffalo is set to sign running back Ty Johnson, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). The deal will allow Johnson to remain in the AFC East after his tenure with the Jets came to an unexpected end. The 25-year-old initially re-signed with New York on a one-year deal this offseason, but he was later released due to a torn pectoral muscle. The subsequent addition of Dalvin Cook took away the chance of any potential reunion with the Jets for Johnson.

Fowler notes that the latter has healed in full, setting the stage for a workout earlier today which yielded an agreement. Johnson will now have the chance to carve out a role as a third down specialist given his pass-catching skills. The former sixth-rounder totaled 559 yards and three touchdowns on 62 receptions during his time in the Big Apple, contributing on special teams as well.

Johnson should be able to step into the role Nyheim Hines was set to occupy before his ACL tear. That injury appeared to leave 2022 second-rounder James Cook, free agent signing Damien Harris and post-draft addition Latavius Murray comfortably positioned to make Buffalo’s 53-man roster. The latter may now once again find himself on the bubble with Johnson in the fold.

Much of Buffalo’s success in the ground game will come from Cook’s ability to handle a much heavier workload than the one he received as a rookie. Depth contributions will be welcomed on a Bills team looking to find better offensive balance and limit the hits quarterback Josh Allen takes as well, though, and Johnson should prove to be a useful addition in that regard if he can duplicate his Jets form.

Bills T Tommy Doyle Out For Season

August 20th, 2023 at 6:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The young career of Bills offensive tackle Tommy Doyle continues to stagnate as he is set to miss the entire 2023 season, according to the Bills Twitter account. Doyle missed all but one game last year after being put on injured reserve with a torn ACL, and his absence will now extend until the 2024 season, at least. The nature of the injury has not yet been disclosed, but the team’s announcement is enough to confirm the seriousness of the situation.

Doyle was a 2021 fifth-round selection for the Bills out of Miami (OH). Though he earned some sparse playing time on offense and special teams as a rookie, his most memorable NFL moment came when he was on the receiving end of a Josh Allen touchdown pass in the team’s Wild Card victory over the Patriots.

Coming off a season-ending injury from 2022, Doyle wasn’t expected to have a huge impact on the field this season. But after the sudden retirement of newly signed offensive tackle Brandon Shell, the Bills find their depth on the exterior of the offensive line to be suspect. Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown are slotted in as starters for now, and David Quessenberry is penciled in as the team’s primary swing tackle behind them.

Behind those three, the depth quickly dissipates. With Doyle out, the depth behind the top three is comprised of two undrafted free agents from last year (Ryan Van Demark and Alec Anderson) and undrafted rookie Richard Gouraige.

According to Ryan O’Halloran of The Buffalo News, when asked about the lack of depth on the offensive line, head coach Sean McDermott told reporters, “We remain confident in the guys we have. That said,” he continued, “there is certainly a numbers issue. We have more practices ahead, and it’s an area we have to continue to look at and analyze.”

The losses of Shell and Doyle so close together and so close to the opening of the regular season put Buffalo in a really tough position. There are certainly some veteran options available on the market. Looking into players like Eric Fisher, Ja’Wuan James, or even Jason Peters may be a necessity soon. Peters, though sitting at the ripe old age of 41 years old, has recently reaffirmed his interest in playing this season.

In the meantime, the Bills will have to rely on some young, green players to take the preseason loads off the backs of Dawkins, Brown, and Quessenberry. Some interior linemen may need to step out and assist, as well. Until help arrives, keeping Dawkins, Brown, and Quessenberry healthy has become a top priority leading up to the 2023 season.

AFC Rumors: Quessenberry, Jones, Meyers, Anudike-Uzomah

August 19th, 2023 at 2:10pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bills seemingly signed veteran offensive tackle Brandon Shell with the intention that he would plug in as a full-time starter, much like he had done in Miami, Seattle, and New York over his career. Shell’s sudden retirement decision days ago threw a bit of a wrench in those plans.

At left tackle, Dion Dawkins slots in as the obvious left tackle starter, as he has since his rookie year. The starter across from him, for right now, is currently Spencer Brown. Brown has started 24 games over his first two years in the league, but the ability of the former third-round pick to start long term has yet to be proven.

