Tag: bills

6 possible landing spots for Todd Gurley

Todd Gurley was cut by the Rams, and the Bears, Broncos, Bills, Bucs and some other teams should be interested.

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Todd Gurley was cut by the Los Angeles Rams after only two seasons after signing a four-year $60 million extension. He’s at least taking it in stride.

Now Gurley is free to sign with whatever team he would like. The problem for teams looking to land the former All-Pro running back is that he simply hasn’t shown the burst that used to make him such an amazing player. His knee isn’t going to get any better and he will have to be on a proverbial pitch count. Basically, win-now teams will be interested in Gurley, and he won’t get a long-term deal.

Still, some teams should be interested in bringing Gurley in. He’s a three-down running back who is talented as a pass catcher and when healthy is one of the best backs in the league. Let’s take a guess at what team’s will be in the market.

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RB Melvin Gordon struggling to find offers

Melvin Gordon is not even getting an offer as good as what the Los Angeles Chargers offered last year.

Handful of free agents have found new homes within the past few days, but one player that is still searching is running back Melvin Gordon.

According to NFL Media’s Mike Garofolo, Gordon hasnā€™t received ā€œanything remotely closeā€ to the offer he could have had with the Chargers last offseason, which was worth around $10 million a year.

Due to the contract dispute, Gordon held out for the first four games of the regular season, but Los Angeles never increased the original offer on the table for him.

The reason why Gordon hasn’t found much success since hitting the market is because it’s becoming more clear that NFL teams aren’t valuing the position as much as they used to due to a shorter shelf life, and he is already 26 years old, along with seeing a decrease in production from 2018 to 2019.

Gordon remained healthy upon returning from his holdout in 2019. However, he has dealt with various lower body injuries since coming into the league in 2016. And his yards per carry average dropped from 5.1 to 3.9 last season in 12 games.

Los Angeles extended Austin Ekeler to a four-year deal, which likely indicated that Gordon won’t be back next season.

At the moment, teams like the Bills, Falcons and Buccaneers reportedly have interest in the former Wisconsin product. If and when signed, it wouldn’t be surprising if it is a short-term deal.

5 possible trade destinations for Yannick Ngakoue

The Jacksonville Jaguars franchise-tagged Yannick Ngakoue but there’s a strong possibility he gets traded to one of these teams.

(Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports)

Yannick Ngakoue was franchised by the Jacksonville Jaguars even though the player and team don’t seem to be getting along. Ngakoue even tweeted out a goodbye to the fans of Jacksonville. That didn’t stop the Jaguars from slapping the franchise tag on the defensive end.

If Ngakoue isn’t staying put and the Jaguars are franchising him with their current cap situation it means a trade is coming. Last year we saw three edge players get the tag and then get traded. Jadeveon Clowney, Dee Ford, and Frank Clark all ended up playing somewhere else. Ngakoue is just as good as the guys mentioned above. He has a Pro-Bowl and 37.5 sacks in four years. He’ll be 25 by the time the next season starts and is only entering his prime.

Let’s try and figure out where Ngakoue could end up.

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Report: Bills show interest in Texans free agent DT DJ Reader

Buffalo Bills reportedly are interested in Houston Texans pending free agent DJ Reader.

According to The Houston Chronicle, the Bills are one of three teams reportedly interested in D.J. Reader.

Reader is considered on of the better defensive tackles slated to hit the open market in the coming weeks, as the NFL’s free agency period opens on March 18. Per Spotrac‘s projection heading into free agency, Reader could land a deal with near $12 million per season.

The 25-year-old is looking to cash in as his rookie contract is expiring. He was the Texans’ fifth-round pick at the 2016 NFL Draft.

Reader has been incredibly health in his career, playing in at least 14 games in all four of his seasons. In 61 career games, he has 154 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 6.5 career stats. In 2019, he improved his pass-rushing skills, as he recorded 2.5 sacks and 13 QB hits. Prior to the season, he had 11 total career QB hits in his first three seasons combined.

