Archives for February 25, 2017

'Entering his first season as a head coach, it would behoove him to want to maximize his ability to start off on the right foot, which means doing all he can to avoid a worse finish than 8-8. Taylor, at the minimum, gives you a better chance of holding the fort than Jones or a rookie. And perhaps coordinator Rick Dennison and the rest of the new offensive staff will find ways to improve Taylor's game, which has yet to reach the level of indisputable franchise quality.'

'There is no reason to break the bank for Douzable. Provided the new coaching staff sees him as a good fit, he should be offered a one-year contract near the veteran minimum for a player with his experience. If he's after a bigger deal for a longer term, the Bills shouldn't sweat letting him go. Adolphus Washington, a third-round draft pick in 2016, should be ready to step into the role Douzable would be asked to play. At 284 pounds, Douzable might be undersized to play tackle, but not quick enough to rush the passer from the edge as a defensive end.'

'Still, two weeks to go, so here’s something else to think about: If the Bills decide to bring Taylor back and absorb his $15.9 million salary cap hit for 2017, where should they look to gain some much-needed cap space? I’ll offer up five players as cap casualties.'

'Buffalo was not expected to receive any compensatory picks this year. Compensatory picks are issued based on the amount of free agents you lose compared to the number you gain, as well as the type of deals departing free agents sign. Buffalo opted to sign many free agents to one-year, low-cost deals which outnumbered the free agents they lost last offseason.'

'"Usually these spots would be reserved for lesser-known players," Williamson said. "But because he has missed so much time with injury, the general public doesn't fully appreciate what a difference maker Watkins is when he is not only on the field, but at 100 percent, something we just haven't seen nearly enough of thus far. The Bills need Watkins … badly."'

'Last year, the Bills received two picks where they selected quarterback Cardale Jones in the fourth round and cornerback Kevon Seymour in the sixth round.'

'Miller was recently named the NFL’s most-improved second-year guard by Pro Football Focus after his solid 2016 campaign. He was much improved as both a pass and run blocker from his rookie year and was 29th among all guards in the league. Miller was drafted by the Bills in the third round of the 2015 draft from Louisville and has started 28 games with the team, including all 16 and 98 percent of the offensive snaps in 2016.'

'“We have to be prepared to go,” Woods said. “Hopefully it’s with Buffalo, just because we’ve been there, we’ve been throwing together and we are ready to be a complete unit with Sammy Watkins coming back, as well. It’s hard because we’re training and working out, but we haven’t heard anything as of yet. Who knows what’s going on upstairs in the offices, but we’re preparing and working and I know Tyrod is as well to have a better season than he did even over the last two years.”'