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Seantrel Henderson

Bills Activate Seantrel Henderson

August 22nd, 2016 at 9:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills announced that they have activated offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson from the active/non-football illness list. Henderson has not played or practiced since he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease last December. Seantrel Henderson (vertical)

Henderson started all 16 games in his rookie season in Buffalo, and had started 10 games for the team in 2015 before he was sidelined with Crohn’s. In May, head coach Rex Ryan and some of Henderson’s teammates indicated that they had not heard from him in some time. There were also rumblings that perhaps Henderson’s heart wasn’t really in playing football. Anonymous teammates told Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News that his work ethic was suspect when he was on the field and, off the field, he had used marijuana too frequently. The Bills were able to draft Henderson in the seventh round of the 2014 draft in part because of his multiple failed drug tests at the University of Miami. He also reportedly tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combine.

With Henderson away from the team, the Bills have been using Jordan Mills as their first-team right tackle in practice with the hope that 2014 second-rounder Cyrus Kouandjio can put it all together and win the starting job. Now, it will be interesting to see how Henderson factors into the Bills’ offensive line picture.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Bills, Seantrel Henderson

June 1st, 2016 at 9:09am CST by Zachary Links

JUNE 1st, 9:09am: The Bills announced that Henderson is “expected” to rejoin the team on Thursday.

MAY 31st, 5:25pm: The Bills are worried that Henderson won’t be able to play this season after undergoing a pair of surgeries, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Longer term, there’s concern that Henderson’s condition will prevent him from maintaining the weight and strength necessary to last in the NFL.

MAY 30th, 2:59pm: Henderson is now cleared to practice and will be in town on Tuesday, his agent tells Dunne (Twitter link).

2:18pm: Henderson’s agent says that the Bills right tackle plans on flying into town this week and being ready for the 2016 season, Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News tweets.

While Rex Ryan apparently has not reached out to Henderson, the Bills medical staff has been in the loop, according to the tackle’s agent (link). Since leaving the team in 2015, Henderson has had two surgeries to help correct his stomach issues.

12:33pm: The football status of tackle Seantrel Henderson remains a mystery for both the Bills front office and his teammates. The team’s onetime starter has not spoken with coach Rex Ryan in quite some time and now his teammates also say that they have lost touch with him, as Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News writes. Seantrel Henderson (vertical)

Henderson started all 16 games in his rookie season in Buffalo, and had started 10 games for the team in 2015 before he was sidelined with Crohn’s disease. One report in March indicated that Henderson was starting to get back to full health and was putting weight back on his 6’7″ frame. However, it’s not clear if Henderson is looking to play football in 2016 or at any point in the future.

One source indicated to Dunne that Henderson had stomach surgery “a few months ago” in relation to his Crohn’s disease. However, when asked to handicap the odds of Henderson playing for the Bills next season, one teammate responded, “Nobody knows.” Another team source questioned Henderson’s work ethic, pointing to past problems with marijuana. The Bills were able to draft Henderson in the seventh round of the 2014 draft in part because of his multiple failed drug tests at the University of Miami. He also reportedly tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combine.

With Henderson away from the team, the Bills are currently using Jordan Mills as their first-team right tackle in practice with the hope that 2014 second-rounder Cyrus Kouandjio can put it all together and win the starting job.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Brees, Bradford, Browns, Jags

