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Bills Notes: Allen, Edwards, Hines

June 22nd, 2024 at 10:04am CST by Ben Levine

Josh Allen dealt with a shoulder injury for much of the 2023 campaign, and it took him until recently to get over the pain. The Bills quarterback told reporters (including ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg) that while his shoulder injury improved throughout last season, it remained bothersome until a few weeks ago. Allen didn’t have to undergo surgery on his shoulder.

Allen didn’t miss a game after suffering the shoulder injury in Week 6, but the issue still had a major impact on his play. As Getzenberg notes, the QB was forced to change his mechanics in order to protect his injury, and he’s spent this offseason “improving his throwing motion” to get back to his old ways. Allen has specifically been working with movement analysis company Biometrik, and the QB now has the ability to map his movements and identify any inefficiencies.

“[The injuries change] how you throw it just a little bit because your body is shielding itself from pain,” Allen said of his injury and offseason approach. “So, making sure that I’m just kind of getting back to how I’m supposed to throw and what my body is capable of doing. And sometimes it takes a little longer, sometimes it doesn’t. So again, just trusting what the data [is] saying right now and just trying to feel it above all else.”

Despite dealing with the injury for much of the 2023 campaign, Allen still finished fifth in MVP voting. The QB finished the season with a career-high 15 rushing touchdowns, although his touchdown percentage (5.0) and interception percentage (3.1) represented some of his worst marks since his first two seasons in the league.

More notes out of Buffalo…

  • The Bills added safety Mike Edwards this offseason, but the veteran was unavailable for OTAs. While Edwards was in attendance for mandatory minicamp, he admitted to reporters that he’s still limited by his shoulder issue. “I’m not doing everything, just doing like individuals,” Edwards told WGR 550 radio (h/t SI.com). “Not so much where I want to be at, but it’s a step in the right direction.” The Bills will be counting on Edwards to lead their safeties corps with Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde no longer around.
  • Nyheim Hines‘ 2023 season ended before it even began, as the running back suffered a torn ACL and MCL in an offseason jet ski accident. His placement on the non-football injury list meant the Bills weren’t required to pay him for the 2023 campaign, although ESPN’s Marc Raimondi notes that the RB ultimately earned $3.98MM from Buffalo last season. Hines was cut by the Bills this offseason before catching on with the Browns.
  • The Bills have hired Santino Parlato as a Football Research Assistant, per ESPN’s Seth Walder. The team’s newest front office member previously worked as an analyst at Morgan Stanley.

Bills LB Matt Milano “Limited” Participant At Minicamp

June 15th, 2024 at 9:41am CST by Ben Levine

Matt Milano‘s leg injury was expected to keep him off the practice field until training camp, but the veteran linebacker was able to put in some work during this week’s minicamp. Coach Sean McDermott told reporters (including Tyler Dunne of GoLongTD.com) that Milano was a limited participant at last week’s practice.

While Milano isn’t all the way back to full strength, this is still an encouraging update. McDermott noted that Milano would spend most of minicamp doing individual work. The linebacker is officially considered “day-to-day,” and there’s hope he’ll be a full participant by the time training camp kicks off. Even then, McDermott cautioned that the team may bring the veteran along slowly as he returns from a broken leg.

“One day at a time,” McDermott said (via Matthew Fairburn and Tim Graham of The Athletic), “and hopefully tomorrow, if overnight things stay managed, then we’ll continue to build through the break that we’re going to go on. Then, hopefully in training camp, he’s at a spot where, when we open up, he’s available. It’s just a matter of … trying to put practices back to back”

We heard previously that Milano was on schedule with his recovery but it was “probably going to be more closer to training camp until” he sees the field again. The fact that the linebacker is getting a head start could only be seen as a positive for the Bills.

Milano suffered a broken leg during Buffalo’s trip to London last October. Prior to that, the seven-year veteran had collected 30 tackles, one forced fumble, and two interceptions in five games. This followed a standout 2022 campaign where Milano earned a first-team All-Pro nod after finishing with 99 tackles, three interceptions, and 11 passes defended.

With Milano temporarily absent from practices, the Bills could have given the likes of Dorian Williams, Baylon Spector, and rookie fifth-round pick Edefuan Ulofoshio more reps, but that trio is currently sidelined with their own injuries (per The Athletic).

Bills Sign Round 2 WR Keon Coleman, Wrap Draft Class Deals

June 13th, 2024 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

JUNE 13: Providing details on the Coleman accord, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes his salaries are fully guaranteed for the first three years. $1.74MM is guaranteed for injury in 2027; that year also has a $75K workout bonus. Coleman will receive a $4.15MM signing bonus.

