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Jordan Poyer

AFC East Rumors: Poyer, Franklin-Myers, Joyner, Hall

July 8th, 2022 at 7:15pm CST by Ely Allen

Bills safety Jordan Poyer ended his hold out last month, attending mandatory minicamp in order to avoid the roughly $90,000 in fines he would have been liable to pay for an unexcused absence. He’s also not likely to return to his hold out once camp begins for a similar reason, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News.

Poyer had skipped OTAs in May after he had decided to push Buffalo for a contract extension. The deal would likely benefit both parties. Poyer would get a raise while the Bills would have an opportunity to lower Poyer’s cap hit and keep one of the NFL’s best safety tandems together for a few more years (as fellow safety, Micah Hyde, is under contract through next season).

If Poyer balked and ended his hold out at $90,000 to attend minicamp, it’s had to imagine that he would be willing to shell out the $50,000 daily fine that would hit him as a player not on a rookie contract missing camp. Poyer has recently doubled down on his assertion that he truly wants to remain in Buffalo, so moving forward in good faith puts the pressure on the Bills to provide him with a deal to keep him from walking at the end of the season..

Here are a few other rumors from out of the AFC East, specifically coming out of the Garden State:

  • The Jets brought in edge defender Carl Lawson last offseason to improve their pass rush but, unfortunately, saw his season end before it had a chance to begin. With Lawson coming back healthy and looking to start, New York will have to figure out who to start opposite Lawson on the line. Despite some initial thought that rookie first-round pick Jermaine Johnson II would slide into the starting position, it’s looking like veteran John Franklin-Myers will show early dividends on his recent four-year, $55MM extension and earn the starting job, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. Johnson will likely rotate in off the bench along with Jacob Martin and Bryce Huff.
  • The Jets brought in veteran cornerback Lamarcus Joyner last offseason in hopes that he could move to safety and start alongside Marcus Maye. Similar to the loss of Lawson, though, New York saw Joyner suffer a Week 1 injury that would hold him out for the remainder of the season. Despite the loss of Maye to free agency, the Jets are still hoping Joyner can start for them at safety, this time alongside free agent addition Jordan Whitehead, according to Costello. New York still has depth at the position with Ashtyn Davis and Elijah Riley both earning starts throughout last year, but the Jets are hoping they can rely on the veteran 1-2 punch of Joyner at free safety and Whitehead at strong safety.
  • Last year’s fourth-round pick, running back Michael Carter, performed admirably over his rookie season showing he can be effective at the NFL-level. But Carter is extremely likely to take a back seat this upcoming season to the team’s second-round pick from this year’s draft, Breece Hall, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic. While Carter was good in his debut season, the Jets fully expect Hall to be a Pro Bowler and a home run hitter. Hall is expected to receive the majority of the carries for New York’s offense and Carter will be a bit more of a role player in his sophomore season.

Latest On Bills S Jordan Poyer

July 2nd, 2022 at 4:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Earlier this offseason, Bills safety Jordan Poyer changed agents and approached the team in the hopes of signing a new contract. That decision led to a storyline which has remained largely unchanged throughout the spring and into the summer. 

[RELATED: Examining A Poyer Extension]

The 31-year-old skipped OTAs amidst his desire for a renegotiated pact. An extension would add some security for both sides, as Poyer is only under contract for one more season. The value of that deal ($5.6MM) represents, of course, another reason why he would be seeking a new accord. Poyer was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2021, matching his career-high with five interceptions and continuing his consistent level of play which has been seen throughout his tenure with the Bills.

While the former seventh-rounder (who attended mandatory minicamp) will earn far less than many other top safeties in 2022, a restructure to his current deal pushes his cap hit to over $10.7MM. That could provide further incentive on the team’s part to work out an extension, something which would likely happen around training camp later this month. Fortunately for Buffalo, Poyer is doubling down on his intentions of remaining with his current employer.

When appearing on the Inside the Garage podcast recently, he said, via Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper, “I can’t really think of a better situation for me to be in than Buffalo right now.” Part of the reason for that, as he stated, is the presence of fellow safety Micah Hyde, who has teamed with Poyer to great success with the Bills and is under contract for two more seasons. If talks progress either before or during the upcoming season, Poyer could continue to be a key contributor on one of the league’s top contenders for at least the short-term future.

