Tag: AJ Klein

Bills injury report: How long will Josh Norman be out?

Buffalo Bills injury report for the seventh day of 2020 training camp on Monday, including Josh Norman update.

The Buffalo Bills again took to training camp practice without a few names healthy on Monday, which was their seventh day of full practices this offseason. The most importance piece missing practice again was cornerback Josh Norman.

Expected to compete for the No. 2 cornerback job across from Tre’Davious White, perhaps even having a leg up on Levi Wallace to this point for the job, the 32-year-old has been sidelined with a hamstring injury. Reportedly Norman suffered the injury when he was tackled after making an interception in practice on Thursday.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott said via video conference on Monday that Norman will at least miss a couple more days.

“He’s out today, we’re going to take it one day at a time, it looks like it’s going to be some time here. But, we’re encouraged by his progress here to this point,” McDermott said. “We’ll see how he progresses and I think the next five days will be critical for him.”

During the Bills’ last practice on Sunday, special teams ace Taiwan Jones also suffered an injury and did not practice on Monday. On the team’s full injury report, Jones is listed as having a knee injury. Running back Christian Wade was also a new addition to the injury report, listed as having a quad injury.

Here’s the Bills full injury list for Monday, including carryovers from Sunday’s injury report which remained the same:

DID NOT PRACTICE

  • FB Patrick DiMarco (neck)
  • RB Taiwan Jones (knee)
  • RB Christian Wade (quad)
  • CB Josh Norman (hamstring)

Limited practice

  • LB Tremaine Edmunds (hip)
  • LB AJ Klein (ankle)

Non-contact practice

  • WR Robert Foster (concussion)

PUP LIST

  • TE Tommy Sweeney (foot)

OUT FOR EXTENDED PERIOD

  • OL Jon Feliciano (chest)

Notes: Edmunds and Klein practiced during a light practice on Sunday, so their injuries are no considered serious… Foster has only had one full practice with the Bills so far in training camp.

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Bills injury report: Taiwan Jones exits practice, others return

Buffalo Bills injury report from the sixth day of their 2020 training camp.

The Buffalo Bills might be down a special teamer. According to various reports from their sixth day of training camp practices on Sunday, running back Taiwan Jones exited the practice early. WGR-550 radio reports that the 32-year-old was injured when he awkwardly stepped when downing a punt.

Jones, who was previously with the Bills from 2017-2018, re-signed with the team via free agency this offseason. He spent 2019 with the Texans. While a depth option at running back, if Jones’ injury is significant his spot on special teams will be a big hole for the team to fill.

But the injury situation was actually much brighter, overall, than it had been in previous days. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver (hip) practiced for the first time in nearly a week. Linebackers Tremaine Edmunds (hip) and AJ Klein (ankle) also returned to practice after missing the team’s last practice on Friday. Wide receiver Robert Foster (concussion) practiced in a limit fashion but in a red non-contact jersey.

Here’s the Bills full injury list for Friday, including carryovers from Friday’s injury report which remained the same:

DID NOT PRACTICE

  • FB Patrick DiMarco (neck)

PUP LIST

  • TE Tommy Sweeney (foot)

OUT FOR EXTENDED PERIOD

  • OL Jon Feliciano (chest)

Notes: QB Josh Allen, DL Quinton Jefferson, DT Vernon Butler, DT Harrison Phillips all missed practice after false-negative COVID-19 tests were reportedly found for them, they are expected to practice on Monday.

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Bills injury report: Defense will miss several players Friday

Buffalo Bills training camp injury report from Day 5 of practices on Friday.

The first few days of practice for the Buffalo Bills hasn’t gone without their bumps and bruises. Some of the team’s most important pieces on the defensive side of the ball have appeared on their early injury reports.

Of those, we knew Josh Norman would be mentioned on Friday by Bills head coach Sean McDermott. But he also added two others: linebackers AJ Klein and Tremaine Edmunds. All three will sit out Friday’s practice. McDermott did not disclose either linebacker injury, but did confirm that Norman has a hamstring injury. However, McDermott did not say the severity of the injury.

On Thursday, Norman intercepted a Josh Allen pass intended for Stefon Diggs and on the ensuing tackle, Norman suffered an injury. He didn’t go to the locker room, but he did sit out the remainder of the practice.

