Category: Bills News

Former Bills CB Vontae Davis dies at age 35

#Former Bills CB Vontae Davis dies at age 35

Vontae Davis, who spent a brief time in his 10-year NFL career with the Buffalo Bills died on Monday, April 1. He was 35.

Initial reports state that there is no foul play occurred in Davis’ death. A house assistant called the police after finding Davis in the residence according to the latest reports.

The police have not released details of Davis’ death at this time.

Davis was the 25th pick in the 2009 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins. He played three seasons in South Florida before being traded to the Indianapolis Colts.  Davis earned two Pro-Bowl nominations with the Colts.

Davis signed with Buffalo in 2018 to add veteran stability to the cornerback spot. In Week 2 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Davis pulled himself out of the game at halftime. It was a surprising exit for the veteran, as he announced his retirement shortly after.

Davis shared his reasoning for the abrupt retirement decision after the game: “This isn’t how I pictured retiring from the NFL. But today, on the field, reality hit me hard and fast. I shouldn’t be out there anymore. … I meant no disrespect to my teammates or coaches.”

Davis recorded 395 total tackles and 24 interceptions in his NFL career.

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This Bills proposed resolution was passed by the NFL

This #Bills proposed resolution was passed by the NFL:

The NFL has made a change to one of their policies, and it came by way of a proposal by the Buffalo Bills.

While a new kickoff rule change and the removal of the hip-drop tackle were the headlining changes by the league At the NFL annual meetings, one of the Bills’ proposed resolutions was passed as well.

That proposal was “to make the injury reporting rules for players who do not travel with their clubs to games away from their home city competitively fairer.”

The team also submitted a second proposal, which didn’t get passed as written but the Competition Committee presented their own version that was approved. As Bills head coach Sean McDermott now serves on that committee and with the purpose of the resolution being more what it was meant to solve, it getting passed was considered a success.

“The end of the day, it’s what’s best for the overall league, not just what’s best for the Bills,” McDermott said to the press. “So, sometimes you have to kind of hit a middle ground on things and then reassess from there.”

That Committee’s version of the second proposal by Buffalo was meant “to expand the Standard Elevation rules to permit clubs to elevate a bona fide Quarterback an unlimited number of times from its practice squad to its Active List to be its Emergency Third Quarterback.”

With the passing of this new rule, an emergency third quarterback will now count as one of the two standard elevations. Meanwhile, the Bills’ version of the proposal was that an emergency third quarterback would be in addition to the two elevations.

NFL teams, coaches, and even top players have been instrumental in the past in submitting meaningful rule change proposals and resolutions.

The Bills have been one of those teams in recent years and McDermott having been appointed to the Competition Committee is a reflection of how his role and impact is viewed and embraced by the league in the perspective he brings.

The same can be said of Buffalo’s front office at large in their involvement and participation in looking at ways to improve the game, player safety, and league policies.

The Bills have had chances to experience the impact of unpredictable situations ranging from canceled games due to player injury, to game relocations due to weather, flaws in the compensatory draft pick awarding system, and more.

That in addition to the many things they encounter over the course of the regular season gives them plenty of opportunity for insight as a modern franchise, which could lead to more proposals in the future.

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Bills’ athletic training, equipment staffs recognized by the NFL

#Bills’ athletic training, equipment staffs recognized by the NFL:

Both the athletic training and equipment staff of the Buffalo Bills have been recognized by the NFL this week.

The Bills have announced that the league have named those respective groups the best in football from the past year:

The groups were given their awards in Orlando. That’s where the NFL owners meetings have taken place the past week.

The Bills athletic training staff was given the Ed Block Athletic Training Staff of the Year and the equipment staff was named the New Era AFC Equipment Staff of the Year.

Via release, head athletic trainer of the Bills Nate Breske said:

“For us being honored and voted on by our peers, the other 31 athletic training staffs in the NFL. It’s a huge, huge honor. It’s probably one of the biggest honors that we can receive.”

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Bills GM Brandon Beane will throw out first pitch at Bisons opener

#Bills GM Brandon Beane will throw out the first pitch at Bisons Opening Day:

Strike? Ball? We will see.

The Buffalo Bills will be repped at the Bisons’ Opening Day game on Friday. Bills general manager Brandon Beane will be throwing out the first pitch at the first game of the season.

Maybe he will end up on the Toronto Blue Jays …

Maybe not …

Former Bills RB Damien Harris retires from NFL at 27

Former #Bills RB Damien Harris retires from NFL at 27:

Damien Harris was a free agent of the Buffalo Bills having played for the team in 2023.

He has officially left the Bills… but football in general as well.

Harris, 27, has died to retire from the NFL.

Harris made the announce via social media post on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C49NCdzR2yx/?img_index=1

Harris played the first four seasons of his career with the New England Patriots prior to signing with the Bills last offseason. He was drafted out of Alabama in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.

In his lone season in Buffalo, Harris had 23 carries for 94 yards and a rushing touchdown. However, Harris suffered a sprained neck during the Bills’ Week 6 win over the New York Giants.

