The Buffalo Bills haven't been a very good team in recent seasons, and are coming off another lackluster losing season. They finished the 2012-13 season with a 6-10 record and have once again shuffled the coaching staff in an effort to improve going forward.
Stevie Johnson tries to recruit Dwayne Bowe, Greg Jennings, Dashon Goldson for Bills
Stevie Johnson of the Bills is trying to get some big name free agents to come to Buffalo.
Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE
Unfortunately for the Bills, they haven’t been an attractive destination for players when it comes to free agency. While it’s fun to joke about the bad weather and all of that, what it really comes down to is that the Bills have consistently seemed like a team without much chance at winning.
That hasn't stopped Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson from trying to play recruiter. According to the Buffalo News, Johnson has been trying to draw in some big name players who are set to hit free agency when the new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 12.
The players mentioned include Kansas City Chiefs receiver Dwayne Bowe, Green Bay Packers receiver Greg Jennings and San Francisco 49ers safety Dashon Goldson.
Johnson said that he spoke to Goldson on Thursday, and that Goldson talked about Buffalo “a lot,” when he was asked about where he wants to go, if he doesn’t remain with the 49ers. It’s unclear if Goldson is really targeted Buffalo or if that was just the topic thanks to him speaking to Johnson.
That said, there's a couple reasons as to why Goldson might not go to Buffalo. For one, the Bills just tagged safety Jairus Byrd on Friday. Byrd and Goldson play the same position in the secondary, the free safety position. Byrd will be with the Bills through 2013 at the very least, unless they get him signed to an extension prior to March 4, at which point he'll be with them through said extension.
It’s likely that either Goldson or Byrd could play the strong safety position, but it’s unlikely that the Bills want to invest that much money in the safety position, as Goldson is looking for top tier safety money. There’s also the chance that the 49ers use the franchise tag on Goldson if they can’t get him signed prior to March 4.
As to Jennings and Bowe, these are a little more likely. Johnson is a very talented receiver, but the position is thinning out behind him. Donald Jones and David Nelson are likely on their way out, and the Bills would certainly benefit from having Jennings or Bowe.
Johnson paired with either Jennings or Bowe would make for one of the most talented receiver tandems in the league, and Buffalo does have cap room to play with. But again, it all comes down to whether or not the Bills would want to invest that much money into one position.
The Bills don’t have a solution at the quarterback position and have been a run-first team, even with Johnson getting better and better. They might be looking more to add some significant defensive talent this offseason and, as usual, they’ll want to build the team through the draft, not with a big signing in free agency.
What with Jennings wanting something crazy like $14 million per season and Bowe essentially being one of the top free agents this offseason, Buffalo acquiring either seems unlikely.
The Bills simply have not been a popular destination for pending free agents, either. If the market for Bowe or Jennings includes multiple teams, and by all accounts it will, then the Bills could easily be lost in the fray. They’d likely have to overpay to land either player.
Unless Johnson has a really good sales pitch, of course.
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