If Brown struggles or if he or Dawkins go down with injury, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports that David Quessenberry is expected to slot into the primary backup, swing tackle role. Buffalo doesn’t have a ton of depth beyond Quessenberry, and this late in the season, that’s not too likely to change.

Tommy Doyle and Ryan Van Demark both sit on the depth chart behind Quessenberry and should make a push for the initial 53-man roster, if not solely due to the lack of depth. But Quessenberry should be the first name off the bench in the case that Brown or Dawkins aren’t there for any reason.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of the AFC, starting with another team in the AFC East:

  • The Patriots have been operating the past two weeks without veteran starting cornerback Jonathan Jones. The long-time staple in New England’s secondary has been absent with an undisclosed injury. Luckily, whatever the ailment is, Karen Guregian of MassLive reports that Jones is expected to be back for the team’s regular season opener. The Patriots are reportedly being careful with him, but the plan is for him to be starting a couple Sundays from now.
  • Last month, the Raiders concluded a deal that would eventually help them bring in veteran cornerback Marcus Peters. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the team converted $3.92MM of wide receiver Jakobi Meyers‘s base salary for 2023 into a signing bonus and added two voidable years. The move takes his base salary down from $5MM in 2023 to $1.08MM but freed up $3.14MM of cap space, helping Las Vegas to continue building their roster this offseason.
  • Staying in the AFC West, the rich got richer when the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs added Kansas State pass rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah at the end of the first round this past April. Most of the team’s pass rushing comes from interior lineman Chris Jones, but with Frank Clark gone, a starting role was open across from George Karlaftis III. Kansas City signed Charles Omenihu to potentially fill that role, but he is set to serve a six-game suspension to start the season. Still, according to The Athletic contributor Nate Taylor’s recent update, the plan for Anudike-Uzomah appears to be for him to appear out of a rotation. The team may explore adding an additional veteran pass rusher to help holdover the role in Omenihu’s absence, but in the long run, they don’t want to rush Anudike-Uzomah out on the field until he’s ready.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/15/23

August 15th, 2023 at 7:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Houston Texans

  • Claimed off waivers (from Vikings): OT Jacky Chen
  • Released from IR: OT Greg Little

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: CB Matt Hankins, RB Aaron Shampklin

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers

Sean Chandler brings 64 games of experience to Arizona. Following a 2021 campaign that saw him collect a career-high 48 tackles in 15 games (seven starts) for the Panthers, the 27-year-old got into 17 games for the team in 2022, finishing with 19 tackles while primarily playing on special teams.

Adetokunbo Ogundeji is a tough loss for the Falcons, as the linebacker has turned into an important piece on Atlanta’s defense. The former fifth-round pick has started 27 of his 32 games since entering the NFL, collecting 75 tackles and three sacks. Ogundeji suffered a foot/ankle injury that will require surgery, and his placement on IR means the issue will ultimately knock him out for the entire 2023 campaign.

Bills Place T Brandon Shell On Reserve/Retired List

August 15th, 2023 at 2:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brandon Shell caught on with the Bills earlier this offseason, moving into position to play for a third AFC East team. But it does not look like that will happen. The veteran tackle is now on Buffalo’s reserve/retired list, The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia tweets.

Earlier Tuesday, Buscaglia noted Shell was not at Bills practice and was planning to retire (Twitter link). This news will wrap a seven-year career. A 2016 fifth-round pick, Shell worked as a regular starter for most of his pro career.

A Jets draftee, Shell moved into the team’s starting lineup as a rookie and ended up starting 40 games for the team. Blocking for the likes of Josh McCown and Sam Darnold, Shell signed a decent second contract (two years, $9MM) with the Seahawks in 2020 and became a starter for a playoff-bound team. Seattle used the South Carolina alum as a two-year starter, trotting him out as such in 20 games. Shell, 31, added a start in the Seahawks’ wild-card playoff loss to the Rams to close that season.

Although Shell’s third NFL team — the Dolphins — also ventured to the playoffs, Miami’s primary right tackle last year was not healthy enough to start against the Bills in January. A high ankle sprain sidelined Shell for the Dolphins’ wild-card tilt. Nevertheless, Shell made 11 starts for a Dolphins team that lost Austin Jackson in Week 1 of last season. The Seahawks moved on from Shell to 2022 third-rounder Abraham Lucas last year, while Dolphins are giving Jackson another opportunity.

