Tag: buffalo bills free agency

Kevin Johnson signs with Browns

Buffalo Bills cornerback Kevin Johnson is signing with the Cleveland Browns.

While the Bills likely already plugged his hole in the lineup, Kevin Johnson won’t be returning to the team next season now.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, cornerback Kevin Johnson signed a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns. Per the report, it’s an incentive based deal woth $3.5 million which could jump up to $6 million, depending on performance.

Johnson signed a one-year “prove-it” deal with the Bills last season for $3 million.

With the addition of Josh Norman, it seemed unlikely the Bills would sign another cornerback. While Johnson’s $3.5 is close to his former contract, the Bills might have been not interested in giving Johnson such incentives, or playing time.

Prior to joining the Bills, Johnson had a long list of injuries with the Texans, but managed to stay healthy with Buffalo in 2019, appearing in all 16 games. Johnson provided a depth role, but also pushed fellow cornerback Levi Wallace for his starting job. The two, at times, split playing time with Wallace getting slightly more. With that rotation in mind, he did only play in 32 percent of the Bills’ defensive snaps last season, so maybe that’s why his contract has certain incentives.

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Vernon Butler contract details with Bills

Another former Carolina Panthers first-round pick is now being paid by the Buffalo Bills in defensive tackle Vernon Butler. 

Another former Carolina Panthers first-round pick is now being paid by the Buffalo Bills in defensive tackle Vernon Butler. 

But the 25-year-old’s career has been interesting to this point. Mainly he’s getting paid based on his 2019 season since he was basically a dud before then, not even really getting starts as a first-round prospect. He had six sacks and three forced fumbles.

Because of that, the Bills’ deal for has some twists in it via incentives and the way it’s managed. Butler reportedly landed a two-year, $15 million deal after the Panthers did not pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.

Butler did get a decent chunk of guarantees in his deal, $9.3 million in total, according to the Houston Chronicle. That comes via a $2 million signing bonus, a 2020 roster bonus of $3 million on the fifth day of the league year most likely, and $2.8 million of guaranteed salary in 2020.

In addition, he has a $1.5 million injury guarantee in 2021. That brings his deal to a front-loaded one with $7.8 million of his guarantees coming in 2020.

In the second year of his deal, the Bills have a big time deal on their hands in their favor. His salary jumps to $5.5 million, but the dead cap hit drops from $7.8 million to $1 million.

There’s also a $1.5 million salary escalator on his contract, which could case his base salaries to go up, plus there are another $750K worth of incentives in his contract. Those are based on sacks. Butler’s deal reads much like a one-year “prove-it” contract, with a team option of sorts on Year 2.

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Report: Bills interested in RB Melvin Gordon

According to NYUP.com, the Bills have interest in former Chargers running back Melvin Ingram. Reportedly, there’s mutual interest as well:

Once viewed as perhaps a pipe dream, perhaps not so much anymore. And maybe even a reality?

According to NYUP.com, the Bills have interest in former Chargers running back Melvin Ingram. Reportedly, there’s mutual interest as well:

In a position with the Bills, Gordon would be a complementary rusher with Buffalo’s second-year back Devin Singletary.

Following the first wave of Buffalo’s free agency, the club really doesn’t have a glaring need. But perhaps their biggest one is adding another complementary playmaker, such as one at tight end or someone like Gordon at running back.

The Bills reportedly had some interest in him at last year’s trade deadline, but nothing happened. The 26-year-old former first-round pick had his name in trade speculation because he was looking for a new contract last season. He held out for four games but never got that new deal from the Chargers.

Once he returned, Gordon didn’t really make much impact either, so who knows what his future deal could hold? His yards per carry average dropped from 5.1 to 3.9 last season in 12 games.

But with the reformed Bills offense, highlighted by the additions at wide receiver in 2019 (John Brown, Cole Beasley), and the recent acquisition of Stefon Diggs, Gordon to the Bills could be a scary idea.

A scary one for opponents to face next year, that is.

The Bills currently have $32.5 million in salary cap left., plenty of room for an addition of a couple of million. That’s the 12th most salary cap space in the NFL. The Bills were previously a team with top-five space in the league, but they’ve spent in recent days.

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Jordan Poyer on Bills extension: ‘I want to finish what we started’

The Buffalo Bills and safety Jordan Poyer agreed to a two-year extension while the whirlwind of free agency started gong down this week. 

The Buffalo Bills and safety Jordan Poyer agreed to a two-year extension while the whirlwind of free agency started going down this week.

While Poyer was certainly in-line for a payday, the defensive back said there was still plenty of motivation for him to return. Some personal business.

“I want to finished what we started,” Poyer said on Thursday via a conference call. “This team is heading in the right direction.”

Poyer, 28, is a former seventh-round pick of the Eagles in 2013. That alone comes with plenty of uncertainty since quite often a seventh rounder doesn’t ever make an active roster. Poyer did, but was eventually released by the Eagles. From there, he latched on with the Browns. However, that time is mostly remember for injury trouble.

In 2016, he suffered a lacerated kidney and concussion and was rushed to the hospital. With so much uncertainty surrounding his health, the Bills signed him to a reasonable four-year, $13 million deal. His two-year extension will pay him $20 million with the Bills alone. Again, a deserved pay raise.

Poyer reflected on the 2017 offseason, one which saw him become one of Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott’s first free agent signees.

“I wasn’t really sure where my carer would end up,” Poyer said. “It was really a blessing in disguise to come to Buffalo.”

