Buffalo Bills 2019 ESPY Awards: The winners
By Avery Duncan
Bills ESPY: Best NFL Player
Nominees: Jerry Hughes, Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Tre’Davious White
Winner: Tre’Davious White
Cornerback Tre’Davious White picked up right where he left off in his second season as a pro. In continuation of a dominant rookie season, the LSU product was again a lockdown defender as a sophomore. He allowed just 30 catches for 342 yards, two touchdowns and a passer rating of 75.6 in 16 games started. Some consider him to be an elite cornerback in the NFL, Bills Mafia doesn’t disagree with that notion.
Bills ESPY: Best Grizzled Veteran
Nominees: Kyle Williams, Lorenzo Alexander, LeSean McCoy, Derek Anderson
Winner: Kyle Williams
Was it going to be anyone else? (hint: no) Kyle Williams was a mainstay for the Bills’ defensive line for 13 straight seasons. His play as a defensive tackle was a bright spot for some miserable teams, and so was his leadership. For his career, Williams has 611 total tackles, 48.5 sacks, 141 QB hits, and 103 tackles for loss to his name. He didn’t slow down until he retired, starting every game played since his rookie season. Kyle will surely be in the Bills’ Wall of Fame.
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Bills ESPY: Best Rookie
Nominees: Josh Allen, Tremaine Edmunds, Levi Wallace, Robert Foster
Winner: Josh Allen
Three nominations, three awards, Josh Allen is the star of the show for the Bills 2019 ESPY Awards. His third and final win is the best rookie award, over an impressive rookie class. Though his first year in the NFL was off-and-on, Allen showed promise as a franchise quarterback — something that hasn’t been said in a long time. He finished his rookie year leading the Bills in rushing yards; over the air, he recorded 2,074 yards and a 10-11 TD-INT ratio on a 52.8% clip.
Bills ESPY: Biggest Dud
Nominees: Nathan Peterman, Vontae Davis, Chris Ivory, Kelvin Benjamin
Winner: Kelvin Benjamin
When Kelvin Benjamin was traded to the Bills mid-way through the 2017 season, the thought was that the team might have solidified a starting wide receiver spot. That didn’t happen. Benjamin’s weight issues continued to persist in Buffalo while his work-ethic was questionable. After recording just 354 yards and one touchdown on a 37% catch rate in 12 games, the Bills released him and subsequently saw the offense perform better.
Bills ESPY: Best Free Agent Addition
Nominees: John Brown, Mitch Morse, Cole Beasley, Frank Gore
Winner: Mitch Morse
The Bills signed receivers, running backs, and tight ends in the off-season, but it’s the center that wins the award. Former Chief Mitch Morse comes to Buffalo on the largest contract ever given out to his position to shore up a shoddy offensive line. Morse has proved to be amongst the league’s best at his position, specifically in pass protection. Per Pro Football Focus, he finished seventh in the NFL in 2018 for centers as a pass protector with an 81.2 grade.
And, that’s all folks. Thanks to our voters we have a slew of winners in Buffalo. If you want to watch the actual ESPY Awards, ESPN will air it on July 10th at 9:00 P.M. Eastern time.
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