It’s our live from the NFL Combine edition of Fan Friday. Let’s get to your questions from Twitter @ChrisBrownBills and on email at AskChris@bills.nfl.net.
I really look forward to getting your insight every Friday. My question is in regard to the salary cap situation. From what I have seen the Bills cap situation gets very good in 2019. Do you sense that Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott may opt to fill holes this year other than at QB, since the price of franchise free agents is expected to be quite high with the demand from other teams you have cited and the price in draft capital the Bills would have to give up to move to a top five slot in the draft?
CB: Yes, you are correct, the Bills salary cap situation should improve even further in 2019. With respect to quarterback I don’t think their cap situation is going to keep them from pursuing one if they know it will upgrade the position.
I understand your premise, but quarterback trumps everything as I see it, so if you have the opportunity to land what you believe to be an answer at the position, you take a swing.
GM Brandon Beane told me this week that they will consider free agent options at QB and compare those options to the QBs they have on the roster. Now I don’t expect them to be in what will be a bidding war for Kirk Cousins, but there will be other viable options out there.
The same principle applies in the draft. If you’re convinced that one of the QB prospects is the long term answer at the position, you make every effort to land him. If that means parting with the draft capital you’ve accumulated it’s worth it.
Of course, all that being said there has to be a willing trade partner. It’s a two-way street.
Do you think Buffalo would be willing to trade a package of high draft picks for the opportunity to select any of the quarterbacks besides Darnold, Rosen and Allen? Also, do you think they would be willing to try and sign Sam Bradford in free agency? I know he gets hurt all the time but he can still throw the ball as good as any of the other free agent quarterbacks. Thank you.
CB: I think the general consensus in the league is Darnold, Rosen and Allen are the three top prospects. So trading up a package of high draft picks as you suggest for one of the other QB prospects besides those three seems unlikely.
Mayfield’s measurables and the widespread belief in the NFL community that Lamar Jackson should consider wide receiver as his NFL position figure to have them come off the board somewhere between 11 and 25.
I realize it only takes one team to think otherwise to change that, but that appears to be what a good number of teams are thinking.
As for Sam Bradford, yes he still has a good deal of arm talent, but his lengthy injury history will be a deterrent for some teams. I think Bradford is an option if you have a world class offensive line in terms of pass protection.
Brandon Beane mentioned wanting to get a power RB to complement McCoy. Do you foresee Buffalo filling this need in F/A or the draft? With guys like Stewart and Ivory available and guys like Freeman and Chubb projected to be 3rd to 4th round picks, which route do the Bills take?
CB: This is a decision that will depend on whether a free agent RB agrees to the price that Buffalo is willing to pay. Otherwise the Bills will turn to the draft. It’s one scenario where the team will be dealing from a position of strength because there are multiple options in both the draft and free agency.
Chris, can u see the Bills targeting C Ryan Jensen in FA? OL coach J.Castillo coached him in Balt.
CB: Jensen stepped into the starting lineup for the Ravens in 2017 as a fifth-year player. I can’t pretend to know how he fared this season. I didn’t see enough of Baltimore’s games.
I will say that head coach Sean McDermott in an appearance on the John Murphy Show admitted that Ryan Groy is the heir apparent at center for Buffalo in terms of replacing Eric Wood.
Now I don’t think that rules out the Bills perhaps pursuing another interior offensive lineman in free agency, but I get the sense that they like Groy, who is entering the final year of his current deal. So I could see them having Groy start in the pivot, see how he fares and if he’s performing well perhaps they extend him.
Yes, Jensen is only 26, but I think he’ll be looking for starter type money and I get the sense the Bills are looking for interior depth that could grow into starting roles down the line with players who are affordable. That’s more likely to be found in the draft where the interior offensive line depth is very strong this year.
What might be a realistic compensation value for Cordy Glenn if the Bills decide to trade him?
CB: This one is hard to answer because different teams will place a different value on landing a starting caliber left tackle. For the teams that need an immediate answer at the position, the value would be higher. For a team that has a young left tackle on their roster that isn’t ready yet, the price they’d be willing to pay would be less because they believe they have a player that could fill the role in a year or two.
