Archives for March 8, 2016

'Given that the job description for an outside linebacker and defensive end can sometimes be blurred depending on the type of scheme a team plays, outside linebackers are also included here….'.

'By bringing in Evans, the Bills may be looking to gain leverage in talks with Incognito, who has repeated he wants to return. Buffalo did not extend an offer during the season to Incognito and made his reps a low initial offer at the NFL scouting combine.'

'The deadline for restricted free agents to sign their offer sheets is April 22. Hogan received the low tender at $1.671 million, and it's likely that Bryant and Mills both received low tenders as well. Add it all up and the Bills will roughly have about $7 million in cap space with free agency set to open soon where both guard Richie Incognito and inside linebacker Nigel Bradham are set to be unrestricted free agents.'

'By releasing Mario Williams, Kraig Urbik, Leodis McKelvin, and Boobie Dixon last week, and by not committing money to four RFAs, the Bills are now about $6-7 million under their adjusted salary cap of $157.3 million, but they may need to find more room if they want to get offensive guard Richie Incognito re-signed before free agency begins.'

'Meanwhile, the team still has not reached deals with top unrestricted free agents Richie Incognito and Nigel Bradham.'

'Former New Orleans Saints guard Jahri Evans is visiting the Bills on Monday, his first visit since the Saints cut him in February. Evans went to Bloomsburg University, the same school Bills director of player personnel Jim Monos graduated from. Monos was a scout with the Saints when they drafted Evans in 2006.'

'Buffalo has yet to tender offers to defensive tackle Stefan Charles, linebacker Ty Powell, safety Bacarri Rambo and tight end MarQueis Gray.'

'Hogan has also spent three seasons with the Bills, appearing in 16 games with six starts and has 87 career catches for 959 yards and six touchdowns. The 6-1, 220-pounder entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie out of Monmouth in 2011 and signed with the San Francisco 49ers. He also spent time on the practice squads of the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins before hooking on with Buffalo.'

'Bryant has spent the past three seasons with the Bills, making his greatest impact in 2015 as he played in all 16 games, starting 10, and racking up 45 tackles (24 solo), six quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and one pass defensed. Bryant originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Pittsburgh in 2011. The 6-4, 300-pound Northwestern product spent portions of the 2011 and 2012 seasons on the Steelers’ Practice Squad and 53-man roster.'

'The 6-4, 316-pounder has started 153 games over his ten year career, all with New Orleans. He missed five games last season and two games in 2014. He played – and started – all 16 games the eight other years of his career.'

'There are three degrees of restricted free agents, and with the Bills' salary cap restrictions, common sense would indicate that the Bills likely used the lowest of the three for all three players. The $1.671 million tender would give the Bills no draft pick compensation for any of the three players if they did not match an offer sheet.'

'Evans is a six-time Pro Bowl player, having spent his entire 10-year NFL career with the New Orleans Saints. He also was coached by current Buffalo Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer while in New Orleans.'

'The Bills retained the rights of three of their restricted free agents this offseason. Buffalo tendered qualifying contract offers to DT Corbin Bryant, WR Chris Hogan and OT Jordan Mills today prior to the league’s March 9 4 p.m. deadline.'

'The New Orleans Saints released Evans in a cost cutting move Feb. 8th. They had just restructured his contract last offseason. At the start of this offseason however, New Orleans was still about $10M over the projected cap for 2016 and released Evans along with two other players in early February.'

'"I played for Rob in New England so Rob will look at these guys up front and in the secondary and be very happy with what he has," said McGinest. “Rob will come in and he's very, very educated at using LBs and DEs in certain schemes and mixing and matching.”'