Bills Busy as Free Agency Opens

The Buffalo Bills opened up free agency with a bang, landing the first free agent signing of the 2007 off-season. An ESPN report has the Bills signing offensive guard Jason Whittle (right) to a one-year deal worth $720,000 with a $40,000 signing bonus.

The 31-year-old veteran has been in the league for 8 years, enjoying stints with the Giants, Buccaneers and the Vikings. Whittle is expected to compete for a starting job at either left guard or right guard.

Gotta love Marv - while other 81-year-olds are sleeping, he's signing free agents. I love the Whittle signing - he provides a good veteran presence to push potential starting RG Duke Preston, and could even compete with Tutan Reyes and Aaron Merz for the left guard spot should Mike Gandy sign elsewhere. Whittle also has the ability to play center, and could earn the backup job there behind Melvin Fowler.

Greer, Villarrial and Bowen
Yesterday, the Bills tied up its remaining restricted free agent by signing CB Jabari Greer to a two-year deal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Having Greer on board means that arguably the team's best special teams player returns, and that depth at corner is still OK - even with Nate Clements and Kiwaukee Thomas talking to other teams.

It was interesting to hear that Greer plans to spend his off-season bulking up. I love this - after playing at 169 for the past two years, it'll be a lot easier for him to contribute in the Tampa 2 scheme with a little extra bulk. He could be a real contributor on defense next season.

In addition, the Bills released two players in cap-related moves: veteran guard Chris Villarrial and reserve safety Matt Bowen. Both players struggled mightily with injuries in 2006, and both likely would have been battling for roster positions in training camp this coming year.

Denver After McGahee?
Denver has been busy as well. The team acquired cornerback Dre' Bly in exchange for RB Tatum Bell and OT George Foster. In addition, the team is on the verge of sending quarterback Jake Plummer to Tampa Bay in exchange for, reportedly, a 4th-round draft pick.

What does this all mean for Buffalo? The Broncos are in the market for a starting running back. The team has used the 2-back approach for the past couple of years, and are likely looking for a complement to second-year man Mike Bell. The team could be a target trade partner for the Bills as they shop Willis McGahee.

Clements Watch: TEN, CLE, SF interested
Nate Clements is a busy boy as arguably the top-rated free agent available. Cleveland is looking to bring the Ohio native in with a lucrative deal. San Francisco is highly interested as well and could be willing to pay even more - they're also a bit more developed as a team than Cleveland. Tennessee is in the market as well after the recent troubles of corner Adam "Pac-Man" Jones. Stay tuned for Clements.

Updates
Since I'm a college student, the weekend is the perfect time for me to blow off work and post free agency updates on this blog. So expect that - anything pertaining to the Bills free agency wise, from rumors to actual signings, will be up here as soon as I can manage it. Keep reading, and please - feel free to comment on the moves in the comment section!