HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Commanders Hire Cowboys’ Joe Whitt As Defensive Coordinator

February 4th, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Ely Allen

Shortly after the reports that they had landed Kliff Kingsbury to call their offense, it has been reported that the Commanders have filled their defensive coordinator position, as well. Per Steve Wyche of NFL Network, Cowboys secondary coach and pass game coordinator Joe Whitt will be joining Dan Quinn and Kingsbury in Washington as the team’s new defensive coordinator. The move is now official.

This hiring comes as a bit of a surprise as Whitt was considered a heavy favorite to replace Quinn as the new defensive coordinator in Dallas. According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Whitt was scheduled to interview with the Cowboys for their coordinator vacancy Monday. Instead, Whitt will take his first coordinator job with the team’s division rival, following his old boss to DC.

The Cowboys reportedly have interviews in the next two days lined up for defensive line coach Aden Durde, former Commanders head coach Ron Rivera, and former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. The team’s insistence on bringing in candidates with head coaching experience to replace Quinn may have been a factor in Whitt’s willingness to move on from the position without going through with his interview.

Whitt has been coaching in the NFL since 2007, after seven years coaching at the college level with The Citadel, Auburn, and Louisville. Starting as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Falcons, Whitt joined the Packers staff in 2008. Over 11 years in Green Bay, Whitt would move through the ranks from defensive quality control coach to cornerbacks coach to defensive passing game coordinator.

Following Mike McCarthy‘s dismissal from Green Bay, Whitt would detour to Cleveland where he would serve as secondary coach and pass game coordinator. He would follow up his one-year stint with the Browns with another one-year stint as secondary coach in Atlanta with Quinn. When Quinn was fired from the Falcons and joined McCarthy’s staff in Dallas, it was a no-brainer for Whitt rejoin both coaches as the Cowboys’ secondary coach and pass game coordinator.

Perhaps Whitt felt like he was being forced to choose between two divorced parents having to decide between staying with McCarthy, who served as Whitt’s head coach for all 11 years that he was in Green Bay, or following Quinn, who brought him along from Atlanta. Regardless, it’s Quinn who will reward Whitt with his first career defensive coordinator gig in Washington.

Commanders Hire Kliff Kingsbury As New OC

February 4th, 2024 at 7:27pm CST by Ely Allen

After reports yesterday that former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury was a leading candidate in Washington after deciding not to take the job in Las Vegas, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Kingsbury has agreed to become the next offensive coordinator for the Commanders. The team has now announced the hire.

Three days ago, the NFL world was under the impression that Kingsbury would become the next offensive play-caller in Las Vegas. That story changed yesterday with Kingsbury informing multiple people in the Raiders organization that he would not be joining the team. After a reported “contractual hang-up,” the Commanders swooped in, setting Kingsbury in their sights. Reportedly, Kingsbury was aiming for a three-year pact, and the Raiders only made a two-year offer. Per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, Washington awarded Kingsbury the three-year contract he desired.

New Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was one of five defensive-minded coaches to assume a new head coaching role this offseason. With the former offensive coordinators who took head coach jobs in Tennessee and Carolina planning to call plays for their respective offenses, it only made sense that Kingsbury would set his focus on the five other teams. With the Falcons and Patriots already having filled their roles, that left Vegas, Washington, and Seattle.

Another reason Washington makes sense is because, though it seems like an uphill battle right now, there’s still an outside chance that USC quarterback Caleb Williams could end up in DC with Kingsbury. Williams has long been considered the favorite to go No. 1 overall in this year’s draft. Though Chicago currently holds the rights to the top pick in the draft, the Commanders brass have made it clear that they have an interest in acquiring Williams. With Kingsbury’s most recent position being as a senior offensive analyst at USC over Williams, the new play-caller could be manifesting a reunion in Washington with his former college quarterback.

If not, Kingsbury will be tasked with righting the ship in Washington. Second-year quarterback Sam Howell was deemed the starter coming into 2023. For a team that spent a good amount of time behind, the Commanders depended a lot on Howell’s arm, resulting in the young passer leading the league in pass attempts. Unfortunately, the one-dimensional nature of the team’s offense led to Howell also leading the NFL in sacks taken, interceptions thrown, and pick sixes.

