The Buffalo Bills signed E.J. Gaines to a one-year deal according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Buffalo Bills added some depth to the cornerback position on Thursday with the addition of E.J. Gaines, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. This will be the third time that Gaines has joined the Bills since 2017 and according to Rapoport the deal was for one year.
Free agent CB EJ Gaines has agreed to a 1-year deal with the #Bills, source said. A good player when healthy and a solid history with the team — starting 11 games in 2017. Should challenge for a starting spot at CB, either outside or nickel.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 26, 2020
E.J. Gaines was a sixth round pick of the then St. Louis Rams in the 2014 NFL Draft. He went on to start 25 games over his first two seasons with the Rams. During that time he had 126 total tackles, 21 passes defended and two interceptions.
However, prior to the 2017 season Gaines became a member of the Buffalo Bills when he was sent to Buffalo as part of the Sammy Watkins trade. This was Sean McDermott’s first season as head coach of the Bills and Gaines was a key starter for this defense.
He went on to have one of the best seasons of his career with 59 total tackles, nine passes defended and one interception in 11 starts for the Bills.
He left as a free agent after the 2017 season and joined the Cleveland Browns but only spent one season there before returning back to the Bills. However, Gaines didn’t get on the field after suffering a core muscle injury during training camp and he was placed on injured reserve, and then eventually was released.
The Bills bringing back E.J. Gaines certainly makes sense as he knows this defense and has proven to play well in it. He also can play both outside or at the nickel position, and that versatility is nice to have.
The concern with Gaines though is he has a long injury history and he has struggled to stay healthy. Since he entered the NFL in 2014 he has not been able to play a full 16 game season.
The fact that it is a one-year deal makes it a low-risk, high-reward move because the Bills add a player that could compete for a starting job with minimal financial commitment.