This retirement comes after Shell was believed to have interest in re-signing with the Dolphins, who instead signed Cedric Ogbuehi. Shell ended up with the Bills in May. Buffalo added Shell on a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum; he did not receive any guaranteed money from the defending AFC East champions. For his career, Shell made 72 starts.

The Bills have Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown returning as starters. They also re-signed swingman David Quessenberry, whom Buscaglia recently had making the 53-man roster over Shell (subscription required). In light of Shell’s mid-camp retirement, the Bills could be in the market for a backup option at tackle.

Bills Have “Open Competition” For QB2 Role

August 13th, 2023 at 11:53am CST by Rory Parks

The Bills have an open competition for the backup quarterback job behind Josh Allen, as head coach Sean McDermott confirmed after the team’s first preseason contest yesterday (Twitter link via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). Matt Barkley, who remained with Buffalo via a reserve/futures deal he signed in January, will battle free agent signee Kyle Allen for the QB2 gig.

Kyle Allen, 27, spent the 2022 season with the Texans and has also seen action with the Panthers and Commanders. Last year, he started two games in relief of the struggling Davis Mills and did not perform particularly well, completing 59% of his passes for two TDs against four interceptions (Houston lost both contests). In his pro career, Kyle Allen has a 7-12 record as a starter to go along with an 82.2 quarterback rating.

Barkley, who will turn 33 next month, has just seven career starts to his name, the last of which came in 2018. He spent the 2018-20 seasons with the Bills and saw some action as a fill-in for Josh Allen during that time, and after stints on the Titans’ and Panthers’ taxi squads in 2021, he rejoined Buffalo last March. However, Case Keenum operated as Josh Allen’s backup in 2022, and Barkley spent the year on the Bills’ p-squad.

Kyle Allen got the starting nod in yesterday’s 23-19 victory over the Colts and largely struggled, completing eight of 15 passes for 122 yards and an interception. Statistically, Barkley had the superior outing, as he completed 14 of 15 attempts for 172 yards and two TDs, though it should be noted that his efforts came against Indianapolis’ third-stringers. While acknowledging that Barkley may have gained a slight advantage over Kyle Allen, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic notes that Barkley did not have much zip on his throws and would not have been as successful against better defenders (subscription required).

Interestingly, Buscaglia believes the player who will ultimately serve as Josh Allen’s clipboard holder may not be on the roster yet. After Kyle Allen’s unimpressive camp and underwhelming preseason performance, and given the lack of speed on Barkley’s passes, GM Brandon Beane may seek a more compelling option to hold the fort in the event of a Josh Allen injury in 2023. Buscaglia names the 49ers’ Sam Darnold as a possible trade target.

There are, of course, other position battles worth monitoring in western New York. Per Buscaglia, Tyrel Dodson appears to be the favorite to win the starting inside linebacker job next to Matt Milano in the wake of Tremaine Edmunds‘ free agent defection to Chicago. Dodson’s primary competition, Terrel Bernard, suffered a hamstring injury in practice last week and did not play against the Colts. And, although second-year pro Baylon Spector got first-team reps in one practice at the end of July, he has not seen another opporunity with the top unit since then. He worked exclusively with the third-string defense in the preseason opener.

Meanwhile, rookie right guard O’Cyrus Torrence played the entire first half against Indianapolis, though Buscaglia suspects incumbent Ryan Bates will get his chance with the first team when the Bills take on the Steelers in their second preseason contest. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey recently dubbed the competition between Torrence and Bates “really close” (h/t NFL.com), and it appears the battle remains too close to call.

Latest On Bills’ RB Situation

August 12th, 2023 at 2:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

The season-ending injury suffered by Nyheim Hines last month left the Bills shorthanded in the backfield. His absence has led to increased clarity with respect to who should make the team’s 53-man roster, though, along with the pecking order at the position.

James Cook was already in line to handle starting duties with Devin Singletary having departed in free agency, but Hines’ ACL tear should leave further pass-catching opportunities available this season. Cook, 23, is well-positioned to build on his production as a rookie this year. He sits comfortably atop the depth chart heading into the campaign, as noted by Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic (subscription required).