JUNE 12: The makeup of the Bills’ rebuilt wide receiver room suggests Keon Coleman will need to hit the ground running. Buffalo passed on multiple wideouts late in the first round before identifying Coleman as their centerpiece fix post-Stefon Diggs.

This year’s first player chosen in the second round, Coleman is now under contract. The Bills inked the Florida State wideout to his four-year rookie contract Wednesday; this agreement concludes the draft signing portion of Buffalo’s offseason.

Last year’s first player off the Round 2 board, Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., did not receive a fully guaranteed contract. Neither did Titans QB Will Levis (No. 33). Coleman’s Bills pact could set a precedent, and with second-rounders making notable guarantee gains during this signing period, Coleman’s Year 4 salary guarantee will be a number to watch. The Steelers guaranteed $1.4MM of Porter’s $2MM final-year salary; the Bills will be expected to move beyond that point for Coleman.

Buffalo traded Diggs to Houston, with the Texans’ offer of a 2025 second-rounder changing the perennial AFC East champions’ plans with their previous WR1. The team also let Gabe Davis walk in free agency. While the Bills signed slot/gadget performer Curtis Samuel and signed some midlevel veterans — including ex-Chief Marquez Valdes-Scantling — Coleman seems likely to contribute regularly this season.

The Bills seem likely to be counting on a player who did not eclipse 800 receiving yards in a season with Michigan State or Florida State. After a 798-yard showing with the Spartans in 2022, he totaled 658 in 12 Seminoles contests last year. Coleman, 21, also lumbered to a 4.61-second 40-yard dash at the Combine. The 6-foot-3 weapon’s top speed of 20.36 mph in the Combine gauntlet drill was the fastest measured over the past two years, however.

With the Bills giving Josh Allen some input on this year’s receiver class, the superstar QB endorsed Coleman. The Bills passed on the likes of Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall and Xavier Legette at the end of the first round, picking up additional draft capital by trading down twice. The team faced criticism for allowing the Chiefs to climb up to No. 28 for Worthy, with the Patriots believed to have made an offer for the pick as well. After Buffalo traded out of Round 1 (via Carolina), it will not have a fifth-year option on Coleman.

Moving toward training camp, here are the Bills draftees set to vie for jobs:

Texans WR Stefon Diggs Expected To Be Traded By Bills?

June 8th, 2024 at 10:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the most impactful moves of the offseason for both the Bills and Texans was the trade which sent Stefon Diggs from Buffalo to Houston. The deal came about in short order with the Pro Bowl wideout’s former team originally expecting to keep him for at least the 2024 campaign.

Diggs himself seems to have had a different outlook on that front, however. When speaking to the media for the first time as a member of the Texans, he addressed the end of his Bills tenure. The 30-year-old said of a trade, via ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime, that he felt “it was going in that direction.”

Tension (real or perceived) between team and player was a regular occurrence in the case of Diggs’ four-year run in Buffalo. He still managed to enjoy plenty of success there with 5,372 yards and 37 touchdowns, production which led to four straight Pro Bowl invites and a first-team All-Pro nod in 2020. Once the Texans presented a trade package involving a 2025 second-round pick, though, the Bills elected to move on.

In doing so, Buffalo incurred a dead cap charge of just over $31MM. General manager Brandon Beane has since confirmed the team’s preference was to absorb that record-breaking amount (for receivers) all at once rather than spreading it out over multiple years. While that approach will create considerable spending power in 2025, questions have been raised about the Bills’ receiver room this year.

By contrast, the Texans have added Diggs to a unit already featuring Tank Dell – who had a strong rookie campaign when healthy last season – and Nico Collins. The latter had a breakout season in 2023, and it earned him a lucrative extension. Diggs was attached to a big-ticket deal of his own, but Houston agreed to remove the post-2024 years of his contract. The former fifth-rounder is thus on track for free agency next offseason, and much of his value will depend on his ability to fit in well with his new team. Diggs’ remarks in that regard have been encouraging early on.

“They’re very welcoming,” he said of the Texans. “Very open arms, and I just feel like it’s important for me to be a part of things like that. It’s genuine. You thrive in that space. You thrive in a space where you’re loved. Thrive in a space of being around those who truly care and truly want to see you win.”

AFC East Rumors: Douglas, Saleh, Reddick

June 8th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas was able to clear up a bit of cap space for the team with a restructure in March, but he likely would’ve preferred to receive an extension as he heads into a contract year. The veteran cornerback has been absent from all offseason workouts so far this year, causing some to speculate about a holdout over his contract.

