Niagara Gazette

‘For all the blame placed on Dorsey over 1 ½ seasons, the Bills still had a top-five offense in the NFL, so Brady’s desire is to craft an offense based on the personnel on the roster, finding ways to make Allen comfortable by keeping some of what was working in the past and adding some new wrinkles.’

‘Gone from last year is 178 years of total NFL experience, and more importantly, 82 total years of experience with the Bills. Buffalo moved on from 13 players with at least four years of experience with the team, seven who had at least five.’

‘“We don’t have the luxury of relying on previous reps,” Allen said. “We don’t have in-game experience with a lot of these guys, so every day is a chance to learn and grow and we’re going into it with that mindset. I appreciate the guys for how hard they’re working.”’

‘But the Bills are looking to solidify the No. 2 running back spot behind James Cook and they also have to replace more than 1,200 special teams snaps from a year ago. Gore’s ability to find holes or to pick up blitzers as a running back is important, but he also knows his ability to cover kickoffs and punts might be his ticket to a full-time job.’

‘The Bills had 10 practices open to the public at the school last year and 11 the year before. No practice times or further dates have been released, but the Bills did confirm the annual red and blue practice would be held Aug. 2 at Highmark Stadium.’

‘The general consensus: Despite the often-lofty projections on economic returns pushed by supporters, such projects, even those involving pro-level teams like those found in the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball, often lead to disappointing results for taxpayers.’

‘The free agent safety spoke Thursday at Northtown Automotive ahead of his annual charity softball game and said that he’s in “no rush” to make a decision, but it’s been narrowed down to playing with the Bills or retiring. On the few occasions Hyde has spoken publicly since the season ended, he has consistently said there’s no hurry to make a decision on his future, which is what he said following Buffalo’s playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.’

‘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.’