Niagara Gazette

‘“I’m just trying to take it all in, be present in these moments,” Poyer said Friday. “Not worried about what’s going to happen this offseason or next year. This is my time, this is our time to be here to learn, to grow and to evolve as people and as a football team. Let the dominoes fall how they fall. We’re gonna play hard and there’s gonna be some ups, there’s gonna be some downs.”’

‘But no matter who starts with the first group, Jackson eventually works his way back into the lineup by the end of practice.’

‘“None of us want to be labeled as, ‘Oh, this guy is for this situation, this guy’s from this situation,’” Harris said. “… That’s why we come out here and work so hard and you know, not just running the ball, but catching, blocking, doing all these things to make us complete backs. Because we all are gonna have to do a lot of different things.”’

‘“Forcing my way out of anywhere is not my goal,” Diggs said. “I don’t feel like I have to at this point. I feel like I’m in a great space, a great place, I’m loved and I’m appreciated. At the end of the day that’s all I want. That’s all anybody would want in any job that you do.”’

‘“I think that that goes a long way in terms of building a football team or any team for that matter,” McDermott said. “That chemistry is important, that bond is important. If you don’t have that, it’s hard to get it once the season happens because it’s go, go, go during the season.”’

‘Miller, linebacker Tyler Matakevich and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips will all begin training camp on the PUP list. Miller is still recovering from a torn ACL in Week 12 last season, while Phillips is rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Players can be removed from the PUP list any time before the start of the regular season.’

‘Since McDermott was hired in 2017, 14 players have started multiple games at guard for the Bills, including six over the last two seasons. But only two of those players — Cody Ford and Wyatt Teller — were drafted by Buffalo and both were subsequently traded.’

‘Offensive line, defensive line and linebacker are the three areas to watch throughout camp and if the Bills choose to keep an extra player for any position, it likely comes from one of those three groups.’

‘Hines never became a significant part of Buffalo’s offense last season after being acquired in a trade from Indianapolis for Zack Moss and a fifth-round pick. He had 13 total touches and one touchdown after arriving with the Bills, but he did return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the regular season finale against the Patriots, the first game following Damar Hamlin’s collapse in Cincinnati.’

‘He still transitioned from being a baseball-first athlete to football and slowly learned the game, finally breaking through as a junior. By the end of his career, Shorter rarely left the field during games. South Brunswick has an enrollment of almost 3,000 students, but coach Joe Goerge didn’t use a big roster and Shorter played receiver, cornerback and special teams.’

‘The Bills sacked or hit quarterbacks on 6.2% of dropbacks before Miller’s injury and 6.1% afterwards. But they put pressured on quarterbacks — including hits and sacks — on 18.6% of dropbacks without Miller and 15.8% without him.’

‘The Bills now have a stable of four adequate running backs and the question isn’t if all of them make the final 53-man roster as much as if they are going to use more than one consistently by the end of the season.’

‘Not only did Edmunds lead Buffalo in tackles during all five of his seasons, but he played in all but seven games and played nearly 95% of the team’s defensive snaps when active. More importantly, he had the size and range to allow Buffalo to predominantly play five defensive backs.’

‘“After taking time over the past several months to evaluate the business side of our operation, we wanted to revamp and improve our structure,” Pegula said in a statement. “We have a tremendous amount of confidence in this management committee we have constructed. I have had a high level of trust and strong working relationships with John, Kathryn and Josh over the years and expect them each to successfully continue to lead our business operations in the years to come. Penny’s wealth of experience at the collegiate level and personality will add to our team as he transitions into his new role with the Bills and our new stadium.”’

‘Shakir might be the early favorite to play in the slot because he has one year more of experience than newcomers Harty and Sherfield. Sherfield played outside in Diggs’ absence during OTAs, drawing praise, including from Allen.’