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Buffalo Bills News & Rumors

Bills, RB Duke Johnson Agree To Deal

March 21st, 2022 at 12:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills could not pry J.D. McKissic from Washington, though the sides were believed to have an agreement. Buffalo will instead pivot to an AFC veteran back.

Duke Johnson is signing a one-year deal with the Bills, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The veteran pass-catching back will come over from the Dolphins, who have added multiple starter-caliber backs since free agency opened.

Formerly with the Browns and Texans, Johnson spent much of the 2021 season off the radar. But he resurfaced with the Dolphins down the stretch. Johnson ripped off two 100-yard rushing performances with Miami, helping the team to wins over the Jets and Patriots. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry with the Dolphins, who added him via a practice squad agreement during the season. With Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds now on the Mike McDaniel-led team, Johnson will head north.

Buffalo still rosters Devin Singletary and Zack Moss on their respective rookie contracts, but the team was clearly eyeing backs with aerial skillsets this offseason. Brandon Beane expressed frustration McKissic’s agreement fell through. McKissic is still with Washington. In the 28-year-old Johnson, the Bills have a player who has topped 400 receiving yards in five of his six seasons. With the Browns, Johnson exceeded 500 receiving yards three times.

Bills To Acquire Browns QB Case Keenum

March 19th, 2022 at 3:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

It looks like the Browns will be making three quarterback trades this offseason. They are sending Case Keenum to the Bills in exchange for a seventh-round pick, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Cleveland’s stunning Deshaun Watson deal will lead to a full-on reshaping of the team’s QB room. The Browns are expected to follow the Watson and Keenum trades with a Baker Mayfield swap. As of Saturday afternoon, Mayfield remains on the team. The disgruntled former No. 1 overall pick will be elsewhere to start the 2022 season.

[RELATED: Browns To Sign Jacoby Brissett]

The Bills lost 2021 backup Mitchell Trubisky to the Steelers in free agency. Keenum, 33, is now poised to take over as Josh Allen‘s understudy. After receiving starter work with the Vikings, Broncos and Washington from 2017-19, Keenum resettled as a backup in Cleveland, working behind Mayfield for the past two seasons. Keenum led the league in QB DVOA in 2017, piloting Minnesota to the NFC championship game, but crashed back to earth in Denver and Washington. He made two starts in Cleveland, both in 2021, with the Browns winning both games.

The Browns are bracing for a Watson suspension, which would thrust Brissett into the spotlight. Given their Watson investment, the Browns are expecting to be a Super Bowl contender soon. Keenum’s replacement will be important to those prospects, regardless if Watson’s suspension hits in 2022 or 2023.

Allen has not missed a start since his 2018 rookie season, which began with the superstar signal-caller on the bench. One season, with a $6.1MM base salary, remains on Keenum’s contract. It would not surprise to see the Bills give their new QB2 an extension to reduce his 2022 cap number.

Bills Bring Back DL Jordan Phillips

March 19th, 2022 at 2:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Von Miller will be the Bills’ cornerstone front-seven player going forward, their next defensive line will involve multiple reunions. In addition to bringing back Shaq Lawson, Buffalo re-signed Jordan Phillips to a one-year contract.

Phillips enjoyed his best season with the Bills, when he registered a team-leading 9.5 sacks in 2019. That contract-year showing landed him a three-year, $30MM deal from the Cardinals. Injuries slowed the veteran defensive tackle in Arizona, leading to a release earlier this week. Phillips’ Cardinals deal not panning allowed the Bills to add another player familiar with their defensive system.

Lawson also left Buffalo in 2020, signing with the Dolphins. His journey was a bit more complicated than Phillips’, with Lawson also being with the Texans and Jets during his time away from the Bills. Phillips’ production decreased further, however, after his Buffalo departure. The injuries he dealt with in Arizona limited him to just 18 games over a two-season span.

A former Dolphins second-round pick, Phillips revived his career with the Bills previously, joining the team as a waiver claim in 2018. At this point, Phillips’ 2019 season — which also featured 16 quarterback hits, 10 more than he has recorded in any other year — looks like an outlier. But the Bills may be eyeing a rotational role for the 29-year-old D-tackle this time around.

The AFC East champs gave Tim Settle a two-year, $9MM deal to come over from Washington. Settle, Phillips and recent signee DaQuan Jones join Ed Oliver as Buffalo’s top inside D-linemen.

Bills RFA Ryan Bates Visited Vikings; To Meet With Patriots, Bears

March 18th, 2022 at 7:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

It appears one of the top candidates for an offer sheet this offseason is Bills guard Ryan Bates. The restricted free agent has visited with the Vikings, reports Chris Tomasson of The St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter). 

Bates, 25, was given an original-round tender by the Bills earlier this week, valued at $2.433MM. As a former UDFA, the Bills would be able to match any potential offers he receives. That could become very relevant, as Tommasson notes that the Vikings “have interest in extending an offer sheet”, after their meeting with Bates reportedly went well.

He adds that Bates has visits scheduled for next week with the Patriots and Bears. The Penn State product was a backup during the first two of his three seasons in the league, as well as much of the 2021 campaign. However, he stepped in as the starting left guard in Week 15, and never looked back.

In his 294 snaps played this year, PFF credits Bates with no sacks allowed and only one penalty committed. His ability to help fortify the Bills’ offensive front has generated not only a desire for Buffalo to hang on to him, but also plenty of outside interest, clearly.

After his visits with New England and Chicago – and any others which take place – there should be more clarity on what other teams are willing to offer him, and how far the Bills are willing to go to match.

Bills To Release Star Lotulelei

March 18th, 2022 at 11:53am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills are cutting Star Lotulelei (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). The two sides were discussing a revamped contract that would have enabled him to return, but all parties agreed that a fresh start would be best.

Lotulelei, 33 in December, was in the midst of the five-year, $50MM deal he signed in 2018. He exercised his right to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns, which tolled his contract and would have had him under Buffalo’s control through 2023.

The eight-year veteran had three sacks in 2021, bringing his career total to 16.5. He’s been a quality disruptor in the past, particularly with the Panthers, but the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus haven’t been high on his work in quite some time. This past year, Lotulelei graded as Bills’ lowest performing run defender on the D-Line.

Lotulelei was slated to carry a $9.2MM cap charge this year. Instead, the Bills will save at least $1.5MM against the cap by cutting him. They could also choose to save $4.1MM this year if they use the post-June 1 designation.

All in all, Lotulelei leaves Buffalo after 43 appearances (40 starts) with five sacks, one interception, and 53 tackles.

Minor NFL Transactions:  3/18/22

March 18th, 2022 at 8:49am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals 

  • Re-Signed: LB Ezekiel Turner

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Bills To Sign Shaq Lawson

March 17th, 2022 at 3:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Shaq Lawson is back in Buffalo. On Thursday, the edge rusher agreed to a one-year deal with the Bills (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 

[RELATED: Bills To Sign V. Miller]

Lawson, 27, was a first rounder of the Bills back in 2016. He racked up 16.5 sacks during his four-year stay in Buffalo, which wasn’t enough for the team to pick up his fifth-year option. He stayed in the division when he signed with the Dolphins in 2020 on a three-year, $30MM deal. His production was essentially on par with his days in Buffalo, though, and he found himself being traded to the Texans one year later.

Lawson never played in Houston, however, being moved once again later that offseason, this time to the Jets. In New York, he managed just one sack and was let go before the end of the campaign. Over his six years in the NFL, he has established himself as a capable rotational pass rusher, and a return to Buffalo could allow him to get back to his old form.

The Bills, meanwhile, get to bolster their pass rush despite a limited budget. Much of their cap room has been allocated towards Von Miller, who will team with Lawson up front.

Bills Release Cole Beasley

March 17th, 2022 at 11:26am CST by Adam La Rose

In an expected move, the Bills are moving on from one of the most experienced pieces of their offense. The team announced they have released receiver Cole Beasley. 