I think a good jumping off point would be what Seattle gave to Houston for Duane Brown, which ultimately became a second and third-round pick with a fifth-round pick going with Brown to Seattle. Brown is a 32-year old offensive tackle. Glenn will turn 29 in September.
Glenn is also under contract for three more seasons.
So between his age and his contract I’d like to think the Bills would be asking for at least that much, if not a bit better.
Happy groundhog day Bills fans! The offseason begins in earnest after Super Bowl weekend. Let’s get prepared with your questions on Twitter at @ChrisBrownBills.
Will the #Bills go after Kirk Cousins?
CB: I think it’s difficult to provide a straight answer to this question. The reason why is this is a very unique situation. I can’t remember the last time a quarterback of this caliber, without an injury issue (See: P. Manning, Brees) had a strong chance of hitting the free agent market.
While I think it would be only natural for the Bills to be interested in a player who over the last three seasons ranks third in completion percentage (67%) fourth in passing yards (13,176), eighth in touchdowns (81) and is tied for first in pass plays of 25 yards or more (113), the first question is does he make it to the free agent market?
There’s a good chance that one of the many teams interested in Cousins will blink and try to orchestrate a trade with Washington for Cousins to avoid competing with the other clubs for his services in free agency.
Having not seen the Beane-McDermott duo in action for a full offseason it will be interesting to see what they value more.
If they do in fact have a strong interest in Cousins, are they more willing to give up draft capital to land the QB via trade?
Or are they more willing to compromise cap space by outbidding competitors for Cousins should he hit the free agent market and hold onto their draft assets?
Knowing the Bills have a lot of holes to fill, their draft assets would appear to be a priority, but the chance to land a QB with franchise-caliber numbers (whether you believe in Cousins or not) could trump that.
That’s what makes the Cousins sweepstakes so compelling. What are teams that need a proven producer like Cousins at QB willing to give up to get him?
Chances they trade up w/#Broncos if Denver gets Cousins? Also, opinion on Lamar Jackson’s NFL projection?
CB: Again a major hypothetical. The price to move into the top 10 this year might require more than most years because of the demand to get into prime quarterback territory this year. The price is likely to be too steep to get into the top 10. I believe if a QB slips for whatever reason down to 10 or 11, then I believe a trade up is more likely, but the Bills won’t be alone in that kind of pursuit.
As for Lamar Jackson, I’m in the Bill Polian camp on the Louisville QB. He’s a ridiculous and rare athlete with the ball in his hands. But I don’t think Jackson is a quarterback in the NFL. His accuracy still isn’t consistent enough to keep drives alive in the NFL.
I do think he can be a Pro Bowl caliber wide receiver.
A recent mock draft had the Bills drafting back-to-back DTs in the first round and addressing QB in the 2nd round. Do you think there’s any chance of that happening?
CB: The draft is so far off and so many things can happen between now and then that just about anything is possible. Right now the Bills have only Adolphus Washington and Ricky Hatley under contract at DT. If Kyle Williams chooses to continue playing then I think back-to-back DTs become unlikely. But if not, there is a gaping hole in the middle of the defensive interior. So it’s not outlandish to think that could happen.
QB in the second round is also possible if they can’t get up the board to prime QB territory. There are so many variables with trades and free agency that you can’t narrow down the possibilities at this point.
Do you see Ryan Groy taking over the starting Center position or do the Bills need to add one in the draft?
CB: As we addressed in our filling the void story on Buffalobills.com this week, I believe Groy is the odds on favorite to take over the starting center role. Drafting a center isn’t a common occurrence unless there’s a stud in round one or a good value on day two (See Minnesota’s: Pat Elflein).
I do expect the Bills to address the depth of their offensive line both at tackle and on the interior. A versatile player who can duplicate what Groy did as a backup center and swing guard would be a good add.
