Buffalo Bills free agent connections
We take a look at free agents who will have ties to the coaching staff.
by Chris Trapasso Feb 15, 2017, 4:00pm EST
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Every year during NFL free agency, teams love to sign players who have connections to their coaches. With an entirely new coaching staff (minus special teams coordinator Danny Crossman), the Buffalo Bills have a myriad of new player-coach connections worth monitoring closely.
For your convenience, here is a compilation of logical player-coach connections with pertinent player information for the Bills among players set to be free agents in March.
They’ve been labeled in three ways; direct connections, indirect connections, and past connections. Direct Connections played for the coach in 2016 on that coach’s side of the ball. Indirect Connections played with the coach in 2016 but on the other side of the ball. Past Connections played for the coach on a different team before 2016, generally on the same side of the ball. (Note: only direct connections are listed for non-coordinators. Coaches with an “assistant” tag on their job title are not included. Also, the age listed for each player is how old they’ll be when the 2017 regular season begins.)
Sean McDermott, Head Coach
Direct Connections
DT Kawann Short
With McDermott from 2013 to 2016, this 6’3”, 299-pound defensive tackle is 28 and recorded 11 sacks in 2015 and six in 2016. He has played in the past 32 regular season games.
DE/LB Mario Addison
The 30-year-old, 260-pound defender has been with McDermott since 2012. He led Carolina in sacks in 2016 with 9.5 but only had 12.5 combined in 2014 and 2015.
LB A.J. Klein
A 6’1”, 250-pound linebacker, Klein has been with McDermott since 2013. The 26-year-old appeared in 15 games over the past two seasons, logging 58 tackles in 2015 and 39 in 2016.
DE Charles Johnson
Johnson has been with McDermott the longest, joining Carolina in 2011. He’s 31 but recorded 4 sacks in 13 games last year after one sack in 2015. He stands 6’2”, 270-pounds.
DT Kyle Love
After bouncing around to start his NFL career, Love found a home in Carolina in 2014. The 6’1”, 301-pounder, who’s 30, appeared in 25 games over the past two seasons for the Panthers and recorded 4.5 sacks.
DE Wes Horton
A role player during his time with the Panthers, Horton had 2.5 sacks in 2016 in 11 games. He fits the traditional mold of a 4-3 defensive end at 6’5” and 261 pounds.
CB Leonard Johnson
Only with McDermott in 2016, the 5’10”, 198-pound defensive back was also with Leslie Frazier in Tampa Bay in 2014. That year, he had 46 tackles, four passes defended, and one interception. This past season, the 27 year old didn’t have a pick but made 30 tackles and had a sack.
DB Colin Jones
His ties to McDermott go back to 2012. The 5’11”, 200-pound 29-year-old made 35 tackles and defended four passes in 2014. Since then, he has a combined 16 tackles and one interception in two years.
Indirect Connections
WR Ted Ginn
The speedy 5’11”, 178-pound receiver was with McDermott in 2013, 2015, and 2016. At 32 years old, he is coming off a 54-catch, 752-yard season with four touchdowns.
RB Fozzy Whittaker
He spent the past three years in Carolina and was a respectable, change-of-pace runner. In 2016, he was given a career-high 57 carries and amassed 265 yards (4.6 yards per). Whittaker also caught 25 passes for 226 yards. He’s 5’10”, 202 pounds and just turned 28.
Past Connections
WR DeSean Jackson
The 5’10”, 178-pound receiver was with McDermott in Philadelphia from 2008 to 2010. (Had to include him. Too enticing.)
Rick Dennison, offensive coordinator
Direct Connections
WR Jordan Taylor
The 6’5”, 204-pound receiver had 16 catches for 209 yards and two touchdowns in 2016 and is 25.
WR Jordan Norwood
With Dennison the past two seasons in Denver, he has a pair of 20-catch, 200-yard seasons and scored two touchdowns in 2016. He is 5’11”, and 171 pounds and 30 years old.
WR Bennie Fowler
Another receiver with Dennison for the past two seasons, the 6’1”, 217-pound 26-year-old had 27 receptions for 348 yards and two touchdowns.
