GunnerBill

Yea I havd been on the intrigued side of Kinglsey Jonathan for the last 2 years. Because he has talent without the knowledge of how to play football. But he is no better now than he was 2 years ago. And he was bad on Saturday. We do have 5 better players on the roster at that spot though. Jonathan is not battling the rest of the Ends now. He is battling a 4th tight end, a 6th linebacker, a 5th safety etc... for one of the final roster spots.

I still wonder why they drafted him. He was never a fit for their offense. They moved him on because Purdy runs the plays Kyle designs. That is what Kyle wants. He does not want freelancing.

Agree. But I don't think they are as deep this year. Maybe that is understandable with the cap decisions they took in the spring to start over at some spots. But it is still a weaker roster to my eye. We didn't get better this offseason, hopefully though it sets us up to get better next offseason.

I normally do a good night / bad night thread for every pre-season game but this weekend was pretty hectic so happy to stick my thoughts here belatedly: Good night (slim pickings....) Javon Solomon - I think if there was any element of him being in a battle for a roster spot at the start of camp that is now settled. He makes it. Okay, Von didn't play, so you have one edge to come back but it was significant that he was on the second line opposite Smoot rather than Kinglsey Jonathan who had been rotating in with him in camp and has been in the system longer. Solomon had two nice tackles and held up better at the point of attack vs the run than I feared he would in the NFL. Okay, it's only pre-season, but he was our most impressive DLman on the night and Jonathan had some mistakes and penalties that further solidifies Solomon's spot IMO. Tylan Grable - A bit like Solomon in that he is a day 3 pick who is in a battle for a roster spot. While I think his probably isn't nailed down yet it also felt significant that he started with the 2nd team offensive line at right tackle. La'el Collins who I think they hoped was some vet tackle insurance when they signed him played (and not well) at left guard which suggests to me they have given up on him as a tackle option. It's worrying for our vet depth on the line but I thought Grable was probably the best lineman on show. He has a super high ceiling. I'd like them to try and develop him this year so that they are not forced into paying Spencer Brown if that price rises quickly this season. Kendall Williamson - I know he had the stupid late hit out of bounds that brought a flag and extended a drive. But I thought aside from that he played a good game. Was active in the box, had a nice solo tackle in space at the second level and a good pass break up in a 2 deep look. We obviously have injuries at safety and there is an opportunity for someone to potentially step up. He has given himself a real outside shot at the roster, but at least was one guy I circled as "would want back on the practice squad." Frank Gore Jnr - He had no chance at the roster beforehand and he still has no chance now. But I thought he kept running hard in a forlorn effort, had a couple of nice dump off receptions and looked like a pro. That is going to get him on a practice squad somewhere. If you have to put him into a game he is going to know the playbook, understand his protection responsibilities and do his job. His athletic limitations are there for all to see - he is small and he is slow but he showed enough to stick in the league for a couple of years even if he is unlikely to ever be an active roster guy. Joe Andreessen - I wouldn't have mentioned him if there was more good to reflect on. But in the absence of it this kid lived his dream on Saturday night and played at Highmark Stadium as a Buffalo Bill. It might be the only time it happens, and while he was active and all effort he was clearly short of the required talent level, but it was a cool moment for him. Bad Night (how long have you got....) The starting offensive line - that was rough. I know a lot have focussed on the Edwards-McGovern axis but I thought the right side was terrible. That was where the improvement in the line came from last season, but Brown and Torrence were either not communicating well or half assing it because it seemed like a guy was penetrating from that side within a second of the snap every play. Sam Martin - he had a couple of really nice punts but two absolute shanks too. You can't have two sub 40 yard punts in a game that are not intentional pooch punts. I know he was complaining about the wind moving the ball as he dropped it onto his foot but you are the punter in Buffalo. Newsflash - it gets windy. He struggled at the end of last season but was carrying injuries and they maybe gave him a pass. He worries me going into the season. Dorian Williams - I know he had a tackle for loss and a sack. Two of the few splash plays by the Bills defense. But what was keeping him off the field last year wasn't an inability to make splash plays. It was the inability to make the routine play. He is out of position all the freaking time and a couple of those big early runs the Bears broke he was out of his lane. He is an athletic freak, if they can channel it there is a player there. But McDermott won't put him on the field when he is so consistently not in his spot. Valdez-Scantling and KJ Hamler - If these guys went into the night as indicative WR5 and WR6/7 on the depth chart then neither helped solidify those spots. MVS had 1 target and 1 horrible drop. Hamler muffed a punt and had a drop of his own. The positive for the two of them is none of the other guys competing for a spot at receiver did anything either. Beyond Shakir and Samuel who are locks and a little flash from Coleman on one play there was not much encouraging about the receiver room. The backup Quarterbacks - I have been a defender of the deal to bring back Trubisky but he was awful on Saturday. He didn't throw a pick but there were two that probably should have been. He did at least manage to move the offense a bit though. The third stringer Shane Buechele who Brandon Beane has been telling anyone who will listen has "had a great camp" looked to me like a guy who does not belong on an NFL field even in a pre-season game. Worrying.

