‘Groy and Bodine alternated as the No. 1 center, and there was no clear-cut indication which one has the edge entering training camp. Vlad Ducasse, the starter at right guard for most of last season, spent OTA and mandatory minicamp sessions at left guard, where he has rarely played during eight NFL seasons. John Miller, who Ducasse replaced at right guard in 2017, is still competing to win his starting job back and is being pushed by fifth-round draft pick Wyatt Teller. Free-agent signee Marshall Newhouse spent time at every line spot except center during offseason workouts.’
Archives for July 20, 2018
How the Bills’ front office arrived on Josh Allen as the team’s franchise QB
‘Team owner “Terry (Pegula) was standing by me – we were watching some video of Josh on our iPads – and we’re going through some plays and progressions and things like that, and literally he is grabbing on to try to get back to his seat and we’re bouncing around.”’
The Beane-McDermott Era: What’s in store for the Bills in their second year?
‘“As we got closer and closer, I know for myself and I’m sure for Brandon as well as (team owners) Terry and Kim (Pegula), there was a sense of responsibility as we got closer to that mark to do everything that we could to get there,” McDermott said. “Not that we weren’t before, but there were certain boxes we needed to check, we felt like, for our foundation – to get certain things right in the first year. Winning was one of them, we just didn’t know – you never know – how soon it’s going to happen when you’re trying to get the core of the situation better.”’
Farm to first round: Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s long strange trip to the NFL
‘“I had no offers because no one had ever come out of Firebaugh for football,” Allen said. “It’s not what we’re known for, so coaches didn’t get around to seeing much film, coaches didn’t get out to see me in person.”’
Bills’ brass thought Terry Pegula’s private plane was going to crash over Rocky Mountains
‘“We were coming in over the mountains and the plane started just doing like this,” Beane told reporters, using his hands to mimic the bouncing around in the sky that the jet underwent. “Literally, your head was going off the ceiling. Terry was standing by me, we were watching some video of Josh on our iPads, so he’s standing by me and we’re going through some plays and progressions and things like that, and literally he is grabbing on to try to get back to his seat and we’re bouncing around.”’
How Sean McDermott won the Buffalo Bills’ locker room back after starting Nathan Peterman
‘“Sean stood up there and he owned the Tyrod decision,” recalled general manager Brandon Beane. “Now, he didn’t just do that decision; he didn’t just off on a whim do that. There was a lot of in-house conversations about positives, negatives, understanding this is the quarterback, this is not easy, and you’re putting in a rookie. But at the end of the day, he went in there and he owned it to the team.”’
Jim Kelly’s ESPY speech drove Valvano’s message to laugh, think, cry across the goal line
‘In a lifetime of “finest hours,’’ this was his finest. Speaking without notes. Right from the heart. And he was on stage barely six minutes.’
Buffalo Bills’ Sean McDermott, Brandon Beane in no rush to start Josh Allen
‘While Beane mentioned the possibility of Allen not playing at all as a rookie, it is unlikely that this will occur. When looking back at the last 20 draft classes, 46-of-55 first round quarterbacks recorded at least one start as rookies and only three top-10 rookie quarterbacks did not record a start at all. Unless McCarron or Peterman can keep the Bills in playoff contention this season, Allen will get on the field when the team feels he gives them the best chance of winning.’
Bills’ Edmunds To Make Appearance In Lakewood
‘Tremaine Edmunds, a linebacker from Virginia Tech, will be present at the dealership from noon to 2 p.m. During that time, fans can have dealer-branded items signed and photos taken with him. Those who pre-register could be one of 10 winners selected for a private meet and greet.’
Before drafting Allen, Bills had a hair-raising plane ride
‘The amount of film the Bills general manager watched, games attended and people he interviewed before drafting the Wyoming quarterback in the first round was nothing compared to the hair-raising experience Beane and the team’s brain trust had visiting Allen in mid-March.’
How the Bills shocked themselves and landed Josh Allen, Tremaine Edmunds in 2018 NFL Draft
‘It required no shortage of guts and guile for the Bills to part with so many prominent players and accrue the assets to allow Beane to eventually hold pick Nos. 7 and 16 in the first round. That included also trading former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Marcell Dareus — once the highest-paid player in franchise history — and starting left tackle Cordy Glenn along the way, shocking even themselves in the process as Beane never considered a scenario where he ended the first round with both Allen and Edmunds, not in all of the thousands of hours put into scouting and preparations for what was always going to be a defining draft.’
After breaking playoff drought, Bills brass says there’s no taking steps back
‘“When I got here, you know you hear a lot of things before you come into the building,” McDermott said. “And that’s true of anyone taking any new job. You try to do your research. I had some people who had worked here before, so I knew there were some good people here. I learned from where I was that you don’t just go in and have guns blazing. You listen. And I tried to do that. And in doing so, found out there were in fact, it’s true, there were a number of good people here. And that’s really where it starts, with people in terms of building the culture. And then when Brandon got here, we continued to add. Brandon’s done a phenomenal job. I think this is where us being aligned on the DNA as he mentioned a few minutes ago, the types of people we want to bring in, not only players, but also at the staff level. That’s been a huge part of it.’
Step-by-step, how the Bills knew Allen was right for them
‘“The next step was watching him through the year, and then going to see him play live. The great thing about seeing a guy play live at quarterback is yes, I can see all the stuff that I can watch on film, but I can see all the stuff in pre-game, how’s he interacting with his guys. When they’re going through stretch lines, is he patting them on the butt and getting them going? When they go three-and-out two series’ in a row, what’s he doing? When he comes off, who’s he talking to? Is he talking to one guy, is he screaming at people, is he a mute? What’s his leadership like? It’s such an important part of playing that position, because we all know you’re going to have those days or weeks when you lose three in a row. How’s he going to respond? Can he handle adversity?”’
Buffalo Bills 2018 Training Camp Primer: Offensive Line
‘The lone draft selection along the offensive line in 2018, Wyatt Teller is a late round player that has a chance to earn playing time this season.’
Buffalo Bills 2018 Training Camp Primer: Defensive Tackle
Releasing Adolphus Washington would be a bit of a shock based on what his draft status from 2016 was as a third-round pick, but the Bills haven’t been able to find a home for him.’