AFC East Notes: Poyer, Becton, Jets, Patriots

June 14th, 2022 at 10:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Jordan Poyer continues to pursue a new contract, but that won’t keep him away from mandatory minicamp. The Bills All-Pro safety is in attendance for practice this week, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

The impending free agent is seeking a new deal, and the Bills have been in communication with the player’s camp. According to ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg, Poyer’s participation may be limited in a pseudo-holdout move.

“I think Jordan is in a good place mentally,” said defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. “He’s still staying in touch with his teammates, and hopefully, we’ll see him soon.”

Poyer has been a consistent starter on the Bills defense since joining the organization in 2017, missing only a pair of games. After collecting 100+ tackles between 2018 and 2020, the safety earned his first career All-Pro nod in 2021 after finishing with 93 tackles, three sacks, and five interceptions. The veteran inked a two-year extension with the organization in 2020.

More out of the AFC East:

  • The Jets could turn to a committee approach as they look to replace Jamison Crowder‘s spot at slot receiver, writes ESPN’s Rich Cimini. Many assumed that Braxton Berrios would slide into the role, but head coach Robert Saleh admitted the team is “working through it” and prefers to slide players in and out of the spot to keep things unpredictable. Elijah Moore and rookie Garrett Wilson are among the receivers who could join Berrios in the slot rotation.
  • Jets defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd rejected a better offer to re-sign with the Jets on a one-year, $1.1MM deal, according to Cimini. Incredibly, the 2018 draft pick is the team’s longest-tenured player, and he’s earned a reputation as a hard worker and loyal player. As Cimini notes, Shepard is now the biggest player on the team with Folorunso Fatukasi gone, and that could mean the veteran will see a more significant role in run-stopping situations.
  • Jets offensive lineman Mekhi Becton made it to mandatory minicamp after having sat out previous voluntary sessions, tweets ESPN’s Rich Cimini. The lineman didn’t practice, presumably because he’s still rehabbing his surgically repaired knee. Meanwhile, SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano writes that the player’s ability to return to the field could ultimately influence the left tackle competition between Becton and George Fant. “The faster that you can stamp ‘Hey, this is what we feel like is going to be our best going into Week 1 vs. Baltimore,’ the faster we can do that the better,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said (via Vacchiano). “I think it will play itself out fairly quickly. When we get back (for training camp), we’re rolling, we’re running the football, and we’re going to see. It’ll all play itself out.”
  • At least one “prominent” member of the Patriots offense believed the coaching staff was unprepared at the start of the team’s offseason workout, according to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus. Following Josh McDaniels move to Las Vegas, the Patriots haven’t replaced anyone as their offensive coordinator, with former ST coordinator Joe Judge and former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia apparently taking on larger roles on offense. However, it sounds like the coaches are settling into roles, with Kyed describing Judge as the “passing game coordinator” and Patricia as the “running game coordinator.” Naturally, head coach Bill Belichick recently swatted away any questions about the offensive play calling. “If you’re asking about game plans, we’re months away from that — months,” Belichick said. “Months away. Months. What plays are we calling? Mini-camp plays?”

Extension Candidate: Jordan Poyer

June 5th, 2022 at 10:02pm CST by Ely Allen

Heading into a contract year, Bills safety Jordan Poyer is set to represent a cap hit of $10.78MM on Buffalo’s books for the 2022 NFL season. This provides a rare situation in the NFL where it becomes beneficial for both parties to negotiate towards an extension. At 31-years-old, Poyer can likely find more money and a better fit in Buffalo than he could in free agency and a new contract would give the Bills an opportunity to soften Poyer’s cap hit. 

Poyer entered the league as a seventh-round pick for the Eagles in 2013. After being a healthy-scratch in Weeks 5 & 6 for Philadelphia, Poyer was waived, getting claimed off waivers by the Browns two days later. Poyer spent the next three seasons in Cleveland as a backup safety and backup punt returner. He earned four starts in 2015 when starting free safety Tashaun Gipson suffered an ankle injury. When Gipson left in free agency the next offseason, Poyer was named the Browns’ starting free safety going into the 2016 NFL season. After six starts, Poyer was hit by Antonio Andrews with an illegal blindside block while Poyer was covering a punt. Poyer was rushed to the hospital with a lacerated kidney and a possible concussion. He would miss the remainder of the season on injured reserve.

After his recovery, Poyer signed a four-year, $13MM deal with the Bills as a free agent. Bills head coach Sean McDermott named Poyer the starting strong safety alongside fellow-newcomer to Buffalo Micah Hyde, who had just signed as a free agent after four years in Green Bay. This would mark the beginning of a five-year, ongoing stretch as one of the league’s most consistent and effective safety duos.

