FanPost

Where Are They Now? The 2017 Buffalo BIlls

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Editor's note: This has been bumped from the fanpost section. The only thing I changed were the headline and I tagged the players with links to their player page. - MRW

I thought it would be fun to take a look at the former Buffalo Bills players that were on the roster for the 2017 season, but do not grace OBD in 2018. Not only where are they, but how are they doing?

Eric Wood: As we all know, Wood was forced to retire following an end of the year exam that revealed an extremely dangerous neck injury. The leader of this O-Line, Wood's absence has been visible, as the Bills O-Line has underwhelmed almost all year. The C position was an open competition between newly singed Bodine and Groy. Groy won the competition in the pre-season, but was removed from his starting post recently, and while Bodine is not setting the world on fire, it does seem that the O-Line has performed (somewhat) better with him in the starting lineup. Wood continues to be an emotional part of the Bills organization, recently stating that this Bills team can still make a playoff push. I love his optimism, but outside of A LOT of Luck (poor pun intended), we will likely be selecting in the top 5-10 in the upcoming draft come April.

Richie Incognito: While always talented, Incognito has the reputation of being a loose cannon. After his release from Miami following "bully-gate" (because everything is a -€”gate these days), the Bills took a chance on Incognito, and were rewarded with Pro-Bowl performances by their LG. At the end of 2017, the Bills FO approached Incognito and asked that he take a pay cut. While he accepted at first, he shortly thereafter fired his agent due to his displeasure with his contract situation. He then "retired", and began a rapid downward spiral of questionable behavior, including throwing a weight at a fellow patron at a gym. He became a spokesperson for the anti-bullying campaign, and has not had a sniff of the NFL since.

Tyrod Taylor: A lightning rod for debate during his tenure with the Bills, Tyrod Taylor was the starting QB for the 2017 season which saw the Bills squeeze into the playoffs for the first time in 18 years. He made some WOW plays, leaving us breathless with his legs, and some WOW plays, leaving us disgruntled with his arm. Ultimately, while he lacked certain abilities as a passer, his lack of consistency was, IMO, he true undoing. Once the Bills were bounced from the playoffs, it was clear that Tyrod was not in the Bills' future plans. TT was traded to Cleveland prior to the 2018 NFL Draft in exchange for a 3rd round selection (first pick in the 3rd round). Ultimately, that pick was traded in a deal with Baltimore for the rights to draft Tremaine Edmunds. Tyrod was touted as the starter by Hugh Jackson all off-season, and began the season as such. However, a concussion opened the door for #1 pick Baker Mayfield, and the Browns have not looked back since/yet.

Preston Brown: Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2014 Draft, Preston Brown became an immediate mainstay in the Bills LB core. While somewhat short on athleticism, Brown made up for it (to an extent) with his football IQ and technique. Ultimately, McD wanted more athleticism in his LBs (similar to Carolina), and allowed Brown to walk in FA (it as reported that the Bills did offer him a deal: here ). Now in Cincy, Brown is the starting MLB for another AFC team, ranking 7th on the team in combined tackles (behind Geno Atkins), but part of that is likely due to him missing weeks 2-3 with an ankle injury. The Bills, as mentioned above, drafted Tremaine Edmunds to replace Brown as the lynchpin of the Bills LB core.

E.J. Gaines: Joining Tyrod in Cleveland this off-season was EJ Gaines. Gaines was originally acquired in the deal that sent Sammy Watkins to the Rams in exchange for a 2nd round selection and Gaines. At the time, there was debate about whether Gaines was just a throw in, or if he was someone that McD actually wanted. Regardless of the intent, Gaines, when healthy, went on to have a very solid season across from Tre White. Gaines was stout as a run defender on the perimeter, and showed that his ability in zone coverage was a nice fit for McD's scheme. However, EJ's bugaboo of injuries limited him to only 11 games with the Bills, and with his contract expiring, Buffalo opted to let him test the market. Ultimately, he ended up signing with Cleveland, where he had an inauspicious start, missing week 1 with a knee injury. He has played in every game since, accumulating 10 solo tackles, 2 assisted tackles, 1 INT, and 3 PBUs. However, Gaines is currently in the concussion protocol (as of yesterday, 10/18). He is likely out for this weekend tilt with the Bucs.

Marcell Dareus: Dareus is being mentioned because he was technically on the roster in 2017, albeit for less than half the season. At the end of October, 2017, Dareus was traded to the Jaguars for a conditional 6th round selection, which turned into a 5th rounder because both the necessary conditions were met (Dareus remained on the roster and the Jags made the playoffs). Drafted 3rd overall in 2011, Dareus was a massive man up front, constantly causing problems for Offensive Lines. He was at his best when under Jim Schwartz, when he, Kyle Williams, Mario Williams, and Jerry Hughes would just pin their ears back and attack. He regressed significantly under Rex Ryan, and ultimately was deemed to not be a fit (play-wise or culturally) for McD. Coupled with is massive cap hits, and Darues became one of many large contracts McD was out to rid the team of. Dareus is still on the Jags' roster, contributing to an elite front 7, and especially front 4. Unfortunately for him, it has not translated to success on the stat sheet, as this once prolific interior pass rusher has 16 solo tackles, 6 assisted tackles, and 0 sacks. He does have 1 safety though.

