I will be doing a series of articles that will be taking a methodical team by team approach to next year’s possible free agents. I will be starting with the team that has the least amount of salary cap space and ending with the team with the most. I will try to give a brief description of as many of the possible free agents as I can. I will also be looking for players that might be salary cap cuts in order for their teams to make room to sign some of these possible free agents. Any information anyone else can contribute on these players would be very much appreciated.
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The San Francisco 49ers will have a whole ton of money for 2017 NFL free agency. Head there to check out our breakdowns of all 31 other teams’ free agents and cap space.
The Buffalo Bills are projected to be $23,157,778 UNDER the cap (all salary info via Over The Cap) for 2017 and have 39 players under contract.
Dollar figures listed are player’s 2016 cap hit.
CB Stephon Gilmore - $11,082,000
Stephon Gilmore is 25 years old and was drafted by the Bills in the first round of the 2012 draft. The Browns exercised the fifth year option and could potentially franchise him. He has 40 tackles, four interceptions, and 10 passes defended so far this season. Gilmore is currently rated the 70th best cornerback in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.
QB EJ Manual - $2,827,141
EJ Manual is 26 years old and was drafted by the Bills in the first round of the 2013 draft. Manual is the backup to Tyrod Taylor. Manuel has a 58.9 percent career completion rating and a 78.4 quarterback rating. He 6’4” and has a 3.5 yards per attempt rushing average.
WR Percy Harvin – $983,383
Percy Harvin is 28 years old and was originally drafted by the Vikings in the first round of the 2009 draft. Harvin is the true definition of the glass man and has been known to be poison in the locker room. He supposedly retired in April, came out of retirement in November, and started having headaches and was placed on the reserve/non football illness list ending his season.
34DT Corbin Bryant - $1,671,000
Corbin Bryant is 28 years old and was originally picked up as an undrafted free agent by the Bears. He has been on the Bills roster since December of 2012. He seems to be a mediocre at best nose tackle without a lot of production over his career. He is presently on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
LT Jordan Mills - $1,671,000
Jordan Mills is 25 years old and was originally drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. Mills started all 16 games with the Bears in 2013 and allowed only three sacks in 1,022 plays. The Bears waived him in the September of 2015 and he was signed by the Lions to their practice squad. He was then signed by the Bills midway through the 2015 season. He is tied with Trenton Brown as the 65th best tackle in the NFL this season at Pro Football Focus.
RB Reggie Bush - $1,500,000
LOL, Percy Harvin and now Reggie Bush? We’re not drinking the Kool Aid.
ILB Zach Brown - $1,250,000
Zach Brown is 27 years old and was originally drafted in the second round by the Titans. Why would the Titans let a player like Zach Brown go? Brown has 75 tackles three sacks and two forced fumbles so far this season. Pro Football Focus has him listed as the seventh best inside linebacker in the NFL. The real question is, “how do we wrestle him away from the Bills?”
WR Robert Woods - $1,548,517
Robert Woods is 24 years old and was drafted by the Bills in the 2013 draft. Robert Woods has never had 700 yards receiving in a single season and probably won’t this year either. He seems like a pretty good wide receiver but his production is not spectacular.
S James Ihedigbo - $247,059
James Ihedigbo is 33 years old and was originally picked up as an undrafted free agent by the Jets in 2007. Ihedigbo has floated around the league his entire career and, at 33, seems like the kind of player we really need to stay away from.
34OLB Lorenzo Alexander - $600,000
Lorenzo Alexander is 33 years old and was originally picked up by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He does seem to be having a ridiculously great year in the twilight of his career with 50 tackles, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and three passes defended but he is 33 years old. What a bargain the Bills got with him.
34DE Leger Douzable - $600,000
Leger Douzable is 30 years old and was originally picked up as an undrafted free agent by the Vikings in 2008. He was signed by the Bills in 2016 and has played sparingly. I am not sure the 49ers would need a 30 year old career backup with the defensive end personnel they already have.
ILB Ramon Humber - $600,000
Ramon Humber is 29 years old and was originally picked up by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Humber has played sparingly and only has 10 tackles this year.
S Colt Anderson - $680,000
Colt Anderson is 31 years old and was originally picked up by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Another dead end with 2 tackles this season and 17 last year.
S Robert Blanton - $680,000
Robert Blandon is 27 years old and was originally drafted by the Vikings in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. Blandon looks like the kind of player that would be a good backup. He had 35 tackles this year before going on injured reserve with a foot injury. I would pick him up if the price was right.
CB Cory White - $680,000
Cory White is 26 years old and was originally drafted by the Saints in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. White has been tossed around a bit as a nickel corner. I am not sure if he might be good to bring into training camp if possible. He has 21 tackles, two passes defended, and one interception this season.
34OLB Lerentee McCray - $675,000
Lerentee McCray is 26 years old and was originally picked up by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2013. McCray was traded to the Bills from the Packers for a conditional seventh round pick in August. He has 15 tackles and no sacks in limited play this season.
S Sergio Brown - $317,647
Sergio Brown is 28 years old and was originally picked up by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2010. The Bills picked up Brown in November of this year. Brown has had four tackles with the Bill in the last three games.
ILB Brandon Spikes $600,000
Brandon Spikes is 29 years old and was originally drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 draft. On June 12, 2015 Spikes was cited for driving negligently and leaving the scene of an accident with injury. I am stopping right there. He has eight tackles in the last two years.
WR Brandon Tate – $760,000
Brandon Tate is 29 years old and was originally drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2009 draft. Tate has mainly been used as a punt and kick returner. He has a 23.7 yard kick return average and a 11.6 yard punt return average with the Bills this year.
WR Justin Hunter - $905,882
Justin Hunter is 25 years old and was originally drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2013 draft. Hunter fractured his ankle in 2015 and was waived in by the Titans in September and was picked up on September 26 by the Bills after a short stint with Miami. Hunter only has eight catches this year for 109 yards but I would not mind at all if the 49ers were able to get him on the 90-man roster.
WR Marquise Goodwin - $859,718
Marquise Goodwin is 26 years old and was drafted by the Bills in the third round of the 2013 draft. Goodwin has steadily improved every year and has 24 receptions for 364 yards so far this season.
TE Chris Gragg - $689,793
Chris Gragg is 26 years old and was drafted by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2013 draft. He has been on injured reserve and doesn’t have any stats for this year. He had 12 receptions for 150 yards in 2015.