ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- In the final analysis, Marcell Dareus' 6 1/2 years in Buffalo will be looked upon as underwhelming.
There was some very good play, particularly in 2013 and 2014 when he earned Pro-Bowl berths, but it was rarely great given his lofty draft status and exorbitant contract.
It was also filled with head-scratching, game-long disappearances on the field on too many days, and equally perplexing off-the-field problems that led to two NFL suspensions totaling five games.
Dareus was traded Friday night to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2018 sixth-round draft pick. That was the return for a player who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 draft who went on to become one of the highest-paid athletes in Buffalo sports history.
And it's probably about the best the Bills could have hoped for because ultimately, the greatest achievement in consummating the deal is that Buffalo shed more than $50 million in future salary.
Even though general manager Brandon Beane said the Bills weren't necessarily looking to move Dareus, clearly, when Jacksonville called, they didn't waste much time figuring out how to make it work.
"Every decision from a roster standpoint you make, you have to consider what it does to your cap immediately, and in future years," Beane said. "I'd be lying if I said that wasn't in the equation. We did have a couple talks in the preseason, but nothing came to fruition."
Those talks began after Dareus showed up late for a preseason game in Baltimore when he missed all of the buses transporting the team to the stadium. He was sent home, and that may have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.
Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have shown no fear in jettisoning players they don't believe fit into the future of the team, and Dareus now joins wide receiver Sammy Watkins on the list.
All McDermott would say about the move after the Bills beat Oakland 34-14 Sunday was: "Look, I really appreciate all the time and effort that Marcell put into this team, and really, we wish him well. Those things are never easy, especially the timing and everything. The players, I thought, handled it extremely well and came out with the right mindset today to take care of what they needed to take care of. But we wish Marcell nothing but the best."
Defensive tackle Kyle Williams, who invested a lot of work in helping Dareus learn and grow as a player and a person, said the trade is "best for both sides." He went to see Dareus when the news hit, and he said: "I think it's good for him to have a change of scenery and I think to kind of move on from here. I love the guy, wish nothing but the best for him. Obviously, it's still tough for me because I poured a lot of myself into him over the last seven years. It's tough to see him go, but he'll always be a friend, and I'll always pull for him."
Without Dareus, the Bills held the high-flying Raiders to 14 points in a victory that firmly establishes them as playoff contenders with a 5-2 record. Outside of a poor drive on defense to start the game when the Raiders marched down the field to score, the Bills were in control the entire way.
LeSean McCoy rushed for 151 yards and scored on a 48-yard run, quarterback Tyrod Taylor played another turnover-free game, and the defense and special teams forced four turnovers that helped set up 13 points -- one was a 40-yard fumble return touchdown by rookie linebacker Matt Milano.
"Well, I understand that," linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said when asked about the trepidation some fans may have about believing in this team given the gruesome history of a 17-year playoff drought.
"That's the biggest thing from being a fan to being a part of the team internally because everybody hasn't been a part of that. This team is totally different and we don't hold on to that, that whole 17 years isn't on us."
--Backup tight end Logan Thomas played only 28 offensive and special teams snaps and he recorded one catch for seven yards. But given the week he endured, it was only fitting that head coach Sean McDermott handed Thomas one of the game balls following Buffalo's 34-14 victory over the Raiders.
On Tuesday, Thomas and his wife Brandie suffered an unimaginable tragedy when their daughter, Brooklynn Rose, was born six months premature and then died. The couple already has four sons together, and they were eager to add a girl to the mix, but that will not happen, at least not yet. Thomas missed practice Wednesday, but was back at work Thursday.
Thomas was given the honor of breaking the team down in the post-game locker room and with his teammates huddled around him, he said, "I just want to say thank you to everybody from the top to the bottom who have had my back this week. We really appreciate it and we feel y'all's love. Family on three."
"I can't say enough great things about Logan, the type of man he is and just the person he is," rookie wide receiver Zay Jones said. "It's sad. I can't even really speak on that. It's something that I've never experienced or anything like that. Just to see one of my brothers happy after a great win, after a tumultuous week. Just to come out and honor him with something, the game ball that's special, especially in a locker room full of guys that love and care for you. It was awesome to see him get that."
--Rookie linebacker Matt Milano had yet another impressive day, and even though McDermott said injured Ramon Humber is still the starter when he returns following thumb surgery, it seems illogical to take Milano out of the lineup. Against the Raiders, he returned a fumble 40 yards for a touchdown and also forced a fumble in punt coverage. The week before against Tampa Bay, he made an interception and had two tackles for loss.
The fifth-round pick from Boston College seems to have a nose for the ball, and the defense hasn't dipped at all with him in place of Humber.
"It just goes back to the way we practice," said Milano. "Coach (Leslie) Frazier and all of our coaches do a great job of really putting us in positions and emphasizing that throughout the week. Everybody's got to be ready. I think it's the way we practice, like I said before, it all comes back to that. Everybody's practicing hard, everybody's getting reps, and if you're not in, you're taking mental reps. I think the bigger plays kind of trump the plays that I did miss, but we see them in the film room and get them corrected."
--Wide receiver Andre Holmes wasn't going to deny it. This game against his former team, where he spent four seasons before leaving for Buffalo via free agency, meant something more to him.
