Buffalo Bills: An in-house free-agent decision this offseason
The Buffalo Bills have several in-house free agents to make decisions on, and one position stands out in particular this offseason.
The Buffalo Bills should be focused on adding some top talent to the team this year via free agency.
In the meantime, the team can decide on the in-house free agents who need new deals.
Lorenzo Alexander and Jeremiah Sirles were two of those players, and both have signed new one-year deals. There are several others remaining, including a few along the offensive line.
A recent ESPN.com article looked at the biggest looming free agent questions for every NFL team. Since the Bills don’t have may big-name free agents on the roster, the focus was on John Miller.
From the article:
"Miller and right tackle Jordan Mills are the only two full-time starters among the Bills’ seven remaining unrestricted free agents after they re-signed linebacker Lorenzo Alexander. Miller, a 2015 third-round pick, has started since his rookie season and finished tied for 26th in Pro Football Focus’ grading of NFL guards. However, the Bills could choose to part ways as they look to overhaul their offensive line this offseason."
Miller’s situation is an interesting one and depends on how Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott view the offensive line.
One strategy is to re-sign Miller to a short deal and allow him to fight for another starting job in 2019. The other is to let him go and commit to rebuilding the line through free agency and the NFL Draft.
I’d imagine he returns on a cheap deal, given he doesn’t draw major interest from other teams. With the cap space the team has, it won’t hurt to potentially cut some players under contract if the goal is to have competitions at several positions in training camp and during the preseason.
The problem for Miller is that he wasn’t drafted by Beane. That could mean he is let go and Beane looks to build a new line with guys he personally likes.
Next. 5 key games for the Bills in 2019. dark
Re-signing Alexander was the big move when it came to the team’s free agents. Miller did start in 2018, but he is certainly replaceable and his status on the team is not close to being a given in 2019.