Stephon Gilmore - Pro Football Rumors

Bills Rumors: Taylor, Gilmore, Bush

July 27th, 2016 at 8:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Bills and quarterback Tyrod Taylor‘s agent, Adisa Bakari, are talking “relatively frequently” about a long-term contract and could reach an agreement before the season, perhaps within the next month, reports Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. It’s a “unique negotiation,” a source told Carucci, because Taylor doesn’t have a long track record of success.

Previously a backup with the Ravens, who chose him in the sixth round of the 2011 draft, Taylor joined the Bills last offseason on a cheap contract. He then proceeded to beat out EJ Manuel and Matt Cassel for the No. 1 job over the summer and post strong numbers as a passer and rusher in 14 regular-season games. Taylor (27 next week) ended up top seven among NFL QBs in yards per attempt (7.99) and passer rating (99.4) in 2015. He also completed 63.7 of his throws and accounted for 24 touchdowns (20 passing, four rushing) against a meager six interceptions. Further, Taylor paced all signal-callers in yards per carry (5.5) and trailed only MVP Cam Newton in rushing yards (568). Taylor could now be seeking Brock Osweiler-type money ($18MM per year), writes Carucci, which would be an enormous raise over the $3.1MM he’s scheduled to collect this season.

Elsewhere on the roster, Buffalo and contract-year cornerback Stephon Gilmore continue to make no progress toward an extension, according to Carucci. Gilmore, who’s due $11.082MM in his fifth-year option season, reportedly wanted a deal in the neighborhood of the Redskins’ Josh Norman (five years, $75MM) as of earlier this month. Norman is currently among the league’s top two corners in average annual value ($15MM, first), total guarantees ($50MM, first) and guaranteed money at signing ($36.5MM, second).

With the salary cap consistently on the rise, Gilmore has a case to approach Norman’s deal – especially given that he’s three years younger. And while the ex-South Carolina standout has missed 11 games since 2013, he has nonetheless been a stalwart for Buffalo. The 10th overall selection in his draft class, Gilmore has logged 53 appearances, 51 starts and nine interceptions since entering the NFL. Three of those INTs came last season in 12 games for Gilmore, whom Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked a tremendous ninth among 111 qualifying corners (Norman finished 11th).

If the Bills and Gilmore aren’t able to reach an agreement between now and next March, the franchise tag could be in play, notes Carucci, who doesn’t rule out an in-season extension. The tag would likely cost the Bills upward of $14MM to apply.

Taylor, Gilmore and the rest of the Bills could soon have a new teammate in running back Reggie Bush, whom the club has been in talks with as it seeks a replacement for suspended reserve Karlos Williams. While that dialogue has continued, Bush is mulling whether to jump on Buffalo’s offer or wait for another team’s backfield depth to take a hit this summer, per Carucci. Thanks to Williams’ four-game absence, not securing Bush would leave the Bills with 2015 success story Mike Gillislee and Dan Herron as their primary options behind star LeSean McCoy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills’ Stephon Gilmore To Report To Training Camp

July 25th, 2016 at 1:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore wants a new contract, but he’s not about to miss important practice sessions with his team to build leverage. Gilmore tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that he’ll report to Pittsford, New York later this week.

“I‘m planning to go out to training camp. I know what I am. It’ll happen eventually,” Gilmore said.

Gilmore is slated to earn $11.082MM for 2016, per the terms of his exercised fifth-year option. The two sides have been discussing an extension this offseason but the 25-year-old (26 in September) elected to table talks earlier this month as talks stalled. Still, it was widely expected Gilmore would report to training camp as he would be docked $40K for each day missed.

Gilmore wants a deal that would put him in the neighborhood of Josh Norman‘s five-year, $75MM contract with the Redskins. The Bills, so far, have been reluctant to approach those numbers. It’s not surprising that Gilmore is looking for that kind of money, particularly after placing ninth among 111 qualifying corners last season, per the advanced numbers at Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Norman, meanwhile, finished 11th.

Without a long-term deal, Gilmore stands to be among the top corners available in free agency in 2017, along with Trumaine Johnson and hybrid defender Tyrann Mathieu. The Bills may not want to take that plunge today, but a Gilmore extension could free up enough cash to ink quarterback Tyrod Taylor to a new deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills’ Gilmore To Play Out Final Contract Year

July 22nd, 2016 at 11:57am CST by Zachary Links

Talks have not progressed between the Bills and cornerback Stephon Gilmore and he is now set to play out the last year of his contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Gilmore will now earn $11.082MM for 2016, per the terms of his exercised fifth-year option.

Gilmore would reportedly like a contract similar to the five-year, $75MM pact Josh Norman inked with the Redskins in April but the Bills aren’t ready to approach that type of compensation for their 2012 first-round pick. Norman is currently among the league’s top cornerbacks in average annual value ($15MM, first), total guarantees ($50MM, first) and guaranteed money at signing ($36.5MM, second), but with the cap rising and prices for corners increasing, those rankings might not last long.

