Tag: buffalo bills training camp

Luke Kuechly makes appearance at Buffalo Bills training camp

Luke Kuechly makes appearance at #Bills training camp (via @NateMendelson):

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Former Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly made a surprise appearance at Bills camp on Monday. The seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro wasn’t decked out in his Carolina blue, instead opting for a Buffalo hue and a few Bills logos. Kuechly played for head coach Sean McDermott during his entire tenure as defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers, helping lead the league’s number one defense to a Super Bowl appearance in the 2015-16 season.

“I think he’s a great source for Tremaine [Edmunds] and Matt [Milano],” former teammate Star Lotulelei said. “They’re both Boston College guys but really anybody in that room can learn so much from Luke. How to be professional, how to be great at his position. He’s such a smart player in how he saw the field and how he saw plays. I think these guys are a little spoiled having Luke in there. I’d take advantage of it if I were anybody in that room.”

But don’t call it a comeback. Kuechly is firmly retired at just 30 years old. He left the game just three months shy of his 29th birthday after an eight-year career in Carolina. He’s quoted saying he still wants to play but no longer feels it’s the right decision.

Plus he’s still under contract with the Panthers. If he wanted to play again he would have to be traded to Buffalo like Rob Gronkowski was traded from New England to Tampa Bay after retiring for one season.

Kuechly is the first former Carolina player the Bills have had at practice. In years past, Kyle Williams returned during camp to work with the defensive line while Lorenzo Alexander has worked with the linebackers each of the past two seasons since announcing his retirement.

Kuechly was seen chatting consistently with Tremaine Edmunds during individuals and watched on during 11-on-11 sessions. Kuechly sang the linebacker praises during joint Bills and Panthers practices in 2019.

“He’s big, he’s athletic, he runs, he’s long. He’s like the perfect body type for this defense. McDermott’s got this great defense that I think he’s going to thrive in it,” Kuechly said.

With connections to both McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane it seems if there’s a spot open to coach, the Bills will take all they can get from the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year.

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ESPN poll favors Josh Allen over Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield in Super Bowl chances

ESPN poll favors Josh Allen over Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield in Super Bowl chances:

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Ever since Josh Allen signed his record-setting extension with the Buffalo Bills, there has been a lot of buzz around sports media.

While much of that has been centered around the fourth-year QB and his newly minted pact with the team, there has also been a lot of commentary and speculation surrounding the quarterbacks considered to be his peers.

That would be the two other starting NFL quarterbacks that were also selected in the first round of Allen’s 2018 draft class who’ve had success in recent years. Those would be 2019 league MVP Lamar Jackson and the top overall selection at number one in that draft, Baker Mayfield.

On ESPN’s Get Up this week, analysts debated who among these three playmakers would be more likely to win SB LVI. Jeff Darlington and Damien Woody picking Allen and the Bills, while Sam Ocho chose Jackson and the Ravens and Mike Greenberg chose Mayfield and the Browns.

Greenberg then took to Twitter, posting a poll to settle the dispute as to who fans would bet on to win the Super Bowl, should either of the three QB’s find themselves in the championship game at season’s end.

Allen won in a landslide.

Out of 16,745 votes, Allen and the Bills finished with 62.6% of the fan voting, Mayfield and the Browns had 24.5%, while Jackson and the Ravens had 12.9%.

One aspect that the poll results illustrate could play out this season as well- That the Ravens and Browns are competing against each other in their respective division, meaning each has the ability to impact the other’s chances of winning or losing a playoff spot.

Allen and the Bills’ deep 2020 playoff run to the AFC Championship game surpassed how far Jackson and Mayfield have made it in the playoffs thus far in their careers.

As preseason rankings are high on the Bills, time will tell if Jackson’s Ravens and Mayfield’s Browns achieve a level of postseason success on par with Allen and Buffalo’s.

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What Bills’ Stefon Diggs said about Gabriel Davis’ ‘next step’

What #Bills’ Stefon Diggs said about Gabriel Davis’ ‘next step’

When it comes to the wide receiver position, Stefon Diggs knows a thing or two. After all, the 27-year-old had a dominant 2020 campaign leading the league with 1,535 receiving yards and 127 receptions.

