Buffalo Bills in Draft Wire’s 2021 NFL Mock draft.
The Buffalo Bills chose not to address their offensive line at the 2020 NFL Draft. For fun, Draft Wire dropped a way-too-far 2021 mock draft and assuming the Bills keep their first-round pick in next year’s draft, the club wastes no time in adding to the trenches.
With the No. 19 overall pick, the Bills select Tennessee offensive lineman Cade Mays.
This upcoming NFL season the Bills had an easy task to return all five of their starting offensive lineman. All Buffalo had to do was re-sign Quinton Spain, and the team did so. In 2021, it might be a bit harder.
Among starters, Dion Dawkins and Jon Feliciano are slated to be free agents. Dawkins is the more hopeful re-signee option, but could the Bills potentially hope for an upgrade from Feliciano? Perhaps, although Feliciano was Buffalo’s best interior offensive lineman per Pro Football Focus in 2019, ranking as the 35th best guard in the NFL. Looking at key depth pieces, there still could be openings via Ty Nsekhe, Daryl Williams and Spencer Long (team option), who all also could be gone in 2021.
On Mays, the Georgia transfer is a big 6-foot-6, 318-pound versatile lineman that previously blocked for former Georgia QB turned Bills QB, Jake Fromm.
And for what it’s worth, at No. 19, the Bills would be a playoff team, but a quick exit from the show in Round 1 once again.
Six players on the Buffalo Bills most-likely to receive contract extensions from the team.
Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane has a job that’s almost never done.
Beane and his front office staff have to fill out a massive roster prior to training camp, scout draft prospects, and of course, work the salary cap.
In doing so, Beane has always stated he wants to lockup his own guys first and foremost. Whether that’s big piece or role players, there’s plenty of guys on the Bills that are entering contract years who could already be under consideration for another deal.
Here are six Bills players that are most-likely to receiver extensions from the Bills after the 2020 season:
Buffalo Bills strong safety Dean Marlowe. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)
S Dean Marlowe
Age: 27
In Dean Marlowe, the Bills have a guy willing to chip in on special teams and a quality depth-safety option. Buffalo recently re-signed Marlowe to a one-year deal, and inked fellow safety Jordan Poyer to an extension. That puts Poyer and Micah Hyde in a position to remain the Bills’ starting safety tandem for the foreseeable future.
So with that in mind, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it approach here. Marlowe had 11 tackles and one pass defended last year. The 27-year-old played in 108 snaps on defense, making two starts, in a depth role in 2019. He played in 22 percent of Buffalo’s special teams snaps as well. Marlowe has plenty of experience filling in for both Hyde and Poyer as Buffalo’s No. 3 option at safety, so barring any setbacks in 2020, another short-term extension once again could be a smart deal for the Bills.
#Bills safety room is packed, veteran savvy play by Dean Marlowe for the INT.. good job watching the QB pic.twitter.com/tqaRlQe3Aq
Buffalo Bills top-three needs heading into 2020 offseason, according to Pro Football Focus.
Did the Bills have a good 2019 season? Yes. Could the Bills stand to still improve? Also yes.
Pro Football Focus looks deeper than most outlets when divulging football details. The football analytics outlet took a peep down every single NFL roster recently and pegged their top-three needs for every team.
For the Bills, the No. 1 need isn’t a surprise: another wide receiver.
But behind that, PFF tabbed Buffalo’s “secondary needs” as edge defender and the interior of their offensive line.
In regard to the wideout situation, here’s how PFF breaks that down:
John Brown and Cole Beasley proved to both be solid investments this offseason who could separate and provide reliable targets for Josh Allen in a revamped offensive scheme that was built by Brian Daboll to highlight Allen’s strengths. Both receivers are going to be on the wrong side of 30 next season, though, and the Bills could use a bigger, field-stretching wide receiver to complement their skills. On the season, Bills receivers caught just 40.3% of their contested catch opportunities (28th in the NFL). Adding someone who excels in those tight-window situations would give Allen another weapon to work with.
With receiver in mind, many are already looking toward the Bills’ first-round pick at the 2020 NFL Draft. That pick is at No. 22 overall and players such as Clemson’s Tee Higgins, Colorado’s Laviska Shenault and LSU’s Justin Jefferson will certainly be in play.
Having said that, there’s actually a fourth name that the Bills land in PFF’s most recent 2020 mock draft. In that, the Bills trade back to the No. 26 pick and land Baylor’s Denzel Mims, a 6-foot-4 target who had 66 catches for 1,020 yards with 12 touchdowns in 13 games last season.
Moving down the Bills’ needs on PFF’s list, edge defender could certainly be in play as well. Shaq Lawson is a pending free agent and simply put, the Bills need more sacks out of their defensive ends next season. This position could also be attacked at the draft with a player such as LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson or Iowa’s AJ Epenesa with the first round, but there’s also free agency to consider. Players such as Yannick Ngakoue, Jadeveon Clowney, Dante Fowler and Vic Beasley could all test the free agent waters and those names make attacking that position in free agency much more appealing.
