The Bills said they would keep safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. And now they are not. Tuesday’s surprise move to release the veteran defensive back directly contradicts comments made publicly by coach Joe Brady, the same day Gardner-Johnson received a one-game suspension for spitting at an opponent during the Week 6 game against the Raiders. “Look, CJ is a member of the Buffalo Bills,” Brady said on October 19. “We brought him here for a reason, and we know that he knows that he has to play better. He has to be better for this team and, you know, like everyone else, we have to learn from these things and we have to get better and find ways to get better as the season goes on.” And now Gardner-Johnson is gone. As a source explained to PFT, the Bills decided that Gardner-Johnson simply required too much “maintenance” and that the talent and production were not worth the headaches. Many other teams could have told the Bills what would happen. Gardner-Johnson has bounced around the league, from the Saints to the Eagles to the Lions to the Eagles (again) to the Texans to the Ravens to the Bears to the Bills. He’s been good enough to get more opportunities, but not good enough to keep him around in light of the problems he brings with him. The Bills hoped to take advantage of his attitude to give the defense a boost. In the end, however, baggage outweighed impulse. And now Gardner-Johnson is a free agent again. Many coaches believe they can be the ones to talk to a player’s better angels. As for Gardner-Johnson, the demons have won, too often.
