7 NFL players not franchise tagged that the Bills could target
On Tuesday at 4 p.m., the NFL’s deadline for teams to place the franchise tag on players passed. In total, it happened nine times.
It was expected the Bills wouldn’t be one of the teams doing so… and they didn’t. But with only a few guys getting the franchise tag slapped on them, that leaves a lot more that are now likely to become free agents. Among those, could any interest the Bills?
While the price tags for such players might be a bit higher, here are seven such players that could interest the Bills:
CB William Jackson | Bengals
Bengals cornerback William Jackson (Gannett photo)
Avg. value of last contract: $2.4M Age: 28 Since arriving in 2017, Bills head coach Sean McDermott has done a great job of solidifying three out of four starting spots in his secondary. The No. 2 cornerback spot hasn't seen that happen. Jackson could be an investment to lock that up. Pro Football Focus pegged him as a free-agent target for the Bills earlier this offseason. Stats: 14 GP | 45 tackles | 1 for loss | 11 passes defended | 1 INT | PFF grade: 71.4 (20th) Spotrac market value: $6.3M per season
DE Yannick Ngakoue | Ravens
Ravens defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Avg. value of last contract: $12M Age: 25 Specifically off the edge the Bills need a better pass rusher across from Jerry Hughes. Ngakoue is a guy that has had folks in Buffalo clamoring for awhile as he would certainly improve the team's sack totals. Despite PFF also suggesting him as Bills target earlier this offseason, his price tag might be too high. Why not keep an eye on his name, though? Stats: 15 GP | 23 tackles | 7 for loss | 8 sacks | 4 forced fumbles | 1 pass defended | PFF grade: 69.3 (38th) Spotrac market value: $15.5M
DE Carl Lawson | Bengals
Bengals defensive end Carl Lawson (58) (Gannett photo)
Avg. value of last contract: $763K Age: 25 Lawson completed his rookie contract with the Bengals in 2020. While his sack numbers weren’t there, Lawson did have a bunch of QB pressures… kind of similar to Hughes. The Bengals were also a bad team, so a potential new club will hope more sacks would follow Lawson with more talent around him. Stats: 16 GP | 36 tackles | 4 for loss | 5.5 sacks | 2 forced fumbles | PFF grade: 76.3 (14th) Spotrac market value: $8.8M
RB Chris Carson | Seahawks
Seahawks running back Chris Carson. Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Avg. value of last contract: $616K Age: 26 Another explanation, another PFF link. The football analytics outlet also suggested the Bills should chase Carson in free agency. While Carson would be a more consistent option in Buffalo's backfield, with limited cap space, it's tough to envision the Bills dropping big dollar on a running back this offseason. Both Devin Singletary and Zack Moss are still in the fold for 2021. Stats: 12 GP | 4.8 yards per carry | 5 rush TDs | 37 catches | 287 receiving yards | 4 receiving TDs | PFF grade: 77.3 (16th) Spotrac market value: $7.4M
TE Hunter Henry | Chargers
Chargers tight end Hunter Henry. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Avg. value of last contract: $10.6M Age: 26 A decent run blocker and perhaps the best playmaking tight end on the market, Henry hasn't played a full season in his career yet but should still demand top dollar. The best way to describe Dawson Knox at this time is serviceable. Adding Henry would instead put the Bills over the top. The Bills would have to make some moves to free up cap space, but they could find a way to fit Henry on the cap. Stats: 14 GP | 60 catches | 613 yards | 4 TDs | PFF grade: 69.3 (24th) Spotrac market value: $10.9M
TE Jonnu Smith | Titans
Titans tight end Jonnu Smith. Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Avg. value of last contract: $776.5K Age: 25 Smith might be a bit more of a cost-efficient option than Henry but he's still not going to come cheap. By comparison, he could be considered a more all-around tight end than Henry and Smith would still be a much more productive playmaker than Knox. And yes, PFF says he'd fit what Buffalo wants in a tight end. Stats: 15 GP | 41 catches | 448 yards | 8 TDs | PFF grade: 74.0 (12th) Spotrac market value: $8M
DE Romeo Okwara | Lions
Lions defensive end Romeo Okwara (Gannett photo)
Avg. value of last contract: $3.4M Age: 25 A good schematic fit for the Bills, Okwara had a breakout 2020 season, but had one decent year prior to that as well with 7.5 sacks in 2018. Okwara's market value might be right around where the Bills would want to spend, and again, he'd be the complement to Hughes in Buffalo's D-line. Stats: 16 GP | 44 tackles | 11 for loss | 10 sacks | 3 forced fumbles | 1 pass defended | PFF grade: 68.8 (39th) Spotrac market value: $10.1M
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