NFL Notes: Bills, Chargers, & Patriots

Bills

• Vic Carruci of the Buffalo News is “positive” that the Bills’ medical staff was aware of Shaq Lawson’s shoulder issues and that GM Doug Whaley, HC Rex Ryan and owners Terry and Kim Pegula were briefed that surgery was expected at some point.
• Carruci thinks the Bills were ultimately hoping that Lawson would be able to play through the issue this year and undergo surgery at a later time.
• In the end, Lawson decided it was best to have the procedure now in the hope of being 100 percent this year.
• Carruci believes veteran Jerome Felton will need to be exceptional in order to justify his $2.3 million cap figure. If undrafted rookie Glenn Gronkowski is able to turn some heads and Felton isn’t all that impressive, it’s possible they could move forward with Gronkowski.
• According to Carruci, it could be difficult for S Duke Williams to make the 53-man roster this year.

Chargers

• Eric Williams of ESPN believes the ideal scenario for the Chargers would be for them to re-sign LB Manti Te’o back on a multi-year offer. However, Williams qualifies this by adding that Te’o must prove he can stay healthy.
• While the Chargers did use draft picks on Joshua Perry and Jatavis Brown, Williams seems to think San Diego would prefer to have Te’o and Denzel Perryman as their starting inside linebackers long-term.
• In regards to the Chargers’ stadium situation, Williams mentions that the team appears to be “all-in” on a downtown facility and convention center annex project that would cost an estimated $1.4 billion.
• San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer hasn’t offered his support for the project, and has previously pitched his own plan to build a $1.1 billion new NFL stadium at a separate site, but the Chargers believe the revenue opportunities are much better in downtown San Diego.
• Los Angeles is obviously still in play for the Chargers, but Williams believes if they wanted to be there, they would have moved this year.

Patriots

• Tom Curran of CSN New England wouldn’t be surprised if TE Rob Gronkowski joined CB Malcolm Butler in sitting out of offseason workouts for a new contract.
• Curran adds that Jamie Collins, Dont’a Hightower, Jabaal Sheard, Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon are other players the team will need to address at some point or risk losing them in free agency.