WGR

‘If the “what” is 8-8, whether it impresses you at all probably will depend on the “how”.’

‘“They’ve got to win more games than they did last year, and I think you have to see a step from Josh Allen. I mean, this is year three for the regime really. And yeah, they probably bought themselves some time with making the playoffs when nobody thought they’d make the playoffs. I mean, I bet you Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane were not expecting to make the playoffs if you caught them on an honest moment. It’s still year three and much like the situation in San Francisco, Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch, Jimmy Garropolo, they’re into year three. Out there, they’re feeling the pressure to win. There should be some pressure in Buffalo.”’

‘Josh Allen’s rating starts where it ended up at the end of last season. Allen’s 74-rating is the same as the likes of Sam Darnold, Joe Flacco, and Ryan Tannehill. That’s tied for 28th among quarterbacks. A strong start to his sophomore season would likely see Allen jump into the 80s.’

‘But I have the Bills second to the Jets mainly because of the depth behind those three. Deon Lacey, Corey Thompson, and Julian Stanford all know the game and can be relied on to fill in when called upon, but the trio have a combined 12 NFL starts amongst them, and only three over the last two seasons (Thompson was a rookie last year). In a short-term situation the Bills should be fine, but if any of them has to start for an extended period of time, there may be a significant drop-off. Rookie Vosean Joseph and veteran Maurice Alexander will push the three for primary backup roles.’

‘“I’d say I’m pretty optimistic. I think that they have a good chance to build on what they did last year. I thought they were a lot better last year than I thought they would be. I think it’s between them and the Jets for second in the AFC East. And I wouldn’t be surprised, especially with all the upgrades they made in free agency, the offensive line, some of the weapons for Josh Allen, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re very firmly in the wild card mix in December.”’

‘The biggest question and X-factor not only on the DL but maybe the entire defense is the health of Trent Murphy.’

‘First-round selection Ed Oliver finished as the second highest rated defensive tackle at a 79 overall only behind Jets rookie Quinnen Williams (82 overall). Oliver was given the most speed, agility, and acceleration on the interior.’

‘”Right now it’s about refining the way he plays,” Simms said. “Being a little bit less aggressive at times and a little more accurate. But, he was one of my tougher rankings. Allen, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield all were. Because they’re more talented than guys that are in front of them, they just haven’t had the body of work or consistency yet for me to sit there and say ‘oh no they’re definitely better than some of those guys in front of them.’ Josh Allen is a guy that I certainly can see after a good season next year, being in the top 10 of my quarterback conversation.’

‘The Bills are the exact opposite of the Patriots. Instead of only turning over one player and having four returning, they’ve gone the other direction and have only one returning starter with four other positions expected to be different. And they absolutely needed to do that after last year‘s struggles.’

‘The two teams will practice against one another on Tuesday, August 13 and Wednesday, August 14 on the campus of Wofford College, where the Panthers hold their training camp. Both practices will begin at 9:25 a.m. and will be open to the public with no ticket required to attend.’

‘”What we’re worried about with Allen is that while there were positive signs from him on his feet and on the move, in the pocket and within structure, when you want him to take a three step drop and throw an accurate ball, we’re dealing with a very inconsistent quarterback. He has some nice throws… but accuracy typically isn’t something that’s gained, it’s something that’s hidden. When you have inaccuracy, you conceal it, you push it off to the side, you survive it. And Allen has always been, and probably continue to be, generally inaccurate.”‘

‘The 6′ 4″ and 254-pound Knox, a converted quarterback in college, is considered extremely athletic but a bit raw at the position catching only 39 passes for 605 yards in his collegiate career.’

‘As for Deane, he was signed by the Bills last month. He was initially signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted rookie, but was released on May 13th before being picked up by Buffalo just over a week later.’

‘“The team is working well together, we’re meshing real well,” Roberts said. “We understand that we have a lot of work to do and we have a long way to go, but that’s fine because we have plenty of time. We’ll continue to work going into training camp and into the season.”’

‘The team will also hold their annual ‘The Return of the Blue and Red’ intrasquad practice on Friday, August 2 at New Era Field. The event begins at 6:15 p.m. and is also a ticketed event.’