Archives for May 2016

'The Jets had signed Archer to a reserve/future contract in February, but he was cut last week and never arrived in Buffalo.'

'Last year, the Bills got an unexpected bargain by putting their faith in a former backup, who generated starter’s numbers for an $833,333 cap hit. This season, Taylor will either prove his worth as a long-term starter and raise his price accordingly or fall back to the middle and struggle to gain a foothold as anything more than a reliable reserve. The tape indicates that Taylor is more than a one-year wonder, but the circumstances surrounding 2016 undoubtedly make it the most important season of his career.'

'Archer originally began his NFL career as a third round pick (97th overall) of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2014 NFL Draft. The Laurel, Florida native has played in 20 games in his career, totaling 10 rush attempts for 40 yards and seven receptions for 23 yards. Archer has also returned 23 kicks for 515 yards.'

'Tyrod Taylor’s former college teammate at Virginia Tech, Boykin really stepped up his second year in the league in 2013 after coming in as an undrafted free-agent in 2012. He caught 49 passes for 681 yards with the Packers that season, but hasn’t done much since. He didn’t play last season after being released by the Carolina Panthers right before the season started. Boykin has a lot of special teams experience and is seen as a good contributor there. But, with Watkins out, he will also have a chance to make an even bigger impression at wideout.'

'The designation opens up a spot on Buffalo’s 90-man offseason roster. The Bills will retain the rights to Archer until a resolution to his status with the club takes place.'

'Better, worse or the same?: It would be easy to say the Bills stayed the same, because the top two spots haven’t changed. But it would be more accurate to say they’re a little bit worse.'

'General Manager Doug Whaley initially told reporters covering the Bills that Williams would compete for a starting job, but in a later interview with NFL Network, he said Williams would be a starter "right off the bus," along with Lawson and Ragland.'

'Right now, it sounds like Watkins may have suffered a Jones fracture, common in sports. NFL Network reported Watkins had surgery in Charlotte with Dr. Robert Anderson. The bone he broke was the fifth metatarsal, the same as Dez Bryant and Julian Edelman before him. The injury itself isn't too catastrophic. Watkins was quick to tell the world he's absolutely fine on Twitter by tweeting a photo of his feet. But problems do arise when athletes try to rush back too soon. Dallas' Bryant hurried back from his Jones fracture in 2015 and ended up needing a second surgery. The year prior, in the NBA, Kevin Durant did the same and was shut down for the season.'

'Rule No. 1: Stop listening to them. What they say means nothing and often isn’t the truth, so it would be wise to disregard whatever comes from their mouths. It’s not just ignoring Rex Ryan, which is a given. It’s muting anyone in the front office who claims better days are ahead before providing evidence.'

'Watkins' broken foot was operated on three weeks ago, according to multiple reports, but it's an injury that may have plagued him last year. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Watkins played through a stress fracture in the foot last year. Even if Watkins' injuries are adding up, it's tough to question his toughness considering the production he put up in 2015 despite battling, calf, ankle and foot injuries.'

'The key to such an injury is not rushing back. So while the Bills are hopeful Watkins can return for training camp and preseason, Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting Watkins could miss the preseason with the injury. That may be the smarter move. According to Chao, the injury requires a second surgery 20 percent of the time. For Bryant, Durant and Edelman that was the case.'

'Last season, Washington totaled a career-high 49 tackles, including seven tackles for loss and four sacks. The Cincinnati native was named first-team All-America by The Sporting News.'

'The team also said that Lawson had tweaked his condition last week, but it was not enough for him to not participate in the offseason program. The medical staff deemed surgery to be the best way to go for Lawson to be fully healthy down the road.'

'Bills head coach Rex Ryan said Washington's athleticism will allow him to do much more as he works with the team's defensive coaches and alongside his new teammates. "This young man will be ready to play all," Ryan said immediately following the draft. "The run, pass, whatever. I think the thing that jumps at you, yes his pass rush is unique for an inside defensive lineman. You know the guy was a Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year. This guy has unusual talent. But he is going to play a physical brand of football, our brand of football, I think he is going to benefit from it playing alongside Marcell [Dareus" target="_blank">, playing alongside those Jerry Hughes', all these guys.'

'Washington is seen as the odds on favorite to land the team’s starting left defensive end job, which was left vacant by the departure of Mario Williams. The Ohio State product has played up and down the line during his time in college, and his ability to penetrate up field could make him a valuable addition on the edge. But Washington is not assuming anything heading into his first set of OTA practices next week.'