In Washington, Kingsbury will hope for better health in 2024 as he works to improve a porous offensive line. Antonio Gibson is set to be a free agent, but Brian Robinson and rookie running back Chris Rodriguez are both set to return for Kingsbury. Two of the team’s top receivers, Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, will be back with a potentially re-tooled supporting cast as Curtis Samuel, Jamison Crowder, and Byron Pringle are all set to test free agency.

Kingsbury will have his work cut out for him as he attempts to turn around an offense that finished 25th in points scored and 24th in yards gained. He may have the benefit of working with some new faces, but regardless, he should have a decent arsenal of weapons to help Quinn win some games in DC.

Poll: Who Will Win Super Bowl LVIII?

February 4th, 2024 at 7:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

One week remains until Super Bowl LVIII, which represents a rematch of the title contest from four years ago. Kansas City earned a come-from-behind victory in that instance, but the team enters Sunday’s game as slight underdogs.

Encountering offensive consistency issues not seen before during the Patrick Mahomes era, the defending champions still managed to post a strong record while searching for a rhythm in the passing game. Kansas City won the AFC West for the eighth straight season while leaning on one of the league’s best defenses. That resulted in a home postseason game in the wild-card round (a comfortable win over the Dolphins in frigid conditions), but it required road trips for the first time in Mahomes’ postseason career.

One-score victories in Buffalo and Baltimore saw the Chiefs continue to display a strong pass defense in particular coupled with a more balanced attack than earlier in the campaign. Having cleared a slightly new challenge in terms of winning on the road in January, Kansas City has arrived at a fourth Super Bowl in the past five years. A third win in that span would further cement the legacies of Mahomes, head coach Andy Reid and others.

By contrast, many members of the 49ers’ roster and coaching/front office staff are seeking their first title. Having come up short – due in large part to a late collapse – in the first Chiefs matchup, redemption will be a goal for San Francisco’s veterans. Of course, quarterback Brock Purdy headlines the list of players who did not take part in the loss four years ago. The former Mr. Irrelevant was firmly in the MVP conversation throughout much of the 2023 season, his first as a full-time starter. Fellow finalist Christian McCaffrey has proven to be the two-way offensive focal point San Francisco envisioned he would be when trading for him.

After securing the NFC’s No. 1 seed, the 49ers appeared poised for a relatively smooth journey back to the Super Bowl. The team’s two home wins (against the Packers and Lions) did not go according to plan especially in the early going, however. San Francisco trailed in the fourth quarter of both games, and a run of 27 consecutive second half points was needed against Detroit to ensure the victory. Having allowed 772 combined yards in two postseason contests, the 49ers’ defense will be a unit worth watching closely next week.

Purdy’s injury in last year’s NFC title game played a large role in San Francisco falling short of the Super Bowl, which delayed the upcoming contest by one season. Now that it has arrived, he – like much of the team’s nucleus along with head coach Kyle Shanahan – will aim for a first career championship. Mahomes, meanwhile, can become the fifth starting quarterback in history to win three Super Bowls and Reid the fourth coach to do so.

Who will win it all this year? Vote in the poll below and have your say in the comments section:

Giants Interview Vikings DBs Coach Daronte Jones For DC

February 4th, 2024 at 7:19pm CST by Ely Allen

A new name has emerged in defensive coordinator interviews. Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones has earned his first opportunity to interview for an NFL defensive coordinator position, meeting with the Giants last week, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The two parties conducted the interview in Mobile, AL, where Jones worked as the National team’s defensive coordinator.

Though Jones has been coaching in some capacity since 2001, he’s a relatively new name to the NFL. After time coaching at several high school and college institutions, as well as a one-year stay in the CFL, Jones earned his first NFL job as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Dolphins in 2016. He became the Bengals cornerbacks coach two years later.

Following his two years in Cincinnati, Jones started his first stint in Minnesota as a defensive backs coach. He only spent one year in that role before departing for the defensive coordinator job at LSU. He had been a defensive coordinator for Franklin HS and Bowie State, but this was his first D1 coordinator gig.

After not being retained following his lone season as the Tigers defensive coordinator, Jones returned to his previous role with the Vikings. This most recent year, he was promoted to defensive pass game coordinator. Minnesota would finish 24th in passing yards allowed.

Here is a list of Jones’ reported competition to replace Don “Wink” Martindale as defensive play-caller in New York:

Bears Expected To Use Franchise Tag On CB Jaylon Johnson

February 4th, 2024 at 3:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

Once the 2023 trade deadline came and went without Jaylon Johnson being dealt, it appeared likely the Bears would use the franchise tag on the Pro Bowl corner. Signs continue to point in that direction.

Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily reports the Bears are set to apply the tag to Johnson this offseason. Doing so will cost roughly $18.4MM on the one-year tender, and provide a larger window for negotiations on a long-term deal. The expectation for much of the offseason has been that a tag is the likeliest outcome in this situation.

Johnson enjoyed a career-year in 2023, posting four interceptions and 10 pass deflections. He set new personal bests in coverage, allowing a completion percentage of 55.2% and a passer rating of 50.9. That made him a hot commodity on the trade front, with the Bears understandably setting a high asking price. In the end, Chicago elected to retain the second-team All-Pro and set up negotiations on a second contract over the course of the offseason.

In the wake of his impressive campaign, Johnson has publicly stated his goal of becoming the league’s highest-paid corner. The 24-year-old would need to find a deal worth more than $21MM per year to accomplish that, though he is in line for a substantial raise even if he does end up playing on the tag in 2024. If he has his way, Johnson will secure not only a multi-year pact, but manage to do remain in Chicago in the process.

“Heart’s definitely in Chicago, mind’s definitely on the money,” the former second-rounder told NFL.com at this week’s Pro Bowl. “So, I mean, we’ll figure out if we can make them both come together and get something done. I’m looking forward to see what’s to come.”

The Bears are set to have more cap space this offseason than most other teams, so absorbing the cap hit of a Johnson tag should not be challenging. Given the contrast of his first three seasons compared to 2023, though, it would be understandable if the Bears were hesitant to go beyond their price point on a long-term agreement. As things stand, therefore, a tag remains the expected move on Chicago’s part, and a decision on that front will need to be made no later than March 5.

Josh Allen Wants To Remain With Jaguars

February 4th, 2024 at 2:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top priorities for the Jaguars this season will be deciding on Josh Allen‘s future with the team. As a pending free agent, Jacksonville’s sack leader is in line for a raise on either a franchise tag or a long-term agreement.

General manager Trent Baalke recently made it clear the Jaguars will not let Allen reach the open market, meaning that, at a minimum, the team will use the franchise tag on him. Doing so would cost roughly $22MM (although the matter of classifying him as a defensive end or an outside linebacker would likely come into play), a steep rise from the $10.9MM he earned in 2023 on his fifth-year option. If a multi-year pact becomes an option, though, Allen will be open to working out an agreement.

During his second career Pro Bowl appearance, the former first-rounder confirmed his desire to remain in Jacksonville in 2024 and beyond (video link via Juston W. Lewis of the Florida Times-Union). Serious talks have not yet taken place, though, and Allen noted the “business” aspect of the NFL when it comes to free agency. Teams which use the tag are allowed to negotiate a long-term contract until mid-July, so it could be used in this case as a means of buying more time to hammer out a deal.

Allen had already established himself as Jacksonville’s top edge rusher entering the season, and his 2023 performance produced career highs in a number of categories. His 17.5 sacks put him in a tie for second in the league in that department, and he recorded a personal best with 46 pressures and 33 quarterback hits. At 26, Allen’s next deal will cover most or all of his prime, and a long-term deal will likely rank near the top of the edge market as a result.

Jacksonville used the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft on Travon Walker, and he took a notable step forward (10 sacks, 30 QB pressures) this year after a quiet rookie campaign. While Walker will likely be in place for another three seasons, maintaining his partnership with Allen for years to come would be a welcomed development for the Jags’ defense. Improvement in the pass rush department will be a target for Jacksonville this offseason in any case after the team tallied 40 sacks (25th in the NFL).

The Jaguars currently sit mid-pack in terms of cap space, but plenty of financial moves will be made in the coming weeks as teams prepare for free agency. Jacksonville also has wideout Calvin Ridley among the players in need of a new contract, but Baalke’s stance suggests Allen will be a higher priority. Talks between the latter and the front office will be a key storyline to follow as the new league year approaches.

QB Tua Tagovailoa Expects To Remain With Dolphins Long-Term

February 4th, 2024 at 12:54pm CST by Rory Parks

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is under club control through 2024 by virtue of the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, but he anticipates being with the team for the foreseeable future. When asked at a Pro Bowl practice last week if he believes he and Miami will ultimately come to terms on a long-term deal, Tagovailoa said, “I believe that will happen” (via Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post).