Harris left the field in an ambulance and that went down as his final play in his NFL career.

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This Bills proposed resolution was passed by the NFL

This #Bills proposed resolution was passed by the NFL:

The NFL has made a change to one of their policies, and it came by way of a proposal by the Buffalo Bills.

While a new kickoff rule change and the removal of the hip-drop tackle were the headlining changes by the league At the NFL annual meetings, one of the Bills’ proposed resolutions was passed as well.

That proposal was “to make the injury reporting rules for players who do not travel with their clubs to games away from their home city competitively fairer.”

The team also submitted a second proposal, which didn’t get passed as written but the Competition Committee presented their own version that was approved. As Bills head coach Sean McDermott now serves on that committee and with the purpose of the resolution being more what it was meant to solve, it getting passed was considered a success.

“The end of the day, it’s what’s best for the overall league, not just what’s best for the Bills,” McDermott said to the press. “So, sometimes you have to kind of hit a middle ground on things and then reassess from there.”

That Committee’s version of the second proposal by Buffalo was meant “to expand the Standard Elevation rules to permit clubs to elevate a bona fide Quarterback an unlimited number of times from its practice squad to its Active List to be its Emergency Third Quarterback.”

With the passing of this new rule, an emergency third quarterback will now count as one of the two standard elevations. Meanwhile, the Bills’ version of the proposal was that an emergency third quarterback would be in addition to the two elevations.

NFL teams, coaches, and even top players have been instrumental in the past in submitting meaningful rule change proposals and resolutions.

The Bills have been one of those teams in recent years and McDermott having been appointed to the Competition Committee is a reflection of how his role and impact is viewed and embraced by the league in the perspective he brings.

The same can be said of Buffalo’s front office at large in their involvement and participation in looking at ways to improve the game, player safety, and league policies.

The Bills have had chances to experience the impact of unpredictable situations ranging from canceled games due to player injury, to game relocations due to weather, flaws in the compensatory draft pick awarding system, and more.

That in addition to the many things they encounter over the course of the regular season gives them plenty of opportunity for insight as a modern franchise, which could lead to more proposals in the future.

Contract details for Bills TE Dawson Knox restructure

Contract details for #Bills TE Dawson Knox restructure:

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox did his team a nice favor this offseason. In a salary cap jam, the Bills needed help and Knox provided it.

The tight end reworked his contract with the team. His new contract in Buffalo helped by shifting around his dollars in a new way on his deal.

The 27-year-old’s prior contract had him making $10.5 million in 2024, all of that was guaranteed. But in 2025, he had nothing guaranteed.

Now he has $4.5M guaranteed in 2025.

Knox’s salary of $10.5M was cut down by $2M in 2024, and he also had a $2.5M salary cut in 2025. That’s where the $4.5M that’s now guaranteed to him comes from.

In addition, there was part of Knox’s 2024 salary and other bonuses converted into a signing bonus which helped save further dollars on the salary cap.

At the end of the day what is most concerning to fans and the team is the cap.

There, Knox’s 2024 cap hit drops from $14.3M to $7.7M, according to Spotrac. In 2024, there’s only a slight drop from $15.4M to $14M, however, there are no saving for Knox if Buffalo were to cut him in either of the next two years.

The Bills would save around $10M by releasing Knox in 2026, or they could just restructure his contract once again if the team wants to keep him around. That insurance of being locked in for the next two years would have been appealing for Knox, too.

Bills Wire will continue to bring all roster updates throughout the 2024 offseason.

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What WR guru said about Bills signing of Curtis Samuel

What WR guru said about #Bills signing of Curtis Samuel:

Count Yahoo football analyst Matt Harmon as one of the most excited enthusiasts of the Bills signing free agent WR Curtis Samuel.

During a podcast with Dalton Del Don, the duo capped the end of their airtime with the announcement.

“Final piece of news, as we are taping this,” Harmon proclaimed. “The biggest news, the biggest signing in the NFL has happened. Because, according to Adam Schefter as we were taping this, former Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel is signing a three-year, $24 million deal with the Buffalo Bills.”

Harmon created the Reception Perception methodology of evaluation which charts a receiver’s performance on every route run during a multi-game sample to map an understanding of how they perform beyond box score and independent of the influence of outside factors in a variety of ways. 

That evaluation includes…

  • How good of a route-runner is this receiver and on which patterns does he create the most separation?
  • Where does this receiver “win” on the field and what are his best attributes?
  • Where are they best deployed?
  • What quarterback of offense would they best gel with?
  • What kind of coverage foils this wideout and is there a role he best fits in?
  • Is this receiver capable of excelling or breakout if tasked with a greater target workload?

That the creator of such a deep-dive analytic method of evaluation has been and is bullish on Samuel in his career as a pro receiver is certainly positive. That he is authentically so excited at the Bills signing him may also be a good sign.

“I mean, I’m alive. I’m alive, bro. I’m alive. This is awesome. I’m completely thrilled,” Harmon expressed when asked for an immediate reaction during the podcast.

