GunnerBill

I think he is more of a mike than a will.

It was backups all the way for the Bills in their pre-season finale against Carolina so let's have a look at who helped themselves and who hurt themselves in the battles at the back of the roster and for the practice squad, but before we do... a call out for the Panthers roster which includes not only former Bills Jacob Hollister (we'll always have pre-season 2021) and Jordan Matthews (now a tight end - who knew he was still in the league??) but also Ihmir Smith-Marsette and DiCaprio Bootle (who both made my draft sleepers thread in 2021 coming out of Iowa and Nebraska respectively). A reminder that the rosters of bottom feeding NFL teams have a glorious "where are they now?" quality to them . Anyway, onto the Bills.... Good Night for... Ja'Marcus Ingram - I know Ingram is locked in on a roster spot as this team's fourth corner but it is almost impossible to overstate how good a summer the former University of Buffalo product has had. He was hanging with Carolina's 1st team receivers and had two really nice coverage reps on that first drive down in the endzone against Diontae Johnson. Caps a really impressive pre-season and his emergence, coupled with an improved showing from Kaiir Elam this summer, has taken outside corner from a depth concern to potentially one of the deeper spots on the Bills roster. Frank Gore Jnr - Hope the injury he suffered late is not serious because over 100 yards and a touchdown at 5.6 per carry wrapped up a terrific pre-season for Gore. Man does he run like his dad? He's never going to be the biggest or the fastest but his vision, his knowledge of the position, and his ability to fall forward are going to make him a valuable commodity on cutdown day if he is healthy. I think there is a possibility he gets claimed off waivers because I can see a team or two combining the tape with the name and being willing to take a chance on the lineage. If I was the Bills decision maker I'd consider keeping him over Ty Johnson who is an ultimate JAG but I don't expect them to do that and as such Gore may well end up on someone else's 53. Tre' McKitty - Worth reminding people that McKitty was a third round pick of the Chargers back in 2021 after a collegiate career where he was a starter at Florida State and Georgia. It didn't work out in LA and he was released last October after which the Bills added him to their practice squad. He has been the forgotten man of this tight end battle but with Quintin Morris hurt (and possibly heading to IR) there is at least one spot on the roster to shoot for and that third tight end normally has to block some, and has to play special teams. McKitty does and Zach Davidson doesn't (he has tried a bit of teams play this pre-season but it's very much a work in progress). McKitty had a nice block on Gore's TD run, and two catches on the night, including an impressive acrobatic grab for the 2 point conversion. If there is a name on the 53 come Tuesday that nobody has been talking about his might be it. I still think Davidson's roster chances come down to whether the Bills keep a 4th tight end who is "just" a receiving tight end. Deon Cain - I have called the receiver battle beyond the established "top 4" on the Bills depth chart a few words over this summer. Uninspiring is the polite term. Utter garbage might be more accurate. However, Deon Cain as a late entrant is intriguing. He won a National Championship with Clemson while in college but suffered an ACL in his rookie training camp with the Colts. His career has never really recovered its momentum from there but he was the MVP of the USFL Championship game last year and while he is probably in last chance saloon territory as far as the NFL goes he caught the ball (I know, how novel) and he showed more bust after the catch than KJ Hamler. I suspect he would need to be allocated one of the six allowed "veteran" slots on a practice squad, and that might make his path tougher, but I'd be in favour of keeping him around more so than some of the other contenders. Te'Cory Couch - When people say "get rid of the pre-season altogether" I always object. The reason is the opportunity for guys like this. Couch got on the field a bit in the second half of week 1 and the very end of week 2 but he played as the "starting" nickel with the second team defense that started the game last night and played throughout. They used him in a Taron Johnson esque way combining his time between a true slot corner position and playing in the box as a third linebacker. The kid took his chance. 10 total tackles and a sack, plus a good special teams play on the opening kick off. I think he has worked his way onto the practice squad. Good job. Bad Night for... Tyler Bass - You know when I said it was backups all the way? Yea, well worryingly the worst night of the lot belonged to the one man on the field the Bills will need to rely on when the season begins. Missed a field goal from 51 (and he has plenty of leg it's accuracy that is the issue) and fluffed a kick off not hitting the landing zone and causing a drive start at the 40 yard line. McDermott was pretty direct about him when asked afterwards but this is a problem. The second half of his 2023 season was a disaster and he has not re-found his mojo. The contract is a problem if the Bills wanted to cut bait but the reality is his leash must be pretty short at this point. Linebackers - The Andreessen hype has cleared and this performance was much more reminiscent of his week 1 effort than the MVP display against the Steelers. I expand it out beyond him thought because Deion Jones was bad too (I believe it was he who misplayed his responsibility on the goalline - the Bills are almost always will on tight end, mike on running back in those situations - although clearly Andreessen had issues communicating the call) and Edefuan Olofoshio was a liability in coverage in the second half too. Andreessen got washed on a Panthers rushing touchdown up the middle and also struggled twice carrying vertical routes in coverage down the field. I still suspect last week makes it risky to try and sneak Buffalo Joe to the practice squad but the Bills might now feel it is worth the risk. Tyrell Shavers - He was this year's OTAs and early camp receiving darling. There seems to be one every year. They rarely make the team. I don't think Shavers is making the team either. Not going to put the drop on our first offensive play on him, DiNucci has to make a better throw, but the missed touchdown was 100% on Shavers. That is a perfectly thrown ball by DiNucci and while Shavers does a great job with his release he slows and starts looking for the ball way too early. He has to stay with the route there and trust the ball will be where it needs to be. It should have been a simple touchdown grab. I just don't see a guy here who has shown enough to make the team. If MVS is not healthy I might be tempted to roster four receivers at initial cuts and see what shakes loose elsewhere. The rest of these guys suck. Kyron Brown - Brown spent all last year on the Bills' practice squad and at the start of the spring there were those who thought he was essentially battling Ja'Marcus Ingram for a potential roster spot at corner. He has been absolutely dreadful in pre-season. He got worked again last night, gave up another touchdown, missed a chance for an endzone pick and was just generally out of position and out of his depth at every turn. Against Carolina backups. Yea. That's bad. I believe he might have played himself off the practice squad. I certainly hope that is the case. The idea of him being called upon for a real game is terrifying. Casey Toohill - When Toohill signed in the spring he was expected to factor into the defensive end battle, after all, he lodged 5 sacks last season in a situational pass rusher role with the Commanders. He lost most of his camp to injury and that is unfortunate but he got his first game action last night and looked way below the level of the guys he is competition with. He got a free run at a sack on Bryce Young on the first drive, but whiffed, and it didn't get any better from there. One of the easier cuts the Bills will make this week. Okay guys, add your own, flame away, and begin the two weeks of bickering before the Cardinals come to town! We are on to Arizona!!!

