The Bills continue to be active in the post-draft free agent market. Buffalo announced on Friday that the previously-reported agreement with linebacker Deion Jones has become official. The team has also added wideout Chase Claypool as well as defensive end Dawuane Smoot, though. All three players are attached to one-year deals. 
Claypool showcased considerable potential during his first two seasons in the league. Operating as a key member of the Steelers’ offense, the former second-rounder posted 1,845 combined yards and 13 total touchdowns between the 2020 and ’21 campaigns. Things have not gone according to plan since, however, with a trade to the Bears in 2022 not producing the desired impact.
Claypool made just 18 catches in 10 games with Chicago, and he was on the move once again this year when he was traded to the Dolphins. The 25-year-old Canadian’s Miami stint produced only four receptions in nine games, and the team is in the market for a WR3 upgrade. Claypool visited the Seahawks in April, but to little surprise that did not yield a pre-draft agreement. Buffalo will bring him in ahead of offseason practices and training camp and in doing so provide him the opportunity to carve out a roster spot.
The Bills’ receiver room looks much different with Gabe Davis having departed in free agency prior to the trade which sent Stefon Diggs to the Texans. Buffalo traded down to the No. 33 spot in the draft and used that pick on Keon Coleman, and the team followed up that move by signing Quintez Cephus. Claypool will compete with the latter for a depth spot in the receiver pecking order this summer.
Smoot is likewise headed to Buffalo not long after meeting with another team. The 29-year-old recently visited the Texans, but he will instead look to earn a roster spot with the Bills. Smoot delivered a strong outing in 2021 (10 starts, six sacks), but an Achilles tear suffered the following year hurt his market value. Playing out a one-year deal last season, he posted just one sack while logging a rotational defensive role.
Buffalo has Von Miller on the books through 2027, and the team has retained both A.J. Epenesa and Greg Rousseau recently. The former re-signed on a two-year deal before the latter had his 2025 fifth-year option picked up. Smoot will look to earn a complementary place behind those three returnees in Buffalo this season, his first spent outside of Jacksonville.
The Bills entered Friday with only $2.8MM in cap space, much of which will be needed to sign their rookie class. While none of the Jones, Claypool or Smoot deals will be particularly lucrative, they will nevertheless use up much of the team’s remaining financial resources available until the post-June 1 release of Tre’Davious White frees up more spending power.
Claypool is on the doorstep of his next home, the CFL.
Hope he made enough off his mapletron apparel to live off of.
He’s still not 26 yet and he’s a great physical specimen, so you can understand a team thinking he’s worth a look, but a guy only gets so many looks before he’s spit out. And in the case of Buffalo, they sure have a lot of receivers who seem like they’re best in either the slot or in gadget-y roles. This doesn’t seem like the best place for him to make his mark–if he still had making a mark left in him.
He made huge plays rookie year. Maybe there’s still some juice Joe Brady can squeeze out of him NO DIDDY
Precisely because the WR is mostly slot types, his big body perimeter game might give him a better chance at a roster spot.
His problem is between the ears.
I hope they’re not expecting much.
Every team needs camp bodies. Worth a look for the league minimum.
One man’s trash is….a….ahem
The Bills replacing douche with douche.
Bills got their WR1!
Camp bodies…
I love a reclamation story. I really do.
And I can build a good argument to explain some of his lack of productivity recently.
But…Im so worried we are gonna roll this guy out there week 1 as a starting z receiver. Based on the rest of the roster, right now it’s not crazy to think that at all.
That seems very reckless and I sincerely hope there is still another move coming. Getting rid of Diggs and hoping Keon Coleman and Claypool replace that void is just crazy enough to get someone fired.
Shakir is a really nice player, but he more profiles as a slot. Samuel got modest money, he isn’t it either.
I just feel like we are playing pretty fast and loose with Josh’s weapons.
– in also feels like we are wanting to be more run heavy.
I hate all of this.
I wonder what Chark signed for.
Anyone know?
They decided to fix their cap situation is what happened. But that meant going weak at WR since Diggs is how they got well for next year. If the D rebounds and Brady continues to use Cook, maybe they can replicate last year’s Chiefs.
It didn’t have to mean that at all.
Its reckless and potentially wasting a year of Joshs career.
At the very least, its taking unnecessary chances with the offense.
If you move on from a player like Diggs – you replace him with proven talent…even if it isn’t a pro bowl caliber player you need players who can play.
Right now the starting outside WRs are likely Coleman and Claypool. Then what? Mack Collins, Curtis Samuel and…KJ Hamler??
Thats pretty questionable decision making.
Of course it could work out. But if you are trying to replicate outlying superbowl teams – how is that good planning?
I feel like the only thing “outlying” about the Chiefs is they went back to back.
We’re not far removed from the 2017 and 2019 Patriots teams, either. Who was their alpha receiver? Rob Gronkowski. That’s four of the last eight with no Diggs type, strong TE play, a good qb, and a good defense.
Kincaid is the alpha this year. This team will be better than last years Bills. This is good planning because Beane isn’t trying to get Allen one ring. He’s trying to get in a position for multiple rings. You’ll get your alpha next year. This year there will be none. You might see a guy like Allen Robinson or Michael Thomas come in on a pillow deal to see if they can relive past glory, but no big name is coming. This year is about spreading the ball and giving Josh weapons in a tool box. They’ll be running more than they throw as well. Keep the defense fresh. This is a dangerous team.
I disagree.
If you think last years Chiefs offense is a model to follow – good luck.
As much as you might like Kincaid – he isn’t Kelce or Gronk. At least not yet. But hoping he turns into Kelce isn’t a solid plan.
And Brady? Is his game the same as Allen’s? Not close. Allen is the far more superior physical specimen. In literally every way.
But getting the ball out quick and playing in structure are not Joshs strengths. And I love Josh.
Its still feel like the offensive plan is just hope everyone is good or improving bc we have Josh.
“Don’t worry Josh can make them better!” Sure it can happen. And maybe it does to some degree , but it doesn’t change the fact that hope is a poor plan.
Keon is a widely criticized pick because he doesn’t separate. At all. Not even in college. He averaged something like 4 catches and 50 ypg last year.
Okaay.
Claypool might be the starting Z. Yeah. That Claypool. Can he be better with Josh? Sure. But again, hoping is a terrible plan.
Im just not to happy about modeling my offense after last years Chiefs and feeling okay with that performance.
Btw: The Bills have some turnover on defense too! Are we gonna try and win every game 21-17? Are we gonna keep bad teams in games again?
Josh is the strength of this team, and we are not setting him up for success. We are hoping.
We lost 200 targets and are trying to replace it with question marks.
It’s reckless.
You know who else believes the Chiefs were outliers?
The Chiefs.
They have continually spent draft capital on WR. Including trading up this year after signing Hollywood Brown.
Oh, and Brady also guys like Welker and Edlemen catching 100 passes.
Even if the Bills were to somehow win a superbowl – it wouldn’t mean this was a great plan. It would mean they simply took big risks when they didn’t have to.
The SCHEME can do it. Give the new OC a chance to work his scheme.
This guy is a complete waste of time. Bills trade Diggs to escape character issues and sign this guy? Yikes, that receiver room is a mess.
I’m sure he’s on a short leash and minimum contract. They’ll likely cut him in training camp if he doesn’t sperate himself from all the other receivers in the mix for the Bills
Les Claypool was far more skilled.
I’m trying hard to figure out how I can fit Wynona’s Big Brown beaver into the conversation.
His name is Mud.
Bills getting the self sabotage out of the way early this year