In 2022, Mike McDaniel‘s first year as the Dolphins’ head coach, Tagovailoa was mostly terrific, as he led the league in quarterback rating (105.5), TD% (6.3%), and yards per attempt (8.9). Unfortunately, that season was also marred by several frightening concussions, and it was reported last August that the team would be tabling contract talks with the former first-rounder.

Tagovailoa managed to stay healthy for the entirety of the 2023 campaign, and although his interception percentage increased, he did lead the league in passing yards (4,624) while posting a 101.1 QB rating en route to his first Pro Bowl nod.

“My main goal this year was to play, you know, 17-plus games and I was able to accomplish that goal and just very fortunate that I was able to do that and very happy too,” Tagovailoa said.

Following consecutive seasons of high-end play, including a 2023 season that featured perfect attendance, it makes sense that the Dolphins would want to explore a multiyear deal with the southpaw passer sooner rather than later, especially since the quarterback market continues to surge with no ceiling in sight. Indeed, as Schad notes, GM Chris Grier recently said he wants to keep Tagovailoa in the fold for the long haul.

It is worth noting that Tagovailoa struggled in last season’s most meaningful games. Although he got off to a fast start in a Week 17 game in Baltimore, a contest in which control of the AFC’s No. 1 seed was on the line, Tagovailoa and his offense soon faltered, and he ultimately completed 22 of 38 passes for two TDs against two interceptions in a 56-19 blowout loss to the Ravens. That took the AFC’s top seed off the table, but the ‘Fins still had the chance to secure the AFC East title and a home playoff game if they could defeat the Bills in the regular season finale in South Beach.

Tagovailoa struggled in that contest as well, and the Dolphins’ loss to Buffalo forced the team to open the playoffs on the road against the eventual-AFC champion Chiefs. On a frigid Kansas City night in January, Tagovailoa again failed to muster much production, completing 20 of 39 passes for a paltry 199 yards (53 of which came on one throw), one TD, and one interception.

The Dolphins’ meek exit from the playoff field and Tagovailoa’s poor performance down the stretch led to renewed questions about his future in Miami, though player and team both apparently expect to continue their relationship for some time. However, with the Alabama product due a below-market $23.17MM salary on his fifth-year option in 2024, and controllable via the franchise tag in 2025, there is not necessarily any urgency — aside from the rising QB market referenced above — to get something done right now.

Spotrac estimates that Tagovailoa could land a six-year contract worth just over $300MM if he were currently on the open market.

Ravens To Let LB Patrick Queen Hit Open Market?

February 4th, 2024 at 11:38am CST by Rory Parks

Two of the Ravens’ Pro Bowl defenders, defensive lineman Justin Madubuike and inside linebacker Patrick Queen, are due to hit free agency next month. As Baltimore appears likely to put the franchise tag on Madubuike, there may not be enough cap room to give Queen the type of contract he would command on the open market, and GM Eric DeCosta recently suggested that Queen would get the chance to see what the market has in store for him.

“Patrick had an amazing season,” DeCosta said at his end-of-season presser, via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (subscription required). “I love Patrick. He’s one of my favorite guys on the team. He’s put himself in a great position, potentially, to hit the market and see what his value is. You never know.”

The Ravens selected Queen in the first round of the 2020 draft. While the LSU product flashed at times during his first several years in the league, he did not truly break out until Baltimore acquired fellow inside ‘backer Roquan Smith at the 2022 trade deadline. With the elite Smith as a running mate, Queen finally began living up to his draft status and excelled down the stretch of the 2022 campaign. Baltimore nonetheless declined the fifth-year option on Queen’s rookie deal, and extension talks between player and team failed to produce an agreement, which led to some frustration on Queen’s part and which turned 2023 into a platform year.

Although Queen was named a trade candidate in the run-up to last year’s draft and over the summer, the Ravens elected to let him finish out his rookie contract, to the benefit of both parties. In 17 games (all starts) in 2023, Queen set a career-high with 133 tackles and graded out as the 23rd-best linebacker in the league (eight spots behind Smith) per Pro Football Focus. In the process, he earned the first Pro Bowl bid of his career and set himself up nicely for a lucrative contract in his first foray into free agency.

Given that the Ravens committed a five-year, $100MM contract to Smith last January, it was always unlikely that they would authorize a contract for Queen commensurate with his market value (which Spotrac estimates is $18.5MM/year). That is especially true given the franchise’s penchant for drafting and developing quality ILB talent, and 2023 third-rounder Trenton Simpson is in line to take over Queen’s role should the latter find a new employer in 2024.