While the Bills wideout had the most touchdowns (8) for the team as well, it turns out that was part of a bet with 22-year-old rookie receiver Gabriel David to see who would catch the most.

In his first year after being drafted by Buffalo in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, Davis notched seven total scoring catches.

He had a couple of big-time plays in the end zone against the Titans and Jets, however, that got called back due to penalties. Had those plays not been flagged, the rookie might have won that bet.

With some early success under his belt, could Davis have an even better season even with the teams’ addition of veteran WR Emmanuel Sanders?

Diggs believes he could do just that.

“I tell him all the time now — ‘let me see it,'” Diggs said. “‘Last year, you did play pretty well. You did have some success, but there’s a lot more football for you and there’s a lot more you can obtain, a lot more things you can do better. So let me see that this next year, making that second-year jump.”

Despite 2020 being his first year in the league, Davis saw increased playing time due to his ability to play every receiver position, as well as injuries to WR John Brown.

In fact, Davis led all NFL rookies in yards per catch last season with an average of 17.1 yards.

“He handled himself extremely well as a professional,” added Diggs. “He had success and he handled success well … He’s a humble kid, he’s a kid that works extremely hard, and I look forward to him taking that next step.”

The veteran wideout should know, he met with Davis in Florida during the offseason to work on the young receiver’s route running.

“Diggs is a big help. He has a different style of play than I do,” Davis said. “So I’m always trying to pick his brain on what he likes to do and watching what he does and trying to add that to my arsenal.”

The progress and versatility have shown at training camp, where he’s had more playing time while Cole Beasley, Diggs, and Sanders had veterans’ days off.

Count offensive coordinator Brian Daboll among those who love to see it.

“He’s one of the guys, Stef gets a down day or something, and you’re like, ‘All right, Gabe get in there!’ said Daboll. “You don’t even tell him where he’s at. He just goes in and knows it.”

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Takeaways from Brandon Beane, post-roster cuts

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane takeaways following 2020 roster cut-down day.

Following a few big days for the Buffalo Bills last weekend, general manager Brandon Beane spoke via video conference to breakdown all the latest team headlines. Some of those include roster cut-down day across the NFL on Saturday and then the team’s decision to sign cornerback Tre’Davious White to a four-year extension.

Here are some main takeaways from what Beane had to say on Monday:

Bills’ first-round NFL football draft pick Tre’Davious White. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)

Locking up Tre

While Beane did discuss roster cut-down day, the most recent news for the Bills was a situation going in the opposite direction, Tre’Davious White’s four-year extension with the Bills. A reminder, Beane was not with the Bills when White was drafted. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott was pulling the string with former GM Doug Whaley, however, many speculate it was mostly McDermott’s doing because right after that draft, Whaley was fired and Beane was hired. Still, Beane was around pretty much since Day 1 with White and has watched him grow into and All-Pro talent.

“You want to talk about earning it? He’s done it since the day he walked in here,” Beane said.

The most interesting detail from Beane might have been the timing of the new deal. The GM was happy it got done before the 2020 season began.

“I’m glad we got it done before the season, he can take that off his shoulders. Just play free and know that he’s got financial security for his family,” Beae said. “It’s another way we can show what we’re doing here. Draft, develop, re-sign… and it’s a commitment from the Pegulas.”

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Most surprising decisions made by Bills on roster cut-down weekend

A list of the Buffalo Bills’ most spurring moves made over the roster cut-down weekend.

Over this past weekend, the NFL and Bills made a lot of decisions. Plenty of tough ones, too. The objective was to get down to 53 players on team rosters ahead of the 2020 regular season. Just last week, most teams in the league had near 80 players, and each team had to fill out a practice squad as well.

In breaking things down and allowing the dust to settle, the Bills certainly did make a few surprising decisions. To catch you up, we’ll go through some of those now:

Bills quarterback Jake Fromm (10) hands off the ball to Bills quarterback Davis Webb. (James P. McCoy/The Buffalo News via AP, Pool)

Jake Fromm sticks

Perhaps the biggest debate out of training camp was what the Bills will do with their quarterback situation and as it turns out, they did the smart, sensible thing: Kept four of them. This was the suggested scenario we made prior to roster cut-down day as well.