CB: The first thing that has to happen is he has to get healthy after undergoing a procedure on his foot. All indications are he is doing well in his rehabilitation and will be ready for the start of the offseason conditioning program in April.
He has proven that he’s a solid starting left tackle in this league. If the Bills are committed to clearing more cap space, Cordy Glenn would be a logical option knowing his cap figure is the second-highest on the team for 2018 next to Tyrod Taylor.
There are always teams looking for quality pass protectors, so if that proves to be the plan moving forward it would not be difficult to find interested parties.
We’ll have full Senior Bowl practice coverage next week Bills fans, so keep it close to Buffalobills.com and the John Murphy Show! Now to your questions on Twitter at @ChrisBrownBills.
Do you think Rudolph could be a target pick for bills? Keep some draft capital get him at 21?
CB: Right now Rudolph is a bit off the pace as a QB prospect from the top four (Darnold, Rosen, Allen, Mayfield), due primarily to the fact that NFL clubs don’t know what his mental processing skills are on a football field. He has all the physical tools to be a pocket passer in the NFL, but he played in a very simple offense. So calling plays, diagnosing coverages, reading progressions, taking snaps under center are all unknowns. That’s why it’s unfortunate that Rudolph won’t be practicing this week at the Senior Bowl. He could’ve begun to answer some of those questions by putting his decision making during team periods of practice on display.
I think at this point it’s very realistic that he’ll be on the board for the Bills in the early 20’s. He’s currently projected as a late one, early two by some of the more respected draft prognosticators.
Do you foresee Shady becoming more of a change of pace back/third down back to preserve his career a few more years? It would be nice to get a solid move the chains type bruiser for early downs…thoughts?
CB: McCoy did not show any signs of slowing down whatsoever in 2017. That said, he’ll be 30-years old for 2018. I personally see him as one of the exceptions to the popular rule that running backs decline after their 28th birthday. The main reason being his running style doesn’t expose him to big time hits which cause the most wear and tear on the body.
I am however, in favor of getting a capable back who can reduce the workload on McCoy. The Bills did a good job managing his carries. He averaged 18 carries per game in 2017, which I think would still be manageable for McCoy going forward. But introducing a steady backup, who can get five to 10 carries per game would be advisable to prolong McCoy’s freshness through the latter stages of the season, especially if there are playoff games in January where the offense will naturally lean on him more.
Chicken-egg situation: do the #Bills draft a QB with skill set that fits what Daboll wants to do? Or design offense around whatever QB they draft?
CB: While I believe there is some consideration to the style of offense the Bills would prefer to run in drafting a quarterback prospect, I don’t think it would preclude the Bills from taking the player they believe to be the best prospect at the position when they’re on the board.
It’s not the best example, but Cam Newton, a player who was drafted in Carolina when both Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott were there wasn’t an ideal fit for a pro-style offense. He was not a pure passer and he never played in a pro system, but he was far and away the best prospect at the position.
So, in general I think most NFL clubs tend to focus on drafting the best player at the position, then worry about how they’ll make use of his skill set.
What do you think Cordy Glenn’s future is with the Bills? If they move on, does he have trade value with that contract?
CB: Step one for Glenn is to get back to full health following the latest procedure on his foot. By all accounts he is doing very well in his rehabilitation and is on track to be full go for the start of the offseason conditioning program in April.
I do understand why there is speculation about Glenn being a trade option for the Bills, knowing how well Dion Dawkins performed at left tackle in Glenn’s absence.
Taking that hypothetical situation a step further, it’s obvious that Glenn’s cap figure for 2018 ($14.45M) is second only to Tyrod Taylor ($18M) on Buffalo’s roster.
But to move Glenn via trade or outright release prior to June 1st would only give Buffalo a cap savings of $4.85M with $9.6M in dead money still on their books.
If the Bills moved him after June 1st, such a move becomes more fiscally responsible.
The cap savings would be more than $11M and the dead money would be cut by two-thirds ($3.2M). However, moving a player via trade that late in the offseason is rare, but quality left tackles with a proven track record and just 28-years old are not easy to find. So even that late in the game I think he absolutely has trade value.
