By Justin DiLoro / Billswire.usatoday.com
The Buffalo Bills have several players whose contracts will at the conclusion of the current league year. Buffalo’s front office brass has the choice of re-signing such players or letting them test the free agency waters. But those aren’t the only pending decisions for general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott.
In addition, the team has some players under contract who have underachieved. Cutting these players, while incurring dead money hit on the salary cap, could be the best option for the club.
Here are six players who the Bills should officially cut ties with this offseason:
TE Charles Clay
The eight-year veteran originally signed a five-year, $38 million contract prior to the 2015 season. While the tight end’s first three seasons in Buffalo were reasonably productive, last season was a trainwreck. The veteran was expected to be a major target for the intermediate passing game.
Unfortunately, the big season never came to fruition, and Clay put forth his least productive season as a starter in his NFL career. His 21 receptions were only sixth-best on the roster. Clay has one more year left on his contract. A release would reduce his cap hit $4.5 million this upcoming season. The Tulsa product was a healthy scratch in Week 16, a harbinger of the conclusion of his time in Buffalo.
C Ryan Groy
Groy struggled during his time as the starting center this season. Ultimately, he won the starting job out of training camp and then lost the job to Russell Bodine. Groy only reclaimed the starting gig after a season-ending injury to Bodine. The Wisconsin grad is an unrestricted free agent this season. With the struggles of the offensive line, there’s really little reason to bring back Groy unless the Bills are desperate for depth on the offensive line.
As a unit, Buffalo’s line struggled run-blocking much more than handling pass rushers, albeit, both need improving. Groy is an example of such problems. As a pass blocker, Pro Football Focus graded Groy as a near-average blocker with a 69.0 grade. Run blocking was very, very bad, at 37.1.
P Matt Darr
Darr joined the Bills late in the season after lefty Corey Bojorquez went on injured reserve and his replacement, Colton Schmidt, was let go due to inefficiency. However, Darr’s punting left a great deal to be desired, as he actually had the worst average per punt among the three at 40.5 yards per punt.
With Bojorquez most likely returning to the starting job after an offseason to recover from his injury, there’s no reason to keep Darr around. Bojorquez being a lefty, which puts a different spin on the ball during kicks which makes it more difficult on returners, could be the favorite to return as Buffalo’s punter in 2019.
WR Deonte Thompson
Thompson returned to Buffalo after being released by Dallas midseason. The hope was that Thompson could replicate some of the success he had with Tyrod Taylor in 2017. Unfortunately, that did not happen. He could not climb the wide receiver depth chart, especially among a group that produced substandard receiving numbers. Thompson could only muster three catches in five games on 10 targets with Buffalo this season. While McDermott said his role was that of a veteran presence much like quarterback Derek Anderson to Josh Allen, the Bills simply need talent at the postilion moving forward.
WR Ray-Ray McCloud III
McCloud III probably would have been better suited for the practice squad this season. His speed made him a possible threat for the offense, but it never really came together for the rookie. The sixth-round pick caught five passes for 36 yards. He added two rushes for 4 total yards on the season. Even when the Bills went through a “youth movement,” which saw increased snaps for Robert Foster and Isaiah McKenzie, McCloud never saw a rise in opportunities. He also did not take control of the return game as was expected, returning only four punts for 20 yards. His lone kick return went for 18 yards. The signing of McKenzie ultimately takes a spot away from McCloud III.
G Vlad Ducasse
Ducasse has one more year left on his contract in Buffalo. However, Ducasse lost his position to Wyatt Teller late in the season. He started the season as one of the best pass blockers in the league, only to end the season as an inactive for multiple games. For a unit that needs a massive overhaul, Ducasse may have seen his last action in a Bills uniform. His dead cap number is only $83,334, making him a candidate for release at a position in need of an upgrade.
If the Bills are to keep a pending interior offensive lineman, John Miller might be the better candidate. Per PFF, Miller was the same as the rest of the line. Pass blocking was OK (71.4), while he left something to be desired run blocking (56.4), but he wasn’t the complete worst in that department, either. Furthermore, Ducasse being a signing of McDermott’s and Miller being drafted by former GM Doug Whaley, the Bills still removed Ducasse from the lineup for Teller, not Miller.