Archives for March 2017

'"I mean, this is the place to be," Taylor said. "I said from Day One, my commitment is to this team, to this community, to do whatever it takes to get a winning tradition back and I'm still committed to doing that each and every day."'

'As the newcomers were filing into the administration building, exiting were safety Aaron Williams, linebacker Lerentee McCray, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, and wide receivers Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin. Williams was released, Gilmore signed a gargantuan contract with the Patriots, Woods signed a surprisingly rich deal with the Rams, Goodwin joined the 49ers, and McCray is going to the Jaguars.'

'Hauschka should be able to handle Buffalo's weather. The kicker has a strong leg and has shown accuracy on long kicks in the past two seasons. Hauschka is 7-of-7 on kicks of 50+ yards since 2015 and 12-of-14 over the last four seasons.'

'"This is a business," McDermott said Thursday. "We talk about, and you've heard me say this before, earning the right to win. We've got to stay focused on the task at hand and I'm all for, as we mentioned, the chemistry and building that chemistry in that locker room. That's a big part of it, yet we have to make sure we stay focused on the task at hand and that means earn the right to win on a daily basis. I don't believe that playing video games in the locker room is part of earning the right to win. We're going to be a focused, disciplined and accountable football team and I believe you do it one day at a time."'

'"We were able to come together on terms as far as the contract," Taylor said. "What happened happened. We learned from it, put it behind us. If it was a bad relationship, I wouldn't be standing in front of y'all today. Like I said, we got a deal done, so it's good."'

'Hyde hasn't missed much time since joining the NFL. In four seasons, the defensive back has appeared in 63-of-64 games and has recorded 33 starts over this span of time.'

'Poyer was an All-American cornerback at Oregon State but has since moved to safety in the NFL. That versatility is important in Sean McDermott's coverage scheme. Poyer can play multiple positions in the secondary, something the Bills could use after losing Stephon Gilmore, Aaron Williams and Nickell Robey-Coleman this week.'

'Sean McDermott clearly wanted to rework the secondary, and he did so by grabbing two versatile safeties. Hyde comes to the Bills after four seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He was a fifth-round pick out of Iowa in the 2013 NFL Draft.'

'By releasing Williams, the Bills will save $1.775 million against the cap. They could also designate Williams as a post-June 1 cut, which would save them $4.2 million against the 2017 cap but give them a $2.4 million charge on the 2018 salary cap. If the Bills decide to designate Williams as a post-June 1 cut, they won't get the $4.2 million in cap relief until after June 1.'

'In four seasons with the Bills, Woods had 203 catches for 2,451 yards and 12 touchdowns. He had 51 catches for 613 yards and one touchdown last season. Woods, a second-round pick out of USC, will return to Los Angeles, where he grew up and play in the Coliseum, where he spent his college years.'

'However, the Bills already have a lot of money tied up in Charles Clay. They are scheduled to spend more than all but nine teams on the tight end position in 2017, and Clay makes more than all but three tight ends in the league. Given the way the free agency market has gone, it's likely that Bennett will command quite a bit of money.'

'The Bills elected not to use the franchise tag on Gilmore and balked at paying him the money he was demanding. He said early on in the negotiation process that he wanted to be paid among the top five cornerbacks in the league, and he reportedly didn't compromise for the Patriots, who are coming off their fifth Super Bowl. Rapoport reports Gilmore's price tag will exceed $14 million per year, putting him among the top five players at his position.'

'Although Hauschka was among the league's most accurate kickers on field goal attempts, he had issues with extra points. He converted on 29-of-35 attempts in 2016.'

'The Bills announced Wednesday that former Carolina Panthers fullback Mike Tolbert has been signed to a one-year deal. The Tolbert move, combined with the DiMarco signing, is interesting. There has been plenty of joking on social media about the Bills bringing in multiple fullbacks. But Tolbert is a much different running back than DiMarco. Tolbert once rushed for 735 yards in a season. He's also a decent pass catcher. He'll be more than just a blocker in Buffalo.'

'McDermott credited Hyde for his versatility. In four previous seasons with Green Bay, Hyde played safety and cornerback and spent time returning punts'