They have been doing the subtle hint game all summer. The time for subtlty has been and gone.

Would he count as a PS vet? Or not? If not I fancy his chances for a spot there.

Yes but I think it was about the process not an individual.

I think Andreessen, Solomon, Ingram and Grable are safe personally. None of those four make it through waivers IMO so Beane has to keep them on the main roster. Davidson I think will but its 50/50. MVS will health allowing.

Fair. But why not have 19 or 20 games?

I don't have "concerns" about Coleman so much as I think the guy we drafted is the guy we drafted and while, of course, the guy we drafted to me wasn't one you easily projected to winning on the outside regularly enough. And that is why you end up where you are talking about whether or not Mack Hollins plays over him. I think there is a world where Keon Coleman proves he can play and we still need a true outside receiver. The construction of this receiver room rather than a single individual or single decision. At least that is how I interpret it. But @Kirby Jackson can speak for himself if that is incorrect.

Hmmm. I agree with the first para. But I only agree to an extent with the second para. I don't know that it is about development arcs so much as it is about the skillset. The things we have seen Keon do well in camp are the things we saw him do well in college. The things we saw him struggle with in games are the things we saw him struggle with in college. I am interested to see how much they use Keon in the slot. Because if he is struggling to produce outside and they feel pressure to make it work I can see them going there quite quickly. And then the outside question gets even more perplexing.

I think he knows what he is. But he is s competitor. He is going to want a chance to compete for a job.

I think it is a brave but odd decision for Canales to not play any starters at all in pre-season. When proven, strong, vet teams do it I get it and support it. But new regimes with questions all over the roster? I'd be wanting those reps myself.

I'd rather Darius Robinson were healthy. He isn't very good. Was Zay fighting for Jesus again?

Haha. I think he probably knew the Panthers weren't taking him when they did the second trade back because Dan Morgan probably did tell him. But when they executed the first trade back it wasn't just KC... the Cowboys who were by then at #29 were a possible receiver team, as were the Ravens at #30, the 49ers took a receiver at #31. There is zero chance he could have been confident "his guy" was surviving those four picks. It was clearly "don't love any of these guys, let's take the extra pick, move back and take the best of what's left." When Beane was "his guy" he trades UP not back. Elam and Kincaid are proof of that.

That isn't what he is saying. He is saying if your first round pick (Coleman was #33 but point stands) isn't starting and is behind a complete journeyman like Mack Hollins that is a reason to be concerned. He is not saying Coleman is a failure or Beane is a failure. Or that all first round picks must start.

You said he has taken literally all snaps with the ones. I understand what you mean now you explained but that isn't what you said.

The bolded isn't true. He did start off with the 1s it wasn't a start with the 2s and earn it situation, if that's what you mean but they have been rotating the top 4 with the ones and were rotating MVS and Shavers in a bit there too in the middle of camp.

You wouldn't find them. I am happy to own hating the Josh Allen pick. I did. A two year crusade is simply not true.

I didn't. Find the two year crusade. You won't be able to. I hated the pick. But aftet that I was completely fair to him on how he played game by game.

Alec Anderson. I would imagine the starting OL to be Grable and Van Demark at tackle, Collins left guard, Anderson Center, Clapp right guard. Because that has been the 2nd team OL all summer.

But that is as much on Brandon Beane and the coaches as it is on AJ himself. They drafted a big, base end, and asked him to become an outside speed rusher.

Yea kinda depends what the Philly offense looks like. But he should have a LOT of opportunity as the slot with those guys outside.

Quite possible

In a straight up who you taking I might take Dotson but it would be close. But in Shakir and a 3rd round pick or Dotson it is Shakir and the pick without doubt. I only had just over a round between them when I evaluated them coming out. I know Dotson went mid 1st and Shakir went 5th but I had a mid 2 on Dotson and a late 3rd on Shakir. Now at this point if you redrafted them..... they would go pretty close together.

Still crazy. Slot production is easier to get. You get more free releases. So taking a superior player who gets half a yard more per route ran outside off the boundary just because he might have an even bigger advantage over the inferior player in the slot once he gets a free release would be dumb. Yea there is a price I'd have been in on it. Not quite this price given the current makeup of our room.

Interesting analogy with the comparison to Elam.