Just knowing how much GM Brandon Beane wants to continue to clear dead money off the Bills cap so they have more flexibility in their spending going forward, I find it hard to fathom them trying to move Cordy Glenn prior to June 1st knowing the cap implications mentioned above.
NOTE: For those wondering if you can designate a player you intend to trade as a post-June 1st designation, it doesn’t appear that you can. When you designate a player as a post-June 1st cut, the contract is immediately terminated and the team no longer holds any rights to the player.
So it would appear to be impossible to designate a traded player as a post-June 1st trade, because the team technically would not have the rights to said player, and thus no commodity to trade. The actual trade, as mentioned above, would seemingly have to take place after June 1st for the aforementioned cap savings to be realized.
If Bills lose Gaines to free agency, does corner become high draft priority?
CB: If you’re down a starting caliber corner and you don’t feel you have an adequate replacement on your roster, then yes it does become a priority. Knowing that Leonard Johnson is also a free agent could increase the positional need even more.
So if Gaines doesn’t return, I think positionally it becomes a priority, but I’m not ready to peg it a draft priority. Let’s see what free agency can bring the team first if necessary.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott didn’t have any specific updates on any of Buffalo’s injured players, including those who did not suit up on Sunday. He used the same designation for Cordy Glenn, E.J. Gaines, Jerry Hughes and Zay Jones.
That doesn’t shed much light on whether Glenn or Gaines will be full practice participants on Wednesday. Both players practiced on a limited basis on Thursday and Friday last week. Hughes suffered a shin injury in Sunday’s game.
Jones did not practice at all last week due to an ankle injury.
The return of Cordy Glenn has certainly helped Buffalo’s offensive line round into form and find a groove the last two games. An underrated left tackle, Glenn performed admirably each of the last two games in pass protection and the run game. With him in the starting lineup, and rookie Dion Dawkins the swing tackle, the Bills are in very good standing at a very important position.
Bills LT Cordy Glenn made his first start since the season opener Sunday, and though he might not be in full game shape just yet, he came awfully close to playing from wire to wire in the win over the Bucs.
Glenn logged 58 snaps on Sunday, good for 85 percent of the total play time by the offense. Dion Dawkins came in to spell him in the first and second halves. Dawkins also had to step in for Richie Incognito, who missed a series when he got cut below the knee and had to get his ankle re-taped.
Dawkins had 11 snaps on offense.
The offensive staff will obviously review Glenn’s performance, but provided he came through the game well, the veteran left tackle stands a good chance of playing the full game against Oakland this Sunday.
Bills CB E.J. Gaines and Leonard Johnson were both back on the practice field Wednesday.
Both players benefited from the bye week. The two cornerbacks were limited in Wednesday’s practice session. But Johnson said he felt good.
So too was WR Jordan Matthews, who caught passes for the first time since thumb surgery two weeks ago.
OT Cordy Glenn practiced fully. Here’s the full injury report.
Sorry for the delay Bills fans. We had a publishing glitch. Here are your questions on Twitter @ChrisBrownBills and email at AskChris@bills.nfl.net.
What’s the status of Seantrel Henderson?
CB: He’s been given a roster exemption this week, giving the team permission to carry 54 rostered players. Come Monday at 4 pm the team will have to make a roster move to add Henderson to the 53-man roster.
How will the o-line look after the bye. Seantrel? Cordy?
CB: Head coach Sean McDermott was asked point blank when Cordy Glenn is healthy again will he be the starter at left tackle and McDermott said that they would evaluate the position coming out of the bye week.
It’s clear to me that the coaching staff wants to get Dion Dawkins as much playing time as possible. At who’s expense could very well be Glenn. As frustrating as Glenn’s foot and ankle issues have been, when healthy he’s their best left tackle. It will be interesting to see what they decide.
Henderson has not played meaningful football since the middle of last season. He’s not a viable threat to start right away. If Jordan Mills falters at right tackle and they already have left tackle sorted out I suppose he could possibly be in the mix there, but in the foreseeable future he’s your fourth offensive tackle provided Glenn is back healthy.
