90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills player scouting reports in 90 days- CB Kyler McMichael - Buffalo Rumblings

Financial situation (per Spotrac): McMichael signed a reserve/futures deal on January 23 of this year. The two-year contract is worth a total of $1.665 million, of which $9,000 is guaranteed. For the 2023 season, McMichael carries a cap hit of $754,500.

2022 Recap: McMichael appeared in three preseason games for Tampa Bay, notching six total tackles in those contests. He was waived at the end of August as part of final cuts, and he signed with Buffalo’s practice squad on September 1. That’s where he remained all season, as he has yet to make his regular-season debut.

Positional outlook: McMichael faces an uphill battle for time in what is a deep, talented secondary for the Bills. The top six corners, not necessarily in order, are Tre’Davious White, Kaiir Elam, Christian Benford, Dane Jackson, Taron Johnson, and Siran Neal. After that, McMichael is battling Cam Lewis, Alex Austin, and Ja’Marcus Ingram.

2023 Offseason: McMichael is healthy and ready for the offseason program.

2023 Season outlook: Barring injuries or some spectacular play on McMichael’s part, the second-year man is auditioning either for a place on Buffalo’s practice squad or a spot on another team’s roster. The Bills under Sean McDermott have been outstanding at finding defensive backs in all areas and rounds of the draft, so this is a good place for a young player to develop. If he’s looking for time in real games, though, he’s not likely to find it with the Bills this year.

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills player scouting reports in 90 days- G Connor McGovern - Buffalo Rumblings

2023 Season outlook:Given the contract figures, it’s quite likely that McGovern is one of the two starters at guard this season. However, once the real games start, the team isn’t going to play people based on money, so he’ll definitely have to earn his place — especially after the Bills were able to steal Torrence in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. McGovern isn’t one of the best guards in the league, but he isn’t one of the worst, either — which is what Rodger Saffold was by some metrics last season. McGovern has played both left and right guard, and most of his time in Dallas was spent on the left side given that Zack Martin occupied the right guard slot. If the team thinks that Ryan Bates would be better served by a move back to the left side, however, they could easily have McGovern play on the right given his versatility. Overall, this is a very Brandon Beane signing along the offensive line: McGovern is a versatile piece, and the Bills are betting on him maxing out his potential in Orchard Park, NY.

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Dallas coach Mike McCarthy on new Bills left guard Connor McGovern: 'Best football in front of him'

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills player scouting reports in 90 days- RB Jordan Mims - Buffalo Rumblings

2022 Recap: Mims set career highs in attempts, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns in his senior season, carrying 261 times for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns. That touchdown total was the most in school history. He did that while playing in all 14 of the Bulldogs’ games. In Fresno State’s 29-6 victory over Washington State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl, Mims carried 18 times for 209 yards and two touchdowns.

2023 Season outlook:While it’s unlikely that Mims makes the roster and contributes on game day, it’s quite likely that he becomes a preseason darling and shows well this summer. Mims is a big, bruising runner who isn’t terribly fast, but he offers versatility in the passing game and a nose for the end zone. He also hasn’t fumbled an offensive touch since his freshman year at Fresno St. in 2017, something that’s sure to make his coaches happy in the pros if he can continue that streak. With Cook, Hines, and Harris all likely to make the team, Mims is probably fighting Murray for the last spot on the active roster.

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: LB Travin Howard


2023 Season outlook:Howard is certainly talented, there’s no denying that fact. However, his inability to stay healthy has been a huge issue. During the Rams’ Super Bowl run in 2022 NFL Playoffs, Howard started two games and played on defense in three, totaling 10 tackles, two pass breakups, and a game-sealing interception in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers. If he can stay healthy, he has at least an outside shot to make the roster as a reserve and a special teams player, as he is more athletic than someone like Klein.

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: OT Ryan Van Demark

Financial situation (per Spotrac):Van Demark signed a two-year deal worth a total of $1.665 million in the offseason. That reserve/futures contract carries with it a total of $9,000 in guarantees. In he makes the roster this summer, he’ll carry a cap hit of $754,500.

2023 Season outlook:Buffalo is banking on bounce-back seasons from Dawkins and Brown, and with the lack of proven talent behind them, that is a tremendous gamble. The team has Doyle cross-training at guard, and he actually appeared more there last season than he did at tackle before tearing his ACL. If Van Demark can prove himself reliable in the preseason, the tackle position isn’t so deep that it’s impossible for someone who isn’t a household name to crack the roster. In college, Van Demark played left tackle almost exclusively, and he did so immediately, starting at the position as a true freshman.

