Robert Foster named Bills cut candidate by ESPN

Wide receiver Robert Foster is the Buffalo Bills’ cut candidate this offseason, according to ESPN.

The Bills added three wide receivers this offseason. First, Stefon Diggs was traded by the Vikings to the Bills, then Gabriel Davis and Isaiah Hodgins joined the more direct route last week. They were drafted by the Bills in the fourth and sixth rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, respectively.

Because of this, there’s some players on the hot seat that were already members of the team. In light of those additions, Robert Foster was tabbed as the Bills’ cut candidate this offseason by ESPN.

Here’s their reasoning:

Foster looked like a potential breakout candidate after racking up three 100-yard games in the second half of his 2018 rookie season, but general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott quickly buried him on the depth chart with their offseason moves, suggesting they didn’t see greatness in the cards for the undrafted free agent.

Foster caught just three of 18 targets for 64 yards last season and was pushed further into obscurity by the arrival of Stefon Diggs via trade. Some team is going to look back at that tape from 2018 and give Foster a shot, but Buffalo probably wouldn’t be able to net much more than a conditional pick from a trade.

Foster went from undrafted rookie free agent from Alabama to breakout stud in his rookie season. In fact, heading into the season finale in 2018, Foster had a chance to surpass Zay Jones as the team’s leading receiver despite playing only part the season. But Foster never flourished last season, so there was really no reason to believe the Bills would give him another good look in 2020.

Still, McDermott is known for given every player a fair shake. So Foster will still have a chance to stick around the Bills.

Foster certainly is a cut candidate, but it’s a bit of a swing-and-miss by ESPN here. Defensive end Trent Murphy, who signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal before the 2018 season with the Bills, is the much higher-profile cut candidate for Buffalo. He’s slated to have a $9.75 million cap hit in the final year of that deal next season and if the Bills get rid of Murphy, they’ll only have to swallow a $1.75M dead cap hit. Post-draft, AJ Epenesa joins a group which includes Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison, Daryl Johnson and Quinton Jefferson, who may play three-tech in the middle as well.

Regardless, both Murphy and Foster have to prove their worth during training camp.

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Report: Bills retain OL Spencer Long, CB Levi Wallace, WR Robert Foster

Buffalo Bills reportedly will keep OL Spencer Long, CB Levi Wallace, WR Robert Foster.

The Bills signed free agent Josh Norman on Monday and now on Tuesday they’ve decided to keep three of their own.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, offensive lineman Spencer Long, wide receiver Robert Foster and cornerback Levi Wallace will be back in the fold for the 2020 season.

Long had a team option on his deal that the team has flexed. In 2020, his cap hit will be approximately $4 million. Whether or not the Bills would tap his option was a slight question.

The 29-year-old lineman signed a three-year, $12 million deal last offseason as part of the Bills’ efforts to revamp their offensive line. Long appeared in 14 games, but saw minimal playing time, making no starts. He did not qualify for Pro Football Focus’ seasonal rankings among offensive lineman, playing in only 174 snaps on offense, but in those the football analytics outlet graded him a 57.0 overall, a below average marking for their grading system. Long does offer versatility though, as he can play multiple positions on the O-line, including center.

In regard to the other Alabama duo in Foster and Wallace, it comes as little surprise they were retained. Those two were “exclusive-rights free agents.” That designation means there are two options for the player. A team can simply not re-sign them, or their club can offer a league minimum contract and the player has to accept, or sit out the entire season. There is no other offers from other teams allowed, so they’re nearly forced to accept.

Foster had a strong rookie season, grabbing 27 catches for 541 yards, nearly taking the team-lead from Zay Jones that season after only 13 games played, but then he took a step back in 2019. That was due to John Brown and Cole Beasley’s arrival, cutting into his playing time. He only had three catches last season, but still has potential. The Bills could be in the market to add further competition at the wideout position this offseason as well.

Wallace started all 16 games for the Bills last season, rotating with Kevin Johnson in that role. After the signing of Norman, the Bills will likely see Wallace and Norman now fight for that No. 2 role across from Tre’Davious White.

Overall, Wallace had 76 tackles, nine passes defended and two interceptions last season. PFF was also very high on Wallace, tabbing him the 44th best cornerback in the NFL last season.

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State of the position: Bills wide receivers

The Buffalo Bills wide receiver room improved immensely this past year.

