The Buffalo Bills have 12 unrestricted free agents inching their way toward free agency which opens on March 18. On March 16, the Bills can start negotiating with other team’s players and then two days later, the club can officially ink players to deals (although, reports of signings will start on the 16).
On the flip, the Bills’ pending free agents can do the same and sign with another franchise. With the clock ticking, the Bills still have a chance to sign their own free agents to contracts, and might even do so after the market opens.
Bills Wire will do a 12-part rundown of each of Buffalo’s pending free agents leading up to the “tampering period.”
Here’s the free agent profile for Bills free agent defensive tackle Jordan Phillips:
Stats
2019: 16 games played, 31 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defended
Bills: 28 games played, 50 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defended
Career: 76 games played, 113 tackles, 15 sacks, 27 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 14 passes defended, 1 interception
How acquired
Signed via waivers in October 2018
Previous contract
One-year, $4.5 million deal (current age: 27)
Breakdown
Jordan Phillips inked a one-year and “prove it” type of deal with the Bills for the 2019. He certainly did prove it.
Phillips ended up taking some starting time from the Bills’ first-round pick in 2019, Ed Oliver. Teams don’t put their first rounder in the back seat unless there’s big reason to and Phillips earned that. His 9.5 sacks led the Bills and was third in the NFL amongst defensive tackles, a position not exactly known for its sack-getters.
What are the Bills’ options?
The Bills only option and what they’re going to do is let Phillips hit free agency. That’s because Bills general manager Brandon Beane essentially already said at his end of season press conference that the Bills are going to let Phillips do that because “he’s earned the right to.”
What should they do?
Phillips might be the hardest cookie to crack in terms of what the Bills can do with him. He had a big 2019 season and he’s become a fan-favorite of the team, always seen pumping the crowd up.
Phillips does deserve to hit free agency, Beane is right. Why? He bet on himself and won that hand. Good for him. But the Bills have to decided was 2019 a flash in the pan as his numbers suggest? Or is this the true Phillips? Just look at those snack numbers. He had 9.5 last season, but his previous career-high was two in a single season. Phillips joined the Bills after a falling out with the Dolphins coaching staff, but he was a former second-round pick, so he would have had ample opportunities to show what he had in South Beach and never really did.
Phillips also suggested at locker cleanout day that he’s a top-three defensive tackle in the NFL and wants to be paid like it. It’s doubtful he does hit that near $17 million dollars a season range, but if it does creep into the double-digits, that could price the Bills out of it. On the other hand, Spotrac suggests Phillips’ value is $6 million per season. That’s a deal the Bills could certainly do.
Also to consider is Harrison Phillips, who was having a good start to 2019 before he was lost for the year in Week 3 with a knee injury. Plus, Oliver will get his playing time as a former first-round pick. There’s a lot of moving parts here, but Phillips is going to test the market regardless.
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