According to Tim Graham of The Athletic, Douglas’ absence isn’t due to contract issues. There’s no further information to tell us whether the absence is injury-related or not, but there don’t appear to be any contact concerns for Douglas in Buffalo. Douglas provided a huge boost to an injury-riddled defense in 2023, and his significant contributions should set him up for a nice contract in the future.

While that contract hasn’t been a focus so far this offseason, it doesn’t appear that the lack of prospects for a new deal are keeping Douglas away.

Here are a couple of other rumors coming out of the AFC East:

  • We continue to see rumors tying Jets head coach Robert Saleh to a larger role in the offense in 2024, reducing the role of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. We’ve started seeing examples of this in organized team activities as Saleh is spending increased time overseeing the offense in practice and has been more vocal in quarterback meetings, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. With an 18-33 record through three seasons as head coach in New York, Saleh, a former defensive coordinator, is doing whatever it takes to make sure he’s still there after Year 4.
  • The Jets essentially exchanged pass rushers with the Eagles this offseason, trading for Haason Reddick while allowing Bryce Huff to depart in free agency. Despite Huff delivering a 10-sack season for the Jets last year, the team didn’t view him as an every-down player. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, New York is so confident that Reddick will be that guy for them that they took on an expiring contract and even traded away John Franklin-Myers to the Broncos to ensure Reddick has the opportunity to shine. After failing to land an extension with the Eagles, Reddick will attempt to show just how much he’s worth with the Jets in 2024.

Bills’ Von Miller Addresses Health Status

June 6th, 2024 at 9:53am CST by Adam La Rose

The 2023 campaign did not go according to plan for Von Miller. The future Hall of Famer’s second Bills campaign included a lengthy recovery from an ACL tear and finished without a sack being recorded.

A key factor in Miller’s ability to rebound in 2024 will of course be the status of his knee. A return to health could pave the way for a bounce-back season, although at age 35 expectations will be lowered with respect to pass rush production. In any event, positive signs have been seen this spring.

“I have continued to grind and continued to work on my knee,” Miller said when speaking to the media (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “Everything revolves around my health, the way my knee is feeling So far, I’ve been feeling great. I’ve been practicing without a knee brace. That’s something that I just could not do last year.”

The longtime Broncos Pro Bowler made just three tackles last season while playing a rotational role. That stands in stark contrast to the eight sacks and 27 QB pressures he registered the year before, figures which potentially offered a preview of his time in Buffalo. Four years remain on Miller’s pact, which was restructured in March as part of the team’s multitude of cost-shedding moves ahead of free agency. As a result, he is due $8.86MM in 2024 base compensation with the potential to earn more via incentives.

No guaranteed salary exists on Miller’s contract beyond this season, and a post-June 1 release would generate notable cap savings as early as 2025. The extent to which he rebounds during the coming campaign will therefore be worth watching closely. Buffalo lost Leonard Floyd in free agency, but the team still has Gregory Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa along with veteran addition Dawuane Smoot and fifth-round rookie Javon Solomon on the edge. Miller will compete for snaps as part of that contingent.

“During the season, once we start getting in the mix, in games and stuff, I think I should be good to go,” the latter added. “I think my last three games of the [2023] season, Miami, Pittsburgh and K.C., were my best games of the year. I hate that it waited all the way to that point, but that’s just what it took, and I’ve just been trying to use that to springboard into this season.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/4/24

June 4th, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Claimed off waivers (from Patriots): OL Andrew Stueber
  • Waived: WR JaQuae Jackson

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: LB Shayne Simon
  • Waived/injured: OL Tommy Doyle

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

After missing most of the past two seasons due to a knee injury, Ryan Jensen announced back in February that he was going to retire. The Buccaneers made the move official today, although that won’t be the end of their cap commitment to the offensive lineman. As Greg Auman of FOX Sports notes, since Jensen’s contract was pro-rated, the Buccaneers will be hit with a combined $16.6MM in dead cap over the next two seasons.

The Browns cleared up their depth chart a bit by cutting kicker Lucas Havrisik, leaving the organization with Dustin Hopkins and Cade York to compete for the starting job. Havrisik got into nine games with the Rams last season, connecting on 15 of his 20 field goal tries and 19 of his 22 extra points. In other kicker moves, the Commanders have added Ramiz Ahmed in the wake of the Brandon McManus release.