Cook posted 507 rushing yards on an impressive average of 5.7 per carry last season. Much of that efficiency owes to his limited workload (89 carries), however. The former second-rounder added 180 yards and one of his three total touchdowns in the passing game, showcasing his abilities on the ground and through the air. With veterans Damien Harris and Latavius Murray (the latter of whom was on the roster bubble before the Hines injury) in place as complimentary options, Cook should see a sharp uptick from his 25% snap share as a rookie.

With Hines having suffered his injury in a jet ski accident, the Bills placed him on the NFI list. That opens the door to a conflict over the matter of compensation, something Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports is underway. Hines’ adjusted contract includes a $1MM signing bonus, $600K of which has already been paid. The Bills are considering withholding the remaining $400K, and paying Hines the equivalent of a practice squad players’ maximum earnings for a season. A formal grievance is an option depending on how the ex-Colt responds to Buffalo’s handling of his case.

Meanwhile, Hines recently underwent surgery on his injured knee (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero). That began the recovery process ahead of next season, something which will be the focus of his personal attention moving forward. For the Bills, plenty will depend on the play of their remaining backs, especially Cook, given the responsibility he is expected to shoulder in 2023.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/23

August 6th, 2023 at 8:29pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves as the weekend comes to a close:

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Andrews joins Philadelphia as a potentially strong depth piece on the offensive line. The seven-year veteran has played 48 games over the years with five different teams, so rejoining the Eagles, even with a new staff from when he left, shouldn’t be too big of an issue. Last year, he started five of the six games he played with the Saints.

Woolen underwent arthroscopic knee surgery back in May and was given a four-to-six-week recovery timeline. He was forced to start camp on the physically unable to perform list, but it’s time for him to make his way back to the field. Last year’s other starter at cornerback, Michael Jackson, has had a great camp and rookie Devon Witherspoon is pushing for a starting role, so Woolen will be glad to get back and reestablish his role in the secondary.

DB Rumors: Elam, Panthers, Bolts, Bucs

August 2nd, 2023 at 10:28am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills have hoped to plug Kaiir Elam into their starting lineup opposite Tre’Davious White, but the 2022 first-rounder remains in a position battle. Elam is battling 2022 sixth-rounder Christian Benford and veteran Dane Jackson for the boundary job opposite White, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Elam played 477 defensive snaps as a rookie, but even as White did not debut until Thanksgiving, the younger Buffalo Round 1 corner only started six games. Benford started five of the nine he played, while Jackson led Bills corners with 14 first-string appearances in 2022. The Bills would clearly prefer Elam seize the role, but for now, the Washington product has not distinguished himself as a surefire starter.

Here is the latest from NFL secondaries:

  • Asante Samuel Jr. resides in a similar boat, needing to fend off a lower-profile challenger. Thus far, it appears Samuel has fallen behind Ja’Sir Taylor for the Chargers‘ slot cornerback role. As it appeared in June, Taylor looks to be the favorite to open the season as the Bolts’ slot player, Daniel Popper of The Athletic notes. Samuel’s shaky run defense has concerned the Bolts, per Popper, with Taylor — a 2022 sixth-round pick — seeing time ahead of the second-generation pro as an outside corner last year due to tackling ability. With primary 2022 slot defender Bryce Callahan unsigned, Taylor and Samuel are battling for the position. Despite Samuel’s experience (27 starts) and draft pedigree (Round 2), he may well open the season as the top backup behind a Taylor-J.C. Jackson–Michael Davis trio. Having Samuel as a depth piece would certainly benefit the Chargers, with Jackson attempting to come back from a ruptured patellar tendon.
  • The Panthers have played without first-round pick Jaycee Horn for extended stretches, and the 2021 top-10 pick spent time rehabbing another injury this offseason. Horn did not say how he injured his foot this spring, but he is 100% early in Panthers camp. Ditto Donte Jackson, who missed eight games last season due to an Achilles tear. Both starting corners have received full clearance, GM Scott Fitterer said recently.
  • Although the Buccaneers have re-signed Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean in free agency over the past two years, they let Sean Murphy-Bunting leave in March. Murphy-Bunting, who had spent time in the slot in Tampa Bay, left for Tennessee. The Bucs are holding an expansive slot competition in training camp. Zyon McCollum, Dee Delaney, Josh Hayes, Christian Izien and Anthony Chesley are all vying for the gig, Todd Bowles said (via Buccaneers.com’s Brianna Dix and Scott Smith). Delaney and Chesley have both bounced around the league, while Hayes and Izien are rookies. Some of these players will not end up on the Bucs’ 53-man roster, but it is interesting to see a five-man competition for this role. A 2022 fifth-round pick who played 277 defensive snaps last year, McCollum may have the lead here. Bowles expects the second-year cover man to play a big role in the nickel spot, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.

