After missing out on the Jeremy Maclin sweepstakes, the Buffalo Bills had to go back to the drawing board at wide receiver.
But is it possible they had an attractive option already on the roster?
"I'll tell you the guy that's really stood out has been Andre (Holmes)," head coach Sean McDermott told the Buffalo News. "He's done a phenomenal job, not only on offense, but also special teams. Very solid performer day to day, consistent and just really -- that's been a nice pickup for us so far and I really appreciate his leadership."
Holmes was firmly under the radar this offseason when he inked a three-year deal worth roughly $5 million. Half of that was guaranteed. The Hillsdale product, who went undrafted in 2011 before brief stints with the Vikings, Cowboys and Patriots, finally caught on with the Raiders. His career-best season in 2014 yielded 47 catches for 693 yards and four touchdowns.
A team in Buffalo's situation cannot be picky. Sammy Watkins floated in and out of workouts last week, still recovering from a foot injury. Zay Jones hurt his knee in rookie camp. These are sometimes the openings created when timing and opportunity collide.
Coaches this time of year tend to talk up the players on the bottom half of their roster for myriad reasons. Holmes, who is also busting his hump on special teams, could also be a solid example for the younger players on rookie contracts. After watching the franchise tinker with Watkins for the last few years, he just may want to highlight someone in a position to be hungry. Either way, the Bills are going to need bodies, and if Holmes continues to impress he might be in line to surprise early in 2017.