Id say LB3. Jesus Williams was rough. I was on my sofa and closer to plays than him. Christ alive. He is physically talented but he has no idea what he is doing.

I think our 1s are still competitive. In previous years we could 2 deep with any team in the league IMO. Not sure we are there now. Oh this was worse. That was our first pre season defeat in like 20 games or something. But this was much worse.

Our 2s and 3s have never looked that bad in the McDermott era IMO. In fact we have often been the victors in those scenarios. Where the 1s v 1s it has been a vanilla nothing burger and then the Bills 2s and 3s have smashed up the opposition 2s and 3s. What you are seeing now is what a year of cap constriction does to the back end of a roster.

I hadn't used those exact words but I have said twice that except the little jersey tug right at the start that is just elite coverage by a top DB.

All the guys mentioned for things off the field - Hill, Hernandez, Watson, AP, Ray Rice, Ray Lewis etc.. But in terms of non-criminal: Jarvis Landry, Steve Smith, Aaron Rodgers, Ndamukong Suh, Harrison Butker, and that punter the Raiders used to have who made everything about him - was he name King? Him too.

We never "made an offer" but we did have pretty advanced discussions with Pittsburgh around what it would take.

I don't think he is holding him at that point. He is just right on top of him which he is entitled to be. The tug of the jersey is one you might get some of the time. After that it is just good physical coverage in the endzone. Trubisky is better than Kyle Allen. Kyle Allen truly sucks.

Watching that I see the tug it certainly could have been called. I think that little tug that early in the route in the endzone on a ball that may not be catchable is a 50/50 call though. You will get that some games. You won't others.

I don't think it was PI. I think the defender was just in his hip pocket which he is entitled to be. I thought he did really well to break up the near pick and his snap off on the stop route was nasty. It was an encouraging debut overall but didn't tell us a ton.

These 3rd and 4th stringers are supposed to be where the PS is built from. We better be busy sifting through other teams' cuts. Because there isn't much here to excite you.

The Bills have been awful. In all facets. I think their generally good pre season have been because traditionally the Bills have been a deep team. There have been years we have had 3 or 4 cut guys claimed and traded a depth player or two as well in camp. Where they are on the cap this year is showing on the field. They are thin at a LOT of spots.

Solomon been impressive so far.

Lovely snap off by Keon.

Oline has not looked good so far.

Nice play call.

Dorian Williams in no man's land there. He is physically talented but he doesn't kniw what he is doing.

Let's ***** hope so.

Oh *****. Ed down first play. Other than Josh that is the guy we can least afford to lose.

Let's goooooo Buffffaaaaalllloooooo

I mean he isn't the only one pessimistic. It is the worst roster we have had since 2018 IMO.

Those two don't belong in the same paragraph let along breath. Aiyuk is a snap your hand off bona fide stud. JuJu is overrated mid and always has been.