In a bit more positive light, second-year pro Ed Oliver has missed this entire week with a hip injury. Over the course of the past few days, the defensive tackle has done some individual work on the sideline, but not much with his teammates. On Friday, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott said that’ll change and he’ll be eased into some things.

Here’s the Bills full injury list for Friday, including carryovers from Thursday’s injury report which remained the same:

Did not practice

  • LB Tremaine Edmunds (undisclosed)
  • LB AJ Klein (undisclosed)
  • CB Josh Norman (hamstring)
  • FB Patrick DiMarco (neck)
  • WR Robert Foster (concussion)

PUP LIST

  • TE Tommy Sweeney (foot)

OUT FOR EXTENDED PERIOD

  • OL Jon Feliciano (chest)

Notes: Feliciano is expected to miss several regular season games… Foster is missing his fourth-straight practice… A few players are having veteran rest days, those include: Diggs, Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Jerry Hughes.

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AJ Klein says Cam Newton will bring ‘chip on shoulder’ to Patriots

Buffalo Bills linebacker AJ Klein discusses New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton.

Patriots quarterback Cam Newton (Photo via Patriots on social media)

Earlier this offseason, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane called quarterback Cam Newton a “misunderstood” guy. Beane is familiar with Newton as the two spent numerous years together with the Carolina Panthers organization.

For the first time since joining the Bills this offseason, linebacker AJ Klein spoke from Buffalo’s training camp via video conference on Wednesday. One of the reasons Klein joins the Bills is because of the Carolina connections in the building like Beane.

Translation: Klein also knows Newton very, very well, andhe echoed very much of what Beane previously said about Newton in late March.

Beane said he wouldn’t have earned a GM job himself without Newton’s skills on the field, stating he thinks the QB deserved a second chance as a starter because that new team will get a player bringing a “chip on his shoulder” to their locker room.

Well what do you know… Klein doubled down for Beane this week.

“I know Cam is one of the… he’s a competitive person. Being around for my four years [in Carolina] and being able to compete against him the last three years (in New Orleans)… I know he’s going to be playing with a chip on his shoulder this year. He’s, when healthy, and I hope he remains healthy… he’s usually the best athlete on the field. That’s a scary thought, thought a guy that’s 6-6, 250-plus pounds,” Klein said. “He has arm strength, he has the ability to run the ball, he’s a dynamic player and he’s always a threat.”

But as Klein said, when healthy. That’s the big question for the potential new signal caller for the 11-time reigning AFC East champions.

No one is going to fill Tom Brady’s shoes, but Newton appears to be the front-runner because of his past. The 30-year-old is a former MVP winner (while he was in the building with Beane and Klein) and his competition for the job, Jarrett Stidham, is essentially still a rookie. Newton can be good, but even if healthy, we might be seeing a different guy now, for better or worse for the Pats’ sake.

But don’t think for a minute that Klein’s going to be nervous about facing Newton as a division foe once again, though. The circumstances between the Saints and Panthers are a little different than the Bills and Patriots over recent memory, but Klein’s ready for another challenge against his former teammate while both wear different colors.

“I look forward to being able to compete against him again. I didn’t expect him to end up in the same division again, but he reached out to me not too long ago… I can speak on his character and who he is, he tries to get the guys around him better, and he definitely cares about his teammates and I know he’ll put his best foot forward,” Klein said.

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Could AJ Klein be hinting at group effort to replace Lorenzo Alexander?

AJ Klein hints at how the Buffalo Bills will replace Lorenzo Alexander in lineup.

The Buffalo Bills lost a lot when linebacker Lorenzo Alexander decided to retire following the 2019 season.

Alexander was the team’s third linebacker on paper behind Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano. But because of the nature of the beast, Alexander was a heck of a lot more than that for the Bills.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott runs a scheme which calls for plenty of nickel base, meaning two linebackers on the field. Those two players see just about every defensive snap for the Bills game in, and game out. Alexander didn’t do that, rather, he played as a third linebacker… defensive end, interior pass rusher, and even in a pass coverage role.

How do you fill those shoes? We don’t know that answer just yet and won’t until we see games without Alexander, but it doesn’t sound like AJ Klein is going to be doing all of that by himself. A former Panthers defender who played in McDermott’s scheme in Carolina, Klein signed with the Bills earlier this offseason. W

ith Edmunds and Milano still and town and his position listed as a linebacker… yes, Klein will help play the role Alexander has in years past. But when chatting via video conference on Wednesday from Bills training camp, Klein said he is not going to try to be Alexander at all.