Per Pro Football Focus, Reader was among the NFL’s best lineman last season. His overall grade of 85.5 was the seventh-best defensive tackle grade the analytics outlet handed out in 2019.

The Bills have already invested heavily in their defensive line, with Star Lotulelei previous signing a five-year, $50 million contract, along with investing a first-round pick in Ed Oliver at last year’s draft.

While the Bills do also have talent in Harrison Phillips in their rotation, the Bills may lose Jordan Phillips via free agency this offseason. With the rotation the Bills play along Sean McDermott’s defensive line, Reader would certainly have a place.

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2020 NFL Futures Betting: AFC East Division Winner

Analyzing the 2020 NFL futures odds for which team will win the AFC East Division, with sports betting picks, tips and best bets.

For the last two decades, the AFC East has belonged to the New England Patriots. Since the 2003 season, the Patriots have won the division every year, except for the 2008 season when Tom Brady tore his ACL. The Patriots still went on to win 11 games that season, but it was the Miami Dolphins who wore the AFC East Crown.

Will things change in 2020 in the AFC East as Brady could be on the move? Could another team sneak up and pass the Patriots inside the division? Here are the betting odds for each team to win the AFC East in 2020.

2020 AFC East odds: New England Patriots (-304)

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday, March 2 at 5 p.m. ET.

As expected, the Patriots are currently big favorites to win the AFC East for the 12th straight season. However, these odds are lower than usual as the Brady situation hangs over the fate of the entire franchise.

Even if the Patriots were to lose Brady, their defense, along with coach Bill Belichick makes this team tough to bet against. In all likelihood, Brady should return, and the Patriots will once again be one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl. At their current odds, the Patriots are still a good bet to win the division. In fact, consider them a value play right now as Brady’s future is still in question.

2020 AFC East odds: Buffalo Bills (+325)

If you want to fade the Patriots, betting on the Bills at more than 3-1 to win the division isn’t a bad way to go. Under coach Sean McDermott, the Bills have gone 25-23 over the last three seasons. Their best year came in 2019 when they went 10-6 and made the playoffs.

Get some action on 2020 NFL division winners by betting at BetMGM. New customer offer: RISK-FREE First Bet (up to $500!) paid in free bets.

The Bills have an incredibly talented roster on both sides of the ball, but they need QB Josh Allen to continue to take steps forward as a passer. With their elite defense and top-tier run game, it’s reasonable to think Buffalo could reach double-digit wins in 2020. Don’t be afraid of betting on this hard-nosed Bills team next season.

2020 AFC East odds: New York Jets (+1000)

After the Patriots and the Bills, there is a big gap between the next tier of teams in the division. The Jets come in at 10-1 underdogs after finishing the season 7-9 last year. There is some optimism surrounding this team as it won six of the final eight games to finish the season. While the Jets defense played near an average level last season, it was their 31st-ranked scoring offense that held them back.

If the Jets can find some offensive line help to protect QB Sam Darnold, it wouldn’t be a shock to see this team sneak into the playoffs next season. However, the Jets are still a long way from topping the Patriots and the Bills and should be avoided at their current odds.

2020 AFC East odds: Miami Dolphins (+2000)

The Dolphins are 20-1 underdogs to win the East. While they are clearly still rebuilding the roster, it wouldn’t be a surprise if this team turned things around quicker than most expect. First-year coach Brian Flores was awfully impressive in the second half of the season as the Dolphins earned impressive wins against the Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles and Patriots.

If the Dolphins can find their franchise quarterback this offseason and rebuild their roster with the plethora of picks at their disposal, don’t be surprised if this team makes a big leap in 2020. However, it does appear Miami is still one or two years away from challenging New England or Buffalo atop of the division.

Want action on the AFC East Division winner? Sign up and bet at BetMGM.Ā For more sports betting picks and tips, visitĀ SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.Ā  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Georgia football RB D’Andre Swift to meet with two AFC East teams at NFL Combine

Georgia football RB D’Andre Swift is scheduled to meet with two AFC East teams at the NFL Combine.