DeCosta obviously did not rule out a reunion with Queen, but unless his market does not develop as expected, the 24-year-old may have played his last snap for the Ravens.

Latest On Geno Smith’s Future With Seahawks

February 4th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Rory Parks

According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, it is not certain that quarterback Geno Smith will be back with the Seahawks in 2024. After all, longtime head coach Pete Carroll — who was one of Smith’s biggest champions and who frequently deflected blame away from the veteran passer — has been shifted to an advisory role. GM John Schneider now holds final say over personnel matters, and his evaluation of Smith’s performance is not as glowing as Carroll’s was.

“I think Geno had a good season,” Schneider said last month. “It was a little bit opposite of [2022]. He started out real strong last year and things dipped a little bit the second half. And then I thought this year he started out not quite as strong as last year and then finished in a real strong manner.”

Henderson, whose piece was published before Seattle hired Mike Macdonald as its new head coach, noted that Schneider would of course discuss Smith’s future with his new HC. At his introductory press conference, Macdonald offered praise for Smith, saying that he has “great respect” for him.

“We’ve played against Geno,” Macdonald added (via the team’s official website). “He’s a really good player. I’m pretty sure he’s at the Pro Bowl right now. We’re going to build around the quarterback. You’ve got to.”

At the risk of inferring meaning where there is none, Macdonald did not explicitly commit to Smith as the quarterback around whom the Seahawks would be building, and the team is still in search of a new offensive coordinator, who will also have input into the matter. That said, Henderson suggests Smith has a good chance to return as Seattle’s QB1.

If the team chooses to go in a different direction, Henderson believes a trade is more likely than a release. Smith’s $12.7MM salary for 2024, currently guaranteed for injury only, converts to a full guarantee on February 16. That is effectively the deadline to cut Smith, but not necessarily to trade him. He is not due his $9.6MM roster bonus until March 17 — the fifth day of the new league year — and by that time, the team will have had the chance to explore the quarterback options it might have in this year’s draft (to say nothing of getting some sort of trade compensation from an acquiring club).

As Schneider observed, Smith performed well down the stretch of the 2023 season, although he was unable to match the overall production of his breakout 2022 performance. In 2022, Smith led the league in completion percentage (69.8) and threw for 30 TDs against 11 interceptions, which amounted to a 100.9 quarterback rating and 62.8 QBR. In two fewer games in 2023, the former second-round pick of the Jets completed 64.7% of his passes for 20 touchdowns and nine picks, leading to a quarterback rating of 92.1 and a QBR of 59.5. If Macdonald & Co. can help Smith marry the first half of his 2022 campaign with the second half of his 2023 season, they may be on to something.

Although he is due to hit free agency in March, Drew Lock would be the most likely candidate to assume the QB1 job — at least in the short-term — if the Seahawks were to part ways with Smith. Schneider has long been high on the 27-year-old, who was a key part of the return in the 2022 blockbuster that sent Russell Wilson from Seattle to the Broncos, but as Henderson writes, Lock being retained as the starter would indicate that the ‘Hawks view 2024 as a retooling year, which is inconsistent with Schneider’s belief that his club is “on the cusp” of serious championship contention.

As Armando Salguero of Outkick.com wrote at the end of December, Lock views himself as a starter and will seek such an opportunity if he hits the open market. In two starts in relief of an injured Smith in 2023, Lock completed 68.8% of his passes for three TDs and two interceptions. He went 1-1 in those contests, with the one victory coming on an impressive late-game drive against the Eagles in Week 15.

Smith is under club control through 2025 and is due to carry a $31.2MM cap charge this year. Henderson suggests that, if the Seahawks move forward with Smith, they could look to convert some of his salary and/or roster bonus into a signing bonus to reduce that number.

Bills GM: “I Don’t Think You’re Going To See Any Splashes” In Free Agency; Latest On Team’s Top FAs

February 4th, 2024 at 8:44am CST by Rory Parks

Bills GM Brandon Beane, echoing the remarks he made in the 2023 offseason, said that his club is unlikely to hand out any especially lucrative contracts in free agency this year. As Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic (subscription required) observes, Buffalo is projected to be roughly $49MM over the 2024 salary cap, which obviously puts a damper on the team’s spending ability.