Coach has put in rookies to see what they got and changed “starters” every game. Why does this not apply to qb?
CB: This is a very logical question David, but quarterbacks are just different. The reason why is very often they’re the leaders of your team as is the case with Tyrod. The coaching staff has done nothing but support Taylor and sing his praises as a leader and hard worker.
If Taylor has done all the right things and is only two starts removed from his best performance of the season (win over Denver) and you’re still in first place in your division, how can you make a change there?
What we saw from Taylor in Cincinnati isn’t a foreign thing. We’ve seen it on occasion in each of the last two years. We all know what Taylor’s strengths are at this point, and we know where he’s going to struggle at times.
The bigger issue for me is the run game. Until that gets fixed no one is going to look very good on the offensive side of the ball. The run game is the identity of this offense, like it or not, and without it your quarterback is not going to look great no matter who it is.
Do you see us getting in the market for a WR via trade?
CB: Sorry, but I don’t. I think if the right player becomes available on waivers they’ll put in a claim, but to think they’re going to part with future assets to help the passing game now I think is unrealistic. They’ve stockpiled these draft picks to build for 2018. They’re not going to compromise that for 2017.
Truthfully is one wide receiver via trade going to make a gigantic difference in a passing game that only throws the ball 20-25 times a game?
I know last week they had 37 pass attempts, but that was an exception because they couldn’t run the ball. I just don’t see a trade scenario coming up that, A-gives them a game-changing talent, B-allows them to acquire such talent without paying a king’s ransom.
CB: By all accounts and from what I’ve seen he’s done well at practice. I don’t think Bills fans have any idea how badly this guy wants to contribute and perform. For whatever reason he hasn’t been able to put it all together.
As I said last week, he just needs time on the job. I believe once he makes an important play things will fall into place after that. His confidence is being tested and he’s very hard on himself.
There should be more opportunities for him coming with Clay and Matthews out of the lineup for the foreseeable future.
The Bills secondary could be pretty shorthanded on Sunday if some nicked up players are unable to play against the Bengals.
Cornerbacks EJ Gaines and Shareece Wright are both questionable for Sunday’s game along with safety Micah Hyde.
Head coach Sean McDermott expressed confidence that Hyde had come through the week well, but he was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday. Wright was also limited on Friday. Gaines however, did not practice at all and appears to be the biggest question mark for Sunday after sustaining a groin injury in last week’s game.
With only four cornerbacks on the roster the Bills will likely have to add at least one cornerback to the roster for insurance.
Meanwhile OT Cordy Glenn is questionable too in his return from foot and ankle problems. He missed each of the last two games, but was back practicing this week. Friday was the first time he practiced on a full scale basis in two weeks. Rookie Dion Dawkins is expected to make his third straight start at left tackle.
It was widely anticipated that Bills OT Cordy Glenn would not be able to play this Sunday after failing to practice all week. That was confirmed Friday with the release of the team’s injury report.
Tyrod Taylor’s blind side protector was listed as out for Sunday’s game against the Falcons. That means that rookie OT Dion Dawkins will make his second straight start on Sunday in Atlanta.
Meanwhile the situation is more up in the air on DE Shaq Lawson. Lawson, who sustained a groin injury in practice Thursday, did not practice on Friday and head coach Sean McDermott indicated that he’s likely to be a game time decision.
If he can’t go Eddie Yarbrough is expected to start with Ryan Davis rotating in at left defensive end.
OT Cordy Glenn was not able to practice Wednesday due to an ailing ankle. Meanwhile DT Marcell Dareus practiced on a limited basis.
Here’s Buffalo’s full injury report.
Head coach Sean McDermott expressed concern about Marcell Dareus’ availability for Sunday’s game after suffering an ankle injury last weekned. Dareus missed a second straight day of practice on Thursday.
The only other player who did not participate in practice Thursday was DT Jerel Worthy, who remains in the concussion protocol.