Bills Sign Cole Bishop, Seven Other Draft Picks

June 4th, 2024 at 7:32pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bills signed a significant portion of their draft class today. The team announced that they’ve signed the following players to rookie contracts:

  • Round 2, No. 60: Cole Bishop (S, Utah)
  • Round 3, No. 95 (from Chiefs): DeWayne Carter, DT (Duke)
  • Round 4, No. 128: Ray Davis (RB, Kentucky)
  • Round 5, No. 141 (from Giants through Panthers): Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (C, Georgia)
  • Round 5, No. 160 (from Packers): Edefuan Ulofoshio (LB, Washington)
  • Round 5, No. 168 (from Saints): Javon Solomon (EDGE, Troy)
  • Round 6, No. 204: Tylan Grable (T, Central Florida)
  • Round 6, No. 219 (from Packers): Daequan Hardy (CB, Penn State)

The team previously signed seventh-round offensive tackle Travis Clayton. Second-round wide receiver (and the Bills’ top-overall pick) Keon Coleman is the only remaining unsigned rookie.

Cole Bishop had a standout career at Utah that saw him collect 197 tackles and 7.5 sacks. He earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors this past season, finishing with 60 stops, 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two interceptions. That performance helped establish Bishop as one of the draft’s top safety prospects, and he was ultimately selected by the Bills with the 60th-overall pick.

After releasing Jordan Poyer and with Micah Hyde remaining unsigned, the Bills should have an opening for Bishop in the starting lineup. Last year’s third safety, Taylor Rapp, is temporarily penciled in as the other starting safety, so even if the Bills add some reinforcement, there’s a good chance Bishop will still see significant playing time.

11 Teams Gain Cap Space From Post-June 1 Cuts

June 2nd, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Early June no longer means a mid-offseason update to the free agent market, as teams can designate players as post-June 1 cuts months in advance of that date. But June 2 does bring an annually important date in terms of finances. This year, 11 teams will see their cap-space figures expand thanks to post-June 1 release designations. One other club — the Broncos — used a post-June 1 designation, but they will not save any money from the historic Russell Wilson release.

Teams are permitted to designate two players as post-June 1 cuts ahead of that date. This designation spreads a player’s dead money hit over two years as opposed to a 2024-only blow. Courtesy of Spotrac, here are the savings this year’s teams to make post-June 1 designations will receive:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Broncos’ overall Wilson cap hit, even with the quarterback’s $1.21MM Steelers salary factoring into the equation, will more than double any other single-player dead money number in NFL history. The now-Sean Payton-led Broncos, after a failed effort to move Wilson’s guarantee vesting date beyond 2024, will take their medicine for bailing 18 months after authorizing a five-year, $245MM extension. Denver will absorb the lion’s share of the dead money this year, taking on $53MM. The team will not receive the cap credit from Wilson’s Steelers deal until 2025, per Spotrac.

Annually making exhaustive efforts to move under the cap, the Saints will be hit with more than $30MM in total dead cap from the Thomas and Winston contracts. Redesigning both in 2023, the Saints will take on $8.9MM in 2024 dead money on Thomas and $3.4MM on the Winston pact. Mickey Loomis‘ operation is once again at the bottom of the NFL in future cap space, being projected to come in more than $84MM over the 2025 cap.

Baltimore structured Beckham’s one-year, $15MM contract to void, and the team will take on more than $10MM in total dead money on it. The bulk of that will come in 2025; the post-June 1 cut will produce $2.8MM in 2024 dead cap this year.

NFL Front Office Updates: Pats, Bills, Bucs

June 2nd, 2024 at 5:40pm CST by Ely Allen

Teams around the league continue to make adjustments here and there to their front office and scouting staffs. One such team is the Patriots, who are operating under new leadership at the top of the front office with Bill Belichick departed.

New England is reportedly parting ways with pro scout Joe Anile, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. Anile joined the Patriots after five years in the Jaguars’ front office. He only spent one year as a pro scout in Jacksonville before leaving for the same role in New England.

Anile is the nephew of longtime NFL scout and front office executive Dom Anile, who rose to the rank of assistant general manager of the Colts back in the mid-2000’s.

Here are a couple of other front office updates from around the league, starting with a rival of the Anile’s former team:

  • The Bills will see football analyst Evan Weiss depart, per ESPN’s Seth Walder. Weiss will be departing the NFL ranks of football analytics in favor of a job at FanDuel, presumably doing a bit of the same work. The Northwestern grad had been with Buffalo since joining the team as an intern in 2018.
  • Lastly, the Buccaneers are bringing on a new hire in Jeremiah Bogan, according to a post from Bogan’s account on X. Bogan’s announcement revealed that he will be hired on as a scouting assistant. He joins Tampa Bay’s scouting department after spending the last four months as director of player personnel and NFL liaison at UConn. Prior to that, he spent the 2023 season as assistant director of player personnel at LSU while also serving as a national scout for the East/West Shrine Bowl.
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