Anquan Boldin

Anquan Boldin Rules Out Late Season Return

August 21st, 2017 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

After less than two weeks in Buffalo, Anquan Boldin informed the team that he is retiring. The timing is unusual, but Boldin insists that he is not leaving the sport simply to get away from the Bills. He also insists that he is retired for good.

“I’m done with the sport of football,” Boldin said when asked about the possibility of hooking on with a contender late in the season (via Ross Tucker of SiriusXM on Twitter). “My passion is elsewhere.”

That passion, he says, is to help heal the great social and political divide in the United States. When asked about what changed his mind in recent weeks, he cited the events in Charlottesville and did not mention the team’s blockbuster trades.

“I’m uncomfortable with how divided we are as a country. This is not a fly by night decision. It’s something I want to dedicate my life to,” Boldin said.

After dedicating his life to the sport throughout his amateur days and 14 NFL seasons, one can hardly blame Boldin for switching gears. When he celebrates his 37th birthday in October, Boldin will be doing something other than playing football.

Anquan Boldin To Leave Bills, Retire

August 20th, 2017 at 7:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Anquan Boldin signed with the Bills earlier this month in advance of a 15th NFL season, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to be in the cards for the veteran wideout any longer.

Boldin informed the Bills on Sunday he plans to retire instead of suiting up for them in the regular season, ESPN.com’s Jim Trotter reports (on Twitter).

The former first-round pick signed a one-year deal that was worth as much as $4MM and said he would have signed with the Bills with or without Sammy Watkins on the roster. GM Brandon Beane also used Boldin’s acquisition to illustrate how the franchise wasn’t rebuilding after dealing Watkins and Ronald Darby.

Beane confirmed Boldin is retiring, via Twitter. The wideout officially spent just less than two weeks with the Bills.

Boldin retires as one of the best receivers of his era. The former Cardinals, Ravens, 49ers and Lions cog has the ninth-most receptions in NFL history, with 1,076. Only two active players — ex-teammate Larry Fitzgerald and longtime Cowboys tight end Jason Witten — have more catches than Boldin. A potential Hall of Famer, Boldin is 14th in receiving yards (13,779) and 23rd in touchdown receptions (82).

“Football has afforded me a platform throughout my career to have a greater impact on my humanitarian work,” Boldin said in a statement, via Trotter (on Twitter). “At this time, I feel drawn to make the larger fight for human rights a priority. My life’s purpose is bigger than football.”

Set to turn 37 in October, Boldin operated as a starer during all 14 seasons of his career. The Florida State product finishes his run as a three-time Pro Bowler and having helped the 2012 Ravens to a Super Bowl title. He also teamed with Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner in elevating the Cardinals to their franchise peak, with an NFC title and narrow Super Bowl loss in 2008.

Boldin authored seven 1,000-yard seasons — for three different teams — and caught a career-high 11 touchdown passes during that ’08 season. He also recorded one of the best rookie seasons, with the ’03 Cards, by a receiver in NFL history, catching 101 passes for 1,377 yards and eight touchdowns.

Last year with the Lions, Boldin signed a one-year deal and started all 16 games. He served as a key security blanket for Matthew Stafford, catching 67 passes and scoring eight touchdowns.

Boldin was a free agent throughout the offseason and was connected to the Lions and Ravens. He ended up signing with the Bills and was expected to provide a veteran presence to a team that has revamped its receiving corps.

Gone are Watkins, Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin. In their places are now Jordan Matthews, second-round rookie Zay Jones and former Raiders starters Andre Holmes and Rod Streater, the latter of whom is currently injured. Former Panthers wideout Philly Brown and Patriots special-teamer Brandon Tate are also on the roster. This move deprives the Bills of a proven pass-catcher and puts more pressure on Matthews, also currently sidelined with an injury, to fill the void this season.

Bills Address Trades Of Sammy Watkins, Ronald Darby

August 11th, 2017 at 9:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills made deals with the Rams and Eagles on Friday and secured two additional draft picks. They now have six selections in the first three rounds next year. However, in trading away their top cornerback and wide receiver, Bills brass are aware they have to sell these deals to fans and players.

Sean McDermott commented about how these trades could be perceived as weakening this year’s team — and hindering the chances of breaking major American sports’ longest playoff drought — in order to build for the future in the eyes of some fans.

