Whew. Good discussion going on today, folks - it's been a whirlwind and a whole lot of fun to see y'all chatting it up. Good day to be a Rumbler indeed. Here's the latest on what's happening with our Buffalo Bills as far as free agency goes:
First, an update on WR Bryant "Panda" Johnson - his agent says that he's got three offers and will sign one of them within the next couple of days. The prevailing thought is that two of those deals are one-year offers, and the third is a multi-year offer. That multi-year offer is apparently the Bills' offer. Stay tuned - I've certainly said this before, but we may actually be heading toward a resolution of Panda Watch.
As a continuation of The Great DE Debate, the Detroit Lions released veteran Kalimba Edwards today. Edwards was a situational pass rusher in Detroit (under Dick Jauron, no less) and still has enough speed to be a solid fourth defensive end in Buffalo. Personally, I feel he'd be a good investment on a two-year deal.
Speaking of former Lions defensive ends with Dick Jauron ties, James Hall visited One Bills Drive today. Hall's best professional season came in 2004, under Jauron, when he notched 11.5 sacks and earned a fat contract extension. He's getting up there in years (31) and his size (280 pounds) makes him an intriguing short-term option as a situational pass rusher both outside and inside.
This one was reported here yesterday, but we'll mention it again anyways: former Eagles CB William James was in town today, too, visiting with Bills officials. James, a 28-year-old cornerback with good size (6'0", 200 pounds) and only age 28, would be a good fit as a nickel back, as the Bills generally like to field players with good size and tackling skills to man the short zone areas in multi-DB packages (see Kiwaukee Thomas). James would just be a younger, cheaper version of Thomas with the potential to push Jabari Greer for a starting job. He'd be an excellent addition to a cornerback corps that definitely needs depth.
Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing the Bills sign both Hall and James. It'd do wonders for our defensive depth and allow the team to focus on adding impact (offensive?) players in the draft. Stay tuned - if anything happens with any player linked to the Bills, you know Buffalo Rumblings has got it covered.