Poyer and Hyde immediately made their presence known in Buffalo as both recorded five interceptions each in their first year as Bills. Over the last five seasons, Poyer has missed only two games while tallying 18 interceptions and 36 passes defensed. Despite outpacing Hyde for interceptions during their time in Buffalo, Poyer has also played with more versatility with time as a box safety. Poyer has forced six fumbles, recovering six, as well. He’s also added 10.0 sacks and 29.0 tackles for loss in his past five seasons, proving to be a true Swiss army knife in the Bills’ secondary.

Before his initial contract expired, Poyer signed his current two-year, $19.5MM extension, keeping him on the roster through 2022. Before the 2021 season, though, Buffalo and Poyer agreed to rework his contract, converting $5.2MM of his base salary into a signing bonus. The moved saved the Bills $2.6MM in cap space for 2021, but elevated Poyer’s 2022 cap hit from $7.7MM to his current $10.78MM number.

Being one of the older safeties in the NFL, Poyer is likely looking at a two- or three-year extension. Three years would be a very generous offer from the Bills based on knowing Poyer fits in their locker room and crediting him for having one of his best statistical seasons at 30-years-old. A two-year deal is much more likely.

Looking into value, the better safeties in the league are making anywhere from $13MM per year to $16MM per year. Taking his age and past deals into account, I imagine the Bills might offer Poyer something in the range of $12MM-$13.5MM in average annual value. My best guess would have Poyer signing a two-year, $25MM deal that gives him a good amount of guaranteed money.

The Bills have a good thing going with Poyer and Hyde manning centerfield. They haven’t been drafting to replace the duo and have no reason to until their play begins to decline. Vic Carucci of WGRZ in Buffalo thinks that training camp is the perfect time to extend their safety, saying Poyer is “far too valuable to leave him with any feelings of uncertainty about his future in Buffalo.”

Bills S Jordan Poyer Absent From OTAs

May 25th, 2022 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

A number of high-profile players have made headlines in recent days as a result of their absence from OTAs. One such player who may receiver less attention, but who has played an integral role on his team in recent years, is Bills safety Jordan Poyer. 

It was reported last month that the 31-year-old had initiated talks with the team regarding a contract extension. He is still on the books for one more year, due a salary of $5.6MM. His cap number is over $10.7MM, however, as a result of a restructure from last September.

Poyer began his career with the Eagles and Browns, but it is his play in Buffalo for which he is most well-known. Alongside Micah Hyde (who, as noted by Joe Buscaglia of the Athletic, is also absent from the voluntary workouts), he has become one of the league’s top safeties. Poyer had another highly productive campaign in 2021, totalling 93 tackles and three sacks while matching his career high in interceptions with five. He was named First-Team All-Pro for the first time in his career as a result.

That is driving his current desire for a new deal which more accurately reflects his standing, statistically, amongst the league’s highest-paid safeties. Buscaglia notes that, to date, both parties “have said all the right things” regarding a potential extension – which the Bills could entertain, in an attempt to lower Poyers’ cap hit – but that he is likely to remain absent until mandatory minicamp in June. As such, Buscaglia, writes, the situation seems poised to “remain in a holding pattern” for at least the immediate future.

Bills’ Jordan Poyer Eyeing Extension

April 8th, 2022 at 8:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jordan Poyer has a new agent and is setting his sights on a new contract. As reported by Tim Graham of the Athletic (on Twitter), the safety and his camp have “approached” the Bills regarding an extension. 

As his new agent Drew Rosenhaus said, Poyer “would very much like to finish his career in Buffalo”. The 30-year-old has spent the past five seasons with the Bills, after three-plus campaigns in Cleveland. After mostly playing in a backup role prior to his arrival in western New York, Poyer has teamed with Micah Hyde to form arguably the league’s best safety tandem.

The 2021 season saw Poyer earn First-Team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career, after he equalled a personal best with five interceptions. In 79 total games with the Bills, the former seventh-round pick has collected 519 tackles, 10 sacks, 18 picks and 36 pass deflections. His level of play earned him a two-year, $20.5MM contract in 2020.

That deal was re-worked last September, as Buffalo looked to manufacture some in-season flexibility. As a result, his 2022 cap charge was raised to over $10.7MM. The upcoming campaign is the final one on his contract, so a new deal could help flatten that figure while upping Poyer’s ranking amongst the league’s top safeties.