He and Del Don even went as far as to comment on their belief that the Bills got better at the receiver position, stating that Samuel was a clear upgrade.

“This is awesome. What an upgrade over Gabe Davis! You get Curtis Samuel out there? That is really interesting to me.”

He echoed the same sentiment that multiple media analysts have noted that the Samuel signing does not preclude Buffalo from adding a receiver in the draft to replace Davis’s deep-threat abilities while noting Samuel had his best season under Bills OC Joe Brady when he was in Carolina.

“Oh baby, I mean… Curtis Samuel had his best season in the NFL in Joe Brady’s offense. In 2020, he had 1,000 total yards. Over 800 receiving yards. Over 200 rushing yards. He was awesome. I think that he can be used in more true receiver ways and I think he can probably be deployed more as a flanker… I love this signing for the Bills. I love this signing for my guy, Curtis Samuel. I mean, this is absolutely electric. What a time. What a freaking time to be alive.”

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Bills’ Curtis Samuel on offensive coordinator Joe Brady: ‘A good leader’

#Bills’ Curtis Samuel on offensive coordinator Joe Brady: ‘A good leader’

The Buffalo Bills made their first big signing of the NFL free agency period by inking WR Curtis Samuel to a three-year deal.

And his previous playing under Joe Brady during his last pro stint as an offensive coordinator played a key role in landing the receiver.

“I was super-excited when the opportunity came, having some experience with Joe Brady and Carolina definitely influenced me a lot,” Samuel said during his introductory media availability.

“He (Brady) definitely feels like he’s a good leader, somebody you can put your trust in just because I’ve seen it, I’ve seen him put a lot of guys in great situations,” Samuel said. “He gets the most out of his players. I feel like that’s a testament of who he is, about how much guys respect him, and they lean on him, and they trust him.”

The addition of Samuel, whom Bills GM Brandon Beane helped draft while with Carolina’s front office, includes explosive playmaking potential. 

He achieved career-high numbers in his last season together with Brady in 2020 (77 catches for 851 yards receiving and over 1,000 total yards.)

“When I get the ball in my hands, I feel like I’m dynamic,” Samuel said. “That’s what I’m here to bring, just some explosive plays and be a team player. Whatever they need me to be, whatever they need me to do, whether it’s block, catch the ball. Whatever it needs to be, I’m here to be that team guy and help us make plays.”

As an offensive weapon, Samuel’s versatility will allow him to line up in the slot, outside, and from the backfield in the run game as well.

“It’s a little tougher for defenders because I got multiple ways I can go,” Samuel said. “You know, a lot of DBs can use the sideline as their best friend. But in the slot, there’s a whole bunch of room.”

He brings an elite burst with yards-after-catch potential to QB Josh Allen, whom he’s excited to connect with on the field.

“After I signed, he definitely reached out and I spoke to him,” Samuel said about Allen. “I’m definitely excited, I’ve watched him last year when I didn’t have games or when the games were on TV, I watched him. Exciting quarterback, tough, hard-nosed. But, you know, my job is just to make the game as easy as possible for him and I feel like that’s just trying to get open as fast as I can and make the game easier for him.”

After spending his last several seasons with Washington amidst their years as a franchise in transition, the appeal of Buffalo as a competitor with a dedicated fan base holds high appeal to one of the newest Bills.

“It’s a winning organization,” Samuel said. “I just was excited. The fan base was insane. I’ve been to a lot of other places, I’m always grateful for every stop that I took along my journey. I wouldn’t be who I am today without all those people and all the support that I get.

“But I definitely be excited to play in front of these fans.”

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Pete Guelli named new COO for Bills (and Sabres)

Pete Guelli named new COO for #Bills (and #Sabres):

Pete Guelli has been named the new chief operating officer of the Buffalo Bills… and, for those curious, the COO of the Buffalo Sabres as well.

Guelli, 59, previously worked from 1998 to 2009 as President of Business ventures for the Bills and is a Rochester native. In addition, he has held roles with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets and NFL’s New York Giants.

Guelli will oversee the business operations for the Bills and Sabres. General manager Brandon Beane will still be in charge of football operations.

According to a new release, Josh Dziurlikowski, who was serving as the interim COO of the Bills, was named senior vice president of finance and business operations of the Bills.

Team owner Terry Pegula released this statement on the Guelli hire:

“I’d first like to thank Josh and Rob (Minter–Buffalo Sabres) for their outstanding work and leadership as interim COO’s. It was a challenging transition and period for each of them and we are fortunate to be able to retain them in other leadership roles within each organization.”

“It was hard not to be impressed with the experience and overall business acumen of Pete Guelli. The New York market is the largest in our country and highly competitive and he did an outstanding job on all levels of their business operation.

“His work in helping turn around the Charlotte Hornets franchise in the NBA was remarkable. He is a proven leader with tremendous skills and experience in the sports business landscape. With the upcoming changes on the way in both team’s venues, we are happy to have Pete to help lead our teams.”

Guelli replaces John Roth as COO, who was fired in October 2023.

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