Four Players The Buffalo Bills Could Consider Releasing

I’d do it in a heartbeat! I hope the Bills are on the same page.

But do on some level… Three time pro bowl in a row again? Maybe not but look at tikeo spikes, still impactful after injuries. I have a blinded hope he can come up again and be solid, even in his limited time he set the edge well and he’s extremely strong.

If we release dwan its over money and sets us back even more. He did well in a 50 percent four man front, so what’s going to change? He’s solid depth atleast and I’d take him over kelsay on defensive end

Do any of these numbers change if the Bills wait until June to cut any of these players?

Merriman’s like Billy the Buffalo now.

I was so happy when they added him to the roster and now it feels weird (sad) that he’d be considered a cut.

He was such an upgrade, at that time.

of course if we cut him we will save some money, and we can restructure mc gee to keep him at the right price.then with all this money left we can resign one of our players ,or a new CB,or draft a CB in the first 3 rounds….

What happened to him ‘recruiting’ players to come to Buffalo? I know V-Jax name has been kicked around but has anything come from all that talk?

Those 4 are on the edge, but I think Spencer J comes back, with his versitility and Merriman for the sake of Nix committing to him.

McGee and Dwan Edwards are goners IMO. I cant get passed McGees injury history, even though hes one of my favorite all time Bills, and Dwan will get burried in deep DL depth.

If this guy is a valued DE to play the 5-technique in a 3-4, and has proven he isn’t the health risk that he was when we signed him from Baltimore, I would hope the Bills will be shopping him to all the 3-4 teams out there. Even if it is for later round draft pick… Experienced 5-technique DE’s are not available as much, plus it is hard to convert guys (i.e. Carrington was still trying to develop into the position).

The only player I would invite to camp is Spencer, out of the other 3 Merriman & McGee need to hang up their spikes and Edwards will find a home on another team.

I agree with Port Royal and let Thigpen go.

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I wonder who those trade players would be this year? (along the lines of this post, although guys that have trade value instead of outright cuts)

Dwan Edwards?
Leodis McKelvin?
Torell Troup?

and at what value would you think would be fair?

We signed Thigpen and Smith last year, both higher dollar. I would’ve liked to see Levi develop. Do the Bills consider Levi a bust?? He was like Aaron Rogers in college.

Bring them all to camp, work ‘em in preseason, cut the ones that don’t make the grade.

While I would like to see the Bills keep McGee and cut Spencer Johnson, I think that if the Bills add a CB in free agency and another in the draft, they could afford to let McGee go. The problem with doing this is that signing a free agent CB is going to cost more than they will save in cutting McGee. It may depend on whether the Bills’ MDs think he can stay healthy for most of the season—if they have any doubts, I can easily see him being cut.

If they can’t trade Dwan Edwards, they should cut him. With Dareus and Kyle able to play the 1-tech or 3-tech at DT, the Bills only really need to carry 5 DTs at most. Troup and Heard can be the back-ups at the 1-tech spot, while keeping Spencer Johnson to back-up at the 3-tech spot makes more sense than keeping Edwards.

While I’m not a fan of Spencer Johnson, depending on how free agency and the draft break for the Bills, he does offer some versatility in that he can back-up at both DE and DT. Given how paper-thin the Bills are at DE at this point, I think that they pretty much have to keep him, just as insurance at the DE spot, unless they can add much more depth at the position.

At this point, Merriman is a “boom-or-bust” possibility at the Bills’ weakest position that isn’t going to cost or save them that much, so I think he is worth keeping. In the little time that he played last season, Merriman showed that he was the best pass-rusher on the team. He didn’t get close to the QB very much, but that was because, most of the time when he was healthy, he was getting double-teamed (based on his performance in the preseason against Chicago), which opened things up for the rest of the Bills’ defensive line. He also set the edge well and was able to get off of single blocks enough to be a factor against the run.

No, Merriman is never going to be the same player that he was 5 years ago. But, if he can stay healthy, he can contribute a lot to the Bills’ defensive line and pass-rush. Where are you going to get a DE who has the potential to beat one-on-one blocking on any pass play and can command the respect of the defense when healthy and on the field for essentially $2 million? If you’re really, really lucky, maybe in the mid-to-late rounds of the draft, where every pick is more or less a crap-shoot.

So, I’d keep Merriman—and I think the Bills will, too—and at least let him show me what he has left in the tank in preseason. If he performs, he makes the roster and is part of the pass-rush rotation for as long as he can stay healthy. If he gets hurt or shows that he can’t perform in preseason, then cut him. But, I think that, if the Bills use him like the NY Giants used Osi Umenyiora last season, limiting his reps, Merriman could be a valuable part of the Bills’ DE rotation if he can stay reasonably healthy this season. It’s a gamble, but one that, given how weak the Bills’ pass-rush is and how thin their DE rotation is, I believe is worth taking.

salary cap? not even close why would it be a consideration. Keep whoever helps capture the W’s.

1. is the best corner, by far. Crazy to get scared w/#56 until his health situation is clearly defined post surgery, Both these players are impact players that you never let walk unless there are superior options.

Johnson performed bette than expected & edwards is equally solid.

All 4 are good for the lockerroom as well. How about adding some quality players instead of writting off assetts.