The $9.75MM average of Poyer’s most recent pact drops him further down the pecking order at the position. New deals signed by the likes of Marcus Williams (averaging $14MM) have continued the rise in value of safeties. How close Poyer could come to the top of that list on a new contract may start to become clear sooner rather than later, if the Bills reciprocate his desire to open negotiations.

Bills Rework S Jordan Poyer’s Contract

September 11th, 2021 at 9:27am CST by Ben Levine

The Bills opened up some cap space today by reworking one of their veteran’s contracts. The team converted $5.2MM of safety Jordan Poyer‘s base salary into a signing bonus, according to ESPN Field Yates (via Twitter). The move will save Buffalo $2.6MM against the cap.

Thanks to the move, the organization has a bit more financial breathing room with about $4MM in cap space. Poyer’s cap hit will be reduced for the 2021 season, but it will jump from around $7.7MM to $10.3MM in 2022.

Poyer has spent the past four seasons in Buffalo, starting each of his 63 games. The former seventh-round pick signed a two-year extension with the organization in 2020, keeping him in Buffalo through at least the 2022 season.

The 30-year-old had one of his most productive NFL season in 2020. In 16 starts, the safety finished with a career-high 124 tackles to go along with two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Poyer also started each of Buffalo’s three playoff games, collecting another 20 stops.

Contract Details: Bridgewater, Panthers, Vaitai, Lions, Byrd, Patriots, Brees, Saints

March 18th, 2020 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest notes on all of the contracts being handed out around the league:

  • QB Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers: signed. Bridgewater got a three-year deal worth $63MM and a whopping $40MM of that is guaranteed in the first two years, according to David Newton of ESPN.com. He got a $15MM signing bonus to take over for the start of the Matt Rhule era. Newton’s post has the full breakdown on how it’ll be paid out with various workout and roster bonuses.
  • OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Lions: signed. Vaitai’s five-year, $50MM contract includes $20MM guaranteed which will come in the first two years of the deal, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL Radio tweets. Detroit can get out of the pact after that.
  • WR Damiere Byrd, Patriots: signed. Byrd’s one-year deal can be worth up to $2.5MM, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network notes in a tweet.
  • QB Drew Brees, Saints: re-signed. Brees’ two-year, $50MM new deal with New Orleans includes a signing bonus of $23MM and a small base salary of only $2MM in year one, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. That structure as well as two voidable years added on for 2022-2023 help keep his 2020 cap hit very low so the Saints can spend more as they gear up for one more Super Bowl with Brees under center.
  • LB Sean Lee, Cowboys: re-signed. Lee is back for one more ride on a one-year, $4.5MM deal with $2MM guaranteed. He actually could earn up to $6.5MM if he hits some playing time incentives, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, although he writes they’re “not-likely-to-be-earned.”
  • S Darian Thompson, Cowboys: re-signed. Thompson is getting a two-year deal worth $2.5MM, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. He’s getting a $200K signing bonus and can earn an extra $250K with playing time escalators.
  • WR Cody Core, Giants: re-signed. New York locked up the special teams ace who barely plays on offense, and he got paid handsomely. Core will be getting $4MM over a two-year deal, Wilson tweets. Only $1MM of it is guaranteed however.
  • S Jordan Poyer, Bills: extension. The full details are in on Poyer’s new pact. Poyer had two new years added on and will now make $22.7MM over the next three years with $13MM of that being guaranteed, Wilson tweets. He also got a $3MM signing bonus. In a separate tweet, Wilson notes that Poyer has an annual $500K interception incentive he can earn.

Bills, S Jordan Poyer Agree To Extension

March 17th, 2020 at 4:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jordan Poyer delivered for the Bills on a lower-middle-class (for the NFL) contract over the past three years, and the team will reward him. The Bills and the veteran safety agreed on an extension Tuesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

The new deal will pay him $20.5MM over two years, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) hears. That’ll take him through the 2022 season, meaning that both he and safety mate Micah Hyde are each signed beyond this coming season.

Poyer, 29 in April, turned in a career-high 107 tackles last year. His stop totals have been trending up ever since he joined the Bills in 2017. All in all, he’s made 302 tackles for the Bills across the last three seasons, serving mostly as a part-timer.

In bigger news out of Buffalo, the Bills swung a blockbuster deal to acquire Stefon Diggs from the Vikings earlier this week. On the other side of the ball, they landed former Panthers defensive end Mario Addison on a three-year deal.

Contract Details: Jones, Gresham, Church

March 13th, 2017 at 12:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at the details of some recently-signed contracts:

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