Getty Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie looks on prior to the game against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on October 16, 2022.
The Buffalo Bills have been highly active since the NFL’s official free agency tampering opened on Monday, March 13. While they lost linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to the Bears, the Bills signed left guard Connor McGovern and cleared over $30 million in cap space by restructuring two of their biggest contracts amid their flurry of moves, but wide receiver Isaiah Mckenzie hinted that a big splash is on the horizon.
While Bills general manager Brandon Beane stated that they would not be big spenders in free agency this offseason, McKenzie sent an all-caps tweet to “Big Baller Beane” that strongly insinuated something huge was brewing in Buffalo.
Mckenzie tweeted on Tuesday, March 14, “THE WORLD IS WAITING BBB⌚️,” which quickly went viral as people tried to figure out the meaning of his cryptic message. Is Jordan Poyer coming back? Are they going to pounce on Detroit Lions running back Jamaal Williams?
THE WORLD IS WAITING BBB⌚️
Two hours after McKenzie sent his tweet, ESPN’s Field Yates broke the news that the Bills also restructured Stefon Diggs’ contract, “converting base salary into a bonus and creating another $5.4M in cap space,” which seems to further indicate a big move is coming.
One fan tweeted to McKenzie, “TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW LIL DIRTY,” while another person wrote, “Come Isaiah you know #BillsMafia can’t handle the suspense!!”
McKenzie, who signed a two-year, $4.4 million deal with the Bills last season is still under contract for the 2023 NFL season, so fans tried guessing that maybe Beane was trading for Vikings running back Dalvin Cook or Cardinals star DeAndre Hopkins, or finally signing free agent Odell Beckham Jr. after attending his work out last week. Whatever the 27-year-old veteran is insinuating, he has Bills Mafia’s attention.
McKenzie Pre-Emptively Hinted on Twitter That Beasley was Returning to the Bills
GettyIsaiah McKenzie #6 and Cole Beasley #11 of the Buffalo Bills warm up at Highmark Stadium on December 17, 2022.
While it’s unclear what McKenzie is referring to on Twitter, because “Lil Dirty” sent a cryptic tweet that pre-empted Cole Beasley’s surprise return to Buffalo — he caught the attention of both fans and analysts on Tuesday.
@Bease11 what’s up?
McKenzie tweeted on November 30, “@Bease11 what’s up?,” which instantly raised some eyebrows on Twitter. If Mckenzie had wanted to catch up with Beasley, he could’ve simply texted him. But sending a public tweet got Bills Mafia riled up.
About two weeks later, Beasley came out of retirement and re-signed with the Bills on December 13. Beasley started on the practice squad before eventually getting elevated to the active roster. While the 34-year-old was used sparingly at first, he saw his targets pick things up in the postseason, making five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown.
A reunion in Buffalo: WR Cole Beasley is coming out of retirement and expected to sign with the #Bills’ practice squad, sources say. After a brief stint with the #Buccaneers earlier this season, Beasley returns to Orchard Park to provide Josh Allen with another trusted target.
Of course, Beasley is entering this offseason as an unrestricted free agent, so maybe McKenzie is once again tweeting about bringing the veteran slot receiver back to Buffalo. Beasley said he’d like to be back next year.
“I’m still hungry and my body feels good,” Beasley said, per The Buffalo News. “I still feel like I can do it and I can compete and play at a level that I’ve been playing at before this season. Obviously, I want to be somewhere that I can win, and I know that’s here, also. If that option is there, I would definitely do that. We’ll just have to see.”
The Bills Tendered Dane Jackson Shortly After McKenzie’s Tweet
Shortly after McKenzie tweeted to “BBB,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler broke the news that Buffalo was bringing back cornerback Dane Jackson. Fowler tweeted, “The #Bills plan to tender restricted free agent corner Dane Jackson, per sources. Jackson was highly productive with 57 tackles, 12 pass deflections and two interceptions as a starter in 2022. Likely an original round tender at $2.7M.”
The Bills already locked down their other two pending restricted free agents, linebacker Tyrel Dodson and cornerback Cam Lewis, so maybe McKenzie was hyping Jackson’s new deal, even though it’s not yet permanent. WGR 550‘s Sal Capaccio tweeted, “This means Jackson will be allowed to negotiate with other teams, and the Bills will have the right to match. If they choose not to, they would receive a seventh-round pick.”
Is this the year to get 2 #1 corners? I think it is.
McKenzie tweeted earlier on Tuesday, “Is this the year to get 2 #1 corners? I think it is.” However, this message could’ve been hyping the Bills’ move to secure both Lewis and Jackson while his cryptic tweet foreshadows a different move entirely. Only time will tell.