This is the next in a series examining the Buffalo Bills’ free-agent possibilities at key positions. Today's installment looks at wide receivers.
Last season, the Bills often talked about how a solid room of wide receivers forced quarterback Josh Allen to spread the ball. They'll hope to do that again this year, but the players on the receiving end could substantially change.
Emmanuel Sanders and Isaiah McKenzie are free agents. Cole Beasley has been granted permission to seek a trade.
With all the potential change, the Bills re-signed Jake Kumerow to a one-year deal on Thursday. While he hasn’t been much of a factor in the offense, he’s been a big part of special teams and adds stability to the back end of the group.
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The Bills could extend Stefon Diggs soon. Gabriel Davis has two more years on his rookie contract and could have a larger role moving forward. Marquez Stevenson saw limited action as a rookie after spending the first part of the season on injured reserve, and he could have a bigger role in the return game if McKenzie isn't back.
In-house: Sanders, who turns 35 next week, has openly pondered retirement, though that hypothetical usually came with him having won a second Super Bowl. At the scouting combine, Beane said the veteran receiver was still weighing his options.
“I'm not sure if he's 100% decided,” Beane said. “It felt like maybe he was leaning towards hanging it up more than not, but have not had a definitive answer from him.”
He was inactive for three of the last four regular season games before returning for the playoffs. If he keeps playing, it’ll be for a chance to win it all.
McKenzie, the self-dubbed face of the franchise, had an up-and-down year. In the regular season, 125 of his 178 receiving yards came in one game against the Patriots. The Bills were without Davis and Beasley for that game, and McKenzie’s 11 catches were a career high. The performance came after he had regained his spot following being benched for two games.
Beasley’s situation has evolved. At the end of the season, Beane indicated he anticipated that Beasley would be on the roster moving forward. At the combine, Beane was a bit more vague.
“Nothing really new. I haven't spoken to Cole personally or anything like that,” Beane said Tuesday of that week. “We'll just take it day by day." ”
A few days later, the team confirmed they had given Beasley permission to seek a trade. He’ll likely need to take a pay cut to stay.
The Bills signed Tanner Gentry and Isaiah Hodgins to Reserve/Futures contracts earlier this offseason.
Top of the heap: Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears; Odell Beckham Jr., Los Angeles Rams; JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers.
Robinson, 28, had a down year in a dismal offense. Other than his 2017 season in Jacksonville, when he played just one game due to injury, the 28-year-old receiver had career lows in receptions (38), targets (66), yards (410) and touchdowns (one). He could look for a one-year "prove it" deal to show last season in Chicago was a byproduct of the Bears' offensive woes.
Beckham, 29, is coming off an injury, having torn his ACL during the Super Bowl. Still, it seems likely he might re-sign with the Rams; he knows how critical it is to feel comfortable with a team. Once he arrived in Los Angeles midway through the season, he had 27 catches, 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight games.
Smith-Schuster missed the majority of last season with a shoulder injury, but returned in time for Pittsburgh’s short-lived playoff run. He’s just 25 and before he was sidelined he had 15 catches and 129 yards in five games.
Other names to watch: Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals; D.J. Chark, Jacksonville Jaguars; Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys.
Kirk, 25, could fit in nicely with the Bills offense in the slot if Beasley were to wind up elsewhere. Per Pro Football Focus, he lined up in the slot on 79% of his snaps last season. He’s good friends with Allen off the field, and he can be explosive. He was productive last year in his fourth season with the Cardinals, with 982 yards and 77 catches, both career highs.
Chark, 25, and Gallup, 25, are coming off injuries. Chark fractured an ankle in Week 4, ending his season with just 154 yards and seven receptions. In 2019, his second season, he broke out to the tune of 1,008 receiving yards, but he’s missed time each season because of injuries. He seems ready for a fresh chapter.
Gallup now seems likely to stay in Dallas, particularly if the team plans to release Amari Cooper, as reports indicate. Gallup missed the start of the season and tore his ACL toward the end of the year, but if he and the Cowboys finalize things soon, that will affect a shrinking receiver market.
Under-the-radar option: Mack Hollins, Miami Dolphins.
Hollins, 28, had 223 yards on 14 catches with the Dolphins and also contributed on special teams. He had four touchdowns last season after two scores in his first three years combined. Hollins had 11 total tackles on special teams and was a team captain. If Miami does not re-sign him, he could add depth and contribute on special teams wherever he goes.
