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If nothing else, he seems pretty emotional about getting another shot at the NFL... “Words can’t describe the emotions I’m feeling right now. So many tears, sleepless nights, depression, everything that comes with losing the game. So many days of having nothing but hope while fighting a uphill battle. There where times that I thought maybe I should give up, but I wouldn’t be me if I folded.Even in my darkest moments I believed in myself. I believed in my preparation. I believed that I would have another opportunity even if the world didn’t believe. There are so many people that have been on this journey with me supporting me and I thank you all!!! When I needed someone to lean on you all wouldn’t let me fall. Most importantly thank you God!!! It’s official im a Buffalo Bill!!!I’m so grateful and excited for this opportunity this moment I’ve dreamt about for 4 years. I’m back!!!!!!!” This was an Instagram quote quoted in Ryan Talbot's NYup article: www.newyorkupstate.com/buffalo-bills/2023/05/buffalo-bills-sign-former-1st-round-pick-shane-ray-heres-what-edge-rusher-said-on-return-to-nfl.html

My questions... Will Dorsey do better in Year 2 than he did in the second half of Year 1? Dorsey follow up: Dorsey has a diverse RB room - will he figure out how to optimize their individual skill sets? Did Beane do enough to fix the OL? Will Kincaid make an impact as a rookie? Will Josh's UCL bother him again this season? Will Gabe step up? (Although, even if he doesn't, I think top-to-bottom we have a better receiving corps this year). We need affirmative answers on these for the Bills to have the best offense ever. But what does "best" even mean? In 1990, the Bills averaged 26.8 points a game - best in the NFL that year but wouldn't be this season. Rule changes tend to promote scoring so I'm not sure how to compare offenses from different eras.

OBJ and DHop were prohibitively expensive. Maybe Von came to Beane about Ray, and Beane thought - what the heck, we're not strong at DE, Ray is cheap, maybe he's worth a look. In the end, Beane's doing what's best for the team but given Ray's recent history, he might not have been on Beane's radar. Maybe Von put him there?

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Poor guy is not living the NFL dream he expected when he was drafted in the first round. 2015 to 2016. Career starts out okay. Plays in 30 games his first two seasons. Collects 68 tackles, 12 sacks and scores a TD (on the recovery of a Von-forced fumble). Wins Super Bowl. 2017 to 2018. A recurring wrist injury limits his playing time and effectiveness. Spends part of these years on IR. 2019. Signed by Baltimore in the offseason but fails to make the final cut. Doesn't play in 2019. 2020. Out of football. 2021 to 2022. Plays for the Argonauts. More injury problems but wins Grey Cup. The guy has seriously good juju. In his short career, he's won both the Grey Cup and Lombardi. I'm guessing Ray was brought in as a favor to Von. But we might want to keep him as a good luck charm!

This is an awesome comment by someone who knows their Buffalo football history. Thanks for posting! I get what you're saying about Hughitt not being the star. Somewhere I read Ockie Anderson - who rotated with Hughitt at QB and RB - was the better runner. But Hughitt was no slouch as a player. As I understand it, he was always on the field making meaningful contributions at one position or another. In 1920, Hughitt scored 52 points (8 TDs, 4 conversions) of Buffalo's league-leading 258 points. Hughitt, by himself, outscored our opponents who managed only 32 points against us that season. In 1922, George Halas & the Canton Daily News named Hughitt the starting QB of the NFL All-Pro team. The All-Americans had the best record over the first two years of the league and scored - by far - the most points. They also had the biggest point differential. When you consider his accomplishments both as a player and coach, Hughitt is worthy of the HOF, though I know his induction will never happen. In 1969, when Canton named its 1920s all-decade team, they didn't include Hughitt or any Buffalo players, despite our early dominance. Btw, it seems very Billsy that the Buffalo squad tied for the league lead in the first two seasons of the NFL but still didn't win a championship. P.S. As a football historian, you're probably aware of the good article on Hughitt posted by the Pro Football Researchers Association: www.profootballresearchers.org/biography/Hughitt_Tommy.pdf

Dorsey will make sure Diggs is a big part of the game plan. He'll finish with 10 receptions on 13 targets in a Bills win.

Yeah, how well guys will be recovered from last year's injuries worries me: Tre, Miller, Hyde, Poyer and let's not forget Josh. I hope - we all hope - his UCL doesn't trouble him this season.

Good topic for the offseason! Sterling Sharpe... When you watched him play, you thought: Here's a future Canton guy. Some guys actually in the Hall didn't impress me that way when they played. Cookie Gilchrist... 6x All-Pro in CFL; 4-time All-Pro in AFL; 1962 AFL MVP; led team to AFL Championship in 1964; set the professional single-game rushing record (243 yards); AFL All-Time starting FB. Larry Felser used to say Cookie was every bit as good as Jim Brown. Steve Tasker... We all know why. Tommy Hughitt... The best player on the old Buffalo All-Americans playing QB, WR, RB, punter, kicker, and defense while also serving as coach. In 1920, Hughitt and the All-Americans finished the season with the highest point total & point differential and tied for the best record in the NFL. With no playoffs back then, the championship was decided by a vote which we, of course, lost. In 1921, Hughitt led the Buffalo All-Americans to a 9-1-2 record. Again, they had the highest point total and point differential. Again, they tied for the league lead. However, the NFL counted a Buffalo exhibition game against them and awarded the title to Chicago in a scandal known as the "Staley Swindle." If not for corrupt NFL politics, Hughitt would have been able to claim championships in the first two years of the NFL, both as a star player and head coach. Hughitt currently sits 6th on the all-time NFL winning percentage (.694) as a coach - ahead of Belichick, Cowher, Dungy, Shula, Paul Brown, and many other current and future HOFers.

