The Buffalo Bills added to their free-agency haul on Wednesday, adding Pro Bowl return standout Andre Roberts, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini.
Roberts, 31, is an immediate upgrade for a unit that lacked any real consistency in the return game in 2018. Combined, Buffalo’s kickoff returners averaged 21.2 yards per return on 38 kickoffs, and 6.7 yards per return on 31 punt returns. Buffalo ranked 21st in the league in punt returns, and 24th in kick returns.
Roberts is coming off a Pro Bowl season for the New York Jets where he averaged 29.4 yards per kickoff return, and 14.1 yards per punt return, both league-leading figures. Roberts amassed a league-leading 1,174 kickoff return yards to go with 324 punt return yards to earn first-team All-Pro honors.
Out of 63 total punt and kickoff returns, ten of them went for 40 yards or more last year. Roberts returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown in a season-opening win over the Detroit Lions, and added a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in a Week 16 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Roberts was one of only two players to return a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in 2018 along with Jakeem Grant of the Packers.
For his career, Roberts has averaged 24.9 yards per kickoff return (164 returns), and 9.1 yards per punt return (138 returns).