By Tim Graham
When examining depth on the Buffalo Bills' roster, many analysts
find receiver to be shallow.
NFL.com recently rated the worst position groups and listed Buffalo
at wide receiver. On the Press Coverage blog last week, we discussed
how troubled Buffalo
would be if Stevie Johnson were unavailable.
Behind Johnson, the talent is mediocre or unproven.
All that said, ESPN and Scouts Inc. analyst Matt Williamson
loves what the Bills are doing at receiver. He sees a collection of talent that
can enter a game in various situations and give defenses problems.
Continue reading "Analyst takes contrarian view, bullish on Bills receiving corps" »
By Tim Graham
The Buffalo Bills rounded out their draft -- unless they trade other assets to get back into the seventh round -- by selecting Arkansas tight end Chris
Gragg in the seventh round.
Gragg projects as an H-back in the NFL. He entered college
as a receiver and was switched as a sophomore. He left as a 6-foot-3, 244-pound
go-to target for quarterback Tyler Wilson.
Gragg caught 72 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns
in 43 games. He sat out the 2009 season as a medical redshirt because of a knee injury and was hampered by a leg injury last year.
Continue reading "Bills snag Arkansas TE Chris Gragg in the seventh round" »
April 10, 2013 - 12:53 AM
By Tim Graham
The Buffalo Bills lost another free agent.
Kyle Moore, a surprise performer last year on a disappointing
defensive front, signed a one-year contract Monday with the Chicago Bears.
Moore, despite being inactive the first four games, started
seven straight games in November and December. Moore made 24 tackles, three for losses. He
notched the first three sacks of his career.
Analytics website ProFootballFocus.com rated Moore 25th in pass-rushing
among all 4-3 defensive ends who played at least 25 percent of their teams'
snaps. The site tallied 23 quarterback hurries for Moore, tying him for 30th in the NFL.
Moore had arthroscopic knee surgery in January, but a source informed The Buffalo News the Bills wanted to re-sign him. But last month's acquisition of linebacker Manny Lawson might have made Moore expendable.
Moore
was a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fourth-round draft choice in 2009 and eventually
landed on the Detroit Lions' practice squad, from where the Bills plucked him in
November 2011.
An update accounting of the comings and goings on Buffalo's roster in free agency:
Players who have re-signed
- • Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson
- • Running back Tashard Choice
- • Tight end Dorin Dickerson
- • Colin Brown
- • Linebacker Bryan Scott
- • Cornerback Leodis McKelvin
Players whose rights have been retained
- • Tight end Mike Caussin
- • Safety Jairus Byrd
Players who have joined
- • Quarterback Kevin Kolb
- • Defensive tackle Alan Branch
- • Linebacker Manny Lawson
Players who have departed
- • Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (Tennessee Titans)
- • Wide receiver Donald Jones (New England Patriots)
- • Wide receiver David Nelson (Cleveland Browns)
- • Guard Andy Levitre (Tennessee
Titans)
- • Guard Chad
Rinehart (San Diego
Chargers)
- • Defensive end Chris Kelsay (retired)
- • Defensive end Shawne Merriman (retired)
- • Defensive end Kyle Moore (Chicago Bears)
- • Linebacker Nick Barnett
- • Cornerback Terrence McGee
- • Safety George Wilson (Tennessee Titans)
March 18, 2013 - 11:33 AM
By Tim Graham
And on the seventh day of free agency, the Press Coverage blog
reviewed the Buffalo Bills' offseason personnel moves to date ...
Players who have re-signed
- • Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson
- • Linebacker Bryan Scott
- • Cornerback Leodis McKelvin
Players whose rights were retained
- • Tight end Mike Caussin
- • Tight end Dorin Dickerson
- • Safety Jairus Byrd
Players who have joined
- • Linebacker Manny Lawson
Players who have departed
- • Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (Tennessee Titans)
- • Wide receiver Donald Jones (New England Patriots)
- • Wide receiver David Nelson
- • Guard Andy Levitre (Tennessee
Titans)
- • Guard Chad
Rinehart (San Diego
Chargers)
- • Defensive end Chris Kelsay (retired)
- • Defensive end Shawne Merriman (retired)
- • Linebacker Nick Barnett
- • Cornerback Terrence McGee
- • Safety George Wilson (Tennessee Titans)
By Tim Graham
The Buffalo Bills have exercised their exclusive-rights qualifying offer to tight end Dorin Dickerson.
As a player with less than three accrued NFL seasons, Dickerson
must accept the offer or not play in the NFL this year.
Given that:
In 11 games for the Bills last season, Dickerson had nine
catches for 117 yards and one end-around run for minus-8 yards. He lost one fumble on his 10 touches.
The Houston Texans drafted Dickerson in the seventh round in
2010. He played seven games that season as a wide receiver. He spent the 2011
season on the Pittsburgh Steelers' and New England Patriots' practice squads.
February 15, 2013 - 8:27 AM
By Tim Graham
Buddy Nix has been up front about the Buffalo Bills'
offensive needs.
Nix has stated publicly his desire to draft a quarterback,
acquire receivers and get help at tight end. In other words, the Bills need to
overhaul their passing game for new coach Doug Marrone.
Options at quarterback are limited in free agency, and the
college prospects will be dissected ad nauseum.
But the Bills can improve their targets with an assortment
of moves through free agency and the draft.
Continue reading "Dwayne Bowe? Mike Wallace? Maybe Bills should go 'all in' at TE" »
February 8, 2013 - 4:16 PM
By Tim Graham
Here is a breakdown of the Buffalo Bills' 2013 free-agent class
and what their designations mean.
Unrestricted free agents (13)
Teams have exclusive negotiating rights, but once
free-agency begins, players are free to negotiate with other clubs. Original
team receives no compensation if the player signs elsewhere.
The original team has the option to place a franchise tag on
one unrestricted free agent (a guaranteed one-year salary at the average of the
five highest-paid players at the position or a 20 percent raise, whichever is
greater) or one transition tag (a guaranteed one-year salary at the average of
the 10 highest-paid players at the position).
"Exclusive" franchise tags prohibit the player from negotiating
with other clubs. A team that uses a "nonexclusive" franchise tag on a player and
then declines to match an offer sheet from another club will receive two
first-round draft choices from that team. Transition tags offer no such
compensation.
- • Jairus Byrd, safety
- • Tashard Choice, running back
- • Tarvaris Jackson, quarterback
- • Spencer Johnson, defensive end
- • Andy Levitre, left guard
- • Ruvell Martin, wide receiver
- • Corey McIntyre, fullback
- • Leodis McKelvin, cornerback
- • Shawne Merriman, defensive end
- • Kyle Moore, defensive end
- • Chad Rinehart, offensive lineman
- • Bryan Scott, linebacker
- • Tyler Thigpen, quarterback
Restricted free agents (3)
The player may negotiate with other teams. But if the original
club extends a qualifying offer to the player, then it retains right of first
refusal to match any outside contract offer. There are three types of qualifying
offers, offering different levels of payment and draft compensation if the player leaves.
Exclusive-rights free agents (2)
ERFA's are free agents in name only. They are players with
two years of NFL experience or less and have expiring contracts. They may not
negotiate with other clubs. If they are extended a contract offer, they must accept
or not play at all.
- • Mike Caussin, tight end
- • Dorin Dickerson, tight end/fullback