Here is Bills Wire’s position-by-position breakdown of the team’s roster, continuing with the wide receivers, including the season that was and projecting forward:

Buffalo Bills wide receiver John Brown. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

The Buffalo Bills wide receiver room improved immensely in 2019. The additions of John Brown and Cole Beasley gave the team a legitimate threat in the aerial attack. The free agent acquisitions provided quarterback Josh Allen with two sorely needed reliable targets to help with the young signal caller’s growth.

Brown came through with a 72-catch; 1,060-yard season with six scores, all career-highs. Beasley, the shifty slot receiver, finished second on the team with 67 catches and 778 receiving yards. He also set a career-high with six touchdown passes.

Beyond this duo, though, the remainder of the aerial attack distribution was thin. Isaiah McKenzie provided a threat of speed, and he was utilized in motion and on sweeps in games. He caught 27 passes for 254 yards and one touchdown receptions while adding eight rushes for 49 yards.

Duke Williams, an intriguing, big-bodied prospect who gave Josh Allen a large target out wide, dressed for only four games. In his limited time on the field, he did bring fans to their feet. However, he also struggled with some issues of consistently catching the ball.

Most of the contributions of Robert Foster and Andre Roberts were on special teams. Foster was used primarily on the coverage unit, while Roberts provided a spark in the return game, earning a Pro Bowl nod there. Foster, unfortunately, could not replicate his break out performances from last year, catching only three passes on the season. Roberts averaged 26.6 yards per kick return.

Let us not forget Zay Jones, who was traded after playing five games for the Bills. he caught only 7-of-18 targets.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Contract situation

Brown is under contract through the 2021 season after signing a three-year, $21 million contract this past offseason. Beasley will be in the fold a year longer, as he signed a four-year $29 million contract.

Roberts and Williams enter the final year of their respective contracts. Roberts will be the primary returner, as he has a reasonable $2 million cap hit.

McKenzie is a restricted free agent, while Foster is under exclusive-rights free agent status, so he’ll be back with the Bills, or else’ by rule, will sit out a season, essentially. Buffalo will have the first crack at re-signing these players in the offseason.

The future

Brown and Beasley are set in stone for the upcoming season. The duo combined for 139 receptions, and the Bills will do anything to upset the chemistry that the pair has made with Allen.

Roberts will come back as the primary returner for the team. He is a threat every time he touches the ball, so his presence is important in the special teams game.

While Williams, McKenzie, and Foster have flashed some promise in the past, there is no doubt that this group could use another game-breaking player.

McKenzie was an effective player who fit into several schemes on offense. However, the Bills could look to Roberts to fill the role that McKenzie occupied. It’s a speculatory option at this point.

Williams, for his part, gives Buffalo a physical receiver on the boundary. However, the team still sees that former CFL star has a little ways to go, as he dressed for only five games (including the playoff game). Williams’ playoff game participation ahead of Foster may give an indication into the Alabama product’s future on the roster.

Even with the improvement in the group this year, expect Buffalo’s brass to try and find another piece to upgrade this unit in the offseason.

The question is, could that be in free agency via another vet like AJ Green? Or this year’s draft class contains several wide receivers who could support the Bills’ need for an explosive player out wide. Players such as CeeDee Lamb, Laviska Shenault and Tee Higgins are just a few prospects that could be on Buffalo’s radar with their first-round pick at No. 22.

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Here is the full list of the Bills’ upcoming free agents

List of the Buffalo Bills’ free agents heading into the 2020 NFL offseason and free agency.

Simple, sweet, straight forward.

Who are the Bills at risk of losing after their successful 2019 campaign which included a second trip to the playoffs in three years? Free agency can ruin a team if their front office, in the Bills’ case led by Brandon Beane, doesn’t make the right decisions.

First, free agents come in three different forms.

The most common is an unrestricted free agent that can either re-sign or test the open market.

Restricted free agents are players who can be tendered contracts by other teams, but their current team can match the offer and keep them. Or they can just re-sign or be allowed to walk by their current organization.

An exclusive-rights free agent can only become a free agent if their team decides to let them do so. The Bills could tender these players a contract for the league minimum and the player has to accept it, or sit out a season.

Here’s the full list for the Bills:

Unrestricted free agents

Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore. Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

RB Frank Gore

Age: 36, 15th season
2019 stats: 16 GP, 599 rushing yards, 2 TDs

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If Duke Williams is active for Bills Wild Card game vs. Texans, who sits?

