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Free agent fullback John Conner has signed a contract with the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday. Damond Talbot of NFLDraftDiamonds.com reported earlier in the morning that the veteran fullback was in town for a visit.
John Conner did a one-year contract for Buffalo Bills for veteran minimum, according to a source
— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) May 13, 2015
Corey Knox was waived to make room for Conner on the 90-man roster.
Conner has spent most of his five-year career playing for Rex Ryan with the New York Jets, who made him a fifth-round draft pick in 2010. A blocking specialist and special teams player for most of three seasons (2010-11 and 2014), Conner also spent time with Cincinnati and the New York Giants in 2012 and 2013 - and even worked out for the Bills early in 2013 - before returning to the Jets last season.
He is also nicknamed "The Terminator," which has never made sense, because fictional character John Connor isn't a damned machine, people. (Well, not until this summer's weird-looking series reboot, at least. The nickname is still bad.)
The Bills signed fullback Jerome Felton to a four-year, $9.2 million contract this past March, making him the third-highest paid fullback in the NFL. Conner will not threaten his status, but he'll still have a chance to make the team as a big back in a run-first offense. But the Bills already have backs with special teams ability that fit into the system as well (Anthony Dixon and rookie Karlos Williams), so Conner will need to have a highly impressive summer in order to make the team.
Now that the May 12 deadline has passed, the Bills and other NFL clubs can sign free agents without affecting their status for compensatory selections in the 2016 NFL Draft.