It would figure to be tough to put Brandon Beane in a bad mood right about now.
The Buffalo Bills’ general manager would be justified in celebrating his team’s addition of Von Miller in free agency – an acquisition that fills a crying need for a game-changing pass rusher.
It’s not all been sunshine and roses, though, for Beane the past couple of days. He thought he had a deal with J.D. McKissic on a two-year contract that was agreed to Tuesday, but by Wednesday, the running back backed out – choosing instead to return to the Washington Commanders on the same deal.
While most Bills fans quickly forgot about that after Miller’s addition, it was quite clear Friday that Beane had not – and will not.
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“That was tough. Obviously, he was a guy we targeted, and in this business, in general, when you have an agreement, it’s good,” Beane said. “But until there's ink on the paper …”
Beane was clear that any blame in this situation should not be assigned to McKissic’s agents, Doug Hendrickson and C.J. LaBoy.
“There were some things that went down with the other organization, which is painful, but they chose to do what they did, and I couldn't stop it,” Beane said. “Once you have an agreement, the agent’s supposed to say it’s over. And this agent did that. And this agent told the other club it's over. But the other club didn't back off.”
Complicating maters is that Beane has tight relationships with Washington executive vice president of football/player personnel Marty Hurney and head coach Ron Rivera, having worked with both of them for many years in Carolina. Asked if those relationships complicated the situation even more, Beane stared daggers straight ahead as he coolly, said, “yeah, it does.”
McKissic is one of the NFL’s top pass-catching threats at running back and figured to be an option on third down for the Bills. They’ll need to continue shopping for that type of player.
Here are four more observations from what was another busy day of transactions for the Bills:
1. It's reunion week at One Bills Drive, part I. The team announced it has signed linebacker Marquel Lee to a one-year contract. Lee signed with the Bills in March 2021, and spent the offseason and training camp with the team before being released at final cuts on Aug. 31. He signed with the Raiders in late September, but was released four days later. He then rejoined the Raiders in November, and played in 11 games, mostly on special teams. He finished with 11 tackles on defense and four on special teams, which was second on the Raiders.
Lee, 26, was selected by the Raiders in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft and spent his first three seasons with the team. After being released by Las Vegas in August 2020 because of a failed physical, he missed all of the 2020 season because of injury. He was placed on the physically unable to perform list after failing his physical at the start of training camp and waived with an injury settlement days later.
In an injury-riddled career, Lee has played 45 games with 19 starts, posting 115 tackles, six tackles for a loss and three quarterback hits. He also has been a regular contributor on special teams throughout his career and figures to compete for a depth linebacker spot with the Bills behind starters Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano.
2. It's reunion week at One Bills Drive, part II. Shaq's back. The Bills finalized a one-year contract with defensive end Shaq Lawson. A first-round draft pick of the team in 2016, Lawson played four seasons in Buffalo, making 16.5 sacks. His best season came in 2019, when he finished with 6.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. That led to Lawson signing a three-year contract worth up to $30 million with the Dolphins. Lawson played the 2020 season in Miami before being traded to Houston. He was then traded to the New York Jets shortly before the start of the 2021 season. Lawson played in seven games and had one sack, five tackles for loss and one interception for the Jets before being released one day before the regular-season finale.
For his career, Lawson played played in 78 games, starting 31 of them, and made 95 tackles, 21.5 sacks, 13 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. His return comes one day after the Bills also signed former defensive tackle Jordan Phillips to a one-year contract.
"It's great to get those guys back," Beane said. "We didn't want to see them leave. The finances get in the way sometimes. You want to pay them all. I remember when they both left two years ago, we hated it, but we knew it was inevitable to probably lose one and maybe both. It's exciting to see them.
"Jordan came available first, and we worked it out to get him on a plane as soon as Arizona released him. Then, I think he recruited Shaq the rest of the way and he wasn't going to let Shaq say no."
3. It (looks to be) reunion week at One Bills Drive, part III. The Bills appear to be on the verge of adding to their quarterback room. Matt Barkley, who served as Josh Allen's backup for two-plus seasons from 2018-20, tweeted a GIF of himself in a Bills uniform during a 2019 victory over Pittsburgh with just one, drawn-out word: "Buffalooooooo!!!!"
The Bills, of course, have a need at quarterback after last year's backup to Allen, Mitchell Trubisky, signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers at the start of free agency. Allen is currently the only quarterback on the Bills' roster.
Beane was asked Friday where things stood in the search for more depth behind Allen.
"I've got some things in the works for there," Beane said. "Hopefully, early next week we'll have that resolved, but I do have some things. It's an important position. I feel pretty good that we're going to find the right fit."
Later in his news conference, Beane gave an update on the Bills' cap space, and said he's taking into account backup quarterback when he says the team is "right on it," in terms of spending up to the cap.
That would seem to indicate a deal for a backup is very close to being in place.
Barkley, 31, appeared in eight games during his time with the Bills, starting just once. It was a memorable start, though, as he went 15 of 25 for 232 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 41-10 victory over the New York Jets in Week 10 of the 2018 season.
Barkley spent time with three franchises – Tennessee, Carolina and Atlanta – during the 2021 season, either on the active roster or practice squad.
4. Contract details for O.J. Howard are in. Howard, a former first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017, signed a one-year contract and will count $2.875 million against the salary cap in 2022.
His deal includes a $1.25 million signing bonus and a fully guaranteed base salary of $1.945 million. Additionally, he can earn up to $255,000 in roster bonuses ($15,000 per game) and $50,000 for a workout bonus.
He can earn up to $1.1 million in incentives for catches and receiving yards, although it's not specified what would trigger those bonuses.
Howard's contract automatically voids if he's on the roster 23 days preceding the first day of the 2023 league year. He will cost the Bills $625,000 in dead money on the 2023 salary cap.