“I get it. I absolutely get it. That’s why I didn’t sleep last night because these are tough decisions,” McDermott said, via Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. “I’m a part of that. When I signed my name to that dotted line, I became a part of that 17-year time period. I’m invested. I feel what (the fans) feel.”

New GM Brandon Beane said he was not actively aiming to trade Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby. Beane added these trades came together around the same time, inducing the back-to-back announcements.

“These aren’t easy decisions. I laid both trades out for Terry Pegula and Sean McDermott last night. This was absolutely a ‘we’ decision,” Beane said. “… People forget that we just signed (Anquan) Boldin. This isn’t a throw-in-the-towel move. You don’t know me if you think I’m throwing in the towel.”

Convincing veterans these were the right moves weighed on Beane’s mind. That process has already begun. An AFC GM, however, approves of the haul the Bills got for Watkins and Darby. The exec texted Graham that second- and third-round 2018 picks for players the Bills didn’t ultimately view as cornerstones was a good return. This follows the draft-weekend deal that allowed the Chiefs to move up to No. 10 and select Patrick Mahomes, dropping the Bills 18 spots in Round 1. Of course, Beane wasn’t yet on board when that occurred.

“Well, it’s hard,” Beane said of selling the move to the locker room. “They don’t necessarily know Jordan (Matthews) or E.J. (Gaines) So hopefully they’ll reserve judgment until those guys get in and strap the pads on and jump in with them. We’ll see where it goes from there.”

Speaking of Boldin, the veteran wide receiver said Friday he would have joined the Bills with or without Watkins. Boldin signed a one-year contract late last month. The Rams now have Watkins on a one-year deal since the Bills didn’t pick up the former No. 4 overall pick’s fifth-year option.

Back for a third season as the starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor toed the company line as well after the Bills have now fully revamped his receiving corps.

“I have faith in our management, have faith in coach McDermott that they made a decision based on the betterment of this team,” Taylor said, via Graham.

Graham notes Kyle Williams needed to be convinced to return for a 12th season. The defensive tackle said his experience with NFL transactions makes this easier. As does the fact Matthews and Gaines are on the way.

“You could view it one way from my perspective if we got a pick (in 2018), two more two years from now,” Williams said. “We’re actually getting guys that are coming back to play those positions.”

Bills To Sign Anquan Boldin

August 7th, 2017 at 11:19am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills are set to sign Anquan Boldin, as Peter Schrager of NFL.com tweets. As one would expect, it’s a one-year deal for the veteran wide receiver.

Boldin’s deal will pay him $2.75MM in 2017 plus another $1.25MM in incentives, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter links). Schefter adds that Boldin agreed to a deal with Buffalo last week and backed out before having another change of heart on Monday morning.

Boldin, 36, isn’t quite as dynamic as he once was, but he showed last year that he can still be productive. Boldin had 67 catches and a career-high eight touchdowns, though it should be noted that he averaged a career-worst 8.7 yards per reception.

Boldin will be counted upon to serve as insurance for Buffalo in the event that star Sammy Watkins has to miss time this season. Aside from using a second round pick on Zay Jones in the spring, the Bills didn’t do a whole lot to beef up their thin wide receiver group. Now, they’re in better shape with Boldin.

You can jot Boldin down as the team’s No. 2 or No. 3 wide receiver, depending on how Jones fares in practice for the rest of the month. After that, free agent additions Rod Streater, Corey Brown, Andre Holmes, and Jeremy Butler are among the names pushing for spots on the 53-man roster. Dezmin Lewis and Brandon Tate are also fighting for jobs while Walt Powell must serve a four-game suspension to start the year.

AFC Notes: Kap, Chiefs, Bills, Ravens, Pats

July 27th, 2017 at 8:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith became $2MM richer when he showed up to training camp Thursday, making his reporting bonus the largest in the NFL, per Field Yates of ESPN (on Twitter).

With Smith and first-round pick Patrick Mahomes in the fold, the Chiefs aren’t in the market for a signal-caller, but there would be “no hesitation” to sign polarizing free agent Colin Kaepernick if they were, owner Clark Hunt told NBC Sports Radio in San Francisco on Wednesday (via Scott Gleason of USA Today).

While Kaepernick’s political activism has made it difficult for him to find work since he opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March, that wouldn’t have deterred the Chiefs from pursuing him. Clark noted that “there are certain circumstances where guys get in trouble off the field, and that is something as an organization and as a family we care about,” but Kaepernick isn’t someone who has been a problem away from the gridiron.

