Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

‘“How I look at that stuff is whoever they bring in, that’s just great competition for the room,” Knox said. “I love that Jacob’s (Hollister) here now, he’s a great dude. No matter who they bring in, whether it’s a rookie or an All-Pro like Zach, I think it’ll be great just to elevate the competition. Iron sharpens iron and that’s a big philosophy that I have.”’

‘“What we’re concerned with is the things that we do to install, the things that we ask the players to do, are we doing that the proper way?” he said Tuesday during a Zoom call with reporters. “And are we going out there and executing the proper way? Whether it’s the run game or whether it’s third and long or red zone, you can look at rankings and all these stats and things like that, but ultimately it comes down to putting the players in the best position we can with a good plan and then them going out there and executing it.”’

‘“Tough decision,” said Beane, who clarified that the decision was not based on vaccine thresholds within the team. “We sent a crew up there a few weeks back. They looked at everything based on what the protocols are today. We’ve been in constant contact with the league because we really wanted to make it work at St. John Fisher. I think you guys have heard Sean and myself, how much we think it’s a great setup for us.”‘

‘But Kelly never had a season like the one Allen put up in 2020, a year so impressive that Allen finished second to Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers in the NFL’s MVP balloting and re-wrote the Bills’ record book.’

‘“I’m concerned about it, being very up front,” he said. “It’s something we’ve talked about and I don’t think the right word is trying to convince (people to get the shot); I think the right word is to educate and build awareness and then let people decide. It’s kind of two-pronged, if you will, with health and safety and then what you’ve got to do to do your job. I think those are the two prongs of the fork right now that must be considered and considered seriously.”’

‘Obviously, that would extend to the Pittsford campus where thousands of fans show up each day to watch practice. McDermott said several members of the organization have visited Fisher to discuss how things might operate if the Bills decide to come, but those talks are in the preliminary stage.’

‘“It’s definitely something I pride myself on, being competitive and going out there and preparing myself like I’m the starter,” Anderson said when the Bills conducted their rookie minicamp two weekends ago. “That’s something I’m excited about, the opportunity of just going out there and earning my spot.”’

‘And while the number of league-wide injuries increased slightly in 2020, it’s awfully tough to pin that on lack of offseason practice time, given that injuries are basically random and can happen at any point – practice or games – for a wide variety of reasons, one of which can be bad luck.’

‘Unless the Bills add some veteran competition before training camp or perhaps at the end of training camp once league-wide cuts are made – which is not out of the question – Hamlin has a great chance to earn the fourth safety spot.’

‘He even went so far as to say that if it was essentially a toss up on whether to cut one player as opposed to another, all other things being equal, he’d probably lean toward cutting a non-vaccinated player if it helps the Bills get to the 85% vaccination threshold the NFL has set which would allow teams to relax COVID-19 protocols.’

‘“Yeah, yeah, a few people did recognize us and we were able to talk to a couple of parents, take a few pictures, so it was pretty cool,” he said. “It was awesome to see how passionate fans are and having people recognize us at the airport.”’

‘As such, the NFL is making sure the Bills get plenty of national exposure which is why it has scheduled Buffalo for four prime time games (only one of those at home), with the possibility for more based on late-season flexing.’

‘The Patriots will be the biggest impediment to that quest and they’re going to be a tough nut to crack after suffering their first sub.-500 record since 2000 and missing the playoffs for just the third time in the 21st century.’

‘Being bypassed in the first round, where some draft analysts projected the Wake Forest standout might get picked, is only the latest slight that will fuel his competitive nature when he takes the field at One Bills Drive in search of not only a roster spot, but a key role in Sean McDermott’s defense.’

‘“If you don’t, it’s going to look more like last year. Social distant meetings, encourage meetings to be virtual, mask in the building, maybe even mask on the sideline, who knows. A lot of that is still to be determined. I hope that if those are the rules, that we’ll be able to get enough people vaccinated and not have to deal with all the headaches.”’