RB Justin Forsett
The 31-year-old running back was in Denver in 2016 but also worked with the coordinator in Baltimore in 2014 and Houston in 2012. Looking past his 43 carries for 155 yards and a touchdown a year ago, the 5’8”, 190-pound back had 235 carries, 1,266 yards, and eight touchdowns in 2014.
Indirect Connections
DL Sylvester Williams,
A 6’3”, 313-pound lineman who had 29 tackles and a sack in 2016.
DL Vance Walker
Walker played with Denver in 2016 but spent last year on injured reserve. The 6’2”, 295-pound lineman is 30.
CB Kayvon Webster
The 27-year-old played in 28 games in the past two seasons for Denver but recorded only one pass defended in 13 games a year ago. He is 5’11”, 195-pounds.
Past Connections
WR Kamar Aiken
The former Bills receiver was with Dennison in Baltimore in 2014. He had 24 receptions, 267 yards, and 3 touchdowns that season. The 6’2”, 213-pound wideout is 28. Leslie Frazier was on the Ravens coaching staff in 2016.
RT Ricky Wagner
The 6’6”, 308-pound RT is 27 and started 15 games for Dennison in 2014 for the Ravens. Leslie Frazier was on the Ravens coaching staff in 2016.
FB Kyle Juszczyk
Another 2014 Ravens player, the 6’2”, 248-pound fullback recorded 19 receptions and a touchdown in 2014. He is 26. Leslie Frazier was on the Ravens coaching staff in 2016.
Leslie Frazier, defensive coordinator
Direct Connections
DT Brandon Williams
With Baltimore in 2016, the 28-year-old recorded 53 tackles, and 1 sack in 16 games. He is 6’1” and 335 pounds.
DE Lawrence Guy
At 27 years old, the 6’5”, 300-pound former Ravens defender registered 28 tackles, 1 sack in 16 games in 2016
S Matt Elam
Elam notched just one tackle in nine games for the Ravens. He is 25 and 5’10”, 208-pounds.
CB Jerraud Powers
At 30, Powers had 33 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 sack, and 5 passes defended in 13 games in 2016. He is 30, 5’9”, and 190-pounds.
Indirect Connections
QB Ryan Mallett
Mallett played against Frazier’s defense in practice a year ago. He is 29, 6’6”, and 240-pounds.
Past Connections
DT Akeem Spence
With Frazier in Tampa Bay in 2014 and 2015, the 6’1”, 307-pound defensive tackle recorded 39 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 forced fumbled in 16 games in 2014. In 2015 he fell back with 11 tackles, 1 sack, in 8 games. He is just 25.
DE William Gholston
The veteran recorded 41 tackles and 2 sacks in 2014 and 67 tackles and 3 sacks in 2015 working with Frazier. He is 26, 6’6”, and 281 pounds.
S Chris Conte
The 28-year-old safety stands 6’2”, 197-pounds and 78 tackles, 6 passes defended, and 2 interceptions in 14 games for Frazier in 2015.
S Bradley McDougald
He spent two seasons with Frazier with the Buccaneers recording 50 tackles, 7 passes defended, 1 interception in 15 games in 2014 and 87 tackles, 4 passes defended, 2 interceptions in 16 games in 2015. The 6’0”, 215-pound safety is 26.
CB Josh Robinson
It’s been a few years sine their two seasons together in Minnesota, but Robinson had two 50-tackle seasons over the past two years. He is 5’10”, 199 pounds.
LB Gerald Hodges
Standing 6’1”, 243 pounds, the 26-year-old was with Frazier in 2013. His stats were minimal that year.
David Culley, quarterbacks coach
Kansas City Chiefs: RB Knile Davis, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Bob Babich, linebackers coach
San Diego Chargers: LB Melvin Ingram, LB/DE Manti Te’o, LB Tourek Williams, S Jaheel Addae
Rob Boras, tight ends coach
Los Angeles Rams: WR Kenny Britt, WR Brian Quick, QB Case Keenum, RB Benny Cunningham
Juan Castillo, offensive line coach / run game coordinator
Baltimore Ravens: Vladimir Ducasse, OL
Kelly Skipper, running backs coach
Jacksonville Jaguars: OL Luke Joeckel, OL Patrick Omameh, RB Denard Robinson, WR Bryan Walters
Mike Waufle, defensive line coach
St. Louis Rams: CB Trumaine Johnson, S T.J. McDonald, DT Cam Thomas