"Yeah, for sure. When they came out with the schedule and I saw that we were playing Oakland, I had it on my calendar, of course," said Holmes. "I was excited to compete with them, all of them are like family to me, I spent four years there. It felt good to be able to play well against them and get a win."
Holmes had only eight catches for 46 yards coming into the game, although two of his catches were touchdowns. Against the Raiders, he made three receptions for 51 yards and scored his third TD. His 36-yard reception set up another touchdown, and both that catch, and the TD, were superb toe-tappers on the sideline.
"Before the game I talked to a lot of the guys and I was just telling them how I couldn't wait to compete with them today inside those lines," he said of the Raiders. "Out of respect, and everything, respect for them, and I was excited we got the job done."
NOTES: FS Jordan Poyer made good progress according to head coach Sean McDermott on Monday, but he's still listed as day-to-day and with the short turnaround for Thursday, he may not be available to play. ...
CB E.J. Gaines (hamstring) is also limited in what he can do in practice this week and he'll likely be unavailable for the game against the Jets. ... TE Charles Clay made some progress with his knee injury, but he's day-to-day and did not practice on Monday. ... QB Tyrod Taylor had another turnover-free performance while completing 20 of 27 passes for 165 yards with one TD. He was limited to just one yard on six rushing attempts, but did have a one-yard TD plunge. ... RB LeSean McCoy had a breakout day as he rushed 27 times for 151 yards and a 48-yard TD. That's 242 yards in the last two weeks after rushing for just 279 the first five games. ... WR Andre Holmes had his best game as a Bill with three catches for 51 yards including a TD. He has only 11 catches for the Bills, but three have gone for TDs. ... WR Zay Jones had his best game as a pro with three catches for 32 yards. ... FS Trae Elston made his first NFL start and he was in on 11 tackles and had a later interception. ... SS Micah Hyde made his NFL-leading fifth interception of the season, catching a pass that had been tipped by LB Preston Brown. ... P Colton Schmidt had a solid game in cold, rainy conditions as he netted 43 yards on his five punts, and had four punts downed inside the 20, one at the 1-yard-line. ... DT Adolphus Washington got the start in place of the traded Marcell Dareus, and he was in on three tackles and deflected a pass. ... LB Preston Brown was in on seven tackles and he had two passes defensed.
REPORT CARD VS. RAIDERS
--PASSING OFFENSE: C - Tyrod Taylor played turnover-free yet again, and the Bills have only three turnovers all season. Taylor was economical as he completed 20 of 27 passes for 165 yards, and eight of those completions resulted in first downs. WR Andre Holmes had two big plays, a touchdown catch and 36-yarder that set up another TD. Rookie Zay Jones had his best day as a pro, though it wasn't much - three catches for 32 yards. The offensive line had a good day as Raiders star DE Khalil Mack barely drew a breath near Taylor.
--RUSHING OFFENSE: A - The Bills seem to have regained their mojo, and it coincides with LT Cordy Glenn returning to the lineup. The Bills ran for 166 yards, with LeSean McCoy breaking out for a season-best 151 that included a late 48-yard touchdown run. The Bills' offensive line has settled in the last couple weeks with Glenn at left tackle and Vlad Ducasse at right guard, and it was Ducasse who had the key block to spring McCoy on his TD run.
--PASS DEFENSE: C - The Bills were down two starters as FS Jordan Poyer and CB E.J. Gaines sat out with injuries. In stepped Shareece Wright and Trae Elston, and while it certainly wasn't a great day, the Bills held their own. Derek Carr threw for a hollow 313 yards, and the Bills picked him off twice, one each by Elston and SS Micah Hyde. CB Tre'Davious White shadowed Raiders WR Amari Cooper most of the day, and he did an excellent job limiting him to five catches for 48 yards. One area of concern was the lack of a pass rush as Carr was not sacked.
--RUSH DEFENSE: A - The Raiders did not have suspended Marshawn Lynch, but whether that mattered is uncertain. They attempted only 14 runs and totaled 54 yards as Lynch's two-man replacement, DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard, combined for just 47 yards. For one game, the Bills certainly didn't miss the departed Marcell Dareus in the middle of their line.
--SPECIAL TEAMS: A-minus - Punter Colton Schmidt had an excellent day in less-than-ideal conditions. Four of his five punts were downed inside the 20 and one that sailed out of bounds at the 1. His net was a superb 43 yards. Stephen Hauschka made both of his field goals and all four extra points. The kickoffs were a little ragged, though. Hauschka tried to keep the ball out of harm's way against a team that's very dangerous on kickoff returns and Cordarrelle Patterson did have a 43-yarder. The punt coverage team forced a fumble that set up a field goal.
--COACHING: A - Once again, the Bills had a good plan on both sides, and executed it with few mistakes. When you have a team devoid of star players like the Bills, you have to be crisp in everything you do, and the Bills have been for most of the year. On offense, coordinator Rick Dennison continues to revamp the running game and it looks like the Bills are back on track after a slow start. On defense, Leslie Frazier is getting quality performances from a number of no-name players, and while they're still giving up too many yards in the air, the Bills aren't breaking at the end.
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