Finally on the interior of the offensive line, many observers of the Bills praised the work of Quinton Spain on the interior of their line. But could that be a product of the Bills’ offensive line being so bad the year prior? That’s kind of how PFF looks at it. Spain, a pending free agent, only graded out as the outlet’s 58th best guard last season. Jon Feliciano on the other side of Buffalo’s line was a bit better at the No. 35 spot via PFF’s grades. The Bills could stand to get better than 58 with 64 starting guards in the NFL each week.
Here is the state of the Buffalo Bills offensive line entering the 2019 offseason.
Here is Bills Wire’s position-by-position breakdown of the team’s roster, continuing with the offensive line, including the season that was and projecting forward:
Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)
The Buffalo Bills offensive line underwent a massive transformation between 2018 and 2019. The team brought in several free agents, including center Mitch Morse, interior lineman Spencer Long, guard Quinton Spain, guard Jon Feliciano, tackle Ty Nsekhe, and tackle LaAdraian Waddle. Buffalo added Oklahoma tackle Cody Ford with their 2019 second-round draft pick. They also traded for depth lineman Ryan Bates.
It was quite the turnover, as the team jettisoned center Russell Bodine, center/guard Ryan Groy, guard John Miller, guard Vlad Ducasse, guard Watt Teller, tackle Jordan Mills, tackle Connor McDermott, and tackle Marshall Newhouse.
That’s a lot of movement on the transaction page.
It paid dividends for the Bills, as the line was more cohesive and generally provided better pass protection for quarterback Josh Allen. The only returning starter, left tackle Dion Dawkins, had a solid season defending Allen’s blind side.
Buffalo found absolute steals at the guard positions, as Spain and Feliciano anchored the interior of the line at a combined cap hit of just under $6 million. Mitch Morse, the Bills biggest signing on the offseason, returned from injury and filled the gap left behind by the retirement of Eric Wood in 2017.
The right tackle position was won by the rookie Ford. However, when Ford struggled, the team leaned on Nshkhe to provide a stabilizing force. It worked well as Ford adjusted to the professional game.
Buffalo Bills offensive guard Jon Feliciano. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Cap situation
Morse leads the way, with three more years on his contract. This upcoming season, the former Chief will count $11.625 million against the cap. Ford enters the second year of his rookie deal, chiming in at approximately $1.7 million against the books. Depth lineman Ryan Bates is the only other player officially signed beyond the 2020 season.
Dawkins, Nsekhe, and Felicano enter the final year of their respective contracts after the 2020 season. Each player will be an unrestricted free agent. Ike Boettger enters the final year of his contract, but he will be a restricted free agent after next season.
The Bills have a club option on Long. If exercised, it would cost the Bills $4.125 million against the salary cap. If not, the dead cap hit is $700,000.
Spain and Waddle are unrestricted free agents. Spain was a pleasant surprise, helping hold down the interior of the line. Waddle missed the season with a quad injury that he suffered in August.
The future
This unit is very interesting to examine, as there is a strong possibility that four of the returning five starters will be back in their starting role next year. Spain outperformed expectations. He is in line for a pay raise. The question will be: how much will he garner on the open market? If the Bills wish to further develop a starting unit based on consistency, then they will make an offer to keep Spain in the fold.
If they do sign Spain, then they will most likely have three players under contract for the next three seasons (Morse and Ford are the others). Buffalo will then move their focus to Felciano and Dawkins next offseason.
Dawkins is an interesting case, as he could command major money in the open market. Spotrac calculates his market value at $14.3 million. With several major pieces commanding big money in the future (Josh Allen, Matt Milano, Tremaine Edmunds), it will be interesting to see if the Bills dive in and extend Dawkins.
With this in mind, it would not be shocking for the Bills to take an offensive lineman in the draft, even as high as a day two pick. They have Bates and Boettger as depth players, but neither will command starting snaps.
It’s unlikely that the Bills make a big splash this offseason and sign an offensive lineman. They’re pressing their luck if they wish to find another version of Spain–a player who outperforms his contract in the manner that the former Titan did for the Buffalo.
If they’re willing to spend a little more on the interior of the line, Buffalo could take a look at Detroit’s Graham Glasgow. He clocked in as PFF’s 12th best interior offensive lineman in 2019.
In addition, could a draft pick do that same job as Long? Possibly, as Long played over half of the snaps in only three games this year. Buffalo could exercise Long’s option and have him take Spain’s spot. However, Spain’s production might be missed.