Cordy Glenn: Drafted in the second round of the 2012 draft out of Georgia, Glenn quickly became a mainstay on the Bills O-Line. While the rest of the line had its issues the one constant was Glenn, at least to start his career. As the years went on, injuries began to compile, and Glenn only managed 11 games in 2016. He followed up that injury-filled year in 2017 with only 6 games, and was replaced on the blindside by recently drafted 2nd rounder Dion Dawkins. Dawkins showed enough for the Bills FO to see Glenn as disposable, and he was traded shortly before the 2017 NFL draft to the Cincinnati Bengals in a maneuver that also sent the Bills 21nd overall pick for the Bengals' 12th overall selection, likely in an attempt to put the Bills in position to draft a QB. That 12th pick was then used to move up to 7 to select Allen. Meanwhile, Glenn, while listed as questionable a few times thus far, has appeared in all games for the Bengals in 2018. PFF has Glenn earning an "Average" rating (56.4), which actually ranked below Dion Dawkins "Above Average" rating of 62.2. Of course, I won't act like I know how these PFF scores are calculated, so people can choose to utilize them in their evaluations or not.

Seantrel Henderson: Henderson was a 5 star recruit coming out of high school, but never reached his potential while the University of Miami. After taking Cyrus Kouandijo in the second round of the 2014 draft, Buffalo went back to the OT well and took Seantrel with the 237 overall pick in the 7th round. Henderson showed some promise at the RT spot (while Glenn manned the LT spot), but after his ups and downs, Henderson was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. While attempting to recover, Henderson was suspended for his use of marijuana as an appetite stimulant in an attempt to increase his general caloric intake (I believe this was not for football weight, but rather for general health purposes, but if anyone has information otherwise, please do share). This led to a 4 game suspension, opening the door for Jordan Mills to take over at RT. Seantrel was looking like he had a chance to overtake Mills for his RT position, but a second suspension (this time for 10 games) for marijuana use squashed that. He took a pay cut in the 2017 off-season and went on to play in 7 games in 2017. He signed with the Texans on a one year deal this past off-season, but broke his left ankle in their week 1 loss to the Pats. Shortly after, Bill O'Brien confirmed that Henderson would be out for the season.

Leonard Johnson: One of several Carolina Panthers to make the trip north to the (much colder) Western New York, Leonard Johnson came over to Buffalo in the 2017 off-season, and worked his way into the NCB role. The Bills started the season in a base 4-3 formation, but Alexander's lack of coverage skills were exposed consistently to open the year. Soon enough, McD made the schematic change to trot out more Nickel packages, and Johnsons snap count grew. Congruently, the Bills defense began to look much better against the pass. Of course, we were getting gashed by the run, and while some of that can be attributed to losing 330+ lb Dareus in the middle of the D-Line, it is also possible/likely that the smaller NCB was less impactful against the run than Lorax. After that 3 game slide, the Bills defense really caught fire, and Johnson went on to have a solid year, recording 53 combined tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovers, and 7 PBUs (no INTs). The Bills went young in the draft, selecting both Taron Johnson and Siran Neal (4th and 5th round respectively) in the 2017 draft, and Johnson was allowed to walk. The Giants took a flyer on him in the off-season, but was cut approx. 1 month later. He is currently looking for a gig as a FA.

Jordan Matthews: After shipping Watkins to the Rams, the Bills were short-handed at the WR position. However, shortly afterwards, the Bills swung a deal with the Eagles to send Ronald Darby to Philly for Matthews and a 3rd round selection. This 3rd round selection was ultimately used to select DT Harrison Philips out of Stanford. Matthews was viewed by many to be a redundant piece, as the Bills drafted a similar WR in Zay Jones the previous year in the 2nd round, but he did bring experience to a WR room that lacked any, and he did string together a few solid young years before injuries and drops plagues his final year in Flipadelphia. Those injuries followed him, as he suffered a chip fracture in his sternum at his first practice. He managed to get activated for Week 1, but only appeared in 10 games in 20176, accumulating a meager line of 25/282/1 with 1 fumble. His contract ended as 2017 came to a close, and the Bills opted to let him walk. The Pats took a flyer on Matthews in April, which seemed like a solid match, given the Pats' affinity for slot-like receivers. But Matthews couldn't crack the roster following an off-season hamstring injury and was released with an injury settlement in August. He then reunited with the Eagles in September, and is currently still on the roster. Thus far in 2018, Matthews has accumulated a line of 6/107/1 in 4 games.

