Niagara Gazette

‘The Bills are set to play five primetime games in 2024, a year after playing seven last season. The NFL could flex the Bills into more primetime games near the end of the season, which is what happened for the regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins.’

‘Valdes-Scantling has caught 186 passes for 3,155 yards — a 17-yard average — and 16 touchdowns over six seasons, which included two Super Bowl rings with the Kansas City Chiefs the last two seasons. The 29-year-old also brings experience playing with elite quarterbacks, having played his entire career with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay and Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City.’

‘“Coach Henry has been helping me a lot,” Coleman said. “We’ve been Zooming the past week or so and just breaking it down into pieces, understanding the terminology and within each play, what they’re to get done with the read. That makes it very, very simple, because there are so many concepts you can run.”’

‘“It’s hard,” Murphy told WBEN. “It wasn’t that hard until the last day or two. I’ve been thinking about all the things I’ll miss a great deal. … I’ll miss the people more than anything.”’

‘Thursday’s announcement that John was stepping aside, officially, as the play-by-play announcer for the Buffalo Bills was one that even those — myself included — who held out hope wouldn’t come, knew was inevitable 16 months after suffering a stroke. Even though it was a difficult decision for him, it’s not a day to be sad, but one to remember the highlights of a career of a man whose craft was defined by his passion for Buffalo sports, particularly the Bills.’

‘The knock over the past 20 years is that running backs break down early, and with an emphasis on the passing game, they are valued less financially and in the draft, with five backs taken in the first round over the last five years and six were taken in the first round in 2000. And in an attempt to decrease wear and tear, teams have gone to a rotation in the backfield, but it hasn’t lengthened many careers.’

‘Claypool is the most intriguing of the trio, given the early success in his career after the Pittsburgh Steelers made him a second-round pick in 2020 and that he’s still only 25 years old. The problem is that Claypool has floundered the last two seasons.’

‘One of the most stable rosters in the NFL was turned upside down, shaken and flipped back over during the offseason. There are still 16 spots left to be filled by undrafted free agents before training camp, but there’s an infusion of new blood that could create intrigue Buffalo hasn’t been accustomed to over the last few years.’

‘“He will have a lot to learn but we think his DNA, his intelligence, super smart by all accounts at Utah when we spent some time with him, our coaches did and this guy knows ball and seems like he’s a quick processor and understands that he’ll have work to do,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said. “… He’s going to have a hard time starting at the beginning of the season, but we’ll see how it all shakes out. We told him today, just learn the playbook, follow the vets and your time will come.”’

‘One of the top run defenders in the NFL, Rousseau ranked 10th by Pro Football Focus among defensive ends and 14th among all defensive linemen with a grade of 79.6.’

‘Jokes aside, the Bills need instant production from the No. 33 overall pick. Perhaps it’s unrealistic to assume he’s going to achieve 1,000 yards, but Buffalo can’t trade away Stefon Diggs and expect to survive without replacing his numbers in some fashion.’

‘It’s fair to feel tepid about replacing an All-Pro like Stefon Diggs with an unproven 20-year-old and maybe the decision will flop, but Beane’s track record shows he deserves the benefit of the doubt until shown otherwise. Beane crafted a roster that produced more wins (48) than anyone in the NFL but the Chiefs (51) over the last four seasons.’

‘The Bills are going to find out as early as the first rookie minicamp practice whether they made a mistake or not on certain players. But they took another step forward in accomplishing what’s necessary and that’s finding younger players who can produce at a cheaper price tag.’

‘Analysis: Coleman should slide into the lineup immediately and see a significant number of targets. Being Buffalo’s top target or gaining 1,000 yards might be a stretch as a rookie, but he’s not a player to bring along slowly.’

‘“Is he going to run away from people? Probably not,” Beane said. “It’s probably not his No. 1 strength. I think his play speed is definitely faster. We were able to get access to the GPS times. I would feel his play speed is closer to 4.5. Not 4.4, but plenty fast, separation ability, the ability to drop his weight … If he was true 4.4 game speed, he wouldn’t have been available.”’