Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘The schedule will be announced on Wednesday, May 14. However, if the Bills are chosen to play an international game, those games are released one day earlier on May 13.’

‘ Of course this is nothing new for the 2020s-era Bills. Because of their five straight AFC East division titles, two appearances in the AFC Championship Game, having the second-most victories among all teams in the half-decade, and the fact that they have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Josh Allen, the Bills have become prime-time darlings.’

‘“I feel like it didn’t the older I got, but from a young age it definitely gave me a lot of anxiety,” he said Friday. “I’m not going to say depression, but just kind of in my own head about everything, always worried about what other people thought. And the older I got, the more I got within sports, I kind of grew away from that.”’

‘With two roster spots still available, it could still happen, especially when you consider how much Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane love bringing back players they have familiarity with, both from their days with the Carolina Panthers and now with the Bills.’

‘“This will be my third team, and just the stigma that kind of goes around,” he said Monday during an introductory Zoom call with Bills reporters. “I know who I am, I know what I stand for. So when the opportunity with the Bills opened up, it just kind of sparked some … a lot of smiles, a lot of engagement, just to hear, like, how I would be viewed and fit in.”’

‘The Jets have a new head coach in Aaron Glenn, a new GM in Darren Mougey, and with that comes transition. The new hierarchy has to change so much, and it seems unlikely that in year one they will be able to end the Jets’ playoff drought which dates back to 2011 and is the longest in the NFL.’

‘Buffalo has been in talks with Moore for weeks but the two parties took a wait-and-see approach to how the Bills addressed the wide receiver position in the NFL Draft. Buffalo didn’t take a receiver until Maryland’s Kaden Prather in the seventh round, No. 240 overall.’

‘The Bills lost Mack Hollins to the Patriots, and they didn’t re-sign Amari Cooper. They signed Palmer to effectively replace Cooper, and they just signed Moore Wednesday, a player who can line up inside and out and has 200 career catches in four seasons for the Jets and Browns. They surprisingly did not add anyone of substance in the draft (Kaden Prather in the seventh round probably isn’t helping) so newcomers Palmer and Moore will have to step up to help Shakir. Of course, the same goes for Coleman who was hurt and underwhelming in his rookie year, and for Samuel who never found his niche. The Moore signing might push Shenault off the roster unless he can definitively win the kickoff return job and contribute elsewhere on special teams.’

‘Walker brings exactly what the Bills’ defensive line has needed; size to clog up the middle against the run and drag blockers away from both Ed Oliver plus the back seven on run plays. His pass rush is not elite, but he did have 7.5 sacks in the 2023 season when he was named second-team All-SEC.’

‘Hancock will come in and compete to provide depth behind Taron Johnson where right now, the main backup is utility player Cam Lewis. Hancock actually profiles similarly to Lewis in that he can play safety if needed.’

‘With Quintin Morris out testing free agency and apparently not coming back to Buffalo, the third-string TE right now is Zach Davidson behind Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox. Davidson is not a good blocker which the Bills covet in their in-line tight ends, but Hawes certainly was in college. That will be his path to the roster.’

‘The strategy at cornerback is clearly to bring in as many candidates as possible and may the best man win. Now, Strong won’t have much of a chance staring up at first-round pick Max Hairston and veteran free agents Tre’Davious White and Dane Jackson, but his goal should be to at least get on the practice squad and spend the season there, then compete for a roster spot in 2026 when White and Jackson will probably be gone.’

‘Lundt will compete for a backup role at tackle with holdovers Ryan Van Demark, Tylan Grable and Richard Gouraige. It will be a tough haul for him to beat out Van Demark or Grable, but he could earn a place on the practice squad where he could develop.’

‘Prather will have a shot to find a place on the practice squad and who knows where it goes from there. If he can play on special teams, that would help his cause, but it’s rare when a seventh-round pick makes much of a dent.’

‘The only corners who went in the first round besides Hairston were two-way star Travis Hunter at No. 2 to the Jaguars, and Jahdae Barron to the Broncos at No. 20. Will Johnson was expected to be gone, but a knee condition dropped him all the way to the middle of the second round, and Trey Amos – a popular mock pick to the Bills – lasted until the end of the second round.’