Notably, Kaepernick was teammates with Smith when the two were 49ers from 2011-12. Kaepernick took the No. 1 job from Smith during that stretch, which led San Francisco to trade him to Kansas City, but there’s no chance of the two appearing on the same depth chart with the Chiefs.

More on KC and a few other AFC franchises:

Free agent wide receiver Anquan Boldin‘s workout in Buffalo this past Monday hasn’t led to a deal, though head coach Sean McDermott hasn’t closed the door on the 36-year-old signing with the Bills. McDermott told Mike Rodak of ESPN.com and other reporters Thursday that the two sides are still determining whether they’re the right match for each other. McDermott also called the meeting with Boldin a “nice visit,” according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).
The Ravens were the only team other than the Jets to put him in a claim for wide receiver Lucky Whitehead, tweets Field Yates of ESPN. Whitehead hit waivers after the Cowboys cut him Monday, and he joined the Jets on Wednesday.
The Chiefs promoted Mike Borgonzi from co-director of player personnel to director of player personnel on Wednesday, per BJ Kissel of the team’s website. Borgonzi had shared the position with Brett Veach, who took over for the fired John Dorsey as Kansas City’s GM earlier this month. Veach beat out Borgonzi and others for the role.
Undrafted rookie Austin Carr could benefit from Andrew Hawkins‘ retirement more than any other Patriots receiver, observes Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. The Pats are still loaded at receiver, where they’ll primarily rely on Julian Edelman, Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell and Danny Amendola, but Hawkins’ exit leaves Carr as the next man up, writes Reiss. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Carr was the Big Ten receiver of the year last year, when he piled up 90 catches, 1,247 yards and 12 touchdowns at Northwestern.

Bills To Work Out Anquan Boldin

July 21st, 2017 at 1:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills are set to audition wide receiver Anquan Boldin, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano (on Twitter). The workout will take place on Monday with other players also involved.

Boldin, 36, led the Lions with 22 red zone targets last season. He had 67 catches and a career-high eight touchdowns, though he averaged a career-worst 8.7 yards per grab (584 yards in total). The veteran is not a deep threat, but he could provide insurance in the event that Sammy Watkins is once again held back by injury.

As it stands, Watkins, rookie Zay Jones, and veteran Andre Holmes are the team’s top receivers. Although Buffalo improved in other areas, it’s possible that the Bills have left themselves a bit thin at WR. Adding Boldin could help to fix that.

It’s worth noting that Boldin has some history with Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Taylor was the Ravens’ backup quarterback while Boldin was in Baltimore.

Anquan Boldin To Visit Unknown Team

July 17th, 2017 at 5:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent wideout Anquan Boldin has spoken with several clubs about a contract and will visit an unidentified team on Sunday, according to Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link).

Boldin, 36, reportedly may seek to sign with a club that plays closer to his Florida residence, which could rule out a reunion with the Lions (although Detroit is open to re-signing him). Perhaps seeking to avoid the grind of training camp, Boldin is apparently willing to wait for a new deal, and could look to ink a contract later in the offseason.

Signed to a one-year, $2.75MM deal prior to last season, Boldin appeared in all 16 games for the Lions in 2016. On 95 targets, Boldin managed 67 receptions for 584 yards and eight touchdowns. While the yardage total was the lowest of Boldin’s career, his eight scores were the most he’s posted since 2008. Boldin, a three-time Pro Bowler, played on 80% of Detroit’s offensive snaps as the club’s third receiver behind Golden Tate and Marvin Jones.

Last month, PFR ranked Boldin as the best available receiver left on the open market.

Anquan Boldin Willing To Wait For Deal

June 20th, 2017 at 9:28am CST by Zachary Links

Last year, it took until late July for Anquan Boldin to find his NFL home. This year, the wide receiver says that he’s okay with things playing out in similar fashion. In an interview with Bertrand Berry and Mike Jurecki on Arizona Sports 98.7-FM (audio link), Boldin preached patience.

“I look at the offseason as something that’s for younger guys,” Boldin said (transcript via PFT). “If you’re a younger guy, it’s necessary for you to get in there to learn a new system, to learn your coaches, learn a new environment. For veteran guys, I don’t think it’s as necessary, personally. I like to spend that time with my family. … For me, training camp is a necessary evil. I think that’s the only way you can get prepared for a season. So I prefer to sign right before training camp to make sure I get in, learn the new system, learn my teammates, get all the mistakes out of the way, get hit a couple times to make sure that when that first game comes I feel fully prepared.”