If Buffalo is feeling quite adventurous, they could test the offensive tackle market. It’s a long shot, but they could bump Dawkins to guard, and then find a tackle such as Anthony Costonzo, DJ Humphries, or Daryl Williams (former Panther) as options. It’s a long shot, but all scenarios might as well be on the table.
Note: Contract information is made available via Spotrac.
Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane said players having offseason surgery will be ready by 2020 training camp.
Last week the Bills had a social media trend hit their roster.
A couple of players, namely defensive tackle Ed Oliver, tackle Cody Ford and guard Jon Feliciano, all took to their various social media accounts to announce similar things. Each had a different type of offseason surgery.
A bit concerning with so many coming in such a short time, perhaps. But Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane gave a positive update on all three at the Senior Bowl on Tuesday.
“The way we have it planned now, as long as nobody has a setback, everybody that I’m aware of would be at camp ready to roll. Again, barring a setback or anything like that,” Beane told reporters.
The GM did add that he specifically meant training camp later in the summer, which begins in late July. During earlier offseason workouts some of them may have the red non-contact jerseys on at that time. The important factor is having them back by training camp, though.
The injuries reported by the players include a core issue for Oliver, along with different shoulder injuries that needed repair for Ford and Feliciano.
Here is how we evaluated Buffalo’s free agent signings based on their 2019 contribution to the team.
Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane was aggressive during the 2019 free agency period, signing several players in a hope to bolster a fledgling offensive line. In addition, he inked a few complementary pieces to the defense, while finding players to solidify the special teams unit.
So, how did it really go for Beane? Looking back at the free agent class signings for the Bills, there were some obvious home runs while others were not-to-stellar.
Here’s an evaluation of Buffalo’s free agent signings based on their 2019 contribution to the team:
Cole Beasley, John Brown, Mitch Morse, and Quinton Spain
It was no surprise that Beane focused on the offensive side of the ball during last year’s free agent period. Several players became an integral part of the Bills’ improvement on offense.
Buffalo were in need of a massive upgrade at wide receiver, and Beane delivered by signing John Brown and Cole Beasley. It was easy to see that if Josh Allen had a chance at being successful that he would need a much stronger cast surrounding him. The duo combined for 139 receptions and 1,838 receiving yards. Tack on 12 total touchdowns, and it’s easy to see how this pair helped reinvigorate the offense. Brown gave the Bills the closest thing to a No. 1 receiver in the Sean McDermott era, while Beasley provided the team with reliable options out of the slot. When signed, many questioned the Bills’ decision to add them, but no one did by the playoffs.
Beane’s signings to bolster the offensive line worked well, as Mitch Morse became the foundation of the line. His presence helped solidify the line in a similar manner as Eric Wood. Quinton Spain and Jon Felicano came over to compete for starting gigs at the guard spots, and they exceeded expectations with their play. Felciano gave a physical edge in the run game, while Spain did not allow a sack during the regular season.
Buffalo Bills OL Jon Feliciano has offseason shoulder surgery, possibly on a rotator cuff.
Pictures or the surgery didn’t happen is a policy reigning very true this week for members of the Buffalo Bills playing in the trenches.
Rookies Ed Oliver on defense and Cody Ford on offense both sent out messages on social media earlier this week. They indicated or reportedly had core and right arm/ shoulder surgery, respectively.
Like Ford, this time a veteran in Jon Feliciano on the offensive line sent out a picture of him recovering following an offseason surgery on his shoulder, except his left one which is bandaged up:
Various reports indicate that Feliciano had surgery on his rotator cuff in his left shoulder. In August, Feliciano sustained a shoulder injury during training camp.
However, Feliciano played 89 percent of the Bills’ offensive snaps this season, mostly a right guard while filling-in as Mitch Morse’s backup at center at times as well.
Along with Ford, Oliver and Feliciano, defensive end Jerry Hughes also indicated that he played through a wrist injury in 2019.
Buffalo Bills teammates on pending free agent OL Quinton Spain.
Bills offensive lineman Quinton Spain is a pending free agent. He said he’d be willing to come back to the Bills before even testing the market when free agency opens in March.
As fellow players, the Bills locker room hopes to see their teammate get paid. After four years with the Titans, Spain signed a one-year “prove-it deal” with the Bills this past offseason. But they’re hoping it happens in Buffalo.
“We’d love to have him back. He deserves to get paid this offseason. The guy started every game, I don’t know if he missed a snap. A great person to be around, smart as hell, he made this offensive line so much better, helped me out a lot. I owe a lot to Quinton Spain,” center Mitch Morse said via WGR-550 Radio.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen echoed Morse, calling Spain someone he could depend upon.
“He’s been awesome for us. Just his mindset, his attitude, the way he plays, he brings a fire. He’s a really good dude, too,” Allen said. “I love him and I wish we’d get him back too. I know it’s the nature of the business. If I had a say, we’d have in back.”