Whether it’s from the Bills or someone else, Gilmore has a case to approach Norman’s deal – especially given that he’s three years younger. And while the ex-South Carolina standout has missed 11 games since 2013, he has nonetheless been a stalwart for Buffalo. The 10th overall selection in his draft class, Gilmore has logged 53 appearances, 51 starts and nine interceptions since entering the NFL. Three of those INTs came last season in 12 games for Gilmore, whom Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked a tremendous ninth among 111 qualifying corners (Norman finished 11th).

If Gilmore were to hold out from camp, he would lose $40K per day. Needless to say, a holdout is not likely for Gilmore or any other player unhappy with his contract situation.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

No Progress Between Bills, Stephon Gilmore

July 7th, 2016 at 1:59pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

1:59pm: Gilmore would lose one regular-season game check (worth $652K) for every preseason contest missed, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. If he were to hold out all of August, it would cost him over $3MM – roughly $750K in daily camp fines and $2.6MM in preseason game fines (Twitter links).

9:02am: Bills general manager Doug Whaley indicated in February that the team was prioritizing an extension for cornerback Stephon Gilmore, but nearly five months have passed and the two sides aren’t progressing toward a new deal. As a result, Gilmore is a threat to hold out this summer and perhaps into the regular season, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Gilmore already sat out voluntary OTAs in May, and the 25-year-old said at mandatory minicamp in June that he’d report to training camp “whenever I get there.”

Gilmore would like a contract similar to the five-year, $75MM pact Josh Norman inked with the Redskins in April, per Carucci, who writes that the Bills aren’t ready to approach that type of compensation for their 2012 first-round pick. Norman is currently among the league’s top two cornerbacks in average annual value ($15MM, first), total guarantees ($50MM, first) and guaranteed money at signing ($36.5MM, second), but with the cap rising and prices for corners increasing, those rankings might not last long.

Whether it’s from the Bills or someone else, Gilmore has a case to approach Norman’s deal – especially given that he’s three years younger. And while the ex-South Carolina standout has missed 11 games since 2013, he has nonetheless been a stalwart for Buffalo. The 10th overall selection in his draft class, Gilmore has logged 53 appearances, 51 starts and nine interceptions since entering the NFL. Three of those INTs came last season in 12 games for Gilmore, whom Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked a tremendous ninth among 111 qualifying corners (Norman, by the way, finished 11th).

If the Bills and Gilmore are unable to reach a deal this summer, he’ll play out this season on his $11.082MM fifth-year option. But holding out of camp would put a dent in the bank account of Gilmore, who would lose $40K per day.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills Notes: Stadium, Gilmore, Front Office

June 21st, 2016 at 6:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Commissioner Roger Goodell commented on Ralph Wilson Stadium – the Bills’ 43-year-old home – earlier this month, saying, “You’ve got great facilities (around the league), and the Bills have to stay up with that.” None of Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula, Buffalo, Erie County or New York state are ready to put a new stadium plan in place for the league’s second-smallest market, however, writes Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

“We’re in the fact-finding mode,” said Kim Pegula, who added that the Bills “don’t talk about it now because we don’t have all the answers and we don’t want to get misconstrued because things change.”

Buffalo – along with Baltimore – is one of just two NFL cities without a Fortune 500 company, as Maiorana notes, and the team is cognizant of the economic reality in which it finds itself.

“With a new stadium comes a lot of things — public-private partnership, there’s PSLs (personal seat licenses), there’s cost increases across the board,” club president Russ Brandon told Maiorana. “We’ve been successful in Buffalo with a volume model; lot of seats in the building, lot of suites in the building, and we’ve been able to keep costs down because we’ve been able to manage a 43-year-old building and we’ve been able to do that very well. That equation, economically, changes with a new building.”

With help from New York state and Erie County, which combined to chip in $95MM, the Bills renovated Ralph Wilson Stadium at a cost of $130MM in 2013-14.

East Notes: Jets, Gilmore, Giants, Redskins

June 17th, 2016 at 12:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Geno Smith is the Jets current starting quarterback, although the team would clearly prefer Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. Second-round pick Christian Hackenberg is the future at the position. So, where does that leave Bryce Petty?

As Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes, the team shouldn’t be giving up on the sophomore signal-caller. While the Jets have considered keeping four quarterbacks for 2016, Petty’s roster spot is no guarantee, and the writer doesn’t believe the organization should give up on the project so quickly.

For what it’s worth, Petty is ready for the challenge.

“You like competition,” Petty said. “So it’s one of those deals like, ‘Okay, they did draft a guy. Now it’s my chance to prove that they took the right guy the year before. … They made a good choice when they drafted me.”