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: S Jared Mayden


Financial situation (per Spotrac):Mayden has two years remaining on his contract, which is worth a total of $1.855 million. For the 2023 season, he carries a cap hit of $870,000 if he makes the roster. There is no dead-cap charge should the Bills decide to release him.

2023 Season outlook:This group, at least on paper and in an ideal world, seems to be pretty settled at the top. Poyer, Hyde, Hamlin, and Rapp figure to be the top four, though there are major question marks about three of those four players. How will Hyde perform in his return from major neck surgery? Will Poyer be able to remain healthy after battling injury all throughout his age-31 season? How will Hamlin handle a return to the field after nearly having his life end the last time he played in an NFL game? These questions definitely make the back end of the safety group a trio that needs to be watched more closely. Mayden has a lot to prove, but a strong showing could lead to a spot on the practice squad, where he could continue to develop for a shot at a larger role in 2024 and beyond. For this year, though, he’s unlikely to make the 53-man roster unless someone in front of him is injured.

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: DE Shane Ray


Financial situation (per Spotrac): Ray’s contract numbers haven’t been released by either Spotrac or Over the Cap, but we can assume that it’s a one-year deal at the veteran’s minimum with minimal, if any, guaranteed money.

2023 Season outlook: Given all the investment along the defensive line over the last few years, I’d like to be able to look at the group up front and assume that Ray has no chance at making the roster. However, with the jury still out on whether Epenesa and Basham can be solid, consistent contributors, I don’t think it’s entirely impossible for Ray to make the roster. With that said, he hasn’t been with an NFL team since the 2019 preseason, and he hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2018. So while it may not be impossible, it is incredibly unlikely that Ray makes the roster. Perhaps he’ll have a spot on the practice squad waiting for him, but it would take a ridiculously strong preseason for him to make the team.

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: TE Zach Davidson


Financial situation (per Spotrac):Davidson signed a reserve/futures contract on January 23 at the conclusion of Buffalo’s season. That two-year deal is worth a total of $1.665 million, of which just $9,000 is guaranteed. If he makes the roster in 2023, Davidson carries a cap hit of $754,500.

2023 Season outlook: What Davidson lacks in production, he makes up for in intrigue, as he presents a tall, athletic target who has the raw tools to develop into at least a good situational target. In a positional group that composes two roster locks in Knox and Kincaid, however, that means Davidson would need to beat out someone with more experience, like Morris, in order to make the roster. I don’t think that’s going to happen, although I do think he’d be a great player to keep on the practice squad as a developmental “F” tight end.

[Woodman]

Financial situation (per Spotrac):Cline enters the final year of the last contract he signed with the Colts. For the 2023 season, he carries a cap hit of $870,000 if he makes the team. No money on the contract is guaranteed.

2023 Season outlook:While the Bills do like versatility in their linemen, it’s hard to see Cline cracking the roster given the amount of talent ahead of him. He probably isn’t big enough to handle consistently fighting in the trenches, nor is he bendy or speedy enough to warrant much time on the edge. He seems, at least to me, to be a classic ‘tweener who probably needs to add a little mass in order to have a shot. He’ll be worth a look for a spot on the practice squad, but barring a tremendously successful preseason, he likely has little shot at making the final roster.

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: LB Baylon Spector


Financial situation (per Spotrac):Spector enters the second year of his rookie contract, a four-year deal that totals $3,763,724 overall. In 2023, Spector carries a cap hit of $895,931, and the Bills would be on the hook for a dead-cap charge of $77,793 if he were to be cut.

Positional outlook: Spector is one of quite a few linebackers vying for space on the 53-man roster, and he’s also one of quite a few players hoping to replace Tremaine Edmunds in the starting lineup. Matt Milano is written into the lineup with Sharpie, but Terrel Bernard, Dorian Williams, Tyrel Dodson, A.J. Klein, and Travin Howard all could see time next to him. Tyler Matakevich might, as well, but he’s really a special teams-only player.

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: TE Joel Wilson


Financial situation (per Spotrac):Wilson signed his contract, a three-year deal worth a total of $2.695 million, in mid-May. Should he make the 53-man roster, he carries a cap hit of $754,000 in the 2023 season.

2023 Season outlook:While not entirely impossible, it’s quite unlikely that Wilson makes the final roster. Given that Knox and Kincaid are locks, there’s one hypothetical spot open here, and Morris would probably have the inside track there given that he was the second tight end last season. However, Buffalo only carried two active tight ends for much of last season, and while it’s likely that the team will have a third tight end given a probable shift to more “12” personnel in 2023, it’s not yet a guarantee.

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills player scouting reports in 90 days- OT Alec Anderson - Buffalo Rumblings

The Buffalo Bills have added plenty of offensive line depth over the last few seasons. While in previous years the team seemed to focus more on the tackles, this offseason, Buffalo has focused on bolstering the interior offensive line group.