Reflecting upon Spain’s season, there’s no real statistics to fall back on in regard to offensive linemen. But there’s the analytics approach.
There, Spain is at a 50-50 split.
The good? Football Outsiders credited Spain with only allowing one sack this season and only being flagged for a penalty twice in 16 starts. Not bad.
Per Pro Football Focus, the Bills could possible do better. The 28-year-old only earned a 55.9 overall grade this season from PFF’s grading system, good for the 60th best guard in the NFL. His 45.7 run blocking grade isn’t pretty, either.
But there’s also one other factor that could weigh-in on the Bills’ decision with Spain: continuity.
The Bills revamped their offensive line last offseason. It was a far-and-away better group overall than 2018, but in terms of league-wide, the Bills offensive line was likely an average crew. Keeping the group together could pay dividends, though. Another offseason together next summer could help the Bills’ offensive line gel together even further, helping the crew improve. Guard Jon Feliciano touched on that during locker cleanout day as well.
“It would be huge. Whenever you can keep the same core group of guys together… it’s hard to do that, but whenever you can do that, and keep building together, it’d be huge,”
The Buffalo Bills are back in the playoffs and will be facing the Houston Texans.
The Buffalo Bills are back in the playoffs for the second time in three years, and will be facing the AFC South champions Houston Texans. After a surprising 10-6 season, the Bills will be going to Houston to face Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt, and DeAndre Hopkins on Wild Card weekend.
Here are the five matchups to watch against Houston on Saturday:
Let’s not beat around the bush here, this is the biggest test in the young career of Tre’Davious White. These two locked horns last season and White had an underrated performance. He held the Pro Bowl receiver to five catches, 63 yards, and one touchdown. White was in a great coverage, but Hopkins made an exceptional back shoulder grab that only a few players can make in the NFL.
White has had the best season of his career, with six interceptions, and 17 pass breakups the most important stat for White though, is that he’s allowed zero touchdowns this season. Putting him in the running for Defensive Player of the Year.
DeAndre Hopkins on the other hand, has been having a down year by his lofty standards. The Pro Bowler has 104 catches, 1,165 yards, and seven touchdowns. His past two seasons saw him go over 1,300 yards, and go into double digits for touchdowns as well.
With fellow wide receivers, Will Fuller V and Kenny Stills both listed as questionable for Saturday the offense will run through quarterback Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins.
Despite a familiar result, the Bills feel ready for what lies ahead.
Another game vs. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots and yet another loss.
Despite a familiar result, the reaction in the Bills locker room following the game felt different. Even after a loss that knocked Buffalo out of contention for the AFC East title, the team appeared composed and ready to embrace what lies ahead.
“If you look at the type of teams we’ve played the last three weeks, they’re all playoff-type teams,” Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen said. “Getting that experience against these defenses, teams we might be able to see again, it’s all valuable experience because playing games in December that means something; not many people are doing that right now and we’re one of those teams. So it feels good to be in the situation that we’re in and the position that we’re in.”
While many on the Bills made it clear that simply competing vs. good teams is no longer good enough and that there are no moral victories, Bills Head Coach, Sean McDermott echoed similar sentiments to Allen after the game.
Yeah, I mean listen, we’re here to win – number one,” McDermott said. “Having said that, we’ve gone on the road and played in tough environments before. We’ve played four quality opponents, the last four weeks, in big games. And our players have put it on the line and that’s all I can ask.”
Dion Dawkins, who had a huge touchdown reception to tie the game going into the half, was clear that as cool of a moment as it was, he’d trade it all if it meant a victory. No surprise from a team that has learned to put the we, before the me.
“I’m thankful for that score, but I would trade that score for a win every day,” Dawkins said. “The touchdown was called in the playbook. Like I said I would rather have the win than the touchdown.”
Dawkins also said that regardless of the opponent, the Bills just want to continue to win football games. They know the goal is now to do something beyond merely qualifying for the playoffs.
“Whether it was the Patriots, or the Jets… We have our foot on the gas and we’re not taking it off. We just want to get a win every week and we like winning,” Dawkins.
The Bills are now locked into the 5th seed and will wait to see whether they travel to Houston, or Kansas City for the Wild Card round.
According to the NY Times, the Bills are more likely to head to Houston, which appears to be the preferred destination among the Bills Mafia. In large part because as good as Deshaun Watson has been… he’s still not Patrick Mahomes.
According to the @nytimes, the Texans have a 67% chance of finishing the no. 4 seed and playing the #Bills in the WC. That leaves the Chiefs with a 33% chance.
While the Bills can’t play the Patriots during the Wild Card round, there is a chance they could see them again in either the Divisional round, or AFC Championship game, should they advance that far.
Buffalo offensive lineman Jon Feliciano took to social media and said the Bills will be ready if there’s a Round 3:
