Hapless Bills Fan

Is it really that hard? Focus on the Football aspect of the topic, and stay away from playing Epidemiologist, Virologist, Covid Transmission Expert, and Political Scientist. I'll give it a try: since the NFLPA has already requested daily testing of vaccinated players, is it reasonable to assume that the majority of their members, who are majority vaccinated, are in favor of this, and would have no problem testing more frequently? If that's the case, then I don't understand why the NFL doesn't throw the NFLPA a bone and go with the daily testing for all that the NFLPA requested. Are they baulking at the expense, or what?

Fair question. I think the NFLPA screwed the players on this one. I wonder if they winced and bought in because of the lower cap, though? Lower cap and more players = less funds per player? To the topic, Buffalo Bills article on Kumerow: https://www.buffalobills.com/news/definition-of-a-gamer-jake-kumerow-aims-to-lock-down-a-spot-on-the-bills-53-man- I will say from what I've seen, Kumerow can make blocks both downfield and down the LOS

I wonder if this is an opening negotiation and they'll settle on 2 or 3x/week

I guess this could work, cutting us down to 7 WR and 4 DT and bopping us back up to 3 TE and 4 RB. I thought Hollister wasn't vested, but looking him up again, he likely is. It depends upon how close they believe McKenzie and Phillips, are though. If they go on IR, they have to stay there at least 3 games. If McDermott is correct that they are working within the timeline of 2-ish weeks, and there are 2.4 weeks before the season opener, he might not want to lose them to IR for 3 games. The other thing there is, if they IR McKenzie for 3 games, are they counting on Stevenson to hold down the KR/PR duties, when he's just off an injury himself? And why Hodgins on the roster? He's spent a long time in the preseason not practicing, why does he get a roster spot and not PS? Does Joe B think teams around the league are gonna be slavering after him? I still think Joe B got a bit too cute with this.

Wow, this is a bit "Edgy" in several directions. For reference, here is a Buffalo Rumblings article on 2020 53 man roster. QB (3), RB (4 w/o Gilliam) WR (6) TE (4 incl Gilliam) OT (4 counting Ford) IOL (6 not counting Ford) DE (5) DT (4) LB (6) CB (5) S (3) Specialist (3) So fundamentally, Joe B has the Bills loading up on WR (+2) and DL(+3) and going heavier on S(+1) at the expense of RB (-1), TE (-2), OL (-1), LB (-1) and the "free square" of not keeping an extra QB. Basically, I think this is a little bit of a "cop out" by Joe; he sees an excess of talent at WR and DL and instead of making hard choices says "keep 'em all" Notable or Controversial: RB: the absence of ST Ace Gunner Taiwan Jones WR: keeping 8 WR - I would say, Not Gonna Happen. we kept 6 last year. Hard choices will have to be made. TE/FB - since Gilliam is a hybrid, keeping only 1 TE? By FAR the Bills most common set last year was (1,1). I don't see us moving 100% away from that, so Nope. OT - it's possible that we keep only rookie OTs as backup, as Hart has looked on par, and both Bates and Ford can play T in a pinch. DE and DT: it's again possible that we keep 7 DE, but that's going to go with keeping 4 DT and having Basham play DT at times. LB: Last year we kept 6. I know we predominantly stay in nickel, but since Matakevich and Smith are ST staples they're risking injury every ST snap, making Klein effectively the only reserve. CB: Last year we kept 5, and it really wasn't enough at times.

Take 1: Josh: "McDermott's whole body is this color" (SNAP! with @LeGOATski) Take 2: Diggs: "Josh, whadda you mean, Treetrunks? Dawkins got calves bigger than those toothpicks"

credit to originator:

I would assume, but either our reporters were all distracted by McDermott's presser/Beasley and McKenzie, or they're taking a break - there's been a dearth of information about today's practice!

Not sure who the QB was on this, and I think it was yesterday but...Yowza

https://www.audacy.com/wgr550/sports/bills/stevenson-returns-to-practice-mckenzie-still-sidelined?utm_campaign=sharebutton&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_term=WGRAM

And on this note....these topics should Absolutely be able to be discussed here, but I just removed a veritable Coleslaw (see what I did there?) of posts, warned 2 guys, and have a list of 5 more chaps who are gonna be hearing from me... ....apparently, we CAN'T discuss these topics without bringing up every Cat's opinions on Covid, Politics, and all sorts of other schutff. If someone wants to start a new McD presser thread with the link to the presser and some quotes, I'll support.

Valid point that it depends upon the contract, my point is that this isn't a "Freedom of Speech" issue - employers have a right to place limits on employee speech. I take your point that the football contracts aren't written that way, but I also believe that if you were to go on social media and start discussing "your own view" that the Baseball-specific protocols you have to follow are stupid and you're going to "live your best life" and not follow them, your employer might just consider that you're discussing baseball-related specifics precluded in your contract and tell you to STFU. I think you love your job, so suggest you don't test this. The NFL does famously have that "conduct detrimental to the League" clause in there which can mean...pretty much whatever they want it to mean, perhaps?

Ah, OK, I think I misheard "into" as "in". Changes the meaning considerably.

Simon's thing is keeping the daily Practice Thread pure and we have had requests for a "Pure" Covid Impacts thread. Other threads are fair game. Presser:

Yes. Beasley is correct on that specific point. In fact it's my understanding that the NFLPA has asked the NFL to make changes to the protocols, and the NFL has refused so far. We'll see if they change their viewpoint. But see, pointing fingers and saying "fault" isn't constructive. The question is "how do we keep the facility safe and maintain player health and availability?" If vaccination is a choice for players, then the protocols have to protect players who choose to be unvaccinated.