Part of that blessing ended up being his safety partner Micah Hyde, too. For the foreseeable future, that pair, one that’s become one of the best safety tandems in the NFL, will now be locked in next to each other. Keeping next to Hyde was another appealing aspect for Poyer.

“I learned so much in the game from him,” Poyer said of Hyde, who’s also a close friend of his off the field. “I’m really excited just for the next step we can take… him and I together, our secondary and our whole defense.”

Poyer is the first domino to fall on the Bills’ list of players to re-sign in the next year. With Poyer locked up, now the Bills will likely turn attention to the likes of cornerback Tre’Davious White, linebacker Matt Milano and offensive tackle Dion Dawkins.

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Report: Bills express interest in WR Rashard Higgins

According to NYUP.com, the Bills have expressed interested in the former Browns wideout. 

The Buffalo Bills added the big fish receiver they so desperately needed via trade in Stefon Diggs. But the organization appears to be concerned about their depth there, too.

According to NYUP.com, the Bills have expressed interested in the former Browns wideout.

In 2018, Higgins flashed some promise, when he had 39 receptions for 572 yards and four scores. But last season, perhaps because of an MCL sprain Higgins was held to only four catches for 55 yards and a touchdown in 10 games. As the report suggests, that score came against the Bills. Higgins also previously had an ACL injury.

In 54 career games, Higgins has 76 catches for 1,016 yards and seven scores. He was a fifth-round pick of the Browns in 2016, and despite his shortcomings, Cleveland.com previously reported that the Browns would be interested in bringing him back for “the right price.”

But the Bills will likely want him for the same standard. The 2020 receiver draft class is speculated to be amongst the deepest wideout classes in years, so the Bills could find value on a receiver with a later draft pick.

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Top free agent targets still available for the Bills

NFL free agency officially opened on Wednesday, but since the tampering period began on Monday, boy have the Buffalo Bills been busy. 

NFL free agency officially opened on Wednesday, but since the tampering period began on Monday, boy have the Buffalo Bills been busy.

Through signings, the like of Mario Addison, AJ Klein and others have joined the Bills. However, Buffalo’s biggest splash was receiver Stefon Diggs, who joins the Bills via a trade involving the Vikings.

While that “first wave” of free agency is now behind us, there’s still plenty of names available for the Bills to consider.

Here’s a rundown of 12 players that Bills could consider adding still:

Buccaneers wide receiver Breshad Perriman. Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

WR Breshad Perriman

Age: 26

At one point, Breshad Perriman could’ve been thought of as a bigger-named free agent for the Bills or other NFL teams to acquire. But it appears they didn’t take the bait.

As a former first-round pick, his rookie season was derailed by injury with the Ravens and then he had three-straight disappointing campaigns that followed. In 2019, his fortunes changed. As that season went on for the Buccaneers, he saw more and more playing time. Perriman turned into a vertical threat last season as he notched 36 catches, 645 yards and six touchdowns, all career-highs. His final three-game stretch, one which saw him grab 17 catches for 349 yards with four touchdowns, could’ve been a tempting thing for a team to acquire.

Instead, he’s still out there, and at 6-foot-2, could be that bigger, deep-threat addition the Bills could add. Price tag coming down, it appears.

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Report: Bills expected to bring back RB Taiwan Jones

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, running back and special teamer Taiwan Jones is signing back on with the Bills again. Jones, 31, previously played for the Bills in 2017 and 2018. 

The Buffalo Bills are expected to bring back a familiar face, for both good and bad reasons.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, running back and special teamer Taiwan Jones is signing back on with the Bills again. Jones, 31, previously played for the Bills in 2017 and 2018.

But the Bills let him go, and it cost them dearly.

Remember Buffalo’s playoff loss to the Texans? Quarterback Deshaun Watson spun out of a would-be sack by linebacker Matt Milano, who dumped off a pass to a running back. That back took the ball into field goal range.

That back was Jones:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcDhuFjffJc&w=560&h=315]

For his career, Jones has 223 rushing yards and 19 catches, one of which went for a score. As a special teamer, he has 62 career tackles.

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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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Bills expected to sign DE Quinton Jefferson

The Buffalo Bills are attacking their defensive line this free agency period, adding their second edge defender in Quinton Jefferson. 

The Buffalo Bills are attacking their defensive line this free agency period, adding their second edge defender in Quinton Jefferson.

The Bills are signing him to a two-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Financial terms of the deal have yet to be released.

Earlier in free agency, the Bills lost edge rusher Shaq Lawson to the Dolphins. But the Bills already added one reinforcement via Mario Addison, a former Panthers player under Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott.

Coming from the Seahawks, Jefferson, 26,  played along a 3-4 front defensive end spot at times, but could be used in a 4-3 tackle position, such as the Bills’ 3-tech spot. If Jordan Phillips departs, there’s certainly a spot there for Jefferson. But without Lawson now as well, the Bills can use him in a variety of ways.

In 39 career games played, Jefferson has 7.5 sacks, 5 passes defended and 10 tackles for loss. Early in his career, things were derailed for him by injury but in recent seasons, the former fifth-round pick has turned it around. Jefferson has 6.5 sacks combined over the past two seasons and he’s shown a good ability to beat double teams, winning 10.9 percent of those.

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Bills agree to deal with DT Vernon Butler

The Bills have agreed to terms on a contract with defensive tackle Vernon Butler. 

The Bills have agreed to terms on a contract with defensive tackle Vernon Butler.

Butler is a former first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the contract is of the two-year variety.

Updates to follow…

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