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)
By Tim Graham
In less than two hours, the three-day negotiation window for
unrestricted free agents will begin.
Representatives for players with expiring contracts and more than three years of accrued service are permitted to speak with the other 31 teams. The top Buffalo Bills players who are in this category include left guard Andy Levitre, cornerback Leodis McKelvin and defensive end Kyle Moore.
The following explanation was distributed by the NFL to help
people understand this new wrinkle to the process:
Continue reading "For the record: Primer on UFA negotiation window" »
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
January 24, 2013 - 9:11 PM
By Tim Graham
While safety Jairus Byrd and left guard Andy Levitre have
drawn most of the attention from the Buffalo Bills' unrestricted free-agent
class, another interesting player is defensive end Kyle Moore.
The Bills want him back, said a source close to the team. The pass-rusher would be terrific for depth behind Mario Williams and Mark Anderson -- and capable as a starter.
Moore, who will be sidelined for a few weeks after having
his knee scoped, had a bit of a breakout season as a backup pass-rusher.
Moore was inactive for the first four games but started seven of the last eight at right defensive end for the injured Anderson. Moore made
24 tackles, three of them for losses. His three sacks ranked fourth on the
Bills.
ProFootballFocus.com rated Moore 26th in the NFL in "pass-rush
productivity," a metric that factors sacks, quarterback hits and hurries
divided by the number of pass-rushing snaps. PFF credited him with 23 hurries,
tied for 30th in the league.