*shrug* I don't think that's a productive perspective at all. I think a more productive perspective is, "what do we got to do to get through the season and maximize everyone's availability?" There were data based on the Covid variants at the time we were 2-3 months into vaccinations , and the NFL protocols appear to have been designed based upon that data (I put some calculations up over on the Covid Facts thread if anyone cares, but hit me in PM if you have questions). That was then, this is now, and the data emerging based on the current Covid variants suggest different protocols are needed. It would be like being told to expect a bright sunny day for a hike in the Rocky Mountains. But while you're at the trailhead ready to depart, you see clouds thickening and the wind kicking up and your weather sense tells you to expect a storm. So to keep on track for your hike, you better pack a raincoat and rainpants, maybe choose an alternate route that will keep you off exposed ridges in case of thunderstorms, maybe pack a RON emergency kit and a pile jacket in case it turns cold. It does no good to complain that you're being "punished" by needing to lug along a pile jacket and a raincoat when the forecast "promised" a bright sunny day where all you carried was a snack and a bottle of water; you can't hike the forecast, you have to hike the weather you find.

I partly disagree on several points. Overarching point, Freedom of Speech does not apply as an employee to matters regarding your employment. Your employer has a right to limit your speech with regard to any matter relevant to the employer, as a condition of your employment. I worked for a company where it was part of my contract that we were NOT to be interviewed or give statements to the press for any matter regarding that company. I could open my yap and express any opinion I like about politics or the environment or even drug research in general, but if it was about my company's research programs or products or facilities, one "slip of the lip" and I'd get the ax. Happened to a co-worker who gave a statement to the press about an on-site active shooter incident at one of our facilities - she never walked back into that building. Next point, on the one hand, McDermott wants players to express their opinions, he's not Belichick-ian there, and that's a good thing. On the other hand, I'm fairly sure from various things McDermott has said, that they don't want the players to conduct themselves in a way that becomes a distraction to the team or brings controversy on the team. He expects judgement and respect in what they say. So (for example) we typically don't see Bills players taunting other team players calling them "Trash" or saying "I Dunked on Them"- I think McDermott would counsel them "do your talking on the field". About the most controversial thing I've heard a Bills player say under McDermott is Milano saying "we're fairly confident we can contain him" about Lamar Jackson, and that's pretty mild. It came across as "Whoao" and generated a bit of buzz, in part because it was so unusual for any McDermott player to say anything about an opponent other than praise for them. Last point, With the NFL covid protocols and a prominent respected veteran on the team saying publicly on social media "I'm not going to follow them" - for one thing, that's a clear-cut way to bring extra enforcement attention on the team; it creates controversy in the press; and both are a distraction.

In the case of Cole Beasley, he made a very public issue on twitter that he would get tested every day, but otherwise "my day is the same as everyone else", no masks, no restrictions, in or out of the facility. McKenzie is "Dad's" loyal apprentice, has been public in his support of Beasley and is possibly taking his cues from him. So no, I don't think it's just laziness or lackadaisical attitude. Again, Cole made a very public issue on twitter that he would not follow the rules and that he didn't care about money, he would play for free if he had to. I don't know if he was considering being suspended for 4 games as a possible occurrence. My guess is "no". Now I think McDermott may have sat down and had a heart-to-heart with him about vaccination being his choice but was he In (follow the rules, don't be a distraction) or Out (do his own thing, distract away)? and I believe Cole chose "In". I expect there is going to be another convo. I agree with the first. As far as the second, I think it's more likely the NFL's medical officers are taking guidance from the CDC and looking for data from the US (which has been very slow to emerge) on which to base any changes, and also they don't want to be "trigger happy" and make changes that later data don't support. They established their pre-season protocols and decided they would run with them, see how they worked, then adapt.

If he's had the vaccine shots but is still in the 2 week window where he still counts as unvaccinated,there's nothing to dispute.

Not necessarily. He could have been in the process of being vaccinated between the warning (July 27th, start of training camp) and the observed masklessness August 26th. For example, if he got vaccinated on July 27th with Pfizer, he would get his 2nd shot August 17th but not count as "fully vaccinated" to the NFL until August 31st. Until August 31st, the non-vaccinated protocols would apply.

Did McDermott give a timeline for McKenzie or for Phillips? I didn't see that reported in his Presser thread, but I was kinda busy taking out the trash (so to speak)

I just hid a bunch of off topic Seatbelt discussion, I understand the intent of the analogy but it was getting 2nd and 3rd responses about seatbelts and not football. Time to steer the vehicle back on the Prime Purpose road Errr...so to speak. If your post disappeared just want y'all to know why

Not 100% if serious or in jest, but from McKenzie's verified account "I'm vaccinated sir"

I have never been in a football lockerroom. But talking to those who have, there's this background of tolerance. You have guys who are total playahs next to guys who have sisters they wouldn't want them to date or who are loyal married men. You have Thin Blue Line guys (or even guys who retweet white Supremicists) next to Black Lives Matter supporters who have friends and relatives killed by police. And somehow they all talk to each other and come together and get along on the field. I don't imagine this is too different. I would imagine they respect the person and the player and just not their views. To put it in an analogy that might be closer to home for many of us, there are times in raising a teenager when I think most of us parents have said something like "I love you Dearly, and that will Never Change, but I don't love the way you're behaving right now"

I believe it's a Bills media rule. Other teams have rules we wouldn't like - I think the Ravens media aren't allowed to film Lamar throwing passes