Buffalo Bills quarterback AJ McCarron did not break collarbone
White Adolphus Washington Jerseys , per report During the Buffalo Bills’ 19-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 of the NFL’s preseason, the news
was bleak for AJ McCarron, who was in the mix to win the starting quarterback
role. McCarron, who signed to a two-year deal as a free agent this offseason,
left the game with what was initially thought to be a broken collarbone injury,
which could have sidelined McCarron for eight weeks or more. On Monday, McCarron
and the Bills received good news, as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network is
reporting that McCarron’s injury is not a hairline fracture, as was first
reported. The timeline for his recovery is day-to-day, and Rapoport reported
that McCarron should “practice when the soreness goes away.”Good news for the
Bills, who probably would have had to sign another quarterback for at least the
rest of the preseason, and for McCarron, who is still in the mix to win
Buffalo’s starting quarterback race. McCarron was less-than-impressive against
the Browns, completing only 3 of 6 passes for 12 yards. McCarron was sacked once
and was hit hard by Myles Garrett, which could have been the hit that caused the
injury. With McCarron sidelined, rookie Josh Allen has been declared the starter
for the Bills third preseason game, a 4 p.m. clash with the Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday at New Era Field. Nathan Peterman, who has enjoyed an impressive
preseason, is the team’s No. 2 quarterback. The Buffalo Bills have seemingly
been in search of a great tight end for the franchise’s entire history. The
team’s all-time leader in receptions at the position, Pete Metzelaars, left the
team in 1994
Youth Taron Johnson Jerseys , having accumulated 302 catches in his 156 games with the team. While other teams have begun to utilize tight ends that play more like
wide receivers, the Bills have been unable to find players that fit the new-age
mold for the position.The team thought it had found a player like that in 2015,
signing a tight end from a divisional rival to a big contract. That contract is
part of the reason that many people speculate that 2018 will be his final year
with the Bills. In our latest installment of the state of the Bills roster, we
look at the tight end position, a group that is set to undergo big changes in
2019. Charles Clay Contract status for 2019: Signed; $9 million cap hit ($4.5
million dead cap if cut)Age: 29 (30 on 2/13/19) Playing time: 13 games (12
starts), 504 snaps (47.59% of offensive total), 1 ST snaps (.23%)Key statistics:
36 targets, 21 catches, 184 yards (8.8 YPC), 1 fumbleAny mention of Clay
necessitates a mention of his contract, a five-year, $38 million pact signed in
the 2015 off-season. The 2019 season is slated to be the third consecutive year
where Clay will carry a $9 million salary cap hit if he is on the Bills’ roster.
The reason that it’s an “if” this year is twofold—not only did Clay’s production
dip dramatically this year, but it’s also the first year that the Bills can move
on without taking on an exorbitant amount of dead cap money. While $4.5 million
is no chump change, had the Bills cut Clay prior to the 2018 season, they’d have
been on the hook for a $13.5 million cap charge. Clay’s cap hit is the
fourth-highest on the Bills next year. He made $250,000 per target this season.
It’s time to move on.Logan ThomasContract status for 2019: Unsigned; RFAAge: 27
(28 on 7/1/19)Playing time: 12 games (3 starts), 284 snaps (26.82% of offensive
total), 190 ST snaps (43.28%)Key statistics: 17 targets, 12 catches, 77 yards
(6.4 YPC)Thomas has been an interesting experiment during his career in Buffalo,
fully realizing his transition from quarterback to tight end during this time.
While he possesses tremendous athleticism
Taron Johnson Jerseys Stitched , that athletic ability has not translated to success on the field. He has struggled as a blocker, especially—consistently losing at the
point of attack in both run and pass protection. As a restricted free agent,
Buffalo could offer him an original-round tender, and since Thomas was drafted
in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, any team who tried to sign him would
have to forfeit a fourth-round pick in order to do so. The problem is that no
team would be willing to forfeit that pick, at least based on his actual
production, and if that were to happen, I’m not sure that Thomas is worth the
projected $2 million tender. For the record, Spotrac has Thomas as an
unrestricted free agent, but the best we can tell based on Thomas’s service time
and the league’s RFA rules, he is set to be a restricted free agent next year.
Jason Croom Contract status for 2019: Signed; $570,000 cap hit (0 dead cap if
cut)Age: 24 (25 on 2/28/19)Playing time: 15 games (3 starts), 387 snaps (36.54%
of offensive total), 146 ST snaps (33.26%)Key statistics: 35 targets, 22
catches, 259 yards (11.8 YPC), 1 TD, 2 fumblesThe second-year pro played in his
first career NFL games this year, and he acquitted himself fairly well overall.
Croom looked comfortable, though not overpowering, as a blocker
Adolphus Washington Jerseys 2019 , and he showed some good route-running ability and athleticism. As a former collegiate wide receiver at the University
of Tennessee, Croom definitely has some mismatch potential moving forward, and
he has tremendous overall upside. I expect that he’ll have an even greater role
in the offense next year.Positional OutlookThe tight-end position is one where
plenty of change should probably occur this year, and general manager Brandon
Beane may have confirmed as much by saying, well, nothing. In his
end-of-the-year press conference, Beane was asked about both LeSean McCoy and
Charles Clay being on the roster in 2019, and while Beane discussed McCoy at
length in his answer, he did not so much as mention Clay’s name. Add to that a
late-season healthy scratch for Clay, and most signs point to the 2018 season
being his last with Buffalo.Clay is a talented player, but he has played under
the weight of his big contract in Buffalo, and after having a season where he
was not used much at all, it does not seem wise to keep him on the roster moving
forward. The same goes for Logan Thomas, whose physical attributes far exceed
his actual ability at the tight end position. That leaves the Bills with only
Croom, who appears to be the leader at the position as we head into the
offseason.The Bills will need to add a player or two here, whether via the draft
or free agency. The list of free agents isn’t especially appealing, and it’s
always difficult for rookie tight ends to come on and make an immediate impact.
Buffalo will need to search far and wide for effective additions at the
position.
