‘”Day 5 was when I started to get, what people are referring to as that dry cough. It’s really just kind of this nuisance cough. It’s not like I’m coughing up or anything like that, it’s like an unproductive cough. Truthfully, right around Day 7 or 8 I should have gone back to the hospital, but I kept thinking that I’ll turn the corner and I didn’t. By Day 12, I was really laboring to breathe. I could breathe in and out, my lungs were still working, but the difference was that I felt like I couldn’t get relief, I couldn’t get oxygen. That was at the point where I [realized] I couldn’t play with this, you can’t tough this thing out.”‘
WGR
Do not be afraid of Cam Newton
‘Newton makes total sense for the Bills, in that they have a Super Bowl caliber roster with a quarterback that we’re still not completely sure about. Allen should improve, but he certainly doesn’t have to. If half a season goes by and Allen is having a season similar to that of Trubisky in 2019, would you rather have a Newton to turn to and save the season, or let the year go to waste because you were afraid to have a Plan B?’
Cam Newton to the Bills is unlikely to happen
‘“You never say never. I know Cam’s mindset and Cam, I can guarantee you, and I have not spoken to him, I can guarantee you Cam’s got a chip on his shoulder. I know his DNA very well and he thinks he’s being doubted right now, so I think he would have to really change his frame of mind, I would assume. Again, this is all without talking to him, but I think he deserves a chance to go start and that’s not really the opportunity that we would have. So again, you never say never if things change in his landscape, but I hope that he’ll get a chance to, if not start, compete to start.”’
Newton won’t be a Bill but he nearly was for the last decade
‘The Bills fell to the third overall pick and had to settle for defensive tackle Marcell Dareus.’
What will the Bills get at No. 54 overall? A historic look at players picked
”It will also be a bit different for Bills fans, knowing their team won’t have a first-round pick for the first time since 2015. GM Brandon Beane will no doubt be monitoring how the first round goes and could always try to swing a deal to get back into it, but after he dealt the 22nd overall selection to the Minnesota Vikings for wide receiver Stefon Diggs, the Bills aren’t scheduled to be on the clock now until pick No. 54 overall, which will come in the second round, on the second night.”‘
Bills Draft Mailbag
‘One player that has been mocked to the Bills a number of times in the second round that might not be the most ideal selection is Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor. Devin Singletary showed no reason he can’t be trusted as the starting RB moving forward. Even after taking on the workhorse role down the stretch, he still remained one of the most efficient backs in the league as a rookie.’
Beane: Trading for Diggs was the right move for us
‘We did feel that where our offense, we needed a guy opposite of John Brown that we didn’t have. That’s why we explored the trade market last season. The more and more we looked at it, we felt like trading for Stefon Diggs was the right move for us.’
How will a virtual setup affect the NFL Draft?
‘Don’t forget about trade calls either. Can teams discuss trades on the phone, work it out virtually with their own team without consistent interruptions, and then report the agreement or come to a pick of their own in time?’
Post-free agency playoff predictions
‘#3 seed: Buffalo Bills.’
Creating the Bills Perfect Season via NFL Game Pass
‘The NFL is currently offering their Game Pass package free of charge to everyone. Included in Game Pass are full replays of every NFL game going all the way back to the 2009 season. That means Bills fans can watch some of their favorite games over the past eleven seasons, or just pass the time with other random Bills or other games from around the league.’
Beane details how the trade for Diggs came together
‘“Stefon was one that we had looked into at that point, along with some other guys, and Minnesota was not willing to part with him at that point. But we checked back in and it didn’t seem like a definitive 100% ‘no.’ They just said, ‘listen, we’re not shopping him. We just agreed to a contract a little over a year ago.’ “’
Is Brandon Beane right about the Patriots?
‘Belichick can certainly elevate the personnel he has, but it would be naive to say he can win with anything and anyone. This 2020 roster just doesn’t look like one that can carry the load without a proven QB like Brady, and win a division title.’
What needs did the Bills leave for the draft?
‘One idea Beane and head coach Sean McDermott will likely consider is bringing in an edge rusher with a high ceiling. Addison and Jerry Hughes are locked in as the two starting defensive ends, but the veterans will be 33 and 32 years old when the regular season would normally kickoff.’
McKenzie: ‘I always wanted to be back’ with the Bills
‘”I always wanted to be back, no matter who came, no matter how many recivers they drafted,” McKenzie told a contingent of local media via a video conference call on Tuesday from his home in Miami, Florida. “I felt like I had a role there, and I just want to build off what I did there and stay there and not be hopping around and things like that. I feel comfortable about it. Even though we got Stefon Diggs, that’s even better. I like the competition in the room.”‘
Don’t sleep on the Bills’ defensive line
‘Despite both defensive end Shaq Lawson and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips skipping town, the defensive line is primed to be vastly improved in 2020. It is truly a testament to how well general manager Brandon Beane has done with this roster over the course of the free agency period. It isn’t easy to replace two players entering their primes coming off the best seasons of their careers. That is 16 combined sacks from last season walking out the door, heading to the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals respectively.’