ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Bills starting safety Jordan Poyer will report for mandatory practices this week after sitting out all of Buffalo's voluntary spring sessions because of a contract issue, a person with direct knowledge of the player’s decision told The Associated Press on Monday.
The person spoke to The AP on the condition of anonymity because Poyer’s decision is private. The Bills are scheduled to hold three mandatory practices from Tuesday through Thursday in their final sessions before opening training camp next month.
By switching agents in hiring Drew Rosenhaus in April, Poyer informed the Bills he is seeking to extend his contract, which expires after this upcoming season.
The 31-year-old has nine seasons of NFL experience, including the past five with Buffalo where he has become part of one of the NFL’s top defensive backfields, rounded out by safety Micah Hyde and cornerback Tre’Davious White.
Poyer earned his first All-Pro selection in January after finishing second on the team in being credited with 91 tackles, had three sacks and joined Hyde in leading Buffalo with five interceptions each.
General manager Brandon Beane previously praised Poyer while acknowledging the salary cap challenges the team faces this year. The two-time defending AFC East champions are projected to be about $5 million under the NFL’s salary cap following an offseason in which they signed free-agent pass rusher Von Miller to a six-year contract and with the first season of quarterback Josh Allen’s six-year, $258 million contact kicking in.
“I’m a big fan of Jordan. I think he’s done a great job here for five years,” Beane said in April, before noting Poyer isn’t Buffalo’s only player seeking a pay raise. “I want Jordan here. I’m not looking for anything different than that. It’s just business gets in the way sometimes, and I respect that.”
The Bills added experienced depth to their offensive line by signing Greg Van Roten on Monday. The 32-year-old has seven seasons of NFL experience, including the past two with the New York Jets where he started 23 games.
Primarily used as a guard, Van Roten also spent three seasons with Carolina and two with Green Bay, and has 50 starts in 77 games. Unable to land with an NFL team after being cut by Seattle in 2014, Van Roten spent the 2015 and '16 seasons playing in the Canadian Football League.