AFC East Notes: Becton, Diggs, Dolphins

August 1st, 2023 at 4:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

His place as one of the NFL’s most injury-prone players notwithstanding, Mekhi Becton made some pointed comments when insisting he was a left tackle in May. This forced Robert Saleh to address said comments. Several weeks after predicting he would return to his former spot and win the job, the fourth-year blocker now said (via the New York Post’s Brian Costello) he would be fine playing right tackle again. Becton, who has missed 33 straight regular-season games, said he underwent the wrong surgery to repair his September 2021 knee injury. He indicated he was not fully healed when he went down again, shortly after being moved to right tackle, during the Jets’ 2022 training camp. Becton, who missed time during this year’s camp with more knee trouble, has returned to the field and is expected to play in a limited role in Thursday’s preseason opener, Saleh said.

Duane Brown, 37, has been viewed as the favorite to win the Jets’ left tackle position. But the 16th-year veteran, who underwent shoulder surgery this offseason, remains on the team’s active/PUP list. Billy Turner had received first-team left tackle reps in front of Becton earlier in camp, though the ex-Packers and Broncos right tackle has also been working on the right side with Max Mitchell.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • The Bills have made a concerted effort to put Stefon Diggs questions in their rearview mirror. The Pro Bowl wide receiver said he is not angling for more say in the team’s play-calling. “For me to just want more say in the offense, it’s crazy because I play receiver,” Diggs said recently. “I don’t care what play is called. I can’t get up there and say, ‘Call this.’ It’s a lot of outlandish, obvious things where people [are] throwing out there or people were saying as far as my role.” A report suggested Diggs was unhappy with his role in Buffalo’s offense. Although Diggs did not say what caused Sean McDermott to send him home from a minicamp day, the ninth-year veteran has since said he was never at odds with Josh Allen and said he and the Bills are on good terms. Diggs’ $24MM-per-year contract runs through 2026.
  • Although it would seem Mike White had a virtual guarantee to become the Dolphins‘ backup quarterback, he entered camp in a battle with 2022 third-stringer Skylar Thompson for the gig. White signed a two-year, $8MM deal ($4.5MM guaranteed) in March, and the Dolphins were believed to be enamored with the ex-Jet as Tua Tagovailoa insurance. Thompson has extended a promising offseason into training camp, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, who adds last year’s QB3-turned-emergency starter is being given a legitimate opportunity to become the backup. Considering Tagovailoa’s injury history, Miami’s QB2 post stands as one of the league’s most important reserve spots.
  • Daron Payne, Jeffery Simmons, Dexter Lawrence and Quinnen Williams have signed long-term deals this offseason, creating a fairly set price range for the Dolphins as they negotiate a Christian Wilkins extension. While the team wants to extend the fifth-year D-tackle and is optimistic on doing so, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes no significant momentum has developed in these talks. Wilkins is tied to a $10.75MM fifth-year option salary. The sides have been talking for months.
  • Dolphins target Cedrick Wilson Jr. has been connected to trade rumors. Multiple reports indicated the team was willing to part with Wilson, who signed a three-year deal worth $22.1MM in March 2022. Dolphins GM Chris Grier said the team is not shopping Wilson, despite reports to the contrary, and the sixth-year receiver said (via Jackson) he is not seeking a trade. Wilson’s $5MM guarantee for 2023 will complicate a trade; the Dolphins would save $7MM by moving him. Wilson did not live up to his contract last year, totaling 136 receiving yards in 15 games. While Trent Sherfield is no longer in the mix, the Dolphins have added Chosen Anderson and Braxton Berrios this offseason.
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