On Friday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul made comments that all but guaranteed that an agreement for a new stadium for the Bills will be made soon, according to Tim O’Shei of the Buffalo News (h/t Mike Florio of NBC Sports).
Highmark Stadium (previously Rich Stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium and New Era Field) has been the home of the Bills since 1973. The Bills’ current lease on Highmark expires in 2023, and the franchise has been pushing with many government entities to build them a shiny, new stadium. The team has used the very real looming threat that there are plenty of other markets in the country that can support an NFL franchise.
Hochul commented on that threat saying, “That’s why we’re negotiating very intently, to make sure we have the right outcome for this community.” The new stadium will partially be funded by the public to the tune of about $850M. The governor claims that a deal will be done by April 1, in time for the annual budget.
Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC East, starting with a couple of notes that keep us in the Empire State:
- The Jets are planning to use this offseason to add some weapons to the roster for quarterback Zach Wilson. They currently have Corey Davis and Elijah Moore sitting atop the depth chart. They would love to bring back Braxton Berrios as a fourth receiver/gadget player, and they haven’t yet given up on Denzel Mims. Still, New York will have ample opportunity to add a potential No. 1 receiver to the roster, according to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano. The free-agent market is home to many household names like Chris Godwin, Allen Robinson, Mike Williams and, potentially, Amari Cooper. Players like Calvin Ridley and Cole Beasley have been rumored to be available via trade. The 2022 NFL Draft is also so rich in talented receivers that many believe some first-round talent could fall to the second round where the Jets have two high picks, if they don’t choose to take a top prospect like Garrett Wilson or Drake London with the 10th overall pick.
- That being said, Vacchiano also reports that, despite their vast spending ability, general manager Joe Douglas has been preaching the maintenance of financial flexibility. Although the Jets rank in the top five in the NFL in salary-cap space, Douglas rejected the notion that their $50M-$60M in cap space will be dedicated to big spending in free agency. Douglas acknowledged free agency as just one of “a lot of different tools to improve your roster” and pointed to the Bengals as an example of responsible free-agent spending. “I think Cincy did great in free agency last year,” he said. “They didn’t blow the doors off in terms of signing super high-priced guys. They brought in guys who fit exactly what they wanted to do.”
- According to Mike Giardi of NFL Network, Patriots’ cornerback JC Jackson is likely headed for free agency with some lofty expectations. While Jackson still likes the Patriots, money is a big factor for the 26-year-old. Giardi claims that Jackson is strictly seeking compensation similar to that of Jalen Ramsey. New England won’t bring that money to the table, and it sounds like the Pats won’t be utilizing their franchise tag on Jackson either. That information could lead to a tag-and-trade situation if other teams aren’t willing to shell out for Jackson in free agency.
More must-reads: