Buffalo Rumblings
Which Buffalo Bills could b a surprise cut at the end of the month?
As we enter August, roster cuts are looming at the end of the month even though training camp feels like it just started. I’ve put together some candidates for a surprise cut or trade. There are usually one or two moves that leave us surprised. Here is my list this year.
This may be a stretch as a “surprise”, but I get the feeling it is a legitimate open competition between Mitchy Bits and Mike White. The money is similar no matter which QB is the pick and Trubisky has looked very indecisive in camp.
Moore was tearing it up in spring practices but has been out of training camp with an injury. The best ability is availability. His contract is fully guaranteed, but if he signed with another team it would offset the majority of the remaining $1.75 million anyway. If he is vying for the roster as the fifth receiver without playing special teams, it is an uphill climb. Meanwhile Curtis Samuel has almost $7 million in fully guaranteed salary right now.
Anderson’s cheap shot during the first few days of training camp got him sent to the locker room and now he’s out indefinitely following a knee scope. If someone like Mike Edwards can make hay while Anderson is away, I think it is a possibility if they need a roster spot. On a list of surprise cuts, this one would definitely be a surprise. Especially with this latest injury, they can stash him cheaply on injured reserve instead of cutting him.
Jones is a player who has declined recently, though he has still played well enough. He has no guaranteed money on his contract so cutting him at the end of the month clears a bunch of cap space. If rookie Deone Walker or second-year player DeWayne Carter can play their way into some first-team reps, I can see a scenario where they want to save the money.
Cutting your third-round pick from last year doesn’t happen very often, but Carter has been running third-team at 1-tech. None of his contract is guaranteed and they brought in a slew of defensive linemen to compete with him.
Epenesa isn’t a cut candidate with $3.5 millon fully guaranteed and meaningful snaps, but I can see a world where they trade him at roster cuts to clear the cap space and give more run to a guy like Javon Solomon.
Lewis was on and off the roster in the early days, but has been a stalwart of the last couple seasons. Still, the Bills drafted Jordan Hancock who has been cross-training in the exact role Lewis has played as reserve safety and backup slot cornerback. The Bills typically value experience in their secondary, so Lewis has that...
