‘My idea of a practical stadium solution – and one I would guess the consultants they’ve hired would include on their list of possibilities – is removing the upper deck of New Era Field as part of another renovation, with an increase in ticket prices to offset the lost seats and to help fund the work. The Bills have poured $18 million into an amazing, state-of-the-art expansion of their training facility. Logic would strongly suggest they keep their entire operation right where it is, and continue to invest there to maximize its viability. I fully expect training camp to eventually move from St. John Fisher to One Bills Drive with the emphasis of those late-July/early-August weeks to be on actual training rather than a geographical marketing tool that has lost its usefulness.’
Archives for July 2019
Buffalo Bills’ Sean McDermott a top-10 NFL coach, says CBS Sports
‘The Bills are just 15-17 in two seasons under McDermott, but he earned a lot of respect around the league for coaxing a 10-6 campaign out of a subpar roster in 2017. The Bills’ offense took a step backward last year amid a massive personnel overhaul and quarterbacking done by rookie Josh Allen and injury replacements, but the defense showed significant strides, and that’s the side of the ball McDermott calls home.’
Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen defeats Steph Curry, other celebrities in Korbel champagne spray-off (video)
‘The video, courtesy of Korbel California Champagne via the Sacramento Bee, shows that at least one Bills fan is in attendance as the Bills shout song can be heard as Allen prepares to uncork his bottle of champagne.’
Sal’s AFC East position battles: Linebackers
‘But I have the Bills second to the Jets mainly because of the depth behind those three. Deon Lacey, Corey Thompson, and Julian Stanford all know the game and can be relied on to fill in when called upon, but the trio have a combined 12 NFL starts amongst them, and only three over the last two seasons (Thompson was a rookie last year). In a short-term situation the Bills should be fine, but if any of them has to start for an extended period of time, there may be a significant drop-off. Rookie Vosean Joseph and veteran Maurice Alexander will push the three for primary backup roles.’
Camp Countdown: No. 12 – Five positions to watch at training camp
‘All eyes will be on Brown and Beasley because they’re brand new free agent acquisitions, but they also need a ton of reps to build chemistry with Allen in the passing game.’
Who fills in for Tyler Kroft as the Bills’ starting tight end?
‘If there was a betting favorite on who will emerge, it would be rookie Dawson Knox. General Manager Brandon Beane traded a pair of fourth-round draft picks to Washington to move into the bottom of the third round and select Knox out of Ole Miss. At 6-foot-4 and 257 pounds, with a 40-yard dash time in the 4.5-second range, Knox compares physically to T.J. Hockenson, the Iowa tight end drafted eighth overall by the Detroit Lions.’
Bills’ Josh Allen reflects on ‘dumb plays’ he made as a rookie; what he learned
‘“It’s (about) staying hungry. I know there’s a lot of things that I missed on last year,” Allen, 23, said Friday during an appearance on NFL Sirius XM NFL Radio. “A lot of dumb plays going back and watching film that just were like, ‘Why did I do that? What was I thinking?’ But (now it’s about) learning from those and then going into next season and trying to apply what I’ve learned onto the field.”’
Bills training camp 2019: Is LeSean McCoy still a viable starter?
‘Can McCoy still be productive? His resume suggests that he will be with the changes made on offense. But the leash is going to be short with so many viable options behind him on the depth chart.’
Buffalo Bills training camp 2019: Frank Gore impressed with rookie Devin Singletary
‘“Devin Singletary to me is — I have him as the second-best back, and actually for comparison, I wrote down he’s got a little Shady McCoy to him. So he can make you miss. He does a great job in tight quarters. He could be in a hallway and you can’t get a finger on him. Just real loose, nice little nifty jump cut that he uses.”’
With eight new faces added to Bills offensive line group, Buffalo OC Daboll tasked with making it all work
‘“It’s been fun. We’ve added some coaches, some players, and this is the time of year to build those relationships,” said Daboll. “Not just in the building but outside the building because you have to have a trust factor when you’re in this job. I think the guys that we’ve added, both player-wise and coach-wise have done a good job. We’ve (had) good interaction.”’
Buffalo Bills preparing for 2019 Training Camp
‘Here is a quick look at the topics we will take you through over the next month or so.’
Bills depth chart 2019: Buffalo’s Josh Allen project gets needed reinforcements
‘Of course, Allen’s career is not riding on his second season, but the 23-year-old’s surroundings are less of an excuse after Buffalo found him some improved receiving and protection via free agency and the draft. For better or worse, Brian Daboll returns to coordinate the offense on Sean McDermott’s staff, so Allen at least has some coaching and scheme continuity working in his favor.’
Camp Countdown: No. 13 – What should be expected from Buffalo’s offensive line?
‘Though Morse did not get a ton of reps in the spring, he’s quickly established himself as an unquestioned leader and veteran presence on the line with plenty of playoff experience to match.’
Do the Bills have a good answer at left tackle?
‘“I’d say for this season, I’m a different player,” Dawkins said as the Bills spring practices drew to a close. “I’m taking it extremely serious because I understand every day my job is on that line. One thing wrong, we have guys who can jump in. That’s something that I can’t afford to let happen. I’m taking every step very carefully and just being me.”’
Bills’ camp stay running out at St. John Fisher?
‘Fan turnout at St. John Fisher has gradually slipped at the same time the quality of the Bills’ training facilities at New Era Field has risen to state-of-the-art levels. The whole team-bonding philosophy of NFL training camps being held off-site has given way to the efficiency of using high-quality team facilities at home.’