‘This team doesn’t have a lot of holes, but they filled a big one with Elam. Cook was a bit of a surprise, but I did like fifth-round receiver Khalil Shakir. This is the team to beat in the AFC.’
Archives for May 2022
Former Bills defensive end Mario Addison signs with Texans
‘In his two seasons with the Bills, Addison registered 59 tackles, 12 sacks and two forced fumbles in 32 regular-season games. He also had one sack and one forced fumble in five postseason games. Addison originally signed a three-year contract with the Bills before the 2020 season, but after the first year of the deal agreed to a reworked contract that included a pay cut and voided the 2022 season, which made him an unrestricted free agent in March.’
AFC East draft review: New York Jets keep stockpiling impressive talent
‘Grade: A. The Jets are doing a good job emulating the Bills’ blueprint of putting good weapons around their young quarterback, Zach Wilson.’
Rod Watson: Spreading the wealth on stadium project? Déjà vu all over again
‘Paul Brown, president of the Buffalo and Niagara Counties Building and Construction Trade Councils, said the unions’ pre-apprenticeship program targeted to minorities has been only “partially successful, not great,” with many dropping out before completion.’
Jerry Jones revealed Cowboys’ top 34 players in NFL draft; were any Buffalo Bills on list?
‘Buffalo’s first round pick, Kaiir Elam, came in at No. 29 on Dallas’ list. Although the Cowboys had a second round grade on Elam, Buffalo revealed that he was the final prospect on their big board with a first round grade.’
Meet the architects designing the new Bills stadium
‘In the late 80s, the former NFL linebacker spent three seasons playing for the Bills. But nobody plays football forever. Now, after a 12 year pro career, Radecic’s day job is as senior principal for design firm Populous. And his firm won the job of designing the new Orchard Park stadium.’
Roundup of NFL Draft grades shows national analysts generally approve of Bills’ class
‘I like second-round running back James Cook, but is he much different than Devin Singletary? Why not a bigger back who can run between the tackles?’
Voice of the Fan: Bills have become destination, and fan base has played more than its part
‘The Bills value character and “process guys” more than most teams, and it has become impossible to argue with it, as they have amassed arguably the best roster, one full of tremendous personalities that are as likable, lovable and laudable off the field as on it. They just added eight more. Prototypical, tough, character guys and football players.’
Pump the brakes on the ‘punt god’ and an exciting fifth-rounder: Bills draft thoughts
‘So, beyond Elam, Cook and Araiza, the Bills would love it if third-round linebacker Terrel Bernard, fifth-round wide receiver Khalil Shakir, sixth-round cornerback Christian Benford, sixth-round offensive lineman Luke Tenuta, and seventh-round linebacker Baylon Spector prove worthy of selection.’
‘We wanted him’: Buffalo Bills GM received angry texts after making this pick
‘“The gist of those texts: Damn you for taking him. We wanted him,” Silver wrote.’
Bills have rich history of marvelous nicknames
‘Nicknames add to our enjoyment of sports, and the Bills have a rich history of them. My all-time favorite is “Golden Wheels,” which was given to Elbert Dubenion, the speedy wide receiver who was an integral part of Buffalo’s back-to-back AFL championships in the mid-1960s. Those teams played their home games in old War Memorial Stadium, a concrete bowl known fondly and derisively as “The Rockpile.” In 1973, the Bills moved into Rich Stadium, and a quarter-century later it was renamed in honor of the team’s founding owner, Ralph Wilson. It wasn’t long before fans started referring to it as “The Ralph.”’
Column: NFL Draft sent Matt Araiza to AFC favorite, spotlighted challenges facing punter
‘The NFL is a faster game for punters, too. Against a quick rush, a punter may have only 1.1 or 1.2 seconds to boot the ball after it hits his hands, said Kevin Spencer, a former NFL special teams coach who worked under Bill Belichick and won a Super Bowl with the Steelers. Spencer, who hasn’t studied Araiza, said the NFL’s speed can expose a punter’s flaws.’
Fun things to know about Buffalo’s 2022 draft class
‘”The SEC for the most part, at most positions seems to be more stacked,” Beane said. “And so it is the closest one to our league to be able to project most times. So, with Kaiir (Elam) and then again today with James (Cook), we obviously watch Georgia, all of us that follow college football. He made some really big plays, including in the national championship game against Alabama. So, you see it translate.”‘
Draft Observations: History shows how critical Kaiir Elam pick is for Bills
‘There’s no getting around it. If you don’t have three capable cornerbacks, you’re going to wind up in a bad playoff matchup somewhere along the way.’
East Aurora native, Buffalo State long snapper Cole Jenkins receives invite to Bills’ rookie minicamp
‘“I’m ecstatic. It’s crazy,” he said Monday. “Coming from a Division III school, Buffalo State, being from East Aurora, being a local guy, it’s really a dream come true. I’m still processing this whole thing. It doesn’t seem real. It’s been a wild process, for sure.”’