“I don’t think you’re going to see any splashes,” Beane said. “Even if I found something that was exciting to me, I don’t think it would fit within our cap parameters. I think everyone needs to understand that we’re going to be shopping at some of those same stores we were shopping last year. We’re not going to be on Main Street of New York City or whatever all those high-end shopping centers are. It’s not feasible to where we’re at.”

In Buscaglia’s view, the only surefire way to alleviate the Bills’ cap problems would be to undergo a full roster overhaul as they did in 2017 — the year before quarterback Josh Allen was drafted — and 2018. However, with a star QB like Allen in place, the team is not going to punt on a season just to get right with the salary cap, as Buscaglia opines.

As a result, Buffalo will not be able to swim in the deep end of the free agency pool, and the team may also be forced to part with some of its own top free agents. Indeed, Buscaglia expects most of Buffalo’s high-profile FAs to at least test the open market.

That list includes wide receiver Gabe Davis, who emerged as a key big-play threat for Allen after being selected by the Bills in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. Over his four-year tenure in western New York, Davis posted 27 touchdowns and a 16.7 yards-per-reception rate (though that comes with a modest 54.5% catch percentage, which is typical for a home run hitter). Unfortunately, Davis was forced to sit out the Bills’ two playoff contests at the end of the 2023 campaign due to a PCL injury sustained in the regular season finale against the Dolphins, and even before that happened, 2022 fifth-rounder Khalil Shakir had shown an ability to serve as a capable, cost-controlled complement to Stefon Diggs.

Davis, who will turn 25 in April, confirmed that he plans to test free agency next month (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). He suggested that he would be receptive to a new deal with the Bills, but he said that there were no extension talks between him and the club last season.

Notably, while Davis’ injury was originally classified as a PCL sprain, Ryan O’Halloran of the Buffalo News says that the UCF product actually suffered a torn PCL. There is presently no indication as to whether that ailment will impact Davis’ free agent prospects.

Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, meanwhile, is one of a number of Bills defensive linemen who are out of contract, and like Davis, he said he has not had any talks with the club about a new deal (as relayed by Buscaglia). Jones signed a two-year, $14MM contract with Buffalo in March 2022, and after playing 16 regular season contests in his first year with the team, he was limited to seven games in 2023 thanks to the pectoral injury he sustained in Week 5. The 32-year-old veteran, who has been a consistently strong and mostly durable starter throughout his career, returned to play the final two games of the regular season and both of Buffalo’s postseason matchups, and he said he is looking forward to his return to the open market.

Jones’ fellow DT Jordan Phillips, on the other hand, is considering retirement, per O’Halloran. Phillips, who stepped into the starting lineup following Jones’ injury, suffered a dislocated wrist in a Week 15 win over the Cowboys and ended the season on IR as a result. Now 31, Phillips enjoyed his finest season as a member of the Bills in 2017, posting 9.5 sacks over 16 games (nine starts). He parlayed that performance into a lucrative three-year contract with the Cardinals the following offseason, but his time in the desert was marred by injury, and he was released in March 2022. He has spent the last two seasons back in Buffalo, but he conceded that “this might be it” for his playing career.

Safety Micah Hyde may also hang up the cleats, as Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News reports. Hyde, a Packers draftee who began a long and productive stint as a member of the Bills in 2017, played in 14 games in 2023 after being limited to just two contests the year before as a result of a neck injury. In the view of Pro Football Focus, he was not quite as sharp as he had been throughout most of his time in Buffalo, though he was still an above-average defender.

Hyde, 33, said he had no issues with his surgically-repaired neck over the first half of the 2023 season, but he sustained a stinger in Week 9 and another in Week 14, and he conceded that it was a difficult year for him physically. Although he has medical clearance to play, he has not yet decided if he wants to do so.

The Bills also have several key edge rushers on expiring contracts: Leonard Floyd and A.J. Epenesa. Floyd, who signed a one-year contract with the team in June, posted 10.5 sacks in his first Buffalo season, the fourth consecutive year in which he has recorded at least nine sacks. As he prepares for his age-32 campaign, Floyd acknowledged that he will follow the money in free agency, though he still wants to sign with a contender.

Of all of the soon-to-be FAs mentioned above, it could be that Epenesa has the best chance to return to the Bills. The 2020 second-rounder has posted 6.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons, and as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes in a subscribers-only piece, Buffalo — in keeping with its usual desire to retain homegrown talent — may talk extension with Epenesa before free agency opens.

Load More Posts