Georgia running back D’Andre Swift is viewed as a first round pick in April’s NFL Draft.

He’ll likely be the first running back taken off the board, and there’s two AFC East teams that he is scheduled to meet with this week – the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills.

The Dolphins hold both the 18th and 26th pick in the draft with the Bills having the 22nd pick.

If Swift does go at 18, 22 or 26, he would be the highest taken running back out of Georgia since Gurley went No. 10 in 2015.

Sony Michel went 31st to New England in 2018 and Nick Chubb went 35th to the Browns.

But Swift has been viewed as a higher draft choice thanks in large part to his versatility.

In terms of what a guy can do with the ball in his hands, there’s nobody who has a wider range of skill than Swift.

Not only can he run you over, but he can blow past you with his speed and he has one of the nastiest arsenals of jukes, spins and cuts that youā€™ll see from a college running back.

But what really sets him apart is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and make things happen. Itā€™s something that Georgia fans may not be too familiar with ā€” and thatā€™s not because Swift could not do it, but because the coaches would not cut #7 loose and let him.

ā€œThere are a lot of great backs in this class, but I think Iā€™m the most versatile,ā€ Swift said during his interview session on Wednesday.

ā€œI think Iā€™m a three-down back, and I can do whatever Iā€™m asked to do. God gave me a lot of ability. I donā€™t take that for granted. I work hard every day, and Iā€™m a leader.ā€

If Swift does go to the AFC East, that would put him, Chubb and Michel in the same conference. Furthermore, it would place Michel and Swift in the same division, meaning there would be at least two Michel/Swift battles annually.

The NFL Draft begins April 23rd.

Bills snubbed from PFF’s top-101 players list

Pro Football Focus tabbed their top-101 players from the 2019 NFL season that was According to the football analytics outlet, not a single player from the Bills was worthy of mentioning The Bills had an impressive season making the playoffs with a lot of young talent The two biggest omissions from the list on the Bills side are impressive defender Treā€™Davious White and Tremaine Edmunds

Pro Football Focus tabbed their top-101 players from the 2019 NFL season that was According to the football analytics outlet, not a single player from the Bills was worthy of mentioning The Bills had an impressive season making the playoffs with a lot of young talent The two biggest omissions from the list on the Bills side are impressive defender Treā€™Davious White and Tremaine Edmunds

Bills snubbed from PFF’s top-101 players list

Pro Football Focus tabbed their top-101 players from the 2019 NFL season that was According to the football analytics outlet, not a single player from the Bills was worthy of mentioning The Bills had an impressive season making the playoffs with a lot of young talent The two biggest omissions from the list on the Bills side are impressive defender Treā€™Davious White and Tremaine Edmunds

Pro Football Focus tabbed their top-101 players from the 2019 NFL season that was According to the football analytics outlet, not a single player from the Bills was worthy of mentioning The Bills had an impressive season making the playoffs with a lot of young talent The two biggest omissions from the list on the Bills side are impressive defender Treā€™Davious White and Tremaine Edmunds

8 Notre Dame Players Listed in Matt Miller’s Full Mock Draft

Time will tell but recent trends in some of the most-respected draft analysts mock drafts have had fewer and fewer former Fighting Irish going in round one.

April 23 will bring the start of the 2020 NFL Draft, this year being held in Las Vegas as part of the NFL’s celebration of bringing the league to Vegas with the Raiders.

How many Notre Dame players will we see drafted in those three days?Ā  Time will tell but recent trends in some of the most-respected draft analysts mock drafts have had fewer and fewer former Fighting Irish going in round one.

Matt Miller from Bleacher Report released his full seven round mock draft this weekend and had eight different Notre Dame players getting selected.Ā  Now who were they and where did he have them going?

