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Harrison Phillips Jerseys Stitched , N.Y. (AP) — Bills coach Sean McDermott described the reason the team cut Robert Foster last month as being a wakeup call for the rookie receiver.Looking back, Foster fully acknowledges it was a message received loud and clear now that he's back on the roster after two days of being unemployed followed by a two-week stint on the practice squad."I needed it. I needed to be cut because at the end of the day, it helped me," Foster said Wednesday. "It made me work on things that I needed to work on. It made me do a lot more things that I could do to benefit the team." Evidence of how motivated he's become was apparent following the formal end of practice.Rather than head straight to the locker room to pal around with his teammates as he did in the past, Foster, first, spent extra time catching passes from rookie starter Josh Allen. He then worked on running routes against a defensive back, before spending yet another 10 minutes catching one ball after another being spit out by a Jugs machine.It's not that Foster wasn't doing enough post-practice work before he was cut. It's more like he wasn't doing any."That's the thing, I wasn't doing some of the things that I'm doing now," he said. "That's why I say I try to embrace it all now."The payoff is showing up on the field.In his first game back on the active roster, Foster caught a 47-yard pass from journeyman backup Matt Barkley on the first play from scrimmage, and finished with three catches for 105 yards in a 41-10 win at the New York Jets on Nov. 11. He became Buffalo's first player to top 100 yards receiving in 13 months.Foster followed that up last weekend with a two-catch, 94-yard outing in a 24-21 win over Jacksonville which he punctuated with a 75-yard touchdown reception from Allen. The completion was the longest by the Bills since Week 2 of the 2016 season, and longest by a rookie quarterback in team history.Having already learned a lesson in humility and enjoying a rare shot at a second chance
White Doug Flutie Jerseys , Foster deflected a question regarding his level of confidence."I'm a rookie. Anything can happen," he said. "So I'm trying to make sure I'm not comfortable."Foster was undrafted out of Alabama, where he won two national titles while seeing limited playing time in finishing his college career with 35 catches for 389 yards and three touchdowns in 19 games.He had two things going for him when it came to signing with Buffalo.The first was his speed. Foster's time of 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL rookie combine was tied for third with Antonio Callaway, who was drafted in the fourth round by Cleveland.The second was Foster's connection to Buffalo in newly hired offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who spent last season serving in the same role at Alabama."I'm proud of him. It hasn't been easy for him, really, growing up to where he is now," Daboll said. "He's been through a lot, and that's a sign of a mentally tough person to be able to fight through adversity."McDermott didn't mince words when outlining his decision to cut Foster."This is life in the NFL, you're not on scholarship, and some guys need to understand that," he said. "Some players have it. Some players it takes a little bit more time. Some players, unfortunately, never get it."McDermott was pleased by how the 24-year-old responded."He's earning the right to get playing time
Doug Flutie Jerseys 2019 , and he's made the most of his opportunities since coming back," he said.The Bills (4-7), who play at Miami (5-6) on Sunday, have placed an emphasis on speedy young receivers, such as Foster and another newcomer, Isaiah McKenzie, to complement Allen's strong arm.Whereas at Alabama, Foster was mostly asked to simply outrun defenders, he credited Bills position coach Terry Robiskie for helping him learn to become a well-rounded receiver.Though he's back on the roster, Foster pretends he's still on the practice squad to remind himself how close he came to having his career end before it nearly began."Don't take anything for granted," Foster said. "I could've been gone, right?" The Bills didn’t have to guarantee a lot of money to re-sign Hughes." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteBuffalo Rumblingsa Buffalo Bills communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsBillsOddsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections NewsNotesOpinionAnalysisDiscussionPodcastNFL DraftSalary CapFiled under:NewsBuffalo Bills Salary CapJerry Hughes Buffalo Bills contract extension numbers and breakdownNew,36commentsThe Bills didn’t have to guarantee a lot of money to re-sign Hughes.EDTShareTweetShareShareJerry Hughes Buffalo Bills contract extension numbers and breakdownThe Buffalo Bills re-signed defensive end Jerry Hughes to a contract extension this week, ensuring one of their best players would be on the roster for three more seasons and potentially allowing Hughes to finish his career as a member of the team. On Sunday
White Jim Kelly Jerseys , the paperwork came through the NFL transaction wire and Mike Rodak tweeted out the details in this thread.While Hughes received $19.75 million guaranteed in the contract, $6.8 million of that was in 2019 on the year he already had in his deal. They weren’t going to release him, so this just solidified that number. Buffalo only guaranteeing roughly $13 million in new money to get the contract done is remarkable.Hughes received a $6.3 million signing bonus and the rest of the guarantee is $6.65 million in guaranteed salary in 2020. There is no guaranteed money into the 2021 season.His salaries are all below $7 million per season and while his cap number in 2019 is almost $12 million, it’s below $10 million in the subsequent two years. For a very talented pass rusher, it’s a definite hometown discount (which is saying something for a guy with the highest cap number on your team). The Bills have signed a very effective pass rusher for less than $11 million per season. It’s less than what 30-year-old Justin Houston got from the Indianapolis Colts this offseason. It’s a lot less than what Calais Campbell is making with the Jacksonville Jaguars at age 32. It places him 17th in terms of annual average value of the contract, and eighth among defensive ends 30 or older. 2019Pro-rated signing bonus (old contract): $1.4 millionOption bonus (old contract): $1.5 millionRoster bonus (old contract): $1 millionPro-rated signing bonus (new contract): $2.1 millionWorkout bonus: $150,000Salary: $6.8 million (fully guaranteed)Salary cap hit: $12.95 million2020Pro-rated signing bonus: $2.1 millionRoster bonus: $500,000Workout bonus: $250,000Salary: $6.65 million (fully guaranteed)Salary cap hit: $9.5 million2021Pro-rated signing bonus: $2.1 millionRoster bonus: $1 millionWorkout bonus: $250,000Salary: $6.1 millionSalary cap hit: $9.45 millionDead cap hit: $2.1 millionSavings if cut: $7.35 million if before roster bonus, $6.1 million at final cuts