[RELATED: Bills, Von Miller Agree To Deal]

Beasley, 32, started his career in Dallas in 2012; he joined the team as a UDFA. In seven seasons there, he established himself as a productive secondary option in the team’s passing attack. His best season there came in 2016, where he posted 75 catches for 833 yards and five touchdowns.

Having built a reputation as one of the league’s best slot receivers, he signed a four-year, $29MM deal with the Bills in 2019. He received no less than 106 targets in each of his three campaigns in Buffalo, setting new career highs in receptions (82), yards (967) and yards per catch (11.8) in 2020.

However, he was due to make $6.1MM in 2022, with a cap hit of just over $7.5MM. That led the team to allow him to seek a trade earlier this week. Obviously, a partner couldn’t be found, so the SMU product will now hit the open market. The Bills still have Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis and Isaiah McKenzie at the top of the WR depth chart. They also have Dawson Knox and the recently-acquired O.J. Howard at the tight end spot.

The move saves the Bills just over $6MM. Given the money invested in their new additions – most notably Von Miller – they could certainly use the cap relief. For Beasley, meanwhile, he will join a free agent WR class still featuring Allen Robinson, but also another veteran slot option in Jarvis Landry.

Restructured Contracts: Saints, Floyd, Hyde, Barrett

March 16th, 2022 at 10:42pm CST by Ben Levine

While teams are currently focused on adding free agents, some front offices are looking to carve out some extra cap space. We’ve collected some of today’s restructured deals below:

  • The Saints opened up some extra cap space earlier today. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the team restructured the contracts of defensive tackle David Onyemata and offensive tackle James Hurst. The moves saved the team an extra $7.015MM. Onyemata inked a three-year, $27MM deal with the Saints in 2020, and he already reworked his contract last offseason. A year ago yesterday, Hurst inked a three-year, $9MM extension with New Orleans.
  • The Rams opened up $12MM in cap space by reworking Leonard Floyd‘s contract, according to Yates (on Twitter). Floyd signed a four-year, $64MM extension with the organization last year. In two years with the Rams, the edge rusher has collected 20 sacks, and he’s added another four in six playoff games.
  • The Bills converted $5.68MM of safety Micah Hyde’s contract into a signing bonus, opening $4.54MM in cap space, per Yates (on Twitter). The veteran signed a two-year, $19.25MM extension with Buffalo last offseason. Hyde has spent the past five seasons in Buffalo, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods while only missing a pair of regular season games.
  • The Buccaneers restructured Shaq Barrett’s contract, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The move should open up just under $10MM in cap space, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter). After playing the 2020 season under the franchise tag, Barrett inked a four-year, $72MM deal ($36MM guaranteed) with the Buccaneers last offseason.

Bills To Sign TE O.J. Howard

March 16th, 2022 at 5:52pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bills are making headlines. Moments have news broke that Buffalo is signing Von Miller, we’re learning that they’ve also added a notable name on the offensive side of the ball. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the Bills are signing tight end O.J. Howard.

[RELATED: Bills To Sign Von Miller]

Howard will get a one-year, $3.5MM deal from Buffalo, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The deal could be worth up to $5MM.

The Alabama product was a first-round pick by the Buccaneers in 2017, but injuries and an uncertain depth chart kept him from reaching his full potential. Howard has had three stints to the IR during his five-year career, limiting him to only 59 career games.

2021 was one of the lone seasons when Howard was fully healthy, but despite getting an entire season with Tom Brady, he struggled to put up numbers. Howard ultimately finished the season having hauled in only 14 receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown. This was a far cry from his first three seasons in the NFL when he averaged 31 receptions and close to 500 yards per year despite averaging only 12 games.

Howard will be joining a Bills depth chart that’s led by Dawson Knox, who had a career year in 2021 (587 receiving yards, nine touchdowns). Howard will likely slide in ahead of Tommy Sweeney and Quintin Morris on the depth chart.

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