May 25th, 2016 at 8:54pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Saints and Drew Brees haven’t had contract extension talks in about a month and a half, the quarterback said Wednesday (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of NFL.com). Brees added that he doesn’t like talking contract during the season, per Larry Holder of NOLA.com (on Twitter). That means the Saints’ hopes of extending the 37-year-old could be put on hold for a while if they don’t lock him up prior to their Sept. 11 opener. Brees is currently scheduled to count $30MM against New Orleans’ cap this year, the final season of his contract.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • Although the Eagles traded up in the draft to use the No. 2 overall pick on quarterback Carson Wentz, the expectation is that veteran Sam Bradford will at least begin the 2016 season as their starter. That might not be the case, however, according to new offensive coordinator Frank Reich. On whether Bradford is the Eagles’ clear-cut No. 1 option under center, Reich told CBS Philly, “No, that’s probably not the right impression.” He continued, “This is one of the most competitive industries in the world and so, to say that there’s not competition, that’s just the furthest thing from the truth.”
  • Longtime Browns left tackle Joe Thomas stated at the end of last season that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue his career with rebuilding Cleveland, but the nine-year veteran is now pleased that the team didn’t trade him. “It wouldn’t have surprised me if I had been traded, but I’m happy that I didn’t. So it’s kind of a happy ending,” he told Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Thomas, who has gone to the Pro Bowl every year of his career, is also pleased with the Browns’ new head coach, Hue Jackson. “I was always jealous of the guys that were in Cincinnati running Hue Jackson’s offense because it’s a very offensive line friendly offense, a lot of quick throws, a lot of easy fade balls, a lot of different formations to spread the defense out, confuse them, get them into really vanilla looks, some up-tempo stuff, smash-mouth football, he really wants to run the ball inside the tackles,” he said.
  • Like Thomas, Jaguars left tackle Luke Joeckel is glad he’s still with his current club. “I love Jacksonville. I’d love to stay here. It all comes down to my play. I’m only focused on myself and me playing football, getting better at left tackle,” he said (link via Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com). While Joeckel’s goal is to improve at tackle, there’s a good chance he’ll shift inside to guard if free agent pickup Kelvin Beachum wins the LT job, as expected, per DiRocco. Since the Jags used the second pick of the 2013 draft on Joeckel, the former Texas A&M standout has been a disappointment. Joeckel’s struggles led Jacksonville to decline his fifth-year option for 2017 and sign Beachum.
  • It’s not clear whether right tackle Seantrel Henderson will be a part of the Bills‘ plans in 2016 and coach Rex Ryan admits that he hasn’t spoken to him in some time. “I have no update for you guys on that. So that is a medical thing,” Ryan said (link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW) “I really have no update. I haven’t seen Seantrel in quite a while.” A seventh-round pick in 2014, Henderson started all 16 games in his rookie season in Buffalo, and had started 10 games for the team in 2015 before he was sidelined with Crohn’s disease.
  • Free agent wide receiver Wes Welker isn’t sure if he wants to continue his NFL career in 2016. “There are some days I wake up I’m like, ‘OK I’m done,’ and other days I wake up and I’m like, ‘Maybe one more year,'” the five-time Pro Bowler said Wednesday, per NFL Media (via Twitter). Welker, 35, joined the Rams midway through last season and posted unimpressive numbers (13 receptions and 102 yards) in eight games.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Bills Rumors: Ryan, Taylor, Manuel, Harvin

March 22nd, 2016 at 8:57am CST by Zachary Links

In 2015, the Bills played the majority of their snaps in a traditional 4-3 scheme, but this year, coach Rex Ryan promises “multiple” defensive fronts (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News).

What other changes are in store for Buffalo in 2016? Let’s find out:

  • Ryan said that the “entire organization believes in Tyrod Taylor, there’s no doubt,” (link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). However, he says that any extension would need to be in best interest of both parties. “Right now it’s probably hard to bring those two things together with our cap situation,” he adds.
  • This week, Taylor’s agent opened up to Carucci about the ongoing contract talks and noted that the league’s “31 other teams” have been paying close attention to the quarterback. When asked about the agent’s comments, Ryan replied, “The agent’s probably the most disappointed, but there’s a football team to run,” Carucci tweets.
  • Ryan said that he’s not sure that the Bills “have to” take a quarterback in the draft (link via Carucci). He opined that E.J. Manuel is “a solid No. 2 quarterback.”
  • Ryan said that he would “love” to have Percy Harvin back and the team would welcome him back “with open arms,” (link via Carucci). On Monday, GM Doug Whaley said that Harvin was still deciding between playing and retiring, though he “heard” that the wide receiver was leaning towards playing.
  • Ryan said Seantrel Henderson‘s health is getting better and his weight is coming back (link via Rodak). The right tackle finished last season on the non-football illness list after reportedly being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.
  • Ryan feels that new Bills assistant Ed Reed could become a head coach in five years (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).