While reports out of training camp were few and far between, none of them had something good to say about rookie quarterback Jake Fromm. Some speculated that the fifth-round pick was outplayed by Davis Webb and the veteran backup was actually going to be the third quarterback behind Josh Allen and Matt Barkley.

But nope, instead, it’s Fromm over Webb, who eventually made his way to the practice squad. What Sean McDermott & Co. were thinking seems to be pretty clear now.

Cut Fromm? As a rookie and a very well-known college quarterback, he was going to get claimed by someone. Webb? He’s been on and off practice squads in his career and with the Bills specifically, no one has signed him of their practice squad in recent seasons. So putting Webb out on the wavier wire was much smarter and if anything, it could just be a formality.

If Webb did outplay Fromm in camp? It would be interesting to see what the Bills do if Allen or Barkley go down. Could Webb be ahead of Fromm on the depth chart even though he’s on the practice squad? That’s speculation, but certainly a scenario most would prefer not to find out.

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Report: Robert Foster, Jason Croom pop up in trade talks

Buffalo Bills’ Robert Foster, Jason Croom could be traded, says the MMQB.

The Buffalo Bills have to cut their roster down to 53 players by Saturday at 4 p.m. The team can do so by any means necessary.

The one we’ll see the most is players being out-right cut… but trades, something Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane hasn’t been shy about doing in recent years at this time of the NFL calendar, are certainly on the table as well.

Less than 24 hours prior to that deadline, the Bills are reportedly looking into moving two players via trade. According to Albert Breer from the MMQB, two Bills players have had their named raised in trade talks: wide receiver Robert Foster and tight end Jason Croom.

Both players very much make sense to consider moving for the Bills. The pair guys promising spells in the 2018 season. Both jumped into the fold late in the season and showed promise, before laying duds last season. Foster couldn’t manage to get active on game days in 2019 while Croom spent the year on the injured reserve list.

In addition, both have had injuries during this year’s training camp. However, both have recently returned to the fold, so teams could be interested in them.

During that mentioned 2018 season, Foster had 27 catches for 571 yards and nearly led the Bills in receiving despite playing in only 13 games but was edged out by Zay Jones in the season finale. Last year Foster, a UDFA rookie in 2018, only had three catches.

Croom, 26, actually did lead the Bills in receiving via tight ends, beating out Charles Clay that season with 22 catches and 259 yards. He made three starts late that season.

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Bills place Patrick DiMarco on IR, cut two others

Buffalo Bills have cut fullback Patrick DiMarco and released two players from their roster, Vosean Joseph, Corey Thompson. Tommey Sweeney on

The Buffalo Bills have placed fullback Patrick DiMarco on the injured reserve list, ending his season. The team announced the move on Friday. DiMarco had a neck injury.

Because DiMarco was added to the team’s IR list prior to the start of the regular season, the fullback’s season is over. DiMarco was a early signing by the team under head coach Sean McDermott in 2017. His on-field production was low, however, DiMarco was coveted as a team leader by the coach. Without him, undrafted rookie free agent Reggie Gilliam, listed as both a fullback and tight end by the team at times this offseason, could have a strong look at the roster now.

DiMarco was entering the final year of his contract.

In addition to DiMarco, two linebackers went out the door as well, Vosean Joseph and Corey Thompson. Both players were released by the Bills as the team begins to trim their roster down to 53 players ahead of the NFL deadline to do so on Saturday by 4 p.m.

Releasing Thompson and Joseph bodes well for both Andre Smith and Tyrel Dodson. Smith, mostly a special teamer in his two-year career, was traded for earlier this week. Dodson was a UDFA of the Bills prior to 2019, but had off-field issues and never suited up for the team.

In a move in the opposite direction, the Bills have sent another player’s status toward making the final roster. Tight end Tommy Sweeney, who’s missed the entirety of the team’s training camp, was activated from the physically unable to preform list (PUP). Sweeney had a foot injury throughout training camp.

Sweeney likely joins Dawson Knox and Tyler Kroft as the team’s 2020 tight ends. But there’s also Lee Smith to consider. Like DiMarco, Smith was coveted as a leader, but his focal point in Buffalo was as a blocking tight end and had little playmaking upside.

Stay tuned to Bills Wire throughout the weekend as the Bills continue their roster movement.