Last week, it was reported that Boldin’s preference might be to play near his home in Florida. However, as he explained to Berry and Jurecki, playing in or around the Sunshine State is not necessarily a must.

“For me, it’s just finding the right situation and that’s to make sure I’m comfortable and my family is comfortable wherever I am. So finding that right situation is the best way to put it,” Boldin said.

Boldin, 37 in October, is 14th all time in career receiving yards. Last year, he showed that he still has something left in the tank by notching 67 receptions for 584 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s no longer a WR1 type, but a team in need of a savvy veteran could call on him later this summer. Ultimately, a door may not open for Boldin until a team loses an important wide receiver to injury in training camp.

Anquan Boldin Looking To Play In Florida?

June 16th, 2017 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

Anquan Boldin says that he wants to continue playing in 2017, but he won’t necessarily accept any gig that comes his way. The wide receiver would like to play near his home in Florida, people close to him tell Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Unfortunately for Boldin, all three Florida teams seem pretty well set at wide receiver. The Dolphins have their big three of Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills, and DeVante Parker with 2016 third round pick Leonte Carroo and Jakeem Grant in support. The Bucs have Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, Adam Humphries, Chris Godwin, and Josh Huff with talented receivers like Freddie Martino and Donteea Dye on the fringe. In Jacksonville, standouts Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, and Allen Hurns are joined by rookie Dede Westbrook and former Buc Arrelious Benn. That’s not to say that Boldin couldn’t crack the roster with those teams, but there is not a clear path to significant playing time.

Meanwhile, it doesn’t sound like the Lions are looking for a reunion. Even though Boldin all Lions WRs in touchdown catches (eight) and finished second in receptions (61) in 2016, coach Jim Caldwell says that he’s content with his current group.

“You never say never,” Caldwell said. “Obviously, he contributed quite a bit for us, just not certain at this point in time. I think we’re in good shape where we are right now. I think we have a really good core.”

Boldin, 37 in October, averaged a career-worst 8.7 yards per grab last year. Even though he still has solid route running skills and soft hands, he’s not quite as fleet-footed as he used to be.

NFC Notes: Lions, Eagles, 49ers

June 15th, 2017 at 10:35am CST by Connor J. Byrne

Lions contract-year quarterback Matthew Stafford could be on the verge of becoming the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback, but he told reporters Wednesday that there’s still “no timetable” on an extension (per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com). And while it’s possible Stafford will wait for the Raiders’ Derek Carr and/or the Redskins’ Kirk Cousins to sign before talks between him and the Lions ramp up, he insists their situations have no bearing on his. “I’m not too worried about what those guys do,” Stafford said.

More from Detroit and two other NFC cities:

The Eagles handed Jason Peters a one-year extension Wednesday, and the club could move the veteran offensive lineman from tackle to guard at some point in the future, as head coach Doug Pederson told reporters, including Matt Lombardo of NJ.com (Twitter link). The switch would make some sense, especially from a contractual standpoint, as Philadelphia has already locked up its left tackle of the future — incumbent right tackle Lane Johnson. Johnson is earning $11.25MM annually, far and away the highest salary among right tackles, a sure sign the Eagles envision the former first-round pick eventually transitioning to the blindside.
Kyle Shanahan cautioned last month that 49ers first-round linebacker Reuben Foster‘s shoulder issues could keep him out of action as a rookie, but the head coach is now singing a different tune. Shanahan expressed confidence Wednesday that Foster will be a full participant when training camp opens in July, saying (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle): “He’s been doing great with his rehab. Really have no concerns. I think he’ll be more than ready to go by training camp. That’s my feeling. Can’t promise that, but I’d be surprised if he wasn’t.” Foster underwent right shoulder surgery before the combine, which played a part in the former Alabama All-American’s fall from a potential top 10 pick to the 31st overall selection.
Asked Thursday if it’s possible the Lions will re-sign free agent wide receiver Anquan Boldin, head coach Jim Caldwell said, “Never say never.” But it’s unlikely the Lions will bring back Boldin unless one of their current receivers suffers an injury, tweets Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. Boldin, 36, led all Lions wideouts in touchdown catches (eight) and finished second in receptions (61) in 2016, though he only averaged 8.7 yards per grab.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

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