“I don’t even try,” Klein said when asked about filling Alexander’s shoes. “I’m myself, I’ve met Lorenzo from NFLPA meetings in years past. I know the type of guy he is, I know he’s come to talk to us, he’s been at a few of our linebacker meetings over the offseason. I know he’s a tremendous player, a tremendous man… so I don’t feel any kind of pressure to fill any kind of hole or void or anything because I know who I am, who I am as a player, who I am as a person. I hope that I just fit in with the group how I fit in, I’m not trying to fill his shoes.”

That’s not to say Klein isn’t excited about joining a McDermott defense again, though.

“We know how successful [McDermott’s scheme] can be and I’ve been part of that success in Carolina. It’s a system that once you learn it, it allows you to play fast, free, and it’s… I think it allows great communication from the back seven, to the D-line, to the linebackers, it allows everybody to play fast, together. And it works, It’s tried and tested. It works,” Klein said.

Reading between the lines, expect the Bills to throw a few different faces on the field with the likes of Edmunds and Milano throughout the 2020 season to “fill” Alexander’s various roles. Along with Klein, there’s the versatile Corey Thompson and Vosean Joseph, who missed his entire rookie season in 2019. All three can help on special teams too, just like… you guess it, Zo.

But along with Alexander’s spot on the field schematically, expect the Bills to also move in a group effort in finding a new source of defensive leadership. Klein’s entering his eighth season, so he’s part of that. Now we’ll circle back to Edmunds and Milano to step up here as well. Teammates and coaches have already referenced how those two have already shown a willingness to take leadership roles this offsesaon.

“The first guy that comes to mind is just seeing Tremaine’s development in this offseason,” defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said earlier this offseason. “This virtual offseason. Just the way he has been kind of bringing players together and talking with them, calling them, reaching out to them, going past his own position, the linebacker position.”

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Projected 2020 Bills starters after the initial rush of free agency

Here is how the Bills starting lineup looks after the first wave of free agency.

The initial chaos of the NFL free agency period has quieted. The Buffalo Bills added several pieces to help bolster the roster.

All told, the Bills added cornerbacks Josh Norman and EJ Gaines; defensive linemen Mario Addison,  Vernon Butler, and Quinton Jefferson; linebackers AJ Klein and Travis Matakevich; and running back Taiwan Jones.

The team brought back guard Quinton Spain. The Bills also committed to safety Dean Marlowe and Isaiah McKenzie, as this duo looks to add depth to the roster.

Oh, and they made a minor deal to bring in Stefon Diggs, who will shift the wide receiver depth chart drastically for the Bills.

All things considered, how does Buffalo’s roster currently sit? Here’s how the Bills starting lineup looks after the first wave of free agency:

Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Offense

QB: Josh Allen

RB: Devin Singletary

WR: Stefon Diggs

WR: John Brown

WR: Cole Beasley

TE: Dawson Knox

LT: Dion Dawkins

LG: Quinton Spain

C: Mitch Morse

RG: Jon Feliciano

RT: Cody Ford

Changes from last season

The major change from a year ago occurs at the wide receiver position. Diggs, acquired in a trade with Minnesota in exchange for four draft picks, becomes the top receiving option for the Bills. He enters into a trio of receivers, along with Brown and Beasley, that can ultimately become one of the most challenging units to face in the AFC.

Knox takes the top spot at tight end, supplanting Tyler Kroft. Kroft, a 2019 free agent signing, lost ground to Knox due to injury. Knox’s intriguing combination of physicality and enthusiasm, although a bit inexperienced, still gives him the inside track to start this year. Although, Kroft will be back and he restructured his contract with the team. If healthy, could Knox and Kroft turn into a formidable 1-2 punch?

 

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Bills salary cap update after start of free agency

The Buffalo Bills current salary cap situation following the first wave of free agency.

The dust has settled after a thrilling start to the league’s new year for the Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo’s groundbreaking move to acquire wide receiver Stefon Diggs from Minnesota was just the beginning of an active start for the club. The Bills went on to re-sign guard Quinton Spain while signing free agents Quinton Jefferson, Vernon Butler, AJ Klein, Mario Addison, Josh Norman, Tyler Matakevich, and Taiwan Jones.