You're welcome! After I read it, (1) I began really rooting for the kid, and (2) started thinking and wondering if we signed someone more talented than his career stats may indicate. I'm glad the OP started this thread because Sherfield's been under the radar.

I won't disagree with the preseason ranking. But when Josh throws for over 5,000 yards this year, some folks may want to reevaluate where they ranked our receivers.

Agreed. When Gabe hurt his ankle, we needed outside depth and didn't have it. Sherfield and Harty are both more talented, accomplished wideouts than Kumerow. We also didn't have someone to work the middle of the field. Beane said that was supposed to be Crowder's role and we know what happened to Crowder. We also have greater TE depth this year. Last season, Knox was our only legit TE. And while he wasn't bad, I wonder if the death of his brother negatively impacted his play. He seemed to disappear some games. Kincaid's addition to the TE ranks is exciting. I hope Gabe steps up this year. But even if he doesn't, this is a better receiving corps top-to-bottom than last year.

Well said and I agree wholeheartedly! I'm a greedy fan. I hope Josh gets even better. I hope he elevates his game to the point that people start talking about him as the GOAT. But even if he never improves, I'm still happy. Josh is already good enough to win a Lombardi if the rest of the roster is there and chips fall our way. Being a Bills fan used to be a masochistic test of loyalty. With Josh, it's a joy.

We have to play them twice anyway. Might as well open with them - as others have wisely said - hopefully before Rodgers develops timing & rhythm with his pass-catchers. The Jets were good last year outside of the QB position. It should be a fun game, pitting the grizzled, old-generation signal caller versus the exciting young gun. Good storylines: Can the savvy, ring-wearing, maybe long-in-the-tooth veteran resuscitate a moribund Jets franchise and have them compete with the AFCE's new king of the hill? Will a Bills franchise beset by challenges in 2022 return this year better and stronger?

There are hundreds of people who professionally comment on the NFL with hundreds of different opinions. Last year, a bunch of these guys opined that the Bills would win the Super Bowl. That didn't work out. The preseason buzz is meaningless. I really don't care what Acho thinks. I don't even know (or care) who this guy is. I do know that the Bills are one of the teams with a realistic shot of winning it all. So let the talking heads talk and enjoy the ride when the season begins.

I'm pretty sure Beane signed Sherfield, not McD. And I doubt if religion is something McD pays close attention to. McD is the coach of a football team. His goal is to win on the gridiron. Not establish a church choir. Sherfield was signed because he has some talent and we didn't have much depth last year.

I'm with you. 30 catches last year on a less prolific offense. He'll get more than 12 with us. Seems like a good kid. Nice combo of size and speed... Can play outside or slot... Earned PFF's highest grade blocking as a WR last season... 3rd highest YAC over expected last year (only behind Jaylen Waddle and Deebo Samuel)... Dorsey will let him play.

Thanks for sharing. Here's another good one - by our old friend, Tyler Dunne https://www.golongtd.com/p/the-trent-sherfield-prophecy I'm rooting for him to have a great year.

LeRoy Neiman style...

It's weird - since we were getting all the Lombardi hype last year - but I feel a bit more optimistic this season. Too many question marks last year on offense: two new starting receivers... a new OC... a suspect OL with questionable new starters... Questions abound again this season, on both sides of the ball. But I think we've improved our receiving corps, RB room, and OL.

As a simple guy with strong blue-collar roots, I hope Josh remains humble & simple, and doesn't go all Joe Burrow. But, mostly, I hope he wins some Lombardis.

I chose Earl Campbell because I'd love to see a power back in this offense. I like the dilemma it gives DCs. Do you go heavy and load the box to stop the big back? Or do you go light, spread your defenders out, and try to defend the pass? There is no good option for the DC. On the other hand, I can see a different line of thought. We're a passing team so get a back that works well in a passing attack. Someone, for example, like Thurman who can catch, pass-block, and run.

I'm surprised OJ isn't receiving more enthusiasm. I remember watching games where he'd gain maybe 140 yards - a good day for any other back but pedestrian for him. But there'd be two plays where he made some tremendous juke - or broke some tackle - and nearly broke a long one except for a desperate shoestring tackle. And then there was a long run called back because of a penalty. And another because he stepped out of bounds. The 140 yards were nearly 200, maybe even 300 yards. He was a threat to go the distance on every play. But the idea that maybe he wouldn't be the best fit for this offense has some validity. I don't remember OJ being selfish, but you have to wonder how happy and productive he'd be playing in Dorsey's pass-first offense. OJ did like being the center of attention. And he seemed to be the kind of runner who did his best work when he got into a rhythm. And while I remember OJ being a good receiver out of the backfield, contrary to what some others may say, he was not a great pass-blocker. And, in this O, backs need to block.

Anyone who chooses anyone other than OJ did not watch football in the 70s. OJ was preternatural. But I picked Earl, not because he was better than OJ, but because I'd love to see this dilemma presented to our opponents. How do you stop a team with a premier passing attack and a premier power running game?

Just a bit before my time. The earliest Bills RB I remember is Mini Max Andersen. Didn't Larry Felser used to say that Cookie - in his prime - was as good as Jim Brown? You're a lucky man to have seen him play.