R1 – 30:Ā  Cole Kmet, TE, Green Bay Packers
R2 – 54:Ā  Julian Okwara, Edge Rusher, Buffalo Bills
R3 – 75:Ā  Khalid Kareem, Edge Rusher, Indianapolis Colts
R3 – 94:Ā  Chase Claypool, WR, Green Bay Packers
R4 – 145:Ā  Troy Pride, Jr., CB, Baltimore Ravens
R5 – 153:Ā  Jalen Elliott, S, Arizona Cardinals
R6 – 196:Ā  Alohi Gilman, S, New England Patriots
R7 – 241:Ā  Tony Jones, Jr., RB, Miami Dolphins

A few thoughts on this one:

First off, as a Chicago Bears fan I despise the idea of both Kmet and Claypool going to Green Bay.Ā  Jimmy Graham is washed up at tight end while aside from Davante Adams, there aren’t many options for Aaron Rodgers to throw to.Ā  Kmet and Claypool fix that issue, especially when you factor in the ridiciulous depth of talent at wide receiver in this draft being the only reason Claypool would be a fourth round pick.

Okwara not only not in the first round but really not sniffing the first round.Ā  It certainly is starting to seem like it’s going to be Kmet or bust for that first round.

Troy Pride, Jr. as a fourth round pick by the Ravens feels like the kind of Ravens defensive pick that you see, don’t think a ton about initally and then you look up six years later and he’s still a mainstay on that defense.

Alohi Gilman as a reserve safety and special teams player for the Patriots seems like the most Bill Belichick sixth round draft pick ever…well, besides that Brady guy.

Tony Jones, Jr. gets selected in this one.Ā  I know the All-Star games don’t carry nearly the weight as the practices before them do but he had a rather weak showing a few weeks back in Tampa and I’ll be pleasantly surprised if his name is called and he’s not an undrafted free agent.

Sammy Watkins ‘scarred’ by Bills trade, didn’t want to be in Buffalo

Kansas City Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins reflects on Buffalo Bills trade.

Sammy Watkins, former first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills, said the team trading him in 2017 “helped him a lot.”

The comments about the team that drafted him went downhill from there.

As the story goes, the Bills traded two first-round picks for Watkins. He had production with the Bills, including a 1,000-plus yard season in only 13 games played in 2015.

But when Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane came to town, they shocked the league by making big-time player personnel moves. Including in those were trading Watkins to the Rams, something he said left a lasting impact on him and a bit of a sour taste in his mouth toward the Bills.

ā€œIt left me scarred by just not trusting coaches in general,” Watkins told reporters via 13WHAM-TV during Super Bowl week in Miami ahead of Sunday’s Chiefs-49ers showdown. “But I think that revived my whole career. At that point in my life I didnā€™t want to be there and somehow, miraculously, I get traded like the next week and go to another team thatā€™s pretty good and go to the playoffs in my first year with the Rams and now to be in this situation, fighting in the third round last year, one game away from the Super Bowl and to be in the Super Bowl this year… blessings.”

After trading Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby in separate deals, Beane said the trades were made looking toward the future.

“Really with the draft picks, as we talk about short term and long term, that’s a big part of with planning for the future. We believe that you build through the draft and in order to get us into a situation where we can achieve success and sustain it, building through the draft is the way to go,” Beane said.

Of course, this was just the start of Beane and McDermott deconstructing the roster former general manager Doug Whaley built. Fast forward to today and the only draft pick left on the Bills roster from Whaley’s tenure is Shaq Lawson, and he’s a pending free agent.

Along with Watkins, former Bill LeSean McCoy didn’t have the nicest things to say about the Bills front office at Super Bowl week, either.

However, McCoy did stick around much longer on the Bills roster constructed by McDermott and Beane, one they also touted the importance of building around a strong culture. Having a player that wants to be traded isn’t exactly a strong culture.

Plus, the Bills now have plenty of salary cap space, near $90 million, heading into the offseason. A reason for that was biting the bullet on several dead cap moves in 2017, such as trading Watkins.

Regardless, plenty of time has gone by and with Watkins in the Super Bowl this year and the Bills as postseason visitors two of the past three seasons, both sides can equally say they benefited from the move.

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