The club extended the contract of Jordan Poyer, as the safety signed a two-year, $19.5 million contract to keep the standout in Western New York through 2022.

The Bills entered the free agency period with approximately $78 million in cap space. After all of the deals, they have approximately $32.5 million remaining in space below the cap maximum, according to Spotrac.

Approximately $4 million of the cap space will be dedicated to the team’s draft picks this April.

Buffalo’s cap space is also buoyed by rolling over some of their cap space from last season into this year’s figures.

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AJ Klein contract details with Bills

Klein, 28, still will have to solidify his role on Buffalo’s defense. One thing he won’t have to do is solidify a good chunk of change from the Bills. 

The Bills added to their linebacker corps early in free agency after losing Lorenzo Alexander to retirement this offseason. AJ Klein, a former Panthers prospect, joins the Bills after three years with the Saints.

Klein, 28, still will have to solidify his role on Buffalo’s defense. One thing he won’t have to do is solidify a good chunk of change from the Bills.

Klein reportedly signed a three-year, $18 million deal with the Bills. The Houston Chronicle has now broken down the exact numbers from his contract. Over half of it is guaranteed.

Off the bat, Klein gets a $1.2 million signing bonus. Then his $2.2 million base salary for next season is guaranteed as well. In addition, he’s slated to get a $3.1 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year next week, which is basically another guarantee. Very much a front-loaded deal.

But the guarantees don’t stop there. Of Klein’s $4.1 million base salary in 2021, $3.2 is also guaranteed. That’s a sum of $9.7 million all guaranteed of his $18 million total. The second year of the deal also lands him a $1.6 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year, if he’s still on the Bills then which seems likely with that $3.2 million attachment.

In 2022, plenty of those numbers go down, though. He’ll be on a base salary of $4.2 million with none guaranteed and his fifth-day bonus drops to $700K as well.

Finally, he has an annual per game incentive situation attached to his deal, worth up to $200K.

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8 things to know about new Bills LB AJ Klein

Things to know about the Buffalo Bills’ newest linebacker, AJ Klein.

The Bills made their biggest addition to their team in free agency via trade. Stefon Diggs upgrades the Bills offense, but don’t you worry, the Bills aren’t going to neglect their defense and special teams.

In an effort to do both, Buffalo added linebacker AJ Klein. If things pan out well for him in Orchard Park, Bills fans could be hearing his name a lot. So let’s get to know the person behind the mask a bit.

Here are eight things to know about new Bills linebacker AJ Klein:

Panthers middle linebacker A.J. Klein. Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Carolina connection

A cut-and-paste type of start here for Klein’s background. He has some extensive experience knowing the Bills front office brass from his time with the Panthers.

Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane was part of the front office that made Klein their fifth-round pick in 2013. From there, the 28-year-old would then play in Sean McDermott’s defense. McDermott was Carolina’s defensive coordinator before taking the Buffalo head coaching job. Add Klein to the list of players that appeared in the Super Bowl with the Panthers as well (playing 22% of special teams snaps).

But while with the Panthers, Klein did not see the snaps on defense he was probably hoping for. In his four-year career there, he played in 13, 27, 29, and 33 percentage of defensive snaps per season, respectively. He eventually left for the Saints, where he played in at least 63 percent of defensive snaps in each of his three seasons there.

Klein was stuck behind Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis in Carolina. So it was simply hard to find him some snaps.

 

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PODCAST: After acquiring Stefon Diggs, are Bills an AFC contender?

Kyle SIlagyi, Justin Diloro, and Matt Johnson discuss the Buffalo Bills’ acquisition of WR Stefon Diggs.

The Buffalo Bills made a potentially franchise-altering move on the first day of NFL free agency, acquiring wide receiver Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings for a package of draft picks.

Though the price that Buffalo paid was steep, it may ultimately be worth it, as a player of Diggs’ caliber is perhaps exactly what the team needs in order to push it over the proverbial hump. On this episode of The Kyle Silagyi Variety Hour, host Kyle Silagyi is joined by BillsWire staff writers Justin DiLoro and Matt Johnson to discuss the team’s acquisition of Diggs.

They also talk about whether or not the trade makes Buffalo a true contender while also discussing how the move impacts the rest of the AFC.

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