Bills Announce Several Roster Changes

December 22nd, 2015 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been a busy day of transactions for the Bills, who are turning over four spots on their 53-man roster today. Here’s a breakdown of Tuesday’s moves by Buffalo, via a team release:

Signed:

Promoted from practice squad:

Waived:

Placed on injured reserve:

Placed on reserve/non-football illness list:

The Bills’ receiving corps has undergone a significant overhaul, with three of the new additions to the roster coming at that position, while Woods heads to IR and Thigpen lands on waivers.

Among the most noteworthy moves today for the Bills is Henderson being placed on the reserve/NFI list — a report last week suggested that the team’s starting right tackle had been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel condition, though the club has yet to confirm that.

East Notes: Henderson, Fitzpatrick, Bradford

December 17th, 2015 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

Having recently started listing Seantrel Henderson on the injury report with an “illness,” the Bills and head coach Rex Ryan declined to get into specifics on Henderson’s condition. However, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News hears from an NFL source that Henderon has been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel condition. Per Carucci’s source, the Bills’ right tackle “has experienced severe stomach pain and has lost nearly 20 pounds.”

A seventh-round pick in 2014, Henderson started all 16 games in his rookie season in Buffalo, and had started 10 games for the team this year before he was sidelined. Carucci indicates that the former Miami Hurricane is expected to miss the rest of this season, though it’s not clear how the diagnosis will affect him going forward.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s East divisions:

  • Ryan Fitzpatrick is on track to play in more than 70% of the Jets‘ offensive plays this season, which is good news for the Texans, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. If Fitzpatrick remains above that threshold, Houston will receive a sixth-round pick from New York, rather than a seventh-rounder.
  • While Chip Kelly and the Eagles have expressed interest in having Sam Bradford on the roster in 2016 and beyond, the quarterback himself has been noncommittal, preferring to postpone that conversation until after the season, as Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News writes. Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer observes that Bradford’s recovery from his ACL injury has been similar to the path taken by Carson Palmer, so perhaps a Palmer-esque extension would work for Bradford and the Eagles.
  • Former Giants defensive end Damontre Moore is ready for a fresh start with the Dolphins, and spoke to reporters about his departure from New York. James Kratch of NJ.com has the details and the quotes.

Cassel, Henderson On Bills’ Roster Bubble

June 20th, 2015 at 2:02pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the Bills three-headed monster of Matt Cassel, EJ Manuel, and Tyrod Taylor all competing for the starting job, fans in Buffalo don’t have a ton to look forward to on offense. However, one of those three may actually already be falling behind the curve.

Cassel, an 11-year veteran, may be in danger of not making the roster, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN. Rodak called him the clear loser of the group of passers based on the three OTA practices and three minicamp sessions that were open to the media. He added that Cassel was inaccurate, forcing throws, and turning the ball over at alarmingly high rates (via Twitter).

Rodak listed Manuel as the slight winner, but was adamant that Cassel had been the worst of the three, noting that he was “consistently subpar this spring,” (via Twitter).

Many fans and pundits saw the Bills trading for Cassel as an indication that they planned on starting the season with him under center. It would have been difficult to imagine him not making the roster, even as a veteran backup for Manuel at the very least. However, if he continues to underperform, the team could still take the $4.15MM he is set to earn this year off the books by releasing him before the season opener.

Last year’s starting right tackle Seantrel Henderson may also be on the bubble of making the roster, and there are a few red flags that lead Rodak to believe he could be the odd man out along the offensive line (via Twitter). Henderson arrived to camp late and lost the starting job in practice to last year’s second-round pick Cyrus Kouandjio. Additionally, head coach Rex Ryan expects the team to sign veteran swing tackle Wayne Hunter, who could play both right tackle and left tackle, as well as tight end in heavy packages. With Hunter, Kouandjio, and Cordy Glenn in the fold, Henderson would have limited value to the team.

East Notes: Bryant, Williams, Henderson, Jets

June 17th, 2015 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

With a couple dozen June minicamps around the NFL taking place this week, let’s check in on a few East teams whose sessions got underway yesterday….