Here are several ideas to consider as the Bills’ brass makes this choice ahead of their second post-season game in three seasons.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Duke Williams made a statement with his performance in the team’s finale Sunday. Williams, in his first season in Buffalo, was the primary target against the Jets, reeling in 6-of-12 targets for 108 yards.

Williams had been inactive in Buffalo’s previous eight games.

The former Canadian Football League star gives the Bills a large-bodied target that Buffalo’s receiving corps lacks. At 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, he is a strong option to battle for 50-50 balls in the air. He can also be considered the best blocking receiver on the team.

If Williams did play well enough to name him as an active player for Saturday’s Wild Card matchup, then who will be relegated to sideline duties next week?

Here are several ideas to consider as the Bills’ brass makes this choice ahead of their second post-season game in three seasons:

Andre Roberts

Andre Roberts was inactive last Sunday with a foot injury. The veteran plays the majority of his snaps on special teams as Buffalo’s primary punt and kick returner. Roberts has played sparingly on offensive this season, catching three passes for 20 yards and rushing the ball once for seven yards.

If Roberts is healthy, Buffalo will want to have him back returning kicks. However, if his injury lingers into next week, the Bills could suit up the same group of receivers who faced off against the Jets in Week 17.

Potentially without Roberts, receiver Isaiah McKenzie can see time at Roberts’ returner role.

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What we learned from Bills’ Week 17 loss to Jets

What we learned, Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets, NFL Week 17

There’s little that should be taken away from the Buffalo Bills’ final game of the 2019 regular season, a 13-6 loss in the rain against a New York Jets’ team that was finishing up its playoff-less season.

The Bills, with nothing to play for on Sunday, rested several key players and played mostly backups throughout the contest. In what looked like a preseason game, the Bills struggled to do much of anything on offense. The Jets struggled as well, but did just enough to outlast the Bills as both teams ran for the proverbial bus, just hoping to get this game over and done with.

The Bills wanted to get this game out of the way without any significant injuries before they made their journey out to the Central time zone for a Wild card Matchup against the Houston Texans. Unfortunately, the Bills were unable to escape without significant injury.

Levi Wallace and Ty Nsekhe were knocked out of Sunday’s contest and failed to return. Cody Ford, Taron Johnson and Siran Neal also left the game with injuries, but returned. The injuries were the last thing the Bills’ coaching staff wanted to see. The injury to Wallace was particularly troubling. The Bills’ No. 2 cornerback was hurt making a first quarter interception. It was a non-contact injury, which is never a good thing, as he planted his foot awkwardly in the wet New Era Field turf while trying to pivot and intercept a pass from Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. Wallace turned his ankle on the interception and hobbled off the field with help from a couple of teammates. The Bills get ready to face a Houston passing attack.

Nsekhe and Ford, Buffalo’s two right tackles, were banged up in this game and their absence was felt greatly. The Buffalo offensive line struggled all day against the Jets’ defensive front.

The Bills finish the 2019 regular season at 10-6, earning the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs. Their wild card matchup with Houston will be the first game of the coming weekend, kicking off at 4:30 at NRG Stadium.

Here are four things we learned about the Bills from Sunday’s game and how they relate to Buffalo’s attempt to finally win a playoff game for the first time since 1995 this coming Saturday in Texas.

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Stock up, stock down following the Bills’ loss to the Jets

Stock report following the Buffalo Bills’ Week 17 loss to the New York Jets.

The Bills fell in their final regularly scheduled game of the 2019 season against the Jets, 13-6.

In terms of stock reporting, it was a different one considering plenty of old faces were in the lineup. The game played out like a preseason contest with plenty of backups for the Bills.

Here’s how some of those players saw their stock move following the Bills’ loss to the Jets:

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Duke Williams. Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Stock up

WR Duke Williams

The one that everyone wanted to see happen, happened. Receiver Duke Williams started for the Bills and played a heck of a game with his opportunity.

His overall stat line was shaky with 12 targets and only six catches, but a few of them were off target. Of note, one was certainly a drop on third down which he would’ve liked back. All in all, Williams had 108 yards receiving in a game with a backup quarterback tossing him the ball against a solid defense that was playing their starters. Promising signs.

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Bills snap counts: Depth chart breakdown vs. Patriots

Buffalo Bills snap count depth chart from Week 16 loss to the New England Patriots.