The good news is Cordy Glenn returned to practice from an ankle injury suffered in last week’s game. Glenn was limited. The key will be how he feels Friday morning and whether he can practice a second straight day.
Shaq Lawson also returned to practice from a nerve contusion in his foot, but was limited.
WR Kaelin Clay was added to the injury report as a limited participant Thursday as he had to step out of practice with a foot injury. TE Nick O’Leary was another new addition with a hamstring injury and was limited.
Here’s the full report for Thursday.
The big news Wednesday was how Marcell Dareus and Cordy Glenn were both sidelined at practice due to ankle injuries. But a couple of key special teamers and Buffalo’s starting tight end also were unable to practice fully.
Charles Clay, Matt Milano and Colt Anderson were all limited in practice Wednesday. LB Deon Lacey was also limited. Here’s a look at Buffalo’s full injury report.
DT Jerel Worthy was the only non-participant at practice Wednesday as he remains in the concussion protocol, but there were a few unanticipated limited players in practice.
The notables were TE Charles Clay with a shoulder injury and OT Cordy Glenn with his foot.
Head coach Sean McDermott was encouraged that Glenn had come out of the Week 1 game clean with his foot no worse for the wear despite getting 56 snaps.
CB EJ Gaines and LB Tanner Vallejo were also limited. Gaines is coming back from a shoulder contusion, but is expected to start Sunday. Vallejo returned to practice for the first time since getting his knee scoped a few weeks ago.
RB LeSean McCoy (wrist) and FB Mike Tolbert (knee) were both full practice participants.
Bills LT Cordy Glenn was subbed out a few times during the course of Sunday’s game in an effort to keep him fresh after he missed most of the preseason. By game’s end he had still been on the field for a majority of the game.
Glenn got 56 of the offense’s 77 total snaps, good for 73 percent of the work. Rookie Dion Dawkins rotated in for him and got 21 snaps in his NFL debut, good for 27 percent of the workload.
Another full week of practice by Glenn should only improve his level of stamina and endurance more for the Week 2 matchup at Carolina.
Glenn’s reps to be managed Sunday?
Bills LT Cordy Glenn is fully expected to start on Sunday in the opener against the Jets, but will he play the entire game on offense? That appears to be up for debate.
Glenn missed most of training camp and almost the entire preseason until he got 15 snaps in the team’s last preseason game against Detroit. It was an effort to get Glenn re-acclimated to the speed of a live game.
Whether that plus practice over the last week is enough to get his conditioning to the level necessary for a 65 to 70-play game on offense is another question.
The biggest challenge for every NFL head coach is making sure the team is conditioned enough to get through an entire game that first week, something none of their players have done since early January.
For Glenn that task could prove even more difficult, since he’s missed a good portion of training camp and preseason action with his foot ailment.
Head coach Sean McDermott admitted that it’s something they’re going to keep close tabs through the rest of the practice week and on Sunday to determine whether or not they need to rotate another tackle in for him at times.
The Bills will be without Stephon Gilmore and Cordy Glenn for Sunday’s season finale against the Jets. Both are out due to injury this week. Kevon Seymour is expected to start for Gilmore at right cornerback. Cyrus Kouandjio is expected to start at left tackle.
Here’s a look at the game status for the rest of Buffalo’s injured players.
Three of Buffalo’s starters weren’t able to go in practice Thursday.
OT Cordy Glenn, CB Stephon Gilmore and DT Kyle Williams all were unable to practice. Glenn and Kyle both have back injuries. Glenn missed last week’s game and hasn’t practiced yet this week. Williams has cut back his practice workload to play last week and might be doing the same this week.
Gilmore is still in the concussion protocol so Kevon Seymour might get the start if Gilmore can’t play Sunday.
QB Tyrod Taylor was given a veteran’s rest day according to head coach Anthony Lynn.
Bills LT Cordy Glenn will not play today as Cyrus Kouandjio makes his fourth start at left tackle this season in Glenn’s absence. Here are the rest of Buffalo’s inactives for today’s game against the Dolphins.