Let’s check out some other notes from the NFL’s East divisions…

The Jets willingness to play hard ball with Fitzpatrick and defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson leads to the perception that the team is “not as committed to winning as they ought to be,” writes Steve Serby of the New York Post. The writer believes the real fear is that this sentiment will leak into the locker room, which could make for a toxic environment.
The Bills don’t intend to pay Stephon Gilmore “Josh Norman cornerback money,” writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. If the defensive back is seeking a contract that nears Norman’s five-year, $75MM, the team will presumably let Gilmore walk following the season. On the flip side, the Bills may be willing to pay the former first-rounder $12.5MM a year.
The Giants are a natural fit for former Ravens offensive lineman Eugene Monroe, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. The team has an obvious hole on the offensive line, and Monroe’s track record proves that the organization shouldn’t be wary of the veteran’s presence.
Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan has only held his position for 17 months, but the executive has already done an admirable job of turning around the organization. As Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports writes, the offseason acquisition of Josh Norman was McCloughan’s biggest move yet, and the GM is confident that the signing will ultimately prove to be worth it.

AFC East Notes: Jordan, Gilmore, Jets, Colon

June 14th, 2016 at 1:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Will Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore show for training camp as he pushes for a new contract? Gilmore said he’ll get there “whenever I get there,” (Twitter link via Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News). When asked if that means he could miss the start, he said, “We’ll see.” If Gilmore does skip out on camp, he’ll be docked $40K per day.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

Omar Kelly of The Sun Sentinel wonders if the Dolphins should balk at paying Dion Jordan‘s ~$1.7MM bonus. Word has it that the Dolphins are open to giving Jordan another chance, but sources tell Kelly that the team was curious about the timing of Jordan’s bid for reinstatement. The former No. 3 overall pick was eligible to apply for reinstatement in late April but he didn’t kickstart the process until June. Jordan is due his hefty roster bonus on the fifth day of training camp and the Dolphins might not be inclined to pay it if Jordan isn’t truly committed to football. Kelly suggests that Miami could push Jordan to re-work the contract and have the roster bonus moved or even eliminated since he would be unlikely to command that same kind of money on the open market.
Much of the Jets‘ quarterback shuffle will hinge on second-year quarterback Bryce Petty, Brian Costello of the New York Post writes. If Ryan Fitzpatrick returns, there is a belief in NFL circles that the Jets could keep all four quarterbacks – Fitzpatrick, Smith, Petty,and rookie Christian Hackenberg – on the roster. However, if Petty proves he can be the No. 2 QB, the team could cut Smith. Or, if Petty struggles mightily, the Jets could drop him and just keep Smith and Hackenberg as the backups. If the team does not sign Fitzpatrick, then Petty must prove his worth or the team might have to look into signing a veteran signal caller.
No surprise here, but Jets offensive lineman Willie Colon says that if he does play football in 2016, it will be his last season in the NFL. “If I do go back on the field, it’s going to be my last year. I just know it is,” Colon told Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday. “But the ego and the [guts] I have, if I do get back, I want to go out like Clint Eastwood — I want to go out firing and shooting. If it doesn’t happen, I’m going to move on and get a recorder just like you.” The 33-year-old guard suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2015 and only saw time in six games.
The Bills have a kicking battle worth keeping an eye on, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW writes. The Bills have been pitting veteran kicker Dan Carpenter against UDFA Marshall Morgan. Morgan boasts a big leg while Carpenter has made his name on accuracy. Meanwhile, kickoff specialist/punter Jordan Gay is also in camp and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be given an opportunity to kick field goals. If he isn’t given that chance, then he faces an uphill climb to make the cut.

AFC East Notes: Fitz, Gronk, Gilmore, Darby

June 13th, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

There still isn’t movement on a potential deal between the Jets and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, and it doesn’t seem like things will change heading into minicamp, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Talks could be at a stalemate given that New York reportedly isn’t comfortable offering Fitzpatrick a one-year deal worth $12MM, while Fitzpatrick himself is content to wait out the club in the hopes of landing a better deal. Still, it’s hard to buy that Gang Green will be comfortable entering the season with Geno Smith as their starter, and with so few clubs around the NFL looking for quarterback help, the Jets seem like the best option for Fitzpatrick at this point in the offseason.