The Bills put a strong foot forward against the New England Patriots in Week 16, but fell 24-17.

In this one, the Pats took their 11th straight AFC title. The Bills saw their chance for an upset fall short, but it’s still been a fun ride to this point.

Who did and didn’t play a big role vs. the Patriots?

Here’s a full depth chart breakdown via snap counts for the Bills against the Patriots in Week 16:

Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Offense

Notes:

For the fifth-straight game, rookie Cody Ford played in every snap. Ty Nsekhe (ankle) was still injured and missed the game.
After not playing in a single snap on offense in Week 15, WR Robert Foster saw eight snaps vs. the Patriots.
After playing in 48 percent of snaps last week, TE Lee Smith only saw two snaps vs. the Patriots.
RB Frank Gore also only played two snaps and for the first time in his 15-year career, Gore did not get a carry in a game.
C Mitch Morse played in 89 percent of snaps after leaving the game with an ankle injury.
From Week 11 to 14, TE Dawson Knox played in 72-plus percent of snaps each week, which dipped to only 48 percent vs. the Steelers in Week 15. Against the Patriots, he jumped back to 74 percent.
WRs Andre Roberts and Isaiah McKenzie saw 24 percent and 57 percent of snaps, respectively. From Week 12 to 14, Roberts played in 5, 2, and 0 percent of snaps, respectively. Over the past two games, Roberts has played in 26 percent and 24 percent.
Without Gore, RB Devin Singletary saw a whopping 96 percent of snaps. His previous career-high was 82 percent.

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Bills snap counts: Depth chart breakdown vs. Steelers

Buffalo Bills Week 15 snap counts against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In front of a lot of eyes, the Buffalo Bills clinched a playoff berth with a 17-10 win on Sunday Night Football.

It was a defensive showcase for most of it, but when needed in crunch time, the Bills offense ended up with more numbers on the scoreboard than the Steelers when it was all said and done.

Who took charge in both the good and bad of the game? Here’s a full depth chart breakdown via snap counts for the Bills against the Steelers in Week 15:

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. (AP Photo/Don Wright)

Offense

Notes:

Only Jon Feliciano, who briefly went down with injury, did not play in 100 percent of snaps along the Bills’ offensive line.
For the fourth-straight game, rookie Cody Ford played in every snap. Ty Nsekhe (ankle) was still injured and missed the game.
WR Robert Foster did not play a snap on offense. In Week 14 against the Ravens, he saw 25 percent of snaps on offense. The Bills used less 11 personnel, likely to help with blockers, as Isaiah McKenzie only played 46 percent of snaps after seeing 72 percent last week.
Over the past three games, respectively, WR Cole Beasley played in 99%, 89% and 81% of snaps. Against the Steelers, he only saw 69 percent of snaps.
OL Spencer Long filled in for Feliciano and played seven snaps in the game.
TEs Dawson Knox and Lee Smith both played in 48 percent of snaps, likely to help with blocking. Knox was playing in more than 72 percent of snaps over the past four-straight games prior to facing the Steelers.

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Bills snap counts: Depth chart breakdown vs. Cowboys

The Bills took to the national stage on Thanksgiving and beat the Dallas Cowboys 26-15.

The Bills took to the national stage on Thanksgiving and beat the Dallas Cowboys 26-15. A win that was so impressive, the Bills’ Week 15 game was flexed into Sunday Night Football.

Get ready for the nation’s eyes again.

But before that, here’s a full depth chart breakdown via snap counts for the Bills against the Cowboys in Week 13:

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Robert Foster. (AP Photo/John Munson)

Offense

Notes:

At RT, rookie Cody Ford played every single snap with the offensive line for the second-straight week and only second time in his career.
Rookie RB Devin Singletary played in 78 percent of snaps to Frank Gore’s 22 percent.
Heavy 11 personnel continued for the Bills, but Isaiah McKenzie’s snap counts took a hit. After playing in 77 and 74 percent of offensive snaps the past two weeks, respectively, McKenzie played in only 45 percent vs. the Cowboys. Robert Foster played in 42 percent, a season-high.
Rookie TE Dawson Knox tied his career-high snap percent at 78. He set that same mark last week.
TE Tyler Kroft played in only 18 percent of snaps vs. the Cowboys. For games he played in, that was a season-low.

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