Buffalo Bills not signing Dawan Landry, Brad Smith for now

The Buffalo Bills had veteran safety Dawan Landry and wide receiver Brad Smith in town for free agent visits in recent weeks, but then news went silent without a signing. At the team's pre-draft luncheon on Monday, general manager Doug Whaley was asked about the pair, and his answer didn't rule out anything.

"That plays into it," responded Whaley when asked about the draft's effects on the signings. "The May 12 thing plays into it. And what they're feeling - Dawan Landry and Brad Smith - what they're thinking. So right now it's one of those where we don't want to make a decision right away. We'll slow play it, and if it's something that works for them and works for us, then we'll pull the trigger."

The "May 12 thing" is the end of the compensatory period. If the Bills sign a free agent before that, they will likely lose one of their two projected sixth-round compensatory picks in the 2016 NFL Draft. If they wait until after May 12, it won't figure into the calculations.

Who they eventually select in the draft will also play a role. It's hard to see them signing Smith should they select a receiver with one of their early picks, knowing their depth chart would be pretty full. The safety position is a little more receptive to a veteran presence, rather than another young guy, but drafting a safety is obviously not out of the question. Either way, it looks like the situations won't be resolved for a few more weeks - unless they sign with another team, of course.