On Monday there was a report from NFL.com's Ian Rapaport that the agent for Mike Williams was given permission by the Bills to seek compensation for a trade of the veteran receiver. Soon after, Bills GM Doug Whaley addressed the media in Buffalo's locker room Monday morning and confirmed the report, but stressed that they are not seeking to trade anyone on their 53-man roster at this time.
"Hadley Engelhard called me asking for (the ability to seek compensation for a trade)," Whaley said. "No team has contacted us and we have not contacted any teams. I want to stress this to everybody. We are not seeking to trade Mike Williams. We are not actively shopping anybody on this team."
In the next breath Buffalo's personnel boss made the point that as general manager it's also his responsibility to listen if offers come in on Mike Williams or for any other player on their squad.
"My stance since taking over as an organization with this regime is that we'll listen to anybody who calls us," Whaley said. "You don't know what they're going to offer. Are they going to offer us two ones? Then you have to consider it, but we are not actively shopping anyone on this team. It is my responsibility as the general manager to listen if someone calls me. Again I will stress we are not actively shopping anyone. His agent called and asked for permission (to seek compensation in a trade) and I said, 'We will entertain it if you get us compensation that would make us even consider it.'"
The request comes in the wake of Williams being a healthy inactive for Sunday’s game against the Patriots. Head coach Doug Marrone explained in his postgame press conference that with Kyle Williams being a late addition to play Sunday coming off a knee injury, and Aaron Williams inactive with a wrist injury that there was some shuffling that had to be done with players on special teams and defense. It ultimately led to Mike Williams being a victim of a numbers game with only 46 players able to dress on game day.
When asked if he felt the seeking of a trade for Mike Williams by his agent was directly related to him being inactive Sunday, Whaley did not want to speculate.
"I don't know what he believed, but I know coach, myself, everybody who has talked to Mike Williams we expect big things from Mike Williams," said Whaley. "We expect Mike Williams to come help us win games. It was just a numbers game with the 46-man roster. It's a tough job to finagle and juggle who is up and who is down, especially with the late addition of Kyle Williams."
Buffalo's GM said that Williams has been a model player and teammate since he arrived in a trade with Tampa Bay this past offseason. He also commended Williams for the leadership role he has taken with what is a young group of receivers on Buffalo's roster.
"I think he's done a good job in trying to bring those guys along," said Whaley. "From what I hear he talked to Sammy (Watkins) during the game and helped him out during the game. So he's brought a veteran presence to our wide receiver corps.
"There's no problem with him at all. He's been a great addition to our program. We have not had one ounce of problems with him. We've enjoyed him. He's come in here and busted his butt. He's been an exemplary football player."
The NFL trade deadline is just over two weeks away (Oct. 28th).
UPDATE:
Chill everybody I'm happy with being a buffalo bill....... I mean come on it's my dream my agent just did what a agent supposed to do ... — Mike Williams (@CaveManMike19) October 13, 2014
