As the Bills prepare for the offseason, GM Doug Whaley cautioned today in an appearance on WGR 550 that re-signing potential free agents won’t be easy, since the team is already over the cap for 2016 (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News). VP Jim Overdorf, who handles the cap and player contracts, wlil have to “work his magic” this spring, Whaley added (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
The NFL has yet to set its cap number for 2016, and the Bills will certainly lower the number currently on their books by releasing or trading players in the coming weeks and months, but according to Over the Cap’s data, based on a $150MM projected cap for ’16, Buffalo is indeed more than $3MM over the cap, with the second-most cap commitments in the NFL. So the team will have some work ahead of it.
Here’s more out of Buffalo:
- One player who is expected to be cut, and whose release would create some breathing room under the cap, is defensive end Mario Williams. As Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News notes (via Twitter), a Rex Ryan quote today about his defense being built for “all 11” players rather than just for one is another sign that Williams is likely on his way out.
- Ryan clarified today that, after this month’s staff changes, Dennis Thurman will continue to be the team’s defensive coordinator, while the head coach will still call defensive plays on game day (Twitter links via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW).
- Following up on a comment he made earlier this week, Ryan said his brother Rob Ryan turned down an NFL defensive coordinator job and a college DC job to join the Bills’ staff (Twitter link via Rodak).
- The Bills will “seriously look into” drafting a wide receiver this spring, Whaley said today, though he did acknowledge that’s probably true of every position (Twitter link via Rodak).
- Whaley also said that the Bills would love to have Percy Harvin back in 2016 (Twitter link via WGR 550). Harvin’s contract with the team voids during the offseason, so he’ll become a free agent.
I find it hard to believe that Rob Ryan turned down an NFL coordinator position. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it’d be fun to work with your brother. But the Saints defense was not just the worst in the league last season. It was historically bad! I don’t buy that the guy running it could get another gig so quickly.
Yeah, it wouldn’t surprise me if Rex is exaggerating a little there — maybe Rob turned down an interview request for a DC job or something like that.
bills need to trade their first, second and fourth round pick for this year and second round in 2017 to Dallas for the 4th pick and they can draft the WR from Ole Miss.
What about his time in Oakland, Cleveland, and Dallas told you he should have gotten another job then? If you got friends in the NFL, you can get the job, and some of the HC hires this year, namely what happened in Tampa and NY, lets you see why guys almost always just hire their friends. Also, have you seen some of the people taking these DC jobs? The 49ers for one are looking to hire people way worse than him, which is hard to imagine but true. So yeah, I believe it. Combination of his family name and New England roots means a lot of friends to hire him.