Here’s more from the AFC East…

Rob Gronkowski was present at the Patriots‘ workout today after not attending last week’s sessions, tweets Rapoport. According to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, New England was simply being cautious by holding Gronk out of last week’s workout, as the tight end is dealing with an undisclosed injury (but one that doesn’t figure to be a long-term ailment).
Though no extension between the Bills and Stephon Gilmore is on the verge of being signed, the star cornerback is expected to report to minicamp this week, news that Rapoport confirms (via Twitter). Gilmore himself tweeted that he’s only attending camp to prevent being fined, and Rapoport says that Gilmore’s presence probably won’t do much to help contract talks along.
Fellow Bills cornerback Ronald Darby can’t be extended for two more years, but he’s aware of how much defensive back salaries are rising, writes Vic Carrucci of the Buffalo News. The Bills, in some respects, think Darby is a better player than Gilmore, which could be one reason they’re reluctant to extend Gilmore. With a Darby deal to worry about down the road, signing Gilmore now might not be the right call.
The Bills are working out former Maryland offensive lineman Andrew Zeller, reports Josh Reed of WIVB (Twitter link). Zeller, who made 12 starts at guard for the Terrapins last season, was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent, but was waived last week.
The Bills agreed to terms with former Rex Ryan pupil, signing ex-Jets defensive end Leger Douzable to a contract earlier today. Douzable, 30, will work as a five-technique in Buffalo’s 3-4 scheme.

No Extension “Imminent” For Stephon Gilmore

June 12th, 2016 at 4:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A long-term extension between the Bills and cornerback Stephon Gilmore does not appear close, Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News reports. Gilmore sat out OTAs while angling for a new contract, but he’ll be in attendance for mandatory minicamp next week, according to Dunne’s BN colleague Vic Carrucci.

Back in February, Bills general manager Doug Whaley said that extending Gilmore, who is scheduled to play the 2016 season under his fifth-year option at a cost of $11.082MM, was a priority, and later indicated that inking long-term deals with core players like Gilmore would become the club’s focus following the draft. More than a month has passed since the draft concluded, and though no agreement has yet been reached, Carrucci reports that Buffalo will be “persistent” in trying to ink a new deal with Gilmore.

Given the rising salary cap, and the fact that he’ll be among the top corners available in free agency in 2017 (along with Trumaine Johnson and hybrid defender Tyrann Mathieu), Gilmore and his camp can make the argument that he deserves to be the highest-paid corner in the league, topping Josh Norman, who will make $15MM annually with the Redskins. The Bills, meanwhile, have incentive to extend Gilmore — by lowering his 2016 cap charge, the club will have extra money to possibly ink quarterback Tyrod Taylor to a new deal, as Carrucci observes.

Gilmore, the 10th overall pick in the 2012 draft, had another strong season in 2015, recording 36 tackles, three interceptions, and 18 passes defended. Despite only playing 12 games, the 25-year-old ranked as a top-10 cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC East Notes: Gilmore, Butler, Ajayi, Bills

May 22nd, 2016 at 6:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore will not attend the club’s OTA sessions as he angles for a new contract, sources tell Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News. General manager Doug Whaley said in February that a Gilmore extension was a “priority,” and he reiterated earlier this month that the Bills’ long-term discussions with Gilmore (and several other players) would become more important now that the draft has passed. As Dunne details, Gilmore — who could use Josh Norman, Janoris Jenkins, and Darrelle Revis as comparables in talks — shouldn’t be considered a “holdout” unless he sits out mandatory camp activities in mid-June.

Here’s more from Buffalo and the rest of the AFC East…

“I’m not going to discuss that right now,” Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler said of his contract status while appearing on WEEI yesterday. “Whenever the time comes, it comes. I’m a football player. I’m not a GM.” Butler, 26, will play out his rookie deal in 2016 before becoming a restricted free agent following the 2017 campaign, so New England has some time before it truly needs to make a decision on its defensive back. Still, the Chandler Jones trade was thought to be made with an eye towards freeing up future cap space in order to retain Butler, Dont’a Hightower, and Jamie Collins, so it would be an upset if the Patriots and Butler didn’t come to an agreement at some point.
Speaking on WQAM in Miami, Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said that second-year running back Jay Ajayi is the man to beat in the club’s backfield rotation. “He’s been one of those guys he’s been here every day,” Gase said of Ajayi, according to Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. “The rest of that group has done a good job to try and keep up with him, but obviously he’s kind of separated himself from that group as far as the consistency of what he does day in and day out.” Ajayi is part of a contingent, including Damien Williams, Daniel Thomas, rookie Kenyan Drake, and others, that will try to replace Lamar Miller, who left for the Texans in free agency.
One major area of weakness for the Bills is the right side of their offensive line, where John Miller is projected to play at guard while a cavalcade of players — including Cyrus Kouandjio, Seantrel Henderson, and Jordan Mills — is expected to compete for time. Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News analyzes the club’s offensive line as a whole, opining that Kouandjio, in particular, could be looking at his final opportunity to hold his roster spot. Louis Vasquez, Will Beatty, and Ryan Wendell are a few of the best offensive lineman remaining on the open market where the Bills to look for an outside addition. Free agent guard Jahri Evans is another option (and has already taken a visit with Buffalo), but a March report indicated that the club would not be signing him.