‘“It’s extremely sad that Jon got hurt working out, but as we all know, that is a part of football,” Dawkins said Tuesday on a Zoom call with reporters. “Things happen off of the field and things happen on. Jon was a true piece to our line, but I think that the GM (Brandon Beane) and coach (Sean) McDermott did a great job last year creating depth. Because Jon got hurt, it’s not like an ultimate panic. We care, we love him. Jon is going to come back stronger and better than ever, but it’s time to push forward.”’
Archives for August 5, 2020
Veteran guard Evan Boehm no stranger to Bills’ philosophy
‘Boehm (pronounced Bame) can play guard or center. The other veteran backups on the Bills’ line (with NFL starts) are: Ty Nsekhe (17), Williams (41), Long (44), Ryan Bates (0), Ike Boettger (0) and newly acquired Brian Winters (79). There probably will be four backup jobs available. But several offensive linemen figure to make the practice squad because one is guaranteed to be promoted to the active roster from the practice list each week this season.’
All eyes on Tremaine Edmunds, Bills’ D: ‘You’ve got a target on your back.’
‘”It’s really about us just coming out every day and getting better,” Edmunds said. “I mean, it’s as simple as that. We have a different team; it’s not the same defense we had last year, so I think guys have to understand that, first, and I think that’s where it starts. Each year is going to bring new opportunities and each year is going to bring new challenges, so we just have to take advantage of every opportunity we have this year.”‘
Bills activate DT Vincent Taylor from reserve/Covid-19 list
‘Taylor’s presence became more important after Star Lotulelei decided to opt out for the 2020 season. In the four games he played with the Bills last season, Taylor had six tackles and a pass defensed. Before joining the Bills, he spent the 2017 and ’18 seasons with the Miami Dolphins.’
Bills QB Josh Allen excited to be with a ‘bunch of dudes who love football’ as camp starts
‘“While we’re on the field it’s all walk-through tempo but you get out there, you see a man across from me and you get those competitive juices flowing,” Allen said Monday during a Zoom call with reporters. “Coach is constantly telling players to slow down but I will say I’d rather have him telling us to slow down than to speed up.”’
Tremaine Edmunds’ mother made sure her three NFL-playing sons worked hard in offseason
‘“I had my mom out there and she was just killing us, but it was all for the better,” he said with a smile. “We were out there with a mission to get better. We told each other we don’t know what’s gonna happen, but we’re gonna be ready when the time comes, so we stayed pushing each other.”’
Maiorana’s Memories: New Bills QB Drew Bledsoe lit up the Vikings in 2002 OT thriller
‘In just his second game for the Bills, he set a team record for passing yards with 463, a mark that still stands, and his third touchdown pass of the day, a 48-yarder to Peerless Price in overtime, produced a thrilling 45-39 victory.’
Buffalo Bills release veteran G Spencer Long
‘Long was entering the second year of a three-year deal that he signed last offseason. The Bills will have to eat a little more than $1 million in dead cap money over the final two years of the deal. But Buffalo saves more than $2 million on their cap in 2020 and about $4 million in 2021 by releasing Long now.’
Buffalo Bills make pair of roster moves Tuesday; no deal yet with G Brian Winters
‘Buffalo still has four players on its Reserve/Covid-19 list (WR Duke Williams, CB Ike Brown, CB Dane Jackson, CB Siran Neal), bringing the active roster to 81 players (85 total counting the players on Covid list). That means that any player the Bills want to add to their roster, via free agency or back off the Covid list, requires the team to release a player.’
Bills’ Tremaine Edmunds: ‘Smart’ new LB A.J. Klein making presence felt in meeting room
‘It’s become a joke how Beane and coach Sean McDermott have created the Bills-Carolina Panthers pipeline in their three seasons in Buffalo. But in a league where continuity is king, the Bills are set up to be one of the most familiar teams in the NFL in 2020.’
Buffalo Bills still have ‘underdog mentality’ despite ‘huge target’ on their back, says Dion Dawkins
‘“We have a swagger about us, but we still have that underdog mentality,” Dawkins told the media on a Zoom press conference. “We honestly don’t care about any of that hype. We know what we have to do day in and day out. And honestly, we all know that this will be our hardest year yet because there is a giant target on us. And it is what it is.”’
McDermott: Challenges are greater than ever, but that will not impact high standard Bills have set
‘“You know, we’ve always talked about it, about winning off the field, helps you win on the field, no different this year,” he said. “I’m not lowering my standards and I don’t expect anyone in this building to be lowering their standards.”’
Marv Levy Stadium also has a nice ring to it
‘“There is no better person to bestow this honor upon than Hall of Fame Coach Marv Levy, the man who led the Bills to four consecutive AFC Championships,’’ Luchette wrote on the Change.org online petition he recently set up. “Throughout his career, Marv Levy’s decency, resilience, and intellectual curiosity were unparalleled. Indeed, they still are today. Renaming the stadium in his honor would be a fitting tribute to this great man and a worthy capstone on his football career.”’
Bills release offensive lineman Spencer Long
‘In just one season in Buffalo, Long appeared in 14 games and was primarily used as a utility lineman who could play both guard and center. The 29-year-old had signed a three-year deal with the Bills back in February of 2019 worth $12.6 million.’
Bills roster in-depth: Defensive tackle
‘Butler was a 2016 first round pick of the Carolina Panthers out of Louisiana Tech when Bills head coach Sean McDermott was the team’s defensive coordinator. New Bills defensive line coach Eric Washington was his defensive coordinator for the past two seasons there. Although he failed to live up to his first round status through his first three years in Carolina, the 6-foot-4, 330 pounder had a breakout year in 2019, collecting six sacks and 32 total tackles. Like Jefferson, Butler projects to play the interior defensive line for the Bills but has the versatility to play outside, especially in a three-down lineman set, where he had much of his success last season in Carolina.’