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5 toughest decisions Bills have to make before roster cut down

Here are the toughest decisions the Buffalo Bills and Brandon Beane have to make prior to Saturday’s cut-down deadline in the NFL.

Tick, tick, tick, tick…

That’s what the clock on the wall next to Bills head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane is sounding like right now at One Bills Drive.

Granted, we know cutting down a NFL roster does not change the sound of a wall clock in any way, shape, or form, we assume it’s just going to sound a little louder for those two in the coming hours. The Bills have until 4 p.m. on Saturday to get their roster to 53 players from their near 80 currently.

A lot of hard choices are staring the team right in the face. Which of those are perhaps the toughest to make? Here are five of the toughest decisions the Bills are going to make soon:

Bills quarterback Jake Fromm. (James P. McCoy/Buffalo News vas AP, Pool)

What to do with Jake Fromm?

What a scenario rookie quarterback Jake Fromm has put the Bills in…

Buffalo surprisingly used a fifth-round pick on Fromm at the recent draft. Beneath the surface, not a bad idea. Josh Allen has more than double the amount of starts as Matt Barkley in his young career already, so Barkley isn’t exactly your “veteran” backup as much as we’re led to believe Having said that, adding a younger backup with some potential upside (we know what Barkley is)… not the worst idea by the Bills.

But then came Fromm’s racially-charged text messages which put the team in a terrible position earlier this offseason. In a statement, the Bills said they’d “work with him.” Well, they did, and so far in training camp, Fromm hasn’t provided the assurances that he’d be a player to keep on their final roster. Multiple outlets, including The Athletic, think Fromm’s going to be cut his play has been so disappointing.

But will the Bills do such a thing? They’ve backed a struggling fifth-round rookie in Nathan Peterman in the past, already stood up for Fromm, and there’s COVID-19 to consider. Keeping as many quarterbacks as possible is smart, and there’s a much higher chance Fromm is scooped up off waivers as opposed to a guy like Davis Webb, who could sneak onto the practice squad. A very tough choice.

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LOOK: Josh Allen’s custom t-shirt for Devin Singletary’s birthday

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen makes t-shirt for Devin Singletary’s birthday.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen spoke to reporters on Thursday as the team continues to put their final touches on 2020’s training camp. As is everything this year, it’s different than usual.

Allen spoke via video conference instead of just talking in a group of people answering questions. But before doing so, the quarterback had a special shoutout to give to a guy from his backfield.

It’s Devin Singletary’s birthday, so Allen was wearing a custom made t-shirt for his running back. He showed it off before fielding questions and it was an awesome one. The picture of Singletary certainly has to be from a long while ago.

Check out these photos of Allen’s Singletary shirt here, via the team and WIVB-TV’s Heather Prusak, respectively:

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Bills injury report: Brian Winters in jeopardy now?

Buffalo Bills injury report from Thursday’s 2020 training camp practice.

At one point it seemed that offensive lineman Brian Winters was a lock for the Buffalo Bills’ final 53-man roster, especially without Jon Feliciano on the field. But ever since Winters signed on the dotted line, his potential for making the final roster has gone in the wrong direction and a late injury in training camp won’t help, either.

In recent days, various reports, including The Athletic‘s team, have suggested that Winters, a former starter with the Jets cut earlier this offseason, could be on the outside looking in when it comes to the Bills’ roster cuts this weekend. Winters didn’t jump into Feliciano’s role, instead, we’ve seen Cody Ford doing that a lot more.

Then as mentioned, Winters being added to Thursday’s injury report also doesn’t bode well for him. Following practice, Winters popped onto the list with a leg contusion. As Saturday’s 4 p.m. roster cut deadline approaches, keep an eye out for Winters. He could go either direction.

In this same regard, we did see some slight improvement for another  roster bubble player. Special teamer Taiwan Jones practiced in a limited capacity after missing several days of training camp. He’s nursing a knee injury and is a key player on special teams. Jones’ status came into question a little when the Bills traded for Andre Smith, a linebacker and special teams ace himself, earlier this week.

Here’s the Bills full injury list for Tuesday’s practice, including carryovers from Wednesday’s injury report which have remained the same:

PUP LIST

  • TE Tommy Sweeney (foot)

OUT FOR EXTENDED PERIOD

  • OL Jon Feliciano (chest)