WGR

‘Middle linebacker Preston Brown is a free agent. The Bills have said publicly they want him back, but indications are that they aren’t going to spend too much money to make sure that happens and are willing to let him go if he gets better offers elsewhere, which he most likely will.’

‘Jackson was the headliner of the day in Indianapolis. A report says multiple teams asked him to work out as a wide receiver. Jackson said today “I’m strictly a quarterback… Whoever likes me as a quarterback, that’s where I’m going.” He also dismissed possibilities of playing wildcat.’

‘So, when they leave Indianapolis and start setting up visits at their team facilities and getting ready to attend pro days, that’s when the real work begins for teams.’

‘Kelly was declared cancer free in 2014, but had been recieving routine screenings in the years since.’

‘”There’s a lot of criteria, it’s not one thing. Obviously, you’ve got the physical tools, but also the intangibles. I talk about the leadership, the smarts. How competitive is he? Do his teammates like him? Can he rally guys? What’s his personality, his work ethic? Does he understand how to be a leader? There’s just so many layers to the quarterback position because it is the one guy that is considered the coach on the field, or the closest thing to a coach on the field, and a lot more is expected in preparation for that position than any other position in probably any sport.”‘

‘“I do like my picks, you nailed that,” he said. “It’s one of those things where if you’re going to move up, especially in Round 1, it takes a lot. The higher you go it exponentially increases. So you have to feel good about what you’re doing and you can’t just go up there and ‘hey, we need a quarterback. We’re going to mortgage everything to go up there.’ We’ve got to know that we feel this guy is the guy and is worth the ransom, or whatever you want to call it, that it would take to move wherever you have to move to get a guy that you think fits your long term plan.”’

‘McDermott did, however, say that the team does not plan on releasing Taylor “at this point,” which still leaves the door open for that possibility later in the offseason. There’s been speculation the Bills will attempt to trade the QB before they have to pay him a $6 million roster bonus on March 16. Last week, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reported that if they are unable to do that, Beane would be comfortable paying the bonus when evaluating the situation throughout free agency and the draft and keeping Taylor until they are sure they have secured a better option.’

‘“It’s hard because Preston had a good year for us and this is his chance to hit free agency and, like houses, you have to put a market value on them,” Beane told me during a one-on-one interview. “I’ve been in these situations where you thought you could bring your guy back, or thought you could get a guy, and all it takes is one team who really felt like that was a huge need for them and they overspend and go way up. So we’ll value that and we’ll hope to get Preston Brown back, but until the ink’s on the paper you don’t know if that’s going to happen or not.”’

‘Ivory, 29, spent the last two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, running for 821 yards and four touchdowns in 25 games played. His best seasons came when with the New York Jets organization, where he spent three seasons there from 2013 to 2015. In his three years in the Meadowlands, Ivory ran for 2,724 yards, 16 touchdowns and averaged 59.2 yards per-game in 46 games.’

‘The Bills signed former Colts CB Vontae Davis to a 1-year worth $5M base, source said, with $3.5M of that guaranteed. The max he can earn is $8M.’

‘The Davis signing likely means the end to E.J. Gaines, who will be a free agent in a few weeks. Gaines had a very good season and could be asking for a hefty salary. Davis comes in as a cheaper option, and a 1-year deal which doesn’t tie the Bills up with another long term contract.’

‘While most have speculated for much of the season that the team would move on from the signal-caller this offseason, especially after McDermott benched the 28-year old in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman before the team’s week eleven game at the Los Angeles Chargers, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that the team won’t do that unless they know who his replacement will be.’

‘The main thing is, everyone assumes that the $6 million is up, the Bills are going to cut him and figure it out from there. That is definitely not my understanding. I would be very surprised, do not expect them to just cut him. I would expect them, like a lot of teams do, to try to upgrade at the position. He was a starter good enough last year to help them get to the playoffs. A starter good enough to get benched, and a starter good enough to come back, rebound, and play well from that. He’s not perfect, but he’s good enough to be a starter in the NFL, and they’re not just going to cut that.’

‘Here they are again facing a very similar situation. While most have speculated for much of the season that the team would move on from the signal-caller this offseason, especially after head coach Sean McDermott benched the 28-year old in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman before the team’s week eleven game at the Los Angeles Chargers, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that the team won’t do that unless they know who his replacement will be.’

‘Any team’s goal isn’t drafting the best players, it’s winning. Those things are not mutually exclusive, of course. The list of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks isn’t a list of the league’s best quarterbacks through the years, but it’s mostly very good-to-great players. Dan Marino and Jim Kelly aren’t on it, Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson are.’