Brandon Tate: Tate had been the return specialist for Buffalo the past few years. Solid but far from spectacular (anymore), Tate was seen as expendable as the Bill signed/drafted several "capable" return men. The New Orleans Saints took a flyer on Tate, but he didn't show enough to earn a reserve/ST role. He is still a FA.

Deonte Thompson: Arguably the best deep threat the Bills had in 2017, Thompson may be best known for his catch during Snow-mageddon against the Colts in 2017. He played in all 16 games for the Bills, accumulating a line of 38/555/2. While some thought he would be retained due to his speed, he was allowed to test FA. Dallas, arguably the only team with as many question marks as the Bills regarding their WR group, signed Thomspon in the off-season to a 1 year, $2.5 mil deal, with $1 mil as a signing bonus. He was waived at the beginning of September, but was resigned 2 days later (after the 53 man cutoff). He currently carries a receiving line of 12/103/0 with 98 kick return yards through 6 games.

Mike Tolbert: Toldozer was another former Panther brought in to function as a veteran presence, ambassador to the culture McD was attempting to develop, and evidently for RB snaps. Tolbert found himself in the #2 RB role for Buffalo last year, much to the chagrin of many (all?) of the Buffalo fans. He "rumbled" his way to a line of 66 attempts for 247 yards (3.7 average) and 1 TD while posting a receiving line of 14/78/0. After rushing for 15 yards in the Bills loss to the Jags in the playoffs, Tolbert hit FA, and has been a resident there since.

Adolphus Washington: A 3rd round selection out of Ohio State in 2016, Washington never seemed to live up to the hype he carried with him from high school to Ohio State. He also appeared to be a poor fit for the new 4-3 defense McD was implementing. Prior to the 2017 season, Washington was arrested for weapons charges, after he was arrested for soliciting a prostitute in 2015. However, he was found not guilty of the weapons charges, and went on to play in 2017 for Buffalo. He managed to hold onto a roster spot for all of the season, recording 33 combined tackles with 1 sack and 2 PBUs in 15 games. With the additions of Star Lotulelei and Harrison Philips, there was less room for Washington on the roster. He was waived in September, and picked up by Cincinnati a week later after being placed on Dallas' practice squad. Still not likely a fit for the Cincy 4-3 defense, Washington has only managed 3 combined tackles in 2 games thus far in 2018.

Joe Webb: The "hero" of the Snow-mageddon game against Indy, Joe Webb came on following an injury to Nate Peterman, and while only going 2/6 for 35 yards and an INT, one of his 2 completions put Buffalo in position to win that game (hence the hero moniker). To be clear, I am only trying to give Webb credit with the "hero" title, so don't take this as an uber-serious compliment. I do give him credit where it is due. (PS: Thanks for that great winning run Shady!) Webb was signed by the Texans in April, released in September, and resigned 2 days after being cut. He is currently #3 on the Houston depth chart behind Watson and Weeden.

Shareece Wright: Better known for his Uber experiences rather than his play on the field, Wright was originally thought of as a veteran depth piece for the Bill secondary in 2017. He served as just that, albeit in a less-than-desired form. After the 2017 season ended, he hit FA, where he was picked up by veteran-loving Jon Gruden in Oakland. Despite losing David Amerson, TJ Carrie, and Sean Smith in the off-season, Oakland deemed Wright unnecessary and released him in September. Houston, who was/is suffering from similar secondary issues as Oakland, took a flyer on him 10 days later following another injury to Kevin Johnson. He has appeared in 5 games thus far for Houston, recording 13 combined tackles and 2 PBUs, while received "Above Average" ratings from PFF.

Colton Schmidt: Colton was a rollercoaster of a punter for Buffalo. In 2014, he signed with the Bills and went on to record an average of 42.9 Y/P. The following year, he improved to 46.4, before regressing back to 42.4 in 2016. He finished his tenure with the Bills after a 44.7 Y/P average in 2017, and the Bills opted to go another route, signing leftie Corey Bojorquez off waivers after being released by the NE Pats. Schmidt is still currently a FA.

Tanner Vallejo: Vallejo was a 6th round pick of the Bills in 2017 (6th round), and played a ST role, accumulating 5 total tackles in 15 games. He suffered a knee injury in the pre-season, but originally managed to hold onto a roster spot. Shortly after, he was waived, and picked up by the Browns 1 day later. Since, he has played in 5 games, but has not accumulated any meaningful statistics.

Shamarko Thomas: "Shamark-nado" was a hard-hitting Safety that is somewhat known for his vicious and occasionally reckless tackles. He served as depth for the Bills DB group in 2017, but was allowed to hit the open market following the season. The Colts signed Thomas in July, but after being thrown out of a game for an illegal hit, released Thomas. He was then picked up by the Broncos, released to get the roster to 53, and the resigned 10 days later. He has played 2 games there, amassing 4 combined tackles.

Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.

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