The Buffalo Bills had 14 free agents heading into the 2018 offseason. While they’ve added multiple players to fill those holes, several of those free agents remain unsigned. Here’s a list:
OC Eric Wood
Wood was released earlier this offseason after it was discovered at his year-end physical that a neck ailment had progressed to the point where doctors wouldn’t clear him. He’s lost a bunch of weight and is sorting through options.
OG Richie Incognito
Incognito had a strange offseason. He restructured his contract then almost immediately fired his agent, then retired, then unretired, then Buffalo released him. Not long after, he was accused of a bizarre incident of throwing hand weights at patrons at a Florida gym. He’s 34 and seems to be volatile. It would be surprising if he ended up on a team.
DE Ryan Davis
The Bills saved $1.2 million in cap space by releasing Davis in March as he fell down the depth chart following several offseason additions at defensive end. He remains unsigned, but someone looking for pass rushing depth should give him a call around training camp time.
WR Brandon Tate
Tate served as the Bills’ primary kick returner a year ago but didn’t add a dynamic to the passing game. He played 14% of Buffalo’s offensive snaps in 2017 but at age 30, he’ll have a hard time sticking on a roster without injuries.
RB Mike Tolbert
The thunder to LeSean McCoy’s lightning in 2017, Tolbert earned (was given?) a role that many thought he wasn’t talented enough to hold as the primary backup running back. It seems unlikely he’ll be with an NFL team in 2018 at this point.
SS Colt Anderson
The 32-year-old was brought in to provide stability but couldn’t stay healthy. That’s probably not going to change going forward so unless he fills in somewhere as a training camp injury replacement, his career is likely over.
CB Leonard Johnson
Johnson was good-not-great in 2017 when he played nearly 61% of the team’s snaps as a nickel cornerback. It’s surprising they didn’t bring him back, instead opting for Philip Gaines as the veteran slot cornerback. If Gaines falls flat on his face in training camp or is injured, a phone call wouldn’t be out of the question for Johnson who is only 28.
DT Cedric Thornton
Thornton appeared in 15 games a season ago for the Bills, playing in 35% of the team’s defensive snaps. Buffalo made defensive line a priority this season adding big-name Star Lotulelei and drafting Harrison Phillips in addition to other depth signings. It was clear they wanted to move on and no one has landed Thornton in the intervening time.
S Shamarko Thomas
Another position where the Bills brought in several replacement options was at safety, leaving Thomas out in the cold. He was signed to the Bills in October but played just six defensive snaps during the season.
WR Jeremy Butler
Butler spent the 2017 season, his only time in Buffalo, on injured reserve.