2023 Season outlook: Though Anderson has some versatility and athleticism, he isn’t a serious contender to make the 53-man roster. Especially after the acquisition of Shell, the offensive tackle group seems much more settled. Anderson could see plenty of playing time in preseason games, but he’s likely auditioning for a spot on someone else’s roster or on the Bills’ practice squad for 2023.

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: S Dean Marlowe


Financial situation (per Spotrac):Marlowe’s one-year contract is worth a total of $1,232,500 overall, of which $252,500 is guaranteed. Thanks to the veteran’s minimum exception, Marlowe carries a cap hit of $1,092,500 if he makes the 53-man roster, and Buffalo is on the hook for the entirety of his guarantee if they decide to release him.

2023 Season outlook: Barring injury, Marlowe is likely on the outside looking in this season, as the top four safeties are probably Hyde, Poyer, Rapp, and Hamlin. Given that three of four players in that list have dealt with significant injury issues over the last year, though, it’s quite possible that Marlowe is given a good look this summer. Buffalo knows what they have in the veteran safety, and he knows that he has a place here if he can’t find a gig elsewhere. Marlowe could also stick around on the practice squad, which I think is his ceiling with the team this season.

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So this is going to be 90 posts by Woodman.

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Post totals are paramount

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: LB Terrel Bernard

Financial situation (per Spotrac): Bernard enters the second year of his rookie contract, a four-year pact worth a total of $5,042,992. For the 2023 season, Bernard carries a cap hit of $1,116,560, and Buffalo is on the hook for a dead-cap charge of $684,744 if they release him.

2023 Season outlook:In theory, Bernard has just as a good a chance as anyone to start games this year, and he should have a better chance than a rookie like Williams thanks to his year of experience in the system. However, Bernard is more a Matt Milano-esque replacement than he is a second linebacker on all three downs, so I think it’s unlikely that he wins the starting gig. In the early going, it’s been Williams taking reps at middle linebacker, which suggests to me that the team hopes that it’s Williams next to Milano come September. Buffalo could also rotate that spot based on down, distance, and field position — as there are things that Williams, Bernard, and Klein all do well, but each player has glaring weaknesses, as well.

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: WR Marcell Ateman

Financial situation (per Spotrac):Ateman signed a one-year deal worth a total of $940,000. That contract contains no guarantees. If he makes the roster, that full amount will be his 2023 cap hit, and if Buffalo cuts him, he won’t count at all against their salary cap.

2023 Season outlook: Ateman is one of five pass-catchers added to the roster this offseason who is at least 6’4” (wideouts Patmon, Shavers, and Coulter, as well as tight end Dalton Kincaid), which signifies a shift from smaller, shiftier players to bigger targets. I’m not sure that it’s going to translate into a roster spot for Ateman, who will need to show that he can not only handle boundary receiver duties this preseason, but he’ll likely need to show himself a worthy contributor on special teams in order to make the final roster. I assume that Justin Shorter has the advantage among the “trees” that Buffalo has added this summer given his draft status, but that doesn’t necessarily need to be the case. Ateman is probably auditioning for a spot on the practice squad this summer.

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: DE Leonard Floyd


Financial situation (per Spotrac):Floyd signed a one-year deal worth $7 million fully guaranteed, and he can earn upwards of $9 million. For the season, he carries a cap hit of $2,623,750. There are three void years on the contract to spread out the overall money.

2023 Season outlook:This was a really good move for the Bills, as the pass rush absolutely disappeared late in the season last year. Adding more quality depth to go with the defensive ends on the roster was necessary, and adding a player with Floyd’s overall ability so late in the free-agency game is a great get for general manager Brandon Beane. At worst, Floyd is a great rotational player who occupies the brain space of offensive linemen and defensive coordinators all year long. At best, he’s another disruptive force to add to Miller and Rousseau along the edge. His presence is also sure to free up someone like Ed Oliver in the middle.

[Woodman]

90 Buffalo Bills players in 90 days: DE Boogie Basham

Financial situation (per Spotrac):Basham enters the third year of his four-year rookie contract, a deal worth a total of $5,624,943 overall. For the 2023 season, Basham carries a cap hit of $1,534,075 and a dead-cap number of $725,434 if the Bills decide to move on this summer.

2023 Season outlook: Basham is a player who definitely does things the coaching staff likes — he’s big enough to set the edge against the run, and he’s also versatile enough to kick inside as a pass-rusher on 3rd & Long situations — but he has shown so few flashes throughout his first two seasons that it’s hard to be excited about him at this point.