Buffalo Bills: 4 potential veteran training camp casualties
By Matt Karas
CB Phillip Gaines
This one will likely raise many eyebrows, but it shouldn’t. Phillip Gaines has been a subpar cornerback since being taken by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. During the 2017-18 season, he registered a feeble 35.9 Pro Football Focus rating, which ranked him as the 119th best cornerback in the league.
Furthermore, a large majority of Chiefs fans were not losing any sleep when their team decided not to retain the four-year veteran out of Rice University. You see, Gaines was a routine Twitter whipping boy based on his routinely lackluster showings for the Chiefs…
So, here’s how I lay the blame:
— Bretticus Maximus (@BAM4Play) November 19, 2017
1. Andy Reid, terrible play calling
2. Alex Smith in 2013 form
3. Offensive line soft as a pillow
4. Pass rush non-existent
5. Phillip Gaines, just because
So we can all stop talking about the playoffs until these guys get it together.
and…
Andy Reid when he sees Phillip Gaines in the locker room pic.twitter.com/Y7fxiPfHNL
— Lusk Daddy 🇮🇹 (@Luskanator31) November 19, 2017
Yes, the Bills just signed Gaines a few months ago to help add some depth to the secondary, albeit to a one-year deal. The fact of the matter is there are younger, hungrier and more talented options in the form of rookies Taron Johnson, Levi Wallace and Ryan Carter, as well as second-year pro Breon Borders.
Although it is serendipitous that the Bills decided to swap out one Gaines (E.J.) for another, the net result in a sizable downgrade. I will say that the one thing that (Phillip) Gaines has going for him is the ability to provide run support, tallying 99 total tackles during his four years with the Chiefs. Let’s see if this is enough to win head coach Sean McDermott over.