  • A Cowboys source tells Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter) that the Dez Bryant holdout threat is “not in our control.” Of course, the team certainly will play a part in determining whether or not the star wideout gets a new contract by the July 15 deadline. If that deadline passes without an agreement though, there’s not much the Cowboys can do for Bryant until after the season.
  • Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link), Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said that there’s currently “too big of a divide” between the team and Bryant. Jones also indicated that it’s difficult to ascertain Bryant’s value since other top wide receivers around the league are also waiting for new deals. It’s possible that once A.J. Green, Demaryius Thomas, Julio Jones, or Bryant signs a new contract, the others will follow suit.
  • We heard yesterday that offensive lineman Chris Williams and Seantrel Henderson were absent for the start of the Bills‘ minicamp. In a pair of pieces for ESPN.com, Mike Rodak explains that Williams did show up and participate on Tuesday, while “travel issues” kept Henderson away.
  • Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com identifies outside linebacker Calvin Pace, running back Stevan Ridley, and guard Willie Colon as a few Jets veterans who could be on shaky ground once training camp rolls around.
  • Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Jets and Mark Sanchez of the Eagles rank as the NFL’s top backup quarterbacks heading into training camp, in the view of John Clayton of ESPN.com. New York acquired Fitzpatrick in a trade this offseason, while Sanchez signed a new contract to remain in Philadelphia.

East Notes: Mathis, Flynn, Bills, McClain

June 16th, 2015 at 10:42am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters today, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly addressed the team’s release of Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis for the first time, explaining that Mathis’ agent asked multiple times for his client’s release. According to Kelly (all Twitter links), the club didn’t intend to alter Mathis’ contract, so after discussing all the possibilities, Philadelphia decided to let him go if he didn’t want to be there. The Eagles waited as long as they could to explore trade possibilities and to see how the draft and free agency played out before cutting the offensive lineman last week.

Kelly’s explanation doesn’t come as a real surprise, though I’m still somewhat skeptical that the Eagles couldn’t secure even a late-round pick for Mathis. It’s also worth noting that, in a similar situation, the Vikings didn’t give in to Adrian Peterson‘s agent demands, and now Peterson is saying all the right things as he prepares to play for Minnesota in 2015 without a reworked contract. The Eagles could’ve held their ground with Mathis, but it’s clear that Kelly prefers not to keep a player on the roster if he doesn’t view that player as a culture fit for his club.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • The NFLPA saw no wrongdoing on the Eagles‘ part regarding Mathis’ release, which was viewed as a contractual decision, so the team has been cleared, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has the details on Matt Flynn‘s one-year contract with the Patriots, tweeting that the quarterback gets a $20K signing bonus and a $60K roster bonus on his minimum salary benefit deal.
  • Former Seahawks offensive lineman Nate Isles is trying out for the Bills today, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Isles, who signed a futures contract with Seattle at season’s end, was cut by the team last month.
  • Offensive linemen Seantrel Henderson and Chris Williams aren’t in attendance for the Bills‘ first day of mandatory minicamp, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter links).
  • Linebacker Rolando McClain was one of the Cowboys‘ best bargains last season, and he could be again in 2015, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. As Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets, McClain has reported to Dallas’ minicamp after being absent from earlier offseason activities.

NFL Issues Performance-Based Bonuses

March 13th, 2015 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The NFL has announced and issued its performance-based pay bonuses for the 2014 season, according to a press release from the league. The bonuses, which are based on a player’s playing time relative to his salary level, come from a pool of $3.633MM per team. Here are the top performance-based pay amounts for the past season:

  1. Seantrel Henderson, T (Bills): $373,671
  2. Corey Linsley, C (Packers): $339,566
  3. Russell Bodine, C (Bengals): $318,612
  4. Avery Williamson, LB (Titans): $315,120
  5. E.J. Gaines, DB (Rams): $308,338
  6. Zach Fulton, G (Chiefs): $303,352
  7. Kelvin Beachum, T (Steelers): $297,687
  8. Preston Brown, LB (Bills): $293,179
  9. Michael Wilhoite, LB (49ers): $292,406
  10. Paul Worrilow, LB (Falcons): $287,413
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