The Buffalo Bills had a long list of pending free agents this offseason, but only two of those were restricted free agents.
According to a report earlier this week, one of those in offensive lineman Ryan Bates was tendered at the original round figure of $2.4M. If Bates now signs with another team, Buffalo has an opportunity to match that deal.
A new update says the other, defensive tackle Justin Zimmer, was not tendered. Per The Athletic, Zimmer is now an unrestricted free agent after the Bills did not issue an RFA tender on Zimmer:
According to a source, the Bills will issue an RFA tender OL Ryan Bates.
They are not issuing an RFA tender to DT Justin Zimmer.
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) March 16, 2022
Zimmer, 29, was used as a rotational piece on Buffalo’s defensive line in 2021.
He was placed on injured reserve ahead of the Bills’ Week 10 meeting due to a knee injury.
The likely reason the Bills did not tender Zimmer is because of that knee injury. Buffalo’s coaching staff has often praised Zimmer though, so it would not be surprising to see Zimmer back in the fold at a lower price point in the future.
In six games last season, Zimmer notched eight tackles, including two for loss, and one sack. Pro Football Focus graded Zimmer an average 63.6 overall mark for his efforts in 2021.
Stay up-to-date with all of the Bills’ movement during the 2022 free agency period with Bills Wire’s full tracker below:
Tracker: Full list of Bills transactions as free agency window opens
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