Archives for March 4, 2016

'“The negotiation process is always nothing that can be clear cut and defined with a certain time table, even though we do have an ending date coming soon with him being able to hit the market," Whaley said during an appearance on WGR 550. "But (Bills senior vice president of football operations) Jim Overdorf and (agent) David Dunn have had continuous conversations for a while now, so we hope something positive comes from that.”'

'With two Clemson defensive linemen projected as mid-first-round picks, and the Bills clearly in need of an edge rusher now that Mario Williams has been released, it’s possible Ryan could haul out the helmet and announce that Shaq Lawson or Kevin Dodd is the newest member of the team.'

'The Bills have been hard at work trying to free up cap space this offseason after a spending spree last offseason. They cut defensive end Mario Williams, running back Boobie Dixon and guard Kraig Urbik and restructured the contract of tight end Charles Clay to free up over $23 million in cap space. The Bills then used $13.7 million of that by placing the franchise tag on offensive tackle Cordy Glenn.'

'"For me, getting everybody — the wide receivers, the tight ends, the running backs — together this offseason is something important. We're working on everybody's schedules, trying to figure out the best time to meet. A couple of guys have gone back to school to work on their degrees and a lot of guys have to get in shape and train, so they're on different schedules, but we'll get together for a couple of weeks before we get back to the team for the offseason."'

'The record-setting pace was announced by the team on Twitter on Wednesday night. A year ago, the Bills set a record for season tickets sold in June when they surpassed 57,500. They capped the number of season tickets at 60,000 a year ago and created the "60K club" for fans who were a part of the record-setting group. Excitement reached an all-time high when Rex Ryan took over as coach and raised expectations among the fan base.'

'"I'll play both sides of the fence," Whaley said. "It would be nice to get it done, but at this time, because we have him under contract, it would be a luxury. But everybody loves luxuries, correct?"'

'"We got some positive news about his health, so we believe that he may be able to be in that competition for the right tackle position starting in camp," Whaley said. "So we'd have three bodies, and I've always said since day one, competition raises everybody's level of play. So when you have three people fighting for one position, that's a good thing for the Buffalo Bills and the right tackle position."'

'Graham is a nine-year veteran, who was owed a combined $6.35 million in base salary over the final two seasons of his contract. He has 25 starts in two seasons with Buffalo, and can play both cornerback and safety.'

'To be blunt: Williams dogged it last year. It's hard to believe this was the same player the Bills saw in the first three years after signing him to a $100-million contract in 2012.'

'Tight end Charles Clay also restructured his contract earlier this offseason, and the team may be working on doing the same with more players ahead of the new league year which begins next Wednesday. That’s when all teams must be under the league-wide 2016 salary cap.'

'“We’re working diligently to do that,” Whaley told The Howard Simon Show on WGR Thursday morning when asked if he’s confident the team can still keep their Pro Bowl guard. “The negotiation process is always nothing that can be clear cut and defined with a certain timetable, even though we do have an ending date coming soon with him being able to hit the market. But Jim Overdorf and (Incognito’s agent) David Dunn have had continuous conversations for a while now so (hopefully) something positive comes from that.”'

'Graham was one of two potential restructure candidates brought up by the team. The other was defensive back Leodis McKelvin, who has only one year left on his deal — which would likely indicate a pay cut is in order to keep him in Buffalo.'

'To replace Mario Williams, Whaley brought up Manny Lawson, Jarius Wynn, and late-season addition Max Valles as three in-house candidates to play that outside linebacker role. With that list of players — and an overall lack of depth at OLB — it makes it hard to believe that adding an additional pass rusher through the first three rounds of the draft isn’t a priority.'

'The front office obviously wanted to reduce that figure. Per team policy the details of the restructuring were not disclosed.'

'“They have to decide if he’s the guy and it seems like he is and then how much of a commitment they make,” said Sports Illustrated and ESPN NFL Business reporter Andrew Brandt in an appearance on the John Murphy Show. “It’s kind of what the Broncos are going through with Brock Osweiler. What is the market?'