News » Safety Darian Stewart is joining a crowded field of free

ENGLEWOOD Alexander Mattison Jersey , Colo. (AP) — agent safeties following his release Wednesday from the Denver Broncos, where he won a Super Bowl ring.A starter in Denver since 2015, Stewart was a part of the famed “No Fly Zone” secondary that also featured safety T.J. Ward and cornerbacks Chris Harris Jr. and Aqib Talib.With Stewart’s departure, Harris is the only remaining member of that secondary that helped the Broncos win Super Bowl 50 three years ago.Stewart, who turns 31 in August, was due nearly $5 million in both 2019 and 2020.“Broncos country thank you all for the love you showed me and my family these past 4 years,” Stewart wrote on Instagram. “But it’s time for me to move on and I’m looking forward to the next chapter.”The nine-year pro said he felt he still had a lot of football left in him, but he’ll have some stiff competition on the open market that features safeties Earl Thomas, Landon Collins, Lamarcus Joyner, Tyrann Mathieu and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, among others.Undrafted out of South Carolina in 2010, Stewart spent four seasons with the Rams in St. Louis followed by one season in Baltimore, where he caught the eye of Gary Kubiak http://www.minnesotavikingsteamonline.com/dru-samia-jersey , who was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator in 2014. When Kubiak replaced John Fox as head coach in Denver, he encouraged general manager John Elway to sign Stewart.Stewart missed just three games in his four seasons in Denver, where he collected 250 total tackles, intercepted nine passes and broke up two dozen others, recovered four fumbles and registered one sack.In the 2015 playoffs, he had 11 tackles, a sack, an interception, three pass breakups and a forced fumble and he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2016.Elway called him Wednesday to inform him of his release. ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP)Brief and disappointing as the Buffalo Bills’ first playoff appearance in 18 years was, veteran center Eric Wood can already find a bright side. ”I’m just so glad I won’t have to answer: `How are we going to end the drought this year?”’ Wood said Monday, a day after a 10-3 loss in an AFC wild-card playoff at Jacksonville. ”Now it’s, we’ve got a foundation to build on. Let’s keep improving and let’s go try and win a Super Bowl.” One step at a time. The drought is over after the Bills became the last team in North America’s four major professional sports to make the playoffs in the 21st Century. Now comes the next challenge for a franchise still in the rebuilding stages of an overhaul that first-year coach Sean McDermott instituted upon replacing Rex Ryan a little over a year ago. And that means more changes are likely in store for a team that was unafraid of trading or purging high-priced talent in closing the season with just 21 returning players from 2016. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor heads the list of players whose futures are considered uncertain, even though he has one year left on his contract and despite being the Bills’ first quarterback since Rob Johnson in January 2000 to start a playoff game. Taylor oversaw an offense that Daniel Jones Jersey , including playoffs, scored just eight touchdowns in its final seven games and failed to generate 300 yards eight times. The Bills were already prepared to move on from Taylor in March before he agreed to restructure his contract by reducing his extension from a five-year to a two-year deal. And McDermott lost confidence in the third-year starter in November, when the coach benched Taylor in favor of rookie fifth-round pick Nathan Peterman even though the Bills were 5-4 and in the thick of the AFC playoff picture. The decision backfired after Peterman threw five first-half interceptions in a 54-24 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers, leaving McDermott little choice but to return to Taylor . Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison is also on the hot seat for the offense’s lack of finish. In its final three games, Buffalo scored one touchdown on eight trips inside an opponent’s 20, including settling for a field goal despite six snaps from inside the Jacksonville 15 on Sunday. The struggles weren’t lost on receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who was acquired in a trade with Carolina on Oct. 31. ”Offenses are made to score touchdowns, right?” Benjamin said. ”We definitely have got to get better at that. So definitely, there probably will be changes.” McDermott was already hinting at changes shortly after the loss to Jacksonville. ”We’ve come a long way in a short amount of time,” McDermott said. ”That said, we’re not where we need to be. That’s obvious.” TAYLOR MADE Taylor’s deficiencies are apparent when breaking down his 23-21 record, including the playoffs. He’s 2-14 when throwing 30 or more passes, and 21-7 with 29 or fewer. Though he rallied the Bills to fourth-quarter comebacks four times, including twice this past season Quincy Williams II Jersey , Taylor is 4-20 when Buffalo trails by four or more at any point of a game. STOCKPILING PICKS Buffalo is scheduled to have the 21st and 22nd picks in the draft, the second acquired in a draft-day trade of first-round picks with the Chiefs in April. The Bills also have two second-round selections, including one acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in a deal that sent receiver Sammy Watkins for cornerback E.J. Gaines. WAITING ON WILLIAMS Without being definitive on his future, defensive tackle Kyle Williams acknowledged still having gas in his tank to return for a 13th season. ”I think I’ve got enough to get there,” he said. Williams, who completed the final year of his contract, said there is no time frame as to whether he will return by saying he’ll know better after meeting with Bills management. Williams contemplated retiring after last year before McDermott coaxed him to return. ANOTHER DROUGHT As one drought ended, another continued. Buffalo has lost five straight playoff games since a 37-22 win over Miami in a wild-card game on Dec. 30, 1995. Only three other NFL teams have gone longer since their most recent playoff win: Cincinnati (1990), Detroit (1991) and Cleveland (1994). SECOND(ARY) TO NONE Buffalo’s completely retooled secondary was the strength of its defense. The foursome, made up of cornerbacks Gaines and Tre’Davious White (first-round pick) and safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer (free-agent additions), allowed 14 touchdowns passing (second fewest in NFL behind Minnesota’s 13) and was tied for sixth with 18 interceptions. Five Buffalo wins ended with the Bills intercepting a pass on an opponent’s final possession. Add to that, White’s forced fumble on Tampa Bay’s second-to-last possession with 2:20 remaining to set up Stephen Hauschka hitting a 30-yard field goal in a 30-27 win on Oct. 22. —