A lot has happened at One Bills Drive following our last approval poll for GM Doug Whaley. The last time the Buffalo Rumblings community addressed the topic was prior to the start of the 2016 free agency period. While the team did not make any big acquisitions of players from other teams, there has nonetheless been plenty of activity from Whaley and his staff.
O-Line moves
Quite possibly the most important moves have been the re-signing of Cordy Glenn and Richie Incognito. Securing the left side of the offensive line was the Bills' top priority this offseason, and both have now been locked up with long-term deals. Incognito inked a three-year deal at $15.75 million, while Glenn signed a five-year contract for as much as $65 million.
Whaley also re-signed Jordan Mills to his restricted free agent tender, at a relatively inexpensive $1.67 million for the 2016 season. While Mills may have not been a priority signing for the team, it is an inexpensive deal for quite possibly early favorite to start at right tackle this season.
2016 NFL Draft
While it is too early to judge this year's draft, it was a success on paper for Whaley and his staff. The team's top three selections (Shaq Lawson, Reggie Ragland, and Adolphus Washington) are all projected to play heavily this season as part of the Bills' revamped defense. Whaley also drafted a quarterback with upside potential in Cardale Jones in the fourth round.
The most notable move by Whaley was making the trade to move up to the No. 41 overall pick so the Bills could select Ragland. It was a move that most fans were in favor of because the Bills selected a player that they considered with their first-round pick, but there has been some debate regarding the compensation (a second-round pick, plus two fourth-round picks). It was also noted that Whaley and the Bills tried to trade back into the second round again, but deemed the the asking price to be too high.
Other moves of note
- Signed eight players to low-cost, one-year contracts, including linebacker Zach Brown, center Fernando Velasco, tight end Jim Dray, safety Robert Blanton, safety Colt Anderson, cornerback Corey White, cornerback Sterling Moore, and linebacker Lorenzo Alexander.
- Opted not to match the offer sheet from New England to Chris Hogan.
- Did not choose to re-sign free agents Nigel Bradham and Ron Brooks, both of whom signed with Philadelphia.
- Restructured the contracts of Kyle Williams, Dan Carpenter, Corey Graham, and Charles Clay to free up over $10 million in cap space.
- Re-signed Mike Gillislee, Greg Salas and Leonard Hankerson to team-friendly, one-year contracts.
Vote in the approval poll below and share your comments related to the work of Whaley and his front office cohorts.